April 6, 2020

The New York Times: U.S. Will Give Terrorist Label To White Supremacist Group For First Time <[link removed]>

“The Trump administration is expected to announce on Monday that it is designating an ultranationalist group based in Russia as a terrorist organization, according to officials. It is the first time the government will apply the label to a white supremacist group. While the label of specially designated global terrorist has been frequently used for Islamist extremists, there have been growing concerns among U.S. officials about violent white supremacists with transnational links over the past five years. In 2018, the White House added that threat to the government’s National Strategy for Counterterrorism. “These designations are unprecedented,” said Ambassador Nathan A. Sales, the State Department’s counterterrorism coordinator. “This is the first time the United States has ever designated white supremacists as terrorists, and this illustrates how seriously this administration takes the white supremacist terrorist threat. We are doing things no previous administration has done to counter this threat.” The State Department’s designation for the organization, the Russian Imperial Movement, sets up the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control to block any American property or assets belonging to the group.”

Al Jazeera: Afghan Forces Announce Arrest Of Local ISIL Leader <[link removed]>

“Afghan forces announced they have arrested the leader of the country's ISIL (ISIS) affiliate along with 19 other fighters. Two high-ranking commanders were among those arrested in addition to the leader of the Islamic State of the Khorasan Province (ISKP), Abdullah Orokzai, also known as Aslam Farooqi, a statement by the Afghan intelligence agency National Directorate of Security (NDS) said on Saturday. The arrest comes after the ISKP claimed responsibility for the attack on a Sikh religious complex in the capital Kabul on Wednesday, killing 25 people. The ISKP has been on its back foot in recent months following continued operations by US forces and separately by the Taliban. In November, Afghan officials said the ISKP was completely defeated in Nangarhar, one of the key eastern provinces where it first sought to establish a stronghold in 2015. In the years since, they have claimed responsibility for a string of horrific bombings across Afghanistan. It emerged in Afghanistan in 2015, following Pakistan's operation against armed groups in North Waziristan, close to the Afghan border, which displaced more than one million people. Farooqi had been active in several roles within the group, both in Pakistan and in Afghanistan, the statement read, adding that he took over as the leader after the death of Abu Saeed Bajawori in 2018.”

Voice Of America: US, Somalia Conduct Airstrike Against Al-Shabab Terrorist Group <[link removed]>

“The U.S. Africa Command says it has, in coordination with the Somali government, targeted al-Shabab, an al-Qaida-linked terrorist group in an airstrike Friday. The command issued a statement Saturday saying that the airstrike took place near Bush Madina on Friday. According to initial assessments, the statement said, five terrorists were killed during the airstrike, and no civilians were killed or injured. The U.S. Africa Command works with the Somali government to improve security conditions for the country and its people, and to enhance governance and economic development there. The command and its international partners “recognize that stability in Somalia will not be achieved through purely military means, the statement said, “it requires providing programs and opportunity for the Somali people.” The International Committee of the Red Cross said Saturday that Somalia was at a critical juncture, as the country is threatened by the spread of COVID-19, while at the same time facing violence, conflict, displacement of people and malnutrition.”

United States

Haaretz: New York Passes Bill To Prosecute Hate Crimes As Domestic Terrorism <[link removed]>

“New York State legislature voted to pass a bill equating hate crimes with domestic terrorism on Friday, days after the most critically injured victim of the Monsey stabbing attack in December, Josef Neumann, died from his injuries. Last week, Governor Andrew Cuomo said he is renaming proposed state hate crime legislation, a move which he had proposed after the attack, in honor of the Monsey victim: the Josef Neumann Domestic Terrorism Act. Neumann had been in a coma from the time of the December 28 attack until his death at age 72 in March. Four others were injured in the stabbing rampage. “We owe it to Mr. Neumann, his family and the entire family of New York to get it done now,” the governor said prior to the vote. The act was passed as part of the state budget.  World Jewish Congress President Ronald Lauder commended state legislature for the passage of the act, accoring to which hate crimes will now be prosecuted as domestic terrorism in New York State. “The new legislation sends a clear message: Attacking someone based on race, religion, or creed is domestic terrorism, nothing less,” he said.”

Syria

Voice Of America: US Moves To Bolster Prisons Holding Captured Islamic State Fighters <[link removed]>

“Help is on the way to the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, less than a week after a riot at a Syrian prison holding thousands of captured Islamic State fighters allowed some to briefly escape. Coalition officials told VOA Friday that the aid is for the maintenance of more than a dozen prisons and detention camps in Syria, and that recent shipments included face masks, shields and batons for prison guards. “The U.S. military continues to provide support to repair and renovate SDF detention facilities that house ISIS fighters, to help ensure the SDF can continue to detain ISIS fighters securely and humanely,” coalition spokesman Col. Myles Caggins said, using an acronym for the terror group. Only officials with the SDF’s political wing are skeptical, contending the last time they got assistance for the prisons was last April, when they were holding an estimated 7,000 IS prisoners, not the 10,000 they watch over now. “So far nothing,” Sinam Mohamad, the U.S. representative of the Syrian Democratic Council, told VOA. “They promised us to help and renovate the prisons, but unfortunately nothing happened,” she said, adding the facility where the captured IS fighters rioted “it is not secure for such dangerous prisoners.”

Iraq

The National: Exclusive: Sanctioned Hezbollah Agent Has Close Ties To Iran’s Money Laundering Network In Iraq <[link removed]>

“A shadowy Hezbollah intelligence operative in Iraq has close ties to what the US refers to as a key money-laundering network by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force, an investigation by The National has found. In November 2018, the US sanctioned Mohammad Abd Al Hadi Farhat, saying the Lebanese citizen was advising militias in Iraq for Hezbollah, as well as collecting intelligence for the organisation.”Farhat has been involved in a project to analyse and report on the Iraqi security situation for Hezbollah and the IRGC-QF,” according to the US Department of the Treasury, referring to the foreign operations wing of Iran’s paramilitary force. The US government did not provide more information on Mr Farhat, but The National has obtained further data on the accused Hezbollah official’s activities. Mr Farhat is close to an alleged money launderer for the IRGC’s Quds Force, with interests in Iraq. Hezbollah and its Iranian benefactors have worked in tandem in Iraq, building influence there and benefiting from a network of businesses to finance their operations. “Iraq is becoming very important for Hezbollah fundraising,” said Michael Knights, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.”

Daily Sabah: 4 Iraqi Soldiers Killed In Daesh Terror Attack In Iraq <[link removed]>

“Four Iraqi soldiers were killed by Daesh terrorist group in Iraq's western province of Anbar, a military source said. “Daesh terrorists targeted a military point of the Iraqi army west of Rutba town in the western part of Anbar province by light and medium weapons,” an army source told Anadolu Agency on condition of anonymity as he is not authorized to speak to media outlets. The attack resulted in the death of all four soldiers at the military point, and terrorists managed to leave the scene unscathed. Although officials in Baghdad say Daesh's presence in the country has been largely eradicated, the terrorist group has continued to stage sporadic attacks in Iraq's Nineveh, Kirkuk, Diyala, Saladin and Anbar provinces.”

Turkey

Daily Sabah: Turkey Continues To Fight Terrorism Through Cross-Border, Domestic Operations <[link removed]>

“Eighty terrorists were neutralized last month in cross-border and domestic anti-terror operations, the Defense Ministry said Sunday. “Eighty terrorists were neutralized, while 52 posts, shelters and cellars were destroyed as part of cross-border and domestic anti-terror operations over the past month,” the Defense Ministry said during a meeting conducted remotely due to the coronavirus pandemic. It was stated that a large number of weapons and explosives were seized in border areas as security forces continue to work to establish stability. “Border safety is ensured 24/7 by our units. All kinds of attacks targeting our border units will be answered within the scope of the right to self-defense without hesitation,” the ministry pointed out. A heavy blow was dealt to terrorist organizations' smuggling activities used to finance their acts of terrorism. The ministry also reiterated that Russian and Turkish armies conducted patrols between March 15 and 23 within the scope of the March 5 agreement in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province and that the third patrol would take place in coordination if weather conditions allowed. Some 38 joint patrols have been conducted since the Sochi deal, the ministry underlined.”

Afghanistan

The New York Times: Taliban Warn Peace Deal With US Near Breaking Point <[link removed]>

“The Taliban in a statement Sunday said their peace deal with the United States was nearing a breaking point, accusing Washington of violations that included drone attacks on civilians, while also chastising the Afghan government for delaying the release of 5,000 Taliban prisoners promised in the agreement. The Taliban said they had restricted attacks against Afghan security forces to rural outposts, had not attacked international forces and had not attacked Afghan forces in cities or military installations. The Taliban said these limits on their attacks had not been specifically laid out in the agreement with the U.S. signed in February. The Taliban warned of more violence if the U.S. and the Afghan government continue alleged violations of the deal. The militants said they had reduced their attacks compared to last year, but said continued violations would “create an atmosphere of mistrust that will not only damage the agreements, but also force mujaheddin to a similar response and will increase the level of fighting.” The Taliban have accused the Afghan government of using “indefensible arguments” to explain the repeated delays in releasing a promised 5,000 Taliban prisoners in exchange for 1,000 government personnel.”

Pakistan

ABC News: 9 Rebels, 3 Indian Soldiers Killed In Kashmir Fighting <[link removed]>

“Nine rebels and three Indian soldiers were killed in a pair of gunbattles in disputed Kashmir, an Indian army official said Sunday. Indian soldiers killed five suspected militants along the highly militarized de facto front line in Keran sector on Sunday as an armed group of militants infiltrated from the Pakistani side of Kashmir into the Indian-controlled part, said Col. Rajesh Kalia, an Indian army spokesman. Kalia said three soldiers were also killed. He did not specify the number of injured, saying only that some others who were injured were undergoing treatment. There was no independent confirmation of the incident. The other gunbattle broke out in a neighborhood in southern Kulgam town as police and soldiers scoured the area looking for militants on Saturday, Kalia said. He said that as troops began conducting searches, they came under heavy gunfire, leading to a clash that killed four militants. The fighting comes amid an ongoing lockdown in Kashmir to combat spread of the coronavirus. Nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan each administer part of Kashmir, but both claim the Himalayan territory in its entirety. Rebel groups have been fighting since 1989 for Kashmir’s independence or merger with neighboring Pakistan.”

Yemen

Arab News: Houthis Launch Ballistic Missile Attack Against Yemen’s Saada <[link removed]>

“The Houthi militia fired a ballistic missile in a densely populated area in Yemen’s Saada on Sunday, state news agency SPA reported. The Arab coalition spokesperson Col. Turki Al-Maliki said the missile was launched from Sanaa and fell in Al-Safra district in Saada province. He added that the Iranian-backed Houthi militia continues to violate international humanitarian law by launching strikes against civilian areas. Earlier, the Yemeni oil ministry said the Houthi militia targeted an oil pipeline in Marib’s Safar oil field, east of Yemen. The ministry said the attack was considered a crime and an affirmation to how Houthis are seeking to destroy all Yemeni people’s capabilities. The ministry added that such actions proved how far the militia was from ‘national and human values.’”

Lebanon

ABC News: Gunmen Kill Hezbollah Member In Southern Lebanon <[link removed]>

“Unknown gunmen fatally shot and stabbed a member of the militant Hezbollah group in southern Lebanon and an investigation was launched, Lebanese security officials said Sunday. The body of Ali Mohammed Younes was found next to his car Saturday evening near the southern town of Nabatiyeh, said two security officials. One of them said Younes was shot with four bullets in the chest and had at least two stab wounds. The motive behind the killing was no immediately clear, the officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media. Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said a suspect was detained shortly afterward Saturday. Iran’s semiofficial Fars news agency described Younes as a commander with the Iran-backed Hezbollah. It added that Younes was involved in anti-espionage missions. Fars also posted a photo said to be of Younes in blue jeans and bloodied white shirt next to his car. Iran-backed Hezbollah is Lebanon’s strongest military force and a political powerhouse, and also boasts significant organizational and services might in the country. There was no official comment from Hezbollah on the killing. A source in the organization confirmed Younes was a member, but would not provide further details.”

Egypt

Al Monitor: Why Egypt Banned News About Terrorist Bombings In Sinai <[link removed]>

“An Egyptian security source told Deutsche Presse-Agentur March 28 that the Egyptian air force launched airstrikes against the strongholds of takfiri (extremist) and other terrorist groups south of the Egyptian city of Rafah, killing 16 of them and wounding six others. Three four-wheel-drive vehicles were also destroyed in the operation. The source said the air raid came in response to the armed groups blowing up five electricity towers in al-Kharouba village in Sheikh Zuweid March 26. Mustafa Sanjar, a journalist who specializes in Sinai affairs, explained in a phone interview with Al-Monitor that armed men affiliated with terrorist groups in Sinai bombed five electricity towers that transmit power from the provincial capital of el-Arish to the cities of Sheikh Zuweid and Rafah in the northern Sinai Peninsula. As a result, the electricity supply to the two cities was disrupted for three days in a row. Sanjar said citizens informed the government-affiliated Sinai Electricity Department about the power outages March 26. A group of technicians accompanied by a security force headed to the site and found five destroyed electricity towers that had collapsed completely after their bases were bombed.”

Africa

The New York Times: 4 Soldiers, 63 Jihadists Killed In Clash In Niger <[link removed]>

“Four soldiers and 63 jihadists have been killed in fighting between Niger’s army and heavily armed extremists in the nation’s west, the government said Friday. Extremists on motorcycles fought the army Thursday in the Tillaberi region near the border with Mali before being forced to flee, according to a defense ministry statement. The army was able to recover dozens of weapons and motorcycles, it said. Since December, at least 174 soldiers have been killed in Niger in several attacks. At least two were claimed by fighters linked to the Islamic State group. Extremism has grown in West Africa's Sahel region south of the Sahara Desert, with attacks increasing near the borders of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, where many jihadists linked to al-Qaida or IS operate.”

Foreign Policy: West Africa Is Increasingly Vulnerable To Terrorist Groups <[link removed]>

“In the coming weeks, West Africa’s terrorist groups are set to encroach further into Togo, Benin, and Ghana. This year’s presidential elections and their associated impact in Ivory Coast, Guinea, and Togo may create further tensions for terrorist groups to exploit. As part of the United States’ global retreat, military forces have departed from West Africa, leaving the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas), France, and the G-5 Sahel to pick up the slack and attempt to prevent the spread of terrorism further into West Africa. But military force alone is not enough. West Africa must provide a test case for innovative and collective preventive diplomacy, which adapts to the growing risks, builds local resilience, and prevents the next security and humanitarian disaster. In recent years, international diplomacy has failed in the face of devastating crises in Syria, Yemen, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Libya. More innovation, partnerships, and connections among state, local, and international governments are required to help prevent the spread of terrorism, which may exacerbate underlying political and ethnic vulnerabilities and drive an even larger humanitarian disaster.”

France 24: Suspected Boko Haram Suicide Bombers Kill Several In Northern Cameroon <[link removed]>

“Seven people were killed when two suicide bombers, suspected to be members of Nigeria's Boko Haram jihadist group, attacked a village in northern Cameroon on Sunday, police and a local official said. “Two Boko Haram bombers blew themselves up at around 8pm” in the attack on Amchide, on the border with Nigeria, a policeman said Monday, while a local official said a village chief and two teenagers were among the dead.”

Sahara Reporters: Chadian Army Kills More Boko Haram Terrorists As Shekau Begs Fighters Not To Run In New Audio <[link removed]>

“The Chadian Army has killed more Boko Haram terrorists in its ongoing offensive, Operation Wrath Of Bohoma, led by the country's President, Idriss Deby. Chad, with the help of the Israeli Army, has mapped out the entire Lake Chad region containing both natural and artificial islands for the operation already yielding results. The battle at Kelkoua, bank of the Lake Chad, saw the killing of many Boko Haram terrorists while bunkers hiding key commanders where discovered and destroyed. Meanwhile, Abubakar Shekau, leader of the terrorist organization, has pleaded with his fighters not to run away from battle after many of them were killed and weapons confiscated by the Chadian Army. In a sober voice, Shekau, who spoke in Hausa language, said, “People of Chad, leave us alone, this operation is not approved by the Qur'an. It is not the will of the Prophet Muhammed but if you want to continue, God will help us too because he is bigger than you. “To my fighters, take heart. It is I, Abubakar Shekau, your leader.”

United Kingdom

The Telegraph: 5G Tower Attacks Prompts Counter-Terror Investigation, Vodafone UK Boss Claims <[link removed]>

“Attacks on 5G towers by conspiracy theorists linking the telecoms gear to the coronavirus outbreak has sparked a counter terror investigation, according to Vodafone’s UK boss. Nick Jeffery, chief executive of Vodafone UK, described attacks on 5G towers as a “matter of national security”, claiming police and counter terrorism authorities are now investigating attacks that have seen masts damaged and vandalised. On Sunday, Vodafone confirmed that it had seen four incidents over the last 24 hours in relation to its 5G towers, both at its own sites and those shared by O2. The towers form a critical part of the infrastructure being rolled out to support next-generation mobile networks that promise to improve internet connectivity, but false theories have claimed 5G technology helps spread Covid-19....”

France

ABC News: 2 Dead, 5 Wounded In Suspected Terrorist Knife Attack In France <[link removed]>

“A knife attack which resulted in two dead and five wounded Saturday morning in the town of Romans-sur-Isere, an hour drive South of Lyon, is being treated as a terrorist attack by French authorities. Two of the victims are in critical condition. The 33-year-old assailant stabbed seven people in shops and streets in downtown Romans-sur-Isere shortly before being arrested, police told ABC News. The assailant, of Sudanese nationality, was arrested “while he was kneeling on a sidewalk praying in the Arabic language.” On site, Minister of Interior Christophe Castaner spoke of a “terrorist journey” before telling the press that the national anti-terrorist prosecutor's office was currently assessing the situation and would decide whether or not to qualify the act as a terrorist act. The judiciary police of Lyon originally opened an investigation which was later in the evening taken over by the Counterterrorism Prosecutor's Office. In a press release, the Counterterrorism Prosecutor's office revealed that “handwritten documents with religious overtones in which the author of the lines complained in particular of living in a country of disbelievers” were found duringa search carried out at the suspect's home.”

France 24: Three Sudanese Arrested Over French 'Terror' Stabbing <[link removed]>

“French police have arrested three Sudanese nationals in a terror probe after a stabbing spree in the southeast left two people dead, investigators said on Sunday. The attack by a lone perpetrator took place in broad daylight Saturday, with the country on lockdown to stem the spread of the deadly coronavirus. Prosecutors have launched an investigation into “murder linked to a terrorist enterprise” and “association with terrorist wrongdoers” after the rampage through a string of shops in the riverside town of Romans-sur-Isere, which has a population of 35,000. The alleged assailant, identified as Abdallah Ahmed-Osman -- a Sudanese refugee in his 30s who lives in the town -- was arrested without a fight. Police arrested a second Sudanese man aged 28 at Ahmed-Osman's home shortly after the assault. He was described as an acquaintance of the alleged attacker. Later Saturday “a young Sudanese man from the same household” as the main suspect was also arrested, the anti-terror prosecutor's office told AFP. The third suspect was an asylum seeker. On Sunday, the number two in France's interior ministry, Laurent Nunez, told France Inter that “to our knowledge he (Ahmed-Osman) acted alone.”

Germany

The Jerusalem Post: German Spy 'Mr. Hezbollah' Urges Ongoing Pressure On Terror Networks <[link removed]>

“A top German intelligence official who earned the moniker “Mr. Hezbollah” has urged Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government, as well as the global community, to not let up on pressure targeting international and domestic terrorism. Gerhard Conrad, who formerly worked for the Federal Intelligence Service in the Arab world, told the paper Welt am Sonntag last week that the pressure must continue on terrorism structures, adding that “the direct and indirect effects of the pandemic on the stability of the countries concerned worldwide deserve special attention.”  Conrad’s name is probably an alias due to his work as a top spy for the federal republic. Conrad earned the moniker “Mr. Hezbollah” within German intelligence circles because of his talks to secure prisoner swaps with the Lebanon-based Shi’ite terrorist group. He retired from espionage in November but continues training programs for intelligence officials. Both terrorist groups Islamic State and al-Qaida view the coronavirus crisis as an opportunity to attack targets. In its al-Naba newsletter in mid-March, the Islamic State called on its terrorists to carry out attacks. Western countries, however, have not followed Conrad’s advice. France announced that it will withdraw stationed soldiers in Iraq.”

Technology

The Wall Street Journal: What Jihadists Are Saying About The Coronavirus <[link removed]>

“Jihadist groups are closely following the spread of the new coronavirus. In their publications and on social media their members post analyses, threats and even sanitary guidelines. Counterterrorism officials should monitor these communications for a window into their thinking. Jihadists and their supporters have been gloating over the health restrictions enacted across the world, especially in the U.S. “They used to mock women wearing the Islamic niqab—now they are doing the same. We ridicule you like you ridiculed us,” reads a typical post, dated March 17, on the jihadist al Tawhid Awalan channel on Telegram, the encrypted messaging app. The statement accompanied a photo of Westerners in layers of protective clothing. Many jihadists are cheering the virus on. Balagh, a monthly magazine published out of Idlib, Syria, by clerics with al Qaeda sympathies, calls the virus “one of Allah’s soldiers”: the “corona-soldier.” This is a popular theme. Jihadist writer Khalid al Sibai warned on the Thabat news agency’s Telegram channel that this “tiny soldier,” which has so devastated the U.S. and its allies, could soon be joined by jihadist soldiers in the flesh—a threat. On Hamas’s al Aqsa TV, Imam Jamil al Mutawa boasted that Allah “sent just one soldier,” the virus, “and it has hit all 50 states” in America, driven Israel into lockdown, but left Palestinians mostly unaffected.”

ICT: The Virus Of Hate: Far-Right Terrorism In Cyberspace <[link removed]>

“Facebook attempts to fight the abuse of the service by extremists and removed 18 million examples of “terrorism content”, using expertise and artificial intelligence, as well as other tools such as video-matching technology and language detection. Yet, Facebook is losing the fight: in September 2018, the Counter Extremism Project (CEP) identified and monitored a selection of 40 Facebook pages that sell white supremacist clothing, music, or accessories, or represent white supremacist or neo-Nazi groups. CEP researchers recorded information for each page such as the number of likes, date of creation, and examples of white supremacist or neo-Nazi content. After two months, CEP reported the pages to Facebook, but 35 of the 40 remained online. As the report concludes, “Clearly, Facebook’s process for reviewing and removing this content-which violates its Community Standards is inadequate” (CEP, 2019, p.2). Facebook has also failed to stop a coordinated far-right operation profiting from disinformation and anti-Islamic hate almost two months after it was publicly exposed. A network of Facebook’s largest far-right pages were part of a coordinated commercial enterprise, prompting promises from the social media giant that it would crack down on the network.”



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The Counter Extremism Project - United States
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