Eye on Extremism

July 30, 2024

“Anjem Choudary, the leader of the banned terror group al-Muhajiroun, has been jailed for life and may never leave prison alive. He was found guilty of directing the group and encouraging support for it through online meetings. The sentence means that Choudary cannot seek to leave jail on licence until he is more than 85 years old. Choudary appeared shocked and rocked on his feet in the dock as he was given a minimum term of 28 years at Woolwich Crown Court. The extremist preacher was convicted last week of directing a terror organisation after a complex operation involving detectives and investigators in the US, Canada and the UK. Mr Justice Wall said Choudary’s group was a radical organisation that intended to spread sharia law, by violent means, to as much of the world as possible.”

Reuters: Uganda Court Charges 36 Opposition Supporters With Terrorism-Related Offences

“A Ugandan court charged 36 opposition supporters on Monday with terrorism-related offences after they were deported from neighbouring Kenya where they had travelled to attend a training course, court papers seen by Reuters showed. The 36 people, who are members of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), one of Uganda's biggest opposition parties, deny the charges. Their lawyer, Erias Lukwago, told reporters outside the magistrates' court in Kampala the charges were "ridiculous". The case comes amid protests by young people in both Uganda and Kenya against corruption, high taxes and other grievances. Kenyan authorities detained and then deported the 36 people after they had travelled to the western Kenyan city of Kisumu on July 23 to take part in a leadership and governance training course, their lawyer and party officials said. During their detention in Kenya "their properties were confiscated, including computers and phones.”

CEP Mentions

Tagesspiegel: Danger Of War On Israel’s Northern Border: Is Hezbollah Withdrawing From Southern Lebanon?

“Since a rocket hit the Israeli-annexed Golan on Saturday, killing twelve children and young people, diplomats have been working hard to prevent a war between Israel and the Islamist Hezbollah militia in southern Lebanon. Jerusalem declared that the attack on the Druze-populated town of Majdal Shams crossed a red line and announced counterattacks. […] Security expert Hans-Jakob Schindler sees "no real chance at the moment that Hezbollah will be persuaded to retreat behind the river." He told the Tagesspiegel newspaper: "At the moment, it is not only in the interest of Hezbollah, but also in the interest of Iran, which is Hezbollah's main sponsor , to keep tensions with Israel as high as possible."

iNews: Police ‘Must Be Supported’ Amid Claims Of Officers Downing Guns At Manchester Airport

“... Ian Acheson, a former prison governor and counter-terrorism expert at the Home Office, told i: “Airports all over the world now have routinely armed officers patrolling. Their main purpose is to stop terrorists committing a mass casualty event. “While we should wait for due process in relation to the Manchester incident, as a wider point we must ensure armed officers have the support of the public and the government to carry out their vital protective role. “We can’t know how many attacks these men and women have thwarted and we owe them our full support to carry out their tasks professionally within the law.” Mr Acheson said he believes policing bosses responsible for retaining volunteer firearms officers will be examining the Manchester Airport incident “with particular interest”. Though police officers are not allowed to join a trade union by law, they are represented collectively by the Police Federation.”

mrcTV: ‘Jane’s Revenge’ Abortion Activists Face Up To 10-Year Sentences

“In 2023, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody took action against pro-abortion activists Caleb Freestone, Amber Marie Smith-Stewart, Annarella Rivera, and Gabriella Victoria Oropesa, who vandalized a pregnancy center. According to an article by Life News, the activists spray-painted the following message on the pregnancy center's buildings: “If abortions aren’t safe, neither are you.” The vandals are affiliated with a group called “Jane’s Revenge,” which has “claimed responsibility for acts of vandalism and firebombings of anti-abortion offices and clinics,” according to the Counter Extremism Project.”

Daily Mail: A ‘Pursuit’ Of Online Fame And Fortune Drove Prison Guard With A Taste For ‘Bandits’ To Have Sex With Inmate In Viral Video, Say Her Family – Now She’s Left Colleagues In Danger

“[…] Prisons are predatory places,' Professor Ian Acheson, former prison governor and senior advisor to the Counter Extremism Project, told the Daily Mail. 'This alleged incident together with hardcore porn re-enactments will have been seen by thousands of prisoners thousands of times. 'The commodification of female officers as 'meat' will put them at active risk.' And he added: 'I am particularly worried about female officers working in the high security estate who are in close daily proximity to extremely dangerous people with no impulse control such as serial rapists and terrorists. 'This case is a public relations disaster for HM Prison and Probation Service. But more importantly it undermines the safety and security of front-line female staff who do such a vital job on our behalf.'”

Syria

Associated Press: How Two Syrians In Rome Are Using Hummus To Aid War Refugees And Help Migrants Integrate

“A pair of Syrians have created a community that provides support to migrants and vulnerable people in Rome, by sharing the flavors of a homeland torn by civil war. Founded in 2018 as a “humanitarian catering service,” HummusTown was originally aimed at raising funds for families and friends in Syria. It has since grown into a successful small business that has shifted from sending remittances to helping new migrants integrate in Italy, all the while gaining a steady following on Rome’s gastronomic scene. As the Syrian war continued to rage, Shaza Saker, a long-time U.N. employee living in Rome, and Joumana Farho, who was working as her cook, wanted to find a way to help people at home. Farho, 48, brought her “divine’’ cooking, while Saker, 49, networked. “I told her: ‘Let’s start inviting people over for dinner ... and whatever we make out of these dinners we’ll just send to Syria,” Saker said."

Turkey

Associated Press: Turkish Official Accuses Israel Of Targeting Erdogan After He Seemed To Threaten To Invade Over Gaza

“A senior Turkish official on Monday accused the Israeli government of trying to “hide your war crimes” by targeting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after he seemingly threatened to invade Israel. Fahrettin Altun, Erdogan’s head of communications, said on social media platform X that those who threaten the president “do so at their own peril.” The post criticized Israel’s actions against Palestinians in Gaza. In televised remarks to ruling party officials late Sunday, Erdogan had commented on Israel’s military operations. “Just like we entered Karabakh, just like we entered Libya, we might do similar to them,” he said. “There is no reason why we cannot do this ... We must be strong so that we can take these steps.” Erdogan, who has been highly critical of Israel’s offensive in Gaza, seemed to be referring to Turkish involvement in Libya’s conflict and to its support of Azerbaijan in fighting Armenian separatists in Nagorno-Karabakh.”

Afghanistan

Associated Press: The Taliban Disavows Some Afghan Diplomatic Missions Abroad And Rejects Their Consular Services

“The Taliban on Tuesday disavowed many Afghan diplomatic missions overseas, saying it will not honor passports, visas and other documents issued by diplomats associated with Afghanistan’s former Western-backed administration. It’s the Taliban’s latest attempt to seize control of diplomatic missions since returning to power in 2021. Many of their leaders are under sanctions and no country recognizes them as Afghanistan’s legitimate rulers. The country’s seat at the United Nations is still held by the former government that was led by Ashraf Ghani. In a statement posted to the social media platform X, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that documents issued by missions in London, Berlin, Belgium, Bonn, Switzerland, Austria, France, Italy, Greece, Poland, Australia, Sweden, Canada and Norway are no longer accepted and that the ministry “bears no responsibility” for those documents.”

Pakistan

Voice Of America: Pakistan Arrests Radical Islamist Leader For Placing Bounty On Chief Justice

“Police in central Pakistan on Monday arrested a leader of a far-right Islamist party on charges of ordering the assassination of the country’s top judge over his alleged support for minority Ahmadis. Zaheerul Hassan Shah, deputy chief of Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan, or TLP, was taken into custody under the anti-terrorism law in Punjab, the country’s most populous province, according to an official police complaint. The arrest came a day after Shah was seen in a viral video on social media announcing to a crowd of TLP supporters that he would personally give 10 million rupees ($36,000) to anyone who beheads Supreme Court Chief Justice Qazi Faez Esa. The radical leader delivered the speech in the provincial capital of Lahore, accusing the 65-year-old top judge of “desecrating the law of the country.” The rally was one of a series of public gatherings organized by TLP in recent days in parts of Pakistan to condemn Esa for granting bail to a member of the minority Ahmadi community, who was accused of posting material against Islam on social media."

Middle East

Reuters: New Mass Exodus Hits Central Gaza As Hamas Says Israel Stalls On Ceasefire

“Thousands of Palestinians fled a community in the central Gaza Strip on Monday in the face of new Israeli evacuation orders, worsening the humanitarian plight in an area already inundated with displaced people fleeing an assault in the south. Islamist group Hamas accused Israel of blocking a ceasefire, saying Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government had inserted new conditions into a longstanding truce proposal at the lastest talks, conducted through international mediators. Israeli forces, which have now captured nearly the entire Gaza Strip in nearly 10 months of war, have spent the last several weeks launching major operations in areas where they had previously claimed to have uprooted Hamas fighters. Hundreds of thousands of people have converged on Deir al-Balah, a small city in the centre of the enclave that is the only major area yet to be stormed, many forced there by fighting in the ruins of Khan Younis further south since last week.”

Reuters: Israeli Officials Say They Want To Avoid All-Out War In Lebanon Retaliation

“Israel wants to hurt Hezbollah but not drag the Middle East into all-out war, two Israeli officials said on Monday, as Lebanon braced for retaliation after a rocket strike that killed 12 children and teenagers in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Two other Israeli officials said Israel was preparing for the possibility of a few days of fighting following Saturday's rocket strike at a sports field in a Druze town that it blamed on the Iranian-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah. Hezbollah has denied any connection with the incident. Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said any Israeli attack on Lebanon would have "serious consequences" for Israel, Iranian state media quoted him on Monday as telling French President Emmanuel Macron in a phone call. Pezeshkian did not elaborate.All four Israeli officials, who included a senior defence official and a diplomatic source, spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity and gave no further information about Israel's plans for retaliation.”

Reuters: Druze In Shock As War Between Israel And Hezbollah Strikes Home

“For many of the Druze community in the Golan Heights mourning 12 youngsters killed in a missile strike at the weekend, the carnage came as a shock despite the months of daily rocket fire and air strikes between Israel and southern Lebanon. Even when the rockets were flying elsewhere, the community felt largely safe, said Raya Fakher Aldeen, a resident of Majdal Shams, the Druze village where children and teenagers were playing football when the missile landed on Saturday. "It was a shock because not once in the last nine months, even when the sirens were sounding, did we feel we were being targeted," she said. Israel has accused the Iranian-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah of carrying out the strike and on Monday, during a visit to Majdal Shams, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised a "harsh response". Hezbollah denies killing the youngsters but said it had launched strikes on what it said were military targets in nearby areas of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.”

Mali

BBC: Russian Commander Killed In Sandstorm Ambush In Mali

“A commander in a Russian mercenary group has been killed in Mali following an attack by rebel fighters during a sandstorm, the group said. The military regime in the West African state had turned to the notorious Wagner group in 2021, seeking support in fighting jihadist and separatist forces. On Monday the Russian outfit - which has now morphed into a group named Africa Corps - said it had joined Mali's military in "fierce battles" against separatist rebels and jihadist militants last week. However, the separatists launched a major attack, killing an estimated 20 to 50 mercenaries, sources close to Africa Corps told the BBC. Similarly, several Russian military bloggers reported that at least 20 were killed in the ambush near the north-eastern town of Tinzaouaten. In an official statement posted to Telegram, the Russian mercenary group did not specify how many of their troops had died, but they confirmed suffering "losses". This included a commander, Sergei Shevchenko, who was killed in action.”

Australia

Reuters: Australian Inquiry Will Hear Evidence That Christian Extremists Killed 3 In An Act Of Terrorism

“An inquiry will hear evidence that three Christian extremists who killed two police officers and a bystander and wounded a third police officer in an ambush on a rural Australian property in 2022 committed an act of terrorism aimed at intimidating state authorities, a coroner was told on Monday. Queensland State Coroner Terry Ryan began hearing the inquiry into a siege in the sparsely populated Wieambilla region west of the state capital, Brisbane, on Dec. 12, 2022. Brothers Gareth and Nathaniel Train and Gareth’s wife Stacey Train were killed by police hours after they fired on four police officers who attended their fortified Wieambilla property to check on Nathaniel’s welfare. Stacey had been married to Nathaniel and had two children with him before marrying his older brother. The lawyer presenting the evidence, Ruth O’Gorman, said in her opening statement that Deakin University political sociologist Josh Roose would give evidence to the hearing that the ambush was terrorism.”

Southeast Asia

ABC: The Extremist Group Behind The Bali Bombings Says It Has Disbanded. Can It Be Believed?

“After decades of fighting Indonesia's democratic government and promoting violence to establish an Islamic state in South-East Asia, the notorious militant group Jemaah Islamiah declared in late June that they would be disbanding. The Al Qaeda-linked organisation became the face of violent extremism in the region after they detonated bombs at nightclubs in Bali's Kuta tourist district in 2002. In that attack, they took the lives of 202 people including 88 Australians and 38 Indonesians, injured 240 others, and left a trail of misery for countless more mourning the dead. Their attacks in Bali and elsewhere are among the worst acts of terrorism South-East Asia has ever seen. So when Jemaah Islamiah leaders say they've renounced terrorism, should we believe them? The group was officially founded in 1993 by spiritual leaders Abdullah Sungkar and Abu Bakar Bashir, who had trained in Afghanistan.”

Technology

Wired: TikTok Has A Nazi Problem

“Neo-Nazis and white supremacists are sharing Hitler-related propaganda and trying to recruit new members on TikTok, according to a new report from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) shared exclusively with WIRED. The TikTok algorithm is also promoting this content to new users, researchers found, as extremist communities are leveraging the huge popularity of TikTok among younger audiences to spread their message. The report from ISD details how hundreds of extremist TikTok accounts are openly posting videos promoting Holocaust denial and the glorification of Hitler and Nazi-era Germany, and suggesting that Nazi ideology is a solution to modern-day issues such as the alleged migrant invasion of Western countries. The accounts also show support for white supremacist mass shooters and livestream-related footage or recreations of these massacres.”

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