April 2, 2020

CBS 12 News: Georgia Man Pleads Guilty To Planning Terrorist Attacks On White House, Other DC Monuments <[link removed]>

“The U.S. Department of Justice announced Wednesday a Georgia man has pleaded guilty to planning a terrorist attack on the White House. 23-year-old Hasher Jallal Taheb, of Cumming, pleaded guilty to a charge of attempting to destroy, by fire or an explosive, a building owned by or leased to the United States, according to the press release. Officials say he had planned an attack on the White House using weapons and explosives. Back in March of 2018, a member of the Atlanta community reported concerns to local law officials who then got in touch with the FBI, officials say. “Taheb hatched a dangerous plan that would have resulted in unimaginable injury,” said Byung J. “BJay” Pak, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia. “We are grateful to community members who noticed his dangerous evolution and alerted law enforcement. Along with our federal, state and local partners, we will remain vigilant in order to disrupt these types of attacks before they happen.” The press release goes on to say an undercover operation by the FBI in October 2018 revealed that Taheb had applied for a U.S. passport and started planning domestic attacks as part of a desire to participate in “jihad.”

Voice Of America: UN Warns Right-Wing Extremist Groups Getting Bolder, More Lethal   <[link removed]>

“Nations around the world are growing increasingly worried about violence linked to extreme right-wing terror groups, with new research showing there has been a 320% jump in the number of related attacks over the past five years. Deadly attacks over the past year, like the shootings in Christchurch, New Zealand, and in El Paso, Texas, in the U.S., as well as a couple in Germany, have gotten most of the international attention. But the research, highlighted Wednesday in a new report from the United Nations’ Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, also warns the trend is worsening, with attacks by individuals linked to right-wing extremist groups becoming ever-more deadly, while the groups themselves are getting increasingly sophisticated. “Although extreme right-wing terrorism is not a new phenomenon, there has been a recent increase in its frequency and lethality,” UN-CTED said in its April trends report. Raymond Duda, FBI Special Agent in Seattle, speaks during a news conference on Feb. 26, 2020, about charges against a group of alleged members of the neo-Nazi group Atomwaffen Division for cyber-stalking and mailing threatening communications.”

ABC News: Terrorist Groups Spin COVID-19 As God's “Smallest Soldier” Attacking West <[link removed]>

“While much of the United States and Europe has been staying home to avoid COVID-19 as it kills thousands, terrorist groups are blasting online propaganda messages toward followers and potential recruits which hail the calamity of the disease as divine retribution. In propaganda communiques this week, ISIS and al-Qaeda have each claimed that the highly contagious and deadly coronavirus is God's wrath upon the West, and the disease itself is a “soldier of Allah,” as one ISIS supporter recently said in an online chatroom, according to the private SITE Intelligence Group.  “Allah, the Creator, has revealed the brittleness and vulnerability of your material strength. It is now clear for all to see that it was but a deception that could not stand the test of the smallest soldier of God on the face of the earth,” al-Qaeda said in a statement this week distributed by its propaganda arm As-Sahab. COVID-19 has killed more than 47,000 people worldwide but there are relatively few cases in regions where Islamist extremist groups have their strongholds, such as in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the Arabian Peninsula and the Sahel region of North Africa.”

Iran

The Wall Street Journal: Iran Or Allies Are Plotting Against U.S. Forces In Iraq, U.S. Intelligence Suggests <[link removed]>

“U.S. intelligence out of the Middle East suggests that Iran or Iran-backed forces are planning a potentially serious attack against U.S. military personnel in Iraq, said officials monitoring the information. “We’ve been seeing something brewing and developing pretty seriously,” a U.S. official said Wednesday. The intelligence has mounted over a two-week period, officials said. “We expect something soon,” the official said. Shiite militias such as Kataib Hezbollah have been targeting U.S. troops in Iraq in recent weeks with a series of rocket attacks. Two Americans and a British soldier were killed in a missile attack in March at Camp Taji, an Iraqi base where coalition troops are stationed. While the rocket attacks in general are considered to be intended as harassment, the new potential attack is thought to be more ominous, the U.S. official said. President Trump took note of the threat in a Twitter post on Wednesday, accusing Iran of planning an attack and warning of consequences. “Upon information and belief, Iran or its proxies are planning a sneak attack on U.S. troops and/or assets in Iraq,” Mr. Trump wrote. “If this happens, Iran will pay a very heavy price, indeed!” He didn’t elaborate. Iranian officials didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.”

Afghanistan

The New York Times: Roadside Bombing In Afghanistan Kills 8, Mostly Children <[link removed]>

“A roadside bombing in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday killed at least eight civilians, including six children. The victims were all from a single family, according to Helmand police spokesman Zaman Hamdard. The family had just left the southern district to Greshk when the bomb hit their car, Hamdard added. Two more family members were wounded, he said. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but both the Taliban and the Islamic State militants are active in the province. On Tuesday, the Taliban sent a three-member technical team to Kabul to monitor the release of Taliban prisoners as part of a peace deal signed by the insurgents and the U.S. at the end of February. That deal calls for the Afghan government to release of 5,000 Taliban prisoners and for the Taliban to free 1,000 government personnel and Afghan troops they hold captive. The deal is also supposed to be followed by intra-Afghan peace talks that would include the Taliban. Kabul said Wednesday that discussions between the government and the Taliban's technical team would continue under the observation of the International Committee of the Red Cross, though it was not known when the prisoner release process would start.”

The New York Times: Afghanistan Prepares To Swap 100 Taliban Prisoners For 20 Security Forces <[link removed]>

“Afghanistan began on Thursday the process of releasing from jail 100 Taliban Islamist militants in a prisoner swap for 20 of its security forces, a senior security official and a Taliban representative said. It is the first step towards freeing 6,000 prisoners held by the Afghan government and the insurgent group, among confidence-building measures key to the success of a peace deal between the United States and the Taliban to end nearly two decades of war. “It was decided in the morning that 100 Taliban should be released in exchange for 20 members of Afghan security forces today,” said a senior official in the office of President Ashraf Ghani. The names of those to be released had been sent to prison authorities, added the official, who sought anonymity because he had not been authorised to speak to the media. The Taliban have said the swap begins this week as teams from the warring sides work out technical details and logistics for receiving prisoners amid a coronavirus pandemic. “The technical issues require some time,” said Zabihullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman. “I think the release of 100 Taliban fighters and 20 Afghan security force members will happen either tomorrow or the day after.”

Foreign Affairs: Can America Trust The Taliban To Prevent Another 9/11? <[link removed]>

“For nearly 20 years, the U.S. intervention in Afghanistan has been sustained by a single, vital national interest: the clear and present danger of another September 11–like attack emerging from this region of the world, absent constant efforts to thwart it. To this end, U.S. strategy has been threefold: deploying American and allied forces to Afghanistan to conduct sensitive counterterrorism missions there and in neighboring parts of Pakistan; training and enabling Afghan partner forces to assume the bulk of responsibility for security inside their country; and backing a friendly government in Kabul that has permitted international forces to operate from its territory against Islamist extremism. This strategy has been costly and unsatisfying—but also reasonably successful. It enabled the United States to eliminate the al Qaeda camps that flourished in Afghanistan under the Taliban prior to its ouster from power in late 2001, and equally important, it has kept that extremist infrastructure from being reestablished. When terrorists attempted to rebuild their networks in the nearby tribal areas of northwest Pakistan in the mid-2000s, the United States was able to smash them there, too, from its Afghan bases.”

Long War Journal: Taliban Touts Training Camps ‘Still Going On’ That Prepare Fighters For ‘War’ <[link removed]>

“As U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo calls for the Taliban to honor a non-existent commitment to “reduce violence,” the Taliban continues to train for war. The Taliban has publicized the training of its fighters at three separate camps over the past five days. Photographs from the training camps, know as Abu Ubaidah bin Jarrah, Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq, and Abu Dardaa, were published on the Arabic and Pashto language versions of Voice of Jihad, the Taliban’s official website. The Taliban has not disclosed the locations of the Abu Ubaidah bin Jarrah and Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq camps, however, the location of both should be relatively easy to discern by U.S. and Afghan intelligence services. The Abu Ubaidah bin Jarrah camp is situated in a fixed location, with buildings. The mountainous terrain and vegetation should help locate the Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq camp. The Taliban explicitly stated that the Abu Dardaa Training Camp is located in the province of Faryab. Wearing new uniforms, the Taliban fighters were shown in various levels of training. “The Mujahideen were trained with light and heavy weapons, combat skills and military tactics, and camp officials said that the chain of training of the Mujahideen will continue,” noted the statement promoting the Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq camp.”

Saudi Arabia

Al Monitor: Hamas, Houthis Hope For Deal With Saudi Arabia <[link removed]>

“In an unprecedented development that further strained relations between the Palestinian Hamas movement and Yemen’s internationally recognized government, Hamas welcomed the initiative of Yemen’s Houthi leader, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, to release Saudi captives in exchange for Hamas prisoners detained in Saudi Arabia.  In a televised speech March 26 on the television channel Al-Masirah, marking the fifth anniversary of the outbreak of the Yemeni war, Houthi said his group is ready to release five Saudi captives, including a pilot, if Saudi Arabia frees Hamas members detained since April 2019. “We declare our complete readiness to free a Saudi pilot and four government officers and soldiers in exchange for the release of unjustly detained Hamas members in the kingdom,” he said Hamas’ repeated calls demanding the Saudi government release its detainees from the kingdom’s prisons fell on deaf ears. Hamas’ politburo chief, Ismail Haniyeh, addressed King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud in an urgent note March 22 and asked him to take a decision to release the Palestinian detainees to avoid becoming infected with the novel coronavirus that has become a pandemic. Hamas welcomed the Houthi initiative in a statement March 26, saying, “We highly appreciate the sympathy and brotherly spirit with Palestinians and the support for their resilience and resistance.”

Lebanon

Defense News: Lebanese Armed Forces Must Act Against Hezbollah To Retain America’s Military Aid <[link removed]>

“As Lebanon struggles with an economic crisis and the new coronavirus pandemic, momentum is building in Washington to curtail or end U.S. assistance to the Lebanese Armed Forces. Such a move could diminish U.S. influence and empower Russia and Iran. But the LAF is not helping its advocates to make their case. The Lebanese military must address Hezbollah’s growing arsenal if the LAF is to retain U.S. support. The United States has fostered close ties with the LAF for years “as the sole legitimate defender of Lebanon’s sovereignty.” Pentagon leaders laud it as a capable partner. Since 2010, the United States has provided more than $1.8 billion in security assistance to the LAF. Among other things, the United States demands that the LAF counter the Iran-backed terrorist group Hezbollah — an entity with the blood of Americans on its hands and a foreign terrorist organization pursuant to U.S. law. The fiscal 2020 appropriations bill, signed into law by the president, reiterates that the purpose of American funding is to “professionalize the LAF to mitigate internal and external threats from non-state actors, including Hizballah.” (“Hizballah” is an alternative spelling for Hezbollah).”

Somalia

BBC News: Coronavirus: Fighting Al-Shabab Propaganda In Somalia <[link removed]>

“Muslim clerics in conflict-hit Somalia are moving to the front-line of the battle against coronavirus in a bid to counter the propaganda of militant Islamists, writes BBC Somalia analyst Mary Harper. The al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab group has warned Muslims to beware of infectious diseases such as coronavirus, which it says are spread “by the crusader forces who have invaded the country and the disbelieving countries that support them”. The militants control much of southern and central Somali and have been a powerful force for well over a decade. Although there have only been a handful of confirmed cases of coronavirus in Somalia so far, the authorities are deeply worried that if the disease takes hold they will be unable to cope. About 30 years of conflict has devastated health facilities. Hundreds of thousands of displaced people are crowded into camps, with limited access to soap and water, and no way of practising social distancing. The message from al-Shabab only adds to the government's concerns, especially as it could oppose medical help from international aid agencies just as it resisted most food aid during the 2010-2012 famine, when more than 250,000 people were estimated to have died.”

Africa

North Africa Post: Tunisia: Security Forces Nab ISIS Affiliate Planning Attack In Ramadan <[link removed]>

“Tunisian security forces arrested an Islamic State group (ISIS) sympathizer who was planning terror attacks against vital state institutions in the holy month of Ramadan scheduled to start late this month, the Tunisian interior ministry said in a statement Tuesday. The terrorist, according to the statement, has developed a plan targeting security establishments and vital state institutions. The alleged terrorist had bought items in view of making explosives and confessed that he had pledged allegiance to ISIS and was in touch with two experts in subside belt and explosives making. The North African country has been on the alert after subside bomb attack outside the US embassy in capital Tunis. Two Tunisians on a motorbike blew themselves up, killing a policeman and injuring six other people, early last month. The attack according to the interior ministry was targeting a police patrol, in the street leading to the US embassy. It was the latest major attempt that rocked the country in a series of attacks that began in 2015.”

Southeast Asia

The Diplomat: Southeast Asia’s Teenage Extremists <[link removed]>

“Since 2015, Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs has publicly reported four cases of teenage radicalization. All four teenagers identified were radicalized by acquaintances online and displayed sympathy to a foreign conflict in “jihad” zones like Syria and Iraq. Other countries globally, and in Southeast Asia, have also seen the same trend of teenage radicalization, which continues even after the demise of the so-called Islamic State (IS) caliphate. This has prompted the question of why teens are susceptible to the Islamic State’s narratives. Are there common driving factors radicalizing teenagers in Southeast Asia, in particular? IS has demonstrated its prowess and mastery over social media since 2014. Around 1,000 Southeast Asians were reported to have traveled to Iraq and Syria to become foreign fighters. Many were driven by networks and propaganda forged primarily through social media, primarily Facebook and Telegram. IS propaganda capitalizes on two factors to radicalize teens: atrocities against Muslims globally and the heroism narrative. IS Telegram groups and channels directed at Southeast Asians often exploit global atrocities to invigorate local grievances. While most IS propaganda centers around conflicts in the Levant, IS exploits the “unfair” treatment of Muslims in the region to drive an “us-vs-them” narrative.”



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The Counter Extremism Project - United States
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