Eye on Extremism
August 6, 2019
The
Washington Post: Syrian Troops Resume Offensive On Rebel Stronghold In
Idlib
“The Syrian army said Monday it will resume its offensive against
the northwestern Idlib province, the last opposition-held stronghold,
accusing insurgents there of violating a recent truce. Opposition
activists reported airstrikes had resumed in the southern parts of the
enclave, which is located on the Turkish border. Meanwhile, Turkish
and American military officials began a two-day set of talks in the
Turkish capital, Ankara, about establishing a safe zone in
northeastern Syria to address Ankara’s concerns about U.S.-allied
Syrian Kurdish-led forces in that region. The Syrian military said in
a statement carried by state media that insurgents in Idlib had
continued to break the cease fire since it went into effect late Aug.
1. State media and opposition activists had reported repeated
violations of the truce by both sides since then. The military
statement said the rebels also failed to abide by an agreement reached
last year to withdraw from a demilitarized zone surrounding the
enclave. The cease fire marked a brief pause in the stalled government
offensive against al-Qaida-linked militants and other jihadi groups,
which dominate Idlib and surrounding areas. The assault on the rebel
stronghold began April 30, displacing more than 400,000 people and
killing hundreds.”
Yahoo
News: UN Chief: Islamic State Has As Much As $300 Million To
Fight
“The Islamic State extremist group has been left with as much as
$300 million following the loss of its so-called “caliphate” in Iraq
and Syria, “with none of the financial demands of controlling
territory and population,” Secretary-General António Guterres said in
a report released Monday. The report to the Security Council on the
threat posed by IS warns that the lull in attacks directed by the
militant group “may be temporary.” Last week, U.N. experts said in
another report to the council that IS leaders are aiming to
consolidate and create conditions for an “eventual resurgence in its
Iraqi and Syrian heartlands.” It said the current lull in attacks “may
not last long, possibly not even until the end of 2019.” Guterres said
in the new report that while the loss of territory ended the Islamic
State group's ability to generate revenue from oil fields and local
people, IS is believed to be capable of directing funds to support
“terrorist acts” within Iraq and Syria and abroad. It said informal
money transfer businesses known as “hawaladars” are the most common
method. He said looted antiquities from Iraq may be another source of
revenue for IS, also known as ISIL, and returnees from the conflict
said there was a special unit responsible for selling such
objects.”
Voice
Of America: Kurdish Leader: Turkish Offensive Will Help Re-Emergence
Of IS In Syria
“As tensions between Turkey and Syrian Kurds increase, the United
States seeks to play a mediating role in order to keep the focus on
combating the remnants of the Islamic State (IS) terror group, a
senior Syrian-Kurdish official said. In an interview with VOA at his
base in northern Syria, Mazloum Abdi, the general commander of Syrian
Democratic Forces (SDF), said his group hopes that the U.S. will play
a major role in calming the current escalation in northern Syria. “We
believe that the U.S. is the main power that is capable of influencing
Turkey's position and stop its threats against us,” he said. ”The U.S.
is the leader of the NATO alliance, and so it has leverage over Turkey
within the NATO framework,” Abdi told VOA. “At the same time, it has
strong ties with the SDF through the anti-IS alliance. So the U.S.
knows both sides very well and it is the only power that can prevent
war and bring all sides together.” The SDF is a Kurdish-led military
alliance that has been a major partner to Washington in the fight
against IS. For weeks, Turkey has been massing its troops near its
border with Syria for what appears to be an imminent attack against
U.S.-backed SDF that Ankara calls terrorists.”
The
Wall Street Journal: Britain, U.S. To Protect Shipping Through Strait
Of Hormuz From Iranian Threats
“Britain joined the U.S. in forming an international mission to
protect shipping through the Strait of Hormuz from Iranian threats,
the British government said on Monday, a decision that came after
London struggled to build a European maritime coalition to safeguard
ships in the region. The U.K. said details of the cooperation had yet
to be completed, but that it had offered to lead one of the mission’s
maritime task groups. “Both the U.K. and U.S. are committed to working
with allies and partners to encourage others to join and broaden the
response to this truly international problem,” the U.K. government
said. The U.K. was dragged into the center of the simmering crisis
between Iran and the West after Iran seized a tanker flying the
British flag in July. The capture came after Britain seized an Iranian
tanker the U.K. claimed was carrying oil to a sanctioned entity in
Syria. The U.S., meanwhile, has separately lobbied countries to join
its effort to police the Middle Eastern waterway.”
The
Washington Post: Explosives-Packed Car Kills 20, Injures Dozens In
Cairo Collision
“A car packed with explosives detonated in downtown Cairo on
Monday, killing at least 20 and injuring 47, Egypt’s Interior Ministry
said. It was the highest terrorism-related death toll in the capital
in more than two years. The government initially said the
early-morning blast was caused by the collision of four cars. But
later in the day, the Interior Ministry said the explosives-filled car
was actually on its way to commit an attack in another part of the
capital. ”The technical inspection also indicated that the vehicle
contained explosives that caused the blast when the car collided with
the other cars,” the ministry said in a statement. “It is estimated
that the car was being driven to a place to be used in carrying out a
terrorist operation elsewhere.” The statement added that the car was
stolen a few months ago from the province of Menufia, 55 miles north
of Cairo. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the blast.
But Egyptian authorities were quick to blame Hasm, a militant group
that emerged three years ago and has claimed several attacks. Egypt
accuses Hasm of being the militant arm of the banned Muslim
Brotherhood. The Islamist movement, once a political force, has denied
the allegations.”
Motherboard:
The Far Right’s Internet Protector Goes Down After Taking In
8chan
“8chan then quickly found a new protector that has counted several
far-right users among its clients: Epik.com. But now, Voxility—an
internet services company that worked with Epik—completely banned the
new 8chan web host from its network, effectively making the
controversial hate board go dark for the time being. Joshua
Fisher-Birch of the Counter Extremism Project—a U.S. based terrorism
watchdog, —told Motherboard it isn’t shocking that Epik had picked up
8chan as a client. “It is unfortunately no surprise that Epik would
step in to keep 8chan online,” he said. “Epik has previously chosen to
do business with sites that either promote violent ideologies, or
amplify the voices of those who encourage extremism and terrorism.
This time it’s different though.” Fisher-Birch was blunt: “This is an
incredibly dangerous choice to platform extremism.”
United States
The
New York Times: Shootings Renew Debate Over How To Combat Domestic
Terrorism
“Law enforcement officials have sounded the alarm for months:
Homegrown terrorism, including by white supremacists, is now as big a
threat as terrorism from abroad. But the mass shooting in El Paso last
weekend, the largest domestic terrorist attack against Hispanics in
modern history, has made it glaringly clear how poorly prepared the
country is to fight it. The United States spent nearly 20 years
intensely focused on threats from Islamic extremists. The terrorist
attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, rerouted the machinery of government to
fight against threats of violence from the Middle East, Pakistan and
Afghanistan. But those attacks have waned in recent years, replaced by
violence from white supremacists — an increasingly internet-driven
phenomenon of lone wolves, not groups, that will prove immensely
difficult to combat. On Monday, President Trump pledged to give
federal law enforcement authorities “whatever they need” to combat
domestic terrorism. The motive for the second attack of the weekend,
in Dayton, Ohio, remains unknown. But even before the shootings, which
left at least 31 people dead, officials said that preventing attacks
from white supremacists and nationalists would require adopting the
same type of broad and aggressive approach used to battle
international extremism.”
The
New York Times: White Terrorism Shows ‘Stunning’ Parallels To Islamic
State’s Rise
“Many scholars of terrorism see worrying similarities between the
rise of the Islamic State and that of white nationalist terrorism,
seen most recently in the carnage in El Paso, Tex. “The parallels are
stunning,” said Will McCants, a prominent expert in the field. And
they are growing more notable with each new attack. Experts say that
the similarities are far from a coincidence. White nationalist
terrorism is following a progression eerily similar to that of
jihadism under the leadership of the Islamic State, in ways that do
much to explain why the attacks have suddenly grown so frequent and
deadly. In both, there is the apocalyptic ideology that predicts — and
promises to hasten — a civilizational conflict that will consume the
world. There is theatrical, indiscriminate violence that will
supposedly bring about this final battle, but often does little more
than grant the killer a brief flash of empowerment and win attention
for the cause. There are self-starter recruits who, gathering in
social media’s dark corners, drive their own radicalization. And for
these recruits, the official ideology may serve simply as an outlet
for existing tendencies toward hatred and violence. Differences
between white nationalists and the Islamic State remain vast.”
The
New York Times: ‘Urgent Resolve’ To Fight Domestic Terrorism Faces
Tall Legal Obstacles
“Within days of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the United States
government began writing new laws, reinterpreting old ones and
crafting aggressive new policies to defeat Al Qaeda and other Islamist
terrorist groups. In the aftermath of the deadly shootings this
weekend, President Trump on Monday promised “with urgent resolve” to
press a similar whatever-it-takes strategy to investigate and prevent
white-supremacist violence and hate crimes. The F.B.I. has said that
such racially motivated domestic terrorism now accounts for more
deaths and arrests in the United States than Islamist terrorism. “We
can and will stop this evil contagion,” Mr. Trump said. He ordered the
F.B.I. to identify the necessary tools and promised to deliver
“whatever they need.” While thin on specifics, Mr. Trump’s remarks
raised the prospect of empowering the Justice Department to
investigate American hate groups with the vigor that it has brought to
the fight against international terrorism. “We must shine light on the
dark recesses of the internet and stop mass murders before they
start,” Mr. Trump said. Any such effort, however, will face serious
obstacles — including the fact that there are no federal penalties for
domestic terrorism.”
Reuters:
Mexico To Open First Terrorism Probe Of An Event On U.S.
Territory
“Mexico will investigate the mass shooting in El Paso, Texas, that
killed 22 people, including eight Mexican citizens, as an act of
terrorism and may request the suspected shooter be extradited to
Mexico for trial, the country’s foreign minister said on Monday.
Mexico’s involvement in the criminal process against accused shooter
Patrick Crusius comes at a time of high tension between Mexico City
and Washington over issues of immigration and trade. Eight Mexicans
were killed in Saturday’s rampage at a Walmart store in the Texas
border city, and six of the wounded Mexican nationals remained
hospitalized on Monday, Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard told reporters
at the Mexican consulate in El Paso. He said he would ask U.S.
authorities to turn the bodies over to their Mexican families as soon
as possible. Ebrard said he would meet with the Mexican attorney
general on Tuesday to share results of the U.S. investigation and
build a terrorism case. “We consider this an act of terrorism, in
this case carried out in U.S. territory, but an act of terrorism
against Mexicans,” Ebrard said at the Mexican consulate in El Paso.
“It will be the first investigative case of this importance in the
history of Mexico regarding terrorism in United States territory,” he
added.”
NBC
News: After El Paso, Dayton Shootings, World Media Warns About
Right-Wing Extremism In U.S.
“Alongside a stream of condolences from foreign governments
following mass shootings in Texas and Ohio over the weekend, leading
international newspapers warned about the threat posed by growing
white nationalism in America. While the motive of the man who killed
nine people in Dayton, Ohio, is still unclear, the alleged shooter in
El Paso, Texas, is believed to have posted online an anti-Latino,
anti-immigrant screed before the attack. In China, the Communist
Party's mouthpiece newspaper, The People's Daily, ran a headline
Monday declaring that “white supremacy's ghost reemerges” in the U.S.
The country's hawkish, state-run Global Times newspaper carried an
opinion piece saying that “hate crimes in the United States have been
on the rise in recent years, and hate crimes caused by white
supremacism have grown particularly rapidly.” It criticized the
response of U.S. authorities, saying “'white danger' seems to have not
received enough attention.” The Chinese government has yet to comment,
but in June its tourism ministry issued a travel warning for the U.S.
because of the number of shootings in the country.”
CBS
News: “He Was Taunting Them”: Family Members Share Moments Of Terror
From El Paso Shooting
“The death toll from a shooting in El Paso, Texas, rose to 22 on
Monday. Two people, including an elderly woman, died for their wounds
in the hospital. They are the first deaths since Saturday, when a
gunman opened fire in a Walmart. Stephanie Melendez's father, David
Johnson, was always by her side. On Saturday, he was by the side of
his wife and Stephanie's 9-year-old daughter, shielding them from a
gunman. “My mom and my daughter wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him
and what he did and I couldn't even imagine, my daughter, I almost
lost her,” Melendez said. Johnson is one of 22 people killed at a
Walmart in El Paso on Saturday, less than three miles from the Mexican
border. El Paso is considered one of the safest cities in America.
Last year, the city had a total of 23 murders. In just one day, that
number was nearly matched. Among the victims are new parents Jordan
and Andre Anchondo, who died protecting their 2-month-old baby. CBS
News is learning more about the heroes and the people they saved. A
girl's soccer team was in front of the Walmart, selling lemonade. When
Ray Garcia got a call from a father who was too far away to help,
Garcia said he raced to the scene, pulling several kids and two moms
to safety.”
Foreign
Policy: The United States Can’t Put Terrorism Behind
It
“Fifteen years after the 9/11 Commission published its findings,
for which I was among those interviewed, we find ourselves at yet
another critical juncture, with the war against the Islamic State
largely won and negotiators attempting to strike a peace agreement
with the Taliban. But before we attempt to put the Islamic State in
the rearview mirror or agree to terms with the Taliban, we might do
well to dust off the old report. The United States’ desire to put
terrorism behind it is natural. The country is understandably
exhausted. After 18 years of war, the metrics suggest that terrorist
attacks are down. The Islamic State appears defeated, and the Taliban
are discussing a pathway to peace. But is the United States done with
terrorism, or is the threat regenerating in ways for which the country
has not prepared? By some accounting, this past weekend’s shooting in
El Paso, Texas, or the attack on a synagogue in Pittsburgh last
October might suggest so. There are no easy answers, but the 9/11
Commission Report raises some points for debate. The 9/11 Commission
Report sought to explain how the attacks of that day could possibly
have happened and what was required to avoid such a disaster in the
future.”
National
Review: It’s Time To Declare War On White-Nationalist
Terrorism
“It’s time to face some dreadful, terrible facts. The United States
is now facing a deadly challenge from a connected, radical,
online-organizing community of vicious white-nationalist terrorists.
They are every bit as evil as jihadists, and they radicalize in much
the same way. And just like the ISIS terrorists our nation and our
allies have confronted in the great cities of the West, they use the
most modern of tools to advance the oldest of hatreds. America has
faced waves of white-supremacist terror in the past, and there are
always at least some, few extremists lurking in the dark corners of
American life. We’ve come to expect the occasional act of
white-supremacist violence, and we’ve sometimes explained it away as
the last spasm of a dying bigotry. Beginning in 2015, however, it
became apparent to those who had eyes to see that our nation was
starting to experience a new youth movement of hate. The Charleston
church massacre was followed by a strange — and for those who
experienced it — terrifying wave of bizarre online racist harassment.
The word “alt-right” entered the American lexicon. It targeted Jews,
it targeted African Americans and Hispanics, and it targeted critics
of Donald Trump. It obsessed over immigrants from south of the
border.”
Reuters:
Trump Freezes All Venezuelan Government Assets In Bid To Pressure
Maduro
“U.S. President Donald Trump imposed a freeze on all Venezuelan
government assets in the United States on Monday, sharply escalating
an economic and diplomatic pressure campaign aimed at removing
socialist President Nicolas Maduro from power. The executive order
signed by Trump goes well beyond the sanctions imposed in recent
months against Venezuela’s state-run oil company PDVSA and the
country’s financial sector, as well as measures against dozens of
Venezuelan officials and entities. Trump’s action, the toughest yet
against Maduro, not only bans U.S. companies from dealings with the
Venezuela government but also appears to open the door to possible
sanctions against foreign firms or individuals that assist it. Russian
and Chinese companies are among those still doing significant business
in the South American OPEC nation. “All property and interests in
property of the Government of Venezuela that are in the United States
... are blocked and may not be transferred, paid, exported, withdrawn,
or otherwise dealt in,” according to the executive order released by
the White House.”
New
York Post: ‘MAGA Bomber’ Cesar Sayoc Sentenced To 20 Years In
Prison
“A Manhattan federal judge has sentenced “MAGA bomber” Cesar Sayoc
to 20 years in prison, with five years’ supervised release. Judge Jed
Rakoff said Monday the sentence was “no more” and “no less” than what
Sayoc deserved after defense lawyers argued their client should serve
just 10 years of a potential life sentence. “I conclude that Sayoc,
though no firearms expert, was capable of making bombs capable of
exploding,” Rakoff said. “The fact he made them unable to explode was
a conscious choice.” The 57-year-old Florida man terrified the country
in October last year when he sent 16 improvised explosive devices to
prominent liberals, including Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Barack
Obama, Robert De Niro, and CNN headquarters in Atlanta.”
The
Guardian: 'White Power Ideology': Why El Paso Is Part Of A Growing
Global Threat
“Reports that the suspected gunman at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas,
saw his mass shooting as “a response to the Hispanic invasion of
Texas” has prompted bipartisan calls for the US to treat the threat of
domestic “white terrorists” as seriously as the threat of attacks by
supporters of al-Qaida or Isis. But experts who study racist violence
say the attack must be understood not just as a domestic problem
within the United States, but as part of a global network of white
nationalist radicalization and violence. The escalating global death
toll from white nationalist attacks puts a spotlight on the social
media companies that have allowed white nationalists to organize on
their platforms with little interference, as well as on the clear
parallels between white terrorists’ justification for their attacks,
and the racist and anti-immigrant rhetoric of some mainstream
politicians. Donald Trump has repeatedly referred to immigrants and
refugees as an “invasion”. A global problem: A “manifesto” that
appeared to be linked to the El Paso attack on Saturday described the
growing number of Latinx people in Texas as an “invasion” that
threatened the political power of white residents.”
Syria
The
Jerusalem Post: ISIS Preparing Women To Participate On The Front Line
Of Future Endeavors
“Head of the Iraqi Intelligence Forces Abu Ali al-Basri claimed to
the Iraqi Arabic language newspaper Al Sabaah that the Islamic State
of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) have been preparing and training women to
participate in future battles after the overwhelming defeat they
suffered at the hands of coalition forces. The women fighters are
being trained in Iraq, mainly in the area of Mosul, as well as in
Syria and Tunisia, in order to take a more active role in the
organization's upcoming terrorist aspirations. According to the
report, the Iraqi intelligence commander relayed news of the recent
death of an ISIS commander, who was responsible for Western, Northern
and Eastern Syria, and who was close to the leader Abu Bakr
al-Baghdadi, subsequently collapsing the regime. Al-Basri added that
ten of ISIS's top-ranking commanders have all been eradicated from the
battle field, including al-Baghdadi's defense minister Ali Khalifeh,
his deputy Abu Yahya al-Araqi as well as the jihadist group's Saudi
religious authority Abu Abdulrahman al-Tamimi. Two years ago, Iraqi
forces were able to retake Mosul from ISIS, largely defeating the
organization on the ground. The US announced the defeat of Islamic
State in Syria earlier this year; twelve hours later, the Syrian
Democratic Forces (SDF) also declared the “total elimination of the
so-called caliphate.”
The
National: Hezbollah Allies Intensify Hunt For Main Critic Of Syrian
Regime
“Hezbollah’s Lebanese allies have escalated a violence-laced
political campaign against Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, accusing him
this week of liaising with foreign powers in connection with a
shootout that deepened the country’s fissures. The charges against Mr
Jumblatt, one of the most well-connected politicians in Lebanon, echo
tactics by Iran and the Damascus regime of using the international
standing of prominent dissidents to brand them traitors and make their
persecution more appealing to jingoistic constituencies at home.
Lebanon has been in a political crisis that had prevented its divided
cabinet from convening since two bodyguards of a junior Druze minister
allied with Hezbollah were killed in a shootout in June this year in
the Chouf Mountains, the heartland of the Druze sect. The shootout
became known as the Basateen incident. Mr Jumblatt, an outspoken
opponent of Hezbollah and Syrian President Bashar Al Assad, is the
most prominent Druze figure. The country’s Druze community accounts
for 5.2 per cent of Lebanon’s’ estimated population of 6.1
million.”
Iran
The
Times Of Israel: Iran Said Increasing Hamas Funding To $30m Per Month,
Wants Intel On Israel
“Iran has agreed to massively increase its monthly payments to
Palestinian terror group Hamas in exchange for intelligence on Israeli
missile capabilities, an Israeli television network reported Monday.
The Islamic Republic is a longtime financial supporter of Hamas, the
terror organization that rules the Gaza Strip and is committed to
Israel’s destruction. In a recent meeting in Tehran between nine
senior Hamas officials and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei, Tehran expressed willingness to raise its monthly financial
backing to the terror group to an unprecedented $30 million per month,
Channel 12 reported, citing an unnamed Arab source. That will
represent a massive increase in Iranian support for the Gaza rulers. A
report by the Ynet news site from August 2018, citing Palestinian
sources, said Iran’s payments to Hamas at the time amounted to $70
million per year (less than $6 million per month). The meeting, which
took place two weeks ago, was attended by Saleh al-Arouri, the deputy
chief of the Hamas politburo. In exchange for the funding, Tehran
asked Hamas to provide intelligence about the location of Israel’s
missile stockpiles, the report said. It was not immediately clear if
the raise was strictly conditioned on the intelligence provided by the
terror group.”
Reuters:
War With Iran Is The Mother Of All Wars: Iran
President
“War with Iran is the mother of all wars, Iranian President Hassan
Rouhani said on Tuesday in a speech broadcast live on state TV,
warning once again that shipping might not be safe in the Strait of
Hormuz oil waterway. Tensions have risen between Iran and the West
since last year when the United States pulled out of an international
agreement which curbed the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program in
return for an easing of economic sanctions on Iran. “Peace with Iran
is the mother of all peace, war with Iran is the mother of all wars,”
Rouhani said at the Foreign Ministry in a speech which also praised
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif after the United States imposed
sanctions on him on July 31. If the United States wants to have
negotiations with Iran then it must lift all sanctions, Rouhani said,
noting that Iran must be allowed to export oil.”
AFP:
Iran Unveils Three New Precision-Guided Missiles
“Iran unveiled three precision-guided missiles on Tuesday, with the
defence minister saying they show the country is ready to defend
itself in the face of US "viciousness and conspiracies". The new
line-up of air-to-air missiles dubbed the "Yasin", "Balaban" and a new
series of the "Ghaem" were developed jointly by the ministry and Sa
Iran, also known as Iran Electronics Industries. Defence Minister
Brigadier-General Amir Hatami hailed their launch as "another
significant achievement of power and dignity for the Islamic Republic
of Iran". "It shows that despite the viciousness and conspiracies of
the Great Satan America and its mercenaries, the defence ministry will
not hesitate for a moment to defend the Islamic republic and to expand
security," he said, quoted by Fars news agency. The Yasin was a smart,
guided missile with folding wings that can be fired from a range of 50
kilometres (30 miles) of its target from manned or unmanned aircraft,
Fars reported.”
Iraq
The
National: Iraq Launches Third Phase Of Anti-ISIS Military
Operation
“Iraq on Monday launched the third phase of a military operation
against ISIS sleeper cells in an attempt to secure the vast western
desert leading to the Syrian border, according to the military.
Members of the Iraqi army, police and units of the Hashed Al Shaabi,
resumed operations of the Victory Will offensive in the eastern
province of Diyala and northern province of Nineveh, a military
statement said. Although Iraq declared victory against ISIS in July
2017, the extremists have turned into an insurgency and have carried
out deadly attacks across the country. But the group lost the last
territory they controlled in Syria in March. Operation Victory Will
was launched in July and lasted for seven days the first time. It
aimed to secure the western province of Anbar and the central region
of Salahuddin and Nineveh. “We press on the hands of our heroic forces
that we will achieve victory with the will of its heroes against the
gangs of ISIS,” Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi said during a
press conference last month. “May God protect you and make you
victorious.” Anger in Sunni areas of Iraq laid the groundwork for ISIS
to rise in 2014, when they captured the northern Iraqi city of
Mosul.”
Iraqi
News: Iraqi Paramilitary Forces Destroy Four Islamic State Hotbeds In
Diyala
“Iraqi paramilitary forces announced on Monday the destruction of
four hotbeds of the Islamic State terrorist group during a military
operation in Diyala province. “Troops of the 4th and 24th brigades of
the Popular Mobilization Forces, backed by Iraqi warplanes, destroyed
four Islamic State hotbeds, containing clothes, foodstuffs and
wireless devices as part of the third phase of the “Will of Victory”
operation in al-Miqdadiyah district in Diyala,” the Arabic-language
Algahd Press website quoted the media center of the Popular
Mobilization Forces as saying in a press statement. “Six explosive
charges were also dismantled during the military operation,” the
statement read. Iraq declared the collapse of Islamic State’s
territorial influence in November 2017 with the recapture of Rawa, a
city on Anbar’s western borders with Syria, which was the group’s last
bastion in Iraq. In January 2015, Iraqi forces announced liberation of
Diyala province from Islamic State extremist militants who proclaimed
an “Islamic Caliphate” in Iraq and Syria in 2014. The province has
seen months of fighting between Iraqi troops and IS militants
especially in the Jalawla and Saadiyah areas in the province’s north
and areas near the town of Muqdadiyah.”
Turkey
ABC
News: US Urges Turkey To Halt Announced Offensive Into Syria That
Threatens US Allies And ISIS Jails
“The U.S. is urging Turkey not to undertake an offensive into
northeastern Syria against U.S.-backed Kurdish forces that helped to
defeat the Islamic State and that are now maintaining prisons with
thousands of the terror group's fighters. An American military
delegation is in Turkey to meet with Turkish officials and continue
negotiations on an alternative to a Turkish military operation that
could also threaten U.S. troops stationed in the area. Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has a close relationship
with President Donald Trump, announced Sunday that Turkey's military
would begin the offensive imminently against the Syrian Democratic
Forces (SDF), the mostly Kurdish group that served as the U.S. ground
troops in the fight to destroy ISIS's caliphate in Syria. The group
has ties to their Kurdish counterparts in Turkey, the Kurdistan
Workers' Party or PKK, which the U.S. and Turkey consider a terrorist
organization. Turkish military forces have been increasing deployments
along the Turkish side of the border in recent weeks -- including
heavy weaponry, tanks and artillery -- in readiness for the attack.
While Erdogan has repeatedly threatened to undertake an offensive,
this was the first time he said the plan had already been put in
motion -- saying the U.S. and Russia had both been notified.”
Afghanistan
Al
Jazeera: Afghan Policeman Opens Fire On Colleagues, Kills 7:
Official
“A policeman in Afghanistan's southern Kandahar province has opened
fire on his colleagues, killing seven other policemen, an Afghan
official said. Sunday's attack was the latest case of so-called
“insider attacks” - when an Afghan policeman or soldier turns his
weapon on Afghan forces or international troops. Provincial
spokesperson Jamal Nasser Barekzai said the attacker fled the scene of
the shooting in Shawali Kot district, adding that an investigation was
under way. Taliban spokesperson Qari Yusouf Ahmadi said the attacker
joined the Taliban. The armed group, which effectively controls about
half the country, is currently holding talks with the United States to
end the country's 18-year conflict. The latest and eighth round of
negotiations began on Saturday in the Qatari capital Doha. The US,
which invaded Afghanistan and toppled the Taliban in 2001, wants
Taliban guarantees that it will not become a haven for “terrorists”
while the Taliban is focused on ensuring the withdrawal of all US-led
foreign forces from the country. A Taliban source told AFP news agency
that efforts were under way to organise a direct meeting between US
envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad and Taliban cofounder Mullah
Baradar, who heads the movement's political wing.”
Reuters:
Taliban Denounce Afghan Election, Warn That Rallies Face
Attack
“The Taliban on Tuesday denounced as a sham a presidential election
due next month, saying their fighters would do everything they could
to block it, while urging people to stay away from rallies that could
be attacked. Instead of the Sept. 28 election, the Taliban said, the
focus should be efforts to negotiate a deal with the United States
that is expected to see a U.S. commitment on the withdrawal of its
troops in exchange for a Taliban promise the country will not be used
to plot terrorist attacks. “This election process is nothing more
than a ploy to deceive the common people ... for satisfying the ego of
a limited number of sham politicians,” the Taliban said in a
statement. President Ashraf Ghani is widely expected to win a second
term and has insisted the vote must go ahead as scheduled. The
U.S.-trained former World Bank official came to power in 2014 after
winning a bitterly disputed election marred by accusations of
cheating. The Taliban called for a boycott and said fighters would do
all they could to block the vote. “To prevent losses ... from being
incurred by our fellow compatriots, they must stay away from
gatherings and rallies that could become potential targets,” the
militants said. Foreign backers of the election should focus on
“ending the occupation of Afghanistan and establishing true peace so
that ... the ongoing peace process in these critical moments is not
sabotaged for a few figures”, they added.”
CBS
News: “Excellent Progress” Reported In U.S.-Taliban Peace
Talks
“The United States and the Taliban have resolved differences in
peace talks over U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, as well as
over insurgent guarantees on cutting ties with other extremist groups,
a Taliban official said Tuesday. The development came during
U.S.-Taliban talks over the past two days in the Gulf Arab state of
Qatar, where the Taliban maintain a political office. The U.S. side
did not immediately confirm or provide details of what was resolved
but the U.S. envoy reported “excellent progress” in the talks. A State
department spokesperson told CBS News, “There are still details to
discuss. As a result, there is no agreement yet. Any agreement we
conclude will be condition-based. We are pursuing a peace agreement,
not a withdrawal agreement.” The Taliban official spoke on condition
of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss details of the
negotiations. Technical teams from the two sides were continuing
discussions on Tuesday in Doha. U.S. peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, who
has been tasked with finding a peaceful resolution to the nearly
18-year war, America's longest conflict, has made intra-Afghan talks
and a permanent cease-fire two of his priorities in the
negotiations.”
Xinhua:
4 Civilians Killed In Motorcycle Bomb Blast In W.
Afghanistan
“At least four civilians were killed and 30 others wounded in a
motorcycle bomb explosion in Afghanistan’s western Herat province on
Monday, the provincial public health director said. “Four killed and
30 wounded were admitted into Herat Regional Hospital following Monday
evening's explosion in Police District 12 of provincial capital Herat
city,” Abdul Hakim Tamana told reporters at the government hospital.
The number of the casualties was likely to rise, the official added.
The explosion occurred after an Improvised Explosive Device attached
onto a motorcycle parked at the side of a road in Hajji Abbass
neighborhood was detonated, provincial police officer Farzad Frotan
told Xinhua. Frotan added that the attack took place roughly at 7:00
p.m. local time when people were preparing for evening prayers. No
group has claimed responsibility so far. Over the past months,
Afghanistan has witnessed waves of terror attacks by the Taliban and
Islamic State (IS). On Sunday, a bicycle bombing struck a bus carrying
journalists of a local TV channel in Kabul, killing two people and
injuring four others.”
The
New York Times: ‘It’s Like A Nightmare’: For Bombing Survivors,
Anguish That Won’t Stop
“Every night, Hamdullah Hemat gulps down a 500-milligram
prescription sleeping pill. He is 15 years old, a ninth grader. Last
month, he saw his best friend die in a suicide bombing at their
school. Mary Alimi, a 30-year-old mother of three, suffered a head
injury in the same bombing. She can no longer remember her children’s
names. Jamila Neyazi is 19, a schoolteacher. She suffered hand and
shoulder wounds in the July 7 blast and saw many of her students cut
by shattered glass, or bludgeoned by flying debris. She fears she is
clinically depressed. “I feel numb,” she said. “I wish there was a
calm, dark place where I could sit and cry.” There are dozens of
suicide bombings in Afghanistan every year. Each is uniquely tragic,
and each is swiftly overshadowed by the singular brutality of the
next.”
Pakistan
Foreign
Policy: India Sparks Fresh Tensions In Kashmir
“The Indian government announced on Monday that it would strip the
disputed region of Kashmir of its limited autonomy and seek to rule it
more directly from New Delhi, a move that may provoke violence in a
province that has historically served as a flashpoint for conflict
between Indian and Pakistan. In anticipation of the move, authorities
in India-administered Kashmir placed local political leaders there
under house arrest and deployed additional troops to the region.
The Hindu reports public meetings and rallies have been banned, and
all phone service has been cut. The government of Prime Minister
Narendra Modi said it planned to revoke what is known as Article 370
of the Indian constitution, which grants Kashmir a measure of autonomy
in its administration. Nuclear armed India and Pakistan both claim the
region and have fought two wars over it. The government of Pakistan
immediately criticized the move on Monday. Ratcliffe gone. President
Donald Trump abruptly reversed course on Friday and said he no longer
planned to nominate Rep. John Ratcliffe, the Texas Republican, as the
next director of national intelligence.”
Yemen
The
National: Saudi Arabia Intercepts Houthi Drones Launched At Southern
Airports
“Saudi Arabia’s air force on Monday intercepted drones launched
at the kingdom’s civilian airports by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. The
unmanned aerial vehicles were destroyed before they could reach their
targets, said Col Turki Al Malki, spokesman for the Arab Coalition
fighting in Yemen to support of the internationally recognised
government of President Abdrabu Mansur Hadi. “Houthi militias are
simultaneously using terrorist tactics, especially after launching an
attack on a military base in Aden,” Col Al Malki said, in a statement
reported by the Saudi Press Agency. The Saudi official called the
latest attacks “war crimes” as they targeted civilians. Saudi Arabia
and the UAE are leading the Arab Coalition that intervened in Yemen in
2015 to restore the internationally recognised government, which was
pushed out of the capital Sanaa after the Houthis seized it in late
2014. The coalition will continue to take “strict measures against the
rebels to minimise their capabilities and address the terrorist acts,”
Col Al Malki said. He did not say which areas the drones was
targeting. The Houthis' Al Masirah television station said the rebel
drones targeted civilian airports in the southern cities of Abha,
Najran and King Khaled airbase in Khamis Mushait.”
XinHuanet:
Hundreds Protest In Yemen's Aden After Houthi, IS Deadly
Attacks
“Hundreds of southern Yemeni people gathered on Monday in a public
square in the port city of Aden to express their anger about two
deadly attacks that hit the city days ago. Several senior tribal
leaders attended the demonstration organized in Aden's neighborhood of
KhorMaksar and shouted slogans against the Houthi rebel group that
fired a ballistic missile against Aden on Thursday. Local medical
authorities told Xinhua that around 58 people died as a result of a
Houthi-fired ballistic missile attack and a suicide car bombing in two
different locations in Aden. On Thursday, a Houthi-fired ballistic
missile landed on a military parade held in an army base in the
district of Buraiga, leaving scores killed including senior
commanders. Meanwhile, a suicide car bombing launched by the Islamic
State (IS) militant group targeted a police station in the
neighborhood of Sheikh Othman, killing many soldiers.”
Lebanon
Arab
News: Hezbollah Accused Of Evicting Mum, Kids From Home For
Criticizing Party Members
“A mother who publicly criticized Hezbollah party members claims
she and her children have been forced out of their South Lebanon home
in retaliation. Video footage which went viral on social media, showed
furniture and other items belonging to Fadwa, who is in her mid-40s,
scattered outside her rented house in the town of Debaal. The woman
has for weeks been critical of Hezbollah supporters and leaders from
Debaal and her hometown of Majadel over alleged marriage relationship
matters. She has been seen on a popular social media platform naming
people who she claimed had harassed her after she exposed them. Fadwa
said local police had failed to properly address her complaints about
the individuals and she had also questioned the role of Shariah courts
on the issues. Taking to social media Fadwa claimed she had been
previously abducted and had received threats for putting party members
in the spotlight.”
Egypt
Al
Jazeera: Egypt Calls Deadly Cairo Car Blast 'Terrorist
Incident'
“Egypt's government has said a car packed with explosives was the
cause of an explosion near a medical centre in the capital that killed
at least 20 people and wounded 47 others. In a statement on Monday,
the interior ministry said the car was driving in the wrong direction
the night before when it collided with three other vehicles, causing a
major blast in front of Cairo's main cancer hospital. “The car
contained explosives, and the collision led to their detonation,” the
ministry said. “It is estimated that the car was being transported to
a location for use in the execution of a terrorist operation.” It said
the Hasm group was responsible for rigging up the car, but did not
specify whether it believed the attack was meant to happen elsewhere
on Sunday or whether the explosives were being transported for a
future assault. Egypt accuses Hasm, which emerged in 2016 and has
claimed several attacks, of being a wing of the outlawed Muslim
Brotherhood. The movement denies this and says it seeks change through
peaceful means only. In a statement shared on social media, Egyptian
President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi called the explosion a “terrorist”
incident.”
Libya
The
Libya Observer: Counter-Terrorism Force Arrests ISIS Member In
Sirte
“The Counter-Terrorism Force confirmed in a statement Sunday the
arrest of an ISIS member in his hideout in Swawa area of Sirte. The
force indicated in a statement that the arrest took place in
cooperation with the Attorney-General Office as part of the security
coordination with Sirte Protection Force, in conjunction with the
repelling of Haftar's aggression on Tripoli. Local and international
bodies have warned in several statements that the aggression of Haftar
on Tripoli will increase ISIS terrorists' activities in Libya and the
region.”
France24:
Air Strike On South Libyan Town Kills More Than 40
“The attack is the second major air strike blamed on the eastern
Libyan National Army (LNA) forces loyal to Khalifa Haftar after at
least 44 migrants were killed in June when a detention centre in a
suburb of the capital Tripoli was hit. The LNA confirmed a strike late
on Sunday on Murzuq, but denied it had targeted any civilians. The LNA
had also denied it had hit the detention centre but acknowledged
increased air strikes on the capital. The internationally recognised
government based in Tripoli opposing Haftar said dozens were killed
and wounded in Murzuq. Reached by telephone, Murzuq municipal council
member Mohamed Omar told Reuters: "The air strike resulted in 43
killed and 51 wounded. This is only an initial toll of
casualties."
Nigeria
Reuters:
Nigeria To Allow Detained Shi'ite Muslim Leader To Seek Medical
Treatment Abroad
“A Nigerian judge ruled on Monday that the detained leader of a
banned Nigerian Shi’ite Muslim group could seek medical treatment
abroad, after a series of protests calling for his release turned
violent last month. Nigeria banned the Islamic Movement in Nigeria
(IMN) in July after a week of protests in which the group said at
least 20 of its members were killed in police crackdowns. Police gave
no death toll. The group’s leader, Ibrahim Zakzaky, has been held
since 2015 when government forces killed around 350 people in a
storming of its compound and a nearby mosque. He has not been released
despite a court order to that effect, and the IMN said his detention
is illegal. The judge in a court in the northwestern city of Kaduna
granted Zakzaky and his wife leave to seek medical treatment in India
under supervision of state officials. Zakzaky’s lawyers have said
that while in detention, Zakzaky lost an eye to advanced glaucoma and
risks losing the other, while shrapnel lodged in his body since the
2015 storming of the IMN compound was causing lead poisoning. The
government says IMN incites violence, and a court has given the
authorities permission to label it a terrorist organization. IMN
denies it is violent, and says Zakzaky should be released in line with
a December 2016 court order.”
Somalia
All
Africa: Somalia: Al-Shabaab Militants Surrender To Government Forces -
Officials
“Somali officials on Monday confirmed that two al-Shabab militants
surrendered to government forces on Sunday in the southern Bay region.
“The two al-Shabab operatives identified as Mohamed Hassan Osman and
Hussein Marshale Mohamed defected from the al-Shabab extremist group
and joined government forces in Dinsor town in Bay region,” said
Ibrahim Mohamed Nour, governor of Dinsor. The two-handed their weapons
over to government forces, Nour added. Welcoming the former militants,
the governor also urged other al-Shabab militants to follow suit and
give up fighting to help restore peace in the region. On July 10,
another senior al-Shabab leader surrendered to government forces in
Lower Juba, another region in southern Somalia. Somali government
troops have been on major offensives against al-Shabab extremists in
central and southern regions, but the militants still hold swaths of
territory in those regions, conducting ambushes and roadside bomb
attacks.”
North Korea
Associated
Press: North Korea Fires More Weapons, Denounces US Military
Drills
“North Korea continued to ramp up its weapons demonstrations by
firing two presumed short-range ballistic missiles into the sea
Tuesday while lashing out at the United States and South Korea for
continuing military exercises that the North says could derail fragile
nuclear diplomacy. North Korea’s fourth round of weapons launches in
less than two weeks came amid a standstill in nuclear negotiations and
after President Donald Trump repeatedly dismissed the significance of
the country’s recent tests despite the threat the weapons pose to
allies South Korea and Japan and to U.S. bases there. Experts say
Trump’s downplaying of the North’s weapons display has allowed the
country more room to advance its military capabilities as it attempts
to build leverage ahead of negotiations, which could possibly resume
sometime after the end of the allies’ drills later this month. South
Korea’s military alerted reporters to the launches minutes before the
North’s Foreign Ministry denounced Washington and Seoul over the start
of their joint exercises on Monday. The ministry’s statement said the
drills, which North Korea sees as an invasion rehearsal, leave the
country “compelled to develop, test and deploy the powerful physical
means essential for national defense.”
United Kingdom
Arab
News: Doha Regime Condemned Over Qatari Bank’s Funding Of
Islamists
“The funding of Islamist groups in the UK by a Qatar-owned bank is
further evidence of Doha’s malign activities, analysts told Arab News
on Monday. Details emerged on Monday of the activities of Al Rayan
Bank, which has its headquarters in Birmingham in central England.
Among its account holders are organizations linked to the Muslim
Brotherhood, a charity banned in the US as a terrorist entity, groups
that promote hard-line preachers, and a mosque whose trustee is a
Hamas leader, the UK newspaper The Times reported. Four of Al Rayan’s
customers, a mosque and three charities, have had accounts closed by
major banks including HSBC and Barclays because of their activities.
The Anti-Terror Quartet of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt
imposed a trade, travel and diplomatic boycott in June 2017, in
response to Qatar’s support and funding of terrorism.”
Southeast Asia
The
Washington Post: Sri Lanka Police Arrest 3 Members Of Banned Islamic
Group
“Sri Lankan police on Monday arrested three members of a banned
Islamic organization linked to Easter Sunday suicide bomb attacks that
killed more than 250 people, an official said. Police spokesman Ruwan
Gunasekara said in a statement that the three suspects, who belong to
Jamathei Millathu Ibrahim, were arrested in eastern Ampara district.
He said they are believed to have received training at two locations
run by ringleader Mohamed Zahran, who blew himself up at a tourist
hotel on April 21 as part of coordinated attacks on three churches and
three tourist hotels. Two domestic radical Islamic groups, National
Thowheed Jammath and Jamathei Millathu Ibrahim, are accused of having
pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group and carried out the
blasts. More than 500 people were wounded in the attacks. Sri Lanka’s
government banned both of the groups after the blasts. It has
discovered a number of their hideouts and suspected training
locations.”
CNN
Philippines: Duterte Worries About ISIS, Hopes PH Will Be
Spared
“President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday expressed concern over threats
of a possible attack by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in
the Philippines. “Just like Iraq, Syria, na maraming inosenteng tao
ang nadadali [where many innocent people are affected],” Duterte said
during the oathtaking of newly-appointed officials in Malacañang. The
President said he hopes the Philippines will be spared from a possible
ISIS attack. “I’m praying - I really pray, talagang lumuluhod ako sa
Diyos [I am kneeling before God] to spare us that kind of brutality
and cruelty in our country - because it will really be bloody,” he
added. Foreign terrorists were reportedly being harbored by the Sulu
faction of the local terror group Abu Sayyaf. The faction is led by
Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan, the supposed ISIS leader in the Philippines.
Sawadjaan was linked to the Jolo, Sulu blasts earlier in the year. In
July, Duterte said he is preparing government troops to battle the
global extremist group. Earlier, the President also said ISIS would
not gain a foothold in the Philippines during his term. The president
also warned that an ISIS attack would derail peace efforts in
Mindanao.”
Technology
The
New York Times: Legal Shield For Websites Rattles Under Onslaught Of
Hate Speech
“When the most consequential law governing speech on the internet
was created in 1996, Google.com didn’t exist and Mark Zuckerberg was
11 years old. The federal law, Section 230 of the Communications
Decency Act, has helped Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and countless other
internet companies flourish. But Section 230’s legal protection has
also extended to fringe sites hosting hate speech, anti-Semitic
content and racist tropes like 8chan, the internet message board where
the suspect in the El Paso shooting massacre posted his manifesto. The
law shields websites from liability for content created by their
users, while permitting internet companies to moderate their sites
without being on the hook legally for everything they host. It does
not provide blanket protection from legal responsibility for some
criminal acts, like posting child pornography or violations of
intellectual property.”
The
Wall Street Journal: Isolation And Social Media Combine To Radicalize
Violent Offenders
“Recent mass-violence incidents in America share common threads:
disaffected individuals who feel powerless, radical ideas that blame
particular groups and the use of social-media platforms that bring
these factors together and amplify them. Radicalization, researchers
have found, is driven by a need to matter and be respected. Violence
is often a means to that end, especially when it is in the name of a
cause, like fighting against immigrants who are viewed as invaders
upsetting white people’s dominance in the U.S. Social media is
increasingly playing a role in that process, especially among lone
actors like the ones responsible for the recent mass shootings in El
Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio. In 2016, social media—including
services like Facebook , WhatsApp, Skype, Instagram and YouTube, plus
personal blogs and forums—played a role in radicalizing and mobilizing
roughly 90% of lone actors, according to a 2018 study by the National
Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism.”
|
