Eye on Extremism
March 12, 2020
The
Washington Post: UN Condemns Increasing Threat From Terrorism In
Africa
“The U.N. Security Council strongly condemned the increasing threat
to peace and security in Africa from terrorism Wednesday and urged all
countries “to consider mobilizing more predictable resources and
expertise” to strengthen African efforts to counter terrorism and
violent extremism. A Chinese-sponsored presidential statement approved
by all 15 council nations also urged the 193 U.N. member states and
the United Nations system to take measures “to address all drivers of
violent extremism conducive to terrorism.” The council encouraged
countries to foster quality education and provide employment
opportunities and vocational training for young people and include
them in all levels of decision-making, saying “such efforts contribute
to countering recruitment to terrorism.” U.N. political chief Rosemary
DiCarlo told the council that terrorism and violent extremism continue
to grow in various part of the continent despite efforts to prevent
and counter it. She pointed to al-Shabab extremists threatening
security in Somalia and East Africa and affiliates of the Islamic
State and al-Qaida extremist groups collaborating to stage
increasingly sophisticated attacks in West Africa, especially in
Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.”
Dayton
Daily News: Hate Group Engaging In ‘Economic Terrorism,’ Dayton Mayor
Says
“Dayton Commission approved a new ordinance that makes it illegal
to wear masks while committing a crime or engaging in intimidation or
behaviors that reasonably would cause others to be afraid. The new
city ordinance was crafted in large part to try to discourage a
KKK-affiliated hate group from holding another rally in downtown later
this year. The hate group is trying to engage in “economic terrorism”
by causing the city to spend massive amounts to provide security
during the proposed rally to ensure violence does not break out, said
Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley.”Look, we are going to do everything we can to
encourage them not to come,” Whaley said. The hate group’s May 2019
rally in downtown was a huge safety issue, mostly because 75 people
brought and carried around assault weapons, Whaley said.The anti-mask
ordinance will make people show their faces, which will help law
enforcement if they need to identify safety threats, officials said.
At last year’s rally, members of the hate group wore masks and
bandanas to cover their faces.”
United States
Voice
Of America: Man Linked To Extremist Group Seeks Release From
Jail
“A Maryland man accused of joining a white supremacist group and
discussing violence at a gun rights rally in Virginia is seeking his
pretrial release from federal custody. In a court filing Wednesday,
defense attorney Ned Smock asked a federal magistrate judge in
Greenbelt, Maryland, to schedule a detention hearing for Brian Mark
Lemley, who was indicted on gun-related charges. “The defense has a
proposed release plan to present to the Court that we submit addresses
any concern about risk of flight or danger to the community,'' wrote
Smock, an assistant federal public defender. Smock did not disclose
any details of that plan. U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy Sullivan and
federal prosecutors didn't immediately respond to Lemley's request for
a hearing. Sullivan already has refused to set bond for two other men
who were arrested in January on related charges. Lemley, 33, of
Elkton, Maryland, had waived his right to an immediate detention
hearing after making his initial court appearance Jan. 16. He and
former Canadian Armed Forces reservist Patrik Mathews, 27, separately
pleaded not guilty to charges including transporting a firearm and
ammunition with the intent to commit a felony.”
Syria
The
Washington Post: What’s Happening In Syria Is
Genocide
“I am a Syrian American, and I have an urgent message. You do not
have the full story on Syria. The truth will shake you to the bone.
The president of Syria, Bashar al-Assad, is committing genocide. Assad
has deliberately erased at least 200,000 Syrian civilians from
existence. Most of them died for the “crime” of sharing the same
ethnicity, religion and neighborhood as pro-democracy protesters. It
is true that the overwhelming majority of these victims come from a
single ethno-religious group (Sunni Arabs), but this is not about
religion. This is about a dictator who is willing to gas children to
stay in power. They are disposable to Assad because, to him, they are
subhuman. Assad’s troops are closing in on Idlib, and another massacre
is in the offing. Idlib is the final city left for Assad to recapture
since the Syrian revolution began in 2011. Another 3 million people,
half of whom are internally displaced refugees, might be forced to
leave for Turkey and Europe. Turkey brokered many cease-fires in
Idlib, aiming to stop the overwhelming flow of refugees into its
country. Assad violated them all and is likely to breach the newest
one. He even bombed 33 Turkish soldiers last month. Turkey responded
with force, but its options for further action are limited.”
Saudi Arabia
Arab
News: Saudi UN Envoy Calls For Wider Terror Sanctions
“Terrorism should not be linked to religion, nationality or race,
Abdallah Al-Mouallimi, Saudi Arabia’s permanent representative to the
UN, told a meeting of ambassadors of the Organization of Islamic
Cooperation (OIC) member states. In his address as chairman of the
Islamic group to combat terrorism on behalf of the OIC, Al-Mouallimi
said that the use of terms linking terror to religion, such as Islamic
State, should be avoided. There should be no discrimination between
terrorist groups from all religions and sects, and calls for extremism
and terrorism should be condemned regardless of their source, he
added. The meeting was chaired by the UAE at the UN headquarters in
New York on Tuesday. Al-Mouallimi focused on issues agreed by OIC
states after consultations led by Saudi Arabia. The Saudi envoy’s
address summarized OIC member states’ major role in combating
terrorism, and their call for the comprehensive implementation of the
anti-terrorism strategy, as well as their emphasis on full respect for
sovereignty and equality in accordance with the UN charter. Al
Mouallimi called for an extension of Security Council sanctions
related to Daesh and Al-Qaeda in order to include all terrorist groups
that have targeted Muslims.”
Lebanon
Asharq
Al-Awsat: Lebanese Man Pleads Guilty To Exporting Drone Parts From US
To Hezbollah
“Issam Hamade, a Lebanese national charged with conspiring to
export drone parts and technology from the US to Hezbollah in Lebanon,
has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate US export
laws. Hamade pleaded guilty Monday in federal court in Minnesota. His
brother, Usama, faces similar counts and is also charged with
smuggling. Prosecutors said the brothers acquired sophisticated
technology for drones from 2009 to 2013 and illegally exported them to
Hezbollah, which the US considers a terrorist organization. Issam
Hamade faces up to five years in prison when sentenced next month, but
prosecutors plan to ask for 30 months, according to a plea agreement.
Hamade's defense attorneys plan to ask for time served. He's expected
to be deported after he serves his time. The Hamades were arrested in
February 2018 in South Africa and were extradited to the US last fall.
According to an indictment, the parts included inertial measurement
units, which can be used to track an aircraft's position, and digital
compasses, which can be paired with the inertial measurement units for
drone guidance systems. The parts also included a jet engine and 20
piston engines.”
Middle East
The
Jerusalem Post: Terrorist In Jerusalem Ramming Attack Of 12 Soldiers
Indicted
“An east Jerusalem terrorist who carried out a vehicular ramming
attack on February 6 that wounded 12 off-duty soldiers in Jerusalem
was indicted on Wednesday. The Jerusalem District Attorney’s Office
filed an indictment against Sanad al-Tourman, 24, from the At-Tur
neighborhood with the Jerusalem District Court on multiple charges of
attempted murder with nationalistic ideological motivations. The 12
soldiers were wounded at 1:44 a.m. as they were passing by the First
Station, a popular entertainment spot on David Remez Street, during a
heritage tour ahead of their swearing-in ceremony at the Western Wall.
Before attacking the group of soldiers, Tourman had considered ramming
another group at 1:38 a.m., the indictment said. However, when he saw
the sidewalk the first group of soldiers were on had bollards that
could have stopped his car, he looked for another group, it said. A
group of 38 soldiers was walking on the sidewalk when Tourman used his
Kia vehicle to ram them from behind and at high speed, the indictment
said. Some soldiers were able to dive out of the way, but many were
hit and were carried on the car’s windshield, while others were
dragged by the car, the indictment said.”
Nigeria
Daily
Post: Boko Haram: NAF Neutralises Insurgents In Borno
“The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has neutralised dozens of Boko Haram
Terrorists (BHTs) at Bula Korege on the fringes of the Sambisa forest
in Borno State. The NAF Director of Public Relations and Information,
Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, who disclosed this in a statement to
NAN on Wednesday in Abuja. said it also destroyed the insurgents’
infrastructures. Daramola maintained that the operation was conducted
through the Air Task Force (ATF) of Operation LAFIYA DOLE under the
auspices of “Operation DECISIVE EDGE adding that sequel to credible
intelligence reports, massive airstrikes were conducted in two waves
of attack on March 6. He said the reports indicated that the BHTs had
relocated some of their fighters to the settlement to reinforce the
location preparatory to attacks on troops’ locations and surrounding
civilian settlements. “Consequently, the ATF dispatched an enhanced
force package of several attack aircraft and a surveillance platform
to engage the location. “Overhead the target area, significant
activity of the fighters was observed in different parts of the
settlements. “The NAF fighter jets took turns in attacking the target
area, neutralising many BHTs and destroying their structures in
successive passes.”
Daily
Post: Boko Haram Kidnapping Doctors, Ex-Military Men To Work For Them
– Lawmaker Reveals
“A member of the House of Representatives, representing
Dambao/Gwoza/Chibok federal constituency of Borno State has revealed
that Boko Haram group are kidnapping Doctors, ex-military, and bright
students, not for ransom but forcing them to work for the insurgents.
The lawmaker on Wednesday during the debate on a bill to prohibit
discrimination against victims of insurgents and militants revealed
that four doctors are currently with Boko Haram who are perhaps
compelled to work for the group. He revealed that Boko Haram have
started kidnapping ex-military men who can operate guns and young
sharia scholars for interpretation work. “I have four medical doctors
that were kidnapped by Boko Haram, and they are in the bush, they have
not killed them. Maybe, they are compelled to work for these Boko
Haram guys. “I have a child who read sharia law, they kidnapped him,
they refused to kill him, and he is still working for them, making
interpretation. If tomorrow he regains his freedom, are you telling
him to not be a part of the society again? Another thing is that you
have experts, who are ex-military men, they know how to operate gun,
and they were kidnapped by Boko Haram.”
Somalia
Air
Force Mag: 5 Al-Shabab Members Killed In Single U.S. Airstrike In
Somalia
“A March 10 U.S. airstrike killed five al-Shabab targets in Somalia
without harming any civilians, U.S. Africa Command reported. The
strike was carried out near Janaale, which is located about 75
kilometers (or approximately 47 miles) southwest of Mogadishu in
Somalia’s Lower Shabelle region, and was coordinated with Somalia’s
federal government, the command said. The attack—the fifth U.S. strike
in Somalia this month—brings the number of al-Shabab militants killed
by American airstrikes in March into the double digits. “Our strikes
are a key effort to combatting terror and helping to bring stability
to Somalia,” said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Miguel Castellanos, the
command’s deputy director of operations, in a March 10 release. “Not
only do they degrade al-Shabab’s ability to conduct violent activities
in the region, but they illuminate the fighter network and impede the
al-Qaida affiliated terrorist organization’s ability to recruit and
export terrorism.”
Africa
Voice
Of America: US Officials Concerned About Rising Violence In Africa's
Sahel
“The security situation in the Sahel region of Africa is rapidly
deteriorating, U.S. officials warned this week. Terror attacks claimed
by Islamist militants against civilians and military targets have
particularly risen in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. The Sahel is a
semiarid region that encompasses an area south of the Sahara Desert,
spanning 10 countries from Senegal in the west to Eritrea in the east.
In 2019, violence in the area left more than 2,000 civilians dead.
Since the beginning of 2020, in Burkina Faso alone, violence has
displaced 4,000 people a day, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees
said. “It would be a mistake to attribute all of this violence to
extremism or inter-religious conflict,” Mark Green, administrator of
the U.S. Agency for International Development, said during a U.S.
Senate hearing Tuesday. “But it would be just as wrong not to
recognize that conditions like unresponsive governance, lack of
economic opportunity and increasingly limited natural resources, if
left unaddressed, will make the region even more vulnerable to
extremists, their ideology and method of recruitment.”
Yahoo
News: Islamist Militant Attacks Surged Most In Emerging LNG
Giant
“Mozambique suffered the biggest increase in attacks by Islamist
militants globally last year, with violence centered around the
gas-rich Cabo Delgado province, according to a security report.
Islamic State in June started claiming responsibility for incidents
that began in 2017 and have killed more than 800 people and forced
100,000 to flee their homes. Attacks more than tripled in 2019 from
the previous year, according to Armed Conflict Location & Event
Data Project’s annual report released last week. Globally, Afghanistan
remained the most affected by skirmishes, while clashes also surged in
Burkina Faso. Not only has the violence in Mozambique killed hundreds
of people, it’s occurring in the region where companies like Total SA
and Exxon Mobil Corp. are building what will be Africa’s largest-ever
investments. The liquefied natural gas projects in the far north have
largely been unscathed, although a contract worker was killed last
year, delaying work. “Mozambique also registered one of the greatest
increases in reported fatalities last year, with 438 more fatalities
in 2019 than in 2018, or an increase of 197%,” ACLED said in the
report. “This rise is linked to the worsening insurgency in the
northernmost province of Cabo Delgado.”
United Kingdom
BBC
News: How Europe Deals With Terror Offenders When They Are Freed From
Jail
“When radicalised terror offenders are released from prison, how
should they be dealt with? Two recent attacks in London have brought
the question into sharp focus because both involved extremist
offenders carrying out knife attacks despite being on the radar of
security services. Sudesh Amman, 20, carried out the Streatham attack
last month only 10 days after his release from jail. It was a case
that reverberated across Europe, where other offenders will soon be
freed. The UK quickly passed legislation to block the automatic early
release of convicted terror offenders. Other European countries are
grappling with the same balance between security and civil liberties.
For terror offenders, a second chance comes with many strings
attached. How many terror offenders are there? Hundreds will be
released from European prisons within the next few years, figures
suggest. Europol, the EU's law enforcement arm, gives an idea of the
numbers. From 2016 to 2018, Spain had the most court cases for terror
offences (343) in the EU, followed by the UK (329), France (327) and
Belgium (301).”
France
The
New York Times: France, Spain Honor Hundreds Of Terrorism Victims, Vow
Unity
“The president of France and the king of Spain paid homage
Wednesday to victims of terrorism in a special ceremony prompted by
attacks that hit both their countries and changed Europe’s security
posture. France's Emmanuel Macron and Spain's King Felipe and Queen
Letizia led a ceremony on Trocadero plaza overlooking the Eiffel Tower
with survivors of terrorist attacks and families of victims. The
European Union chose March 11 as a day of continent-wide commemoration
of terrorism victims after the Madrid train bombing on March 11, 2004
that killed nearly 200 people and woke Europe up to 21st century
threats of Islamic extremism. Macron paid tribute to the victims of a
string of attacks in France, starting with shootings in 2012 that
killed children at a Jewish school, a rabbi and paratroopers in the
Toulouse region. Extremists claiming links to the Islamic State group
or Al-Qaida hit France repeatedly in 2015 and 2016. Among their
victims: cartoonists at satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, shoppers at
a kosher market, concert-goers at the Bataclan, diners in Paris cafes,
an elderly priest at the altar, holiday revelers on the seaside of
Nice, and several police officers.”
New Zealand
The
New York Times: Shot 9 Times During Mosque Massacre, Survivor
Overcomes Fear
“When the gunman walked into the Al Noor mosque, Temel Atacocugu
was kneeling for Friday prayers. He looked up into the man’s face,
thinking he was a police officer because of his paramilitary outfit.
Time slowed. Atacocugu saw a puff of smoke come from the raised gun,
felt a bullet smash into his teeth, and thought, “Oh, my God, I'm
dying.” But despite being shot nine times, Atacocugu survived the
attack at Al Noor, one of two mosques in the city of Christchurch that
were attacked on March 15 last year, in New Zealand's deadliest
modern-day mass shooting. On Sunday, New Zealand will commemorate the
51 people who were killed in the attacks. Atacocugu, 45, is slowly
overcoming his own physical and psychological injuries from that day.
And he’s even found himself ready to face a childhood fear: sharks. On
the day of the attacks, Atacocugu was in a buoyant mood when he walked
into the mosque. An active man who loves soccer, fishing and running,
he’d just finished his last acupuncture session for a sports injury
and was feeling in great shape. Growing up in Turkey, he’d been
through compulsory military training, so he quickly realized what was
happening.”
Technology
The
Wall Street Journal: Chinese-Owned TikTok Launches U.S. ‘Transparency
Center’ To Counter Criticism
“Video-sharing platform TikTok said it is opening a new facility in
Los Angeles aimed at providing more transparency to outsiders about
its operations, another move by the Chinese-owned app to address
scrutiny from U.S. officials and lawmakers. TikTok said its new
“transparency center,” scheduled to open in May at its major U.S. hub,
would allow outside observers to view how teams at the company
moderate content. It will eventually also provide information on
TikTok’s source code and its data-privacy and security efforts, the
company said. TikTok’s rapid rise to social-media success has prompted
questions from U.S. authorities worried it could pose a
national-security threat because it is owned by Chinese conglomerate
ByteDance Inc. U.S. regulators late last year started weighing whether
TikTok poses a security threat after lawmakers from both parties
expressed worry that the company was censoring content to appease the
Chinese government and could be making user data accessible to
Beijing. Earlier this year, U.S. Coast Guard and Air Force officials
barred their members from using TikTok on government-issued devices
after similar guidance by other U.S. military branches. TikTok has
said it hasn’t and won’t share U.S. user data with the Chinese
government.”
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