“A jury convicted six men of terrorist murder in the 2016 attacks at a Brussels
airport and metro station that killed 32 people and injured more than 300,
capping Belgium’s largest trial on record and bringing some closure to a
years-long search for justice. The 12-person jury reached its decision Tuesday,
after deliberating for weeks. The high-security trial began in December and saw
more than 900 plaintiffs in a special court at NATO’s former headquarters. The
jurors deliberated over about 300 questions the court asked them to consider,
the Associated Press reported.”











<[link removed]>
<[link removed]>





Eye on Extremism



July 26, 2023



Washington Post: Six Found Guilty In 2016 Brussels Terrorist Attacks
<[link removed]>



“A jury convicted six men of terrorist murder in the 2016 attacks at a
Brussels airport and metro station that killed 32 people and injured more than
300, capping Belgium’s largest trial on record and bringing some closure to a
years-long search for justice. The 12-person jury reached its decision Tuesday,
after deliberating for weeks. The high-security trial began in December and saw
more than 900 plaintiffs in a special court at NATO’s former headquarters. The
jurors deliberated over about 300 questions the court asked them to consider,
the Associated Press reported.”



Al Jazeera: Over 1,800 ‘Terrorist Attacks’ In West Africa In 2023: ECOWAS
<[link removed]>



“West Africa recorded more than 1,800 attacks in the first six months of the
year resulting in nearly 4,600 deaths with dire humanitarian consequences,
which according to a top regional official is just “a snippet of the horrendous
impact of insecurity”. Omar Touray told the United Nations Security Council on
Tuesday that half a million people in the 15-nation Economic Community of West
African States (ECOWAS) are refugees and nearly 6.2 million are internally
displaced. Without adequate international response to the 30 million people in
need of food in the region, that number could increase to 42 million by the end
of August, he added.”




The CEP CounterPoint: Expert Analysis

* CEP-KAS Sahel Monitoring June 2023
<[link removed]>
* Monero and the Extreme Right: A Developing Problem
<[link removed]>
* ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in June 2023
<[link removed]>
* ISIS Women in Court: Nadine K. – Time to Reflect?
<[link removed]>
* Afghanistan Terrorism Report: May 2023
<[link removed]>



United States



The Philadelphia Inquirer: Penn State Abington Student Indicted For Lying
About Ties To ISIS Terrorists
<[link removed]>



“Federal authorities have charged a sophomore at Pennsylvania State
University’s Abington campus with lying about his contacts with ISIS
sympathizers and assistance he gave to the plotters of an averted terrorist
attack in Chicago last year. Kamal Fataliev, 19, of Philadelphia, posted more
than 200 bomb, poison, and weapons-making manuals to multiple terrorism-related
chat groups while working part-time and attending business classes at the
university, prosecutors said. His involvement came to light after the FBI
disrupted the Chicago plot and discovered more than 700 messages between him
and one of the suspects last year. And yet, when agents confronted him about
those contacts, Fataliev twice lied about his involvement, according to court
papers filed in conjunction with his arrest.”



Turkey



Daily Sabah: PKK Terrorists Caught Mid-Plan To Attack Istanbul
<[link removed]>



“The Interior Ministry announced Wednesday that two members of the terrorist
group PKK were apprehended by gendarmerie troops in Istanbul. The suspects were
plotting plans to carry out “a sensational attack” in Türkiye’s most populated
city, the ministry said in a statement. The suspects, identified as Fatima
al-Musa, codenamed "Sterk Evindar," and Velat Jamo, were captured in the city’s
Başakşehir district on the European side. Security sources told Turkish media
outlets that al-Musa joined the terrorist group in Syria’s Rajo, a town in the
Afrin district which was once swarming with YPG terrorists, the Syrian wing of
the PKK which carried out a bloody campaign against Türkiye since the 1980s.”



Daily Sabah: Türkiye Detains 9 In Anti-Daesh Operation In Ankara
<[link removed]>



“Turkish police have captured nine foreign nationals with suspected ties to
the Daesh terrorist group, security forces said Wednesday. A joint simultaneous
operation conducted by Ankara Anti-Terrorism Police Department and Intelligence
Bureau targeted 10 foreign nationals in various locations across the capital,
according to the sources who requested anonymity due to restrictions on
speaking to the media. The operation was a culmination of an investigation into
suspects accused of having links to Daesh terrorists in “conflict zones,”
namely Syria, where the group still remains active.”



Yemen



Al Arabiya: Eight Civilians, Seven Soldiers Died In Separate Blasts In Yemen
<[link removed]>



“Eight people, most from one family, were killed when an unexploded
projectile from Yemen’s years-long war detonated inside a house, while seven
soldiers were killed in two separate attacks with IEDs, government officials
said Wednesday. A government security official told AFP on condition of
anonymity that “an arms dealer was killed along with his wife and five of his
children (...) and another eighth person inside the family’s home while
dismantling a projectile left over from the war.” Another security official
confirmed the death toll of the incident, which took place on Tuesday in Marib,
northern Yemen.”



Middle East



Ynet News: Back To Jenin? IDF Believes Additional Incursion Needed To
Neutralize Terrorist Hotspot <[link removed]>



“Over 20 days have passed since the Israel Defense Forces' operation in the
Jenin refugee camp, but it appears a return may be necessary. Sources in the
security establishment reveal that Palestinian terrorists are attempting to
rebuild from the ruins, focusing on infrastructure, producing potent charges,
and collecting renewed munitions. Shortly after the IDF bulldozers withdrew
from the Jenin refugee camp, Palestinian Authority personnel promptly stepped
in, seeking to establish governance. Interestingly, this aligned with the
objectives of the recent IDF operation. Dozens of terrorist operatives were
arrested, and a display of governance and enforcement of public order unfolded
on the city's streets.”



Nigeria



Reuters: Armed Gang Kills 34 People In Northwest Nigeria Attack
<[link removed]>



“At least 34 people, including seven soldiers, were killed in an attack by a
gang of armed men in Nigeria's northwest Zamfara state, the head of a vigilante
group and residents said. The attack in the remote Dan Gulbi district of the
Maru local government area of the state occurred on Monday afternoon, Ismail
Magaji, the head of the local vigilante group, told Reuters. Lawali Zonai, a
resident, said, "27 villagers were killed in the attack while seven military
personnel were ambushed on their way to aid the community from the gruesome
attack."



Georgia



Civil Georgia: Two Georgian Citizens Detained For Links To Terrorist ‘Islamic
State’ <[link removed]>



“The State Security Service of Georgia (SSG) announced on July 26 that it had
detained two Georgian citizens on charges of supporting the Islamic State
terrorist organization. The Security Service said the counter-terrorist
operation was conducted simultaneously at four locations in two regions of
Georgia. During these operations, officials reportedly seized flags bearing the
symbols of the “Islamic State,” and confiscated carriers of electronic data.
Additionally, ammunition, an explosive device, and related materials were also
confiscated from the homes of the detainees, the Security Service said. The
Counterterrorism Center is investigating the case under Articles 327
(membership and/or participation in a terrorist organization) and 236 (illegal
possession of arms and explosives) of the Criminal Code of Georgia to determine
the extent of the detainees’ involvement with the terrorist organization and to
identify any other individuals linked to the crime.”



The Counter Extremism Project depends on the generosity of its supporters. If
you value what we do, please consider making a donation.

DONATE NOW
<[link removed]>
 




Click here to unsubscribe.
<[link removed]>