Eye on Extremism
March 6, 2020
All
Africa: Nigeria: U.S. Renews N2.52bn Bounty Offer For Boko Haram
Leader, Shekau
“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
“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
“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
“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
“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
“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
“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
“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
“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
“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
“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
“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
“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
“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
“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
“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
“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
“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
“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
“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
“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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