The New York-based organisation Counter Extremism Project (CEP) has infiltrated
a number of secretive online communities for white supremacists and ne

 

 


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Eye on Extremism


June 3, 2020

 

News.Com.Au: George Floyd Protests In America: Some Groups Are Trying To
Ensure Violent Unrest To Continue
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“The New York-based organisation Counter Extremism Project (CEP) has
infiltrated a number of secretive online communities for white supremacists and
neo-Nazis in recent days. An investigation reveals that several channels with
thousands of members are revelling in the unrest and even seem to be plotting
violence and murder. Using the secure messaging app Telegram, one “particularly
violent” neo-Nazi group with more than 5500 members celebrated the mass
demonstrations and “advised that a large protest would be a good opportunity to
commit a murder”. “Another accelerationist neo-Nazi channel claimed that now
was the time to attack synagogues, while emergency services are dealing with
protests and civil unrest,” CEP said. Other channels on the app, as well as on
image board websites, contained posts from far-right group members that
“expressed their hopes that clashes between protesters and police would set off
waves of social violence”. “A white supremacist Telegram channel was created to
specifically share news about the protests, mirroring Telegram posts from a
popular civil rights channel, while making it possible for users to obtain the
news without subscribing to a source that supports the protests,” CEP said.”

 

The National Interest: Israel Believes Assad's Syria Is Restarting Its
Chemical Weapons Programs
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“Here's What You Need To Remember: Virtually all the state actors in the
region find it more expedient to remain locked in perpetual small-scale warfare
than to take on the political risks of negotiating in good faith with their
adversaries—a move which could delegitimize them with their own allies.  A
terrifying pandemic may have the world in its grip, but it’s business as usual
in the war-torn Middle East as Tehran and Damascus continue transferring
weapons to proxies and Israel continues bombing them. The latest strike took
place on March 31, 2020 when Israeli jets crossed over into Lebanese airspace
near Tyre (video here) and reportedly launched eight missiles that streaked
towards central Syria. Video footage shows bursts of light anti-aircraft fire
rippling across the sky—possibly the rapid-firing 30-millimeter cannons of
Pantisr-S short-range air defense vehicles. The Syrian government’s SANA news
agency reported air defenses had repelled the entire attack—but later conceded
that some damage had been inflicted at an unspecified military facility. Video
footage shows one missile hitting a ground target.  Other source claims two or
three got through. The Syrian Observatory of Human Rights reported the target
was al-Shayrat airbase, adding “Reliable sources have informed SOHR that a
cargo plane had shuttled between Al-Shayrat and T4 [AKA Tiyas] airports before
Israeli strikes.”

 

Associated Press: Burkina Faso’s Food Woes Deepen As Extremists Expand Reach
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“Islamic extremists chased Adama Drabo and his family from their land in
western Burkina Faso, forcing them to abandon a year’s worth of crops. Now that
food is rotting in storage in the village, too dangerous for him to retrieve,
even as the family is forced to survive on meager government rations. Drabo
already has lost his 20-year-old son, who was killed by a roadside bomb.
“Security is getting worse, and this year we won’t be able to cultivate and it
will be a big problem,” he said. His future looks bleak if he and his family
cannot return to their land. Violence linked to jihadists has spread from
Burkina Faso’s north to its western breadbasket in the Boucle du Mouhoun
region, pushing thousands like Drabo to hunger and threatening to cut off food
for millions more in the country on the edge of the Sahara Desert. The fertile
land produces large amounts of rice and maize, according to the government.
Humanitarian groups are concerned that the coronavirus pandemic could
exacerbate an already dire situation in Burkina Faso, one of the most
impoverished countries in the world. “If production goes down in this area and
if movement restrictions due to the coronavirus drive up food prices in the
markets, it could push numbers of severely vulnerable people to double or
triple,” said Julia Wanjiru, communications coordinator for the Sahel and West
Africa Club, an intergovernmental economic group.”

 

United States

 

The Washington Post: What Is Antifa?
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“President Trump is blaming the far-left network known as antifa for the
looting and rioting that has arisen during anti-police-brutality protests in
cities across the nation over the past several nights. Trump has said he’ll
label the movement a terrorist organization, though he legally cannot do that.
Experts who have studied antifa say there is no evidence that the fringe,
amorphous group is driving nationwide protests, and Trump hasn’t cited any as
he accuses them of doing so. Some experts worry Trump is conflating antifa with
peaceful protesters in a dangerous way. Let’s get a better understanding of who
they are and why Trump can’t label them as terrorists. What is antifa and what
does it stand for? Antifa is short for antifascists. It’s pronounced
“an-TEE-fuh.” Think of them as radical anti-racists who want to take matters
into their own hands to try to stop white supremacy, said Mark Bray, a
historian at Rutgers University and author of “Antifa: The Anti-Fascist
Handbook.” The difference between them and a normal opponent of these things is
that antifascists don’t trust government or police to efficiently bat down
white supremacy and fascism. There’s a suspicion among antifa that police and a
capitalist society are actually supportive of these ideals.”

 

Iraq

 

The National: Iraq Launches Military Operation In The North To Combat
Remaining ISIS Militants
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“Iraq on Tuesday launched the second phase of a military operation in the
north to combat ISIS sleeper cells. The country announced victory over the
terrorist group in 2017 but in recent months ISIS militias have increased
ambushes and attacks across the north, killing and wounding Iraqi as well as
foreign security personnel. “The second phase of the ‘Iraqi Heroes’ operation
was launched on Tuesday to search the southwestern areas of Kirkuk bordering
the province of Salahuddin,” military spokesman Yahya Rasool said in a
statement. The operation aims to enhance security and stability in the northern
areas by pursuing ISIS remnants and arresting the wanted, he said. The terror
group still has bases in rural areas of Anbar, Diyala, Kirkuk, Saladin and
Mosul provinces. But the international anti-ISIS coalition believes the
militants are losing, even though it remains a major opponent. Prime Minister
Mustafa Al Kadhimi praised the military for their efforts. “In these difficult
circumstances and the many challenges that the country is going through, our
heroes of the armed forces will defy the enemy and play a heroic role in
combating terrorism,” he said in a statement.”

 

Afghanistan

 

Reuters: Suicide Bomber Injures At Least Three In Kabul Mosque Compound
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“A suicide bomber blew himself up inside a large mosque compound near a
high-security diplomatic district in Kabul on Tuesday, government officials
said, adding that at least three people were injured in the blast. No group
immediately claimed responsibility for the blast, which took place near homes
and offices belonging to dozens of international organisations and embassies.
The bomber blew himself up in the part of the compound where worshippers wash
before entering the main complex to pray, interior ministry and police
officials said as they rushed teams to the spot. Last week, Islamic State
fighters blew up a private bus carrying employees of a private news company in
Kabul. One journalist and a technician were killed and six people were injured.”

 

Al Jazeera: Roadside Bomb In Taliban-Controlled Area Kills Afghan Civilians
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“At least seven civilians have been killed in a roadside bomb blast in
Afghanistan's northern Kunduz province, local officials said. The blast struck
a small truck carrying a group of labourers late on Monday in the volatile
district of Khan Abad. According to local officials, the area is under the
control of the Taliban armed group, which has staged a number of deadly attacks
on Afghan security forces there in recent weeks. Six people were wounded in
Monday's blast, two of whom are in critical condition, according to the
district chief, Hayatullah Amiri. Earlier this year, a United Nations report
said more than 10,000 people were killed or wounded in the Afghanistan war in
2019 alone. Violence had surged after the Taliban signed a landmark agreement
with the United States in February, which paves the way for the withdrawal of
all foreign forces by May next year. However, violence across much of the
country has dropped since May 24 when the Taliban announced a surprise
three-day ceasefire to mark the Eid al-Fitr holiday. Afghan President Ashraf
Ghani had welcomed the Taliban ceasefire offer. Authorities said approximately
2,000 Taliban prisoners would be released in a "goodwill gesture" with a view
to kick-start the peace talks envisioned in the US-Taliban agreement.”

 

Radio Free Europe: Taliban Officials Deny Report That Top Leader Died From
Coronavirus
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“Taliban officials have denied a report that its leader, Mullah Haibatullah
Akhundzada, died after contracting the coronavirus. Foreign Policy magazine,
citing unnamed Taliban officials, reported on June 1 that Mullah Akhundzada
contracted COVID-19 and possibly died while receiving treatment abroad. Foreign
Policy quoted Mawlawi Mohammad Ali Jan Ahmad, a senior Taliban military
official, as saying that Mullah Akhundzada was "sick" after contracting the
virus but was "recovering." But three other Taliban figures in the Pakistani
city of Quetta, where the Taliban leadership is believed to be based, told
Foreign Policy on condition of anonymity that they believed Akhunzada had died
of the illness. Foreign Policy said the coronavirus has stricken a number of
senior Taliban leaders in Quetta and in Qatar, where the militant group has a
political office. Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid on June 2 denied that
Mullah Akhundzada or any other senior leaders had contracted the disease or
died. In a tweet, Mujahid accused Foreign Policy of spreading "propaganda" and
said Mullah Akhundzada was well and "busy with his daily activities." Sayed
Mohammad Akbar Agha, a former Taliban military commander who lives in the
Afghan capital, Kabul, told RFE/RL that the report of Mullah Akhundzada's death
was "untrue."

 

Yemen

 

Associated Press: Officials Say Armed Men Killed Journalist In Southern Yemen
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“A Yemeni journalist was shot dead Tuesday in the southern port city of Aden,
security officials said. Armed men opened fire on Nabil al-Quaety, a video
journalist and photographer who contributed to Agence France-Presse, outside
his home in Aden’s Dar Saad district, the officials said. Al-Quaety, 34, was
pronounced dead before reaching a nearby hospital, said the officials, who
spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the
media. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. “We are
shocked by the senseless killing of a courageous journalist doing his job
despite threats and intimidation,” said AFP’s Global News Director Phil
Chetwynd. “Through his work with AFP over the past five years, Nabil had helped
to show a global audience the full horror of the conflict in Yemen. The quality
of his work had been widely recognized,” he said. Al-Quaety was married with
three children, and a fourth on the way, AFP said. He was a finalist for the
United Kingdom’s Rory Peck Award in 2016 for his work covering Yemen’s war.
Al-Quaety's death came amid increasing tensions and infighting between the
internationally recognized government and southern separatists who declared
self-rule of Aden in April.”

 

Middle East

 

The National: UAE Passes Draft Law Re-Launching Global Counter-Extremism Centre

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“The UAE passed Tuesday a draft law setting up the International Centre for
Excellence in Countering Violent Extremism, Hedaya (Arabic for ‘guidance’), in
Abu Dhabi. “UAE embraces moderation and tolerance, that extremism is
unacceptable in religions, internationally and morally and that global
cooperation is necessary for fighting this menace, Dr Anwar Gargash Minister of
State for Foreign Affairs, told the House. The new law re-launched the landmark
anti-terror initiative, which was initially launched on the sidelines of the
Global Counter-terrorism Forum, in 2012. Dr Gargash reiterated the UAE’s
hosting of the global centre upholds its principle of tolerance, which stands
on the opposite bank of violent extremism. “The UAE is honoured to assume our
role in coordinating international community efforts to get rid of threats
posed by violent extremism through this centre,” he said. The centre, an
international incubator of a pool of experts and specialists from 30 member
countries who partner with their in-house peers to counter violent extremism,
is a part of the New York-based Global Counterterrorism Forum, launched in 2011
at the foreign ministers level.”

 

Egypt

 

Foreign Policy: U.S. Unable To Monitor Military Aid To Egypt’s Anti-Terrorism
Fight
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“The United States lacks visibility on how Egypt is using U.S.-provided
weapons in the Sinai Peninsula, according to a State Department review obtained
by Foreign Policy, a blind spot that Congress worries could limit the Trump
administration’s ability to investigate human rights abuses in the ongoing
fight against the Islamic State. The State Department said that Egypt has only
given U.S. forces stationed in Sinai infrequent access to monitor allegations
of human rights abuses, and that Cairo has recently started to buy Russian and
French weapons in greater numbers, limiting American visibility. “As a result,
it is very difficult to determine whether U.S.-origin defense articles were
used in a particular operation or maneuver,” the report said, adding that U.S.
troops do not have consistent on-the-ground access to Sinai. “The U.S.
government generally lacks sufficient information to directly link specific
U.S.-origin equipment to alleged violations of international human rights or
international humanitarian law by Egyptian security forces.” U.S. President
Donald Trump has lavished praise on his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel Fattah
al-Sisi, calling the Egyptian leader “my favorite dictator” and continuing
American military aid apace at $1.3 billion, despite internal protests earlier
in his administration and assessments that Cairo’s trajectory toward reforms
has been slowed by the former general’s authoritarian tendencies.”

 

Nigeria

 

Daily Post Nigeria: Boko Haram: 13 Killed In Borno
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“Thirteen people including a female suicide bomber were killed in several
attacks across four local government councils of Borno in the northeast,
Nigeria. The attacks, according to residents took place in Kwabula, Kondori,
Ali Gambori in Askira-Uba, Konduga, and Nganzai Local Government Areas of Borno
State. Informed sources told DAILY POST that, In Kwabula of Askira-Uba Local
Government Area, two civilians were killed when suspected members of Boko Haram
sect, invaded the village on 30 May, 2020. On Sunday 31st May, 2020, a female
suicide bomber infiltrated part of Konduga Local Government Area and detonated
her Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) killing herself and injuring three
civilians. Also, three people were killed yesterday in Kondori village of
Konduga LGA by suspected terrorists, leaving scores injured, while the luckiest
ones fled into Jakana town and Maiduguri for safety on Monday evening. The
Source revealed that “on the 30th May 2020, at 11:45pm armed terrorists
suspected to be from Shekau’s faction stormed Kwabula village of Askira- Uba
LGA. “The terrorists came in large number with Four (4) gun trucks, enclose the
main entrance of the village and commencing firing in the midst of the village.”

 

Technology

 

CBS News: Twitter Says Fake "Antifa" Account Was Run By White Supremacists
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“Twitter has shut down multiple accounts that it says were operated by a white
supremacist group posing as liberal groups encouraging violence. Twitter said
the white supremacist group Identity Evropa used one fake account, @Antifa_US,
to call for violence in majority white suburbs, in the name of the Black Lives
Matter movement. The account's removal was first reported by NBC News. "This
account violated our platform manipulation and spam policy, specifically the
creation of fake accounts. We took action after the account sent a Tweet
inciting violence and broke the Twitter Rules" the company said. Twitter said
it has also targeted other fake accounts run by Identity Evropa, but did not
provide examples. The company said the accounts posted hateful tweets targeting
race, religion and sexual orientation. An Identity Evropa account purported to
be associated with Antifa, a collection of loosely connected groups that
organize against fascism. On Sunday, Attorney General William Barr said Antifa
was associated with violence at recent protests. Officials have yet to show
evidence to support this claim. Without identifying any particular group, a May
31 Department of Homeland Security note warned that well-coordinated groups had
"potentially compromised" law enforcement radio communications in Portland,
Oregon over the weekend.”



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