Eye on Extremism
August 13, 2019
NBC
News: A Former White Supremacist's Warning: No One's Properly
Addressing Online Extremism
“When Mak Kapetanovic saw the screed connected to the alleged
gunman who attacked two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, he
immediately recognized the obscure internet references and the racist
ideology. Kapetanovic, 22, of Jacksonville, Florida, once subscribed
to those beliefs and frequented the same dark corners of the internet
that are now the target of international condemnation. Since
Christchurch, two more mass shootings have been connected to
internet-fueled extremism. But Kapetanovic got out. “I grew up on the
same memes that probably the New Zealand shooter did,” he said. “And a
lot of the same ideas were fed to both of us, but he killed 50 people,
and now I'm fighting against that ideology.” Internet-born race-based
extremism has emerged as a national topic of discussion due primarily
to recent public acts of mass violence by people who also posted
ideological screeds that provided a roadmap to how they were
radicalized. Those screeds have detailed how both mainstream platforms
and fringe internet forums can lead people — most notably young men —
to white supremacist rhetoric. Researchers have found that the digital
ecosystem that has fostered and promoted extremist content has evolved
over a handful of years, thanks in part to platforms like YouTube that
have been financially incentivized to recommend videos with the most
emotional impact to its users.”
CNN:
Yemen's Civil War Within A Civil War
“Last Wednesday, fighting broke out in the coastal city of Aden,
the temporary seat of the internationally recognized government of
Yemen. But this time it was not the Saudi-led coalition battling
Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, as has usually been the case in the
country's past four years of brutal civil war. Instead, factions
within the coalition took arms against each other, killing dozens and
threatening the alliance between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab
Emirates. By Sunday, the separatist Southern Transitional Council
(backed by the UAE) was effectively in control of Aden and its nominal
ally, the government of exiled President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi
(backed by Saudi Arabia), was nowhere to be seen. In four days of days
of fighting between the southern separatists and the president's
forces, 40 people were killed and 260 injured. As the separatists made
gains, the Saudi-led coalition intervened to defend the government,
hitting an empty field at the presidential palace after the
separatists took control of it. The southerners took the airstrike as
a warning shot and left the palace, but remained in control of
Aden.”
The
New York Times: F.B.I. Wants To Interrogate Egyptian Man In Brazil,
Citing Qaeda Links
“The F.B.I. on Monday said it was seeking to interrogate an
Egyptian man who arrived in Brazil last year, calling him a suspected
operative for Al Qaeda who has been involved in planning attacks
against the United States. Hours after the bureau issued a notice
seeking information about the man, Mohamed Ahmed Elsayed Ahmed
Ibrahim, the Brazilian government said in a statement that it “stands
ready to cooperate with authorities in the United States” in this
case. The statement also said Mr. Ibrahim, 42, had arrived in Brazil
in 2018 and was living there lawfully. Neither government said where
in the country Mr. Ibrahim had settled. Brazil’s Justice Ministry in
late July issued a new regulation giving the government greater
authority to expel foreigners who were deemed dangerous. It was not
immediately clear whether that measure was related to the F.B.I.’s
interest in Mr. Ibrahim. The F.B.I. bulletin warned that Mr. Ibrahim
should be considered armed and dangerous. The bulletin did not suggest
he was facing criminal charges, but terrorism charges are often filed
under seal. The notice, which was issued by the bureau’s New York
field office, says Mr. Ibrahim is suspected of “providing material
support to Al Qaeda since approximately 2013.”
NBC
News: Charlottesville's White Supremacists Are Being Targeted By A Law
That Took Down The KKK
“Two years ago Monday, hundreds of neo-Nazis and white supremacists
descended on Charlottesville, Virginia, in the so-called “Unite the
Right” rally. What they came to do was not peacefully protest the
removal of a Confederate statue as advertised, but orchestrate
a weekend of racially motivated violence and hate. The bloodshed and
animus did not end there. Instead, the cycle of white nationalist
violence has continued to this day, devastating Pittsburgh;
Christchurch, New Zealand; Poway, California; and, most recently, El
Paso, Texas. The law enforcement is finally intensifying its work to
track and disrupt these groups, and legislators are considering
stronger laws to combat domestic terrorism. But already, citizens
themselves possess tools to fight back. And that’s what my
organization, Integrity First for America, is doing. A number of
federal and state civil rights statutes allow victims to file suit
against those who commit hate crimes. Integrity First for America is
working with a coalition of Charlottesville community members injured
in the Unite the Right rally to sue the two dozen individuals and
organizations responsible. By holding the perpetrators accountable in
court, we have the potential to bankrupt and dismantle the groups at
the center of this violent movement.”
Financial
Times: US Troop Drawdown Complicated By Afghanistan’s Resurgent
Taliban
“Almost two decades after the US invaded Afghanistan, President
Donald Trump has made clear his intention to end America’s
longest-running war. “I want to get out of these crazy wars that we
should have never been in,” he said late last month as Mike Pompeo,
his secretary of state, made clear that it would be “job enhancing” if
the roughly 14,000 troops had withdrawn from Afghanistan before next
year’s US presidential election. If, and when, these forces fly home,
the task of confronting the resurgent Taliban would be left to the
government in Kabul. The Islamist movement, which controls
Afghanistan’s lucrative opium trade, now by some estimates holds more
territory than at any point since it was ousted by the US invasion.
Some analysts believe a full US withdrawal could unleash a repeat of
the brutal civil war and Taliban rule that followed the Soviet Union’s
invasion of Afghanistan in the 1980s. Self-interested neighbours would
step into the vacuum, experts say, echoing the “Great Game” rivalry
between the UK and Russia for control of Afghanistan in the 19th
century. “The Pakistanis and Chinese [would be] the major
beneficiaries” of a US withdrawal, said Harsh Pant, foreign policy
analyst at the Observer Research Foundation, an Indian
think-tank.”
United States
NBC
News: Dayton Shooter's Friend Bought Body Armor, Gun Accessories Used
In Deadly Attack, Prosecutors Say
“A longtime friend of Dayton shooter Connor Betts allegedly bought
the body armor, 100-round magazine and a firearm accessory used in the
deadly attack that killed nine people, officials said Monday. Ethan
Kollie, 24, of the Dayton suburb of Kettering, was charged with two
offenses, not connected to the Aug. 4 massacre — falsely denying that
he was a drug user when buying a handgun for himself in May, and then
possession of a firearm while unlawfully using drugs. But Kollie's
weapons played no role in the mass shooting, investigators said. And
authorities also emphasized that Kollie appeared to play no part in
the planning of Betts' mass shooting in the early morning of Aug. 4.
“To be clear, there is no evidence and allegation in this criminal
complaint that Kollie intentionally participated in the planning of
Betts' Aug. 4 shooting,” U.S. Attorney Benjamin Glassman for the
Southern District of Ohio said. “I don't want that to be
misconstrued.” Court documents said Kollie bought the equipment and
kept them in his apartment “to assist Betts in hiding them from Betts'
parents.” In addition to the body armor and magazine, Kollie also
purchased for Betts an “upper receiver of the AR-15 weapon,” according
to a criminal complaint.”
New
York Daily News: Attorneys For Alleged Terrorist Sayfullo Saipov
Demand Feds Reveal Wiretaps With ISIS Supporters Or Drop Death Penalty
For Hudson River Bike Path Attack
“The feds must reveal “years-long” wiretaps between ISIS supporters
and accused Hudson River bike path terrorist Sayfullo Saipov or drop
the death penalty for the attack that killed eight, his attorneys
write in new papers. Saipov’s federal defenders have fought for access
to the wiretaps for over eight months, arguing that information from
the secret conversations was used by investigators interrogating the
alleged terrorist at Bellevue Hospital immediately after the October
2017 attack with a rental pickup truck. In new papers, federal
defender David Patton argues that Saipov’s alleged “ISIS-related
motivations” are critical to the case against capital punishment. “The
government must make a choice: its death penalty or its secrecy,”
Patton wrote in a letter filed Friday in Manhattan Federal Court. “The
degree to which Mr. Saipov was influenced by a community of people who
embraced, or at least sympathized with, the goals of designated
foreign terrorist organizations in Syria and elsewhere is a necessary
aspect of the defense’s mitigation investigation. But without access
to what the government knows about Mr. Saipov’s contacts’ interaction
with and support for radical Islamism, the defense is at a clear
disadvantage.”
NPR:
Former Charlottesville Mayor Shares Painful Lessons From Fight Against
Hate
“It was late August in Charlottesville, Va., two years ago this
month, with temperatures pushing into the high 80s. But what
then-Mayor Mike Signer remembers most vividly about those days is the
cold. He'd walk into rooms and instantly feel a chill, an iciness,
from townsfolk who had lost faith in their leadership. Sometimes
people cried, sometimes they screamed. “You had a whole city that
basically needed therapy,” Signer said. At the time, less than a month
had passed since hundreds of racists descended on Charlottesville for
a violent rally that came to symbolize the dangers of a reinvigorated
white supremacist movement. Signer, as mayor, was the face of the
city's response. And when the tiki torches and hateful chants spiraled
into clashes and a deadly car ramming, Signer became the face of
the city's many failures. An independent review found that officials
had botched security and communication for the rally; Signer didn't
seek a second term. He has repeatedly blamed police for the missteps
in planning and response, but, overall, he acknowledges that as head
of the local government, he bears responsibility. And he's spent much
of the past two years on a mission that seems equal parts education
and atonement.”
Syria
Al
Monitor: How Syrians In Kurdish Areas Get Rid Of
Extremism
“A number of rigged motorcycles and car bombs, for which the
Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility, have recently shaken
up Hasakah province in northeastern Syria, killing a number of
civilians and military personnel and injuring others, and causing
significant material damage. The attacks have pushed the authorities
in the area, which is controlled by the Kurdish-led autonomous
administration, to launch a crackdown against IS cells that remain
active despite the group’s defeat. The military council in Hasakah
province announced Aug. 1 the arrest of gunmen, including one Iraqi,
affiliated with IS in the predominantly Arab neighborhood of Ghuwairan
in Hasakah city. According to security sources and eyewitnesses who
spoke to the media, large quantities of weapons, highly explosive
phosphorus and other raw materials for making improvised explosive
devices were confiscated. Detainees were transferred to detention
centers and investigations are still ongoing. The crackdown coincided
with an aerial landing of coalition forces in al-Haddadiya in
al-Shadadi countryside, targeting and arresting a wanted IS
operative.”
Iraq
The
Jerusalem Post: 1 Killed, 29 Injured After Explosions Reported At
Iraqi Shia Milita Base
“One person was killed and 29 others were injured after explosions
were reported at a base of Iranian-backed Shia militias south of
Baghdad, Iraq, according to Sky News Arabia. Shortly after, shells
fell in the Green Zone of Baghdad where the American Embassy in Iraq
is located, according to Sky News Arabia. The Iraqi Ministry of Health
earlier said 13 people were injured in the explosion, according to the
Iranian IRNA news agency. An Al Mayadeen correspondent reported that
the explosions were caused by shells hitting the base held by al Hashd
ash-Sha'abi or Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) located in the Abu
Dshir area, according to preliminary information. Al-Ain news reported
that an unidentified aircraft carried out the attack on the base to
which the PMU recently transferred heavy weapons and missiles. Video
from the site showed clouds of smoke billowing from one of the weapons
stores belonging to the PMU. Reuters reported that the explosions were
caused by a large fire at the weapons depot and injured 14 people when
rockets stored in the depot went off and hit neighborhoods in the
area. A police source said the fire was probably caused by negligence
leading to poor storage conditions and high temperatures, according to
Reuters.”
The
National: Ordeal Continues For Shiite Turkmen Women Kidnapped By
ISIS
“On a hot night at the beginning of July, Ceylan climbed onto the
roof of her aunt’s house. She sat alone, looking at the dark sky and
the stars speckled across it, and began to cry. “I went up at 10pm and
came down at 1am, and I was crying all of that time. It was a kind of
depression,” she says. “This has happened to me several times. If I
don’t cry, I feel suffocated.” The 17-year-old, who asked that her
real name not be used, was one of about 450 Shiite Turkmen women and
girls kidnapped from Tal Afar by ISIS militants as they overran
northern Iraq five years ago this month. The few who have returned –
just 44 so far, 22 of them young women and girls like Ceylan – tell of
being subjected to similar sexual abuse as that which ISIS inflicted
on thousands of women from Iraq’s Yazidi community. But unlike the
Yazidis, the Shiite Turkmen survivors have not been officially
welcomed back by religious authorities, contributing to the stigma
that they face in their community. This, together with their smaller
number, has meant their suffering at the hands of ISIS hands has gone
largely untold and unreported. Ceylan never shows her sadness in front
of what remains of her family, so she seeks solitude in which to
weep.”
Afghanistan
The
New York Times: As U.S. Nears A Pullout Deal, Afghan Army Is On The
Defensive
“As the United States appears to be nearing a deal with the
Taliban on pulling its troops from Afghanistan, the country’s security
forces are in their worst state in years — almost completely on the
defensive in much of the country, according to local military
commanders and civilian officials. Afghan commanders vowed last year
to take the offensive, rather than go on fighting a static “checkpoint
war.” But in most major battlegrounds, the bulk of the regular Afghan
forces are still holed up in fortified bases and outposts. Most
offensive operations have been left to small numbers of Afghan and
American Special Operations soldiers, backed by both countries’ air
forces. The woeful state of the regular Afghan forces has been widely
seen as giving the Taliban a valuable edge in its negotiations with
the United States, which have gone on for eight rounds in Doha, Qatar,
and are believed to be near a conclusion. An announcement could come
as early as Tuesday but also may be delayed, perhaps for weeks. An
analysis of more than 2,300 combat deaths of government forces,
compiled in daily casualty reports by The New York Times from January
through July, found that more than 87 percent occurred during Taliban
attacks on bases, checkpoints or command centers.”
ABC
News: No Deal Announced As US, Taliban Wrap Up Latest
Talks
“The latest round of talks between the Taliban and the United
States ended early Monday without any sign a peace deal had been
reached for Afghanistan, as both sides said they would consult with
their leaderships on the next steps. A Taliban spokesman had said last
week that this eighth round of talks would conclude with a deal to end
the nearly 18-year war, America's longest. The two sides have been
discussing an agreement under which U.S. forces would withdraw
from Afghanistan and the Taliban would guarantee the country would not
revert to being a launch pad for global terrorist attacks. U.S. envoy
Zalmay Khalilzad said the talks that began on Aug. 3 in the Gulf
nation of Qatar were “productive” and that he was heading to
Washington for consultations. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid
called the discussions “long and useful.” Neither provided details on
their outcome. The Taliban have continued to stage near-daily attacks
across Afghanistan despite the months of negotiations with the U.S.
The attacks mainly target Afghan forces and government officials but
also kill many civilians . The U.S. has pressed for a cease-fire and a
framework for inter-Afghan talks, but so far the insurgents have
refused to recognize the Afghan government, dismissing it as a U.S.
puppet.”
The
Diplomat: How Islamic State Infiltrated Kabul
University
“In September 2018, Ghulam Abas, coach of Maiwand wrestling club in
the Dasht-e-Barchi neighborhood of Kabul, was training athletes when
an Islamic State suicide bomber opened fire on the guard. As he rushed
to open the emergency door, the bomb denoted in the club, which was
packed with athletes. Abas lost his left arm but survived; 20 of his
young trainees were killed and 70 others wounded. In July 2019,
Afghanistan’s spy agency, the National Directorate of Security (NDS),
arrested four suspects on charges of designing the attack on the
wrestling club. The suspects were not from Afghanistan’s rural areas —
they were lecturers and students at the country’s largest university:
Kabul University. “We do not expect students of Kabul University to
target our club,” said Abas. “Students of Kabul University are
expected to build a bright future for the country and run the country
tomorrow.” Ghulam Abas, the 51-year-old coach of a wrestling club in
Kabul, lost his arm in a terrorist attack allegedly masterminded by
Kabul University Students. Photo by Ezzatullah Mehrdad. Amid raging
insurgency in the country, people pin their hope on the partially
U.S.-funded Kabul University to educate a liberal and open-minded
generation.”
Pakistan
The
New York Times: Pakistan’s Envoy Suggests Kashmir Crisis Could Affect
Afghan Peace Talks
“Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States raised the possibility
Monday that his country might redeploy troops from the Afghanistan
border to the Kashmir frontier, a shift that could complicate American
peace talks with the Taliban. Such a possibility, coming just as
Pakistan’s longstanding Kashmir crisis with India has escalated, could
add a new element to the peace negotiations, which are said to be in
the final stages and would end nearly two decades of American military
entanglement in Afghanistan. Pakistan’s ambassador, Asad Majeed Khan,
emphasized in an interview with The New York Times editorial board
that the Kashmir and Afghanistan issues were separate and that he was
not attempting to link them. On the contrary, he said, Pakistan
hoped the American talks with the Taliban would succeed and that his
country was actively supporting them. “We are doing all that we can
and will continue,” Mr. Khan said. “It’s not an either-or situation.”
Nonetheless, Mr. Khan said, India’s crackdown on the disputed region
of Kashmir, on Pakistan’s eastern border with India, “could not have
come at a worse time for us,” because the Pakistanis have sought to
strengthen military control along the western border with Afghanistan,
an area long infiltrated by Taliban militants, as part of the effort
to help end the Afghanistan conflict by denying the group a safe
haven.”
Nigeria
Xinhua:
12 Killed In Gunfight Between Nigerian Troops, Boko Haram
Militants
“Eight Boko Haram militants and two Nigerian soldiers were killed
following a gunfight between troops and the terror group in the
troubled northeastern state of Borno, according to military sources on
Monday. Two civilians later died after being hit by stray bullets
during the crossfire late Saturday in Gubio, around 80 km north of
Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, said the sources who asked to be
anonymous. The gunfight lasted for about five hours, as the militants
attempted to overrun a military base in Gubio town. Xinhua's sources,
however, said the military successfully repelled the attack. “Many
other Boko Haram fighters were wounded. They fled due to the
military's strong firepower,” one source said. A gun truck belonging
to the Boko Haram group, as well as other weapons, which they
abandoned, were recovered after the troops had successfully thwarted
the attack. Governor Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno also confirmed the
gunfight, saying the government was providing necessary logistic
support to troops to ensure total victory over Boko Haram. Mohammed
Abdullahi, a leader of the government-backed militia group, the
Civilian Joint Task Force, told Xinhua that their combined effort with
troops led to the triumph over the fleeing Boko Haram fighters.”
United Kingdom
The
Independent: Children Of British ISIS Members Will Not Be Allowed To
Return To UK, Government Rules
“Children of British Isis members stranded in Syria will not be
allowed to return to the UK, the government has reportedly decided.
At least 30 British children are currently being held with their
mothers in camps in northern Syria, after being detained as they fled
the crumbling Isis caliphate. The government has been under pressure
to bring them home from the dangerous and overcrowded camps, both from
local Syrian authorities and from the Trump administration. Earlier
this year the infant son of Shamima Begum, the teenager who fled her
home in Bethnal Green to join Isis, died weeks after arriving at one
of the facilities. The former foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt had said
following the death that the government was working with the then
international development secretary, Penny Mordaunt, on whether
the children could be safely returned. But Sajid Javid, the former
home secretary, concluded after a review that it would be too
dangerous to send officials to retrieve the children from Syria,
according to The Times – despite the camps being regularly visited by
British aid workers and journalists. A number of European countries
have repatriated stranded children, however. France, Germany, Norway
and Denmark have all brought a small number back, most of whom were
orphans whose parents were killed during the caliphate’s final
months.”
France
France
24: Paris Attacks Suspect Charged Over Brussels Suicide
Bombings
“Salah Abdeslam, the sole surviving suspect in the November 2015
Paris attacks, has been formally charged in connection with the
Brussels suicide bombings months later, federal prosecutors said
Monday. Abdeslam was charged with “participating in the activities of
a terrorist group,” the federal prosecutor's office told AFP,
confirming reports in the Belgian media in recent days. The
prosecutor's office did not give details of his alleged role in
the suicide bombings at Brussels airport and a city metro station on
March 22, 2016, which killed 32 people and wounded 340 others.
The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attacks which
occurred within an hour of each other. Investigators say the attacks
were ordered from Syria and organised by a French-Belgian cell in
Brussels, which was also behind the November 13, 2015 attacks in Paris
that killed 130 people and wounded hundreds of others. In April, a
Belgian court sentenced Abdeslam to 20 years in prison over a gun
battle with police in Brussels that led to his capture days before the
Brussels suicide bombings. Abdeslam, a Belgian-born French national
who hails from the Brussels Molenbeek neighbourhood, is being held in
jail in France pending a separate trial over the Paris attacks.”
The
National: UN Investigator Rebukes France Over Extremist Captives In
Iraq
“A UN human rights expert chided France on Monday for its possible
role in the transfer of seven suspected terrorists from Syria to Iraq,
but the European country's Foreign Ministry dismissed her concerns as
speculation. The seven French nationals were arrested by the Syrian
Democratic Forces before being transferred to Iraq in February, and UN
extrajudicial executions investigator Agnes Callamard accused the
French government of being involved. Ms Callamard said the men were
sentenced to death after “unfair trials” in Iraq. She urged France to
repatriate the men so they receive justice. “I am particularly
disturbed by allegations that France may have had a role in this
transfer, given the risk involved of torture and unfair trials, and
that they would likely face the death penalty,” Ms Callamard said. She
also described the Iraqi justice system as being “marred by very
serious structural problems”. France opposes the death penalty. Its
Foreign Ministry said the allegations were “not sustained, are pure
speculation and are hers only”. The ministry reaffirmed the
government’s position that citizens who joined ISIS should be tried
near to where crimes were committed. It said Iraq was aware that
France opposed capital punishment and it asked that the death penalty
was not applied.”
Europe
The
Washington Post: How An Unarmed 65-Year-Old Stopped A Gunman From
Attacking A Norwegian Mosque
“A 65-year-old former Pakistani military officer is being credited
with thwarting an attack at a mosque in Norway after he tackled a
heavily armed gunman who allegedly stormed into the house of worship
with the intent of carrying out a mass shooting motivated by hatred of
Muslims. Mohammad Rafiq said he threw the gunman to the ground after
the man entered the al-Noor Islamic Center in Baerum near the
Norwegian capital of Oslo on Saturday, before the two other men inside
the mosque rushed to help him pin down the gunman. Rafiq’s quick
action helped avert an attack that brought back painful memories of
the Christchurch shootings in New Zealand this year, when a gunman
attacked two mosques and killed 51 people during Friday prayers.
“There is no doubt that the swift and firm response from the persons
inside the mosque stopped the aggressor,” acting police station chief
Rune Skjold said in a statement. “These persons showed great courage.”
The attempted attack on the al-Noor center happened a day before
Muslims around the world celebrate Eid al-Adha, one of the most
important holidays on the Islamic calendar marking the end of the Hajj
pilgrimage. Rafiq and the two others had been at the al-Noor mosque
preparing for the festivities.”
Yahoo
News: Norway Mosque “Terror Attack” Suspect Remanded In
Custody
“A Norwegian man suspected of killing his stepsister and opening
fire in a mosque near Oslo this weekend was remanded in custody
Monday, suspected of murder, and a “terrorist act” that police say he
filmed himself. The man, identified as 21-year old Philip Manshaus,
appeared in the Oslo court with two black eyes and scrapes and bruises
on his face, neck and hands, probably obtained when he was overpowered
at the mosque. Police say he has “extreme right views” and “xenophobic
positions” and that he had filmed the mosque attack with a GoPro
camera mounted on a helmet. The Norway incident comes amid a rise in
white supremacy attacks around the world. Manshaus is formally
suspected of murdering his 17-year-old stepsister, and of a “terrorist
act” at the Al-Noor mosque on Saturday, allegations he has rejected.
In Norway, being formally named as a suspect is a step prior to
indictment. Manshaus entered the courtroom smiling to cameras, wearing
dark clothes and his hair cut short. He asked to be released, his
lawyer Unni Fries said after the hearing. “He rejects the allegations
and exercises his right to not explain himself,” she said. The court
cited “reasonable grounds” to suspect Manshaus had committed the
criminal acts and remanded him in custody for four weeks, as police
had requested.”
China
The
Wall Street Journal: China Says Hong Kong Protests Show ‘First Signs
Of Terrorism’
“Chinese authorities condemned violent weekend demonstrations in
Hong Kongas “deranged” acts that marked the emergence of “the first
signs of terrorism” in the semiautonomous city, vowing a merciless
crackdown on the perpetrators. The escalating rhetoric from Beijing
followed a day of heated protests in Hong Kong, including the hurling
of petrol bombs, and came as thousands of protesters gathered at Hong
Kong’s international airport on Monday, prompting officials to cancel
all flights for the rest of the day apart from those already en route
to the air-travel hub.”Radical Hong Kong protesters have repeatedly
used extremely dangerous tools to attack police officers,” a spokesman
for the Chinese government’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office told a
news briefing on Monday, according to Chinese state media. “The first
signs of terrorism are starting to appear.” On Sunday, police in riot
gear fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse crowds of
protesters across Hong Kong, some of whom threw bricks and what police
identified as Molotov cocktails and smoke bombs. Police said an
officer was hospitalized with burns to his legs after being hit by a
Molotov cocktail hurled by a protester.”
Southeast Asia
Fair
Observer: The Radical Right Makes A Comeback In Sri
Lanka
“Opposition to the postwar liberal world order seems like the new
back to normal, as it is based on a natural impulse to shut out the
feared “other” in order to be safe, rather than recklessly open and
vulnerable. Neurobiologist Robert Sapolsky notes why this back to
normal is natural and instinctive. He cites John Mitrani to examine
“human group identity … in-group bias … [and also] the biological and
cognitive underpinnings that shape them.” With populist nationalism
making waves on both sides of the Atlantic, along with authoritarian
states trying to reshape the functioning of the liberal world order,
the debate is heavily centralized around Europe and the US, with a
similar focus paid to their authoritarian contenders such as China and
Russia. In this climate, one can only wonder how these trends play out
on the global fringes. For instance, the radical right has made a
rousing comeback in Sri Lanka, fed by two highly-visible phenomena:
finding the enemy in Islam and populist nationalism. The Brigade of
the Great Graveyard Demon (MSB) sounds like something from a horror
movie. Known as Mahason Balakaya in Sinhalese, the group was named
after an ancient mythical being, most probably a local version adapted
from the “Egyptian Book of the Dead,” which reveals some aspects of
the pseudo-belief system of the radical right.”
|
