Eye on Extremism

February 28, 2020

The New York Times: Turkey Threatens Europe With Refugees After 33 Troops Killed

“The presidents of Turkey and Russia spoke over the phone on Friday, a day after Syrian government airstrikes killed 33 Turkish troops, significantly ratcheting up tensions between Ankara and Moscow. It was the highest number of Turkish soldiers killed in a single day since Ankara first intervened in the Syrian conflict in 2016. The development was the most serious escalation in the conflict between Turkish and Russia-backed Syrian forces and raised the prospect of all-out war with millions of Syrian civilians trapped in the middle. NATO envoys held emergency talks at the request of Turkey, a NATO member, and scores of migrants began converging on Turkey's border with Greece seeking entry into Europe after Turkey said it was “no longer able to hold refugees.”

Al Arabiya: US Treasury Sanctions Hezbollah-Linked Lebanese Individuals, Groups 

“Hezbollah reportedly has been hit hard by US sanctions on Iran. In spring 2019, Hezbollah members reported receiving reduced salaries considering their funding from Iran, currently suffering its own economic hardships, diminished significantly. Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah acknowledged difficulties created by American sanctions in March last year. David Daoud, an analyst for the Counter Extremism Project, a non-profit NGO that works to combat extremist groups, told Al Arabiya English that while Hezbollah may have been hit by US sanctions, the group has five annual charity drives, and their revenue is derived from legitimate businesses in Lebanon and abroad, as well as through illicit means domestically and outside Lebanon. The US understanding of how drastically Hezbollah had been impacted by sanctions on Iran may be exaggerated, Daoud said.”

Asharq Al-Awsat: Qaeda, ISIS Affiliates Team Up In West Africa

“The only place in the world where militants linked to al-Qaeda and ISIS are cooperating is in West Africa's sprawling Sahel region, giving the extremists greater depth as they push into new areas, according to the commander of the US military's special forces in Africa. “I believe that if it‘s left unchecked it could very easily develop into a great threat to the West and the United States,” US Air Force Brig. Gen. Dagvin Anderson told The Associated Press in an interview this week. The leader of US Special Operations Command Africa described the threat even as the Pentagon considers reducing the US military presence in Africa. Experts have long worried about collaboration between al-Qaeda and ISIS. While the cooperation in the Sahel is not currently a direct threat to the US or the West, “it’s very destabilizing to the region,” Anderson said. He spoke on the sidelines of the US military's annual counterterrorism exercise in West Africa, currently the most active region for extremists on the continent. The alarming new collaboration in the Sahel between affiliates of al-Qaea and ISIS is a result of ethnic ties in the region that includes Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso.”

Financial Times: US Takes Aim At Hizbollah’s Sanctuary In Venezuela 

“In the days after the US drone strike that killed Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad last month, a condolence book lay open 11,000km away at the Iranian embassy in Venezuela, in a leafy district of Caracas. Among the visitors who signed the book was Diosdado Cabello, one of the most powerful men in Nicolás Maduro’s Venezuelan government. Tareck El Aissami and Tarek William Saab — senior state officials — expressed their outrage at the assassination of the general blamed by the US for commanding Iran’s foreign proxy forces. For the Maduro government, these were simply expressions of solidarity from one embattled nation to another. Venezuela and Iran are both oil producers — founding members of Opec — both are labouring under US sanctions, and both are implacably opposed to what they regard as Washington’s interference in their internal affairs. But the US and the Venezuelan opposition led by Juan Guaidó accuse Venezuela of supporting not only Tehran but its Lebanese-based proxy Hizbollah, which the US regards as a terrorist organisation. “Hizbollah has found a home in Venezuela under Maduro,” US secretary of state Mike Pompeo told an antiterrorism conference in Colombia, days after Mr Soleimani’s death. “This is unacceptable.” 

United States

New York Daily News: Jewish Leaders Join N.Y. Gov. Cuomo In Budget Push To Combat Hate Crimes And Anti-Semitism

“Jewish leaders joined Gov. Cuomo on Thursday to denounce recent anti-Semitic attacks and push his plan to create a state law that would treat hate crimes as domestic terrorism. Cuomo launched a new campaign, dubbed #NoHateInOurState, at the Manhattan event and called on the Legislature to get on board with his budget plan to create a domestic terrorism law, allocate $25 million for religious not-for-profit organizations vulnerable to hate crimes, create an education curriculum on diversity and tolerance for students and invest $2 million to support the State Police Hate Crimes Task Force. “As New Yorkers, as Governor of New York, I want to make it clear that there is no tolerance for this activity on any level,” Cuomo said. “It’s not just immoral, it’s not just wrong it’s also illegal. And we’re going to pass additional legislation to make that position clear. We will enforce the law to the fullest extent.” The state has seen 42 acts of anti-Semitism already this year, the governor noted. This past weekend, several Jewish community centers around the country, including one in the state capital, received anonymous bomb threats via email.”

Syria

Voice Of America: Displaced Families Crowd Into Crumbled Islamic State Housing In Syria 

“If my children behave badly I tell them I will take them back to Idlib,” says Abeel, a 36-year-old mother of nine children, smiling sadly at her joke. “Then they listen to me.” Most children don't fear their homes, she says. But her children are terrified of returning to the near-constant bombardments of the past three months in Idlib province. One of her sons was killed in an airstrike two years ago. After nine years of war, more than half of the Syrian people have been displaced, like Abeel and her family, who now have fled the war five times. The battle in Idlib, however, where the war appears to be reaching a bloody conclusion, has created an unprecedented exodus. And in a bullet-ridden housing complex once occupied by Islamic State militants in Raqqa, many families say they see no option to ever go home. “I saw my own child die in front of me and another one was injured,” Abeel continues. “How can I possibly forget? What about my husband? I don't know where he is. What if I lose him as well? It's best to stay here.” When Abeel arrived a week ago, there were no apartments available among the crumbling buildings, with roofs collapsing from long-ago airstrikes. For now, she is staying with her sister-in-law and her husband.”

Iran

The New York Times: U.S. Maintains Pressure On Iran, Stalling Diplomacy While Expecting Attacks

“The United States and Iran may have pulled back from the brink of war, but they have refused to stand down since the American drone strike in January that killed Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani, commander of Tehran’s elite Quds Force. Instead, the two adversaries have needled each other with increasing pressure. The Trump administration has imposed new sanctions against Iran, while Tehran has flouted Washington’s warnings by shipping weapons to Shiite allies in the Middle East. Iranian-backed militias continue to attack bases in Iraq where Americans are deployed. The stalemate could last for another year at least, officials and experts say. As Iran grapples with a severe coronavirus outbreak and occasional protests, its leaders are signaling it will wait out the American presidential election in November to decide whether to open new nuclear negotiations with world powers. In the meantime, Congress wants to clip President Trump’s authority to strike Iran. With Secretary of State Mike Pompeo scheduled to brief the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Friday about the administration’s next steps, here is a look at where things stand. Mr. Pompeo will be asked about the decision to kill General Suleimani in a Jan. 3 strike in Baghdad after an Iranian-backed militia had protested at the American Embassy.”

Afghanistan

CNN: Republican Lawmakers Express Concerns About Anticipated US-Taliban Deal

“Nearly two dozen Republican lawmakers have written to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defense Mark Esper to express “serious concerns” about the anticipated US-Taliban deal. Led by Rep. Liz Cheney, a Wyoming Republican and daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, the 22 members of Congress said they “are seeking assurances that you will not place the security of the American people into the hands of the Taliban, and undermine our ally, the current government of Afghanistan.” The US is expected to ink a deal with the militant group on Saturday that would eventually bring about an end to America's longest-running war. Under the plan, the American military presence would be reduced to 8,600 troops from the current 12,000 to 13,000 over the course of 135 days, according to two sources familiar with the agreement. Pompeo said Tuesday that the US would sign the deal “if and only if” the week-long reduction in violence in Afghanistan is successful. In the letter sent Wednesday, the lawmakers outline seven specific assurances about the expected deal, including that it “will not contain any secret annexes of side deals,” that it “must not contain a commitment for a full U.S. withdrawal at this point,” and that it not establish intelligence sharing or a “joint counterterrorism center” with the Taliban.”

CNN: What Trump's 'Peace' Agreement With Taliban Really Means

“The Trump administration is close to signing a “peace” agreement with the Taliban, but let's not kid ourselves; this is really a withdrawal agreement in the middle of a hotly contested presidential election season. Such an agreement with the Taliban will allow Trump to point to a campaign promise kept: getting the United States out of its longest war. As a confidence-building measure, since last Saturday the Taliban have agreed to implement a “reduction in violence” in Afghanistan that will help pave the way for the signing of the formal US-Taliban deal slated for February 29. But there is a lot less to this reduction in violence than meets the eye, since the month of February in Afghanistan is typically a time of much-reduced fighting because of the brutal Afghan winter. The Taliban agreeing to reduce violence right now is akin to the residents of Chicago agreeing not to use their air conditioning this month. According to The Military Times, there have only been a “handful” of attacks across Afghanistan during the past several days, which means that the formal signing agreement between the US and the Taliban will very likely go ahead as planned on Saturday. The agreement stipulates that the US will draw down to 8,600 soldiers from the current 12,000 or so stationed in Afghanistan now.”

Military Times: ISIS Loses More Than Half Its Fighters From US Airstrikes And Taliban Ground Operations

“The Islamic State’s Afghanistan branch has lost more than half its fighters due to Afghan and U.S. airstrikes, and ground operations conducted by Taliban fighters, according to a recent inspector general report. Officials with U.S. Forces Afghanistan said it was hard to estimate the number of remaining ISIS fighters in Afghanistan, but U.S. officials claimed in September the terrorist group was capable of fielding between 2,000 and 5,000 fighters, the IG report detailed. Afghanistan’s ISIS offshoot lost its home turf in Nangarhar Province in November, forcing 300 of the jihadi fighters to surrender to Afghan forces. But the terrorist group continues to limp on despite intense military pressure against the group over the last five months. Afghan Special Operations soldiers destroy a Taliban weapons cache during a night operation in Ney Meydan, Sar-e Pul province, Afghanistan, Feb. 23, 2018. Afghan Special Security Forces maintained constant pressure on the Taliban and ISIS-K throughout the winter in the northern Afghan provinces. ISIS is down to a few hundred fighters in Afghanistan following sustained operations by U.S. and Afghan forces and even Taliban fighters. Despite a reduction in violence agreement hashed out between the Taliban and the U.S., American warplanes have continued to conduct offensive operations and strikes against the Islamic extremist group.”

Nigeria

Reuters: Nigeria's Islamists Targeting Christians To Provoke Religious War, Says Minister

“Islamist militant groups in Nigeria have begun targeting Christians in an attempt to provoke a religious war, the information minister said on Thursday. Islamist insurgents in Nigeria have killed around 35,000 people and displaced at least two million in the past decade, driven first by Boko Haram and more recently by its offshoot, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). Information Minister Lai Mohammed said jihadist groups in the northeast of the country have now adopted a “deliberate policy of attacking Christians.” “They have started targeting Christians and Christian villages for a specific reason, which is to trigger a religious war and throw the nation into chaos,” he told reporters. Nigeria’s 200 million inhabitants are roughly split between Islam and Christianity. Mohammed cited a number of flashpoints. In December, ISWAP beheaded 10 Christian men, and shot dead an 11th. And in January, Boko Haram executed the chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN). He also pointed to raids on Christian villages in the north. Mohammed said Nigeria was serious about tackling violent extremism and committed to protecting Christians and Muslims. “We want to therefore appeal to our religious leaders ... not to fall for this desperate move by the insurgents, not to allow them to divide us as a people and weaken our resolve,” he said.”

Africa

The New York Times: 3,000-Strong African Force Planned Against Sahel Extremism

“African leaders have decided to work on deploying 3,000 troops to West Africa’s troubled Sahel region as extremist attacks surge, an African Union official said Thursday. The force would be a significant new player in the sprawling, arid region south of the Sahara Desert where fighters linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group killed thousands of people last year — at times working together in an unprecedented move. The decision by African leaders comes as the United States considers cutting its military presence in Africa while urging African solutions to African problems. That has sparked pressure from worried security allies including France and regional countries as well as a rare bipartisan outcry among lawmakers in Washington. Smail Chergui, the African Union commissioner for peace and security, relayed the new troop decision that was taken at the recent AU summit during a meeting Thursday with visiting European Union officials. The AU continental body is expected to work with the West African regional counterterror force G5 Sahel as well as the West African regional body ECOWAS, which has formed peacekeeping units in the past, Chergui said. ECOWAS in September announced what Chergui called a “very bold” plan to counter extremism in the region, including mobilizing up to $1 billion through 2024.”

Voice Of America: Kenyan Police Seek Civilian Help Against Al-Shabab

“Kenyan police are calling on residents of the country's northeast, along the border with Somalia, to do more to help them combat al-Shabab militants.  The danger of attacks in the region has grown to the point that the agency which recruits Kenyan teachers is vowing not to put them in counties along the border. The debate on the future of education in northeastern Kenya has entered the corridors of parliament, as teachers seek transfers to areas outside the region. The Teachers Service Commission, an agency tasked with training, hiring and placing instructors across the country, said 42 teachers have been killed since 2014 at the hands of Somali militant group al-Shabab. The head of the commission, Nancy Macharia, defended the withdrawal of teachers from the terror-hit areas in the northeast. “It's true the children need education. But also the teachers are entitled to life. Life is sacrosanct,” she said. In 2018 five teachers were killed in Wajir and Mandera counties. In January, three teachers were killed when al-Shabab attacked Kamuthe primary school in Garissa county.”

Asharq Al-Awsat: Tunisia Announces Death Of Two ISIS Terrorists

“Tunisian Ministry of Interior Spokesman Hossam Eddine Djababli confirmed the death of two senior terrorists in security operations in the country’s western Kasserine governorate. The first eliminated terrorist, Bassam Al-Ghunaimi, who operated under the alias Abi Sakher Al-Zaqmout, is involved in a group of massacres of Tunisian citizens. He also participated in a number of terrorist operations that targeted the security forces and the army. As for the second terrorist --who was wounded and was found dead the following day-- he was called Hafiz Rahimi and belonged to the ISIS offshoot Jund al Khilafa. Security forces seized Kalashnikov weapons, a large quantity of live ammunition, and night vision gear. Ghunaimi has been involved with terrorists since 2013 but was officially recruited by al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb AQIM in 2014. In 2015, he defected and joined Jund al Khilafa. The pre-emptive security and military operation was launched on Tuesday night, after the discovery of 3 newly used terrorist camps in the Kasserine Highlands area. A heavy exchange of fire took place before Ghunaimi and Rahimi were killed. In 2015, Ghunaimi partook in a terrorist attack that targeted a military unit. The attack resulted in the death of a soldier and the injury of others.”

Military Times: State Dept. Cautions Terrorist Groups Could Be Planning Attack In Nairobi

“The State Department is warning that violent extremist groups could be scheming an attack in Nairobi, Kenya — a warning that comes weeks after al-Shabab militants attacked U.S. and Kenyan forces in Manda Bay, Kenya in January. “Terrorist groups may be plotting an attack against a major hotel in Nairobi,” the State Department said in a security alert Thursday. “The exact hotel has not been identified, but it is believed to be a hotel popular with tourists and business travelers.” Though the State Department did not identify specific violent extremist groups, multiple terrorist groups exist in Africa, including al-Shabab and ISIS. According to the Counter Extremism Project, a non-profit international policy organization that works to counter extremism, al-Shabab is the most vibrant extremist group within Kenya. AFRICOM claims there are approximately 5,000 to 7,000 al-Shabab militants in Somalia, and an average of 650 to 800 U.S. forces in Somalia at any given time. Additionally, AFRICOM officials told reporters last month they suspected that the al-Shabab militants involved in the Manda Bay attack originated in Somalia, and then entered Kenya after they received assistance from facilitators within Kenya.” 

United Kingdom

BBC News: Britain First Leader Paul Golding Denies Terror Offence

“The leader of far-right group Britain First has denied a terror offence after refusing to give police access to his electronic devices. Paul Golding, 38, was charged after he failed to tell officers his passcodes in October last year. He appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Thursday, accompanied by 26 of his supporters. He denied a charge of willingly refusing to comply with a duty under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act. Schedule 7 allows police to interrogate, search and detain anyone for up to six hours at UK ports. Mr Golding was stopped at Heathrow Terminal four on 23 October last year. Mr Golding, of Hodder Bank, Stockport, was in the dock wearing a grey suit and red tie and waved as his supporters entered the public gallery. As he entered his not guilty plea, he told the court: “I am a politician not a terrorist. I think this is a politically-motivated charge.” He will appear for trial at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 20 May.”

Germany  

ABC News: Racially Motivated Terror Attack In Hanau Puts Germany's Right Wing Extremism Into Focus

“Last Wednesday in the German town of Hanau, a quiet place of 100,000 near Frankfurt, a gunman reportedly motivated by xenophobic views opened fire in and outside of two hookah bars, killing nine people, all of whom were of foreign descent. The next day in cities across Germany, including Berlin and Frankfurt, people held vigils for the victims. Thousands flocked to the city's main square to mourn them in Hanau, with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier of the center-left Social Democrats and Interior Minister Horst Seehofer in attendance. The killer, 43-year-old Tobias Rathjen, was found dead in his home along with his mother after the shooting spree, but the repercussions of the attack have sent shockwaves throughout the country. While the Hanau killer publicized his belief in conspiracy theories, according to authorities, they stated a racist worldview motivated him. The act has once again shined the spotlight on right-wing terror in a country still struggling to come to terms with its Nazi past. The German government under the grand coalition of Christian Democrats and Social Democrats has long faced criticism by politicians and pundits that it was not taking the threat of right-wing violence seriously enough, but top German politicians this past week have spoken out forcefully, countering this idea.”