March 4, 2020

The New York Times: Taliban Ramp Up Attacks On Afghans After Trump Says ‘No Violence’ <[link removed]>

“The Taliban have resumed attacks against Afghan forces soon after signing a deal to end their war with the U.S. military, raising concerns that the Americans are leaving their Afghan allies vulnerable to an insurgency unwilling to let go of violence as its main leverage. The Taliban have carried out at least 76 attacks across 24 Afghan provinces since Saturday, when they finalized an agreement for a troop withdrawal by the United States, a spokesman for Afghanistan’s national security council said. And on Wednesday, the United States conducted its first airstrike against the insurgents after an 11-day lull. A senior Afghan security official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Afghan forces had still not resumed their offensive special operations, but were remaining on active defense — only targeting Taliban units that were advancing on their outposts. The deadliest of the dozens of assaults so far were on the outskirts of Kunduz in the north in the early hours of Wednesday. The Taliban’s elite Red Unit stormed Afghan Army outposts there from several directions, killing at least 15 Afghan soldiers, according to Lt. Col. Mashuq Kohistani, the commander of the Afghan Army battalion in the area.”

Deutsche Welle: Germany: 14 Bundeswehr Members Deemed Extremist <[link removed]>

“The German Military Counterintelligence Service (MAD) classified 14 members of the armed forces as extremists in 2019, German media reported Tuesday. The finding was detailed in the intelligence agency's first-ever report on the issue. The document, which was submitted to Parliament and seen by German press agency DPA and news magazine Der Spiegel, said the list of individuals included eight Bundeswehr members who were found to be right-wing extremists. Four others were said to be Islamists, while two were described as belonging to movements that do not recognize the German state and its laws. A further 38 people reportedly lacked allegiance to the German constitution. A string of cases of extremism in the German military and among other security forces have been brought to light in recent years, as the government struggles to contain right-wing extremist threats and violence in the country. The most prominent example involved Franco A., a German army soldier who is standing trial for terror-related offenses. In 2017, he was arrested and accused of leading a double life, posing as a Syrian refugee in order to carry out an attack that he hoped would be mistaken for Islamist terrorism.”

Asharq Al-Awsat: Houthis Launch Sectarian Killing Spree In Jawf Province <[link removed]>

“Houthi coup militias have launched a sectarian-based killing spree against civilians in the Yemeni city of Al-Hazm, located in the country’s northern Jawf province. The Iran-backed Houthis had taken over the city recently. Sources, speaking under the conditions of anonymity, confirmed that clashes between pro-government forces and Houthis are ongoing in Al-Hazm and the rest of Jawf province. “The National Army is spearheading fierce battles to liberate Al-Hazm from Houthi hold,” sources said. “Houthi militias continue the campaign of abuse of citizens in the city of Al-Hazm, and they carry out a campaign of kidnappings of citizens and bombing the homes of military leaders, civilians, and anti-revolutionaries fighting in the ranks of the Yemeni national army,” sources added, confirming that Houthis executed three civilians for refusing to cooperate. On the other hand, Militia shelling, which continued on villages and populated communities in the countryside of Al-Tahita district, south of Al-Hodeidah governorate left a civilian dead and caused property damage. An elderly citizen was killed Monday evening in artillery shelling by the Houthi militia on the coastal area of Faza in the district of Al-Tahita.”

United States

The New York Times: Man Gets 5½ Years For Lying To FBI In Probe Of Texas Attack <[link removed]>

“A witness in the investigation of a 2015 attack on a Prophet Muhammad cartoon contest in suburban Dallas was sentenced Tuesday to 5½ years in prison for making a false statement to FBI agents and tampering with a witness. Authorities say defendant Abdul Khabir Wahid of Phoenix wasn’t directly involved the attack carried out by his friends Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi, who were killed by police after the pair opened fire outside the anti-Islam event in Garland. Wahid testified at the trial of Abdul Malik Abdul Kareem, who was convicted of conspiring to provide guns to Simpson and Soofi. Wahid was convicted of falsely portraying to federal agents what transpired when Simpson and Soofi, who were followers of the Islamic State, visited his home two days before the attack. He also was found guilty of witness tampering for urging Soofi's brother to not talk to FBI agents in the weeks after the attack. Prosecutors sought an eight-year sentence, while Wahid’s attorney asked for a three-year prison term. U.S. Judge John Tuchi said Wahid’s false statement negatively affected the FBI’s ability to investigate the attack on a timely basis. “Even if the bureau was delayed for an hour or a day in following assets, they — and we — will never know what information was lost,” Tuchi said.”

ABC News: Mom Of California Terrorist To Plead To Destroying Evidence <[link removed]>

“The mother of a terrorist who killed 14 people in a 2015 attack on a Christmas party in California has agreed to plead guilty to destroying evidence by shredding a map her son may have used to plan the massacre, prosecutors announced Tuesday. Rafia Sultana Shareef, 66, of Corona agreed to plead guilty to a charge of intending to impede a federal criminal investigation by altering, destroying and mutilating records, the U.S. attorney's office said. The crime carries a potential 20-year federal prison sentence. But under the plea agreement, Shareef is expected to receive no more than 18 months when she is be sentenced in U.S. District Court in Riverside. Shareef, also known as Rafia Farook, is the mother of Syed Rizwan Farook. He and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, opened fire with semiautomatic rifles on Dec. 2, 2015, on the Christmas party gathering of San Bernardino County employees. The attack killed 14 people and wounded 22. Farook and Malik fled and were killed hours later in a shootout with police. At the time, Shareef was sharing a Redlands home with her son, his wife and their 6-month-old daughter.”

Iraq

Kurdistan 24: UN Genocide Envoy Discusses ISIS Crimes With Top Kurdistan Officials <[link removed]>

“A United Nations delegation focused on genocide and other war crimes committed by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria met with senior officials from the Kurdistan Region in Erbil on Tuesday. Prime Minister of Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Masrour Barzani received Adama Dieng, the UN Secretary-General and Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, and Karim Khan, Special Adviser and Head of the Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by the Islamic State (UNITAD). In July, Khan called for the trial of members of the group in an international tribunal similar to that in Nuremberg that prosecuted prominent Nazi figures after World War II. Khan and his almost 80-person team have been working in Iraq for about a year and a half on their endeavor, analyzing  up to 12,000 bodies exhumed from 200 mass graves left behind by the Islamic State, 600,000 videos showing the group’s crimes, and 15,000 “internal ISIS documents.” According to a KRG statement, both sides stressed the importance of international efforts to prevent mass killings, including genocide, in all forms.”

Afghanistan

NBC News: U.S. Sees Taliban Deal As Exit From Afghanistan. Militants See It As Victory Over The Superpower. <[link removed]>

“The Taliban cheered, whooped and cried “God is Great” just moments after one of their leaders signed an agreement that could lead to the United States' withdrawal from Afghanistan after more than 18 years of war. On Saturday in this tiny Gulf kingdom, senior American officials shook hands with the group that, as the government of Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001, had sheltered Osama bin Laden, the Al Qaeda leader and the architect of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. The U.S. agreed to work toward lifting sanctions against the group, and Taliban leaders can even look forward to a possible meeting with President Donald Trump. In short, after nearly two decades of war with the world's remaining superpower, the Taliban look like they not only have won the war, but they are also on the way to shedding their status as international pariahs. “Even if we don’t say that the U.S. is defeated in Afghanistan, it is an open secret now that they are defeated,” said Anas Haqqani, a senior member of the Haqqani network, considered to be the most formidable of the Taliban’s fighting forces, who was recently released from an Afghan jail in exchange for two Western professors taken hostage by the Taliban in 2016.”

CNN: US Conducted Airstrike On Taliban Fighters Following Attack On Afghan Checkpoint <[link removed]>

“The United States conducted an airstrike Wednesday against Taliban fighters in Afghanistan who are accused of attacking an Afghan National Defense and Security Forces checkpoint, according to the US military. The strike comes hours after a telephone call between President Donald Trump and Taliban chief negotiator Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar on Tuesday amid reports that the Taliban had resumed violence in Afghanistan days after the US and the Taliban signed a historic agreement in Qatar on Saturday. “The US conducted an airstrike Wednesday against Taliban fighters in Nahr-e Saraj, Helmand, who were actively attacking an #ANDSF checkpoint. This was a defensive strike to disrupt the attack. This was our 1st strike against the Taliban in 11 days,” US Forces in Afghanistan Spokesman Col. Sonny Leggett said in a series of tweets. “On March 3rd alone, the Taliban conducted 43 attacks on #ANDSF checkpoints in #Helmand. The Taliban claim to be fighting to free Afg. from int'l forces, the Feb 29 agreement provides a conditions-based path to withdrawal,” he added, referring to the agreement signed last Saturday. Following his call on Tuesday, Trump told reporters that he “had a very good talk with the leader of the Taliban” and that they “have agreed there is no violence, don't want violence.”

CNN: Trump And Taliban Speak By Phone As Violence Resumes In Afghanistan <[link removed]>

“President Donald Trump and Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban's chief negotiator and one of its founding members, spoke by telephone on Tuesday amid reports that the Taliban had resumed violence in Afghanistan days after the US and Taliban signed a historic agreement in Qatar. Trump confirmed the call as he departed the White House Tuesday afternoon, telling reporters he “had a very good talk with the leader of the Taliban.” “I spoke to the leader of the Taliban today, we had a good conversation, we have agreed there is no violence, don't want violence. We will see what happens. They're dealing with Afghanistan but we will see what happens,” Trump said. “The relationship is very good that I have with the mullah,” Trump added in later comments at the National Institutes of Health. “They want to cease the violence, they'd like to cease violence also.” His comments come as the Taliban have resumed hostilities in Afghanistan, carrying out 33 attacks in the past day, according to the Interior Ministry. Marwa Amini, a deputy spokeswoman for the ministry, said there were attacks in 16 provinces, targeting civilians and security forces.”

Pakistan

Al Jazeera: Pakistan Calls On Kabul To Abide By Taliban Prisoner Swap Deal <[link removed]>

“Pakistan has called on the Afghan government to abide by a prisoner swap clause in the US-Taliban peace deal, the rejection of which saw the Taliban resume attacks in the northeast of the country. In a statement on Tuesday, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi called on both sides in the conflict to show restraint and come to the negotiating table for scheduled talks later this month. “The US-Taliban agreement says that there will be an exchange of prisoners,” said Qureshi. “[Afghan] President [Ashraf] Ghani should ask the US for an explanation of the agreement.” On Sunday, Ghani rejected a clause of the US-Taliban peace deal, signed in the Qatari capital, Doha, a day earlier, that would see up to 5,000 Afghan Taliban prisoners released by the government, with the Taliban releasing up to 1,000 prisoners in return. The prisoner releases were seen as a confidence-building measure ahead of planned direct talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban - the first since the US's nearly 19-year war in the country began – were due to begin on March 10. In response, the Afghan Taliban said on Monday that it would be resuming attacks. On Monday, an explosion killed at least three people and wounded 11 others at a football match in the northeastern Khost province.”

Lebanon

The National: Lebanon Crisis: How The US Can Bypass Hezbollah And Help The People <[link removed]>

“As Lebanon nears a breaking point due to its acute financial crisis, the Trump administration faces a policy dilemma: should it financially support a corrupt ruling faction that is allied with Hezbollah – Iran’s friend and Washington’s nemesis – or should it hold off on aid and watch the country fall apart? Both options are problematic but there is a better alternative. The US can prevent Lebanon’s collapse while keeping the pressure on Hezbollah and its allies to implement serious reforms. It can do this by co-ordinating with Gulf and European governments on modest, conditional and targeted economic assistance from which the more vulnerable members of Lebanese society would primarily benefit. Such aid, which would be deposited in an international fund, would provide food and medicine but also launch various small and medium-sized businesses that would be overseen strictly by local non-governmental organisations under the watchful eye of international bodies. These immediately impactful local community development projects will not fix the economy, which suffers from a combination of structural maladies, but they will help those Lebanese who are most in need.”

Nigeria

All Africa: Nigeria: More Terrorists Surrender In North-East - Army <[link removed]>

“The Nigerian Army says that more Boko Haram and Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP) terrorists have surrendered to the troops of Operation Lafiya Dole (OPLD) in the North East. The Nigerian Army Operations Media Coordinator, Col. Aminu Iliyasu, disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja. Iliyasu said that the gallant troops of the Nigerian Army had continued to decimate terrorists and other criminal elements across the various theatres of operations nationwide. He said that the troops of 144 Battalion in Madagali Local Government Area of Adamawa State had on Feb. 25 dislodged the terrorists who attempted to infiltrate troops location. Iliyasu added that three of the terrorists were neutralised, while many others escaped with varying degrees of gunshot wounds after the encounter. He also disclosed that troops of Strong Response Area Ngoshe in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno rescued a woman and her child who have been in Boko Haram captivity for two years. According to him, the rescued captives were handed over to Internally Displaced Persons' Camp officials for further management.”

Sahara Reporters: Life Count: Police, Boko Haram, Herdsmen Kill 223 Nigerians In February 2020 <[link removed]>

“As insecurity in Nigeria continues to be on the rise, a new report by the Civic Media Lab has revealed that 223 Nigerians were killed by both state and non-state actors in February 2020. The life count report, which details deaths from daily news reporting in the country, revealed that while 55 persons were killed by bandits, police killed five civilians in extrajudicial activities in the country for that month. The report highlighted how non-state actors have continued to hugely contribute to the killings in the country. This has further raised questions on the ability of President Muhammadu Buhari to contain and put an end to the situation in the country. According to the life count report; bandits and gunmen perpetuated most of the killings in the month of February as they were both responsible for 118 deaths. While noting a significant decrease in the activities by Boko Haram in the country, insecurity peaked when Boko Haram attacked Auno Village in Borno State, killing 30 persons in the process. Herdsmen, regarded as one of the deadliest groups in the world, also accounted for 22 deaths in the month with their activities majorly occurring in the Southern part of the country.”

Africa

Voice Of America: Violence Continues In Mali Despite Negotiation Efforts <[link removed]>

“Attacks carried out by Islamist militants against military personnel in central Mali could hamper government efforts to start a dialogue process with jihadist groups in the country, experts say. On Sunday, at least six Malian soldiers were killed and a dozen wounded when jihadist militants attacked their checkpoint in the town of Mondoro in central Mali, local officials said. “They came into the city … to attack the army base,” said Moulage Angoiba, the mayor of Mondoro. Mondoro is the largest town in the Mopti region of central Mali. The area has often come under attacks by different Islamist insurgents that have increasingly been active in the region. “The government knew about the presence [militants] in that area, because we had warned them,” Angoiba told VOA, adding that the civilian population has been “suffering because of several attacks” in recent weeks. Military officials said Malian armed forces responded to the attack by targeting “two convoys of vehicles and motorcycles belonging to the terrorists.” Mali has been struggling to contain a jihadist rebellion that erupted in the country in 2012. Since then, thousands of civilians and military personnel have died in the conflict.”

The Telegraph: Western Forces In 'Race Against Time' To Prepare West African States For Advance Of Jihadists <[link removed]>

“Jihadists who have brought bloodshed to the Sahel are advancing rapidly on four previously unaffected states in West Africa, threatening to open a new front in their insurgency. Security officials in the Gulf of Guinea say that under-resourced, under-manned and often ill-prepared armies in Ghana, Ivory Coast, Benin and Togo are involved “in a race against time” to protect their frontiers. All four states border Burkina Faso, where groups affiliated to al Qaeda and Islamic State have launched a bloody and stunningly effective campaign that has swept throughout a country regarded until recently as among the most stable in West Africa. In recent weeks, the jihadists have begun to test the country’s borders with its southern neighbours, raising fears in Western capitals that an already serious crisis is about to evolve into a far broader regional conflagration. Last month suspected militants based in Burkina Faso raided a police station just inside Benin, while a security source in Ghana said that Islamist groups were now carrying out attacks within three miles of Ghanaian territory. “They are steadily pushing south from Burkina Faso,” he said. “It is worrying. We have porous borders and we believe that if the heat is turned up on the jihadists in Burkina Faso they will seek to regroup in Ghana.”

Europe

Reuters: Russia Will Not Stop Fighting Terrorism To Solve Europe's Migration Crisis: Lavrov <[link removed]>

“Russia will not stop fighting terrorism in Syria’s Idlib region in order to solve Europe’s migration crisis, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday at a news conference alongside his Finnish counterpart in Helsinki. Turkey last week said it would no longer stop Syrian refugees, displaced by the fighting in Idlib, from reaching Europe by land and sea. A million people have been displaced since December near Turkey’s southern border, causing what the United Nations says may be the worst humanitarian crisis in nine years of war.”

Technology

BBC News: Luton Filmmaker Warns Over Over Tiktok And Facebook Extremism Rules <[link removed]>

“A filmmaker says social media rules to prevent extremist material going online are thwarting his attempts to tackle hatred and extremism. Rizwan Wadan said algorithms used by Facebook and TikTok were making it hard to promote his films. Mr Wadan, 38, of Luton, said automatic filtering of words such as “jihad” and “terror,” forced users underground to learn about and discuss the issues. Facebook said his trailer broke its ban on “sensational content” in adverts. Mr Wadan, based at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, developed camera stabilisation systems and has worked on films including Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. He set up a £1.2m project called The Error in Terror to “give Muslims a voice,” and made films intended to deter acts of terrorism and challenge people to rethink their views. Mr Wadan said his work to tackle terrorism and hatred was hard to promote on Facebook and TikTok But he said trailers for his work have been “restricted” on Facebook and said TikTok removed the content because it was deemed to break its guidelines. “If we have algorithms that pick up words like 'terrorism' and 'jihad,' if we're not allowed to discuss these things on social media platforms, then people who need to learn about this get pushed underground,” he said.”



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The Counter Extremism Project - United States
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