“The Uganda People's Defense Forces [UPDF] is preparing for the final assault
on the Al-Shabaab across Somalia, despite immense setbacks the troops suffered
during the Bulo Marer ambush, which left over 54 combat soldiers dead according
to official statistics. Lt. General Sam Okiding, the African Union Transition
Mission in Somalia [ATMIS] Force Commander, visited the troops in their various
bases to ascertain their level of preparedness early this week, passing through
Qoryole and Janaale, which are some of most potential Forward Operating Bases
in the fight against Al-Shabaab. Qoryoley and Janaale FOBS in Lower Shabelle
region are located in Sector One, under the Area of Responsibility of ATMIS
Uganda People's Defense Forces [UPDF] troops. The FC had an opportunity to hold
talks with the soldiers as a motivation for their commitment in eradication of
Al-Shabaab. ‘My visit here today is to boost your morale and check on your
readiness to face the enemy and safeguard the people of Somalia. Our main focus
is to deliver on our mandate and leave behind a safe and secure Somalia when
ATMIS exits in December 2024.’ he said.”











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**NOTE: CEP’s Eye on Extremism will be suspended from July 3 – July 5 in
observance of Independence Day. It will resume Thursday, July 6.**



Eye on Extremism



June 30, 2023



Garowe Online: UPDF Soldiers Prepare For Final Al-Shabaab Push
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“The Uganda People's Defense Forces [UPDF] is preparing for the final assault
on the Al-Shabaab across Somalia, despite immense setbacks the troops suffered
during the Bulo Marer ambush, which left over 54 combat soldiers dead according
to official statistics. Lt. General Sam Okiding, the African Union Transition
Mission in Somalia [ATMIS] Force Commander, visited the troops in their various
bases to ascertain their level of preparedness early this week, passing through
Qoryole and Janaale, which are some of most potential Forward Operating Bases
in the fight against Al-Shabaab. Qoryoley and Janaale FOBS in Lower Shabelle
region are located in Sector One, under the Area of Responsibility of ATMIS
Uganda People's Defense Forces [UPDF] troops. The FC had an opportunity to hold
talks with the soldiers as a motivation for their commitment in eradication of
Al-Shabaab. ‘My visit here today is to boost your morale and check on your
readiness to face the enemy and safeguard the people of Somalia. Our main focus
is to deliver on our mandate and leave behind a safe and secure Somalia when
ATMIS exits in December 2024.’ he said.”



Fox News: Mossad Foils Hit Squad Looking To Kill Israelis, Captures Terror
Chief In Iran
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“Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency revealed the thrilling raid on Iranian
soil and arrest of a man who led a terrorist cell in Cyprus that aimed to kill
Israelis on the island. ‘We will reach whoever foments terrorism against Jews
and Israelis around the world, including on Iranian soil,’ a senior Mossad
official said in a statement released Thursday along with a video confession
from Yusef Shahabazi Abbasalilu, the head of the Iranian cell. Abbasalilu
reportedly received detailed instructions and weapons from senior Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) members in Iran before traveling to Cyprus,
where he and his operatives planned to kill Israeli businesspeople. Cypriot
authorities announced earlier in the week that they had apprehended several
members of a cell of Iranian-affiliated terrorists, thwarting a planned attack.
Abbasalilu alone was able to elude capture and returned to Iran.”




Recent CEP Press Releases

* Extremist Content Online: Pro-ISIS Online Chat Promotes Monero
Cryptocurrency To Fund Propaganda Operations
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* New CEP Reports Assess Ties Between Terror Groups In Africa And Their Ties
To Organized Crime
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* New CEP Reports Examine Development Of Al-Qaeda, ISIS Affiliates In West
Africa And Sahel
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* Extremist Content Online: Extreme Right Instagram Users Spread Propaganda
And Plans For 3D Printed-Firearms
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* Tech & Terrorism: Big Tech Companies Cut Ethics And Safety Staff Following
Section 230 Ruling
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United States



KHOU-11: Houston Terrorist Who 'Wanted To Kill In The Name Of ISIS' Sent To
Federal Prison
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“A Houston man who was 18 when he was arrested on terrorism charges will spend
another 13 years in federal prison and then be supervised for the rest of his
life. Kaan Damlarkaya, now 23, was arrested in December 2017, after the feds
said he wanted to join ISIS and was ready to kill Americans for them and die
for them. ‘Damlarkaya wanted to kill in the name of ISIS,’ U.S. Attorney
Alamdar S. Hamdani said. ‘He slept with a machete by his bed, ready to use on
law enforcement, provided instructions on how to make a bomb to ISIS
supporters, and prepared to travel overseas and become a martyr for our
enemies.’ The U.S. citizen who was born in Houston pleaded guilty in 2019 and
had been in custody since his arrest. He was sentenced Thursday in a federal
courtroom in Houston. ‘Today’s sentence ensures that Damlarkaya will spend many
many years away from machetes and explosives, making everyone in the Southern
District of Texas a lot safer,’ Hamdani said.”



Middle East



The Times Of Israel: US Said Pressing Lebanon To Remove Hezbollah Outpost From
Israeli Territory
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“The US is pressuring Lebanon’s government to clear out a Hezbollah outpost
set up within Israeli territory beyond the border fence between the countries,
according to a Thursday report. The Walla news site reported, citing four
unidentified Israeli and American officials, that Jerusalem and Washington
believe the outpost, comprised of several tents just north of the fence — but
still within the internationally recognized territory of Israel — presents a
serious risk of escalation along the border. The report said Israel had
conveyed a sharp message to Lebanon via the Americans that the outpost must be
removed. ‘Our goal is for the outpost not to be there,’ an Israeli official was
quoted as saying. ‘We prefer Hezbollah evacuate its people itself over us
bombing them. We have made this clear to the US and the Americans made it clear
to the Lebanese.’ The US State Department told Walla it would not comment on
diplomatic conversations.”



Mali



Reuters: UN Security Council To Vote To End Peacekeeping Mission In Mali
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“The U.N. Security Council is set to vote on Friday to end a decade-long
peacekeeping mission in Mali after the West African country's military junta
abruptly asked two weeks ago for the 13,000-strong force to leave ‘without
delay.’ The planned end of the operation, known as MINUSMA, follows years of
tensions and government restrictions that have hobbled peacekeeping air and
ground operations since Mali teamed up with Russia's Wagner mercenary group in
2021. U.N. peacekeepers are credited with playing a vital role in protecting
civilians against an Islamist insurgency that has killed thousands. Some
experts fear the security situation could worsen when the mission departs,
leaving Mali's under-equipped army alone with about 1,000 Wagner fighters to
combat militants who control swaths of territory in the desert north and
center. ‘It's a Malian decision and we need to find the least horrible way to
implement it,’ said a Security Council diplomat, speaking on condition of
anonymity.”



The North Africa Journal: Mali: Civilians Killed By Terrorists In Gabero Region

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“At least 13 civilians have been killed by suspected jihadists in chronically
unstable northern Mali, elected officials who requested anonymity said on
Wednesday. ‘The provisional toll is now 13 dead, a dozen wounded and hundreds
of people fleeing several villages in the Gabero area’ in the Gao region, said
a local official, who added that the Malian army was not present in the area.
‘They killed a lot of people, more than 17 people,’ another local official
said. ‘All the young people have left. Usually, they take the animals. It’s the
first time they (the jihadists) have killed like this,’ he said. To the east of
Gabero, Gao and Menaka have been the location of a major the Islamic State in
the Greater Sahara (ISGS) offensive since early 2022. The violence has left
hundreds of civilians dead and many people in the area have moved to towns or
camps, including across the border with Niger.”



United Kingdom



Capx: Let’s Not Overstate The Threat Of Village Hall Jihadis – But Don’t
Underestimate It Either
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“This week village halls have been projected into the front lines of our
battle to control the scourge of terrorism. This will be worrying news to the
thousands of volunteers like me across the country who are more used to
fighting local government bureaucracy than violent extremists. There has been
excitable, not to say sometimes unhinged, reporting around the introduction of
draft legislation to require private venues to toughen their defences against
the threat of bombers and marauding gunmen. ‘Martyn’s Law’ was finally
introduced by Government after a concerted campaign by Figen Murray who lost
her son in the 2015 Manchester Arena atrocity. The initiative bears his name
and is testimony to one woman’s determination to make some sense from the
senseless murder of her beloved son by making it a legal duty for providers of
venues of over 100 people to take steps to reduce the risk of a terrorist
attack.”



Europe



BBC: Sweden Quran Burning: Protesters Storm Embassy In Baghdad
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“Dozens of people have stormed the compound of the Swedish embassy in Iraq's
capital, Baghdad, after a Quran was burnt during a protest in Sweden. Salwan
Momika, said to be an Iraqi living in Sweden, set fire to a copy of Islam's
holy book outside Stockholm's central mosque on Wednesday. The Quran burning
was condemned by many Muslim-majority countries. A crowd gathered outside the
embassy in Baghdad on Thursday after a powerful cleric called for an "angry"
protest.”



Technology



Forbes: Tox Mod Uses Ai Voice Tech To Identify Extremism In Online Gaming
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“In 2019, NBC News identified four hateful profile accounts on Roblox, one
with clear anti-Semitic language, another with a model of a Nazi-era uniform,
and two others with Proud Boys-related profiles. On June 20, 2023, Roblox
announced it would enable eligible creators to build experiences featuring
mature content for users aged 17 and up. Creators can create content with
mature themes, storylines and experiences that could contain violence, blood,
or crude humor. According to a 2023 New York University survey, more than 50%
of gamers in five of the world's top video game markets have seen some form of
extremist language while playing multiplayer games in the past year. The
proliferation of white nationalist and white supremacist ideologies is
well-known in the gaming industry. Modulate, the creators of artificial
intelligence (AI) voice technology, Tox Mod, which scans voice chat using
machine learning to find toxic players in online games, launched a new Violent
Radicalization detection category in its ToxMod voice chat moderation software.
ToxMod's new Violent Radicalization detection category is the result of
extensive research and collaboration with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).”



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