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Eye on Extremism
July 9, 2020
BBC News: Burkina Faso: 180 Bodies Found In 'Killing Field'
“At least 180 bodies have been found in mass graves in northern Burkina Faso where soldiers are fighting jihadists, a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report says. “Available evidence suggests government forces were involved in mass extrajudicial executions,” HRW says. Over seven months, the bodies had been dumped near the town of Djibo in groups of up to 20, before being buried by local residents. Burkina Faso's defence minister suggested militants might be to blame.” It is difficult for the population to distinguish between armed terrorist groups and the defence and security forces,” Chérif Moumina Sy told the campaign group in response to the findings. But the minister said the government would investigate the allegations. Burkina Faso, a landlocked country in West Africa, has been fighting Islamist insurgents with ties to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group since 2016. Corinne Dufka, Sahel director at HRW, said Djibo had been turned into a “killing field”. The campaign group said the government should seek assistance from the UN and others to conduct proper exhumations, return the remains to families and hold those responsible to account. The men had been found shot dead under bridges, in fields and along major roads within a 5km (three-mile) radius of Djibo between November 2019 and June 2020, HRW said.”
Arab News: Yemen Court Begins Trial Of Houthi Leaders
“A Yemeni military court in the government-controlled city of Marib held the initial session of the trial of Iran-backed Houthi leaders on Tuesday, accused of masterminding the coup against the internationally recognized government of President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi in 2015 and the subsequent military campaign. The defendants faced charges of forming a terrorist armed group called Ansar Allah, colluding with the Lebanese group Hezbollah and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), revolting against the republican system, putting Masur Hadi under house arrest and trying to kill him. Along with the movement’s leader, Abdul Malik Al-Houthi, among the 175 accused figures were Mohammed Al-Houthi, a member of the country’s Supreme Political Council, Abdullah Yahiya Al-Hakim, a senior military commander, the Houthi ambassador to Iran, Ibrahim Mohammed Al-Daylami, and dozens of ministers, intelligence, military and political officials. According to the official Saba news agency, the prosecution demanded the maximum available punishments for the defendants, including the death penalty.”
United States
“People running, screaming and shouting words of disbelief. Bodies thrown in the air, lifted onto windshields or trapped under cars and semi-trucks. It's become a horrifying and familiar scene in recent weeks. Amid thousands of protests nationwide against police brutality, dozens of drivers have plowed into crowds of protesters marching in roadways, raising questions about the drivers' motivations. While witnesses, law enforcement and terrorism experts say that some of the vehicle incidents appear to be targeted and politically motivated, others appear to be situations where the driver became frightened or enraged by protesters surrounding their vehicle. “There are groups that do want people to take their cars and drive them into Black Lives Matters protesters so that they won’t protest anymore. There’s an element of terrorism there. Is it all of them? No,” said J.J. MacNab, a fellow at George Washington University's Program on Extremism. “I look at it as an anti-protester group of acts, some of which are white supremacist, some not.” There have been at least 66 incidents of cars driving into protesters between May 27 and July 6, including 59 by civilians and seven by law enforcement, according to Ari Weil, a terrorism researcher at the University of Chicago's Project on Security and Threats.”
CNN: FBI Investigating Alleged Racist Attack In Indiana, Lawyer Says
“The FBI is investigating an incident over the Fourth of July weekend in which an Indiana man says he was the victim of a racist attack involving threats of a noose. His lawyer, Katharine Liell said it's a hate crime investigation. When CNN reached out to the FBI to confirm that a hate crime investigation has been opened, FBI public affairs officer, Chris Bavender told CNN, “the FBI is investigating, we have no further comment.” The alleged victim, Vauhxx Booker, spoke along with two witnesses and elected officials Tuesday, and publicly demanded justice. “Without these folks, I would be a hashtag,” said Booker, who is a member of both the affordable housing and human rights commissions in Monroe County, Indiana. “Believe it or not, things are moving, and moving rather rapidly considering it's the criminal justice system. Unfortunately, they did not move rapid enough on Saturday night,” said Liell. In a detailed Facebook post Sunday, Booker, a Black man, recounted being harassed and attacked by five White men Saturday evening in an incident he said left him with a minor concussion, bruises, and patches of hair ripped out.”
Syria
“Prosecutors have been accused of the inappropriate and “Gung ho” use of terror legislation after suddenly dropping charges against three Britons accused of helping the Kurds in their fight against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) Daniel Burke, a former soldier, was charged alongside father and son, Paul and Samuel Newey with preparing or financing terror by supporting the Kurdish People’s Protection Units of YPG in Syria. Mr Burke was held on remand for seven months and all three men faced the prospect of lengthy jail terms if convicted of terrorism offences. But on Friday the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) announced it was dropping the case due to insufficient evidence. It is the latest prosecution involving YPG volunteers to fail and...”
Kurdistan 24: Turkish-Backed Groups, ISIS Cells Target Women Working With SDF
“Khadija Abbas al-Abbas, a member of the Internal Security Forces of North and East Syria, also known as Asayish, was buried on Wednesday in the town of Abu Khashab in Deir al-Zor after she was killed in an ambush by the so-called Islamic State. The Syriac Press agency reported that she was killed on Monday “after gunmen on motorcycles, suspected to be members of the Islamic State, opened fire on an Asayish vehicle on the road to Abu Khashab in western Deir al-Zor.” The Islamic State later claimed responsibility for the attack via its semi-official Amaq news agency. According to independent researcher Caki, this is the first instance where the Islamic State has confirmed the killing of a female Asayish member. Caki added that the Islamic State had also killed female Asayish members in Manbij at the beginning of the year. The terror group also targeted women houses that were set up in Raqqa and Deir al-Zor to promote female rights. Lina Abdulwahid, a female member from the Future party, survived an assassination attempt by the Islamic State last November in the Suwar area of Deir al-Zor.”
Iraq
Associated Press: Iran-Backed Militia Says PM’s Actions Could Bring Escalation
“A powerful Iran-backed militia said Wednesday there would be “escalation” if Iraq’s prime minister continues to clamp down on armed groups, as tensions spiked following the killing of a prominent analyst, pitting the state against rogue elements. Hostilities have flared as Iraq reels from the assassination of Hisham al-Hashimi, 47, who was gunned down by unknown assailants on motorbikes outside his Baghdad home Monday. He had received death threats from the Islamic State group and Iran-backed militia groups. Al-Hashimi’s killers are still unknown but many point to the timing of the assassination, coming just two weeks after a raid on the headquarters of the Kataib Hezbollah militia south of Baghdad. They speculate al-Hashimi may have fallen victim to escalating tensions between the government and militia groups. Days before his death a study he wrote on the inner workings of Iran-backed militia groups in Iraq was published. Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi has vowed to avenge al-Hashimi’s killing, but a serious investigation risks further stoking tensions with Iraq’s militias. Katab Hezbollah’s spokesman, Mohammed Mohie, speaking to The Associated Press on Wednesday, described the raid on his group’s headquarters as an act of “provocation.”
The Wall Street Journal: Pompeo Urges Iraq To Act Against Killers Of Top Security Analyst
“Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged Iraq to hold to account those responsible for the assassination of a prominent Iraqi security analyst who had been threatened by Iran-backed militias, raising pressure on the new government to rein in the powerful paramilitary groups. Hisham al-Hashimi, a 47-year-old adviser to Iraqi officials and a vocal critic of Iran-allied militias in the country, was ambushed outside his home in Baghdad late Monday by unidentified gunmen riding motorcycles. No group claimed responsibility for the killing, but friends of the academic said he had been threatened by the Kataib Hezbollah militia. On Wednesday, Mr. Pompeo stopped short of directly accusing Kataib Hezbollah but said Mr. Hashimi had received repeated threats from Iran-backed armed groups in the days leading up to his killing. “The United States joins partner nations in strongly condemning his assassination and calls on the government of Iraq to bring to justice the perpetrators of this terrible crime,” Mr. Pompeo said during a news conference. The U.S. has previously blamed Kataib Hezbollah for rocket attacks against its troops in Iraq.”
Afghanistan
Reuters: Taliban Suicide Bomber Kills Three As Violence Rises Despite Peace Push
“A Taliban suicide bomber detonated an explosive-packed military vehicle on the approach to the provincial governor's residence and police headquarters in the Afghan province of Kandahar on Wednesday, killing at least three people, authorities said. Bloodshed is escalating anew in Afghanistan even as the United States tries to broker a peace deal between the Taliban and Afghan government after almost two decades of war. “At around 4 a.m., a suicide bomber driving a large (Afghan security force) truck came under fire from security forces before reaching his goal, but detonated explosives near police headquarters and the governor's residential complex,” the governor's spokesman, Bahir Ahmad Ahamdi, said. Three members of the security forces were killed and 14 people wounded, including civilians, in the attack in the Sha Wali Kot district of Kandahar, he said, and the police headquarters and governor's compound suffered severe damage. The Taliban claimed responsibility, saying in a statement that the police headquarters had been used as a military hub for security force operations against the Islamist insurgents. Diplomats say the resurgence of attacks is heightening mistrust just as the Afghan government and Taliban are set to enter peace negotiations and as the United States withdraws forces under a deal with the Taliban struck in February.”
Reuters: Afghanistan To Release Prisoners From Taliban List In Push For Talks
“Afghanistan is to release more Taliban prisoners in the hope of getting peace talks going, a government spokesman said on Thursday, after the insurgent group provided the government with a revised list of several hundred of their detainees. Disagreement over about 600 prisoners from a total of 5,000 the Taliban want released has prevented the launch of U.S.-brokered peace talks aimed at ending nearly 19 years of war since the Islamist militants were ousted. While releases by both sides have taken place, the Afghan government has said it does not want to release some prisoners for security reasons and its Western allies also object to some of them being set free. “They have given us another list, the release process will continue but direct talks should also start immediately,” Javid Faisal, spokesman for the National Security Council, told Reuters. The Taliban could not be reached for comment and it was not clear if they would be willing to start talks based on the release of the prisoners on the list. The United States and the Taliban struck a landmark agreement in February on the withdrawal of U.S. forces in exchange for Taliban security guarantees. As part of the pact, the Taliban agreed to open power-sharing talks with the U.S.-backed government.”
“Yesterday, FDD’s Long War Journal reported on new images released by the Afghanistan branch of Katibat Imam al-Bukhari (KIB), an Uzbek jihadist group loyal to the Taliban that fights under its banner. The Taliban, which has consistently lied about the presence of foreign fighters in Afghanistan, was not happy with our coverage. In a tweet released earlier today by its spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban claimed that “these images have been stolen from our archive.” Mujahid tweets that the images were “falsified by anti-peace circles for propaganda.” The same photo produced by KIB, but without the group’s watermarks, was also tweeted out by Mujahid. Taliban’s spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid’s tweet regarding FDD’s Long War Journal’s reporting of KIB’s claims. Zabihullah’s assertions are noteworthy for several reasons. First, the Taliban is, in effect, accusing KIB of “falsifying” the images, because KIB’s media team produced the photos with its watermarks. The photos in question were originally posted on Telegram by the overall emir of KIB’s Syrian wing, Abu Yusuf al-Muhajir. KIB’s channels are routinely banned on the platform. But Muhajir’s channel is relatively stable and he has taken on the task of publishing the group’s media from both Syria and Afghanistan.”
Pakistan
The Nation: Terrorist Involved In Attack On Karachi Police Arrested By CTD
“The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of Sindh police on Wednesday claimed to have arrested a wanted criminal during a raid here in Karachi. According to In-charge CTD Chaudhry Safdar, the arrested terrorist is involved in several high-profile cases including attack on police mobile and other crimes. He said that the arrested terrorist Faizal was wanted by Korangi town police after he attacked police mobile on May 8 in Zaman town area of Korangi. Chaudhry Safdar said the suspect flee scene after launching attack on police mobile while his other three partners had been arrested in injured condition. A case has also been registered against accused, said CTD In charge. On the other hand, Sindh Rangers on Wednesday claimed to have apprehended 13 suspects during raids conducted in different areas of Karachi. The arrested suspects were involved in street crimes, drugs peddling and other heinous crimes in the city. Later, the arrested were handed over to the police for further legal action, the spokesperson added.”
Yemen
Reuters: Pompeo Says US Seized Iranian Weapons On Way To Houthi Rebels In Yemen
“U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on Wednesday that U.S. and partner forces seized a boat in June carrying Iranian weapons to Houthi rebels in Yemen as he renewed his call for the U.N. Security Council to extend an arms embargo on Iran. “The Security Council must extend the arms embargo on Iran to prevent further conflict in the region,” Pompeo told a State Department news conference. “No serious person can possibly believe Iran will use any weapon it receives for peaceful ends.” Pompeo is leading a U.S. drive to persuade the Security Council to extend the embargo due to expire in mid-October under the terms of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal from which the United States withdrew in 2018. He took his appeal directly to the council last week, with an address to its 15 members. But veto-wielding Russia and China signaled their opposition to an extension. At his news conference, Pompeo said that U.S. and unidentified “partner” forces interdicted a vessel off Yemen's coast on June 28 that was carrying Iranian arms to Houthi rebels. “Iran is not abiding by the U.N. arms embargo that is due to expire in less than four months now,” he said.”
Lebanon
Al Jazeera: Accused Hezbollah Financier Arrives In Lebanon After US Release
“Lebanese businessman and accused Hezbollah financier Kassem Tajeddine arrived in the capital Beirut following his compassionate early release from US detention, three years into a five-year sentence for evading US sanctions. A US judge ordered Tajeddine released in May, citing the coronavirus pandemic and the 65-year-old's age. Tajeddine's family said in a statement that he underwent a 14-day quarantine in the United States before being brought to Beirut after navigating “complicated mechanisms due to his legal status and the current travel conditions”. Video shared on social media showed Tajeddine being warmly greeted on the tarmac of Beirut's airport after walking off a plane on Wednesday. Blacklisted as a “specially designated global terrorist” in 2009 for his alleged role in financing Hezbollah - a group itself designated a terrorist organisation by the US - Tajeddine was arrested in Morocco in 2017 and subsequently extradited. Prosecutors charged the wealthy commodities trader with evading US sanctions and arranging a money-laundering scheme that enabled him to deal with US businesses without their knowledge. He pled guilty in 2018, was ordered to pay a $50m fine and was sentenced to five years in prison in 2019, including time already served.”
Libya
Voice Of America: United Nations Says Explosive Devices Kill 138 In Libya
“In a video posted widely in early June, a man sits on the ground with blood on his face and one leg splayed to the side. “Where am I?” he asks in Libyan Arabic, and the man holding the camera tells him he's on the Airport Road in Tripoli. His car hit an IED (improvised explosive device) and his companion was killed. The United Nations says explosive devices planted in Libyan battle zones have left 138 people dead since the end of May and most of the victims were civilians. And while fighting in Libya has quieted in the past month, analysts say massive buildups of weaponry on both sides from international supporters could portend the outbreak of a full-blown proxy war. On Sunday, another blast killed two humanitarian workers who were going house to house to remove explosive devices from civilian areas that were not long ago battle zones. Twenty-two-year-old Amjed Bin Mahmoud works at a coffee shop in Tripoli. His childhood friend, Tariq, was one of the victims. After the explosion, witnesses told Mahmoud what happened. “An old man said he was afraid to go into his house and asked Tariq to check for bombs,” Bin Mahmoud says over the phone from Tripoli on Tuesday. “He said yes and they found a bomb and deactivated it.”
Nigeria
Sahara Reporters: Twenty Eight Soldiers Killed In Boko Haram Ambush
“About 28 Nigerian soldiers lost their lives in an ambush by Boko Haram insurgents along Damboa/Maiduguri Highway, about 30 kilometres away from Damboa town, military sources have told SaharaReporters. However, the military in a statement by Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. John Enenche, said only two soldiers were killed in the ambush. SaharaReporters gathered that the incident happened on Tuesday morning when the troops of 25 Task Force Brigade deployed to Damboa in conjunction with elements of Sector 2 Special Forces were on clearance operations along the Damboa-Maiduguri Road. “We lost about 28 soldiers to Boko Haram terrorists. The guys came unexpectedly with sophisticated weapons.”They were about 120 soldiers who were on clearance operations. We had information that some people were being held captive by the insurgents and that was why the soldiers were mobilised to clear the area. “The soldiers ran into ambush along Damboa-Maiduguri Road. We later sent in a reinforcement to clear the area and recover their bodies,” a military source told SaharaReporters. In the past months, soldiers have been targeted by the insurgents, who lay ambush on their path.”
Sahara Reporters: Army Kills 17 Boko Haram Terrorists, Loses Two Soldiers During Clash In Borno Town
“About 17 Boko Haram and Islamic State of West Africa Province fighters were killed and several others wounded when troops of Operation Lafiya Dole overran the terrorists’ ambush along Damboa-Maiduguri Road in Borno State on Tuesday. According to a statement on Wednesday by the Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. John Enenche, two soldiers were killed while four others were wounded in the incident. Enenche however, said the wounded soldiers had been evacuated to a military medical facility. He said, “In continuation of their sustained onslaught against remnants of Boko Haram/Islamic State’s West African Province criminals and their collaborators, the gallant troops of Operation LAFIYA DOLE under the subsidiary operation, Operation KANTANA JIMLAN have again displayed their combat superiority against the terrorists as part of their heightened offensive operations across the Theatre. “Relatedly, on Tuesday 7 July, 2020, the troops of 25 Task Force Brigade deployed at Damboa in conjunction with elements of Sector 2 Special Forces while on clearance operations along Damboa -Maiduguri Road, made contact with a Boko Haram/Islamic State’s West Africa Province criminals’ ambush team along their axis of advance.”
United Kingdom
“A new duty of care law to rein in social media firms is urgently needed because of their failure to prevent extremists exploiting the Covid-19 to stir up hatred and sow division, the Government’s adviser on extremism said on Thursday. In a report on online extremism during the pandemic, Sara Khan reveals that more than 90 per cent of posts containing false information, conspiracy theories or extremist comments were not acted on by the social media firms despite volunteers flagging them to the companies. She accused the companies of fueling conspiracy theories because they were slow to takedown content and some algorithms pushed users towards more similar extremist content. Her investigation found the scale of online extremist content and engagement was deeply concerning ranging from Islamist propaganda against the West,...”
WTOP News: The Hunt: Do Terrorism De-Radicalization Programs Work?
“Khairi Saadallah, the 25-year-old Libyan refugee arrested after a terror attack that left an American dead in the U.K., was involved in a so-called de-radicalization program. In this week’s edition of “The Hunt with WTOP national security correspondent J.J. Green,” Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler, senior director of the Counter Extremism Project explains how the program works.”
Europe
“When Italian authorities announced last week that they had seized 15.4 tons of counterfeit Captagon produced by ISIS in Syria to fund terrorism, it was lauded as one of the largest drug busts in history. However, many are now questioning the narrative with claims that the drugs stemmed from the Syrian regime and its much more extensive network of smuggling partners. The stash of 84 million pills, valued at an estimated $1.12 billion in market value and bound for distribution in Europe by “different organized crime groups,” was so aptly concealed in three container ships that airport scanners did not detect them, Commander Domenico Napolitano of the Naples financial police told the press. However, the seizure at Salerno's port was triggered after several calls by a local crime outfit were intercepted. Throughout its reign in Iraq and Syria between 2014 and 2018, ISIS was known to issue Captagon - a combination of amphetamine and an array of other chemicals, sometimes referred to as a “super-soldier” pill, as it sends fighters to extreme and euphoric highs, making them feel invincible on the battlefield. However, the terrorist group was not known to have manufactured drug, even at its territorial peak.”
The National: Italian Police Arrest ISIS Supporter Accused Of Inciting Violence
“Italian police have arrested a 38-year-old man who was spreading ISIS propaganda online and allegedly inciting people to carry out violent attacks. Nicola Ferrara is originally from Bari in Puglia but now lives in Milan where he was detained. He is believed to have been radicalised in 2015 and been in contact with other extremists on online. Mr Ferrara shared images and videos on social media sites including Facebook and SoundCloud that praised violent acts carried out by ISIS. According to comments he made that were intercepted by the authorities in March, he said the Covid-19 pandemic was “a positive thing” that had caused people to go “crazy”. He also said it meant that non-Muslims had been removed from their vices. Among the images he spread online were pictures of the former Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, deceased ISIS chief Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi, and photographs of New York’s Twin Towers that were destroyed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks, women carrying machine guns and children using extremist language.”
Technology
“The US State Department celebrated on Wednesday the fifth anniversary of the Sawab Centre – a partnership with the UAE to counter extremism online. Created in 2015 amid the rise of ISIS, it was launched by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Anwar Gargash, and former undersecretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs, Richard Stengel. In a statement, the State Department praised Sawab’s work since its inception to fight misinformation and expose extremist narratives. “The centre has worked to counter and correct misinformation via social media, according to its overriding mission to confront extremist groups’ attempts to exploit the social media space to spread their distorted ideas,” it said. Sawab has attracted about eight million followers from 83 countries to its social media platforms. It has channels in Arabic, English, and French, and has launched about 50 awareness campaigns. The number of impressions across its platforms is more than 1.15 billion. Campaigns the centre has run in support of the global coalition fighting ISIS include #FateOfTerrorists, #DaeshLiesExposed and #AfterTerrorism.”
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