March 6, 2020

All Africa: Nigeria: U.S. Renews N2.52bn Bounty Offer For Boko Haram Leader, Shekau <[link removed]>

“The United States Department of State has renewed its $7 million reward, about N2.52 billion, for information that can lead to the arrest of the leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, whose fighters have waged war against Nigeria and other neighbouring countries. The renewal was made yesterday on the French version of the official Twitter account of the US State Department Rewards for Justice Programme. The US reward is said to be the biggest placed on all the terrorists declared wanted by the United States government. In a swift reaction to the bounty placed on Shekau, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) said the Nigerian military had also declared the terrorist leader wanted. The US Department of State had in June 2012, designated Shekau as a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist” under Executive Order 13224. In 2013, the Boko Haram leader was declared a wanted man by the US and it went further to place a $7 million bounty on Shekau for anyone who could provide information leading to his arrest or killing. “Every government and every citizen has a stake in bringing terrorists to justice and in preventing acts of terrorism,” the US State Department said.”

Al Monitor: Egypt Bans Shiite Websites To Deter Extremist Ideologies <[link removed]>

“Egypt has banned Shiite websites and TV channels, including the website of renowned Shiite activist Ahmed Rasem al-Nafis, in an attempt to prevent any exploitation of religious ideologies to achieve political gains. The Cairo Administrative Court decided Feb. 23 to accept the lawsuit filed by lawyer Samir Sabry in which he demanded the closure and cessation of Shiite websites and TV channels in general, and Nafis’ website in particular. “The reasons behind this verdict are based on the dangers of Shiite ideology on Egyptian society and national security as Shiites in Egypt use religion for political manipulation,” the office of Sabry told Al-Monitor. “The purpose of those who advocate Shiite ideology is aimed at creating discord in the country and implementing the agendas of foreign countries to destroy the Egyptian state.” Nafis, who is also a physician, told Al-Monitor that the closing of his website is part of the government crackdown on freedom of expression, opinion and religion. “There are many websites that have been shut down in Egypt and it is no wonder that my site has been closed as well,” he said. Nafis added, “As Shiites, we do not want to convert Egyptians to the Shiite sect. We have our own ideas and perceptions and we are not hurting anyone.”

The Guardian: UK Freed 42 Terrorists In Year Before Law To Detain Extremists For Longer <[link removed]>

“More than 40 convicted terrorists were released from prison in the year before emergency legislation was introduced to keep jailed extremists locked up for longer, figures reveal, while the number of far-right detainees has surged. After a non-fatal terror attack in south-west London last month, the government fast-tracked laws to prevent the automatic release of terrorist offenders without Parole Board assessment. The new laws, which came into force a week ago, were applied retrospectively, meaning serving prisoners will stay in prison longer than expected. But according to the latest figures on use of the Terrorism Act, in the year to September 2019, 42 convicted terrorists were released from custody after serving prison sentences, some of whom would have been released automatically at the halfway point of their sentence with no Parole Board assessment. Meanwhile, the figures reveal that the number of prisoners classed as rightwing extremists who are behind bars for terrorism offences has almost doubled in two years. In the year to the end of December, there were 41 people in custody categorised as holding extreme rightwing ideology, up from just a handful of cases five years ago –four in 2014 – to 21 for the same period in 2017 and 28 in 2018.”

United States

NBC News: Missouri Man Dressed As Joker Charged In Terrorist Threats <[link removed]>

“A suburban St. Louis man accused of livestreaming threats to bomb and kill people in a bustling entertainment district while dressed as the Batman villain the Joker has been charged with terrorism. Jeremy Garnier, of University City, was charged Tuesday with a felony count of making a terrorist threat. A judge ordered Garnier, 48, held without bail, with court documents noting that he was a “danger to the community.” Court records did not list an attorney who can speak on his behalf. The charging document doesn't indicate whether he was in possession of any explosives or was otherwise armed, and the prosecutor's office didn't immediately return a phone message seeking clarification from The Associated Press. Police responded Monday night to the Blueberry Hill restaurant and music club in the Delmar Loop neighborhood in University City after receiving a call about an active shooter, according to the charging document. The charges said Garnier had made threats while dressed as the Joker. A nearly hourlong livestream posted to the Facebook account for a Jeremy Joseph Garnier shows a man dressed as the Joker, complete with makeup, talking to the camera in a bedroom where he is putting on a costume.”

The Washington Free Beacon: In Wake Of Terror Attack, New Legislation Would Tighten Security Screening For Foreign Military Students <[link removed]>

“New legislation being considered by Congress would significantly tighten security screening for foreign military students who travel to the United States on exchange programs, according to a copy of that legislation previewed by the Washington Free Beacon. In the wake of a deadly 2019 terror attack by a Saudi military exchange student stationed at a military installation in Pensacola, Fla., Senators Joni Ernst (R., Iowa) and Rick Scott (R., Fla.) have crafted legislation aimed at ensuring this type of attack never again takes place. The legislation, dubbed the Secure U.S. Bases Act, would require strenuous background checks for all foreign military students before they are permitted to enter the United States. It also would create a new class of visas for these students that severely limits the activities they can engage in while on U.S. soil, such as possessing a firearm. During a congressional hearing Wednesday, Pentagon officials admitted that a series of failures in the current vetting process ultimately cleared the Saudi student who engaged in a shooting spree at Naval Air Station Pensacola that killed three Americans and left eight others wounded. In addition to performing incomplete background checks, the Pentagon said it did not have a system in place to detect red flags among foreign students, such as social media postings expressing anti-American sentiment.”

Syria

Al Jazeera: At Least 15 Displaced Syrians Killed In Idlib Air Attack <[link removed]>

“At least 15 civilians have been killed in an air attack in Syria's northwest province of Idlib, civilians and civil defence teams said. The attack took place in the vicinity of the Maaret Misreen town, north of Idlib city centre, overnight on Thursday and targeted a poultry farm where dozens of displaced Syrians had taken refuge. “At around 2:30am local time [23:30 GMT on Wednesday], Russian warplanes targeted the road between Maaret Misreen and Batinteh village,” said Abedalrazzaq Zaqzooq, a hospital worker. “As first responders and other civilians gathered around at the site, the Russian plane struck again.” Zaqzooq said at least 20 people were injured and taken to the medical complex in Maaret Misreen after eight missiles hit the poultry farm.  “The most devastating image I saw with my own eyes was the arrival of two babies to the hospital,” he said. “They were both under six months and were rescued from under the rubble but were pronounced dead at the hospital.” About 50 people were living on the farm. These families were displaced from Aleppo's western countryside and southern Idlib - two territories that are now under the control of Syrian government forces. Another witness, Ahmad Mimaar, told Al Jazeera that at least nine women were among those killed.”

Al Monitor: Syrian Kurds Worry IS Camp Could Riot As Turkey Weaponizes Water <[link removed]>

“Fears of a breakdown in security in al-Hol camp, which houses tens of thousands of families of Islamic State fighters, are growing amid a continuing standoff between the Kurdish-led autonomous administration in northeast Syria and Turkey over the provision of water and electricity to areas under their respective control. The dispute has taken a dangerous twist as Turkey and Russia face off in the northwestern province of Idlib. Since last month the US-backed Kurdish government has accused Turkey of cutting off water provided by the Alok pumping station in the Turkish-occupied town of Ras al-Ain to the Hasakah region where al-Hol is located. The facility supplies water to approximately 460,000 people, including to tens of thousands of Syrians displaced by the conflict. “Service delivery and security are intertwined and there is a lot of concern that sustained water shortages could spark off protests in al-Hol, where the security situation is fragile,” said a well-informed source familiar with the affair. IS women internees have attacked and injured camp guards and rioted in the past. The lack of water also has a major impact on sanitation and health. Defusing the crisis has become a priority for the United States and the UN’s Office for the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs, the source, who requested anonymity, told Al-Monitor.”

Iran

Military.com: SecDef: Soleimani’s Killing Dealt Big Setback To Iranian Terrorism <[link removed]>

“Two months after a U.S. drone strike killed a preeminent Iranian general, the Pentagon's top two military leaders said President Donald Trump made the right decision, one that has deterred Iran's terrorist activities in the region. Defense Secretary Mark Esper told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee on Wednesday that it was the right call to kill Iranian Quds Force leader Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, describing him as a “terrorist leader of a terrorist organization that killed many, many Americans, wounded thousands more.” Sen. Martha McSally, R-Arizona, said she agreed with the decision to carry out the Jan. 2 missile strike on Soleimani's vehicle in Baghdad and asked Esper to talk about how the attack has affected Iran. “It's now been two months. Can you share at all what you have seen?” McSally asked. “I believe we have heard from you and others that it was a body blow, the impact that that is having on Iran's terrorist activities.” Esper said it's clear that “taking him off the battlefield has set back the [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] and the Iranian government with regard to spreading their malign activity through the region.” “I think at the same action, we have restored deterrence to a degree,” he said.”

Iraq

Kurdistan 24: Iraq Sends 82 Children With ISIS Affiliation Back To Azerbaijan <[link removed]>

“The Iraqi government announced on Wednesday that it had returned 82 children to Azerbaijan who belong to members of the Islamic State. “Iraq’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs took part in the deportation of 82 children to the Republic of Azerbaijan who were imprisoned with their mothers in Iraq,” Ahmed Al-Sahaf, a spokesperson for Iraq’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said, adding that their mothers are “sentenced to prison by the Iraqi judiciary for being members of the terrorist group ISIS.” Sahaf also mentioned that Iraq had repatriated 828 children from various nationalities with parents affiliated to the Islamic State to their home countries. Other nations like Kazakhstan, Russia, and Sweden have also repatriated children who belong to Islamic State families. Iraq’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs previously called on all countries that have nationals affiliated with the Islamic State, including children who are held in facilities for minors whose sentences have been served, to coordinate with Iraq through diplomatic channels to repatriate them. Following the emergence of the terror group in Syria and Iraq in 2014, thousands of foreign nationals flocked to areas under their control to join the Islamic State. Often accompanying them were women either from their own countries or elsewhere.”

Turkey

Daily Sabah: Police Foil Terrorist Attack On Turkish Troops In Syria <[link removed]>

“Terrorists planned to send 3.5 tons of explosive substances to the city of al-Bab in northwestern Syria to attack Turkish troops but were blocked by the police. The plan started in Istanbul's Başakşehir district where terrorists stored nitric acid to form explosive mixtures in a warehouse in Ikitelli. Terrorists loaded the truck with 19,600 kilograms (43,210 pounds) of nitric acid in cans and camouflaged it with bleach placed on the top of the cans. The aim of the terrorists was to bring raw material to al-Bab, which has been controlled by Turkey and its Syrian opposition allies since 2017. The truck successfully passed Kocaeli but was stopped at the Çobanbey Border Gate which is located in Kilis. The truck driver and the owners of the transportation company were arrested by police. According to officials, the explosive substance was provided by two Syrians who work in a chemical company in Gaziantep. As a result of the intelligence work, police busted another warehouse in al-Bab, where the terrorists planned to mix up the explosive cocktail. When police raided the warehouse they found a large amount of ammonium nitrate and liquid chemicals to be used in making explosives. The Syrian owner of the warehouse was also detained.”

Long War Journal: Turkey’s Operation “Spring Shield” Delivers Blow To Hezbollah <[link removed]>

“Turkey’s operation in northwest Syria has caused losses among the ranks of Iranian-backed militia groups in Syria. In particular, Hezbollah has incurred losses that have not been seen in years of fighting on behalf of the Syrian government. Early in February, Turkey deployed tanks, armored vehicles, artillery and soldiers to the Syrian province of Idlib to bolster the rebels it has been backing. The decision to send Turkish troops was made in order to stave off a pro-Syrian government offensive planned to retake the last remaining opposition stronghold. On Feb. 27, an airstrike killed 33 Turkish soldiers in Idlib. Some reports blamed the Russian Air Force, but the Russian government has officially denied the claim. Turkey then launched Operation “Spring Shield” immediately after the airstrike in Idlib. The following day, Turkey’s Armed Forces attacked a compound near the city of Saraqeb in Idlib, where pro-Syrian forces were operating. The attack resulted in the death of nine Hezbollah members and injuries to other pro-Syrian forces. The significant one-day loss of Hezbollah fighters is evidence of a strategy by the group and its Iranian-backer that it is willing to send its fighters and risk taking losses to defeat opposition rebel forces in northwest Syria.”

Afghanistan

Reuters: Pompeo Says Violence In Afghanistan Must Stop For Peace Process To Move Forward <[link removed]>

“U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday said the recent upsurge in violence in Afghanistan was unacceptable and it must immediately cease for the peace process to move forward, urging both the Taliban and the Afghan government to stop posturing. Speaking at a news conference at the State Department, Pompeo said President Donald Trump specifically discussed the rise in violence in his phone call on Tuesday with chief Taliban negotiator Mullah Baradar Akhund, the first known conversation between a U.S. leader and a top Taliban official. “We know that the road ahead will be difficult. We expected it; we were right,” Pompeo said. “The upsurge in violence in parts of Afghanistan over the last couple of days is unacceptable. In no uncertain terms, violence must be reduced immediately for the peace process to move forward.” The United States signed a deal with Taliban insurgents on Saturday that calls for a phased withdrawal of U.S.-led foreign forces if the Taliban keeps its commitments and for the start of talks on March 10 between the insurgents and an Afghan delegation on a political settlement to end decades of conflict.”

The Hill: Trump Insists Taliban Wants To 'Make A Deal' After Surge In Violence In Afghanistan <[link removed]>

“President Trump projected confidence on Thursday about the prospect of a peace agreement in Afghanistan after a surge of violence was attributed to the Taliban in the region just days after his administration signed a deal with the insurgent group aimed at paving the way for U.S. troop withdrawal. Trump said he believes the Taliban wants to “make a deal” and insisted that the United States needs to bring troops home from the 19-year war in Afghanistan. “These are warriors. We’ve been there for 20 years,” Trump said during a Fox News town hall in Scranton, Pa. “We could win that war very easily, but I don’t feel like killing millions of people to do it.” Trump seemed to minimize the surge in violence in the region, saying “a group formed that was going to attack certain Afghan soldiers” but that the U.S. military “took them out.” The U.S. military conducted an airstrike against the Taliban on Wednesday — the first since the beginning of the reduction of violence in the region — after the Taliban carried out an attack on an Afghan military checkpoint. Trump also spoke positively about his phone call Tuesday with Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, during which the White House said the president “emphasized the need to continue the reduction in violence” in the region.”

Lebanon

The Daily Star: The Link Between Lebanon’s Hezbollah And Iraqi Militias <[link removed]>

“Iraq has been relatively calm in recent weeks. This could change following Mohammad Allawi’s withdrawal as prime minister-designate, but Iran’s proxies in Iraq are giving dialogue a chance before pushing ahead with what they say is revenge for the slaying of Qasem Soleimani, head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard's Al-Quds Force. After Allawi stepped down last weekend, Iraq’s Kataeb Hezbollah quickly made its opposition known to the naming of the country’s intelligence chief Mustafa al-Kadhimi as the next prime minister. A spokesman for the Iran-backed militia said on Twitter that Kadhimi helped the U.S. in its operation in January that led to the assassination of Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the de facto leader of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces. Naming Kadhimi would be a declaration of war, Kataeb Hezbollah warned. This may be what sparks the response of Iran’s proxies for retaliation against U.S. forces or its allies in Iraq. Since the U.S. carried out the drone strike that killed Soleimani, Iran responded with missile attacks on Iraqi air bases that were housing U.S. troops in Irbil and Ain al-Assad.”

Middle East

The Times Of Israel: US Denies That It Attempted To Communicate With Hamas Terror Group <[link removed]>

“A senior official in US President Donald Trump’s administration firmly denied that Washington has attempted to communicate or set up a meeting with the Hamas terror group. The denial came a day after Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh claimed to the pro-Hezbollah al-Mayadeen TV that the US had tried to communicate with the terror group’s leadership and offered to meet. “There is no truth to these assertions. None,” the senior administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told The Times of Israel. In the interview with al-Mayadeen, Haniyeh contended that Hamas had rejected both communicating with the US and holding a “secret” meeting with it. “We were totally convinced that these meetings ultimately would be used for a narrative that the US wants to push forward — that the deal of century that we are announcing was arranged with Palestinian parties, especially including [those] in the resistance,” he stated, referring to the recently revealed US plan to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Hamas, which has ruled the Gaza Strip since 2007 when it ousted the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority from the territory, has vehemently rejected the US plan, calling it “a dirty conspiracy against our issue and people.”

Nigeria

Premium Times: Many Killed As Nigerian Soldiers Repel Boko Haram Attack On Damboa <[link removed]>

“Dozens of lives were lost on Wednesday during an attack by Boko Haram militants in Damboa, a town 85 kilometers away from Maiduguri, Borno state capital, officials said. Governor Babagana Zulum confirmed the attack in a statement he issued in commendation of government troop’s gallantry. According to the governor, the troops demonstrated unprecedented gallantry when they tackled the insurgents from the ground and air. Mr Zulum said 19 gun trucks were recovered from the insurgents while an unspecified large number of them were killed. But sources in Damboa said five civilians were also killed and 47 others sustained bullet wounds. The sources, mostly operatives of the Civilian-JTF who would not want to be named for security reasons, said casualties from the side of the insurgents were taken away by fleeing terrorists. In his statement, Governor Zulum applauded the Nigerian military’s “ground and air components for a decisive blow against Boko Haram.” He said the insurgents attempted to overrun Damboa from different directions in the early hours of Wednesday.”

Africa

All Africa: Africa: Work In Progress For Africa's Remaining Conflict Hotspots <[link removed]>

“Insecurity persists in the DR Congo, Somalia, South Sudan, Nigeria, Central African Republic, Mali and Libya. Despite efforts by various stakeholders to establish a peaceful Africa, armed conflicts continue in parts of the continent. The nature of violent conflicts in Africa has changed since before independence when they were mostly ideologically-driven guerilla warfare. Many of the current conflicts are driven by prospects of political power or financial gain, with armed groups fighting to acquire valuable mineral resources, assert their ideology or address grievances. In its quest to “Silence the Guns” in Africa by 2020, which is its theme for the year, the African Union and other partners ought to focus on the main crisis spots currently: The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Somalia, South Sudan, Nigeria, the Central African Republic (CAR) and Libya, where tens of thousands of people have been killed and millions more displaced. The war in the DRC is one of Africa's deadliest. More than five million people have been killed in the Congolese war, according to the news agency Reuters. It began in 1998 with the involvement of about 20 different armed groups who maraud the country's vast jungles.”

United Kingdom

The Independent: ‘Neo-Nazi’ Metropolitan Police Officer Arrested On Suspicion Of Terror Offences <[link removed]>

“A serving Metropolitan Police officer has been arrested on suspicion of neo-Nazi terror offences. Scotland Yard said the 21-year-old constable was suspected of being a member of a “proscribed organisation linked to right-wing terrorism”. The officer, who works in frontline policing in London, was arrested on Thursday and remains in custody while his home is searched. A spokesperson for Scotland Yard said: “Officers from the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards have been informed and the officer’s status is at present under review. “The matter has also been referred to the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) as a mandatory referral. “Whilst the investigation remains ongoing, at this time there is nothing to suggest there is any threat to wider public safety in relation to this matter.” National Action, a neo-Nazi terrorist group, became the first far-right organisation to be banned by the British government since the Second World War in 2016. The government has since proscribed spin-off groups Scottish Dawn, NS131, Sonnenkrieg Division (SKD) and System Resistance Network (SRN).”

The Independent: More White People Arrested Over Terrorism Than Any Other Ethnic Group For Second Year In A Row <[link removed]>

“The number of white terror suspects being arrested in the UK has outstripped those of Asian appearance for the second year in a row. Official figures showed that that 117 white people were arrested on suspicion of terror offences in 2019, compared with 111 Asian suspects and 21 black suspects. “The proportion of white people arrested exceeded the proportion of Asian people arrested for the second consecutive year, having not done previously since 2004,” a Home Office document said. The change comes after increased police operations against far-right extremists, including members of National Action. The neo-Nazi terrorist group was banned in 2016 but split into factions that operated under different names, whose members were later arrested in mass raids. The head of counterterror police declared right-wing extremism as the fastest-growing terror threat in the UK in September, and intelligence agencies have been brought in to tackle it for the first time. A total of 25 attack plots have been foiled since March 2017 – 16 Islamist, eight far-right and one other. There were 280 arrests for terrorism-related activity in 2019, two fewer than the previous year.”

Canada

The New York Times: Van Attack Suspect Admits To Carrying Out Toronto Attack <[link removed]>

“A man accused of killing 10 people when he drove a van into crowds of pedestrians on a busy Toronto sidewalk in 2018 has admitted to planning and carrying out the attack, a court heard Thursday. Alek Minassian faces 10 counts of first-degree murder and 16 of attempted murder in connection with the attack on April 23, 2018. His trial is scheduled to begin in front of a judge, without a jury, in April. Minassian told police shortly after the attack that he carried it out in retribution for years of sexual rejection and ridicule by women. His arrest drew attention to an online world of people expressing sexual loneliness, rage and misogyny after the suspect invoked an uprising by “involuntary celibates” and said he had contact with a California killer who seethed at women for rejecting him. Eight women and two men ranging in age from 22 to 94 died. Prosecutor John Rinaldi read out an agreed statement of facts between the prosecution and defense. “While driving the van in the said area, (Minassian) drove his van into, or otherwise struck, at least 26 people, 10 of those people were killed and 16 injured to various degrees,'' Rinaldi said.”

Southeast Asia

Asharq Al-Awsat: Singapore Jails Indonesian Maid For Funding ISIS-Linked Group <[link removed]>

“An Indonesian maid was jailed for two years in Singapore Thursday for giving money to an ISIS-linked terror outfit blamed for a string of attacks in her home country. The affluent city-state is home to over 250,000 maids from neighboring Indonesia, and has seen a string of cases where foreign domestic helpers have allegedly been radicalized. Anindia Afiyantari donated Sg$130 (US$94) last year to charities used as fronts by Indonesia-based Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD), described by prosecutors as among “the most dangerous terrorist organizations” in Southeast Asia. It has been blamed for attacks, including the stabbing of President Joko Widodo's chief security minister Wiranto and deadly suicide bombings at several churches. “The actions of the accused on plotting to finance terrorist acts... strike the very heart of Singapore's harmony,” Agence France Presse quoted prosecutors as saying, according to court documents. The 33-year-old -- who earned Sg$600 a month -- was introduced to radical teachings by other Indonesian domestic helpers in Singapore. As well as donating to charities, she uploaded videos of bombings and killings by ISIS on Facebook and created new accounts when her posts were blocked, prosecutors said.”



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The Counter Extremism Project - United States
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