The British government warned it will prosecute protesters who break the law if
Hezbollah flags are displayed in online demonstrations. In a change of

 

 


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**NOTE: CEP’s Eye on Extremism will be suspended on Monday, May 25
in observance of Memorial Day. It will resume Tuesday, May 26.**

Eye on Extremism


May 22, 2020

 

The National: British Government To Prosecute Hezbollah Flag Wavers At Online
Protests
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“The British government warned it will prosecute protesters who break the law
if Hezbollah flags are displayed in online demonstrations. In a change of
policy in response to the coronavirus outbreak, the Home Office announced to
The National that it will observe protests on Zoom and other online platforms.
Last year Sajid Javid, then home secretary, designated the whole of Hezbollah
as a terrorist organisation after its flags were flown at protests in London.
At the Trafalgar Square protest the flag, emblazoned with a Kalashnikov assault
rifle, was flown. Showing support for Hezbollah in the UK carries a maximum
sentence of 10 years in jail. This year’s Al Quds Day event, a pro-Palestinian
protest, will be held online on Friday. The department said it would
specifically focus on online protests that have been encouraged by organisers.
Whitehall officials said there had been an “adjustment” in Home Office policy
after it said “prosecutions will follow if online protests broke the law.
“There is no place for hatred in our society,” it said. “While peaceful protest
is a vital part of any democracy, if protests break the law or incite hatred,
whether they are online or in public, there should be no doubt the police will
take action.”

 

Daily Mail: 1,000 Israeli Websites Are Hacked To Show Images Of Tel Aviv In
Flames And A Message Reading: 'The Countdown To Destruction Has Begun'
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“More than 1,000 Israeli websites were hit by a coordinated cyber attack on
Thursday, with the home pages replaced by images of the country's commercial
capital Tel Aviv in flames. Israel's National Cyber Directorate said private
companies using a particular operating system were targeted, but said the
damage was 'superficial'. It did not state the number of pages targeted but
Israeli media reported it was more than 1,000, including those of major firms.
The pages were replaced with the slogan 'the countdown to the destruction of
Israel started long ago'. A link led to a computer-generated video of Tel Aviv
and other Israeli cities on fire, seemingly after a series of attacks. The
image also showed a photoshopped picture of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu swimming from the burning city to safety. There were no immediate
details on the group which claimed the attack called Hackers of Saviour, who
also changed the page titles to 'Be ready for a big surprise,' along with the
message: 'The countdown of Israel destruction has begun since a long time ago
[sic].' A statement in the group's only YouTube video – in broken English –
said: 'We gather here to take revenge of Zionists crimes against Palestinians
who have dead or have lost their lifes, families and grounds.'“

 

The Washington Post: Shooting At Corpus Christi Navy Base Investigated As
Terrorist Attack, FBI Says
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“An apparent attack at the gate of a military base in Corpus Christi, Tex., on
Thursday is being investigated as a terrorist incident, officials said, warning
that while the gunman was dead at the scene, a second person may be tied to the
violence. Officials say shots were fired shortly after 6 a.m. at the north gate
of Naval Air Station Corpus Christi. One sailor, a security officer, was
injured but is expected to survive, officials said. The gunman, who was not
immediately identified, was dead at the scene. FBI agent Leah Greeves called
the incident “terrorism-related,” adding “we may have a potential second
related person of interest at large in the community, but we would encourage
the public to remain calm, and if you see something, say something.” Greeves
said investigators from multiple agencies are “working like crazy” to
understand exactly what happened, and said the effort and cooperation among
investigators was “awesome to see.” She said the investigation was still
“fluid” and declined to provide more information while the FBI continued to
gather evidence. Navy officials referred additional questions about the
incident to the FBI.”

 

Syria

 

Daily Sabah: French Daesh Terror Suspects Escape YPG-Controlled Jails In Syria
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“Thirteen female suspected Daesh militants from France have escaped from
YPG/PKK-controlled prisons in northern Syria, a Paris-based anti-terror monitor
said Wednesday. They included Hayat Boumedienne, the wanted partner of Amedy
Coulibaly, who was one of the perpetrators of the January 2015 terrorist
attacks in France, the Center for the Analysis of Terrorism (CAT) told Agence
France-Presse (AFP). The 13, who were mainly held in the Al-Hol and Ain-Issa
camps, accounted for about a tenth of all French Daesh militant women held in
Syria, said Jean-Charles Brisard, one of the co-founders of CAT. He told AFP
the women's escape showed the “inability” of local authorities to guarantee the
detention of foreign terrorists. “The main risk is that the jihadists will
disperse and either reinforce jihadist organizations in Syria or Iraq, try to
wage jihad somewhere else, or, in some cases, return clandestinely to Europe to
commit attacks,” he added. Brisard said there were other prominent figures
among the 13 women. “Some were married to well-known jihadists, others made
propaganda and appeared in the magazines of the Islamic State group,” referring
to the Daesh terror group.”

 

Iraq

 

Arab News: Captured Iraqi Daesh Member Details Splits In The Extremist Group
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“A senior Daesh member being held in Iraq has described the group’s new leader
as “not as firm” as his predecessor Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi. Iraq said on
Wednesday it had arrested Abdul Nasser Qardash, a militant who had been
operating since before the extremist group was formed. However, analysts said
Qardash was arrested last year in Syria and recently handed over to Iraq by
Kurdish forces. In an interview with Al Arabiya, Qardash described the
divisions within the extremist group that once held control of large parts of
Syria and Iraq. He said he was in direct contact with Al-Baghdadi, who was
killed by US special forces last year. He is also known to the new leader Ameer
Muhammed Saeed Al-Salbi Al-Mawla, who is also known as Haji Abdullah, or
Abdullah Qardash. Speaking about Al-Baghdadi, Abdul Nasser Qardash said: “He
was known to be so firm and would not retract his decisions easily.” However,
the current leader is “not as firm,” he said. He said there was a deep divide
within Daesh between the Arab members and the “foreigners,” as well as the
theft of funds and the expelling of families during battles. He also said there
were disputes over the killing of prisoners.”

 

Afghanistan

 

Associated Press: US Envoy Working To Resuscitate Flagging Afghan Peace Deal
As US Warplanes Pound ISIS-K
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“The first visit to Kabul by Washington’s peace envoy since Afghanistan’s
squabbling political leadership reached a power-sharing agreement comes amid
increased violence blamed mostly on an Islamic State affiliate that has been
targeted in stepped-up U.S. bombing. Zalmay Khalilzad, in a flurry of tweets
Thursday, told of his meetings in Doha earlier in the week with Taliban
representatives and on Wednesday with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and fellow
leader Abdullah Abdullah. All were aimed at resuscitating a U.S.-Taliban peace
deal signed in February. Khalilzad returned to Washington late Wednesday.
Khalilzad called for a reduction in violence by all sides in Afghanistan’s
protracted conflict that has kept America militarily engaged for 19 years. He
also said too much time has been wasted getting to the second and critical
phase of the peace deal, which calls for talks between the Taliban and
Afghanistan’s political leadership. Abdullah will head those efforts as part of
the deal he signed with Ghani to end their monthslong dispute over who won
Afghanistan's presidential election last September. He conceded the win to
Ghani but as part of a power sharing agreement. U.S. President Donald Trump
said again last week that American soldiers have wrongly been tasked with
policing the country and called on Afghanistan to step up.”

 

Long War Journal: Taliban ‘Reluctant To Publicly Break With Al Qaeda,’
Inspector General Reports
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“On May 19, the Lead Inspector General (IG) for Operation Freedom’s Sentinel
released its quarterly report. The assessment covers recent events in the
Afghan War, including the Feb. 29 withdrawal agreement between the U.S. and
Taliban. Several parts of the report are summarized below. The Taliban’s
leaders are “reluctant to publicly break with al Qaeda.” State Department
officials, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Special Representative
Zalmay Khalilzad, have endorsed the Taliban’s supposed counterterrorism
assurances as part of the withdrawal accord. To date, however, there is no
public indication of a “break” between the Taliban and al-Qaeda. The State
Department told the IG that “implementation of the U.S.-Taliban agreement will
require extensive long-term monitoring to ensure Taliban compliance as the
group’s leadership has been reluctant to publicly break with al Qaeda.” Left
unsaid is how the Taliban could privately break with al Qaeda, without it
becoming public. Al Qaeda’s men would surely complain if its longtime blood
brothers in the Taliban suddenly turned on them.”

 

Saudi Arabia

 

The New York Times: As Saudi Official Hid Abroad, His Family Became A Target
At Home
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“For years, he was one of Saudi Arabia’s top intelligence officers, an expert
in artificial intelligence who played key roles in the kingdom’s fight against
Al Qaeda and in its security coordination with the United States. But since
2017, Saad Aljabri has been lying low in Canada, fearing for his life and
resisting increasing pressure from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to return
to Saudi Arabia, according to his son and associates. That pressure campaign
has now snared Mr. Aljabri’s family. Since March, two of his adult children and
one of his brothers have been arrested by the Saudi security forces and held
incommunicado, Mr. Aljabri’s son said in a telephone interview. “It has been
weeks and we don’t know where they are,” said the son, Dr. Khalid Aljabri, who
is also living in Canada. “They were kidnapped from their beds. I don’t even
know if they are alive or dead.” The Saudi authorities have not confirmed the
detentions, and officials at the Saudi embassy in Washington did not respond to
a request for comment about Mr. Aljabri or the arrests. It is common in some
Middle Eastern countries for authorities to put pressure on someone by
detaining or threatening their relatives.”

 

Egypt

 

Arab News: Al Jazeera Publishes Article Glorifying Egyptian Terrorist, Then
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“Al Jazeera published an article last week titled “Hisham Ashmawy...the other
side of Al-Ikhtiyar (The Choice)” where the author praised the Egyptian
terrorist and sought to clear his name, but later took down the piece due to
“contradictions with Al Jazeera publishing policies,” according to the news
site. This comes within the same month that the Qatari-owned network published
a podcast glorifying killed Iranian General Qasim Soleimani, as well as a full
interview with terrorist-designated Hamas’s leader Ismael Haniya. “Not only did
Al-Jazeera glorify Hisham Ashmawy, but it also always glorified different
terrorist leaders and organizations as long as they fought the people and
systems (or governments) that disagree with the Qatari regime’s policy,”
Terrorism and extremism expert Hani Nesira told Arab News. “Qatari Al-Jazeera
network and its websites on the Internet have consistently glorified the
symbols of extremism and terrorism and portrayed them as symbols of resistance
and national liberation.” The full article, which cannot be accessed anymore,
began by suggesting that political systems resort to television programs and
drama series in order to influence peoples’ minds, notably highlighting current
Egyptian Ramadan show Al-Ikhtiyar (The Choice).”

 

Libya

 

Egypt Today: Libyan Army Spokesman Accuses Erdogan Of Supporting Terrorism,
Disrespecting Int'l Law
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“Spokesman of the Commander-in-Chief of the Libyan Armed Forces, Major General
Ahmed Al-Mesmari, has stressed that the blatant Turkish military intervention
in Libya and its support for Al-Wefaq government’s militias since 2014 have
thwarted all attempts to reach a political solution in Libya. He added during a
press conference on Thursday that all the foreign agreements signed by the
President of the Libyan Presidency Council, Fayez al-Sarraj, are illegal,
explaining that the Presidency Council did not gain legitimacy from the Libyan
Parliament. “Turkey is under the guise of agreeing with the so-called
government of reconciliation to attack the Libyan people and their
capabilities,” Al-Mesmari said. “The sovereignty and freedom of our homeland
are in danger and we must fight,” he added. Al-Mismari also revealed that the
number of Turkish military personnel in Libya is 1500, as well as other
elements of security companies. He said, “Turkey is now preparing to transport
2,500 other special operations forces and commandos to Libya.” Al-Mesmari
stated that “Turkey transferred approximately 17,000 of the young Syrian people
who were deceived or from extremist groups to the Libyan lands.”

 

Nigeria

 

All Africa: Nigeria: Two Nigerian Soldiers, Three Boko Haram Fighters Killed
In An Ambush - Official <[link removed]>

 

“Two Nigerian soldiers were killed in an ambush by terror group Boko Haram, an
official has said. Three Boko Haram fighters were also killed in the ambush,
the official said. The Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, John Enenche,
said these in a statement on Wednesday, according to the News Agency of
Nigeria. Mr Enenche, a major-general, said troops of Combat Team 1, Operation
Kantana Jimlan who were on patrol along Buni Yadi - Buni Gari axis of Yobe
State encountered multiple Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and a Boko Haram
ambush on Sunday. He said the ambush took place eight kilometres ahead of
Buni-Gari in Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe leading to the killing of two
soldiers while three other soldiers sustained injuries as a result of the IED
explosion. According to him, a recovery truck, one troops-carrying vehicle and
a water tanker that ran into the IED were destroyed by fire. “Three terrorists
were neutralised, while unconfirmed number escaped with various degrees of
injury,” Mr Enenche said. In the statement, the official also narrated some
successes achieved by the Nigerian military against the insurgents.”

 

Africa

 

Foreign Policy: U.S. Tussles With France, U.N. Over Counterterrorism Efforts
In West Africa
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“For more than three years, the Trump administration has questioned the value
of a multibillion-dollar peacekeeping mission in West Africa touted as a
xxxxxx against the region’s terrorist networks. Now, the United States is
promoting an American national to take the helm of the United Nations mission
in Mali, fueling suspicions that Washington is seeking to expand its influence
there to hasten the gradual drawdown of the mission. Trump administration
officials have been quietly lobbying diplomats from France and the United
Nations to appoint David Gressly, a veteran American U.N. official who has held
a number of senior posts at the world body, as the U.N. special representative
for Mali, overseeing a force of more than 11,000 African and European blue
helmets. If selected, he would replace a former Chadian foreign minister,
Mahamat Saleh Annadif, who is scheduled to step down at the beginning of next
year after five years on the job. But France—which maintains a counterterrorism
force of more than 4,500 troops in the semiarid West African Sahel region—has
been cool to the prospect of an American leading the mission, preferring that
the post be filled by an African candidate from a French-speaking country,
according to Western and U.N. officials familiar with the matter.”

 

United Kingdom

 

The Telegraph: Mother Of Manchester Arena Bombing Victim Says 'Terrorism Has
Not Gone Away' And Teachers Must Look Out For Radicalisation
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“The mother of a victim of the Manchester Arena attack says that terrorism has
not gone away and teachers must look out for signs of radicalisation. As
Manchester prepares to mark the third anniversary of the Arena suicide bombing
with online memorial services tonight, Figen Murray, whose son Martyn Hett was
one of the 22 people murdered, said that teachers “will need to be very
observant” to the signs of potential radicalisation. Mrs Murray has spent the
time since her son's death visiting schools, colleges and universities to
discuss radicalisation in an attempt to prevent young people being recruited to
extremist groups. She said teachers “will need to be very observant” to the
signs of potential radicalisation, and engage the Government's Prevent
counter-terror strategy if they have suspicions....”

 

Europe

 

Associated Press: Czech Court Upholds Former Prague Muslim Leader's Conviction
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“A Czech appeals court on Thursday upheld a lower court ruling that convicted
a former Prague Muslim leader of being part of a terror group and financing
terrorism, sentencing him to 10 years in prison. Prosecutors said imam Samer
Shehadeh helped his brother Omar in 2016 and later his brother’s wife, Fatima
Hudkova, travel to Syria to join an extremist group known as Jabhat Fateh
al-Sham. Prosecutors also said Shehadeh sent unspecified sums of money to the
group that seeks to replace the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad with an
Islamic state. In the same case, Omar and his wife were convicted of terror
charges and received prison terms of 11 and six years, respectively. The
appeals court also upheld their sentences. Shehadeh didn’t deny the
accusations, but said he didn’t consider his deeds a crime because he doesn’t
recognize the Syrian government and doesn’t consider the group terrorist.
Thursday’s verdict by Prague’s High Court is final. The members of Prague’s
Muslim community distanced themselves from his activities.”



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