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Eye on Extremism
June 15, 2020
Reuters: France Launches Sahel Coalition To Fight Rising Jihadi Violence
“France launched a coalition of West African and European allies on Friday to fight jihadi militants in the Sahel region, hoping more political cooperation and special forces would boost a military effort that has so far failed to stifle violence. Former colonial power France has deployed thousands of soldiers in the arid region south of the Sahara desert since 2013, and now has 5,100 troops there. But violence by groups linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State has been on the rise. The coalition, first announced at a January summit after a series of attacks killing over 200 soldiers, was ratified during virtual meetings of more than 40 defence and foreign ministers. “We can now hope that the setbacks suffered by our armies during the second half of 2019 and the difficulties implementing our development projects are behind us,” said Niger's Foreign Minister Kalla Ankourao. The new structure brings the so-called G5 Sahel states of Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, Niger and Mauritania, plus French forces and any future troops under a single command, and also coordinates development, governance and humanitarian work. Paris has long sought more support from other European countries and cooperation between Sahel states.”
BBC News: Nigeria's Boko Haram Crisis: UN ‘Appalled’ By Twin Jihadist Attacks In Borno
“Dozens of soldiers and civilians are reported to have been killed in twin attacks by Islamist militants in north-eastern Nigeria's Borno state. Fighters attacked Monguno, a garrison town where UN and other aid workers are based, and a village in Nganzai. The UN said it was “appalled” by the raids that came days after at least 81 villagers were killed in Gubio. A Boko Haram faction calling itself the Islamic State in West Africa (Iswap) says it is behind all three attacks. The splinter group declared its loyalty to the Islamic State group four years ago. At least 20 soldiers and more than 40 civilians are said to have been killed in the two attacks. People from Goni Usmanti village in Nganzai told the AFP news agency that militants shot dead 38 people and set a truck on fire with passengers inside. Security sources and residents said at least 15 people, including nine soldiers, died in Monguno town, which is about 60km (37 miles) away. Militants armed with heavy weapons including rocket launchers arrived in Monguno, a base for many international non-governmental organisations, on Saturday morning, overrunning government forces in the area. In a statement, the UN confirmed that “non-state armed group operatives” entered Monguno in the late morning.”
United States
“We’re in quarantine. Everybody’s home, everybody’s online. So this is a kind of watershed moment for the far right,” said Colin P. Clarke, a senior research fellow at the Soufan Center, a nonprofit threat and security research organization. “I think we’re going to look back on the first half of 2020, and this is going to be the moment when a lot of these far-right extremist groups get a huge morale boost.” Extremist groups used the reopen rallies and their online communities to recruit followers who view government-mandated quarantine as overreach, an important part of far-right ideology, said Joshua Fisher-Birch, a researcher at the nonprofit Counter Extremism Project. He said a person prime for recruitment might believe conspiracy theories related to the virus’ origin or the government’s motivations, and extremists “apply their own conspiracy theories in an effort to try to draw people to their cause.”
Financial Times: Drifting Definitions Of Terrorism Endanger Us All
“It is tempting to ignore US president Donald Trump’s tweets. But his recent declaration that he intends to proscribe antifa as a terrorist organisation will empower those around the world inclined to see any threat to their power as terrorist. The US previously designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp as terrorists leading to the assassination of a top Iranian general. If America starts considering an anti-fascist idea to be a terrorist group, it would be leaning in a direction that can be interpreted as criminalising dissent. When America leads, others will follow. There is a distinction to be drawn between protests and terrorism. The sometimes violent American demonstrations after Minneapolis police killed George Floyd are not terrorism. Nor are the violent acts that have been troubling Hong Kong. This does not mean that some individuals are not using the protests as a cover to try to commit terrorist acts. But the overall movements are not terrorists in the same way that al-Qaeda is. Terrorists use violence, but not all public violence is terrorism. The distinction is confusing when we look beyond rioting. Like his predecessors, Mr Trump has explored proscribing Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organisations.”
Defense One: Terrorists Aren’t Staying In Jail As Long As You Might Think
“When most people picture convicted terrorists, they think of the likes of Omar Abdel-Rahman (the Blind Sheikh), shoe bomber Richard Reid, or Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. All were involved in high-profile terrorist attacks against the United States, and all received hefty punishment. Abdel-Rahman died in prison while serving a life sentence for plotting the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and other attacks. Richard Reid is serving a life sentence for a failed plot to destroy an airliner in flight, and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is trying to fight his death sentence for planting bombs at the 2013 Boston Marathon. Such high-profile cases have led the public to believe that convicted terrorists no longer pose a threat to society. This is not the case. Today, most terrorism-related sentences allow convicted terrorists to return to society within a few years to a decade. Complicating matters, prisons are under pressure to release prisoners early to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Recently, a man serving a 15-year sentence for support to ISIS requested release from prison for just that reason. Given these factors, it is imperative for governments to improve deradicalization programs both for extremists in jail and after they leave.”
CBS Chicago: Police Officers Linked To Extremist Group
“Serious concerns have been raised over Illinois police officers with ties to right wing extremist groups. CBS 2’s Charlie De Mar investigated whether the officers’ beliefs in conspiracy theories affect their police work. Meantime the Chicago Police Department and COPA are investigating a Chicago officer spotted wearing an extremist face mask while working a protest last weekend. About 90 miles southwest of Chicago sitting on 12 square miles with a population around 10,000 is Lasalle. Local radio station 103.9 WLPO recently took some time to talk about a photo. The men in the picture identify themselves online as Lasalle police officers Matthew Kunkel and Mark Manicki. Both officers say they attended the re-open Illinois rally in Springfield. They were apparently off at duty at the time, wearing vests with the letter Q, which stands for QAnon. The Anti-Defamation League’s David Goldenberg describes QAnon as a far right extremist conspiracy theory. “Driven largely by right wing extremists and also some common supporters of President Trump,” said Goldenberg. They have a wide ranging set of beliefs.”
Syria
The Washington Post: The Appeal Of ISIS Fades Among Europeans Who Returned Home From Syria
“Since his release from prison two years ago, the former jihadist once known as Abu Aicha has made an impressive showing of turning his life around. The 27-year-old Belgian who traveled to Syria in 2013 says he rejects the Islamic State and prefers studying to fighting. His advice to other Muslim youths curious about the group: Stay away. “I had seen with my own eyes what ISIS had done,” said the Brussels native, describing the time when he used a nom de guerre and lived in an Islamic State enclave in northern Syria. He spoke on the condition that his real name not be published, fearing reprisals from Islamic State loyalists. Of all the returnees from Syria the Belgian has met since coming home, most “do not want to have anything to do with the Islamic State,” he said. His words, echoed by other returnees in Europe, are cause for cautious optimism across a continent that saw thousands of citizens travel to the Middle East to join the group. As recently as two years ago, European officials were bracing for new waves of terrorist attacks as young men and women left the group’s self-declared caliphate to return home, often ending up in prisons crowded with other Islamists.”
Voice Of America: Kurdish Officials Fear Looming US Sanctions On Syria Could Hinder IS Fight
“Looming U.S. legislation that imposes stringent sanctions on the Syrian government has raised concerns among the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), with Kurdish officials warning that including northeast Syria region in the sanctions could hinder their fight against the Islamic State (IS) terror group. The Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, which takes effect June 17, sanctions the Syrian government over human rights abuses and targets companies working with the regime and its military, construction, energy and engineering sectors. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has called it “economic terrorism.” Sinam Mohamad, the SDF representative in the U.S., told VOA that authorities in northeast Syria fear the sanctions could impact their economy, deepening the impoverishment of civilians already struggling to recover from IS destruction. “As Caesar sanctions are about to go into effect, the status of northeastern Syria must be taken into consideration especially when these sanctions might affect the battle to fight IS,” Mohamad told VOA. Mohamad said SDF was unsure if the region, known by locals as the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, will be protected from the consequences of the crippling sanctions, especially as it uses the Syrian currency, Lira.”
Long War Journal: U.S. Reportedly Targets 2 Senior Al Qaeda Figures In Airstrike In Syria
“Two al Qaeda leaders were reportedly killed in a drone strike in Syria’s Idlib province earlier today, according to jihadists on social media. Pictures of the car carrying them were posted on Telegram and other messaging applications. It appears the vehicle was struck with a R9X, a version of the Hellfire missile that has been used in previous targeted killings, or a similar weapon. The Wall Street Journal reported last year that the R9X doesn’t explode upon impact, but instead deploys a “halo of six long blades” that slice through their target. The missile was intended to further limit civilian casualties. Jihadists identified the two men killed as Abu al Qassam al Urduni and Bilal al Sanaani. If confirmed, their deaths would be significant. The U.S. government hasn’t officially commented on the report. Abu al Qassam (also known as Khaled al Aruri and Abu Ashraf) is an al Qaeda veteran whose jihadist career dates back to the 1990s. He was one Abu Musab al Zarqawi’s closest companions, as the two grew up in Jordan and then worked together from the early 1990s until Zarqawi’s demise in 2006. He was also Zarqawi’s brother-in-law. In 2015, Abu al Qassam was one of five senior al Qaeda figures who were freed in exchange for an Iranian diplomat.”
Iraq
NPR: Laid Off By U.S. Contractor, Iraqi Interpreters Fear ISIS Retaliation
“A U.S. military contractor in Iraq has abruptly laid off the majority of the U.S.-led coalition's Iraqi interpreters. The move has left many fearing retaliation from ISIS and Iran-backed militias hostile to U.S. forces, and forced some into hiding. The sudden layoffs — and lack of safeguards or responses to the interpreters' concerns — appear to be the latest examples of how the U.S. has left in harm's way Iraqi citizens who risked their lives with U.S. forces. Virginia-based Valiant Integrated Systems last month informed more than 200 locally hired Iraqis interpreting for U.S. and coalition forces that they were being laid off immediately, according to several former contract workers. They asked to remain anonymous because they were worried about their safety and prospects for future employment. The U.S. military, asked about the layoffs, told NPR that staffing levels at several Iraqi bases had been reduced “as a result of our Iraqi partners' success against ISIS.” The military's Combined Joint Task Force-Inherent Resolve, which heads the anti-ISIS coalition in Iraq and Syria, said in a written response to NPR's queries that as a result, “the military Coalition repositioned military and civilian personnel out of several Iraqi bases. As our operational mission reduced, the requirement for contracted staff reduced.”
The Telegraph: US To Withdraw Troops From Iraq Over Coming Months Despite Islamic State Surge
“The US said it will withdraw troops from Iraq in the coming months, six months after the assassination of an Iranian general in Baghdad threatened to see them expelled from the country. The announcement comes amid a spike of Islamic State activity in the country, and as Baghdad and Washington began long-anticipated talks over the future of the presence of the US in the country. A joint statement read: “In light of significant progress towards eliminating the Isis threat, over the coming months the U.S. would continue reducing forces from Iraq.” Relations between the two plummeted to an all-time low this year after the US killed Iranian spy chief Qassim Soleimani in an airstrike near Baghdad airport in January. Iranian-backed militias have since launched repeated rocket attacks on the US Embassy in Baghdad, and on military bases housing US troops...”
Turkey
Daily Sabah: Security Forces Eliminate 3 Terrorists In SE Turkey
“Turkish security forces eliminated three terrorists, including one senior member, in the southeastern provinces of Hakkari and Diyarbakır, the Interior Ministry said on Sunday. In a statement, the ministry said that two terrorists were killed in an air-backed joint operation by forces of the Hakkari and Van gendarmerie. Another terrorist, Ekrem İptaş, code-named Seyit Batman, was killed in an air-backed operation in rural areas of Diyarbakır's Lice district. He was wanted with a bounty of up to TL 1 million (roughly $150,000) and was under the Interior Ministry's orange category, the statement added. The wanted list is divided into five color-coded categories, with red as the most wanted, followed by blue, green, orange and gray. No affiliation was given for the terrorists, but Turkey's southeast has long seen attacks by the PKK terrorist organization. Turkish security forces regularly conduct counterterrorism operations in the eastern and southeastern provinces of Turkey where the PKK has attempted to establish a strong presence. Turkish security forces have adopted the strategies “ending terrorism at its root” and “attack rather than defense” with its operations across the country. Some 122,054 operations, including 116,650 in rural areas, targeted PKK terrorists in 2019 alone and have successfully detained and killed top PKK figures.”
Afghanistan
Al Jazeera: Taliban Killed, Wounded Over 400 Afghan Forces In One Week: Gov't
“The Taliban has killed or wounded more than 400 Afghan security personnel over the past week, the interior ministry said, accusing the group of increasing attacks in the run-up to expected peace talks. Violence dropped across much of Afghanistan since the Taliban announced a three-day ceasefire on May 24 to mark the Muslim Eid al-Fitr celebration, but officials have accused the group of stepping up attacks in recent days. “In the past one week, the Taliban carried out 222 attacks against the Afghan security forces, resulting in the death and injury of 422” personnel, interior ministry spokesman Tariq Arian said at a news conference on Sunday. He also accused the Taliban of targeting religious scholars in a bid to put “psychological pressure” on the Afghan government. Bomb attacks on Kabul mosques that killed two prayer leaders this month were the work of the Taliban, Arian claimed. “This has been the goal of the Taliban to target religious scholars, especially in the past two weeks,” he said, accusing the armed fighters of being an “umbrella group for other terrorist networks”. Four people, including a prayer leader, were killed when a blast ripped through a mosque in Kabul during weekly Friday prayers.”
Al Jazeera: Deadly Blast Hits Kabul Mosque During Friday Prayers
“A blast in a mosque during Friday prayers in the western part of capital Kabul has killed at least four people and wounded at least eight, Afghanistan's interior ministry said. “Explosives placed inside the Sher Shah Suri Mosque exploded during Friday prayers,” said a statement issued by the ministry, which added that the mosque's prayer leader Azizullah Mofleh was among those killed. Interior ministry spokesman Tariq Arian said police have cordoned off the area and helped move the wounded to ambulances and nearby hospitals. Arian told Anadolu Agency that the incident took place in the posh Karta-4 neighbourhood of the city. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack but a mosque attack earlier this month was claimed by an ISIL (or ISIS) group affiliate, headquartered in eastern Afghanistan's Nangarhar province. “Interestingly, every time you have the peace process gaining some momentum and pace, you have these kinds of attacks in the country,” Habib Wardak, a national security analyst based in Kabul, told Al Jazeera. “The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack that happened last week on a mosque in Kabul, so despite the fact that you have these news and press conference from the government that they have eliminated ISIL, how can they conduct such sophisticated operations?”
Stars And Stripes: Afghanistan Vows To Release More Taliban Prisoners, Setting Stage For Talks
“Afghanistan will soon complete a prisoner release that the Taliban have demanded before starting peace talks to end nearly two decades of war, the country’s president said. Some 3,000 Taliban prisoners have already been released, President Ashraf Ghani said in an online discussion with the Atlantic Council on Thursday. A peace deal signed by the U.S. and the Taliban in February calls for up to 5,000 Taliban prisoners and 1,000 government prisoners to be set free. “My colleagues and I have made the decision to release an additional 2,000 prisoners within a short period,” Ghani said. “Next week we should be able to inform the world of the next step.” It’s still unclear how many government prisoners the Taliban is holding, Ghani said. “The number keeps shifting,” he told the Washington-based think tank. “We need clarity regarding the fate of those that are with them and assurance that the last person remaining with them is released.” Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen called Ghani’s words a “positive step” and said once all 5,000 prisoners were released, the group would be willing to start peace talks within a week. Nearly 50 imprisoned Afghan policemen were released Thursday, bringing the total number of government prisoners released so far to 500, Shaheen said.”
Saudi Arabia
Arab News: Saudi Arabia To Spare No Effort In Fight Against Extremism: FM
“Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan said fighting terrorism remains an important aim of the Kingdom. His comments came during a virtual meeting of the Sahel Alliance of the G5 Sahel countries, including France, Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Chad, in addition to the EU and other international partners. He said Saudi Arabia is at the forefront of global efforts to combat terror and extremism, adding that the Kingdom believes in the importance of adopting a comprehensive approach that can protect the lives of innocent people and preserve the security and stability of states. The Kingdom contributed $110 million to establish the UN Counter-Terrorism Centre, which provides important support to UN members states, including in the Sahel, he said. Prince Faisal also said that the Kingdom’s historical partnership with the Sahel countries and its belief in the vital role of the group in combating terrorism means Saudi Arabia is keen to provide them with support and technical assistance in countering terrorism. He added that the Kingdom will spare no effort in supporting all countries in their fight against terrorism and extremism.”
Egypt
“The Egyptian state’s council concerned with monitoring human rights said it has investigated all complaints on alleged forced disappearance in the country, and found that most of the cases have been officially detained or have joined the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group. IS announced the names of four people who have earlier disappeared, said member of the National Council for Human Rights (NCHR) Hafez Abu Saada, in a meeting on Thursday with members of the Parliament’s Human Rights Committee. He also referred to the Muslim Brotherhood’s role in “distorting” the image of the country. Egypt has designated the Muslim Brotherhood group as terrorist since late in 2013, after former President Mohamed Morsi, who also served as head of the “terrorist” group, was ousted. Morsi died in June, 2019, after he collapsed in court during his trial. Egypt has received positive international response, following submitting its Universal Periodic Review report on human rights last November, local media reported, except by Ankara, which has been known for hostile remarks against the Egyptian state. This echoes earlier reports saying that diplomatic responses to Egypt’s interactive dialogue on its human rights situation have reportedly thus far been positive at the UPR.”
Libya
Asharq Al-Awsat: Syrian Extremist Killed In Libya Drone Strike
“A Syrian extremist identified as Samer al-Atrash has been killed in a drone strike in the Libyan city of Sirte, a Libyan military official said Friday. The official told Asharq Al-Awsat that in the past two days the Libyan National Army (LNA) has killed a large number of gunmen, mercenaries and terrorists fighting alongside the Government of National Accord (GNA). Social media pages belonging to Syrian mercenaries mourned al-Atrash, who is a former ISIS member and who had previously been in the ranks of al-Nusra Front. Al-Atrash travelled from Syria to Libya in January along with several companions, the official said. They took flights to Misrata’s airport to fight alongside the GNA. The Libyan Army has also killed terrorist Murad Abou Hammoud al-Azizi during clashes in the Libyan capital Tripoli. LNA spokesman Ahmed al-Mismari has said that Mohamed Hindawi, another extremist commanding a pro-GNA factions, has also been killed in fighting near Tripoli.”
Nigeria
France 24: String Of Apparent Jihadist Attacks Kills Dozens In Northeast Nigeria
“Jihadists reported to be linked to the Islamic State group killed dozens of people in the latest of a spate of bloody attacks in northeast Nigeria, local sources said Sunday. Inhabitants of remote Goni Usmanti village told AFP that fighters gunned down 38 people in a raid on Saturday and set a truck ablaze killing an unknown number of passengers. Separately, security sources and residents said the death toll from a second attack Saturday on the town of Monguno, 60 kilometres (40 miles) away, had risen to 15, including nine soldiers. The killings are the latest in a spike of assaults by fighters believed to be from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) faction after they massacred 81 people at a village in the area on Tuesday. Jihadists in pickup trucks on Saturday shot dead fleeing residents in Goni Usmanti after brief clashes with members of a local government-backed militia, sources said. “The insurgents killed 38 people, including six vigilantes who put up a fight before they were overpowered,” local self-defence group leader Babakura Kolo said. Resident Grema Nuwaisu gave the same toll and said the fighters had opened fire on a lorry loaded with traders, burning the vehicle and those inside.”
Premium Times Nigeria: In New Video, Boko Haram Executes Abducted Soldier, Policeman
“A breakaway faction of Boko Haram has released a video showing the execution of a soldier and a police officer. In the video, members of ISWAP, the breakaway Boko Haram faction, executed the two security personnel. In the 49 seconds video, the two security personnel who were abducted last week while travelling between Maiduguri and Monguno introduced themselves after which they were summarily shot dead. According to the slain security personnel, they were on a trip from Maiduguri to Monguno when they were ambushed and abducted by the insurgents whom they described as “Tilafa army”. One of the slain personnel who spoke in Hausa said, “my name is Yohanah Kilus, I am policeman, my rank is Inspector, I was abducted between Maiduguri and Monguno; I am presently in the custody of Tilafa soldiers.” The second abducted personnel, said, “I am 13NA/70/8374, Lance Corporal Emmanuel Oscar, I was captured by Tilafa’s along Maiduguri to Monguno.” Shortly after that, the video showed two armed men pointing AK47 rifles at the two personnel kneeling with their faces blindfolded. Shots were simultaneously fired and and the two security personnel were killed. It is not clear when the video was shot.”
Somalia
Reuters: Somalia's Islamist Group Al Shabaab Says Sets Up COVID-19 Treatment Centre
“Somalia’s Islamist group al Shabaab said on Friday they had set up a COVID-19 treatment centre in the country, and said the disease posed a grave threat, citing international health authorities. “Al Shabaab’s corona(virus) prevention and treatment committee has opened a COVID-19 centre,” the group said in a broadcast on their radio Andalus, adding the centre had been set up in Jilib, about 380 kilometres (236 miles) south of the capital Mogadishu. “International health organisations said COVID-19 is terribly spreading in countries of Africa continent.” For more than a decade the group has been fighting to topple the Horn of Africa’s Western-backed central government and establish its own government based on its own strict interpretation of Islamic sharia law. It frequently carries out bombings and gun assaults in Somalia against both military and civilian targets including hotels, intersections and checkpoints. In the broadcast a man who identified himself as Sheikh Mohamed Bali thanked al Shabaab for setting up the centre and asked those with symptoms to report to the centre. “We thank the administration who established the centre, we ask the people not to hide (the) disease to avoid spreading of the virus, people should report to the centre,” he said.”
Africa
The Guardian: Militant Crackdown In Sahel Leads To Hundreds Of Civilian Deaths – Report
“Hundreds of civilians have been killed by their own governments in Africa’s Sahel region since countries pledged a surge against militant groups at a regional meeting held by France in January. Amnesty International said on Wednesday that it had documented 200 cases of unlawful state killings and forced disappearances in February and March in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, which are members of the internationally backed G5 force set up to fight militants in the Sahel. The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED) said as of last week there had been 600 reported killings by state forces since the Pau meeting in January, which was called by France with the G5 after a series of losses to groups with links to Islamic State and al-Qaida. “You see a series of militant attacks and authorities who are inclined to show some kind of response carry out abuses and frame it as counter-terrorism success,” said Héni Nsaibia, senior researcher for ACLED. Nsaibia said some of the violence may be down to soldiers seeking vengeance for attacks they had witnessed, but that there was also a culture of impunity. “You don’t know who is sanctioning this state violence, at what level, but you see it happens across the [military] theatre, so because of that it seems the authorities have given a carte blanche,” he said.”
Germany
Associated Press: German Court Sentences 'Cyber Jihadi' To 5 Years In Prison
“A court in western Germany has convicted a 39-year-old man of providing support to Islamist groups in Syria. The Duesseldorf regional court on Friday sentenced the German-Tunisian defendant, whose name wasn't released for privacy reasons, to five years in prison. Judges concluded that the man had sent night vision devices, firearms-cleaning equipment and ambulance vehicles to the militia group Ahrar al-Sham. He is also accused of having provided propaganda support to the Islamic State group. The defendant's lawyers had sought to have their client acquitted. German news agency dpa reported that the defendant had described himself as a “cyber jihadist” on social media platforms. Authorities found an IS training video on his laptop showing the killing of people.”
Europe
CNN: Scores Arrested After Far-Right Groups Target Anti-Racism Protests In London And Paris
“More than 100 people were arrested in London on Saturday after violence broke out as far-right groups targeted anti-racism Black Lives Matter (BLM) demonstrations. The offenses as of 9 p.m. included violent disorder, assault on officers, possession of an offensive weapon, possession of class A drugs, and drunken disorder, London's Metropolitan Police said in a tweet. Far-right groups bombarded police with bottles and occasionally scuffled violently with officers as they staged a counter-protest in central London. Police also arrested a 28-year-old man after an individual was photographed on Saturday apparently urinating on a memorial to a police officer killed while defending Parliament from a terrorist attack in 2017. The man was arrested north of London “on suspicion of outraging public decency,” police said. Hundreds of mostly middle-aged white men, many shirtless or clutching beers, gathered in Parliament Square, where video showed a small number of right-wing protesters throwing objects at a line of police, some of whom responded with batons. The groups, some of them chanting “England” during clashes, said the counter-protest was intended to “protect” statues around Parliament Square, including that of wartime prime minister Winston Churchill.”
Associated Press: Albania Agrees To Extradite Suspect In Alleged Attack Plot
“An Albanian court agreed Friday to extradite a 24-year-old man to Germany to face charges that he belonged to a cell that planned terror attacks on behalf of the Islamic State group. The district court in Tirana decided that Komron Zukhurov should not be extradited to Russia, where he is also wanted, or to his native Tajikistan, where he claims he was tortured. Zukhurov was arrested in Albania in May after a German court issued an international warrant accusing him of being part of a group that made plans for attacks in Germany. Four other Tajiks suspected of being IS members were arrested in Germany on the same charge. German authorities said they joined the extremist group in January 2019, received instructions to form a cell in Germany and were planning an attack on American military facilities. Zukhurov's defense lawyer, Asllan Dogjani, denied his client participated in the alleged activity. Before his arrest, Zukhurov had lived in Germany for two years and went to Albania in February to see his aunt, Dogjani said, adding that the young man turned himself in to police.”
Technology
The Telegraph: Tech Bosses: One Hour Not Enough Time To Assess Terrorist Content
“Tech giants have told the EU it would be impossible to comply with officials' demands to take down terrorist material within one hour without damaging free speech. Microsoft warned the European Commission that its new anti-terror law would be “unworkable in practice” and would lead to “erroneous decisions”, while Google, which owns YouTube, also said it could be unworkable and predicted “very negative consequences”. The claims, made in 2018 in response to a confidential EU consultation, shed light on how Silicon Valley has resisted stricter demands on its services even as it pledged to clean them up. Snapchat, however, told the Telegraph that it had changed its view and now supports the EU's one-hour deadline. Google and Microsoft indicated that they stood by their concerns...”
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