Eye on Extremism
August 14, 2019
The
New York Times: The U.S. And The Taliban Are Near A Deal. Here’s What
It Could Look Like.
“After months of negotiations between the United States and the
Taliban, both sides have signaled that they are nearing an initial
peace deal for Afghanistan, perhaps in the coming weeks or even
sooner, even though the recent talks have seemed bogged down in the
final details. Even a provisional agreement would be momentous,
marking the beginning of the end to the United States’ longest war.
The conflict has stretched for nearly 18 years, taking the lives of
tens of thousands of Afghans and more than 3,500 American and
coalition forces, and costing hundreds of billions of dollars.
President Trump’s desire to end what he has described as an endless
war has been abundantly clear, and it is likely that if there is a
breakthrough to announce, in an election season, he will be the person
to do it. Whether the withdrawal of foreign troops will actually bring
peace and stability to a devastated Afghanistan depends largely on
whether it is contingent on the Taliban and Afghan officials making
progress toward a separate political agreement. Otherwise, critics
fear, the United States and the Taliban will merely be signing an
agreement on withdrawal, not peace. The eighth round of talks finished
early Monday after days of discussion that often went past
midnight.”
Reuters:
FBI Seeking To Question Alleged Al Qaeda Operative In
Brazil
“The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation is seeking to question an
alleged Egyptian Al Qaeda operative believed to be living in Brazil,
and the South American country has pledged to cooperate with the
United States in any way it can. The FBI added Mohamed Ahmed Elsayed
Ahmed Ibrahim to its Most Wanted list on Monday, saying he was being
sought “for questioning in connection with his alleged role as an Al
Qaeda operative and facilitator who has allegedly been involved in
plotting attacks against the United States and its interests.” The
FBI said he had been “providing material support” since about 2013 for
Al Qaeda, the group behind the Sept. 11 attacks in New York in 2001.
It said he was born in Egypt in 1977 and is currently living in
Brazil. In a joint statement on Monday, Brazil’s ministries of
justice and foreign affairs said the Egyptian had entered Brazil in
2018 and was a legal resident in the country. “The Brazilian
government is open to cooperating with U.S. authorities on its
request, in accordance with our law, and is following the case,” the
statement said. Brazil’s far-right President Jair Bolsonaro is working
to forge closer ties with U.S. President Donald Trump, an ideological
ally who has proposed a bilateral trade pact between the two largest
economies in the Americas.”
Newsweek:
Homeland Security Chief Says Domestic Terrorism And White Supremacy
'Not Only End Lives, They Degrade Our Society'
“Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenen
condemned the rise of domestic terrorism and white supremacy as
“abhorrent” during a forum on faith-based violence on Tuesday morning.
“Domestic terrorism has a broad and expansive impact on American
citizens and our national climate,” McAleenan said. “These attacks not
only end lives, they degrade our society and diminish the integrity of
our national values.” McAleenan remarks came during the first public
meeting of Homeland Security's subcommittee on the prevention of
targeted violence against the faith-based community, which was created
earlier this year. The forum took place in Jackson, Mississippi and
included comment from local law enforcement and religious leaders. “I
am concerned about the white supremacist extremist increases and the
growing attacks, especially those we've seen on houses of worship. I
absolutely agree it's a problem and we need to work to address it,” he
said. McAleenan's comments follow two mass shootings in Texas and Ohio
that killed at least 31 people within 24 hours. The Homeland Security
chief stated that the attack in El Paso, which left 22 people dead,
was “motivated by a poisonous and destructive white supremacist
extremist ideology.”
The
Washington Post: Top Of The Polls, German Politician Downplays
Far-Right Past
“A quarter-century since his first foray into Germany’s far-right
movement, Andreas Kalbitz is poised to lead it to one of its biggest
triumphs. Kalbitz, 46, could be the big winner in next month’s state
elections in Brandenburg, where he heads the anti-migrant Alternative
for Germany party. Yet he also is under scrutiny for his ties with
far-right groups dating back to the early 1990s, when Germany saw a
resurgence of nationalist sentiment amid post-unification turmoil.
“One could accuse me of right-wing extremist connections, but
certainly not of having (a) far-right extremist biography,” Kalbitz
told reporters Tuesday in Berlin. Critics allege the disavowal is
patently false. They point to Kalbitz having joined the Republikaner,
a fringe far-right party that was under surveillance by Germany’s
domestic security agency, when he was 21. Around the same time, he
also became a member of the Witikobund, an association founded after
World War II that German authorities say has downplayed the Holocaust
and pushed a revisionist interpretation of the war. Gideon Botsch, a
political scientist at the University of Potsdam, said Kalbitz “very
clearly over long periods of his life, basically since he was a youth,
was rooted in the right-wing extremist scene.”
Sahara
Reporters: Over 80 Percent Of Nigerian Soldiers Killed By Boko Haram
Were Youths, CSO Tells Buhari
“A civil society organization, Empowerment for Unemployed Youth
Initiative, says more than 80 percent of soldiers killed in the line
of duty fighting the Boko Haram insurgency are young Nigerians. It,
therefore, urged the President Muhammadu Buhari regime to establish
“education fund” to carter for children of Nigeria’s fallen heroes.
National Coordinator of the group, Solomon Adodo, stated this at a
press conference in Abuja on Monday to mark 2019 International Youth
Day. “Nigerian youths have proven over time to be brave and patriotic
and the least the nation can do in appreciation is not to allow their
dreams perish with them. More than 80 percent of soldiers who have
lost their lives fighting insurgents and other criminal elements were
youths and these youths have wives and children. “One of the ways the
federal government can show appreciation for the ultimate price paid
by these heroes is to float a fund that will see to the education and
welfare of the deceased families. We acknowledge that the Chief of
Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, has taken initiative to ensure
that troops are properly cared for,” Adodo said.”
United States
The
New York Times: The Religious Hunger Of The Radical
Right
“Domestic right-wing terrorists, like the man accused of the
shooting last weekend in El Paso, are not so different from their
radical Islamist counterparts across the globe — and not only in their
tactics for spreading terror or in their internet-based recruiting.
Indeed, it is impossible to understand America’s resurgence of
reactionary extremism without understanding it as a fundamentally
religious phenomenon. Unlike Islamist jihadists, the online
communities of incels, white supremacists and anti-Semitic conspiracy
theorists make no metaphysical truth claims, do not focus on God and
offer no promise of an afterlife or reward. But they fulfill the
functions that sociologists generally attribute to a religion: They
give their members a meaningful account of why the world is the way it
is. They provide them with a sense of purpose and the possibility of
sainthood. They offer a sense of community. And they establish clear
roles and rituals that allow adherents to feel and act as part of a
whole. These aren’t just subcultures; they are churches. And
until we recognize the religious hunger alongside the destructive
hatred, we have little chance of stopping these terrorists.”
CNN:
We Need A 9/11 Commission To Fight Domestic Terror
“Americans across the country are saddened and outraged at the
domestic terrorist attacks in Gilroy, California, and El Paso,
Texas -- as well as other incidents motivated by similar extremist
beliefs in white supremacy and white nationalism, like the attack that
occurred last October in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In the aftermath of
these traumatic events, a broader public conversation is taking place
about what policy measures we need to implement in response.
Policymakers and citizens alike are debating whether new laws and
authorities are required, what capabilities and resources are needed,
and perhaps most importantly, whether enough political will exists to
tackle this clear and present security threat. Recently, FBI Director
Christopher Wray testified that 90 individuals had been arrested over
the previous several months on domestic terrorism-related matters, and
last May the FBI's chief counterterrorism agent also stated that there
were at least 850 ongoing domestic terrorism investigations. These
figures suggest that domestic terrorism presents a significant
homeland security challenge, but up until now the FBI has been the
lead federal agency to analyze, assess, investigate and disrupt this
threat.”
CNN:
Schumer To Request Trump Redirect Wall Funding To Address Gun Violence
And White Supremacy Extremism
“Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer is planning to ask the
Trump administration to withdraw its request for $5 billion in border
wall funding and redirect the funding to counter gun violence and
white supremacy extremism, a person familiar with Schumer's thinking
told CNN. The Trump administration is unlikely to be receptive to the
request, especially given that the border wall is a key priority for
the President. But the request will nevertheless serve as a way for
Democrats to keep the issue of gun control in the news as Congress
remains on recess. In the wake of recent mass shootings, Schumer and
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have been calling on Senate Majority Leader
Mitch McConnell to bring the Senate back into session to pass
background checks legislation that previously passed out of the
Democratic-controlled House, but McConnell has resisted those calls.
The House and Senate are both out of session for August recess. In an
interview earlier this month, McConnell told a Kentucky radio
station that the Senate will put the issues of background check
legislation in addition to ”red flag” laws ”front and center” when the
body reconvenes after its summer recess, but indicated that the Senate
will not return early from recess, despite demands from Democratic
lawmakers. The request from Schumer was first reported in Politico's
Playbook newsletter on Tuesday morning.”
ABC
Montana: FBI Agent Ordered To Wear Disguise In Trial For Accused ISIS
Sympathizer
“A judge has ordered an FBI agent to wear a disguise while
testifying against an accused ISIS sympathizer. Federal prosecutors
had asked the courtroom be sealed to the public for the witness'
testimony in Fabjan Alameti's upcoming trial for the safety of the
informant. U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen ruled that a disguise
consisting of a wig or hat, fake glasses, and fake facial hair, is a
reasonable way to protect the FBI informant's identity while still
allowing a public trail. Federal agents say Alameti talked about
joining ISIS, and attacking random American civilians in revenge for
shootings at two mosques earlier this year in Christchurch, New
Zealand, which left 50 people dead. Back in April, the 21-year-old
Albanian National was arrested at a gun range in Bozeman, where
investigators say he went to rent and practice using a semi-automatic
rifle. Federal court documents say Alameti was communicating with an
undercover federal informant about traveling to join ISIS, and plan an
attack on the U.S. Investigators say he moved to Bozeman from New York
City two weeks prior to his arrest, telling an informant, “I'm going
to Montana and buy a gun, since all they need is a Background check
and ID.”
The
Hill: To Combat Domestic Terrorism, Congress Must Equip Law
Enforcement To Fight Rise In White Supremacist
Attacks
“I recently visited El Paso, Texas, as part of a congressional
delegation investigating conditions along the U.S.-Mexico border. I
was moved by the warm hospitality of all the people we met.
Tragically, less than 24 hours after our departure, the community that
had so graciously welcomed us was victimized in a horrific domestic
terror attack. Learning of the news, I was filled with an all too
familiar mix of heartbreak for the victims and outrage that so many of
our political leaders are unwilling to take even modest action to
reduce gun violence in our nation. My dread grew with reports
of shooter’s vile manifesto filled with anti-immigrant screeds against
Latinos. El Paso is not unique. The shooting is emblematic of the
growing threat posed by domestic extremists espousing white
supremacist beliefs. Our national conscious has been seared time and
again by acts of violence perpetrated by vile ideologies of hate.
Members of Mother Emanuel AME church in Charleston welcomed a stranger
into their midst only to be murdered in the pews. Jews gathered for
Sabbath morning services at the Tree of Life Synagogue in
Pittsburgh were murdered, gunned down because of their faith.”
Iran
The
Wall Street Journal: Iran, U.K. Inch Closer To Tanker Crisis
Resolution
“Iran and the U.K. are making progress toward the release of an
Iranian tanker impounded in Gibraltar, according to people familiar
with the talks, a move that could prompt Tehran to free a
British-flagged vessel it subsequently seized and defuse tensions
between the two countries. Iran has lifted several stumbling blocks by
reflagging the vessel and setting a new destination after Gibraltar
sought assurance that the ship wouldn’t sail to Syria, according to
people familiar with the matter. Gibraltar, a British overseas
territory, seized an Iranian tanker called Grace 1 in early July with
the assistance of British Royal Marines. U.K. authorities said the
tanker was headed to Syria in violation of European Union sanctions,
which Iran has denied. Iran threatened retaliation and two weeks
later captured the British-flagged tanker Stena Impero in the Persian
Gulf, accusing the ship of breaking international maritime rules.
Iran’s threat to commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz—through
which a third of the world’s seaborne oil is transported—added to
already high tensions between the West and Iran after the Trump
administration imposed crippling sanctions on Tehran. Shipping
premiums rose and some vessel owners started to avoid the region.”
The
Washington Post: Iran Supreme Leader Urges Support For Yemen’s Houthi
Rebels
“Iran’s state TV reports that the country’s supreme leader is
urging support for Yemen’s Houthis against a Saudi-led coalition that
he says is trying to “disintegrate” the country. Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei met with Mohammad Abdul Salam, the spokesman for Yemen’s
Ansarallah Movement, in Tehran on Tuesday. The group is commonly
referred to as the Houthis. Khamenei says Saudi Arabia, the United
Arab Emirates and their supporters seek to break up Yemen, “which must
stand firm against this conspiracy.” A Saudi-led coalition that
includes the UAE has been battling the Iran-aligned Houthis in
northern Yemen since March 2015 on behalf of President Abed Rabbo
Mansour Hadi’s government. The conflict in the Arab world’s poorest
country is largely seen as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and
Iran.”
Iraq
Iraqi
News: Iraq Anti-Terrorism Troops Kill 10 IS Militants, Capture 5
Others In Anbar
“Iraqi security forces killed on Wednesday 10 Islamic State
militants and arrested five others during a counter-terrorism
operation in Anbar province. In a statement carried by Al Ahd News
website, the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service said that its troops have
carried out a military operation based on intelligence information to
arrest IS militants in Ar Rutbah and Wadi Hauran districts in Anbar.
The operation, according to the statement, “resulted in the killing of
10 Islamic State militants, beside five arrests.” Iraq declared the
collapse of Islamic State’s territorial influence in Iraq in November
2017 with the recapture of Rawa, a city on Anbar’s western borders
with Syria, which was the group’s last bastion in Iraq. In November,
Iraqi forces recaptured Anbar’s western town of Rawa, the last Islamic
State entrenchment in Iraq.”
Kurdistan
24: Iraqi Security Arrest Three ISIS Members Who Transferred
Explosives, Money To Kirkuk
“Iraqi intelligence and security forces arrested three Islamic
State terrorists who confessed to committing various crimes and
carrying out executions for the jihadist group, Iraq’s Defense
Ministry announced on Monday. Among them was a senior leader
responsible for Islamic State-controlled mills in Hawija, western
Kirkuk province, according to the statement. “They confessed to
transporting food, explosive devices, and transferring money to the
families of the killed Da’esh [ISIS] fighters in Kirkuk,” the
statement added. Remnants of the jihadist group continue to carry out
insurgency attacks, ambushes, and kidnappings in Iraq despite the
Iraqi government declaring military victory against the Islamic State
in late 2017. Iraqi forces recently carried out a campaign against the
group dubbed “Will of Victory” targeting sleeper cells in the country.
On Friday, Iraqi security forces announced the conclusion of an
operation that was part of the latest effort to engage members of the
extremist group after the military claimed success in clearing areas
north and west of Baghdad in two previous military operations.”
Yemen
Asharq
Al-Awsat: Houthis Threaten To Use New Defense System
“Iran-backed Houthi militias have threatened to use a new air
defense system, enhancing their military capabilities to counter the
legitimate government. The newly obtained system is most likely
Iranian-made. The threats came after Houthis’ so-called spokesman
Yahya al-Saree and foreign minister Mohammad Abdel Salam Felita met in
Tehran with commanders of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps
(IRGC) and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. Sources believe
Felita's visit to Tehran may be linked to efforts to acquire new
weapons which Iran smuggles into Yemen using its terrorist arms to
reach Hodeidah port. The group still refuses to withdraw from Hodeidah
according to the Swedish agreement. The militias admitted to Felita’s
meeting with FM Zarif, however, they did not disclose his meeting with
IRGC commanders. Houthi media claimed that during the meeting, they
discussed means to strengthen bilateral and diplomatic relations with
Tehran and joint cooperation to support the political solution in
Yemen, as well as regional developments. Observers believe the Iranian
regime has summoned Felita to assign the group new terrorist missions
in the Red Sea in order to ease international pressure in Hormuz
Strait.”
Middle East
The
Times Of Israel: Netanyahu Visits Family Of Murdered Student, Vows To
Fight Terrorism
“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, on Tuesday
paid a condolence visit to the family of Dvir Sorek, the 18-year-old
killed in a terror attack in the West Bank last week. In comments
outside the family’s home in the Ofra settlement, Netanyahu told
reporters Israel would continue to fight terrorism. “I told the family
the individual murder of Dvir attests to the murder they would carry
out against all of us if they only could,” Netanyahu said. “The reason
they don’t do this… is because they can’t,” the premier added,
referring to Palestinian assailants. “I defined them as animals and I
think I did an injustice to the animals.” Sorek was stabbed to
death outside the West Bank yeshiva where he studied, in a suspected
terror attack. His body was discovered in the predawn hours of
Thursday morning, prompting a massive manhunt for the killers. Though
formally a soldier while enrolled in a study program at the yeshiva,
he was unarmed and not in uniform at the time of the attack. “We are
determined to defend the country — these are not mere words, these are
real words — until our enemies understand that they can’t uproot us
from anywhere in the Land of Israel, including from this place,”
Netanyahu said in the West Bank settlement.”
The
Times Of Israel: Hamas Leader Vows To Shower Israel With Missiles If
IDF Invades Gaza
“Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar vowed on Tuesday that the terror group
would prevail over the IDF should Israel send troops into the coastal
enclave in any future conflict. “We will defeat the occupation army,
if it crosses into Gaza, if God, the ruler of the universe, wills,”
Sinwar said in a short speech delivered to Palestinian families in his
hometown Khan Younis in southern Gaza. “We will beat that defeated
army,” he vowed, adding that if there is another conflict with Israel,
“we will shower their cities with hundreds of missiles in a single
barrage.” Sinwar, second only to Hamas politburo head Ismail Haniyeh
in the terror group’s hierarchy, is known to use bellicose rhetoric
when referring to the possibility of conflict with Israel. In the past
12 years, Hamas and other terror groups in Gaza have fought three
major conflicts with Israel. But following recent short-lived flareups
with Israel, Hamas has agreed to a number of informal ceasefires with
the Jewish state and its officials have stated that they prefer to
avoid another full-fledged war with it. He also heaped praise on Hani
Abu Salah, a Palestinian man who the IDF said crossed the border fence
between Gaza and Israel in early August and opened fire on soldiers,
wounding three of them, calling the attack ”a sacrificial and heroic
operation.”
Libya
The
National Interest: America's Little-Known Mission To Support Al
Qaeda's Role In Libya
“The 2011 intervention in Libya, authorized by the United Nations
and led by the United States and some NATO allies, has been criticized
for two main reasons. First, it was justified on phony grounds—that
Libyan leader Muammar el-Qaddafi was slaughtering civilians, when in
fact he was carefully targeting rebels who had attacked first. Second,
the interveners aimed at regime change and thus failed in their
ostensible humanitarian mission, instead magnifying the death toll at
least ten-fold while fostering anarchy that persists until the present
day. Yet perhaps the most profound drawback has remained hidden: the
intervention rescued a rebellion that was actually led by Al Qaeda
militants, not by pro-Western liberals as reported at the time. This
starkly contradicts the press narrative of 2011, which claimed that
Libya’s unrest had started with peaceful protests over the arrest of a
human rights lawyer. Allegedly, the regime used lethal force against
these nonviolent demonstrators, compelling them to reluctantly take up
arms in self-defense. These amateur rebels then supposedly seized
control of eastern Libya within days, prompting Qaddafi to deploy
forces to commit genocide, which was stopped only by
intervention.”
Nigeria
All
Africa: Nigeria: Brave Nigerian Soldiers Fall As Boko Haram Sacks Key
Brigade
“Four Nigerian soldiers who joined their colleagues to wage a brave
combat against Boko Haram thugs have fallen in Borno State, PREMIUM
TIMES has learnt. The insurgents descended on the Nigerian Army 5
Brigade in Gubio at about 6:00 p.m. on Saturday as the country
prepared for the Eid festivities. The soldiers tried to defend their
fort, suffering personnel and equipment losses in the process. The
terrorists stole four gun trucks, one mortar gun and one artillery gun
during the attack. A tank that was stolen was later recovered in the
nearby bush. The assault forced military commanders to relocate troops
and the 5 Brigade from Gubio, about 100 kilometres from Maiduguri, to
Damasak, where the military operates a larger camp. “Therefore, we now
have no troops in Gubio, Magumeri and Kareto,” a senior military
source told PREMIUM TIMES. The military chief expressed fears that the
entire stretch between Maiduguri to Damasak, spanning over 160
kilometres, is now without military presence and may be vulnerable to
attacks. A group of oil explorers from the state oil giant, NNPC, were
killed along that route in 2017. The latest attack comes weeks after
Boko Haram elements ambushed a military convoy in Borno, leaving a
colonel, a captain and five soldiers killed.”
Punch
Nigeria: Boko Haram: Army Inducts Four Anti-Bomb
Vehicles
“The Nigerian Army has inducted and operationalised four newly
acquired Mine Resistant Anti-Ambush Protected vehicles in the
North-East theatre of operation for troops fighting the Boko Haram and
Islamic State of West Africa Province terrorists. The army said on
Tuesday that the vehicles were produced by the military in partnership
with Proforce Nigeria Limited, – an indigenous Armour Vehicle
Manufacturing Company based in Ode-Remo in Ogun State. The acting
Director, Army Public Relations, Col Sagir Musa, said the vehicles
were inducted by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai, who
was represented by the Chief of Training and Operations, Maj Gen
Enobong Udoh. Musa said, “The Chief of the Army Staff noted that the
induction of the vehicles would boost the operational capability and
protection of the troops to decisively prosecute the ongoing
counter-insurgency operations. “He reminded the troops that equipment
alone without strong will and determination by men cannot win wars,
he, therefore, charged them to remain resolute in the discharge of
their duties and strengthen their commitment to end the war against
terrorism soon.”
Africa
Reuters:
French Troops In Mali Anti-Jihadist Campaign Mired In Mud And
Mistrust
“The French soldiers seeking out jihadists in central Mali’s
savannahs were prepared for the sandstorms, the thunderstorms, the
lack of anything resembling a road and the need to tow vehicles whose
wheels kept getting stuck in floodplains. They knew getting
information out of terrified villagers would be difficult. But as the
multi-week operation wore on in Gourma district, where 400 French
troops and 100 allied Malians searched for 50-odd jihadists they
estimated were hiding in the shadows, the obstacles kept piling
up. First, there were the storms, forcing them to abandon supper, pack
up their mosquito nets and sleep contorted in their vehicles. Then up
at 3 a.m. for a mission that couldn’t start because the weather had
grounded their helicopters at base. Then, flash floods turned sandy
ground to sludge and burst the wadis so only their newly deployed
tracked fighting vehicles could cross. When they reached the
thatch-and-wood villages where they suspected jihadists were hiding.
Men tended cows. Women pounded millet. Everyone smiled. And nobody
told them anything. ”We’re not going to resolve this in a day,” said
David, the commander of the French forward base near the town of
Gossi. French military rules permit publication only of his first
name. “This is going to take some time.”
Voice
Of America: Tunisia's First Gay Presidential Candidate Faces Threats
From Extremists
“A longtime human rights lawyer who is running for Tunisia’s
presidency as the country's first gay candidate says he is receiving
threats from radical Islamist groups. Mounir Baatour, founder of the
Tunisian Liberal Party, recently announced his candidacy for
president, vowing to bring about justice and equality in the
Muslim-majority, North African nation. “I have received a number of
threats after my announcement, especially through social media,”
Baatour told VOA in an interview. “Many of these threats are from
extremist individuals. But no political parties have responded
negatively to my announcement.” Baatour, 48, said his campaign focuses
on employment, equal rights for women and the country’s criminal code.
Law 230 of the Tunisian criminal justice system defines homosexuality
as a crime and penalizes people convicted of being homosexual with up
to three years in prison. Baatour founded the Tunisian Liberal Party
in 2011 with a clear objective to promote human rights and to create a
constitutional court that would protect the country’s constitution and
its democratic tenets. Tunisia’s presidential election will take place
in November, following a parliamentary election that will be held in
October.”
Europe
The
Washington Post: Pint Glasses, Skateboards And Milk Crates: How People
Worldwide Have Thwarted Mass Attacks
“When a blood-spattered man went on a stabbing rampage Tuesday in
Sydney, killing one person and wounding another, witnesses chased him
through the streets, uniting in a desperate effort to prevent him from
hurting anyone else. Dramatic footage from the scene showed civilians
wielding chairs, an ax and even a milk crate as their defense, then
successfully pinning the perpetrator to the ground as they waited for
police to arrive. Authorities called the quick-moving witnesses
“heroes” and described them as “significantly brave people.” On social
media, they were celebrated as model citizens. Those who helped put a
stop to the attack in Sydney now join the ranks of a number of
ordinary people from around the world who have demonstrated
extraordinary courage to thwart mass attacks in recent years. From
Australia and Britain to France and New Zealand, witnesses have time
and time again faced excruciating choices in the face of imminent
danger, risking — and at times losing — their lives to try to save
others. Here are some of their stories.”
Newsday:
UN Ambassadors: New Era Of Extremism Threatens Geneva
Conventions
“Ambassadors and experts on Tuesday praised the international laws
of war that for 70 years have banned attacks on civilians, schools and
hospitals while acknowledging an uptick in egregious violations of the
measures in high-tech modern warfare. “We are failing the most
vulnerable,” said Heiko Maas, Germany’s minister for foreign affairs,
at a meeting of the Security Council in Manhattan to mark the birth of
the Geneva Conventions in 1949. “We are not living up to our legal and
ethical obligations.” The meeting, convened by Poland’s foreign
minister, Jacek Czaputowicz, celebrated the four conventions that have
been adopted over the last seven decades to form the body of
international humanitarian law but noted that the spirit and letter of
the laws are trampled on in modern times by both states and nonstate
armed extremist groups. Gross violations of human rights in conflicts
across the globe where noncombatants and civilian infrastructure have
come under attack by extremist groups such as Islamic State and
al-Qaida — as well as the armed forces of countries where they operate
— are evidence of wide-scale flouting of the Geneva Conventions,
ambassadors said.”
Australia
USA
Today: Bystanders Leap Into Action And Subdue A Man Suspected Of
Killing A Woman, Stabbing Others In Australia
“A man with a history of mental illness is suspected of killing a
woman in a Sydney apartment, wounding another woman and trying to stab
other people Tuesday afternoon, according to police and witnesses.
Authorities commended the bystanders who physically subdued him before
he was arrested. “A number of members of the public physically
restrained the offender,” Police Superintendent Gavin Wood said. “I
want to acknowledge those members of the public who got involved. They
were significantly brave people.” The 21-year-old was wielding a
12-inch knife and attempted to stab a number of people near a busy
intersection around 2 p.m., witnesses said. He was possibly yelling
“Allahu akbar” or “God is great,” authorities said. Paul O'Shaughnessy
said he and his brother Luke were working in the office of their
recruitment company when they heard yelling from outside.
O'Shaughnessy said he heard “extremist” language and the brothers
feared it might be a terrorist attack. The two, with their friends Lee
Cuthbert and Alex Roberts, began chasing the man, ABC News reported.
“Because obviously, he's wielding a knife,” O'Shaughnessy told ABC. “I
don't know whether it's an instinct thing or what, but we was like,
'Right, we've just got to try and restrain this guy from doing any
more."
Southeast Asia
Al
Jazeera: Eid Al-Adha Attack Kills Filipino Soldiers, Child In
Sulu
“Two soldiers and a two-year-old girl were killed in an attack by
suspected members of the Abu Sayyaf armed group in the
southern Philippines, as the country marked the festival of Eid
al-Adha, the military said on Tuesday. The soldiers were travelling on
a motorcycle along a busy road in Talipao town in Sulu province,
1,000km south of the capital, Manila, on Monday when the attack took
place. The troopers were killed in the ambush, while two girls - a
two-year-old and an 11-year-old - were wounded, said Major General
Corleto Vinluan Jr, commander of a provincial anti-terrorism task
force. The two-year-old died while being treated in a hospital, while
the 11-year-old was still in critical condition, he added. “We deeply
condemn this very deceitful act of the Abu Sayyaf, who do not in any
way represent the Islamic way of living,” said Lieutenant General
Cirilito Sobejana, a regional military commander. “We would like to
extend our sympathy to the bereaved families of the victims by
Sayyaf's inhumane act,” he added. “Rest assured all sorts of
assistance will be provided as our simple way of commiseration.” Abu
Sayyaf is the most violent Muslim group in the Philippines.”
The
Washington Post: Thai Court Acquits Red Shirts Of Terrorism For 2010
Protests
“A court in Thailand on Wednesday dismissed terrorism and other
charges against 24 leaders of an extended street protest in 2010 that
saw key areas of central Bangkok closed off and random violence that
was ended by military force. The Bangkok Criminal Court ruled that the
two-month protest by the “Red Shirt” supporters of former Prime
Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, during which 91 people were killed and
thousands hurt, was “a political fight, not terrorism.” Thaksin was
ousted by a military coup in 2006 after being accused of corruption
and abuse of power. His allies won a 2007 election, but parliamentary
maneuvering installed the rival Democrat Party in power in 2008,
inspiring the 2010 protest that called for Democrat Prime Minister
Abhisit Vejjajiva to step down. Thaksin’s ouster set off years of
sometimes violent conflict between his supporters and opponents, both
of which engaged in aggressive street protests against governments led
by the other’s faction. During three months of street protests in
2008, Thaksin’s foes — known as the Yellow Shirts — occupied the prime
minister’s offices, as well as Bangkok’s international airport for
about a week. The casualties in 2010 included soldiers as well as
protesters.”
Reuters:
China's Hong Kong Office Condemns 'Near-Terrorist Acts' At Hong Kong
Airport
“China’s Hong Kong affairs office condemned what it called
“near-terrorist acts” at Hong Kong’s airport and reiterated support
for local authorities to severely punish those responsible amid an
escalating crisis in the Chinese-controlled city. The Hong Kong and
Macao Affairs Office, in a statement issued on Wednesday, also
strongly condemned attacks against a reporter from China’s Global
Times newspaper and a traveler at the airport by what it said were
violent protesters. Hong Kong’s airport resumed operations on
Wednesday, rescheduling hundreds of flights that had been disrupted
over the past two days as protesters clashed with riot police.”
Technology
Vox:
After The El Paso And Gilroy Shootings, Tech Leaders Are Saying
Platforms Must Stop Amplifying Hate Speech
“A collective of prominent tech leaders that calls itself Build
Tech We Trust signed a letter Tuesday demanding that the tech industry
stop the spread of hate and terrorism on digital platforms. “We are a
collective of tech CEOs, activists, changemakers, and workers who
believe the time to act to counter the hate and terrorism is now,”
stated the letter, which was signed by over 20 notable figures in the
tech industry, including Ellen Pao, ReadySet CEO Y-Vonne Hutchinson,
and Code2040 CEO Karla Monterroso. The letter, published in full
below, blames tech companies for amplifying violent ideologies on
their platforms, specifically white supremacist beliefs. “Technology
platforms promised us connection, access, and democracy but instead
are radicalizing and fragmenting communities by providing an
unprecedented ability to coordinate attacks and amplify hate,” the
letter’s authors wrote. The letter goes on to cite recent shootings
such as El Paso and Gilroy, stating, “[W]e are watching the entire
country pay the price of unchecked white supremacy, hate, and violence
that spread as a result of multiple tech platforms.” Mass shootings,
unfortunately, happened before social media platforms existed.”
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