Twenty-nine terrorists are due to be released from prison within the next three
years, with 11 of them back on the streets before April and three rele

 

 


<[link removed]>
<[link removed]>
Eye on Extremism


July 13, 2020

 

Express: Fears As 29 Terrorists To Be Freed Onto UK Streets ‘Deeply Worrying’
<[link removed]>

 

“Twenty-nine terrorists are due to be released from prison within the next
three years, with 11 of them back on the streets before April and three
released by September. It means the security services will be put under huge
pressure monitoring the newly released danger men. Once freed, these extremists
are subject to security measures in a bid to stop them radicalising others or
going on the rampage themselves. But the difficulties surrounding the issue
were highlighted by two recent atrocities in London, carried out by recently
released prisoners. Usman Khan killed two people, Jack Merritt and Saskia
Jones, in a knife attack at Fishmongers' Hall, on London Bridge, last November.
Khan, 28, was released from prison a year before the attack after serving half
a 16-year sentence for being involved in a plot to bomb the London Stock
Exchange. Then five months ago, Sudesh Amman stabbed two people in Streatham,
south London, before being shot dead by police. He too had recently been
released and was under active surveillance. The Ministry of Justice data does
not name the 29 due to walk free but Jamshed Javeed, jailed for six years for
trying to join Isis, and Moinul Abedin - an al-Qaeda inspired terrorist who had
been making detonators - are both in line for early release.”

 

NBC News: Twitter Suspends More Than 50 White Nationalist Accounts
<[link removed]>

 

“Twitter has suspended more than 50 white nationalist accounts amid recent
criticism over its handling of extremist content, a source familiar with the
matter said Friday. The move came days after NBC News published a story on a
new report documenting the proliferation of white nationalist content on social
media platforms. “The accounts in question were suspended for violating our
policies in relation to violent extremism,” Twitter said in a statement.
Twitter and YouTube were criticized in the report, released Tuesday by the
Global Project Against Hate and Extremism, for helping white nationalist groups
spread their message and recruit new members. The report focused on the
Identitarian movement, also known as Generation Identity, an ideology based on
the notion that people of European heritage are being “replaced” by immigrants.
The Global Project Against Hate and Extremism identified 67 Twitter accounts
for Generation Identity chapters in 14 countries with nearly 140,000 followers.
“I think this is a very important move Twitter made because it means the major
international white nationalist group connected to the violence in Christchurch
and many other attacks no longer can use Twitter to propagandize against people
of color or, perhaps more importantly, to recruit young people into their
movement,” said Heidi Beirich, co-author of the report, referring to the 2019
attack at a mosque in New Zealand in which a far-right extremist killed 51
people at two mosques.”

 

United States

 

Los Angeles Times: From Vehicle Rammings To Verbal Tirades, Videos Capture A
Spike In Racist Attacks
<[link removed]>

 

“Josh Lipowsky, a senior researcher at the New York-based nonprofit Counter
Extremism Project, has focused on vehicular attacks on protesters in recent
months. “These vehicle rammings have become a more common tactic being used
against protesters in general,” he said, including those attributed to the far
right. “There has been quite a bit of online propaganda over the past few years
and increasing over the past few months targeting protesters — and Black Lives
Matter in particular — and really seeking to dehumanize the protesters and
delegitimize their causes.” Lipowsky said the motives for some of the incidents
have been unclear: Perhaps a driver accelerated at protesters accidentally, or
was confronted by protesters. But he said the message is clear in memes of such
rammings that he’s collected, dating back to anti-police-brutality protests in
Ferguson, Mo., following the police killing of Michael Brown in 2014. “The
message being put forward with a lot of these memes is that the protesters are
inconveniencing your lives,” he said, and that “you have the right then to
remove that impediment.” Here are a few recent examples of people lashing out,
verbally or physically attacking others.”

 

Syria

 

BBC News: Islamic State Inmate Who Grew Up In London 'Killed In Syria'
<[link removed]>

 

“A man who left London to join the Islamic State group in Syria has died while
being held in prison in the country, the BBC has been told. One source said
that Ishak Mostefaoui, previously from east London, was killed while attempting
to escape custody. Another said the death came during serious disorder in a
jail in Hassakeh, which houses IS prisoners from various countries. The death
and surrounding circumstances have not been officially confirmed. After being
captured last year, the 27-year-old was held in a prison in north-east Syria
controlled by the Kurdish-led, US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces. Sources said
he was one of around 10 British men and 30 British women being held by the
militia - but he was the first to die in SDF custody. The prison where he was
held is a converted school. When the BBC spoke to him there last October he
admitted joining IS. The general situation in the prisons and camps where IS
prisoners are being held has deteriorated this year and there have been several
riots. The British government has refused to allow adult prisoners to return to
the UK, saying they should be put on trial in the region. A government
spokesman told the BBC the Foreign Office had advised against all travel to
Syria since 2011.”

 

Al Jazeera: How A Syrian Bulgarian Wrestler Became A 'Terror' Suspect
<[link removed]>

 

“On July 1, at 6am, masked officers of the Bulgarian national security and
anti-organised crime agencies burst into the small apartment where Anelia
Petrova and her son, Mohammed Abdulqader, were staying in the Bulgarian port
city of Burgas. After a thorough search, they confiscated all mobile phones and
laptops and took all inhabitants - Petrova, her son, her sister and her family
- in custody. Everyone was later released, except 21-year-old Abdulqader who
was arrested on terrorism charges. The Specialised Prosecutor's Office has said
Abdulqader, a Bulgarian citizen born to a Bulgarian mother and Syrian father,
had participated in “terrorist activities” in Syria. As evidence, the
prosecution has pointed to multiple photos from Syria Abdulqader had posted on
social media and his father's membership in the Sultan Murad Division armed
group in Syria. The group was part of the Free Syrian Army supported by the
Friends of Syria, an international coalition, which Bulgaria was part of.”

 

Iran

 

Newsweek: Pentagon Says Iran's New Syria Defense Deal Won't Stop Efforts To
Fight ISIS
<[link removed]>

 

“The U.S. military has said it has no plans to change its mission to defeat
the Islamic State militant group (ISIS) in Syria despite Iran's new defense
deal with Damascus that is designed to bolster ties between Washington's two
foes there. “The mission of U.S. Forces in Syria today remains the same as it
was when they first began operations in 2014: to enable the enduring defeat of
ISIS,” Pentagon spokesperson Navy Commander Jessica L. McNulty told Newsweek.
“U.S. service members will continue to execute the Defeat ISIS mission in
Syria, working in conjunction with vetted local forces in northeast Syria and
around At Tanf Garrison.” Her comments come after Iranian Major General
Mohammad Bagheri, Revolutionary Guard commander and chief of staff of the
Islamic Republic's armed forces, touted the new deal this week that would
strengthen Syria's air defense systems. The deal is expected to boost bilateral
ties between two countries united in their fight against the Islamic State
militant group and in their opposition to U.S. intervention in the region.”

 

Iraq

 

ABC News Australia: Islamic State Never Needed A Caliphate To Keep Menacing
The World. Now It's Regrouping
<[link removed]>

 

“To the rest of the world it might have appeared as if the Islamic State group
had finally been conquered, but Juma'a Qasim Al-Rubaie knew better. The mayor
of Garma, just north of Iraq's capital Baghdad, Mr Al-Rubaie says the terror
never left his village. “We have been attacked with car bombs, improvised
explosives, suicide bombers,” he told the ABC. In fact, the continuing presence
of the Islamic State terrorist group has seen the population of Garma fall from
8,000 to 120, transforming it into a ghost town. More than a year after the
'territorial defeat' of the Islamic State, which involved dismantling its
so-called caliphate, IS cells still roam much of Iraq. In places like Garma,
residents say they lay traps and mines, divert irrigation water, and kill
villagers. Many people have abandoned their farms in fear. Even though Iraq's
army has been deployed to protect the village, Mr Al-Rubaie says the soldiers
don't do much. “The situation is very bad. People can't get out, can't get
food, there is nothing we can do,” he said. “We can only ask for God's mercy,
nothing more.” Other villagers in Iraq elsewhere tell the same story: Islamic
State fighters move freely, killing people and livestock, damaging crops and
attacking security forces at will.”

 

Agence France-Presse: Three Years After ISIS, Mosul Residents Still Waiting To
Rebuild
<[link removed]>

 

“Ahmed Hamed has dreamt of rebuilding his pulverised home in Iraq's Mosul from
the moment government forces recaptured the northern city from ISIS in 2017.
But three years on, it remains a pile of rubble. He is among tens of thousands
of Iraqis who have filed claims to the Nineveh province's Subcommittee for
Compensation, seeking reparations for material goods, injuries and even lives
lost in the months-long fight to retake Mosul from the extremist militants. “I
still haven't gotten a cent, even though it's been so long since the
liberation,” said Mr Hamed, 25, who works menial day jobs to afford a small
apartment. His original home lies in Mosul's ravaged western half, where ISIS
made its final stand in the city and where reconstruction has been the slowest.
Iraq gathered $30 billion (Dh110bn) in pledges from international donors in
Kuwait in 2018 to rebuild, but virtually none of the funds have been disbursed.
The lack of progress has been widely blamed on Iraq's infamous bureaucracy,
corruption that has siphoned off reconstruction funds and polarised city
politics. Amid the coronavirus pandemic and plummeting oil prices, Iraq's
government is struggling to rake in enough monthly revenues to break even –
pushing rebuilding even lower on its priorities list.”

 

Turkey

 

The Telegraph: Ex-Paratrooper Who Fought Isil Claims Turkey Put Pressure On
Britain To Charge Him With Terror Offences
<[link removed]>

 

“A former British paratrooper who volunteered to help the Kurds in Syria was
charged with terror offences after Turkey applied diplomatic pressure on
Britain and threatened trade links, his lawyers have claimed. Daniel Burke, 33,
spent seven months on remand, much of it in solitary confinement, after
volunteering to help the Kurdish People’s Protection Units or YPG in its fight
against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil). After returning to Britain
he was charged with three terror offences and faced possible life imprisonment,
despite the fact the YPG is an ally of the West and has never been proscribed
by the Home Office as a terrorist organisation. Last week the Crown Prosecution
Service (CPS) abruptly withdrew the charges after his defence team applied to
obtain more details about the decision to charge Mr Burke...”

 

Afghanistan

 

The Washington Post: Within The Taliban, Clashing Views Of Afghanistan’s Future

<[link removed]>

 

“In talks in Doha and in Kabul, the Taliban’s leaders have struck a
conciliatory tone: Issues of human rights, democracy and power sharing are open
for discussion, they said, and will be worked out during peace talks with the
Afghan government. But here, in one of the militant group’s long-held districts
in eastern Afghanistan, Taliban commanders and fighters speak not of peace but
of toppling the Afghan government in Kabul. They boast of a hard-fought
“military victory” over American forces in the country. “We will only accept
100 percent of power in Afghanistan,” said Yaser, a 26-year-old Taliban fighter
from Marawara district, whose comments were echoed by his commander and others
in the district. Yaser, like many Afghans, goes by a single name. The competing
visions of a postwar Afghanistan within the Taliban’s ranks reveal the
difficult task facing the group’s leaders as they seek to rally support for an
agreement with the government in Kabul ahead of long-awaited formal talks. Many
fear that even with a peace deal, a fractured Taliban could lead Afghanistan
back to a period of perpetual violence. It’s difficult to discern how
widespread the views expressed by these Taliban fighters are in other parts of
Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, because access to those areas is severely
restricted.”

 

Voice Of America: Taliban: Calls For Halting War Before Afghan Peace Talks
'Illogical'
<[link removed]>

 

“Afghanistan’s Taliban has dismissed as “illogical” escalating domestic and
foreign calls for the insurgent group to cease hostilities before the
commencement of intra-Afghan peace negotiations. The long-delayed dialogue is
stipulated in a landmark deal the United States and the Taliban sealed in
February aimed at ending nearly two decades of war in Afghanistan, America’s
longest. The peace talks are tied, however, to a successful conclusion of an
ongoing controversial prisoner swap between the Afghan government and the
insurgents. A spokesman for the Islamist Taliban insisted Sunday that
implementation of the agreement and start of intra-Afghan negotiations are
necessary to de-escalate and end the war. “A demand for us to stop the fighting
and then start the negotiations is illogical. War is raging precisely because
we have yet to find an alternative,” Zabihullah Mujahid said in a media
release. “The prisoner exchange process must be completed and intra-Afghan
talks must begin immediately. This is the real and logical path toward
resolving the problem,” Mujahid stressed. Direct peace negotiations between
Afghan parties to the war were originally scheduled to commence in March but
were pushed back due to disagreements over the prisoner swap.”

 

Pakistan

 

Associated Press: Pakistan Says 4 Troops, 4 Militants Killed In Shootout In NW
<[link removed]>

 

“Pakistan's military on Sunday said four soldiers and four militants were
killed during a shootout in the rugged northwestern region of North Waziristan,
which borders Afghanistan. A statement from the military’s public relations
wing said the exchange of fire took place after the army personnel had
surrounded the militant hideout early Sunday. The statement did not identify
the militants, but Pakistan’s military has been battling members of the
Pakistani Taliban group, known as the Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) in that region
for years. The group, which has also voiced support for the Islamic State in
Afghanistan, declared war on the government of Pakistan more than a decade ago.
Since then, they have carried out a series of attacks, including a brutal
assault on a Pakistan Army Public School in northwest Peshawar in December 2014
killing 140 children and several teachers. Pakistan’s militant groups are often
interlinked with those across the border in Afghanistan, so its progress at
reining in terror is critical, particularly as Washington seeks to forge ahead
on an agreement with the Afghan Taliban to bring an end to the 18-year war,
America’s longest military engagement.”

 

Lebanon

 

Arab News: Tensions Continue To Rise Between US And Hezbollah
<[link removed]>

 

“The fallout from US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s warning that Washington
will do all it can to prevent Iran selling oil to Hezbollah in Lebanon
continued this week. Youth organizations that support Hezballah staged a
demonstration on Friday afternoon in the vicinity of the US Embassy in the area
of Awkar in Mount Lebanon,  surrounded by tight security barriers. Although the
protesters succeeded in breaching the first barrier, security forces retaliated
with water cannons and smoke bombs to disperse them. After Hezbollah leader
Hassan Nasrallah said his party was in talks with Iran about buying oil with
Lebanese pounds, to ease pressure on the plummeting currency, Pompeo said on
Wednesday: “Washington will not allow this. This will not be acceptable. This
is a product subject to sanctions. We will do everything in our power to ensure
that Iran cannot continue to sell crude oil anywhere, including to Hezbollah.”
A Hezbollah source described the comments as “blatant, rude and unacceptable
interference in Lebanese economic options.” Another Hezbollah source said on
Thursday: “Lebanon will not remain a hostage to American practices. It has to
make up its mind about the choices that provide for the needs of its people.”

 

Voice Of America: Reports: Lebanese Hezbollah Opening Unofficial Border
Crossing With Syria
<[link removed]>

 

“The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah is intensifying efforts to open a new
border crossing between Lebanon and Syria, local sources and Arab media
reported this week. The Iranian-backed Shiite group has been constructing an
unofficial crossing along Lebanon’s eastern border with Syria, according to
pan-Arab newspaper Asharq al-Awsat. Workers commissioned by Hezbollah have been
working intensively in recent days to pave a road for the crossing, said a
local source in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley region. The source, who insisted on
anonymity for fear of retribution from Hezbollah, told VOA that militants
affiliated with Hezbollah have been using the route for years to transport
fighters and weapons between the two countries, “but it looks like they want to
prepare it for civilian use as well.” Hezbollah has been a major actor in
Syria’s civil war since 2012, siding with the government of President Bashar
al-Assad. With support from Iran, the group has deployed thousands of fighters
to Syria in recent years. A voice recording about the development was widely
circulated on social media last week. In the clip, a Hezbollah commander
purportedly said the construction of this border crossing “is a message to the
enemies inside and outside [Lebanon that] soon convoys will pass through here.”

 

Egypt

 

Egypt Today: Egypt’s Dar Al-Iftaa: Islamic State Terrorist Group Recruits
Wealthy Members
<[link removed]>

 

“The Islamic State (IS) terrorist group is currently working on recruiting new
members from rich people, warned the Egyptian monitoring unit of Dar al-Ifta's
Observatory of Takfiri Fatwas and Extremist Views in a statement on Saturday.
“IS has recently called for donations in an intensive way through
cryptocurrencies. It has tried to urge members of the wealthy classes to join
this campaign and provide the organization with funds,” the observatory said.
“IS is currently recruiting as many members of this class as possible because
they are usually at highly educated and skilled,” the observatory added. In
2018, the unit conducted a two-year study on the IS ideology. The Egyptian
observatory dismantled the ideology of terrorist groups. The study referred
that the IS speeches, delivered from 2014 to 2016 on jihad and expansion, have
been greatly followed. Many efforts have been exerted to combat extremism and
terrorist ideology in Egypt. The Ministry of Endowments launched an initiative
to combat extremism and terrorism in Europe where hardliners are increasing.
Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi has repeatedly called for renewing the
religious discourse as part of the war against terrorism.”

 

Egypt Today: Egypt Asserts Commitment To Face Extremism During UN Virtual
Counter-Terrorism Week
<[link removed]>

 

“The Egyptian permanent mission at the United Nations participated in the UN’s
virtual counter-terrorism week, held from 6 to 10 July. Egypt’s representative
at the UN ambassador Mohammed Idris said during the virtual meeting that the
countries involved in transporting mercenaries and terrorists from one conflict
to another should abort this behavior, adding that Egypt is ready to cooperate
with the different international players to counter-terrorism and extremism.
Idris asserted that the Coronavirus pandemic revealed the importance of
international cooperation in order to stop biological and cyber terrorism,
aside from other forms of terrorism such as racist and hate speeches. Idris
said that the seventh biennial review of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism
Strategy provides an opportunity for the member states to reassure their
commitment to counter the changeable terrorism in the international arena.
Egypt asserts commitment to counter extremism during UN virtual
counter-terrorism week CAIRO – 12 July 2020: The Egyptian permanent mission at
the United Nations participated in the UN’s virtual counter-terrorism week,
held from 6 to 10 July.”

 

Nigeria

 

The Defense Post: 35 Troops Killed In Nigeria Jihadist Ambush, 30 Missing: New
Toll <[link removed]>

 

“The death toll from a jihadist attack on a military convoy in northeast
Nigeria has risen from 23 to 35, while 30 troops are still missing, security
sources said Thursday. Fighters linked to the so-called Islamic State group
ambushed the convoy on Tuesday at Bulabulin village, about 40 kilometers (25
miles) from Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state. Twenty-three soldiers were
initially thought to have been killed in Tuesday’s attack, and many were listed
as missing. But security sources said more bodies had now been found in a
nearby bush. “We lost 35 soldiers from the ambush. Eighteen others were injured
while 30 are still missing. Their fate is not known,” a security source told
AFP. “More bodies were recovered in the bush by rescue teams which led to a
rise in the deaths,” he said. Another source confirmed the new toll.
“Thirty-five bodies of troops were recovered as … search teams combed the area
around the scene of the ambush. Another 30 have not been accounted for. It is
not known whether they are dead or alive,” he said. He said the jihadists
torched a mine-resistant vehicle and carted away eight guntrucks, guns, and
communication equipment. “It was a surprise attack. The terrorists hid inside
heaps of foliage they gathered along the road and opened fire on the convoy as
it passed. It was a close-range ambush,” he said.”

 

Sahara Reporters: Boko Haram Terrorists Relocating To North-West,
North-Central As Bandits –Defence Headquarters
<[link removed]>

 

“The military high command has confirmed that scores of Boko Haram terrorists
fleeing intense land and air offensive against their hideouts and camps in the
North-East were infiltrating the North-West and North-Central, emboldening
armed banditry and other crimes. Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Major
General John Enenche, who confirmed the movement of terrorists to the zones,
noted that the type of weaponry found with the bandits such as anti-aircraft
gun, PKT gun capable of shooting down an aircraft, was an indication that some
Boko Haram criminals might have relocated to the North-West and North-Central.
He said, “In the past, the highest weapon found among bandits was the GPMG guns
and AK 47 rifles because what they are known for is stealing of cows and rams.
But now, they are in possession of AA and PKT guns which can be used to bring
down an aircraft. “It is no hidden fact that these are weapons used by Boko
Haram terrorists got from neighbouring West African countries.” Speaking on the
withdrawal of military from checkpoints across the country, which is capable of
opening the way for terrorists and bandits fleeing military offensives to
freely relocate to other parts of the country, Enenche said it was due to
complaints of Nigerians especially during the COVID-19 lockdown.”

 

Somalia

 

Shabelle Media Network: Somalia: Militants Killed In Security Operation In
Southern Somalia <[link removed]>

 

“Somali security forces backed by the Southwestern state army killed seven
al-Shabab fighters and injured five others on Saturday in an operation in
Bardale town in the southern region of Bay, an official confirmed on Sunday.
Mohamed Isak, governor of Bardale town, told journalists that the joint
operation started when the army got intelligence that the militants were hiding
in the area to plan further attacks in the area. “There was intense
confrontation between the army and the militants in Bardale town, but our
forces subdued the militants killing seven of them including a senior leader
who was in charge of finance and we also injured five others,” Isak said. He
noted that a government soldier was killed and three others injured during the
confrontation. The latest operation came barely two days after Somali National
Army (SNA) killed five al-Shabab militants including two senior leaders in
another operation in Janale town in the country's southern region of Lower
Shabelle. Meanwhile, the Somalia National Army (SNA) said its forces have
captured al-Shabab territories in Mubarak district of Awdhagle in the southern
region. The SNA said in a statement on Sunday that the areas were captured
during a sting military operation to liberate areas still under al-Shabab
control.”

 

Africa

 

Fox News: Private Anti-Poachers Recruited To Fight In Mozambique’s Terrorist
Hot Spot
<[link removed]>

 

“For years, the African nation of Mozambique has been beleaguered by local
Islamic terror attacks in its northernmost province of Cabo Delgado. But in
recent months, as the threat has become more organized, there has been at least
one silver lining: anti-poachers working to save the region. According to The
Telegraph, Angolan civil war veterans-turned-anti-poachers have flown in on
helicopters to fight ISIS-affiliated militants in the terror-plagued north.
Around February, as the situation spiraled, a frustrated Mozambican government
recruited a Rhodesian army colonel named Duck, who then hired a band of snipers
known for gunning down poachers in the region. In one incident that hit
headlines in April, the team lost a helicopter in the fighting, but was
heralded for saving land and people. For almost three years, the terrorist
outfit – namely the Islamic State of Central African Province (ISCAP), although
numerous others including Al Sunnah wa Jama'ah and al-Qaeda also claimed
responsibility – has cemented its footprint in the African country, deemed the
tenth most impoverished in the world by Concern USA. Hoisting their infamous
black flags, the insurgents routinely seize small villages and carry out mass
beheadings and kidnappings, in addition to recruiting impoverished and
disenfranchised youth.”

 

Southeast Asia

 

Foreign Policy: After Signing Anti-Terrorism Law, Duterte Names His Targets
<[link removed]>

 

“Rodrigo Duterte prefers to speak to his country late at night, when most
Filipinos are asleep, leaving weary night-shift reporters left to parse through
the Philippine president’s scattershot musings on the worsening coronavirus
outbreak, the flailing economy, and a new anti-terrorism law which the United
Nations and rights groups are worried could morph into an expansive attempt to
crush government critics. Duterte’s latest pre-taped address, which aired
around 1 a.m. on Wednesday, was his first chance to speak publicly about the
law after it was fast-tracked through Congress despite concerns over the
constitutionality of provisions allowing an anti-terrorism council appointed by
the president to authorize warrantless arrests, detention without charge for up
to 24 days, and 90 days of surveillance and wiretaps. Since taking office in
2016, Duterte has arrested political opponents, overseen thousands of
extrajudicial killings in a brutal drug war, and heaped praise on former
dictator Ferdinand Marcos, adding to the perception that the new law is the
latest in an ongoing backslide into authoritarian rule.”

 

Technology

 

Deutsche Welle: Arab States Target Extremism Online — But Are They Effective?
<[link removed]>

 

“Less than five years ago, the “Islamic State” (IS) militant group's digital
presence was so momentous, it forced the US government and Arab states to
rethink their approach to countering extremist messaging online. That impetus
triggered a wave of Arab-led initiatives, including several conducted in tandem
with Washington. One of those, the Sawab Center, was launched in 2015 as “an
online engagement and messaging operation” led by the United Arab Emirates
aimed at supporting the US-led coalition's efforts against IS. With a budget of
$6 million (€5 million) and just over a dozen staff members, the joint venture
also “promoted information sharing with international police organizations when
family members report on relatives who have become radicalized,” according to a
report by the US Congressional Research Service. In 2017, US President Donald
Trump spearheaded a new initiative with Saudi King Salman, establishing the
Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology — or Etidal, Arabic for
moderation. At the time, Trump placed the responsibility of combating extremism
and promoting a “moderate Islam” on Arab allies, such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE
and even Qatar. Challenges of counter-messagingBut the approach seems uneven at
best, and ineffective at worst.”

 

The Times: Extremists Use BBC Theme To Trick Facebook Into Showing Vile Clips
<[link removed]>

 

“Extremists are using a BBC theme tune to avoid security measures on social
media and post clips of beheadings and suicide bombings. Islamic State networks
are deploying several tricks to evade the software that technology giants use
to look for extremist content, including using odd punctuation in their posts
and disguising graphic videos with initially neutral clips, including a remix
of the BBC News signature tune. Experts fear that such methods mean that
members of terrorist groups are starting to reappear on platforms such as
Facebook, after years of them being in effect stamped out. Moustafa Ayad,
deputy director of international technology, communications and education at
the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD), said: “There are micro Isis
networks appearing with some frequency that are gaming…”



Click here to unsubscribe.
<[link removed]>