Eye on Extremism
March 24, 2020
The
Sydney Morning Herald: Websites Hosting Terrorist Content To Be
Blocked Under New Powers
“Australia's eSafety commissioner will be able to order internet
providers to block websites hosting terrorist content under
comprehensive rules developed in the wake of the livestreamed
Christchurch attack last year. The new protocol will be invoked during
crises where graphic terrorist content is being shared online, with
the commissioner able to designate sites to be blacklisted by
providers including Telstra, Foxtel, Optus, TPG, Vodafone and Vocus.
Following the mass murder of Muslim worshippers in Christchurch last
March, individual internet providers voluntarily blocked sites hosting
the alleged attacker's viral video. At the time, there was no uniform
legal basis for taking that step and the telcos have sought clarity on
how to deal with future incidents. “The Christchurch terror attacks
taught us that we cannot be complacent in the face of the willingness
of terrorists to exploit the internet to traumatise the community and
incite further heinous acts,” eSafety commissioner Julie Inman Grant
said. Ms Inman Grant said the threshold for blocking websites should
be “extremely high” in a free society, but the community also had a
right to be protected from content that could cause harm and
radicalisation.”
Politico:
U.S. To Cut Afghan Aid By $1B Over Political Rift That Threatens
Taliban Deal
“The U.S. is cutting aid to Afghanistan by $1 billion and will cut
even more unless the country’s feuding political leaders can resolve
their differences and form a government that can implement a peace
deal with the Taliban. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the
decision Monday after he briefly visited Kabul to try ending the
dispute between Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and former Afghan chief
executive Abdullah Abdullah, who are clashing over the results of
their country’s presidential election last fall. Pompeo later
reportedly met with a Taliban representative in Qatar. In a statement,
Pompeo said Ghani and Abdullah had informed him that they were “unable
to agree on an inclusive government” despite what the chief U.S.
diplomat described as an urgent need for one. “The United States is
disappointed in them and what their conduct means for Afghanistan and
our shared interests,” Pompeo said, adding that “this leadership
failure poses a direct threat to U.S. national interests.” The
announced aid cuts may appear harsh, given how much Afghanistan
continues to rely on U.S. assistance since American troops overthrew
the Taliban regime there following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.”
United States
The
New York Times: Man Convicted Of Trying To Blow Up Oklahoma City Bank
Gets 25 Years In Prison
“A man who was arrested in 2017 after a thwarted attempt to blow up
a bank in downtown Oklahoma City — a plot that echoed the deadly
bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building there in 1995 — was
sentenced Monday to 25 years in prison, the authorities said. The man,
Jerry Drake Varnell, 26, of Sayre, Okla., will be on supervised
release for the rest of his life once he completes his prison term,
federal and local authorities said in a statement on Monday. Mr.
Varnell was arrested in August 2017 after he tried to detonate a van
full of what he believed to be explosives in an alley beside the
downtown branch of BancFirst, Oklahoma’s largest state-chartered bank,
the authorities said. The site of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal
Building, which was destroyed in the 1995 bombing that killed 168
people, was a few blocks away. “This case is extremely poignant
considering we are approaching the 25th anniversary of the Oklahoma
City bombing,” Chief Wade Gourley of the Oklahoma City Police
Department said in the statement. “This event not only scarred the
community of Oklahoma City, but had a profound effect on the
nation.”
Syria
The
Washington Post: How Canada Approved An Assad Loyalist To Serve The
Country’s Terrorized Syrian Refugees
“Montreal businessman Waseem Ramli is so devoted to Syrian
President Bashar al-Assad that his red Hummer — custom license plate
“1SYRIA” — features the leader’s portrait splashed across a side
window. So when Maclean’s magazine reported in September that Canada
had approved Syria’s nomination of Ramli to the post of honorary
consul in Montreal,somemembers of the Syrian diaspora were frightened.
Since 2015, Canada has resettled more than 50,000 refugees who have
fled Syria’s bloody civil war. They included members of the White
Helmets, a volunteer group that has rescued thousands of civilians
harmed by Syrian and Russian airstrikes. Ramli has described the White
Helmets as a “terrorist organization” — echoing unsubstantiated claims
made by Assad and his backers in Russia. As honorary consul, Ramli
would have authority over renewing passports, notarizing documents and
helping Syrians secure legal representation, among other services.
Then-Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said she hadn’t been informed
of Ramli’s appointment. She called Ramli’s views “shocking and
unacceptable,” condemned her department for signing off, and withdrew
the approval.”
Iraq
Kurdistan
24: ISIS Attacks, Wounds Iraqi Federal Police In Disputed
Kirkuk
“A group of Islamic State militants launched two attacks against
the Iraqi Federal Police forces in Kirkuk governorate, a source in the
area told Kurdistan 24 early on Monday. The source claimed Islamic
State militants attacked a security checkpoint belonging to the Iraqi
Federal Police southwest of the city of Kirkuk, leading to heavy
clashes between both sides. The source also confirmed that Islamic
State militants bombed the headquarters of a federal police brigade
near the oil fields in Khobaza, severely wounding an officer. Before
the attack on Sunday, the Iraqi Federal Police announced the seizure
of equipment between the villages of Atashana and Mansuriya in Kirkuk
that “contained explosives, rocket-propelled grenades, and explosive
devices belonging to ISIS.” The authorities said the explosives were
detonated and destroyed under the supervision of the division’s
engineering battalion. The province, which is part of disputed
territories between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the
Federal Government of Iraq, has witnessed frequent insurgent attacks
in the past few months.”
Turkey
Daily
Sabah: 5 HDP Mayors In Southeast Turkey Detained In Terror
Probe
“Five pro-PKK Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) mayors have been
detained on suspicion of having terrorist links, reports said Monday.
Batman Mayor Mehmet Demir, Diyarbakır’s Silvan District Mayor Naşide
Toprak, Ergani District Mayor Ahmet Kaya, Lice Mayor Tarık Mercan and
Eğil District Mayor Mustafa Akkul were detained as part of an
anti-terror probe early Monday. The police are searching the offices
of the mayors, reports said. Silvan District Gov. Mehmet Uslu has been
appointed as a trustee to replace mayor Toprak. The HDP has many times
drawn fire for transferring taxpayer money and funds to the PKK, a
globally recognized terrorist group. HDP mayors and local officials
have been found to misuse funds in support of the PKK terrorist group
and provide jobs to PKK sympathizers. Its mayors have also been
accused of undermining municipal services, allowing the PKK to dig
ditches in the streets and launch attacks on police and soldiers when
the terrorist group adopted an urban warfare strategy in July 2015 and
ended a two-year reconciliation period. HDP municipalities and their
staff were also found to be actively participating in terrorist
attacks launched after July 2015.”
Afghanistan
The
Wall Street Journal: Pompeo Talks To Taliban, Afghan Leaders In Bid To
Settle Dispute Impeding U.S. Exit
“Secretary of State Mike Pompeo launched an urgent diplomatic
rescue mission on Monday that failed to produce a breakthrough in his
efforts to advance the Trump administration’s fragile, three-week-old
deal with the Taliban that sets a timetable for the U.S. to withdraw
from Afghanistan by the middle of next year. Amid a coronavirus
pandemic that has constricted global travel, Mr. Pompeo flew to
Afghanistan and Qatar for unannounced meetings with Afghan leaders and
the Taliban that were meant to bring the warring parties together for
direct talks. After failing to persuade Afghanistan’s feuding
political leaders to resolve a dispute that has undercut the peace
talks, Mr. Pompeo announced an immediate $1 billion aid cut, a deep
hit for a country heavily reliant on foreign money. “The United States
is disappointed in them and what their conduct means for Afghanistan
and our shared interests,” Mr. Pompeo said as he flew back to
Washington. “Their failure has harmed U.S.-Afghan relations and,
sadly, dishonors those Afghan, Americans and coalition partners who
have sacrificed their lives and treasure in the struggle to build a
new future for this country.” Mr. Pompeo spent eight hours in Kabul
meetings that failed to bridge a political divide that has led to the
creation of parallel Afghan presidencies.”
Yemen
Asharq
Al-Awsat: Women’s Beauty Salons Raided By Yemen's
Houthis
“The government of the Houthi coup in Yemen has adopted twenty
precautionary measures that it claims are meant to fight COVID-19 such
as the closure of beauty salons for women. This procedure reminds
Yemenis of what the leader of the coup had previously stated that
women’s Islamic robes were a reason behind the delay in their “divine
victory.” Local sources in Sanaa told Asharq Al-Awsat that Sultan
Zabin, a Houthi official, ordered dozens of armed men to carry out the
new repressive campaign after the militias issued decrees banning
beauty salons and tailors for women’s clothing. According to the
sources, the owners of salons in Sanaa said that armed Houthis raided
their shops alongside female security personnel from the Zaynabiyyat
group and asked them to shut down under the threat of arrest. Rights
activists in Yemen accuse the Houthis of implementing protocols that
are very similar to those of ISIS and al-Qaeda. In fact, the militia
group stated that these shops are one of the main reasons that have
delayed its ability to defeat the legitimate
government.”
Middle East
Deutsche
Welle: Coronavirus: 'Islamic State' Seeks To Profit From
Pandemic
“As public health authorities across the globe struggle to manage a
devastating pandemic, the mayhem caused by the novel coronavirus has
increasingly figured in the strategy of the “Islamic State” (IS)
militant group. In their regular newsletter circulated last week, IS
described the pandemic as a divinely wrought “painful torment” against
“crusader nations,” a term referring to Western countries engaged in a
military campaign to uproot the group. It went on to describe the
outbreak's fear factor as having a greater effect than the epidemic
itself, saying it has placed the Western world “on the verge of a
great economic catastrophe” by restricting mobility, roiling markets
and disrupting public life. “We ask God to increase their torment and
save the believers from all that,” the group said, according to
British researcher Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi. The outbreak could be seen
as reinforcing the militants' theology. It is also affecting
international efforts to contain IS after the group's military defeat
last year. In Iraq, NATO announced earlier this month it would suspend
training for 60 days due to the pandemic. As a result, British Defense
Secretary Ben Wallace said he would scale back the UK's troop
deployment since “the tempo of training has significantly
declined.”
Egypt
The
Telegraph: Egypt 'Torturing Hundreds Of Children In Mass
Crackdown'
“Egyptian security forces have detained and tortured hundreds of
children in recent years, including electrocuting them on their
tongues and genitals and making them stand on beds of nails, according
to a new report. An investigation by Human Rights Watch (HRW) and
Belady, an Egyptian children's charity, found that children as young
as 12 were being regularly swept up in raids by Egyptian authorities
and abused while in detention. One boy, named only as Hamza, was
arrested in 2016 for taking part in a protest as a 14-year-old.
“During the first two days of his interrogation, officers used
electric shocks on his genitals, head, and tongue. On the third day he
was suspended by his arms, which dislocated both his shoulders,” a
relative said....”
Nigeria
All
Africa: Nigeria: 10 Things Nigeria Must Do To End Boko Haram,
Banditry, Others - Report
“The Senate ad-hoc committee on security challenges last Wednesday
disclosed its findings on why the nation's security agencies are
underperforming in the fight against insecurity. The Senate had, in
January, constituted the committee, chaired by Senator Yahaya
Abdullahi, to engage the security agencies with a view to
restructuring the country's security architecture. Senator Abdullahi
presented the committee's 74-page report during plenary, detailing its
general findings and strategies to address insecurity. The report said
the existing laws governing the security architecture were antiquated
with conflicts, overlapping of jurisdictions and lack of definition of
role, among other. Here are some of the solutions the committee
suggested: 1. There should be an amendment of the Acts establishing
security agencies to address the identified challenges and make them
more efficient and effective. 2. The Nigerian Army should be equipped
with anti-drone systems to counter the Boko Haram insurgents, which
were now using cheap commercial drones to survey troop positions for
attack planning. 3. All joint operations should be carried out
strictly in accordance with extant operational procedures provided in
the Armed Forces Act.”
Africa
Bloomberg:
Militants Occupy Mozambican Town Near Planned LNG
Projects
“Unidentified militants overran a Mozambican town close to an area
in which companies including Total SA and Exxon Mobil Corp. are
developing liquefied natural gas projects worth almost $60 billion.
The assault began early Monday morning in Mocimboa da Praia, about 60
kilometers (38 miles) south of where the LNG developments are located
in Cabo Delgado province, police spokesman Orlando Mudumane said in
comments broadcast on state television. “They occupied the city, which
is currently under fire,” Mudumane said Monday morning. “The defense
an security forces are currently fighting to restore order.” Mocimboa
da Praia is the district headquarters and was where Islamist militants
attacked in October 2017 at the start of an insurgency that has left
more than 800 people dead. Islamic State has claimed some of the
attacks since June, but no group has declared responsibility for
Monday’s raid yet. The attack could be the most significant yet and
will further heighten concerns regarding the LNG projects, Ryan
Cummings, Cape Town-based director at Signal Risk, said in a post on
Twitter. The oil-price crash and coronavirus outbreak had already
raised questions about the future of Total’s and Exxon’s plans in the
southeast African country.”
All
Africa: Kenya: Military, Police Foil Terror Attack On Camp As Shabaab
Flee Into Forest
“Security agencies in Lamu have repulsed a group of over 10 heavily
armed suspected Al-Shabaab militants who attempted to force their way
into a camp belonging to the H-Young Construction Company at Milihoi
area. This is the second time that the militants have attempted to
attack the camp after a similar attack by four heavily armed suspected
Al-Shabaab terrorists was thwarted by the Kenya Defense Forces (KDF)
soldiers on February 9. During the February attack, the militants
managed to torch two vehicles, including an excavator belonging to the
H-Young Company and a cement lorry headed to the Lapsset project site
in Kililana. No one was killed or injured. Confirming the Saturday
morning attack, Lamu police commander Moses Murithi said security
agencies repulsed the terrorists who fled into the nearby forest. Mr
Murithi said more officers have been deployed to the area to pursue
the militants. He appealed to wananchi to report to authorities any
suspicious incidents or individuals. “It is true. There was an
attempted suspected Al-Shabaab attack at Milihoi area, just metres
from where the H-Young Construction Company Camp is situated.”
Europe
Copenhagen
Post: Right-Wing Extremist Terror Attack Threat Growing –
PET
“The PET intelligence agency has raised the terror threat in
Denmark from ‘reduced’ to ‘general’, reports TV2. However, the
decision has nothing to do with the perceived capacity of extremist
groups such as Islamic State, but more the growing threat of European
right-wing extremists – particularly lone wolf operators who might
even be home-grown. PET’s Center for Terroranalyse has partly raised
the threat level because it believes overseas attacks like the one
carried out in Christchurch, New Zealand in March 2019 can inspire
like-minded people in other countries – similar to the in Hanau,
Germany in February. “This type of attack could also take place in
Denmark,” contended Anders Henriksen, the head of the terror analysis
centre. “The most likely right-wing terrorist attack in Denmark is an
attack carried out by a solo terrorist or a small group located on the
periphery of or outside a right-wing extremist environment.” PET is
accordingly devoting more of its resources to monitoring the spread of
right-wing propaganda via the internet. “We are looking into a
complex, changeable and dynamic threat picture, where it still applies
that terror can strike suddenly, and without any intelligence
indications,” commented PET head Finn Borch Andersen.”
The
Brussels Times: About 1,600 Terror Victims File For
Compensation
“Close to 1,600 victims of terror attacks have applied to the
Financial Assistance Commission for compensation, according to the
Justice Department. By the end of December 2019, 1,000 people had
requested such assistance from the State but the number shot up when,
in January, the Justice Department stressed that the deadline for
filing compensation claims for some victims would expire in March2020.
On 15 March 2017, 13 attacks in Belgium and abroad were officially
recognized as acts of terrorism. The list includes the attacks at
Zaventem Airport and Maalbeek Subway Station on 22 March 2016, the
Jewish Museum of Brussels in May 2014, Susa Beach, Tunisia, on 26 June
2015 and Nice, on the French National Day in 2016. Victims of these
attacks had three years from the date on which they were recognized as
terrorist acts to lodge requests for financial assistance. On 21
January, the Justice Department recalled that the three-year deadline
expired on 18 March. At that time, over 1,000 files were being
processed and over four million euros had already been approved by the
Commission. “Between the 1st of January and the 18th of March, about
500 new applications were submitted by terror victims,” said Sieghild
Lacoere, spokesperson for Justice Minister Geens.”
|
