April 13, 2020

Al Jazeera: US Offers $10m For Information On Hezbollah Commander In Iraq <[link removed]>

“The United States has offered up to $10m for information on Hezbollah commander Sheikh Mohammad al-Kawtharani, who was an associate of slain Iranian General Qassem Soleimani. Kawtharani was branded a “global terrorist” by the US in 2013, accused of funding armed groups in Iraq and helping transport Iraqi fighters to Syria to join President Bashar al-Assad's effort to put down a revolt against his rule. Announcing the reward, the US State Department said Kawtharani had “taken over some of the political coordination of Iran-aligned paramilitary groups” formerly organised by Soleimani, an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps commander assassinated in a US drone strike in Baghdad in January. “In this capacity, he facilitates the actions of groups operating outside the control of the Government of Iraq that have violently suppressed protests, attacked foreign diplomatic missions, and engaged in wide-spread organised criminal activity,” it said in a statement. The State Department said it was offering the sum for information on Kawtharani's activities, networks and associates as part of an effort to disrupt the “financial mechanisms” of the Lebanon-based Hezbollah.”

Deutsche Welle: Far-Right Terrorist Ringleader Found To Be Teenager In Estonia <[link removed]>

“Authorities in Estonia captured the leader of a far-right terrorist group called the “Feuerkrieg Division” (FDK), or ''fire war division,'' an online group with members that spread across several countries, Der Spiegel reported on Thursday. Investigators found the group was headed by a 13-year-old, the German magazinesaid, citing Estonian newspaper Eesti Ekspress. The young man operated online under the name “Commander” and was responsible for the recruitment and admission of new members.  He also shared bomb-making instructions, spoke about planning an attack on London and suggested organizing military training camps in February, to commemorate the “100th birthday” of Adolf Hitler's former political party NSDAP. Due to the suspect's age, he cannot be prosecuted in Estonia, Der Spiegel reported. Instead, authorities will have to seek other legal measures to protect him from himself and others. Reports suggest FDK operated almost entirely online and idolized right-wing terrorists as “saints,” calling on members to follow their example. As recently as October, the group wrote a series of tenets such as “we are not afraid to die and we kill anyone who gets in our way.”

ABC News: Afghan Taliban Confirms Release Of 1st Government Prisoners <[link removed]>

“The Taliban announced Sunday it will be releasing 20 Afghan government prisoners the group has been holding, in the first phase of its commitment under its historic peace deal with the United States. The deal calls for the government to release 5,000 Taliban prisoners in exchange for 1,000 government officials held by the Taliban insurgents. The Afghan government released its first 100 Taliban prisoners last week and Jawed Faisal, a spokesman for Afghanistan’s national security adviser, said the government has thus far released 300 Taliban prisoners overall from government custody. Suhial Shaheen, a spokesman for the Taliban’s political office, said in a tweet that the first government prisoners will be handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross in the southern Kandahar province. The exchanges come after the Taliban met with the head of U.S. forces in Afghanistan to call for an end to what they say is an increase in American attacks since a peace deal was signed in February, allegations the U.S. military denied."

United States

The Wall Street Journal: Justice Department Official Says Surveillance Law’s Lapse Impedes Terrorism Probes <[link removed]>

“The recent lapse of a set of federal surveillance powers has begun to limit the FBI’s ability to pursue some terrorism and espionage suspects, a top Justice Department official said, outlining how the ripple effects of the coronavirus pandemic are being felt across U.S. national security efforts. The Justice Department has been unable to obtain certain wiretaps and to file requests to obtain business records from companies in connection with national security investigations between five and 10 times since Congress allowed the surveillance provisions to expire last month, said John Demers, the head of the department’s national security division, in an interview. “The House legislation includes important reforms to FISA and reauthorizes national security tools that we would have used, but have not in the weeks since the law expired,” Mr. Demers said, referring to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, a decades-old law that has recently endured bipartisan scrutiny. Focused on addressing the coronavirus pandemic, lawmakers left Washington last month without renewing three FISA-enabled intelligence tools, which expired on March 15.”

Syria

Al Monitor: Islamic State Spreading Terror Once Again In Syrian Desert <[link removed]>

“A resilient Islamic State (IS) has become increasingly active over the past few weeks in eastern Syria, especially in the desert in the south and Kurdish areas in the north. IS militants have launched attacks against Syrian regime forces and their allied militias, while also targeting the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces to a lesser extent. These attacks point to IS’ ability to restructure cells and carry out large-scale operations. IS is likely to carry on its attacks, explosions and executions, especially in the eastern desert of the central province of Homs and the desert in eastern Deir ez-Zor. IS is taking advantage of the world’s and Syria’s preoccupation with the coronavirus crisis and the measures imposed to stem the spread of the coronavirus, including curfews and quarantines. On April 9, IS targeted a regime convoy and military posts in the Homs desert. Russian aircraft launched a series of air raids against IS positions there. The clashes and airstrikes killed 18 regime fighters and allied gunmen, and 11 IS militants, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. A military source close to the Syrian regime confirmed the battle, telling Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, “IS attacked Syrian regime positions near Al-Sukhna … April 9 at dawn. The town is part of the Syrian desert where IS has been very active lately.”

Al Monitor: Intelligence Sharing Remains Key To Fight Against IS <[link removed]>

“In late March, the Telegraph reported that four Islamic State (IS) militants escaped from the Ghweran prison in the northeastern Syrian city of Hasakah but were quickly recaptured. The Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which played such a critical role in destroying IS' so-called caliphate, are in charge of the prison. The US military was reported to have provided aerial reconnaissance assistance to support the SDF’s recapture of the IS prisoners. Other news stories said up to 12 prisoners escaped. The SDF continues to be responsible for the security of the prisons in northern Syria, where roughly 11,000-12,000 captured IS fighters are held. The March 30 prison incident highlights the conundrum surrounding the IS detainees. Western governments refuse to accept their repatriation, while the SDF believes they should face prosecution inside Syria, if necessary with an international tribunal. Although IS no longer controls large swaths of territory in Iraq and Syria, roughly 15,000-20,000 of the terror group's fighters have morphed into an insurgency. IS continues to mount guerilla attacks on Iraqi and Syrian security forces. IS sleeper cells are reportedly planning bombings and assassinations.”

The National: Dozens Killed In ISIS Attack On Syrian Town In Homs Province <[link removed]>

“At least 27 Syrian regime fighters were killed in an ISIS attack in the central province of Homs on Thursday, a war monitor said. Pro-government fighters backed by Russian air strikes were battling the militants to prevent them from entering the desert town of Al Sukhna in Homs, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The air raids and clashes killed 22 ISIS fighters, the Britain-based monitor said. “Russian aviation intervened to stop the jihadists from advancing and retaking the town,” Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said. But the militants managed to break through and entered parts of Al Sukhna in the evening, taking control of some neighbourhoods, he said. Syrian regime forces recaptured Al Sukhna from ISIS in 2017. Thursday's attack was the deadliest in the area since December, when ISIS fighters attacked an army garrison in a gas facility east of Homs city, killing four civilians and 13 troops or militiamen, Mr Abdel Rahman said. ISIS proclaimed a “caliphate” in parts of Syria and neighbouring Iraq in 2014. After years of various offensives against it, US-backed forces finally expelled ISIS from its last patch of territory in eastern Syria a year ago.”

Kurdistan 24: Kurdish Forces Arrest Senior ISIS Health Official In Northeast Syria's Hasakah <[link removed]>

“The Syrian Kurdish Anti Terror Forces (HAT) has arrested a senior health official in the ranks of the so-called Islamic State in rural northeastern Hasakah province, local sources said on Sunday. HAT is affiliated with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which is the US-led Coalition's partner in the fight against the terrorist organization in Syria. SDF media sources told Kurdistan 24 that a HAT unit arrested Mohammad Rashid Diyab, the head of the Islamic State Health Bureau, in a joint operation with the US-led Coalition in the Hasakah town of Shaddadi. The town was an Islamic State stronghold for its oil trade operations in northeast Syria and was liberated by the SDF in February 2016. The SDF source said on condition of anonymity that investigations with the detainee are still ongoing and could not give further information about the situation. The Syria-based North Press Agency reported they obtained footage of the operation but didn't publish it. The agency said the footage shows the HAT team surrounding a house in Shaddadi and capturing the Islamic State member who did not resist arrest.”

Iraq

Kurdistan 24: Iraqi Police Killed, Militant Captured In Three ISIS Attacks In Disputed Areas <[link removed]>

“Remnants of the so-called Islamic State late Sunday launched three separate attacks on members of the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) in both Kirkuk and Diyala provinces, killing a police officer and wounding others. The military communications center, known as the Security Media Cell, confirmed that the members of the terrorist organization attacked ISF forces in Mansourya village, located in southwest Kirkuk province. One federal police officer was killed, and the security forces captured a wounded Islamic State fighter. A local security source told Kurdistan 24 that several members of the terror group retreated into hiding following the attack. ISF members currently surround the village and are conducting a security sweep of the area. At the same time, local media reported that another group of Islamic State gunmen attacked an ISF checkpoint in the Jalawla district of Diyala province. This incident did not lead to any casualties, as per preliminary reporting. Jalawla, also known as Gulala in Kurdish, is one of the disputed territories between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the Federal Government of Iraq. Furthermore, Iraqi soldiers repelled another attack, as Islamic State fighters struck an army post in the village of Tal-Basal, located in Kirkuk's Daquq district.”

Afghanistan

Reuters: U.S. Commander In Afghanistan And Taliban Discuss Violence Reduction In Doha Meeting <[link removed]>

“The commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan met Taliban leadership in Doha to discuss the need to reduce violence in the war-torn country, spokesmen for both sides said on Saturday, as continued clashes threaten to derail a fragile peace process. The meeting between Taliban leaders and General Scott Miller, commander of U.S. forces and the NATO-led non-combat Resolution Support mission in Afghanistan, took place on Friday night. It came as the insurgent group accuses U.S. forces of breaching an agreement signed between the two sides in February. “General Miller met with Taliban leadership last night as part of the military channel established in the agreement,” a spokesman for U.S. Forces in Afghanistan told Reuters. “The meeting was about the need to reduce the violence,” he said. The February pact between the United States and the Taliban, under which international forces will withdraw in phases in exchange for Taliban security guarantees, is the best chance yet of ending the 18-year U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan. The spokesman for the Taliban’s political office in Doha also said on Twitter that the meeting discussed implementation of the agreement.”

Pakistan

The New York Times: Shelling Across Pakistan-India Border Kills Three <[link removed]>

“Shelling across the border between India and Pakistan killed three Indian civilians and wounded two Pakistani civilians, military officials from the two sides said on Sunday. Indian and Pakistani troops exchanged mortar and artillery shelling along the de facto border known as the Line of Control (LoC) that divides the disputed Kashmir region. The sporadic exchanges began on Saturday and continued into Sunday. Both countries claim the region in full, but rule only parts, and often accuse each other of breaching a 2003 ceasefire pact by shelling and firing across the LoC. Pakistani troops targeted civilians living near the LoC, killing three people, including a child and a woman, and wounding five, Vijay Kumar, police chief of Kashmir, told Reuters. Pakistan blames Indian troops for ceasefire violations and targeting civilians in Kashmir. Two Pakistani civilians were injured due to shelling from India, Major-General Babar Iftikhar of the public relations wing of the Pakistan Army, said in a Tweet. Tension between the two countries was renewed when New Delhi withdrew the autonomy of the Kashmir region in 2019 and split it into territories federally administered by India. Until then, it had had autonomy over all matters except defence, communications and foreign affairs.”

Lebanon

The Arab Weekly: Assassination Of Hezbollah Commander In South Lebanon Sparks Speculation <[link removed]>

“The assassination of Hezbollah commander Ali Mohammed Younes on April 4 in southern Lebanon could be related to internal feuds with the militant pro-Iran party especially in dealing with certain thorny issues such as ​​financial corruption, Lebanese political sources said. According to the sources, Younes was a known second-rank figure in the party in charge of counter intelligence. He worked on the ground in south Lebanon and his main task was to hunt spies and infiltrators. Younes was assassinated somewhere between the villages of Qaqaiyat al-Jisr and Zutar al-Gharbiyeh in southern Lebanon, an area entirely under Hezbollah’s control. Hezbollah was quick to circulate information saying that Younes was ambushed by assassins who came aboard three cars but observers in southern Lebanon ruled out the possibility that anybody from outside the area, including Israel, would ambush a leading figure of Hezbollah in that Lebanese location simply because Hezbollah knows exactly who is travelling in and out of the region. While Hezbollah sought to steer suspicion for the killing of Younes towards Israeli intelligence (the Mossad), a resident of the area said that Hezbollah’s account of the assassination did not seem accurate.”

Somalia

The Defense Post: US Airstrike Targets Al-Shabaab Near Kismayo, Covering Somali Troops <[link removed]>

“A U.S. airstrike killed 10 al-Shabaab militants in southern Somalia on Thursday, April 9, in defense of Somali National Army troops on the ground, Africa Command said. The strike came after suspected al-Shabaab militants “engaged” Somali National Army’s special Danab (Lighting) and Jubaland Security Force troops near Kobon, not far from the coastal city of Kismayo, AFRICOM said in a Friday release. Al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab has used Kobon to stage attacks on Somali National Army troops in the past, the U.S. military has said. Last year AFRICOM said a strike killed eight fighters near the town. The U.S. also conducted a targeted strike on Friday, killing one al-Shabaab militant in the town of Jilib, AFRICOM said. Neither strike killed any civilians, the command claimed. Friday’s was the latest in a series of targeted strikes on the town, which is controlled by al-Shabaab. The U.S. Special Operations and African Union troops have been supporting Somali Federal Government forces in an effort to push al-Shabaab militants out of rural areas around the capital at Mogadishu. The militants have killed hundreds of civilians in the capital and control swaths of Somalia’s rural south and have launched a number of deadly attacks in neighboring countries.”

Africa

The Washington Post: In West Africa, Trafficking Brings Human Suffering. But Removing It Can Set Off Instability. <[link removed]>

“Earlier this year, police in Niger broke up a complex trafficking and forced-labor ring involved in exploiting dozens of children and hundreds of Ghanaian workers. A catchall term for illicit movement of goods and people, “trafficking” evokes images of drugs, guns, kidnapping, abuse and even slavery — and is often associated with organized crime and human suffering. Controlling the profits from this type of activity is one driver of violent conflict in many parts of Africa, including West Africa’s Sahel region. In northern Mali, for instance, competing militias battle to control routes used to traffic shipments of illegal drugs. But my research suggests that ordinary people elsewhere in the Sahel region may experience trafficking quite differently. Much of the “contraband” crossing the region consists of everyday commodities necessary for survival in remote desert zones — things like spaghetti or gasoline. While some traffickers exploit vulnerable people for the sex trade or other forced labor, the migration hub at Agadez in northern Niger also has a history of helping migrants head north of their own volition to seek jobs and a better life in North Africa and Europe.”

Voice Of America: 1,000 Boko Haram Fighters Killed In Raid, Chad Army Reports <[link removed]>

“Chadian army officials report military forces have killed about 1,000 Boko Haram extremists in an operation on the islands of Lake Chad. In a video statement released late Thursday, Army spokesman Colonel Azem Bermandoa said the eight-day operation cleared the extremists from the islands in a vast area between Chad, Nigeria, Niger and Cameroon. He said 52 Chadian army soldiers also were killed and nearly 200 others wounded during the operation. The move follows a Boko Haram attack last month on a Bohoma army base. More than 92 soldiers were killed. Army officials called it the deadliest attack ever on the nation’s forces. Boko Haram extremists have killed tens of thousands and forced millions from their homes during their more than decade-long insurgency.”

Yahoo News: Chad's Army Says It Will Continue Joint Operations Against Jihadists <[link removed]>

“Chad's government said on Sunday that its army would continue to participate in regional taskforces targeting jihadist groups, as well as the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Mali, following President Idriss Deby's suggestion it might withdraw its troops. Chad is a key contributor to a multinational force in the Lake Chad basin fighting Nigerian jihadist group Boko Haram, and another farther north in the Sahel zone that counters militants linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State. It is also the largest troop contributor to the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Mali, known as MINUSMA, with more than 1,400 soldiers there as of January. In a speech broadcast on Friday that followed heavy fighting between the army and Boko Haram, Deby said: “From today, no Chadian soldier will take part in an external military operation.” However, in a statement on Sunday, Chad's foreign affairs ministry said Deby's remarks had been misinterpreted and only meant the army would no longer conduct unilateral operations beyond its borders in the Lake Chad basin. “It was never a question for Chad of disengaging from the (anti-Boko Haram) Multinational Joint Task Force or from the G5 Sahel joint force, much less from (MINUSMA),” the statement said.”

United Kingdom

The Times: Terrorism In The UK: Number Of Suspects Tops 40,000 After MI5 Rechecks Its List <[link removed]>

“MI5 is aware of more than 43,000 people who pose a potential terrorist threat to the UK, according to a government report — almost twice the number of terror suspects previously disclosed. After the 2017 attacks at London Bridge and Manchester Arena, it was revealed that MI5 had about 23,000 current and historic suspects on its radar. This included 3,000 so-called subjects of interest (SOI) who were under active investigation, as well as 20,000 people who had been investigated in the past and who might engage in terrorism in the future. The latter are known as “closed” subjects of interest (CSOI) and included terrorists such as Salman Abedi, who went on to kill 22 people in the Manchester Arena suicide bombing.”

Germany

The Jerusalem Post: Germany Imposes Four-Year Travel Ban On Senior Palestinian Terrorist <[link removed]>

“The German government has issued a four-year travel ban against a senior member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) who allegedly supports terrorism and Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against the Jewish state. The Palestinian journalist and alleged PFLP terrorist Khaled Barakat, who is based in Canada, said in a webinar in late March that the German authorities imposed a “four-year ban on me entering Germany” because “I support [the Palestinians'] right to resist Israel, call for the liberation of Palestine from river to sea… that I support the Palestinian organization and they name it the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).” The EU and the US both classify the PFLP as a foreign terrorist organization. Barakat is a senior member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, according to the Israeli government. Barakat also said that Germany cited his opposition to the Oslo peace plan and a two state solution for the Israel-Palestinian conflict, refusal to recognize Israel’s right to exist, as well as his support for the BDS campaign targeting the Jewish state in the 23-page ruling. The German document outlining the six reason for banning him deemed his refusal to recognize Israel’s right to exist as “antisemitic,” said Barakat.”

Southeast Asia

The New York Times: 1 Year After Attacks, Sri Lankans Mark Easter At Home <[link removed]>

“Christians in Sri Lanka celebrated Easter in their homes on Sunday, participating in religious services through television as churches remained closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. TV stations aired the Easter Vigil and Holy Mass in all three main languages used in the Indian Ocean island nation. But there were no organized events to remember the more than 260 people, mostly Catholics, who were killed in Islamic State group-inspired bomb attacks on three churches and three hotels in Sri Lanka last Easter. “Last year, some misguided youths attacked us and we as humans could have given a human and selfish response,” Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, the archbishop of Colombo, said in his sermon at a Mass celebrated at his residence on Sunday. “But we mediated on Christ's teachings and loved them, forgave them and had pity on them,” he said. “We did not hate them and return them the violence.” Sri Lanka has been under curfew for most of the past three weeks. The Church is planning a private ceremony on April 21 — the anniversary of the 2019 attacks — to remember the dead. Dushyanthan Niroshan, who works as a travel coordinator, said he participated in Holy Mass at home, but looked at it positively.”

Reuters: Myanmar Frees Journalist Who Was Charged Under Terrorism Law <[link removed]>

“A Myanmar journalist arrested on terrorism charges after publishing an interview with a spokesman for the Arakan Army rebel group was freed on Thursday and said police had told him they would not pursue the case. Nay Myo Lin, the editor-in-chief of Voice of Myanmar, was charged under sections of the Terrorism Act last week by a court in the second largest city, Mandalay, over a March 27 interview with the AA, which is waging a war in the conflict-torn western Rakhine region. Mandalay police declined to comment on his release when contacted by phone. Reuters was unable to contact the court for comment. A government spokesman declined to comment. The government declared the AA a terrorist group last month after more than a year of intense fighting against the organization, which recruits from the mostly Buddhist ethnic Rakhine majority and seeks greater autonomy for the region. In the March 27 article, the group’s spokesman gave his views about the designation. Nay Myo Lin told Reuters that police had told him they would not prosecute the case under the Terrorism Act, but that he had been asked to sign an agreement vowing to cooperate with any further questioning and had done so.”



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The Counter Extremism Project - United States
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