Eye on Extremism
April 17, 2020
Radio
Free Europe: Taliban Says It Released 20 More Afghan Government
Prisoners
“The Taliban says it has released a second group of Afghan security
forces it has been holding captive as part of a delayed swap
considered key to paving the way for peace talks between the two
sides. Suhail Shaheen, the spokesman for the Taliban’s political
office in Qatar, said on Twitter late on April 16 that 20 Afghan
soldiers and police officers were set free in the eastern province of
Laghman earlier in the day. Another Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah
Mujahid, said in a tweet on April 16 that the prisoners were handed
over to representatives of the International Committee of the Red
Cross (ICRC). Neither the ICRC nor the Afghan government have
confirmed the release. If confirmed, it would bring the total number
of prisoners released by the militants to 40. The Taliban released 20
Afghan troops in the southern province of Kandahar on April 12. The
Kabul government has released a total of 300 Taliban inmates since
April 8. A pact signed by the United States and the Taliban on
February 29 calls for the Afghan government to release 5,000 Taliban
fighters as a confidence-building measure ahead of formal peace talks
aimed at ending the 18-year conflict in Afghanistan.”
Arkansas
Democrat Gazette: Arkansas Targets Part Of Bomb Plot, FBI
Says
“A Missouri man who investigators said was planning to bomb a
Kansas City-area hospital was distressed by the government’s response
to the coronavirus crisis and motivated by racial, religious and
anti-government animus, according to newly unsealed court documents.
Timothy Wilson, 36, died March 24 in a firefight with FBI agents
serving a probable-cause arrest warrant on a Belton street. The plot
was reminiscent of the 1995 bombing of a federal building in Oklahoma
City. Wilson first talked of plans for an attack in April or June, but
FBI agents say he moved up that timeline as the coronavirus made its
way to Missouri. The violent take-down followed a long-running
domestic terrorism investigation that began in 2019 with Wilson’s
encrypted communications about bomb-building with Jarrett William
Smith, a 24-year-old Army infantry soldier who faces prison for
distributing bomb-making information through social media. Among
details in court records unsealed last week was that Wilson considered
attacking the University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas City, Kan.,
before settling on a plan to park a vehicle loaded with explosives and
detonate it in the parking lot of Belton Regional Medical Center in
Cass County, the Kansas City Star reported.”
United States
The
Washington Post: 3 Accused White Supremacists Denied Bond Amid Virus
Concerns
“Three Georgia men accused of belonging to a white supremacist
group and of plotting to kill a couple were denied bond Thursday after
requesting a hearing because of coronavirus concerns, authorities
said. Floyd County Superior Court Chief Judge Bryant Durham rejected
bond requests for 25-year-old Michael Helterbrand of Dalton;
19-year-old Jacob Kaderli of Dacula; and 21-year-old Luke Lane of
Silver Creek, news outlets reported. The three men face charges of
conspiring to kill members of a militant anti-fascist group and
participation in a criminal gang. Floyd County police said the men
belong to “the Base,” a group described by the FBI as a collective of
hardcore neo-Nazis, operating as a paramilitary organization that is
hostile to minority communities. An arrest affidavit said the men
planned to kill a married couple who were anti-fascist protesters —
part of the Antifa movement — and believed that killing the couple
would send a message to enemies of The Base. The men were previously
denied bond in February but requested another hearing amid coronavirus
concerns and delays. Lane’s attorney, Emily Matson, said social
distancing was impossible in jail and inmates don’t have access to
disinfectants.”
Al
Monitor: Intel: US Holds Virtual Anti-IS Meeting Amid COVID-19
Pandemic
“The US-led coalition to defeat the Islamic State convened a
virtual meeting today to discuss the fight against the remnants of the
terrorist group. “The political directors agreed to maintain maximum
pressure on [IS] despite the several and multifaceted challenges,
including those posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to achieve
the enduring defeat of the terrorist group in Iraq and Syria and to
remain vigilant against the threat of [IS] around the world,” the
coalition said in a join statement. “In particular, the political
directors agreed upon the importance of maintaining and allocating
adequate military and civilian means and resources to sustain
coalition efforts in Iraq and Syria, including providing support to
legitimate partner forces, in order to safeguard our collective
security efforts.” Why it matters: While the coronavirus pandemic has
forced the US-led coalition to scale back some of its operations,
today’s meeting is intended to signal that the United States remains
committed to continuing support for its partners in Iraq and Syria to
continue the fight against remaining IS cells. The coalition announced
last month that the pandemic has forced “temporary adjustments” to the
anti-IS fight.”
Iraq
The
New York Times: Iraq Says 2 Women Killed In Turkish Strikes On Kurdish
Group
“Turkish airstrikes targeting members of an outlawed Kurdish rebel
group struck a refugee camp in northern Iraq and killed two refugee
women, Iraqi authorities said Thursday. The strikes, which took place
on Wednesday, were a violation of Iraq’s sovereignty, Iraq's Foreign
Affairs Ministry said. The strikes on the Makhmour refugee camp were
carried out by a Turkish military drone that was detected by Iraq's
air defense, a statement from the ministry said. It expressed
“condemnation in the strongest possible terms over these Turkish
attacks” and said they also “constituted a serious violation of
international humanitarian law.” The Turkish government claims the
refugee camp is a hotbed of the Kurdistan Worker’s Party, or PKK, an
outlawed group in Turkey that is fighting an insurgency against
Ankara. “We know that some in the leadership level of the PKK have a
safe hideout in Makhmour and therefore we want this to be known by our
Iraqi friends, and at the end this needs to be addressed,” a Turkish
official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the
strikes. Iraq summoned the Turkish ambassador to the country, Fatih
Yildiz. During the meeting, Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohammed al-Hakim
stressed “the need to stop such serious violations and respect the
principles of good neighbourliness,” according to a statement.”
Al
Monitor: Iraq Condemns Turkish Strikes Against PKK In Kurdistan
Region
“In what it called a flagrant violation of its sovereignty, Iraq
says Turkish airstrikes inside its airspace targeted a refugee camp
and killed three civilians Wednesday. “We deplore the penetration of
Iraqi airspace by Turkish aircraft,” the Iraqi government-affiliated
Security Media Cell wrote on Twitter. “This provocative behavior is
inconsistent with the obligations of good neighbors.” On Wednesday,
news outlets in Iraq’s Kurdistan region reported that that an strike
killed three civilians near a refugee camp in the mountainous Makhmour
region and that another airstrike destroyed a shelter in the city of
Rawanduz belonging to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), an armed
Turkish insurgent group. Turkey has attacked the refugee camp before,
saying it is a haven for the PKK; The Associated Press quoted Iraqi
officials today as saying the strike was made with a drone. The
shelter bombing, which took place just 200 meters away from a
peshmerga headquarters northeast of Erbil, took out two
telecommunications towers, a local official told Rudaw. Turkey’s
Defense Ministry said, “Turkish fighter jets neutralized four PKK
terrorists,” according to a statement carried by the state-run Anadolu
Agency. The ministry said the jets struck Wednesday in the Qandil
region near the Iraq-Iran border.”
Afghanistan
Radio
Free Europe: Taliban Kills Nine Afghan Soldiers In Attack On Army
Post
“Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry says the Taliban has killed nine
government soldiers in an overnight attack on an army post in the
Charkh District of Logar Province, in the eastern part of the country.
Fawad Aman, a spokesman at the ministry, told RFE/RL that Taliban the
Taliban had suffered “heavy casualties,” in the violence, without
giving further details. Didar Ahmad Lawang, a spokesman for the
governor of Logar, confirmed the number of soldiers killed. The
Taliban did not immediately comment. Taliban militants have been
carrying out attacks despite signing a peace deal with the United
States in February aimed at ending the 18-year war. That deal
envisions the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Afghanistan by
July 2021 in exchange for counterterrorism guarantees from the
Taliban, which is obliged to launch direct talks with the Afghan
government over a permanent cease-fire and a power-sharing
arrangement. Scheduled for March 10, the intra-Afghan negotiations
have been delayed due to political bickering in Kabul and a dispute
among the warring sides over a prisoner swap.”
Saudi Arabia
Arab
News: Yemeni Convicted Of Terror Attack At Riyadh Show
Executed
“A Yemeni convicted of committing an armed terrorist attack after
he stabbed two people during a show in Riyadh was executed on
Thursday, a statement from the Saudi interior ministry said. Imad
Abdulqawi Al-Mansouri, stabbed members of a show team participating in
the Riyadh season, as well as a security guard, the ministry statement
said. Al-Mansouri was executed in Riyadh. “Al-Mansouri is also accused
of terrorizing people and causing chaos and terror amongst the
audience, assigned by one of the leaders of Al-Qaeda terrorist
organization in Yemen,” the statement added. He was captured by
security and referred to the Specialized Criminal Court. The convict
filmed himself with his mobile phone, before the attack, while wearing
a mask and delivering a poem inciting violence. He later sent the
video to others via WhatsApp.”
Egypt
Asharq
Al-Awsat: Sisi: Amiriya Incident Proved Egypt’s Capabilities In
Countering Terrorism
“Egyptian President Abdul Fattah el-Sisi said that al Amiriya
incident proved that Egypt is capable of countering terrorism and
preserving the safety and security of the homeland and citizens
despite all the challenges. On Wednesday, the Interior Ministry
announced it neutralized a “terrorist cell” in Amiriya area, eastern
Cairo, which was planning to attack Coptic Christians during Easter
celebrations. The ministry raided the group’s shelter and found a
cache of weapons and explosives which the militants were planning to
use in their terrorist attack. It said clashes erupted as the security
forces raided an apartment in the neighborhood and killed seven
militants, also a police officer got killed and three others were
injured. On Tuesday, Egyptian television showed images of the gun
battle between counter-terrorism forces and the terrorist elements,
while security officers appealed to people, through speakers, to stay
away from the area. Authorities held a military funeral for the police
officer in his hometown, and Sisi praised the operation, saying: “I
followed with great pride the heroic action of the interior ministry's
men, which confirms the bravery of police officers in the face of
terrorism.”
Libya
Daily
Sabah: 1 Child Killed, 3 Others Injured In Haftar Militia Attack In
Libya's Tripoli
“One child was killed and three others were injured early Thursday
in an attack by militias loyal to putschist Gen. Khalifa Haftar on
civilian settlements in Libya's capital. The militias targeted homes
in Tripoli with Grad missiles, the United Nations-recognized
Government of National Accord (GNA) said in a statement. A 5-year-old
child was killed and his siblings aged 2, 7 and 9 were injured, the
statement said. As part of measures against the coronavirus, a
cease-fire came into effect on March 21. Despite this, Haftar's
militias have continued their attacks on the capital. Libya has
reported one death from the virus, 35 cases and nine recoveries. It
recorded its first case of the coronavirus on March 24. Since the
ousting of late ruler Moammar Gadhafi in 2011, two seats of power have
emerged in Libya: Haftar in eastern Libya, supported by Egypt and the
United Arab Emirates, and the GNA in Tripoli, which enjoys U.N. and
international recognition. The GNA has been under attack by Haftar's
forces since last April, with more than 1,000 killed in the violence.
The U.N. says hundreds have been killed and more than 200,000
displaced in the year since Haftar launched his battle for Tripoli,
which quickly ground to a bloody stalemate.”
Africa
The
Christian Post: Jihadi Terrorists Killing Christians In Mozambique
Seek To Establish ‘Government Rule From
'Allah'
“Radical Islamic militants in the majority-Christian country of
Mozambique have their eyes set on instituting Sharia law and have
killed hundreds and displaced thousands in Southeast Africa. Over the
last two years, over 100,000 people have been displaced from their
homes and farms in the northern province of Cabo Delgado due to
increased massacres carried by terrorists. According to the
Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid
Operations, hundreds of villages have been burned or are now
completely abandoned after jihadists carried out an “indiscriminate
campaign of terror.” Voice of America News reports that in recent
weeks, jihadists seized government buildings, robbed banks, blocked
roads and raised their black-and-white flags over towns and villages
across the province. The U.S. news outlet reports that the militants
also released a propaganda video after a recent attack in which a
jihadi is seen telling fearful residents “we want everyone here to
apply Islamic law.” In the recently released video, the jihadists
don’t cover their faces. “We don't want a government from unbelievers,
we want a government from Allah,” a militant was quoted as saying in
the video in the local Kimwani language.”
The
Southern Times: The Growing Threat Of ISIS And Al-Qaeda In
Africa
“From the Sahel to Mozambique, terror attacks by groups affiliated
to ISIS and Al-Qaeda have been on the increase in recent years. Al
Venter takes a detailed look what is happening in the terror hotspots
and how African countries and their allies are responding to the
problem. Colonel Alain Bayle, erstwhile French military attaché in
London, with whom I shared a few confidences, intimated recently that
it was whispered within the corridors of power in the Élysée Palace
that Europe “faces a 400-year war against militant jihadists” in
Africa. Bayle’s grim words may seen exaggerated but they reflect an
even grimmer reality. What had started as a fairly limited upheaval in
Mali in 2012 has bloomed into a major conflagration that is
threatening to engulf not only the Sahelian states but much of West
Africa as well. Terror attacks in Mali have increased exponentially in
the past two years. In 2019, a total of 268 attacks were recorded in
that Sahelian state compared with 160 in 2018; fatalities rose from
310 in 2018 to 869 the following year. It is much worse in Burkina
Faso where there has been a 441.8% increase in fatalities between 2018
and 2019, coupled with double the number of attacks in the same
period.”
Southeast Asia
Long
War Journal: Islamic State Claims First Attack In Island Nation Of
Maldives
“Earlier today, the Islamic State claimed its first-ever attack in
the small island nation of Maldives. While the reported operation did
little in terms of damage, it does represent the further spread of the
group’s violence. In its weekly Al Naba newsletter, the Islamic State
reported that “an exclusive source told Al Naba that yesterday morning
soldiers of the Caliphate attacked 5 boats belonging to the apostate
Maldivian government.” The newsletter continued by saying that the
docked boats were burned on Mahibadhoo island in the Maldives’ Alif
Dhaal Atoll. Little additional information is given other than
repeating what Maldivian media has reported. According to local
outlets and authorities, five boats were indeed burned on the island
yesterday. Local authorities have referred to the attack as “arson”
and “a retaliatory attack for recent investigations into drug
trafficking and religious extremism.” While today’s statement is the
first officially claimed attack in the country, it is not the first
Islamic State-linked operation in the Maldives. Earlier this year,
three people were arrested after stabbing two Chinese citizens and one
Australian national on Hulhumale island. A local cell reportedly
claimed the operation in the name of the Islamic State, but the group
did not pick up and amplify that claim.”
Technology
Modern
Diplomacy: Is Internet Recruitment Enough To Seduce A Vulnerable
Individual Into Terrorism?
“Is Internet recruitment alone strong enough to recruit an
individual into a terrorist group, much less to incite him or her to
travel across continents to join, as in the case of the 40,000 or so
foreign terrorist fighters and their family members [FTFs] who
traveled to ultimately join the ISIS Caliphate in Syria and Iraq? Most
experts, until now, would likely answer no, stating that some
face-to-face element is necessary to seal the deal. A new study,
however, carried out by the International Center for the Study of
Violent Extremism [ICSVE] and based on 236 in-depth interviews carried
out by the first author, demonstrates that this is no longer true.
Based on these interviews, which queried about recruitment history and
experiences with and inside the terrorist group, among many other
aspects of the interviewees’ paths into and out of terrorism, the data
clearly show that Internet recruitment alone is enough to seduce a
vulnerable person into the group. Of the 236 ICSVE interviews that
have been translated and coded on 342 variables, 117 reported some
element of Internet-based recruitment as part of their process of
joining the group.”
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