Three leaders have been left dominating the jihadist insurgency in the Sahel,
following the death of a top al Qaeda commander in the West African stat

 

 


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Eye on Extremism


June 9, 2020

 

France 24: Three Prominent Jihadists Dominate Sahel After Death Of Al Qaeda
Leader
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“Three leaders have been left dominating the jihadist insurgency in the Sahel,
following the death of a top al Qaeda commander in the West African state of
Mali this week. French forces killed Algerian national Abdelmalek Droukdel, the
head of al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), in a raid in northern Mali on
Wednesday. The move will strike a blow to the organisation, but other powerful
al Qaeda-linked leaders already operate in the semi-desert Sahel. Droukdel's
death also comes at a time of increasing jihadist infighting, between al Qaeda
affiliates and Islamic State group aligned militants. Three jihadist leaders
now loom large over the central Sahel: Iyad Ag Ghaly and Amadou Koufa – who are
both linked to al Qaeda – and Adnan Abou Walid Sahraoui, who leads the region's
Islamic State group franchise. Iyad Ag Ghaly, who heads the powerful Group to
Support Islam and Muslims (GSIM) jihadist alliance, is a veteran of Mali's
internecine conflicts.  An ethnic Tuareg from northern Mali, he first leapt
onto the stage during a Tuareg rebellion during the 1990s.  After it subsided
he went into business, before publically returning to militancy again in 2012,
with a newly created group called Ansar Dine.”

 

NL Times: ISIS Split-Off A Threat In Netherlands: Report
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“A split-off of terrorist organization ISIS is gaining grounds in the
Netherlands and may pose a real threat, NRC reports based on a report by
research agency NTA. The so-called Hazimi movement is considered even more
extreme than ISIS and has around a hundred followers in the Netherlands, the
researchers estimate. With ISIS no longer having its own caliphate, some
jihadists have traded ISIS for Hazimi, named after Saudi preacher Ahmad
al-Hazimi who is known to preach that anyone who deviates from radical Islamic
teachings is an apostate and therefore deserves to be killed. Those who refuse
to label such a person an apostate is also an apostate, according to his
preachings. The Hazimi movement benefited from ISIS' collapse, because it
argues that ISIS fell because it did not adhere to the strict teachings,
according NTA. According to NRC, a part of ISIS embraced the Hazimi stance in
2015, but the ISIS leadership thought it went to far and detained or executed
many Hazimis for 'extremism'. Eight Dutch jihadists were executed by ISIS in
Syria in 2016. The reason for the executions was previously unknown, but the
NTA report now stated that there are indications that the executed Dutch were
killed fro their pro-Hazimi views.”

 

United States

 

The Wall Street Journal: Lone Wolves, Self-Styled Anarchists: The Disparate
Actors Accused Of Protest Violence
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“As flares of violence and destruction have disrupted largely peaceful
demonstrations against police brutality over the past two weeks, federal and
state officials have warned that members of extremist groups are at work behind
the scenes. U.S. Attorney General William Barr said Thursday the Justice
Department had evidence that “extremist agitators” were hijacking protests to
“pursue their own separate and violent agenda”—an assertion he and President
Trump have repeated throughout the national unrest. Minnesota officials
described a professional campaign of urban warfare involving domestic
terrorists seeking to destroy Minneapolis and St. Paul. New York Police
Department officials have said outside agitators were working to provoke
violence and sow fear. What has emerged from the protests—and in criminal
charges filed across the country—is a diffuse collection of what appear to be
self-styled anarchists and opportunists, lone actors and clusters of alleged
extremist cells, with a range of allegiances, interests and motivations. Some
may be bent on revolution, while others, bound by no apparent ideology at all,
have been accused of vandalism, theft and violence. Since George Floyd was
killed in police custody on May 25, tens of thousands of people have joined
protests erupting across the U.S.”

 

Associated Press: Man Accused Of Terror Plot Seeks To Withdraw Guilty Plea
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“A former Coast Guard lieutenant accused of plotting politically motivated
killings inspired by a far-right mass murderer asked a federal appeals court on
Monday to let him withdraw his guilty plea or else throw out his sentence of
more than 13 years in prison. In a court filing, a defense attorney argued that
Christopher Hasson’s 160-month prison term was roughly four times longer than
sentencing guidelines would have called for if U.S. District Judge George Hazel
had not mistakenly applied a “terrorism enhancement” to the sentence.
Prosecutors didn’t charge Hasson, 50, with any terrorism-related offenses. He
pleaded guilty last October to possessing unregistered and unserialized
silencers, being a drug addict in possession of firearms and illegal possession
of tramadol, an opioid painkiller. The judge “clearly erred by finding Hasson’s
offenses were intended to promote a federal crime of terrorism,” assistant
federal public defender Cullen Macbeth wrote. Prosecutors have until June 29 to
respond in writing to Macbeth’s filing. The appeal was filed with the 4th U.S.
Circuit Court of Appeals. Federal prosecutors called Hasson a domestic
terrorist and self-described white nationalist.”

 

Boston Globe: R.I. Man Serving Terror Sentence Wants Early Prison Release,
Cites Coronavirus Concerns
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“A Rhode Island man serving a 15-year prison term for conspiring to support
ISIS is asking a federal judge to release him to his mother’s home in Warwick,
citing health concerns that place him at “unique risk” if he contracts COVID-19
behind bars. In a motion for compassionate release filed Sunday in US District
Court in Boston, lawyers for Nicholas Alexander Rovinski, 29, said he’s
currently incarcerated at FCI Danbury in Connecticut, “where one of the first
major COVID-19 outbreaks in the federal Bureau of Prisons is ongoing.” The
motion said Rovinski, who pleaded guilty in September 2016 to conspiracy to
support ISIS and to committing acts of terrorism transcending national
boundaries, has 94 months left on his sentence. He’s seeking “immediate release
to begin his lifetime term of supervised release in self-quarantine at his
mother’s home in Warwick, Rhode Island,” the filing said. The matter’s urgent
in light of his health challenges, the motion said. “Mr. Rovinski has medical,
neurological, cognitive, and psychological conditions that place him at unique
risk,” the document said. “These conditions make him medically vulnerable and
diminish his ability to provide self-care.”

 

CBS Chicago: CPD Investigating After Officer Wore Extremist Militia Logo To
Downtown Protest Saturday
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“A Chicago Police officer wore a mask bearing the logo of a right-wing militia
group known as the “Three Percenters” while on duty at a downtown protest
Saturday. Still frames from video shot by CBS 2 shows a Chicago Police
Department (CPD) officer wearing a black face mask with the logo — the roman
numeral three surrounded by a ring of stars — while standing among a group of
officers near the LaSalle Street bridge Saturday afternoon.  The officer’s name
tag and badge number, which can be seen in video, identify him as Kyle Mingari,
a 13-year veteran of CPD. According to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which
studies extremist groups, the Three Percenters is a militia group that first
appeared around 2009. Their logo, which Mingari is seen sporting on his face
mask, “has become very popular among anti-government extremists,” according to
the ADL. The ADL confirmed to CBS 2 that the logo was in fact a Three
Percenters symbol. “ADL is deeply disturbed by the apparent display of the
‘three percenter’ symbol by an on-duty Chicago police officer this weekend,”
ADL Midwest regional director David Goldenberg said in a statement emailed to
CBS 2.”

 

Syria

 

Voice Of America: Dozens Of IS Fighters Captured In New Campaign In Eastern
Syria
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“U.S. military officials said more than 60 Islamic State (IS) terrorists were
captured by U.S.-backed forces in Syria as part of a major campaign to hunt
down remnants of the terror group. Col. Myles Caggins, spokesman for the
U.S.-led coalition against IS, said in a tweet Monday that U.S.-backed Syrian
Democratic Forces (SDF) continue their operation against IS sleeper cells in
parts of Deir al-Zour and Hasaka provinces in eastern Syria. Since its
territorial defeat in March 2019, IS has carried out terror attacks against
civilians and SDF fighters, especially in areas along the border with Iraq.
With nearly 6,000 U.S.-backed fighters involved, SDF officials say they also
coordinate with Iraqi security forces for their campaign, which was launched
Friday.  “We have received a lot of intelligence about [IS] being very active
in this area,” said Resho Kobani, an SDF field commander in northern Deir
al-Zour. “They have dug tunnels here to store their weapons. But civilians have
provided us a lot of information about their locations,” he told VOA Monday,
noting that SDF forces “are in control. … We started this campaign three days
ago, but it could continue for up to 10 days.”

 

Iran

 

The Jerusalem Post: Pro-Iran Militias Position Themselves For US-Iraq Talks
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“The US and Iraq are careening towards an unclear future concerning their
relations. At the heart of the problem is Iran’s desire to eject US forces from
Iraq, the lack of a clear mission for the US-led Coalition, chess moves by
Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and preparations for a “strategic dialogue”
with Baghdad. Iraq has a new prime minister named Mustafa al-Kadhimi and he
finally has a government. The last seven posts in his cabinet were approved.
There are now 22 members of the cabinet, and Kadhimi is happy. After more than
eight months of chaos and protests, Iraq could be on a new track. But COVID-19
has shut airports, there are fears of the virus in the capital and a new ISIS
insurgency and protests continue. There is also a budget crisis due to oil
prices, the need to buy energy from Iran and discussions with the Kurdistan
autonomous region over salaries. US-led anti-ISIS Coalition spokesman tweeted
on June that the Iraqis were hunting down ISIS as  part of the “heroes of Iraq”
operation. This includes, he wrote, the Iraqi army, Counter-Terror Service,
Federal Police, Hashd al-Sha’abi and other units.”

 

Afghanistan

 

Reuters: Afghan Peace Talks Seen This Month After U.S. Shuttle Diplomacy
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“Talks to end the 18-year-old conflict in Afghanistan may begin this month,
sources said on Monday, a day after the U.S. special envoy visited the capital
of neighbouring Pakistan and met Taliban leaders in Qatar. The United States
signed a troop withdrawal deal with the Taliban in February, but its attempts
to usher the insurgent group towards peace talks with the Afghan government
have been mired in setbacks and violence surged in March and April. The
Taliban's spokesman Suhail Shaheen said on Twitter that U.S. envoy Zalmay
Khalilzad had discussed “the commencement of intra-Afghan negotiations” at the
insurgent group's political capital, Doha, on Sunday. Khalilzad had earlier met
Pakistan's army chief of staff, according to the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad.
“The two took note of recent progress created by the Eid ceasefire and
accelerated prisoner releases as well as reduced violence ahead of intra-Afghan
negotiations,” the Embassy said on Monday. “(They) discussed steps required for
the start of intra-Afghan negotiations.” Disagreement over the Taliban's demand
for the release of 5,000 prisoners has also blocked progress towards resolving
the conflict, in which Pakistan is considered a key regional player.”

 

Long War Journal: Analysis: Taliban Again Denies Presence Of Foreign Fighters
In Afghanistan
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“Yet again, the Taliban has denied that foreign fighters, including members of
Al Qaeda, are present in Afghanistan. The Taliban’s statement should raise deep
concerns with U.S. officials about the group’s reliability to be an effective
counterterrorism partner against Al Qaeda and other terror groups. The Taliban
issued its latest denial on June 6, just five days after the U.N.’s Analytical
Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team said in a report that the Taliban and Al
Qaeda remain allied, have consulted with each other during the Taliban’s
negotiations with the U.S., and that there are thousands of foreign fighters on
Afghan soil. In a statement released on Voice of Jihad, the Taliban called the
U.N. report “fictitious” and says “there are no foreign fighters currently
present in Afghanistan”: It is very unfortunate however that a recent report
published by this organizations related to presence of foreign fighters in
Afghanistan and other issues are not grounded in facts. For example, the claim
of large number of foreign fighters and their extensive presence throughout
Afghanistan has left our compatriots baffled because the Afghans, the natives
of this land who view everything first-hand and can discern conditions better
than anyone else, are completely aware that there are no foreign fighters
currently present in Afghanistan.”

 

Lebanon

 

Arab News: Hezbollah Dragging Lebanon Closer To New Civil War
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“Activists in Lebanon called on citizens to take to the streets at the weekend
and finish the mission they started on Oct. 17 last year. The manifesto of the
“October Meeting” — a more or less unitary body representing the protesters —
highlighted three “nos.” No to a government that behaves like a farm, no to a
state that acts like the politicians’ private company, and no to a state that
is used as plunder by the politicians. The protesters were faced by Hezbollah
and its ally, the Amal Movement. They felt threatened as the demands of the
protesters could endanger their grip on the state. The confrontation resulted
in armed clashes. The clashes died down, but if this trend is not contained it
might threaten another civil war. The protesters want a total break from the
previous system. They have lost trust in the presidency, government and
parliament. They have instead asked for a transitional government that reflects
the spirit of Oct. 17. The activists’ statement even detailed what they expect
from the transitional government. The first demand is for the transitional
government to design and implement an economic rescue plan. Secondly, they want
it to prepare for free elections under the supervision of an independent
committee, according to a new law.”

 

The Jerusalem Post: Lebanese Protesters Call For Hezbollah Disarmament,
Clashes Ensue
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“As anti-government protests are renewed in Lebanon amidst a continuing
economic crisis, some protesters called for the disarmament of the Hezbollah
terrorist group, leading to violent clashes with Hezbollah supporters. Dozens
were injured as pro-Hezbollah and anti-Hezbollah protesters clashed in Beirut
on Saturday amid massive demonstrations. Anti-Hezbollah protesters held signs
reading “No weapons but legal weapons. 1559, make it happen,” according to
Al-Arabiya. UN Security Council Resolution 1559 called for the disarmament of
all militias in Lebanon. “With their weapons, they are controlling the state,
they are controlling everything,” said one protester to Al-Arabiya. “The
smuggling comes from the weapons, the poverty comes from the weapons, the
stealing comes from the weapons, the corruption comes from the weapons. If we
got rid of the weapons, the rest of the problems will be solved.” Another
protester pointed out that only Hezbollah has weapons “on the ground” and only
the Lebanese Army should have weapons. The demonstration on Sunday was
organized by the Sabaa party, which is associated with anti-Hezbollah partites
such as the Christian Kataeb and Lebanese Forces parties and Sunni politicians
Bahaa Hariri and Ashraf Rifi who both oppose Hezbollah having weapons,
according to Al-Arabiya.”

 

Middle East

 

Asharq Al-Awsat: Jordan Thwarts Terrorist Plot To Target Security Site
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“Trials at the Jordanian State Security Court have revealed that a third
terrorist plot targeting a security site in Irbid governorate has been
thwarted. The Kingdom’s General Intelligence Directorate (GID) arrested members
of a terrorist cell who were planning to target the site in the governorate
that lies 80 km north of the capital, Amman. According to Alrai official
newspaper, three defendants attempted to join ISIS terrorist organization in
Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, but they failed to reach there. According to the
indictment, the three defendants were friends, pointing out that the first
remained the link between the two others. “After ISIS’s emergence in Iraq and
Syria in 2014, he started following its news and publications through internet
channels until he became one of its supporters,” the indictment read, adding
that he believed it is applying the correct Islamic Sharia law and pledged
allegiance to the group. The first defendant wanted ISIS to gain more support,
so he started promoting its ideas among family members and friends, and was
able to convince the second defendant to join the organization by keeping him
updated on its news and publications and providing him with a book on militant
thought.”

 

Somalia

 

Dalsan Radio: Somalia: 11 Alshabaab Militants Killed In Bakol Operation
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“Somali national army (SNA) on Sunday killed 11 Alshabab militants in an
operation in the outskirts of Bakol region Military officer confirmed on
Sunday. Abdihamid Mohamed Dirir, commander of the Somali infantry division told
reporters that SNA conducted a sting operation in Abal and villages in that
area and they have retaken the area and it is under the control of the army.
Locals say the government army attacked the members of Alshabab prompting
exchange gunfire between the two sides “ There was an exchange of gunfire
between the army and the militants, but the forces are now in the town and the
militants were chased out,” said a resident whose identity cannot be revealed.
On the other hand, Alshabab militants claim victory and say they have killed 15
military. Somali forces have intensified operations against Al-Shabab extremist
in Bakol region, but the militants still hold swathes of rural areas in that
region conducting ambushes and planting landmines.”

 

Africa

 

Reuters: Mali Orders Investigation Into Killings Of 43 Villagers
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“Mali’s government said it had ordered investigations into whether soldiers
killed 43 people during attacks on two villages last week. Armed men dressed in
military fatigues raided the village of Binedama on Friday, killing 29 people
including women and children and burning down houses, officials said. Two days
earlier, attackers killed 14 people in the village of Niangassadiou, the
government said in its statement. Both villages are in the West African
country’s central Mopti region, which has seen dozens of tit-for-tat ethnic
massacres over the past few years. In both cases community leaders said
attackers targeted members of the Fulani group - semi-nomadic herders who have
been accused by rival farming communities of supporting Islamist militants.
Fulani association Tabital Pulaaku has said all the victims were innocent
civilians. Last week it accused Malian soldiers of carrying out both attacks,
saying the troops surrounded Binedama in pick-up trucks before moving in, and
attacked a trade fair at Niangassadiou. The government acknowledged the
accusation and said it had asked the military and the justice system to conduct
the investigation. “If it turned out that these killings were the work of
national army members, sanctions matching the seriousness of these actions
would be taken by the head of the military,” it said in its statement issued
late on Sunday.”

 

All Africa: Mozambique: UN Official Blames Terrorism On Drug Trafficking
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“The representative in Mozambique of the United Nations Office on Drugs and
Crime (UNODC), Cesar Guedes, has argued that the traffic of heroin from
Mozambique to Europe via Mozambique is one of the main reasons for the conflict
in Cabo Delgado province, where the Mozambican forces are fighting terrorists
inspired by islamic fundamentalism. Interviewed by the Portuguese news agency
Lusa, Guedes said that Afghan heroin production has tripled in the past ten
years, and Mozambique lies on one of the corridors used to take the drug to
consumer nations. He argued that the Kenyan and Tanzanian authorities have
increased their vigilance in recent years, pushing traffickers who might once
have used the Kenyan or Tanzanian coast further south, to Mozambique “in search
of new routes and new markets”. “Here (i.e. in Mozambique) they apparently find
a country with a unique strategic location to facilitate trafficking in drugs”,
said Guedes. “What these countries offer is facilitated passage. It's nothing
sophisticated, but the borders are enormous and the authorities are not
everywhere. And the traffickers know this”. After Mozambique, the heroin goes
by all possible paths to Europe, notably via the richest country on the African
continent, South Africa.”

 

United Kingdom

 

Daily Mail: British Universities Are Advertised As Exam Centres For Online
College Set Up By Islamist Hate Preacher Banned From UK For 'Extremist Views'
Including Saying Gays Should Be Put To Death
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“Philips has always claimed to abhor violence and denied involvement in any
terrorist attacks, including the 1993 World Trade Centre bombing. But Joshua
Lipowsky, senior research analyst at the Counter Extremism Project, warned that
the IOU's teaching risked radicalising students as he urged mainstream
institutions to disassociate themselves from it. 'Philips claims to abhor
violence but he preaches an ultra-conservative form of Islam that leads people
down a path to radicalization that concludes violence is necessary for the
greater good,' he told MailOnline. 'University students are particularly at
risk from his dangerous rhetoric because they are at stages in their lives
where they are questioning and rebuilding their own belief systems.
Universities should be open forums for ideas but not for promoting hatred and
extremism.' Hundreds of other UK institutions are listed by the IOU as approved
exam centres, including Leeds Grand Mosque and others in Aberdeen, Edinburgh
and London. Several schools are also mentioned, including a secondary school in
Cardiff and two primary schools in Derby and London.”

 

Germany

 

Deutsche Welle: Germany Launches Terrorism Probe Over Planned Attack On Muslims

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“German authorities arrested a 21-year-old man and launched a terrorism
investigation after he threatened to carry out an attack targeting Muslims,
prosecutors said on Monday. The 21-year-old man from the northern city of
Hildesheim made the threat in an anonymous online chat forum on May 29,
announcing his intention to carry out an attack “with multiple dead,”
prosecutors in the city of Celle said in a statement. He referenced the March
2019 Christchurch mosque attack in New Zealand where a gunman killed 51 people,
saying that he wanted to carry out a similar attack in Germany. “The goal was
to kill Muslims,” prosecutors said. The man is believed to have been
considering carrying out a mass-casualty attack for some time, also seeking to
attract worldwide media attention. During a raid on the man's apartment, police
uncovered data files containing right-wing extremist content as well as weapons
that “may have been purchased to carry out the attack plans.” The suspect was
arrested on Saturday and faces a string of charges including threatening to
commit criminal offences, disturbing the peace and financing terrorism through
purchasing weapons. Germany has seen several deadly right-wing extremist
attacks over the past year, with Interior Minister Horst Seehofer at one point
calling right-wing terrorism “the biggest danger for democracy in Germany.”

 

Australia

 

The Guardian: Woman Stripped Of Australian Citizenship Over Alleged Isis Role
Launches Bid To Overturn Law
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“A Melbourne woman stripped of Australian citizenship for allegedly serving
Islamic State has lodged a high court challenge in a bid to reverse the
operation of laws that automatically cancel citizenship. Zehra Duman lodged the
case on behalf of herself and her two children challenging a notice sent by the
home affairs department in July 2019 claiming she is no longer a citizen
because the home affairs minister, Peter Dutton, had learned she served Islamic
State after it was listed as a terrorist organisation in 2016. Duman’s case is
the first of its kind, challenging laws passed by the Abbott government in 2015
creating powers to strip Australian citizenship from dual nationals convicted
of terrorist offences or deemed to have renounced citizenship by their own
conduct, even without a conviction. Duman allegedly left Australia in 2014 to
marry a Melbourne Isis fighter, Mahmoud Abdullatif. According to court
documents, seen by Guardian Australia, Duman is still in al-Hawl camp in Syria
with her two children. The notice sent to Duman claims that she lost
citizenship on 6 May 2016 by the operation of section 35 of the Australian
Citizenship Act 2007 because she was allegedly “in the service of a declared
terrorist organisation.”



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