February 19, 2020

The New York Times: Ex-C.I.A. Asset, Now A Libyan Strongman, Faces Torture Accusations <[link removed]>

“A former C.I.A. asset who now controls the most potent military faction in Libya has been accused of torturing Libyans, and some of them tried on Tuesday to use the American court system to fight back. Victims of the military forces led by the Libyan strongman Khalifa Hifter hope to use his properties in the United States against him, taking advantage of a little-used American law to accuse him of torture and sue him in federal court in Virginia on Tuesday. Two Libyans said their family members were tortured to death by Mr. Hifter’s forces in October 2014 as chaos engulfed Libya, leading eventually to a renewed civil war. Those families are seeking restitution from Mr. Hifter and his sons. Passed in 1991, the Torture Victim Protection Act allows family members of the victims of extrajudicial killings and torture to sue the people responsible. The law is aimed at perpetrators of torture who are acting under apparent government authority. Many other suits filed under the act have failed to gain traction because there are few assets for the court system to seize if a lawsuit succeeds. But Mr. Hifter and his sons own at least 17 properties in Virginia worth a total of at least $8 million, according to the lawsuit.”

Egypt Today: Muslim Brotherhood Formed 13 Terrorist Groups In Egypt: NGO <[link removed]>

“An Egyptian human rights group issued a report on Monday stating that the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group is behind establishing 13 armed movements that carried out terrorist attacks in Egypt between 2013 and 2019. The report of the Forum for Development and Human Rights Dialogue, a non-governmental organization, openly accused Qatar and Turkey of funding the Muslim Brotherhood group designated by the Egyptian state as terrorist. The forum described the group as the “reference group for all violent terrorist organizations in the Middle East,” saying it “adopts a discourse that incites violence, racism, hatred and exclusion of women and (people) of other religions.” It also blamed the two countries of harboring fugitives of the outlawed group, who are wanted by the Egyptian judiciary over terrorist crimes that caused the death of many civilians and innocent people. Among those 13 groups is an organization known as Ansar Al-Sharia Brigades in Egypt, hosting Muslim Brotherhood fugitives who fled Wadi Al-Naturn prison in Beheira, north of Cairo, in 2011, the report said, adding that this prison recruited youth and sent them to Syria.”

The New York Times: Devices Found In Missiles, Yemen Drones Link Iran To Attacks <[link removed]>

“A small instrument inside the drones that targeted the heart of Saudi Arabia's oil industry and those in the arsenal of Yemen's Houthi rebels match components recovered in downed Iranian drones in Afghanistan and Iraq, two reports say. These gyroscopes have only been found inside drones manufactured by Iran, Conflict Armament Research said in a report released on Wednesday. That follows a recently released report from the United Nations, saying its experts saw a similar gyroscope from an Iranian drone obtained by the U.S. military in Afghanistan, as well as in a shipment of cruise missiles seized in the Arabian Sea bound for Yemen. The discovery further ties Iran to an attack that briefly halved Saudi Arabia's oil output and saw energy prices spike by a level unseen since the 1991 Gulf War. It also ties Iran to the arming of the rebel Houthis in Yemen's long civil war. Iran denies it had a hand in that assault but has increasingly promoted its influence over the Houthis and launched a ballistic missile attack on American troops in Iraq after a U.S. drone strike killed a top Iranian general in Baghdad last month. “This gyroscope ... we've seen it now enough times in Iranian-manufactured material to be able to confidently say that the presence of it in a Houthi-produced item suggests that the material was supplied from Iran,” Jonah Leff of Conflict Armament Research told The Associated Press.”

Syria

Voice Of America: UN Rights Chief Horrified By Violence Against Civilians In Syria <[link removed]>

“The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michele Bachelet, has expressed horror at the scale of the humanitarian crisis in northwest Syria, which has resulted in mass deaths and injuries of civilians and hundreds of thousands of displaced. Bachelet describes conditions under which civilians are forced to live in Idlib and Aleppo as cruel beyond belief. She condemns the indiscriminate and inhumane attacks against civilians and is calling for an immediate end to hostilities. Her spokesman, Rupert Colville, says civilians, mostly women and children, are living in terror under scraps of plastic sheeting in freezing temperatures while bombing is going on. “Entire families, some who have fled from one corner of Syria to the other over the course of the past decade, are tragically finding that bombs are part of their everyday life,” he said. “Civilians fleeing the fighting are being squeezed into areas without safe shelter that are shrinking in size by the hour.  And still they are bombed, and they simply no longer have anywhere to go.” The United Nations estimates fighting has forced more than 900,000 civilians to flee their homes since December. That represents the largest displacement of people since the civil war broke out in Syria nearly nine years ago.”

ABC News: Caliphate Wives Share Their Stories Year After ISIS Defeat: Reporter's Notebook <[link removed]>

“In a cold corner of northwest Iraq, Magboula Bajo is still homeless. She's Yazidi -- part of a community enslaved and tortured by ISIS. She was taken from her home, kept as a slave for two years. “They killed them all in front of our eyes: my father, uncles, our relatives, my father's uncles,” she recalled. “They blindfolded the youths and tied their hands and took them near to the river. We heard them being shot.” Magboula feels like she's been forgotten by the world. Her people still live in freezing refugee camps, waiting for their lives to start again. ISIS victims have yet to find peace, and many of those who joined ISIS have yet to see justice. As I wait outside her tent, I can hear the distinct north American accent of Kimberly Polman, the U.S.-Canadian woman who joined ISIS five years ago. I can hear her laughing and preparing it so that we can come inside to talk. “I had no idea you guys were coming!” I am at Roj camp in northeast Syria, where about 2,000 Western European ISIS women and their children are being kept. Polman shares a tent with Shamima Begum, the British 20-year-old who joined ISIS when she was just 15. Next door to them is Hoda Mothana, who lives with her 2-year-old son, Adam. All three are trying to return to their home countries.”

Iraq

Daily Mail: ISIS Has DOUBLE The Number Of Soldiers Across Iraq And Syria Than It Did When It Swept Through The Region In 2014, Kurdish Leader Warns <[link removed]>

“ISIS has double the number of soldiers it had when it began capturing territory in Iraq and Syria in 2014 and is poised for a comeback, a Kurdish leader has warned. Masrour Barzani, prime minister of the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan, issued the stark warning amid moves by President Trump to withdraw US troops from the region after years of fighting. While ISIS has lost all of its territory and much of its leadership, Barzani believes the terror group still has 20,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria and is trying to recruit more. That number is double the initial US estimates of ISIS's strength when it began capturing territory across Iraq and Syria in 2014, sparking an international crisis. Revised CIA estimates put that number at 31,000, while Iraqi security advisers estimated it had 100,000 fighters by the time it announced the formation of a 'caliphate' in July that year. Nevertheless, Barzani cautions that the modern-day ISIS is still a force to be reckoned with and 'should not be taken lightly.' Speaking to The Atlantic, he said: 'ISIS is still very much intact. Yes, they have lost much of their leadership. They have lost many of their capable men. 'But they’ve also managed to gain more experience and to recruit more people around them.'“

Turkey

The Defense Post: Turkey Arrests Suspected Former ISIS Executioner In Bursa <[link removed]>

“Turkish police have arrested a suspected former executioner for Islamic State in Syria, who became a gas repairman when he returned to civilian life in Turkey, local media reported on Tuesday, February 18. The 50-year-old Syrian, known by his nickname “Abu Taki al-Shami,” was arrested at a construction site on Monday in the Bursa province of northwest Turkey, state news agency Anadolu said. The agency described him as an executioner for a senior ISIS leader in the Deir Ezzor region of eastern Syria, a former stronghold of the extremist group. A video of his arrest showed him in work clothes and closely shaved. It is alleged he is the same man videoed several years ago in Syria with a full beard, killing a civilian with a shot to the back of the head. His arrest led to the detention of three others in Bursa on Tuesday over alleged ISIS links, Anadolu said. ISIS held vast swathes of territory across Syria and Iraq from its rise in 2014 until its military defeat last year. Turkey, which supported the rebellion against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, was accused by its allies of failing to sufficiently crack down on foreign jihadists crossing Turkish territory to join ISIS. But Turkish authorities cracked down heavily on jihadist cells after a spate of devastating attacks inside Turkey in 2015.”

The Guardian: Turkey Re-Arrests Gezi Park Activist Hours After Acquittal On Terror Charges <[link removed]>

“Turkish authorities have detained a prominent philanthropist, just hours after a court acquitted him on terrorism-related charges and ordered his release from jail. Osman Kavala was one of nine activists accused of terror charges over their involvement in Istanbul’s Gezi park protests who were acquitted on Tuesday in a surprise ruling. But within hours, a new warrant from the Istanbul prosecutor’s office called for his re-arrest as part of an investigation into a failed 2016 coup against Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government, and under the charge of attempting to overthrow the constitutional order. After his release from the the Silivri maximum security prison on the outskirts of Istanbul, Kavala was taken by police to an Istanbul hospital for health checks before being formally detained again. The court’s earlier ruling was greeted by applause and cries of disbelief in the courtroom where more than a hundred supporters had waited to see Kavala walk free. But an anxious silence overtook the stunned crowd – including Kavala’s wife Ayşe Buğra – when word of the new investigation reached them later on Tuesday.”

Afghanistan

The Washington Post: Big Questions Surround The Coming U.S.-Taliban Peace Deal <[link removed]>

“This weekend in Germany, everyone expected the United States to announce a preliminary agreement with the Taliban to establish a path toward peace negotiations that could end the war in Afghanistan. But the announcement never came, leaving far more questions than answers. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, his Afghanistan envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper met with scores of lawmakers and foreign officials on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference to discuss the pending agreement. A Taliban official said Monday it could be signed by the end of the month. The delay has prompted Afghan officials and U.S. lawmakers from both parties to wonder whether the deal is sound and whether crucial details will even be made public. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani told a bipartisan delegation of U.S. lawmakers in Munich that the deal has four “secret annexes,” according to four people who were in the room. He also laid out several risks he sees in the deal, including concerns it could elevate the Taliban’s stature and boost other violent Islamist groups around the world.  “I sit with Ghani and I hear about four addendums that are secret,” Sen. Robert Menendez (N.J.), the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told me.”

The New York Times: Will The U.S.-Taliban Deal End The War? <[link removed]>

“The talks between the United States and the Taliban in Doha, Qatar, which were abruptly canceled by President Trump in September, are back on track. After several months of diplomatic regrouping, American and Taliban negotiators are once again on the verge of sealing a deal. The negotiators haven’t revised the basic transaction they set out last August — an American commitment to withdraw troops from Afghanistan for a Taliban promise not to allow the country to be used by transnational terrorists. Rather, they have added sweeteners to the bargain: As a Taliban concession, a seven-day “reduction in violence” before the United States will sign the deal, possibly followed by further steps to keep violence down, and the release of prisoners demanded by the insurgents. These measures may help build confidence in the plausibility of good-faith negotiation, but they are primarily face-saving devices. The violence reduction allows President Trump to reverse his repudiation of the talks and the Afghan government to stop insisting that it would not participate in the next stage of negotiations unless the Taliban declare and hold a cease-fire for at least a month.”

Reuters: U.S.-Taliban Pact To Cut Violence About To Start, Afghan Minister Says Amid Clashes <[link removed]>

“An agreement between the Taliban and U.S. forces to reduce violence will come into force within the next five days, Afghanistan’s acting interior minister said on Tuesday, amid continued clashes between the militants and Afghan forces. A senior U.S. administration official said last week negotiations with Taliban representatives in Qatar had resulted in an agreement in principle for a week-long reduction of violence, but that the seven-day period had not yet started. “The RIV (reduction in violence) period will begin in the next five days, which will be based on the negotiations between the U.S. and the Taliban,” Masoud Andarabi, Afghanistan’s acting minister of interior, told a gathering of provincial police commanders in Kabul. Taliban fighters attacked Afghan government forces on Sunday night and militant commanders said on Monday insurgency operations would go on until they receive fresh instructions based on any deal with the United States. The Taliban, who ruled Afghanistan from 1996 until their ouster by U.S.-led troops in 2001, have refused to negotiate directly with the Afghan government, which they see as a puppet of the United States.”

Somalia

All Africa: Somalia: 13 Alshabaab Militants Killed In Lower Shabelle By Danab Forces <[link removed]>

“Newly recruited HirShabelle State Police personnel demonstrate skills during a passing out ceremony to mark the completion of training in Jowhar, Somalia on 29 August 2019. Danab forces have least 13 militants of Somali-based al-Shabab and several others wounded in a military operation against the group in lower Shabelle region on Monday, an official said. Somalia's specially-trained forces known as Danab conducted a military operation at al-Shabaab facilities near the town of Leego, located in the northwest of the capital Mogadishu, according to Somali military radio. Ismail Abdimalik Malin, a senior military commander in the region said they conducted an operation against terrorist group al-Shabaab that killed 13 militants and wounded several others.” The operation came days after some special forces units which were trained in Turkey returned to the country. Gen. Adawa Yusuf Rage, a Somali armed forces commander, said: “I want to thank our Turkish brothers for their help to train these special forces, this unit will help us fight against al-Shabaab.”

Africa

All Africa: Kenya: Civilians Bear Brunt Of Terror As Operation Against Al-Shabaab Continues In Forest <[link removed]>

“Kenya launched an operation to flush out al-Shabab terrorists from the northeast Boni Forest on the border with Somalia in 2015. The operation was meant to last a few months but — nearly five years later — security forces are still struggling to stamp out the Islamist militants. Villagers are afraid to venture into the forest and a deadly January attack on a joint Kenya-U.S. military base has highlighted ongoing insecurity. Twenty-year-old Bilai Abdi said she was excited about getting her two children new clothes one afternoon in 2017. She and six other civilians got into a police vehicle to get to the next town. They never reached their destination, as the car hit a roadside bomb and was then attacked with gunfire, killing all the civilians except Abdi. The mother of four dragged herself out of the bullet-ridden car. “My leg was bleeding and one man aimed at me,” she says.  She also says she tried to duck but the bullet hit her in the neck. “The man came down and passed by me, thinking I was dead, without even looking at me.” A few hours later police helicopter was hovering above her head. Abdi says she saw security moving around me but couldn’t see clearly. She says an officer recognized her but another pointed his gun at her and called her al-Shabab. Abdi says she replied that she was not al-Shabab.”

France

Deutsche Welle: France To Curb Foreign Imams To Counter Islamic Extremism <[link removed]>

“French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Tuesday that he would restrict other countries from sending imams and Islamic teachers to France in what he said is an attempt to prevent “separatism.” Macron said he would gradually put a stop to the practice in which foreign countries, including Algeria, Morocco and Turkey, deploy imams to France to preach in mosques. “This end to the consular Islam system is extremely important to curb foreign influence and make sure everybody respects the laws of the republic,” Macron said in a news conference during his visit to the eastern city of Mulhouse. Macron said that his administration had asked the French Muslim Council (CFCM), the body representing Islam in France, to instead focus on training imams on French territory and ensuring they can speak French and not spread radical Islamist views. France is home to Europe's largest Muslim community. According to Macron, 300 imams are sent to France each year. Those who come in 2020 would be the last intake, he said. “The problem is when in the name of a religion, some want to separate themselves from the Republic and therefore not respect its laws,'' Macron said.”

Germany

The Atlantic: The Perils Of Allying With The Far Right <[link removed]>

“The far right in Germany may be confined to the opposition benches, but they are proving just how disruptive they can be. Earlier this month, in the country’s eastern state of Thuringia, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) joined Chancellor Angela Merkel’s ruling center-right Christian Democrats and the pro-business Free Democrats to elect the latter party’s candidate for state governor. That a regional leader was elected with far-right support prompted a national uproar. Within days, Merkel condemned the result as “unforgivable,” the winning candidate stepped down, and the Christian Democrats’ leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer—thought to be Merkel’s anointed successor when the chancellor steps aside next year—resigned. This saga demonstrated just how much of a disruptive force the far right in Germany has become, but the lessons from the episode ought to be heeded by mainstream parties elsewhere in Europe too. As politics becomes more fragmented, and as established parties lose votes to emerging smaller ones, mainstream groupings can no longer count on ruling alongside like-minded allies, let alone by themselves. They must begin to form broad coalitions with opposition parties elsewhere on the political spectrum to avoid being forced into alliances with the far right. Although far-right parties have surged across Europe, the response to their gains has varied widely.”

Europe

The New York Times: Uzbekistan Detains 21 On Suspicion Of Syrian Militant Links <[link removed]>

“Uzbek police have detained 21 people suspected of being linked to an Islamist militant group operating in Syria, police said on Wednesday. Police said the detained men were under the “ideological influence” of another Uzbek man who was a member of the Katiba al-Tawhid wal-Jihad group comprised mostly of Central Asians. They planned to finance the group and join it, police said in a statement. Thousands of people from the predominantly Muslim ex-Soviet region joined various Islamist groups in Syria and Iraq when Islamic State temporarily seized part of their territory.”

Time: This Researcher Juggled Five Different Identities To Go Undercover With Far-Right And Islamist Extremists. Here's What She Found <[link removed]>

“Wearing a blond wig and walking through the streets of central Vienna in October 2017, Julia Ebner reminded herself of her new identity: Jennifer Mayer, an Austrian philosophy student currently studying abroad in London. It was one of five different identities that Ebner, an Austrian researcher specialized in online radicalization and cumulative extremism, adopted in order to infiltrate far-right/Islamist extremist networks. That day in October, she met a local recruiter for Generation Identity (GI), the European equivalent of the American alt right, which is mostly an online political group that rejects mainstream politics and espouses ideas of white nationalism. GI is the main proponent of the Great Replacement Theory, the baseless idea that white populations are being deliberately replaced through migration and the growth of minority communities. The theory has inspired several recent extremist attacks, including the murder of 51 people in Christchurch, New Zealand last April, and the mass shooting at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas last August, which left 22 people dead. The meeting with GI’s local leader proved to be significant. Ebner learned about how important the group considered social media for their strategy to expand and recruit members in schools, public baths and other public venues that young people visit.”

China

The Washington Post: U.S. Designates Major Chinese Media Outlets As Government Entities <[link removed]>

“The State Department on Tuesday designated five Chinese media outlets as official government entities under the Foreign Missions Act, meaning they will be treated as though they are diplomatic outposts of the Chinese government and subject to the same constraints. The move is the latest in a series of U.S. efforts to tackle China’s influence in the United States. It will be sure to anger Beijing, which generally views U.S. government actions — such as the trade war, accusations against tech firm Huawei and criticism of the country’s human rights record — as efforts to thwart China’s global rise. The media outlets are the U.S. entities of the official Xinhua News Agency; China Global Television Network, known as CGTN, the international arm of state broadcaster CCTV; China Radio International; the China Daily newspaper; and the People’s Daily, the mouthpiece of the Communist Party of China. The 1982 Foreign Missions Act covers matters such as license plates for embassy vehicles and diplomatic immunity, but it also governs how foreign governments operate in the United States. Practically speaking, Tuesday’s decision was likely more symbolic than punitive. The news outlets will be required to provide lists of their staffs, including names, ages and addresses, and update them when there are changes.”



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The Counter Extremism Project - United States
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