Eye on Extremism
August 7, 2019
The
New York Times: Blast In Kabul Kills 14 And Injures 145 As Taliban
Continue Talks With U.S.
“A powerful Taliban car bomb exploded on Wednesday outside the
entrance of a police station in Kabul, the Afghan capital, killing 14
people and injuring at least 145 others as peace negotiations between
the militants and United States diplomats continued. The explosion,
following repeated warnings from the United Nations on rising civilian
casualties, was the latest to strike a heavily populated area during
the morning rush hour. The blast sent plumes of thick smoke into the
sky and shattered windows in a radius of about a mile. Gen. Khoshal
Sadat, Afghanistan’s deputy interior minister, said 14 people were
killed and 145 wounded. Jalal Nazari, who lives about a half mile from
the scene of the attack, said he had been lying down in his room when
the explosion took place. “I thought it was in our yard,” he said.
“The windows shattered, and I got up and went to a corner.”
CNN:
Pentagon Report Says ISIS Is 'Re-Surging In Syria'
“ISIS is "re-surging" in Syria less than five months after
President Donald Trump declared the terror group's caliphate there had
been 100% defeated, according to a new Pentagon inspector general's
report on the fight against ISIS. "Despite losing its territorial
'caliphate,' the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) solidified its
insurgent capabilities in Iraq and was re-surging in Syria," the
report, which was published on Tuesday, warned. President Donald Trump
has repeatedly touted his administration's role in driving the terror
group from areas under its territorial control, telling a Cabinet
meeting last month, "We did a great job with the caliphate. We have
100% of the caliphate, and we're rapidly pulling out of Syria." But
the new report said the partial withdrawal of some US troops from
Syria has already impacted the fight against the remnants of ISIS,
making it harder to advise local allies on the ground and depriving
the US of the ability to monitor areas that are described as potential
recruiting zones that would allow the group to replenish its
ranks.”
Vice
News: 8chan Extremists Are Going Dark. Here's Why That's
Dangerous.
“Instead, extremism experts said that tackling the epidemic of
extremist views being shared online required a large, collaborative
effort that includes both lawmakers in Washington and the likes of
Facebook, Google, and Twitter. “Online platforms like 8chan have
helped extremist ideologies go global,” David Ibsen, executive
director of the Counter Extremism Project, told VICE News. “ If 8chan
is shut down completely, then it is incumbent on tech firms to
continue to act in a similar manner to keep such content and users off
the surface web as they migrate from platform to platform.”
Voice
Of America: Shooting Attacks Renew Debate Over Domestic Terrorism In
US
“One of the two recent mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and
Dayton, Ohio, is being treated as a case of domestic terrorism by U.S.
federal authorities. The El Paso attack, which has left 22 people
dead, has renewed debate over how to combat domestic terrorism in the
United States. The FBI has expressed concerns that such attacks could
inspire more homegrown extremists to carry out further violent attacks
in the future. "The FBI remains concerned that U.S.-based domestic
violent extremists could become inspired by this weekend's attacks and
previous high-profile attacks to engage in similar acts of violence,"
the FBI said in a statement on Sunday.”
The
Wall Street Journal: Kashmir’s Loss Of Autonomy Clouds Afghan Peace
Efforts
“India’s historic move to end the autonomous governing status of a
disputed region threatens to complicate U.S. efforts to forge a peace
deal with the Taliban in Afghanistan, while Indian authorities locked
down the streets of Kashmir. The spike in tensions between Pakistan
and India over the change of Kashmir’s status come as Taliban peace
talks appear to have reached a critical final stage. Senior U.S.
officials flew into New Delhi and Islamabad—trips they and their host
countries said were planned before India acted on Monday—as Washington
sought to build regional support for a critical agreement with the
Taliban that Pakistan is expected to play a key role in helping
deliver and U.S. officials hope India will support. Pakistan said the
tensions with India force Islamabad to focus its attention and troops
on its eastern border with India, not its northwestern border with
Afghanistan. In the 1990s, India and Pakistan conducted a proxy battle
in Afghanistan, fueling a civil war there, and even after 2001, New
Delhi and Islamabad saw themselves as backing different sides.”
Motherboard:
ISIS Is Using Internet Propaganda to Maintain a 'Virtual Caliphate,'
UN Report Says
“Though the territorial holdings of the Islamic State and its
so-called “Caliphate” are no more, a recent United Nations report on
the status of al-Qaeda and ISIS warns the latter terror group is using
the internet to reestablish its global network. Joshua Fisher-Birch of
the Counter Extremism Project, a US based terrorism watchdog, said in
an interview that the infamous terror group has continued to thrive
online, even in the face of its territorial demise. “ISIS and their
online supporters continue to operate a sophisticated online network
that spreads propaganda, encourages lone actor attacks, and
disseminates information on internet security, explosives, and the use
of a variety of weaponry,” he said, adding that the group uses several
encrypted applications to link their global network of
propaganda.”
United States
CBS
News: Calls Grow For U.S. To Shift Security Focus To White Nationalist
Threats
“The mass shooting in El Paso, Texas, has placed increased scrutiny
on government agencies, and their role in preventing violence from the
far-right. Last year, hate crimes rose in 30 of America's largest
cities, according to a recent study from California State University,
San Bernardino. The problem even prompted the FBI to release a rare
statement, warning of "the continued threat posed by domestic violent
extremists and perpetrators of hate crimes." Yet, the national
response to threats from white supremacy pales in comparison to the
U.S. response to Islamic terrorism after 9/11. "No remotely comparable
array of national power has been directed against the threat now
emerging from the far right, a loose but lethal collection of
ideologies whose adherents have killed roughly the same number of
people in the United States, post-9/11, as al-Qaeda and the Islamic
State combined," writes Greg Miller, national security correspondent
for The Washington Post.”
POLITICO:
FBI Agents Warn Domestic Terrorism Poses 'Threat To The American
People'
“The FBI Agents Association on Tuesday demanded that members of
Congress codify domestic terrorism as a federal crime, warning it
poses “a threat to the American people and our democracy.” “Acts of
violence intended to intimidate civilian populations or to influence
or affect government policy should be prosecuted as domestic terrorism
regardless of the ideology behind them,” FBIAA President Brian O’Hare
said in a statement. The association “continues to urge Congress to
make domestic terrorism a federal crime,” O’Hare added — a designation
that “would ensure that FBI Agents and prosecutors have the best tools
to fight domestic terrorism.” The statement from the association,
which represents more than 14,000 active and former FBI special
agents, follows the Justice Department’s announcement Sunday that it
is treating the mass shooting in El Paso, Texas, as a case of domestic
terrorism.”
The
New York Times: F.B.I. Opens Domestic Terrorism Investigation Into
Gilroy Shooting
“The F.B.I. has opened a domestic terrorism investigation into the
Gilroy, Calif., shooting after discovering that the gunman who killed
three people and injured 13 had a “target list” of religious
institutions, federal buildings and Democratic and Republican
political organizations. John F. Bennett, the special agent in charge
of the F.B.I.’s San Francisco office, said at a news conference on
Tuesday that the suspect had a “fractured ideology” and had been
exploring several “competing” violent ideologies. Investigators have
not uncovered a motive and are trying to determine which beliefs, if
any, the gunman had ultimately subscribed to. They also are continuing
to scrub various electronic devices and trying to learn if he had any
help carrying out the shooting.”
The
New York Times: The El Paso Shooting Revived The Free Speech Debate.
Europe Has Limits
“The massacre of 22 people in El Paso, an attack announced in a
hate-filled manifesto about an immigrant “invasion,” has revived
debate about the limits of free speech, protected by the First
Amendment in the United States. But in Europe, where history has
proved that domestic threats can be as devastating to democracy as
those from abroad, freedom of speech, while a constitutional right,
comes with certain caveats. Restricted in scope and linked to specific
threats, these limitations are based on the premise that protecting
certain ideals, such as the public good or human dignity, can justify
curbing what individuals are allowed to say. A constitutional, but
limited, right: Free speech is constitutionally enshrined in both
Germany and France, as it is in the United States. But there is an
important difference. “The big nuance between the First Amendment and
the European texts is that the European texts allow for possible
limitations” on speech, said Emmanuel Pierrat, a French lawyer who
specializes in publishing and free speech issues.”
Syria
Voice
Of America: Accused Syrian IS Fighters Starting To Face
Justice
“Parts of Syria freed from the clutches of Islamic State are
starting to hold some members of the terror group accountable for
their crimes. While most of the world's attention has been focused on
the approximately 2,000 foreign IS fighters currently in the custody
of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), another 8,000
suspected IS fighters from Syria and Iraq are also behind bars. U.S.
officials estimate about half of those 8,000 prisoners are from Syria.
And now, it seems, at least some of them are being brought to justice.
"The SDF continues to work with local community leaders and local
judicial processes to help address issues of ISIS accountability," a
State Department official told VOA, using another acronym for the
terror organization.”
Iran
Radio
Farda: Iran Boosts Aide To Hamas To $360 Million –
Reports
“Two weeks after a visit to Tehran by representatives from HAMAS,
Israeli media on Tuesday August 6 reported an eye-catching increase in
Iran's financial assistance to this Palestinian group. Quoting unnamed
Israeli government sources, these reports say Iran has increased its
usual annual $100 million aide to HAMAS to $360 million after the
visit. The Jerusalem Post and Israel's Channel 12 TV say the 3.5 fold
rise in aide to HAMAS is aimed at meeting certain demands by Supreme
Leader Ali Khamenei. According to these reports, Iran has asked HAMAS
to provide Tehran with information about Israel's missile
capabilities. The visiting HAMAS delegation led by Salih Al-Arouri,
the group’s deputy chief of political office, met with Khamenei during
the one-week long visit.”
The
Hill: A Modern 'Trojan Horse' To Stop Iran's Ship Seizures In The
Strait Of Hormuz
“Iran has seized another oil tanker in the Persian Gulf — this one,
it says, was smuggling oil to Arab nations — weeks after it detained a
British-flagged tanker and attacked several others. So far, the United
States has not succeeded in building a Western-led coalition to
respond in the gulf; Germany initially declined to join the U.S. last
week but said it is consulting, considering and “reviewing ... in
close cooperation” with Britain and France. Thus, it seems time to
consider a time-honored tactic to respond to Iran’s belligerence:
Decoys. Decoys have been used with great success to fool an enemy or
to deter an enemy from attacking what could be a trap or a trick. Who
can forget the most famous decoy in war — the Trojan Horse, used by
the Greeks to fool their enemies, the Trojans. That giant, hollow
wooden horse was left at the gates of Troy, supposedly as an offering
of peace in honor of Athena, the goddess of war. After leaving it at
the gates, the Greeks retreated.”
Afghanistan
The
Jerusalem Post: Taliban Claim Bomb Attack On Police In Afghanistan;
Nearly 100 Wounded
“A car bomb exploded on Wednesday outside a police station in the
Afghan capital, Kabul, wounding at least 95 people, government
officials said, and the Taliban claimed responsibility. There has been
no let-up in violence in Afghanistan even though the Taliban and the
United States appear close to a historic pact for U.S. troops to
withdraw in exchange for a Taliban promise the country would not be
used as a base from which to plot attacks by extremists. The blast, in
the west of the city during the morning rush hour, sent a huge cloud
of grey smoke billowing into the sky. The Taliban said a "recruitment
center" had been attacked by one of their suicide bombers. "A large
number of soldiers and police were killed or wounded," the Taliban
said in a statement. The bomb went off when a vehicle was stopped at a
checkpoint outside the police station, said interior ministry
spokesman Nasrat Rahimi.”
Saudi Arabia
The
Jerusalem Post: Saudi Arabia Stands In Solidarity With Egypt And Us
Amid Terror Violence
“Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
offered condolences on Tuesday for the victims of recent terrorist
violence in Egypt and the US. At least 20 people were killed and
almost 50 injured when an explosives-filled car crashed into other
vehicles in central Cairo on Sunday night. Weekend attacks in the US
cities of El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio left 31 people dead. In
separate messages carried by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the king
and crown prince conveyed "deepest and sincere condolences" to the
victims and the American people as whole, wishing speedy recovery to
the injured. On the violence in Cairo, King Salman condemned "in the
strongest terms this criminal act" and affirmed Saudi Arabia's
"support for Egypt and its brotherly people." Crown Prince Mohammed
bin Salman denounced the "cowardly criminal act" and also expressed
his "deepest and sincere condolences" for the dead victims and wished
quick recovery to the injured.”
Lebanon
Xinhuanet:
Spotlight: Lebanon's Hezbollah Faces Huge Financial, Political
Challenges
“Hezbollah, a Lebanon-based political party, is facing huge
political and financial challenges because of the increased U.S.
sanctions against Iran and the party's military involvement in
different parts of the Arab world, analysts told Xinhua. "To start
with, salaries of Hezbollah's fighters who are at the forefront of any
military confrontation have dropped by around 30 percent," Youssef
Diab, political analyst, told Xinhua. Since U.S. President Donald
Trump introduced new restrictions on trade with Iran last year, Iran's
ability to finance allies such as Hezbollah has been reduced. As a
result, Hezbollah has witnessed a sharp fall in its revenue and is
being forced to adopt austerity measures. Moreover, Hezbollah leader
Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah called upon his supporters on March 8 to
donate funds to help the party face tighter sanctions from Western
countries after Britain joined the United States to list Hezbollah as
a terrorist group.”
Middle East
The
Times Of Israel: Shin Bet Says It Thwarted Terror Bombing In Jerusalem
Planned By Hamas
“The Shin Bet security service says it thwarted plans by Hamas
members from Hebron to conduct a bombing attack in Jerusalem earlier
this summer, retrieving the three-kilogram explosive device they
intended to use. The Shin Bet says the cell, along with others
arrested by Israeli forces in recent months, had been directed to
carry out attacks against Israeli and Palestinian Authority targets by
Hamas’s military wing in the Gaza Strip. “The operatives in the West
Bank were instructed to form cells in order to carry out kidnappings,
shootings, stabbings, purchase weaponry and to find and induct
additional operatives for terrorist activities,” the Shin Bet says in
a statement. A member of the cell planning the Jerusalem bombing,
university student Tamer Rajah Rajbi, was arrested in June, leading to
additional arrests of other Hamas operatives, including other
students, the security service says.”
Nigeria
NBC
News: Boko Haram Tried To Stop Nigeria From Eliminating Polio. They
Failed
“Nigeria is on the verge of eliminating polio, but Boko Haram is
standing in the way. Using violence and misinformation, the
ISIS-linked militant group has hampered efforts to get every child in
the country vaccinated against polio, leaving nearly 66,000 children
in remote villages in northern Nigeria without the vaccine, according
to UNICEF estimates. But public health officials are pushing back,
teaming up with the military and volunteers who have put their lives
on the line to get vaccines to everyone. Boko Haram has controlled
territory in northern Nigeria since around 2003, when they implemented
Sharia, or Islamic law, in the region. As part of an effort to dispel
Western views, the group — whose name roughly translates to “Western
education is sinful” — spread vaccine misinformation, claiming that
the vaccine could lead to infertility and bone injuries.”
North Korea
Associated
Press: Kim Says North Korean Launches Were Warning To US,
South
“North Korea said Wednesday leader Kim Jong Un supervised a
live-fire demonstration of newly developed, short-range ballistic
missiles intended to send a warning to the United States and South
Korea over their joint military exercises. The official Korean Central
News Agency said two missiles launched from a western airfield flew
across the country and over the area surrounding the capital,
Pyongyang, before accurately hitting an island target off its eastern
coast. Its four rounds of weapons demonstrations in two weeks come
during a stalemate in nuclear negotiations and after President Donald
Trump repeatedly dismissed the significance of the tests, even though
the weapons show North Korea’s ability to strike at U.S. allies South
Korea and Japan and its military bases there.“
United Kingdom
The
National: Stop Qatar’s Funding Of Global Terrorism
“Operating in plain sight for years: that’s the claim behind calls
for an investigation into a Qatar state-owned bank in the UK with
reported links to terror and extremist groups. The British-registered
bank Al Rayan has been linked to at least 15 controversial entities –
four of whom were banned by British high street banks – but had
accounts with the Qatari institution. The clientele included people
linked to Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, proscribed a terrorist
organisation by Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. On Sunday, the Muslim
Brotherhood was accused of the deaths of 20 people in a car bombing
near a cancer hospital in Cairo. Al Rayan has also been linked to
institutions that promote religious extremism via its former chief
executive, Sultan Choudhury. He served as an unpaid director for Al
Kauthar Institute, an organisation that promoted controversial
speakers, including one who said female genital mutilation was as
natural as clipping fingernails.”
Technology
The
Guardian: How Do We Beat 8chan And Other Far-Right Sites? The Same Way
We Beat ISIS
“Over the past few months, we have witnessed a series of lethal
terrorist attacks against minorities in places of worship and other
public spaces that are said to have been carried out by white
supremacists. There was the shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue in
October 2018, then two mosque attacks in New Zealand in March 2019,
another synagogue assault in California a month later and an attack at
a Walmart store in El Paso, Texas, on Saturday. While the victims of
these attacks were diverse – from young children to army veterans and
mothers of newborn babies – their alleged perpetrators had much in
common: radicalised white men who frequented online far-right hotbeds
such as the anonymous imageboard website 8chan and the alt-right
Twitter equivalent, Gab. And they believed their race to be threatened
by an imminent “invasion” or gradual “population replacement”. In the
summer of 2016, one Isis-inspired lone-actor attack was followed by
the next: first a truck attack in Nice, then several knife attacks and
a bombing in Germany, followed by a hostage-taking at a church in
Normandy.”
AFP:
8chan Founder Hopes El Paso Shooting ‘Final Nail In
Coffin’
“The American creator of the 8chan website linked to deadly US mass
shootings said Tuesday he hoped the El Paso carnage would be the
“final nail in the coffin” for the forum, which he accused of
harboring “domestic terrorists.” Fredrick Brennan told AFP in an
interview in Manila that he sometimes regretted setting up the
unmoderated message board in 2013 — adding that turning it over to a
new owner last year was a mistake. 8chan, which promotes itself as a
site devoted to the “darkest reaches of the internet,” is home to
posts from right-wing extremists, misogynists and conspiracy
theorists. On Saturday, a young white male suspect was believed to
have posted on the site a manifesto denouncing a “Hispanic invasion”
of El Paso, shortly before going on a shooting spree at a Walmart
store in the US border city, killing 22 people.”
ITPRO:
For Cloudflare, Hate Speech Is Too Profitable To Give
Up
“Web security and performance company Cloudflare has now terminated
its relationship with notorious online imageboard 8chan, firing the
customer in the wake of the mass shooting in El Paso. For instance,
numerous reports have alleged that multiple terrorist organisations,
paedophiles and violent misogynist groups all use Cloudflare's service
to protect their websites. Neo-nazi outfits Stormfront and the Nordic
Resistance Movement, as well as Islamist organisations like Hamas, the
Taliban and even ISIS were cited by the Counter Extremism Project. As
of March last year, Stormfront was still a Cloudflare customer,
according to posts on the site by the organisation's founder.”
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