Eye on Extremism
February 18, 2020
NBC
News: Rocket Attack Strikes Near U.S. Embassy In Iraq
“A rocket attack struck near the U.S. Embassy in Iraq early Sunday,
a U.S. military and Iraqi officials have confirmed. “The attack did
not injure any personnel, and the coalition remains committed to
supporting the government of Iraq to defeat ISIS remits,” Col. Myles
Caggins, a spokesman for the U.S. military operation in Iraq, told NBC
News. He added that they were not able to identify who was behind the
attack, and the incident remains under investigation. Three Iraqi
security officials told the Associated Press that two of the rockets
fell inside the U.S. Embassy compound, while another hit near the
coalition base. The Iraqi officials spoke on condition of anonymity
because they were not authorized to speak to the media. Washington has
blamed Iran-backed paramilitary groups for increasingly regular
rocketing and shelling of bases hosting U.S. forces in Iraq and of the
area around the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. An attack last month hit the
U.S. Embassy compound itself, and a rocket attack on a military base
in the north in December killed a U.S. civilian contractor. No one has
claimed responsibility for Sunday's attack, but the U.S. has accused
Iran of being behind previous attacks on U.S. troops and facilities in
Iraq.”
Reuters:
Pakistan Confirms Escape Of Taliban Leader Who Justified Malala
Shooting
“A high-profile local Taliban figure who announced and justified
the 2012 attack on teenage Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai has escaped
detention, Pakistan’s interior minister confirmed a few days after the
militant announced his breakout on social media. Former Pakistani
Taliban spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan, who claimed responsibility on
behalf of his group for scores of Taliban attacks, proclaimed his
escape on Twitter and then in an audio message sent to Pakistani media
earlier this month. The Pakistani military, which had kept Ehsan in
detention for three years, has declined to comment but, asked by
reporters about the report, Interior Minister Ijaz Shah, said: “That
is correct, that is correct.” Shah, a retired brigadier general, added
that “you will hear good news” in response to questions about whether
there had been progress in hunting down Ehsan. Ehsan later told a
Reuters reporter by telephone that he had already left Pakistan and
arrived in Turkey together with his wife and children. He said he had
surrendered to the army under a deal, and escaped only after the
agreement was not honored.”
Vice:
Mark Zuckerberg Is Literally Begging Europe To Regulate Facebook: ‘It
Will Be Better For Everyone’
”Zuckerberg failed to deliver on his numerous pledges to address
extremism on his platform, especially in the wake of the Christchurch
massacre being streamed live on Facebook,” David Ibsen, the executive
director of the Counter Extremism Project, told VICE News in an
emailed statement. In the wake of the mosque shooting in New Zealand,
Facebook signed up for an agreement, called the Christchurch Call to
Action, promising to work more closely with governments to eradicate
extremist content from its platform. But terror groups continue to
exploit Facebook for online radicalization. “Facebook is still hosting
extremist content while attacks linked to online radicalization
continue to occur. It is unacceptable that instead of taking
responsibility for the terrorist material thriving on the platform,
Zuckerberg is trying to thwart the EU authorities’ efforts to ensure a
safer online environment for Europeans. We appeal to European
decision-makers not to place the appeals of American tech oligarchs
over the safety of European citizens.”
United States
NBC
News: Trump Pushed CIA To Find, Kill Osama Bin Laden's Son Over Higher
Priority Targets
“When intelligence officials briefed President Donald Trump on the
most worrisome terrorist threats during the first two years of his
tenure, they regularly mentioned the names of the senior terrorist
figures the CIA was working hardest to find and kill, including the
leader of al Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahri. Trump would ultimately
greenlight successful strikes on ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and
Yemeni al Qaeda chief Qasim al-Rimi — perhaps the most significant
names on the CIA list of potential U.S. targets. But he was more
interested in a young and less influential figure much farther down
the list, according to two people familiar with the briefings, because
he recognized the name. “He would say, 'I've never heard of any of
these people. What about Hamza bin Laden?'“ one former official said.
“That was the only name he knew,” a Pentagon official added. Although
Osama bin Laden's youngest son was not believed to be planning
attacks, the U.S. ultimately carried out an airstrike that killed him
in 2018, according to current and former officials familiar with the
matter. At first, officials weren't sure of his fate, but in July, NBC
News was the first to report that U.S. officials believed he was
dead.”
Syria
Reuters:
Syrian Forces Consolidate Control Of Aleppo, Air Strikes Under
Way
“The Syrian army said on Monday it had taken full control of dozens
of towns in Aleppo’s northwestern countryside and it would press on
with its campaign to wipe out militant groups “wherever they are
found”. The advances were made after President Bashar al-Assad’s
forces drove insurgents from the M5 highway linking Aleppo to
Damascus, reopening the fastest route between Syria’s two biggest
cities for the first time in years in a big strategic gain for Assad.
Assad said on Monday his forces’ rapid recent gains presaged the
eventual defeat of the nine-year insurgency that sought to oust him
from power. But in an appearance televised by state media, he also
cautioned that the conflict was not yet over. “We know this liberation
does not mean the end of the war or the crushing of all plots or the
end of terror or the surrender of the enemy, but it definitely rubs
their noses in the dirt,” Assad said. “This is a prelude to their
(opposition forces’) final defeat, sooner or later.” Backed by heavy
Russian air strikes and aided by pro-Iranian militias, government
forces have intensified since the start of the year their campaign to
recapture the Aleppo countryside and parts of neighboring Idlib
province in the far northwest of Syria where anti-Assad insurgents
hold their last strongholds.”
Al
Monitor: Raqqa Seeks To Repair What IS
Ruined
“Since the city of Raqqa was freed from the Islamic State (IS) in
October 2017, the Religious Affairs Foundation in Raqqa held its first
Islamic forum in the city. The conference — titled, “The eternal
message of Islam: concepts and challenges” — attracted 140
representatives of religious institutions from the various northern
and eastern parts of Syria, members of the Raqqa Civil Council, Raqqa
tribal elders, representatives of the Syrian Democratic Forces and
officials at the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria
(Rojava). On the first day of the event, on Feb. 1, Sheikh Anas
al-Hamad, a member of the Religious Affairs Foundation, said that the
forum’s goal is to rectify the religious path of Islam that IS in
Raqqa misinterpreted, to counter IS extremist ideas that mushroomed
among some of the youth segments that were influenced by IS ideology,
to turn the mosques into places to disseminate peace and charity, and
grant the rights that IS denied to women and advance their
status.”
The
Sydney Morning Herald: Police Raids As Families Of Islamic State Still
Stuck In Freezing Syrian Camp
“Police have raided homes in Sydney and Melbourne in an attempt to
gather evidence against some of the 67 family members of Islamic State
fighters living in a Syrian refugee camp. The Australian Federal
Police has stepped up investigations into the Australians trapped in
the al-Hawl camp amid concerns some of them may try to flee and make
their way home as conditions deteriorate in the camp. The AFP raided
properties in Melbourne on January 30, and in Sydney on February 5,
which federal government sources confirmed were connected to its
investigation into the wives of slain or imprisoned Australian Islamic
State fighters. The government insists it has no plans to rescue the
Australians because the conditions in Syria are too dangerous and many
of the women and families pose an ongoing security risk. But security
agencies are preparing for the possibility that some or all of the 20
women and 47 children might find their way home. This could involve
paying people smugglers to get them out of northern Syria and to an
Australian embassy, according to government sources. The government is
also alive to the possibility of Kurdish authorities closing the camp
if the security situation in northern Syria deteriorates even further
in coming months.”
Iraq
The
Washington Post: Killing Of ISIS Leader Has Not Hurt Group’s
Operations, Says Iraqi Kurdish Prime Minister
“Iraqi Kurdistan's prime minister says the U.S. killing of Islamic
State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has not affected the extremist
group's ability to operate and is warning that the militants are
resurgent. Masrour Barzani, also the region’s security chief, said
that the organization is “regrouping” and mounting attacks in northern
and western Iraq. He spoke Saturday to The Washington Post on the
sidelines of a security summit in the southern German city of Munich,
where he said he had reiterated Kurdish concerns to Secretary of State
Mike Pompeo when they met a day earlier. “His killing has not weakened
the ability of ISIS to operate,” Barzani said, using an acronym for
the militant group, pointing to the ability of local cells to operate
independently of the central leadership. “They have not stopped
recruiting more people, they have not stopped attacking,” he added.
Barzani’s warnings come against the background of his government’s
efforts to urge the United States to find a way to maintain a troop
presence in Iraq, amid political backlash in Baghdad over the Trump
administration’s targeted killing of top Iranian commander Qasem
Soleimani on Iraqi soil last month. Soleimani’s slaying — which was
precipitated by the death of an American contractor in an attack on an
Iraqi military base hosting U.S. troops — escalated tensions in the
region.”
Turkey
The
New York Times: Turkey Says Two Killed In Car Bomb Attack Near Syria
Border
“A car bomb attack by the Kurdish YPG militia killed two people and
wounded five on Sunday in the northeastern Syrian town of Tel Abyad,
near the Turkish border, the Turkish Defence Ministry said in a
statement. The Arab town, from which Turkish-backed forces last
October pushed out the YPG militia in a major campaign spearheaded by
the Turkish army, has seen a series of car blasts that have killed
dozens of civilians. “The perpetrator was captured alive along with
another terrorist who came to the area with a bomb-rigged vehicle for
a second attack,” the ministry said. Turkey's state-run Anadolu news
agency said earlier, citing security sources, that four civilians were
killed in the attack. Turkey views the YPG as a terrorist organization
linked to Kurdish insurgents on its own soil. The group was not
immediately available for comment. Syrian Arab rebels accused the YPG
of carrying out the blasts, which they say seek to sow fear in areas
where Turkey has carved a sphere of influence with the help of Syrian
Arab rebels it backs and arms.”
Afghanistan
The
Washington Post: Esper Says Taliban Deal Is Promising But Not Without
Risk
“U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Saturday that a truce
agreement between the United States and the Taliban that could lead to
the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan is not without risk
but “looks very promising.” Ahead of a formal announcement of the
seven-day “reduction in violence” deal, Esper said it was time to give
peace a chance in Afghanistan through a political negotiation. He
spoke a day after a senior U.S. official said the deal had been
concluded and would take effect very soon. Expectations are that
agreement will be formally announced on Sunday and that the reduction
in violence will begin on Monday, according to people familiar with
the plan. “So we have on the table right now a reduction in violence
proposal that was negotiated between our ambassador and the Taliban,”
Esper told an audience at the Munich Security Conference. “It looks
very promising.” “It’s my view as well that we have to give peace a
chance, that the best if not the only way forward in Afghanistan is
through a political agreement and that means taking some risk,” he
said. “That means enabling our diplomats and that means working
together with our partners and allies on the ground to affect such a
thing.”
The
New York Times: As Afghan Soldier Kills 2 Americans, Peace Talks Forge
Ahead
“President Trump stood in a misty drizzle at Dover Air Force Base
as the remains of America’s latest two casualties in the long war in
Afghanistan arrived home. The somber silence was shattered by
anguished cries from the young widow of Sgt. First Class Javier J.
Gutierrez, who sprinted toward the plane as the metal cases holding
her husband’s body and that of Sgt. First Class Antonio R. Rodriguez
were being pulled out. “No!” she screamed, calling out his name over
and over. Just hours before that brief ceremony on Feb. 10, President
Trump had made a momentous decision, giving his diplomats a green
light for a peace deal with the Taliban that would lead to an American
troop withdrawal and, possibly, the beginning of the end of the United
States’ longest war. This was once called “the good war,” “the war of
necessity.” When American soldiers invaded Afghanistan in 2001 —
driven by the Sept. 11 Qaeda attacks on American soil — and toppled
the Taliban’s oppressive government, they were welcomed by large parts
of Afghan society. But since then, the war has become a bleeding
stalemate in which even some Afghan soldiers turn their guns on
American service members, viewing them as invaders instead of
partners.”
Reuters:
No Let Up In Taliban Attacks, Fresh Orders Awaited Over Deal With
U.S.
“Taliban fighters attacked Afghan government forces overnight, and
militant commanders said on Monday insurgency operations would
go-ahead until they receive fresh instructions based on a deal with
the United States to reduce violence in the country. Last week, a
senior U.S. administration official said negotiations with Taliban
representatives in Qatar had resulted in and agreement in principle
for a week-long reduction of violence, but the seven-day period had
not commenced. The official said the agreement covered all Afghan
forces, and would be closely monitored. “Our leadership hasn’t
conveyed any message about a ceasefire to us,” a Taliban commander in
Helmand, a southern province that has seen some of the fiercest
fighting. Commanders in Paktika and Nangarhar - two other provinces
regarded as strongholds for the Taliban – also said they would
continue their attacks as planned. On Sunday night, Taliban fighters
attacked Afghan government forces manning a checkpoint in the northern
province of Kunduz. According to a statement by Taliban spokesperson
Zabiullah Mujahid, they killed 19 security personnel.”
Pakistan
The
New York Times: Suicide Bomber In SW Pakistan Kills 8 At Islamist
Rally
“A powerful suicide bombing killed eight people and wounded 16
others in Pakistan's restive Baluchistan province on Monday, local
police said, when it struck an Islamist rally in the regional capital.
Police said the blast went off near Quetta's press club, where dozens
of supporters for a Sunni militant group had gathered outside. They
added that police officers were among those killed. Hospital officials
say some of the wounded persons were listed in critical condition. No
one immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing. Baluch
separatist groups, as well as rival Shiite and Sunni militants,
operate in the province and have staged similar attacks before. City
police chief Abur Razza Cheema said dozens of followers of the radical
Ahle Sunnat Wal Jammat party were rallying to pay tribute to Islam’s
first caliph when the bomber blew himself up there. Footage on social
media appeared to show the explosion ripping through the local bazaar,
sending people running for shelter. The bombing destroyed some nearby
shops and vehicles, police said. The impoverished province of
Baluchistan has long been the scene of a low-level insurgency by armed
groups demanding more autonomy for the region and a greater share in
gas and mineral resources there.”
Yemen
The
Guardian: Yemen Airstrikes Kill 31 Civilians After Saudi Jet
Crash
“Thirty-one people were killed in air strikes on Yemen on Saturday,
the United Nations says, the victims of an apparent Saudi-led
retaliation after Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed to have shot down
one of Riyadh’s jets. The Tornado aircraft came down on Friday in
northern Al-Jawf province during an operation to support government
forces, a rare shooting down that prompted operations in the area by a
Saudi-led military coalition fighting the rebels.The deadly violence
follows an upsurge in fighting in northern Yemen between the warring
parties that threatens to worsen the war-battered country’s
humanitarian crisis. “Preliminary field reports indicate that on 15
February as many as 31 civilians were killed and 12 others injured in
strikes that hit Al-Hayjah area ... in Al-Jawf governorate,” the
office of the UN humanitarian coordinator for Yemen said in a
statement. Lise Grande, the UN coordinator, denounced the “terrible
strikes”. “Under international humanitarian law, parties which resort
to force are obligated to protect civilians,” she said. “Five years
into this conflict and belligerents are still failing to uphold this
responsibility. It’s shocking.”
Lebanon
Reuters:
Crisis Puts Lebanon's Survival At Stake, Hezbollah
Warns
“Lebanon may not survive if its new government fails, the powerful
Hezbollah warned on Sunday, urging the country’s divided politicians
not to obstruct the cabinet as it seeks to address an unprecedented
economic and financial crisis. Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan
Nasrallah also said there was no point in politicians trading blame
over the causes of the crisis, after former prime minister Saad
al-Hariri on Friday accused his rivals of pushing the country to
near-collapse. Banks are curtailing access to deposits, the Lebanese
pound has slumped, inflation has spiked and firms are shedding jobs
and slashing wages in a financial crisis. Hariri resigned last year
amid mass demonstrations against the ruling class. Hezbollah, heavily
armed and backed by Iran, is one of the main backers of Prime Minister
Hassan Diab’s cabinet which was formed last month after the failure of
efforts to establish a new national unity cabinet led by Hariri.
Supporting the government was a “national duty”, Nasrallah said. “This
is not a party matter. If this government fails, it is not known
whether a country will remain for someone to ride in on a white horse
and form a new government.”
Nigeria
CNN:
Caught Between Roadblocks, They Were Sitting Ducks For Boko Haram
Massacre
“Fatima Babagana hoped to become a top broadcaster in Nigeria. The
19-year-old had started a political science degree after a diploma in
mass communications. She told everyone she was passionate about
becoming a journalist. Her dreams came to an abrupt end on Sunday
night in Nigeria's insurgency-hit Borno State. The University of
Maiduguri student was one of at least 30 people killed when militants
set fire on stranded travelers caught in a roadblock in the remote
village of Auno village. Most of them were asleep in their vehicles at
the checkpoint when the attackers ambushed them, according to
Babagana's uncle. Babagana had hitched a ride from Maiduguri with her
uncle and his friend on Sunday. Her uncle told CNN that he was going
to drop her off at Potiskum during his journey to another state, where
she was planning to visit a relative. CNN is not reporting the uncle's
name because of his fear of retribution from Boko Haram and the
military. But soldiers at a roadblock in Benisheikh town -- around 45
miles west of Borno State capital Maiduguri -- ordered them to go back
for their safety. The officers warned they could be ambushed by Boko
Haram, said Babagana's uncle, who drove the car.”
The
Hill: A Militant Group You May Not Know Kills Hundreds Of Christians
Every Year
“The recent news reports about Christian persecution coming out of
Nigeria are horrifying. A day after Christmas, extremists who
identified themselves as part of ISIS murdered 11 Christians in
Nigeria. A few weeks into the new year, on Jan. 19, the Islamic State
of West Africa released a video of a child — who looked to be around
10 years old — executing a Christian man in Borno, Nigeria. A few days
later, on Jan. 22, a Nigerian pastor, the Rev. Lawan Andimi, was
beheaded by Boko Haram’s militants. Andimi had made international news
for turning a hostage video into a testimonial about his faith in
Jesus. “By the grace of God, I will be together with my wife, my
children, and my colleagues,” Andimi said. His murder triggered
protests in 28 of Nigeria’s 36 states, drawing an estimated 5 million
people to denounce violence against Christians. While the world has
been consumed by news about Iran, China and conflicts in other
regions, Nigeria’s militant and extremist groups have waged a campaign
of death and devastation against Christians. Persecution-monitoring
groups such as Open Doors and U.K.-based Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust
estimate that more than 7,000 Nigerian Christians have been killed for
their faith in the past five years. The brazen, bloody attacks by Boko
Haram and ISIS-affiliated militants tragically have made these groups
into household names.”
Sahara
Reporters: Boko Haram Terrorists Threaten Minister Of Communications,
Mock Buhari, Warn BBC, Others
“The Boko Haram sect has released a new video threatening and
warning those it considered hindrances to its activities. The sect,
through its factional leader, Abubakar Shekau, threatened the Minister
of Communication for threatening to block their mobile lines. Shekau,
who has been reported dead multiple times, also warned the “BBC, Radio
Germany, Radio France International, Dandal Kura, national dailies”,
saying his terrorist group is doing the work of Allah. Shekau said, “I
am speaking to those who pretend to be good Muslims but they are not.
God will judge the hypocrites of Islam who use the platform of
religion to achieve their selfish gains. “We don’t judge people until
we are sure of what we have seen in them. “This video message is
specifically released because of one man, who thinks he has the
knowledge and is knowledgeable about religion. Keep this message in
your heart until you die if you don’t repent. “From today, you will
continue to live in sorrow, because I, Shekau, say so on behalf of
Allah, Allah hears us, He is the judge in the hereafter. “This warning
is for Isa Ali Panatami; don’t think simply because you preach in
English or because you are called a doctor, means you have knowledge
of Islam. You know nothing.”
Somalia
All
Africa: Somalia: Alarm As Al-Shabaab Infiltrates State
Institutions
“Abshir Gaarane Ahmed was a lead singer in a government band in
Benadir, the region that covers the capital Mogadishu in Somalia. The
public knew him as the man who belted out patriotic songs about his
country. His trimmed beard and smooth voice suited a youthful artiste.
Then on January 21, the National Intelligence and Security Agency of
Somalia (Nisa) paraded him as a terrorist. Side by side, Nisa
published videos of him singing about his beloved Somalia as well as a
confession: he had worked as an Al-Shabaab “accountant”. Nisa did not
indicate for how long he had been Shabaab's financial manager. But it
only confirmed stories that emerged from last year that the
Somalia-based militant group was planting its agents inside government
departments. Those agents, one report by the Voice of America's Somali
Service indicated, had used their government postings as a cloak to
hide their militant life, gathering information to help the group
collect taxes and target its enemies with precision inside Somalia. In
Benadir, Governor Abdirahman Omar Osman 'Yarisow' was killed last year
in August by a blind female suicide bomber, who had worked in his
office as a coordinator for people with disabilities.”
Africa
The
New York Times: 31 Reported Dead In Mali, As Attackers Return To Scene
Of A Massacre
“At least 31 people were killed on Friday in an attack on a village
that was the scene last year of Mali’s worst civilian massacre in
recent memory, the government said. A government statement did not say
who carried out the early-morning attack on Ogossagou, a village of
Fulani herders in central Mali. Last March, men believed to belong to
a rival group’s militia killed more than 150 civilians in Ogossagou,
an attack that highlighted the rising ethnic and jihadi violence in
West Africa’s vast Sahel region. Moulaye Guindo, mayor of the nearby
town of Bankass, said the latest assault came less than 24 hours after
Malian troops stationed near Ogossagou had left their base. Central
Malian residents have criticized the army for failing to protect them
against recent violence, which has displaced 200,000 people and left
many communities with no local government or means of defense. They
have turned to militias for protection against jihadists and rival
ethnic groups, though the militias have themselves used their weapons
to settle scores. Malian officials have said they suspect that Dan Na
Ambassagou, an ethnic Dogon group, carried out last year’s massacre in
Ogossagou. The group has denied responsibility.”
Al
Jazeera: Dozens Killed In Church Attack In Burkina
Faso
“At least 24 people were killed after unidentified gunmen attacked
a church in northern Burkina Faso, officials said on Monday, in the
latest assault against places of worship in the West African nation.
The attack took place on Sunday during a weekly service at a
Protestant church in the village of Pansi in Yagha, a volatile
province near the border with Niger. A group of “armed terrorists
attacked the peaceful local population after having identified them
and separated them from non-residents”, Colonel Salfo Kabore, the
regional governor, told AFP news agency. “The provisional toll is 24
killed, including the pastor... 18 wounded and individuals who were
kidnapped,” he added. A resident of the nearby town of Sebba said
Pansi villagers fled there for safety. “It hurt me when I saw the
people,” Sihanri Osangola Brigadie, the mayor of Boundore commune,
told The Associated Press news agency after visiting victims in the
hospital in Dori town, 180km (110 miles) from the attack. The
attackers looted oil and rice from shops and forced three youth they
kidnapped to help transport it on their motorbikes, he said.
Christians and churches have become frequent targets in the north of
the country.”
CNN:
14 Children Among Dozens Killed In Cameroon Attack, UN
Says
“At least 14 children were among 22 people killed by armed men in
the English-speaking region of Cameroon, a UN official said. The UN's
James Nunan said the attack happened in Ntumbo, a village in
northwestern Cameroon on Friday. Details of the violence emerged
Sunday. Nunan told CNN that an unspecified number of residents were
injured, including a pregnant woman. He added that at least 600
villagers have since fled the area. Rignyu Solange, who comes from
Ntumbo, said nine members of her family were killed when security
forces searching for separatists burned many houses in the village.
“My sister and her family were killed in their sleep as the military
torched houses because they suspected that separatist fighters were
hiding in the village. I want the perpetrators of this act to be
severely punished,” Solange told CNN. The death toll from Friday's
attack has risen to 32, Cameroonian activist and human rights lawyer
Felix Agbor Nkongho from the Centre for Human Rights and Democracy
told CNN on Monday. “The military officers responsible for these
heinous crimes must be brought to justice,” he said.”
Financial
Times: We Want To Finish This Conflict’: Mali Is Ready To Talk Peace
With Jihadis
“Sara fled Sobane Da, her village in central Mali, eight months ago
when jihadis arrived on motorbikes carrying torches and Kalashnikovs.
They set alight the traditional mud-and-thatch justice hall of the
Dogon people before killing 35 villagers, including Sara’s sister and
uncle. The 18-year-old, now living in an informal displacement camp on
the outskirts of the capital, Bamako, is desperate for the violence
that has engulfed Mali to end. Since the defeat of Isis in the Middle
East, there has been an influx of foreign fighters into the west
African Sahel, a vast region that shelters homegrown rebels, criminal
gangs and weapons pouring out of Libya, raising fears that it could
become a stronghold for militants. With more than 1,200 people killed
last year in central Mali alone, Sara wants the government to begin
talks with the jihadi groups that have wreaked havoc across the
country. ”If we sit with these people, and say we pardon each other,
it can finish,” she said. “We are able to pardon, we want to finish
this conflict and settle this.” This month, Mali’s president Ibrahim
Boubacar Keita said that his government was ready to hold discussions
with two of Mali’s most notorious extremist leaders.”
The
Washington Free Beacon: U.S. Vows To Continue Backing Fight Against
Islamic Terror In Africa
“The United States is committed to sending counter-terrorism
resources to Africa to aid the continent’s ongoing fight against
radical Islamic forces, according to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Speaking Sunday alongside senior Senegalese officials during the first
stop of a multi-nation visit to Africa, Pompeo said the Trump
administration is currently reviewing its security plans for West
Africa and will ensure nations in the region receive all the support
they need in the fight against Islamic terrorist forces. In his
meetings with the Senegalese president and foreign minister, Pompeo
said he “talked about Islamist terrorism, which endangers 350 million
people right here in West Africa. It threatens Americans, too, and we
are counting on Senegal. It is an important ally in this fight. And I
assured our friends that the U.S. will keep this fight up as well.”
Pompeo’s comments are being viewed as a dose of much-needed
reassurance to African nations concerned about America’s ongoing
commitment to their safety and security. “We did have a lot of
conversation about the security situation here and America’s role in
those,” Pompeo told reporters.”
Fox
News: Where Is Ugandan Warlord Joseph Kony?
“Josh Lipowsky, a senior researcher for the Counter Extremism
Project (CEP), concurred that while the LRA has “weakened, it has not
disappeared.” “Uganda initiated an amnesty program back in 2000 that
saw some 13,000 LRA fighters lay down their weapons and return home.
By 2012, the LRA had fewer than 100 men who had splintered into
factions spread across Africa,” he explained. “It simply doesn’t have
the infrastructure that it once did. That is not to say that the group
cannot still be dangerous.” Kony’s LRA movement was sparked in the
mid-1980s under the guise of defending those in Northern Uganda from
the new regime of Yoweri Museveni. However, by the 1990s, Kony’s
operation had descended into an insurgency that waged war against the
civilian population, the very people Kony initially proclaimed to be
protecting. Some 38,000 adults were abducted and a further 38,000
children – with thousands of boys routinely forced into becoming
“child soldiers” and girls held as spoils of war, deemed “wives” or,
more jarringly, sex slaves. Victoria Nyanjura was one of those girls
whose childhood and innocence was ripped from her in a horrific
miscarriage of justice.”
United Kingdom
BBC
News: Terror Sentences Changes 'Should Have Applied
To NI'
“Emergency laws ending the early release of people convicted of
terror offences should have applied in NI, Stormont's justice minister
has said. Last week MPs passed the Terrorist Offenders Bill. It means
terror offenders in England, Scotland and Wales will only be
considered for release once they have served two-thirds of their term.
Naomi Long said she believed there should have been “no barrier” to
extend it to NI. The bill was introduced in response to an
Islamist-related terrorist incident in London last month. The
attacker, Sudesh Amman, had been freed from prison 10 days earlier.
There had been calls from a number of unionist politicians for the
legislation to apply in Northern Ireland. Speaking in the NI Assembly
on Monday, Mrs Long said her department had indicated to the Ministry
of Justice (MoJ) in London that its preference would be for the law to
be applied UK-wide. “I made it clear that was my preference because I
was concerned there would be a risk of a two-tier system when it comes
to the paroling of terrorist prisoners being set up within the UK,”
she said.”
The
Independent: Father And Brother Of British Man Who Fought Against Isis
In Syria Charged With Terror Offences
“The father and brother of a man who fought against Isis in Syria
have been charged with terror offences, in what is believed to be the
first case of its kind. Paul Newey, 49, is accused of funding
terrorism by sending £150 to his son, while 19-year-old Sam Newey is
accused of assisting his brother. Daniel Newey, 27, joined the Kurdish
People’s Protection Units (YPG) while it was being backed by the
US-led coalition to push Isis out of its Syrian territories in 2017.
He returned to Britain in 2018 but travelled to Syria for a second
time last year, after Turkey launched an offensive against the YPG. A
small group of protesters supporting his father and brother gathered
outside Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday. Security officers
were called to the courtroom after one demonstrator got into an
argument with a West Midlands Police officer before the short hearing.
The elder Mr Newey pleaded not guilty to sending money, while either
knowing or having reasonable cause to suspect it may be used for the
purposes of terrorism. His son, Sam, was not asked to enter a plea to
a charge of engaging in conduct with the intention of assisting his
brother to prepare or instigate acts of terrorism. The two men, from
Solihull, were bailed to appear at the Old Bailey on 21 February.”
Germany
The
New York Times: Suspected Far-Right Extremist On Germany's Radar For
Months
“German media reported Sunday that the main suspect detained last
week as part of police raids on alleged far-right extremists had been
on authorities' radar for several months. Der Spiegel reported that
53-year-old Werner S. from the Augsburg region was classified by the
German security services as a potential violent threat. The man, whose
surname wasn't released for privacy reasons, was among 12 men detained
Friday in nationwide raids on suspicion of forming and supporting a
“right-wing terrorist organization.” A federal judge on Saturday
ordered the men held in investigative detention. The Welt am Sonntag
weekly reported Sunday that the group referred to itself as “The Hard
Core” and had links to a white supremacist group called Soldiers of
Odin, founded in Finland in 2015. German prosecutors alleged the
suspects wanted to achieve their goal “with as yet-unspecified attacks
against politicians, asylum-seekers and Muslims to provoke a civil
war-like situation.” Authorities in Germany have warned of the growing
threat of far-right extremism. Last June, a regional official from
Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative party was killed by a
suspected neo-Nazi. In October, a gunman with anti-Semitic views
attacked a synagogue in the eastern city of Halle, killing two
passers-by.”
The
Guardian: Germany's Muslims Call For Protection After 'Far-Right
Terror Plot' Arrests
“Muslim communities in Germany have called for more police
protection after the arrest of members of a rightwing extremist group
that is believed to have been plotting large-scale attacks on mosques
around the country. Twelve men who were arrested following police
raids on Friday had been planning attacks using semi-automatic weapons
on worshippers during prayers in 10 German states, said to have been
inspired by those carried out in New Zealand last year, according to a
government spokesman. Investigators had been following the men for
months, monitoring their conversations and online activity, after
suspecting them of having formed a terror group. They eavesdropped on
a meeting in North Rhine-Westphalia earlier this month in which the
alleged ringleader, 53-year-old Werner S, outlined the group’s
concrete plans for “commandos” to attack Muslims in small communities
across the country. Two of the men were elected to acquire weapons,
and all members were expected to contribute towards a €50,000
(£42,000) fund to finance the operation. German prosecutors spoke of
the planned attacks as “mosque massacres” inspired by the attacks on
two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, in spring 2019, in which 51
people were killed by a gunman.”
The
Daily Beast: Can German Activists Stop The Neo-Nazi
Resurgence?
“A conservative regional politician, who’d been hounded online by
the far right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party, was shot dead
on his porch last June by a man who’d previously volunteered to hang
AfD campaign posters. The victim’s offense? He’d been filmed defending
Chancellor Angela Merkel’s refugee policies as a matter of Christian
and German values. Of course the AfD denied any responsibility, but
for Germans who see in it the threat of resurgent fascism—indeed,
Nazism—the murder of Walter Lübcke has remained a potent symbol.
Earlier this month, convoluted coalition politics brought members of
the AfD together with Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union and the Free
Democratic Party to name the governor of the state of Thuringia in
former East Germany. The move was seen as an unprecedented and highly
unwelcome neo-fascist breakthrough, a big win for a party previously
considered completely toxic. People across the country turned out in
front of state parliaments and party headquarters to protest, to
chant, and in some cases to cry. “It makes people angry that, even
though people are being murdered, there are politicians who do not
appear to understand how dangerous this party is,” said Robert
Fietzke, who organized the anti-AfD protest in the city of
Magdeburg.”
Europe
Breitbart:
Switzerland Thwarts Major Islamic State Terror Attack
“According to a new investigation by Swiss media, a cell of
jihadists based in Geneva plotted to bomb cisterns full of oil near
the city’s airport in a major terror attack. The plot, which was set
to take place last year before being stopped, revolved largely around
a man named Daniel D., who also went by the Islamic name Abu Ilias
al-Swisri, a convert to Islam who went on to join the Islamic State
terror group two years later, Le Temps reports. Al-Swisri, now
25-years-old, had attended the Petit-Saconnex mosque where he met two
other radicals named “PF” and Ramzi, who would also join his Islamic
State terror cell. In 2015, both al-Swisri and Ramzi took a trip to
Syria where they met with a branch of Islamic State and received
weapons training. PF, who remained in Geneva, requested to join the
two men in Syria but was told by al-Swisri that the group wanted to
plot an attack in Switzerland. Al-Swisri is said to have formed
relationships with several more Switzerland-based jihadists, all of
whom are currently, like al-Swisri, detained in Kurdish prison camps,
and plotted the bombing attack with them.”
Voice
Of America: Suspect In Norway Mosque Attack Charged With
Terror
“A Norwegian man suspected of killing his stepsister and then
storming an Oslo mosque with firearms “with the intention to kill as
many Muslims as possible” was formally charged Monday with murder and
terror. Philip Manshaus was overpowered inside the Al-Noor Islamic
Center mosque in suburban Oslo in August. He fired six shots but
didn't hit anyone. One person was slightly injured when they jumped on
Manshaus inside the mosque and held him until police arrived. The
prosecution says Manshaus, 22, is suspected of killing his 17-year-old
stepsister, Johanne Zhangjia Ihle-Hansen, by shooting her four times —
three in the head and one in the chest — with a hunting rifle at their
home in the Oslo suburb of Baerum. Shortly after that, Manshaus drove
to a nearby mosque where three men were preparing for Eid al-Adha
celebrations. He wore a helmet with a video camera attached and a
bulletproof vest, according to the charge sheet obtained by The
Associated Press. Armed with a hunting rifle and a shotgun, Manshaus
fired four shots with the rifle at a glass door before he was
overpowered by one of the men in the mosque at the time, Muhammad
Rafiq. During the scuffle, Manshaus fired two more shots but no one
was hit.”
Technology
EURACTIV:
Facebook’s Zuckerberg Backs Regulation Of Harmful Online
Content
“Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Zuckerberg confirmed
that the online network deletes around one million fake accounts per
day. Last year, around 50 networks of fake accounts were stopped, he
said. Facebook was used in the 2016 US Presidential Election campaign
for propaganda campaigns that were orchestrated from Russia, according
to the online network and Western intelligence agencies. The Russian
government has rejected the allegations. With a few months to go until
the 2020 US Presidential Elections in November and some 80 countries
heading to the polls this year, the Facebook boss tried to dispel
concerns about new manipulations. “We learned our lesson from the 2016
election,” Zuckerberg told the Munich audience. Asked about Facebook’s
response to the threat, Zuckerberg admitted that the industry had
reacted too slowly at the time and reaffirmed his position that
internet companies need more regulation covering elections, content
deletion and data protection.”
The
Straits Times: Why Indonesia's Stateless Militants Are A Regional
Problem
“The Indonesian government decided last week to abandon its
citizens who had joined the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS)
terror group now stranded in the Middle East, banning them from ever
returning home. An earlier announcement by the National
Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) that 689 Indonesian ex-ISIS followers
would be repatriated drew criticism from nationalists who argued that
the former militants had renounced their citizenship when they joined
ISIS, some of them burning their passports in the process.”
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