Eye on Extremism
March 3, 2020
Politico:
Cracks Start To Show In Taliban Peace Deal
“Signs began to show Monday that key pillars of the agreement to
negotiate an end to the Afghanistan war were starting to buckle, just
hours after the United States signed what was billed as a historic
agreement with the Taliban. Reports emerged Monday that fighting had
resumed between the Taliban and the Afghan security forces, marking an
end to the reduction in violence that paved the way for the agreement
that was signed Saturday by U.S. and Taliban officials. Also on
Monday, the Taliban refused to take part in intra-Afghan talks, one of
the conditions of a full withdrawal of U.S. troops, until the Afghan
government releases roughly 5,000 Taliban prisoners. The agreement
calls for the prisoners to be released in exchange for up to 1,000
Afghan government captives by March 10. Less than 24 hours after the
agreement was signed, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, whose government
was not involved in the U.S.-Taliban deal, rejected the Taliban’s
demand. “The reduction in violence will continue with a goal to reach
a full ceasefire,” he told reporters in Kabul. “There is no commitment
to releasing 5,000 prisoners.” Senior Pentagon officials cautioned
against jumping to conclusions just two days after the agreement was
signed.”
Asharq
Al-Awsat: Houthis Threaten Relief Organizations, Impose New
Conditions
“The Iran-backed Houthi militias have threatened to bring the work
of humanitarian organizations operating in Yemeni areas under their
control to a halt, said local sources speaking on condition of
anonymity. The Houthis have imposed new conditions in exchange for
allowing humanitarian relief work to continue. They are now demanding
that relief organizations obtain prior approval from the militias’
leaders on all the relief projects that they intend to implement in
Houthi-controlled areas. They are also imposing the militias’ control
over the implementation of projects. Sources pointed out that during a
meeting with UN officials a few days ago, Houthi leader Mohammed Ali
al-Houthi vowed to stop activities of humanitarian organizations,
including United Nations agencies, if they did not adhere to the
militias’ instructions. While Houthi obstruction prevented millions of
people from receiving aid in Sanaa and other regions, official sources
claimed the militias agreed with UN officials on procedures relating
to handing over proposed projects to Houthi leaders for approval.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Mohammed al-Hadhrami affirmed the
government's commitment to facilitating the mission of humanitarian
aid organizations and workers in Yemen.”
The
New York Times: Can YouTube Quiet Its Conspiracy
Theorists?
“For years it has been a highly effective megaphone for conspiracy
theorists, and YouTube, owned and run by Google, has admitted as much.
In January 2019, YouTube said it would limit the spread of videos
“that could misinform users in harmful ways.” One year later, YouTube
recommends conspiracy theories far less than before. But its progress
has been uneven and it continues to advance certain types of
fabrications, according to a new study from researchers at University
of California, Berkeley. YouTube’s efforts to curb conspiracy theories
pose a major test of Silicon Valley’s ability to combat
misinformation, particularly ahead of this year’s elections. The
study, which examined eight million recommendations over 15 months,
provides one of the clearest pictures yet of that fight, and the mixed
findings show how challenging the issue remains for tech companies
like Google, Facebook and Twitter.”
Syria
Reuters:
'All Our Dreams Are Gone;' Desperation Deepens For Syrians As Conflict
Intensifies
“At a maternity hospital in northwest Syria, an alarm flashes at
the main entrance to alert staff. It’s not patients en route to the
hospital. It’s warplanes. Doctors at the hospital face a daily
struggle to care for expectant mothers amid a Syrian government
assault that has driven deep into Idlib province in an attempt to
snuff out the last stronghold of rebels battling President Bashar
al-Assad. Medical staff said there had been a marked rise in
miscarriages and premature births in the last two months. Some
expectant mothers arrive in shock after leaving home in terror at the
bombardment, and every day four or five babies are found to have died
in the womb, one doctor told Reuters. “For me, the latest stage has
been the toughest of all,” said the doctor, 37-year old Ikram who is
eight months pregnant. Speaking Thursday in a small ward filled with a
dozen tiny babies in incubators, she said the last hospital she worked
in had been hit in an air strike. She said so too had her
father-in-law’s house and that a rocket had landed unexploded next to
the kindergarten her two young children – aged 3 and 4 - usually
attend. Minutes after she spoke the hospital’s alarm went off. An
amber light flashed warning of an aircraft approaching and a red light
signaled danger of a direct strike.”
Reuters:
Russia, Turkey May Have Committed War Crimes In Syria, U.N.
Says
“Russia killed civilians in air strikes in Syria last year while
rebels allied to Turkey carried out murder and pillage in Kurdish
areas, U.N. investigators said on Monday - actions it said could
amount to war crimes by both Moscow and Ankara. A report by a U.N.
commission found that Russia - the Syrian government’s main ally
against rebels and militants - conducted air strikes on a popular
market and a camp for displaced people that killed dozens of civilians
in July and August. “In both incidents, the Russian Air Force did not
direct the attacks at a specific military objective, amounting to the
war crime of launching indiscriminate attacks in civilian areas,” the
report said. It also described abuses by rebels allied to Turkey
during an assault on Kurdish-held areas, and said that if the rebels
were acting under the control of Turkish military forces, those
commanders may be liable for war crimes. Paulo Pinheiro, the
commission’s chairman, said it had added names linked to the latest
crimes to its confidential list of suspected perpetrators. It has
received 200 requests from judicial authorities worldwide for
information on crimes committed during Syria’s nine-year war, he told
a news briefing.”
The
National: Hezbollah Deaths Highlight The Group’s Active Role In
North-West Syria
“Hezbollah on Sunday buried eight militants killed in a Turkish
missile strike in Idlib province, in an attack that reflects the
Iran-backed Lebanese group’s changing role in north-west Syria. On
Sunday, thousands of people gathered in Beirut’s southern suburbs to
attend the burial of five of the men. Some wore face masks to protect
against coronavirus while the funeral crowds chanted, “Our party is
Hezbollah and our leader is Nasrallah,” referring to the group’s
secretary general, Hassan Nasrallah, as the coffins were carried past.
Sounds of gunfire rang through the air as those attending climbed on
to rooftops of surrounding buildings to look over the vast crowds. Ali
Al Zanjani, Mahmoud Hamid, Eissa Barji, Talal Hamza and Ahmed Mustafa
were buried in a Hezbollah cemetery. Three other burials took place in
other towns in Lebanon and a ninth militant was buried on Monday. The
Lebanese militants were killed on Friday in a Turkish missile strike
at Al Talhiya near Saraqib in Idlib province, sources said. They were
alongside Afghans from the Iran-backed Fatemiyoun Brigade and Syrian
army troops. It was not clear how long the Hezbollah militants killed
on Friday were there, but a friend of Hamid said the two were together
in Beirut a fortnight ago.”
Voice
Of America: Kurds Determined To Try IS Foreign Fighters In
Syria
“Syrian Kurdish officials seem firm on moving ahead with their
plans to put captured Islamic State (IS) foreign fighters on trial in
Syria, despite little international support. Nearly one year after
declaring the physical defeat of IS’s so-called caliphate in eastern
Syria, Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish-led military alliance
backed by the U.S., says it is ready to try IS foreign fighters
through its local judicial system. “Since all evidences, witnesses and
victims [of IS fighters] are present in our region, we have proposed
to hold their trials here.” said Kamal Akif, a spokesperson for the
foreign relations office at the Kurdish-led administration in
northeast Syria. “We have been discussing this issue with all sides,”
he told VOA. The SDF holds about 12,000 IS fighters, including 2,000
foreign fighters who hail from about 50 countries. There are also
about 12,000 foreign women and children affiliated with the terror
group that are held in detention camps in eastern Syria. Many of the
countries IS fighters come from have largely declined to take them
back. Thus, the SDF hopes its new proposal would garner enough support
from countries such as the U.S., France, Britain and Germany. “So far
we have received positive vibes from our international partners,” Akif
said, adding that they “could soon begin practical matters” related to
trying IS foreign fighters.”
Iraq
The
New York Times: She Faced Her ISIS Rapist In Court, Then Watched Him
Sentenced To Death
“Iraq has held thousands of trials for members of the Islamic
State, but until Monday none had sought to bring justice specifically
to the thousands of members of the Yazidi religious minority who were
kidnapped, raped and killed. A soft-spoken 20-year old Yazidi woman
changed that when she decided to testify in open court. The witness,
Ashwaq Haji Hamid Talo, gave a restrained but searing account to
judges and before the public — in the presence of the ISIS militant to
whom she was once given as a gift, and who raped her repeatedly. The
defendant, Mohammed Rashid Sahab, 36, who is an Iraqi, was found
guilty of participating in a terrorist organization and in the rape
and abduction of Yazidi women. He was given the death penalty. “The
most important thing to me is that my dream came true and I was
watching the one who raped me being sentenced to death,” Ms. Haji
Hamid said afterward. The trial, which ended on Monday, was the first
in Iraq to specifically address the Islamic State’s crimes against the
Yazidis — or at least one militant’s crimes. It was also the first in
which a Yazidi victim personally confronted her attacker. “I want my
story to reach the whole world, so my message is heard by my friends
and gives them the courage to do the same thing that I did, so that
they can get revenge on Daesh,” she said, using the Arabic acronym for
the Islamic State.”
Turkey
Daily
Sabah: Police Arrest 4 Suspected Daesh Terrorists In NW
Turkey
“Turkish police arrested four suspected Daesh terrorists in the
northwestern Sakarya province, according to police sources. Local
prosecutors investing the terrorist activities of Daesh demanded the
arrest of four Iraqi nationals over their suspected links to the
terrorist group, said the sources, who asked not to be named due to
restrictions on speaking to the media. With arrest warrants issued,
police nabbed the suspects in an anti-terror operation. Turkey was one
of the first countries to recognize Daesh as a terror group in 2013,
as soon as it emerged. The country has since been attacked by Daesh
terrorists numerous times, including 10 suicide bombings, seven
bombings and four armed attacks, which killed 315 people and injured
hundreds. In response, Turkey launched military and police operations
at home and abroad to prevent further terror attacks.”
Afghanistan
ABC
News: Dispute Over Prisoners, Deadly Attacks In Afghanistan Threaten
US Deal With Taliban
“Two days after a historic signing ceremony between the U.S. and
the Taliban, a series of attacks across Afghanistan, a possible new
command from the Taliban and a disagreement over releasing Taliban
prisoners threaten to derail the peace process laid out by the
agreement. Still, President Donald Trump said Monday that the U.S. is
“getting out” of Afghanistan after over 18 years of war, seemingly
regardless of what comes next. The agreement signed Saturday in Doha,
Qatar, where chief U.S. negotiator Zalmay Khalilzad spent a year and a
half negotiating with Taliban leaders, lays out a full U.S.
withdrawal, if the Taliban meet certain commitments -- to engage in
national peace negotiations with other Afghans and to prevent
Afghanistan from being a safe haven to terror groups, including
al-Qaida, whose operatives were responsible for the Sept. 11th attacks
and were harbored by the Taliban. To kick that process off, the U.S.
agreed to drawn down its forces from approximately 13,000 to 8,600 and
close five military bases within 135 days, while the Taliban agreed to
meet an Afghan national delegation for negotiations on March
10.”
Reuters:
Taliban Rule Out Taking Part In Afghan Talks Until Prisoners
Freed
“Taliban militants will not take part in intra-Afghan talks until
the Afghan government releases about 5,000 of their prisoners, a
spokesman said on Monday, presenting a major possible barrier to
ending the war. The statement came as a reduction of violence period
came to an end, and the Taliban said a resumption of operations
against Afghan government forces could now take place. Under an accord
between the United States and the Islamist Taliban signed on Saturday,
the two sides are committed to working toward the release of combat
and political prisoners as a confidence-building measure. The
agreement calls for up to 5,000 Taliban prisoners to be freed in
exchange for up to 1,000 Afghan government captives by March 10.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, not involved in the talks, has rejected
that demand. “We are fully ready for the intra-Afghan talks, but we
are waiting for the release of our 5,000 prisoners,” Taliban spokesman
Zabihullah Mujahid told Reuters by phone. “If our 5,000 prisoners -
100 or 200 more or less does not matter - do not get released there
will be no intra-Afghan talks.”
The
Guardian: Afghanistan: Bomb Attack Kills Three As Taliban Ends Partial
Truce
“Three people have been killed and 11 injured in a motorcycle bomb
attack at a football match in eastern Afghanistan, as the Taliban
announced an end to a partial truce two days after signing a deal with
the US. The Taliban had agreed to a week-long “reduction of violence”
as a confidence-building measure ahead of the agreement signed on
Saturday, in which the US pledged that all foreign forces would leave
Afghanistan within 14 months, if the Taliban sat down for talks on
Afghanistan’s future with government representatives. The agreed
“reduction in violence” expired on Saturday, but US officials had
expressed hope it would be prolonged. The Afghan president, Ashraf
Ghani, committed to extending it at least until the scheduled start
date for intra-Afghan talks, 10 March. Those talks appeared to be in
jeopardy on Monday, as the Kabul government said it had not agreed to
the release of 5,000 Taliban prisoners before the negotiations
started, an offer made by the US as part of its agreement with the
insurgent. “The Afghan government has not made any commitment to
release 5,000 Taliban prisoners before the start of any potential
negotiation,” said Sediq Sediqqi, a spokesman for Ghani, adding that
the prisoner exchange “cannot be a requisite for talks”, and instead
should be part of the negotiations.”
CNN:
Doubts Over Viability Of Trump Administration's Taliban Deal Emerge
Within Hours Of Signing
“Less than 72 hours after the signing of the US-Taliban agreement,
questions about the Taliban's commitment to reduce violence in
Afghanistan and disagreements about the terms of the release of
thousands of prisoners are threatening to upend the long-anticipated
deal. President Donald Trump on Monday said the US was “getting out”
of Afghanistan, noting that “we have discussions to go, but we've made
a lot of progress.” The agreement signed Saturday could see the full
withdrawal of US and allied forces from Afghanistan in just over a
year, with an initial drawdown to 8,600 troops in the first 135 days.
US officials have stressed that the withdrawal of troops would be
“conditions-based.” Questions remain about the Taliban's continued
commitment to a reduction in violence in Afghanistan. A blast in the
Khost province of Afghanistan killed at least three people were killed
and injured 11 others were injured on Monday. The Taliban has denied
responsibility for the attack. US officials have stressed their
expectation that such a reduction continue throughout intra-Afghan
negotiations. However, this condition is not explicitly written into
the text of the agreement. It instead says that “a permanent and
comprehensive ceasefire will be an item on the agenda of the
intra-Afghan dialogue and negotiations.”
Egypt
The
New York Times: Egypt Sentences 37 To Death Including Top Militant
Leader
“An Egyptian court on Monday sentenced to death 37 defendants,
including one of the country’s most high-profile militants, following
their conviction of terrorism-related charges. The Cairo Criminal
Court said the defendants were charged with belonging to a local
affiliate of the Islamic State group spearheading an insurgency in
Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula. Among those sentenced to death was Hisham
el-Ashmawi. The militant leader is a former army officer and was
captured in Libya late in 2018 by forces loyal to Libyan Gen. Khalifa
Hifter, a close ally of Egypt. A military court separately sentenced
el-Ashmawi to death in November for his participation in scores of
attacks on government targets. Egypt has been fighting for years
militants in the restive northern Sinai area and the vast Western
Desert. The men are among more than 200 defendants accused of carrying
out more than 50 militant attacks that included killing high-ranking
police officers and bombings that targeted the Egyptian capital’s
police headquarters. The charges include a 2013 assassination attempt
on the Egyptian interior minister. The court also sentenced 61
defendants to life in prison, and 85 others got sentences ranging from
15 to 5 years in prison.”
Nigeria
Voice
Of America: Over 50 Killed As Armed Men Attack Villages In Northern
Nigeria
“Armed men killed at least 50 people Sunday in attacks on villages
in the Nigerian state of Kaduna, according to local officials and
residents. According to local police, about a hundred armed men
attacked the villages of Kerawa, Rago, Zareyawa, Marina, Hashimawa,
and Unguwar Barau, all in the Igabi district, shooting residents, and
looting and burning homes. Zayyad Ibrahim, a member of Nigerian
parliament, said assailants began shooting people at random, as
worshipers left mosques after prayer. Ibrahim and local counsellor
Dayyabu Kerawa told the French news agency (AFP) that killings were
the work of “bandits.” Kerawa said bandits “accused the residents of
the targeted villages of providing information about their hiding
places to the soldiers.” A local politician, Alhaji Daiyibu Kerawa,
told VOA's Hausa service that the shooters were part of Islamist
insurgent group Boko Haram. “These killers are Boko Haram. They
stormed our village killing indiscriminately. They spared nobody — the
young, the old, even Almajiris [Islamic students] were not spared,” he
said. “They continued to shoot people, setting fire on the dead and on
property. It was extremely horrific!” Kerawa appealed for President
Muhammadu Buhari to send security forces to protect the area.”
Christianity
Today: Nigeria’s Government Agrees: Islamist Terrorists Target
Christians
“The Nigerian government now agrees with what church leaders have
been complaining for years: Christians are the target of jihadist
terrorism. “In the wake of a renewed onslaught by our tireless
military against Boko Haram and their ISWAP (Islamic State West Africa
Province) allies in recent times, the insurgents have apparently
changed their strategy,” said Lai Mohammed, the minister of
information and culture, at a press conference last week. “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.” In comments given exclusively to CT, the administration of
President Muhammad Buhari clarified that this targeting is not new.
“Yes, Boko Haram is targeting individual Christians. In doing so,
their target is all Nigerians, and their goal is to divide Christian
brother against Muslim brother,” Mohammed, the information minister,
told CT. “What Boko Haram seeks—and always has sought—is to drive a
wedge between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria. “By targeting
Christians, they seek to promulgate the falsehood that the
democratically elected Nigerian government does not care to protect
them.”
Somalia
Reuters:
Somali Forces, Supposed To Unite Against Islamists, Fight Each
Other
“Fighting erupted in south Somalia on Monday between the national
army and regional forces, amid deepening divisions that help Islamist
insurgents and may exacerbate regional frictions. Clashes broke out
late morning between the Somali army, commanded by the federal
government, and forces loyal to Jubbaland state leader Ahmed Madobe,
residents in Jubbaland’s Balad Hawo district told Reuters. Jubbaland
borders Kenya and is one of five semi-autonomous states in Somalia. “I
see two houses burning,” shopkeeper Farah Abdullahi told Reuters from
Balad Hawo, just over the border from the Kenya. Fighters were using
anti-aircraft guns and mortars, he said. “Some residents have fled ...
the whole town is dead. No business (is) open.” Madobe is a trusted
ally of Kenya, which helped build his forces and cement his rule, but
is detested by neighboring Ethiopia, which has backed the central
government. Both Kenya and Ethiopia have troops in Somalia as part of
an African Union-led peacekeeping force. The AU peacekeepers, Somali
federal government and local states are all supposed to be fighting
the al Shabaab insurgency. Instead, some are fighting each other.”
All
Africa: Kenya-Somalia Border Tension Risks Strengthening
Al-Shabaab
“Somalia was Monday fighting itself after its national forces
ambushed Jubbaland regional troops allied to a fugitive minister near
the border with Kenya. Experts say the move could potentially aid
Al-Shabaab militant group in spreading terror. The fight broke out a
day after 11 Kenyan parliamentarians secretly travelled to Somalia and
met President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo. The eruption of violence on
the border threatened to negate claims by the Kenyan MPs that they
were seeking solutions against the Somalia-based militant group.
Fighting broke out between special troops of the Somali National Army
(SNA) deployed to Gedo region to guard the border and Jubbaland forces
loyal to Abdirashid Janaan, who reportedly fled prison in Mogadishu
with the help of some officials in President Famrajo's government. It
occurred mostly on the Somali side but civilians fled into Kenya. This
is the opposite of what was expected after MPs from the three North
Eastern counties of Wajir, Mandera and Garissa toured Mogadishu.”
Africa
Asharq
Al-Awsat: Morocco Dismantles Pro-ISIS Terror Cell
“Moroccan authorities dismantled Monday a suspected terrorist cell
in the northeastern city of Sidi Slimane, the Interior Ministry said
in a statement. The Central Office of Judicial Investigations arrested
four pro-ISIS members aged 23 to 51, which came within the
government's efforts to arrest extremist members making terrorist
plots. Authorities seized electronic devices, bladed weapons, a
military trellis and several manuscripts that proved the cell's
affiliation to ISIS, said the ministry. Initial investigations have
revealed that the leader of this terrorist cell, who was arrested in
2014 for terror charges following the dismantling of another terrorist
cell that used to recruit militants and send them to Syria and Iraq,
had recruited the members of his cell who share the same extremist
thoughts. The suspects planned to carry out terrorist projects aimed
at undermining the security of citizens and destabilizing the public
order. The latest operation is part of ongoing efforts by Moroccan
security services to address all threats likely to undermine the
country’s security and stability.”
Evening
Standard: UK Soldiers Deployed To West Africa To Help Tackle Fast
Growing Islamist Insurgency
“British troops have been deployed to west Africa to help the
battle against the world’s fastest-growing Islamist insurgency. Around
30 troops from 1 Scots Guards and the Royal Marines are training three
African nations in Senegal, to help fight extremism in the Sahel
region. The UK is later this year sending 250 troops to Mali to join a
multinational peacekeeping operation. It will be Britain’s first major
war zone deployment since the end of Operation Herrick in Afghanistan
more than five years ago. The hard-liners in the area have been linked
to Islamic State and al-Qaeda. Major John House has been in charge in
Senegal, and said being involved in the region will benefit the UK. He
told the BBC: “If we don't act we may find the problems getting closer
to our door. “The more they have a presence in the region, the more we
can feel the effect back in the UK.” One of the frontline threats
faced by soldiers fighting in the region is Boko Haram, also known as
Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP). The group shot to
notoriety in April 2014 when they kidnapped almost 300 school girls in
a smash and grab rain on a school. Nigerian Special Boat Service
Lieutenant Unyine Collins said: “They use suicide bombers, improvised
explosive devices, mines, basically they use the same tactics as
ISIS.”
France
24: Five Soldiers Killed In Checkpoint Attack In Central
Mali
“Five Malian soldiers were killed when militants armed with rocket
launchers attacked a checkpoint in a central region of the
conflict-torn nation, a military source and local official said
Monday. “At least five soldiers were killed on Sunday in Mondoro
during a jihadist attack,” said a source from the Mali army base in
Mopti, the largest town in the region, adding that the assailants had
also “suffered losses”. A local official said the militants had
launched the assault “using rocket launchers fired at parked military
vehicles”. The official said the Malian air force then bombed jihadist
positions, adding that the clashes lasted for an hour. “I don't know
the number of jihadists killed but there are victims,” the official
said. A local association on Monday expressed concern over the
possible withdrawal of troops from Mondoro, where one soldier was
killed and three others wounded on February 14. The camps at Mondoro
and Boulkessi, near the border with Burkina Faso, were targeted in
twin attacks in September that left at least 40 soldiers dead.
“According to information received, the soldiers are threatening to
leave Mondoro... if they execute this decision, the terrorists will
take control not only of Mondoro but the entire area of Douentza,”
said Oumar Ongoiba, an official with the Association for the
Development of Mondoro, underscoring the strategic importance of the
zone.”
United Kingdom
Sky
News: Police Officers Investigated Over Crash After Streatham Terror
Attack
“Two police officers called to the aftermath of the Streatham
terror attack are being investigated over a crash that took place as
they drove to the scene of the stabbings. The pair, who were
travelling in convoy after the attack on 2 February, are under
investigation on suspicion of dangerous driving as well as gross
misconduct. One of the officers was driving an unmarked police car
when he was involved in a crash with two other cars. The collision
left him and a member of the public with injuries. His colleague, who
was in a marked armed response vehicle, carried on to the scene of the
terror atrocity in south London in which terrorist Sudesh Amman
stabbed two people. The pair have been placed on restricted duties and
are not allowed to drive police vehicles while the investigation is
carried out. The Independent Office for Police Conduct has now said:
“We are conducting an independent investigation into a road traffic
incident involving a Metropolitan Police car which collided with two
vehicles while responding to the terror attack in Streatham on Sunday
February 2. Two people received injuries.”
Europe
The
New York Times: Dutch Terror Trial Starting For Deadly Utrecht Tram
Shooting
“The gunman in last year's attack in the Dutch city of Utrecht
walked calmly into and around a tram, shooting at passengers from
close range while shouting “Allahu akbar,” or “Allah Akbar,” according
to witness statements read Monday as the terror trial of the suspect
got underway. The attack left four people dead and three wounded and
shocked the Netherlands, which has avoided the large-scale terror
attacks that have hit nearby nations Belgium and France. The alleged
shooter, Gokmen Tanis — bearded and handcuffed — sat flanked by guards
and police in a courtroom packed with relatives of victims as
Presiding Judge Ruud van Veldhuisen read out statements given to
police by witnesses to the mass shooting on March 18 last year. Tanis,
38, said nothing throughout the hearing Monday morning. He smiled as
he entered the courtroom and stared straight ahead as the presiding
judge asked if he had yawned because he was nervous. He later refused
to answer repeated questions from Van Veldhuisen. “Do you not dare? Do
you now want” to answer questions? Van Veldhuisen asked. The judge
asked Tanis if his actions had been in response to the shooting in the
New Zealand city of Christchurch, just days before the tram shooting,
in which a gunman killed 51 people at two mosques.”
New Zealand
Yahoo
News: New Zealand Cops Probe Threat To Terror Attack
Mosque
“New Zealand police said Tuesday they were investigating a threat
made this week against one of the Christchurch mosques where 51 Muslim
worshippers were killed in a mass shooting a year ago. Amid plans to
mark the one-year anniversary of the March 15 massacre, police said
the threat to Christchurch's Al Noor mosque was posted this week on
encrypted messaging app Telegram. Reports said the message showed a
man in a balaclava sitting in a car outside the mosque accompanied by
threatening text and a gun emoji. “We have strong leads that we're
following up and I'm confident that we will establish who this person
is,” Canterbury police commander superintendent John Price told Radio
New Zealand, adding, “We're very close”. Al Noor was one of two
mosques targeted by a self-avowed white supremacist last year in what
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern described as “an unprecedented act of
terror (that) shattered our small country”. The timing of the latest
threat comes at a sensitive time as planning is underway for a
memorial service in Christchurch to mark the anniversary. Details of
the service at the city's Hagley Park have not yet been finalised but
Ardern is set to attend after gaining international praise for her
compassionate handling of the attacks.”
Southeast Asia
Reuters:
Hong Kong Police Get Protective Upgrade To Fight Threat Of 'Local
Terrorism'
“Hong Kong, grappling months of sometimes violent anti-government
unrest, is to spend about HK$500 million ($64.3 million) on police
protective equipment, including six armored vehicles, to help combat
the threat of “local terrorism”. Police chief Chris Tang was speaking
on Monday after the government announced in its budget last week that
police funding would be HK$25.8 billion, up 25 percent from the
previous year, drawing widespread criticism from pro-democracy
activists. About HK$300 million will be used to buy protective gear,
and HK$200 million will be used for special equipment, including
replacing six armored vehicles and buying more water cannon. The
figure includes a planned upgrade in protective gear of HK$10,000 for
each of its 28,000 frontline officers. Tang said he was concerned
about a spike in the number of youths violating the law, two days
after more than 100 people were arrested following a protest that
turned violent. “We have to beware of local terrorism. In the past
nine months, we have discovered explosives in 11 incidents,” Tang said
at a press briefing. “I think we have to face the reality that there
is a new normal. The new normal is that things cannot go back to one
year ago.”
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