Eye on Extremism
August 27, 2019
CNN:
Justice Department To Seek Death Penalty Against Pittsburgh Synagogue
Shooting Suspect
“The Justice Department is planning to seek the death penalty
against the suspected shooter in the Pittsburgh Tree of Life Synagogue
massacre. Robert Bowers, 46, has been charged in the October 2018
shooting that left 11 worshipers dead. His attorneys pleaded not
guilty on his behalf in November and requested a jury trial. Federal
prosecutors will seek the death penalty on charges that include
obstruction of free exercise of religious beliefs resulting in death,
use and discharge of a firearm to commit murder and possession of a
firearm during a violent crime. Prosecutors say their intent to seek
the death penalty is justified because Bowers' anti-Semitic views
played a role in the shooting, the shooting was intentional and he
showed no remorse, according to a federal notice to seek the death
penalty. Bowers has been indicted on 63 federal charges, including
hate crime charges, according to a superseding indictment issued in
January 2019. Of the 63 charges, 22 counts carry the death penalty, a
Justice Department news release in January said.”
The
Wall Street Journal: U.S. Plans To Open Direct Talks With Iran-Backed
Houthis In Yemen
“The Trump administration is preparing to initiate direct talks
with Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen in an effort to end
the four-year-old war, a conflict that has become a volatile front
line in the conflict with Tehran, according to people familiar with
the plans. The U.S. is looking to prod Saudi Arabia into taking part
in secret talks in Oman with Houthi leaders in an effort to broker a
cease-fire in Yemen, according to these people. The move could open
the first significant channel between the Trump administration and the
Houthis at a time when fears of a broader regional war are growing. In
2015, a few months after the war in Yemen began, top Obama
administration envoys met secretly with Houthi rebels for the first
time in Oman to press for a cease-fire and release of Americans held
by the Yemeni fighters. U.S. officials met with Houthi leaders last
December in Sweden during United Nations-led peace talks. But there
haven’t been any significant direct negotiations since President Trump
took office in 2017, current and former U.S. officials said. The
conflict in Yemen has metastasized from a troubling regional civil war
into a volatile international fight pitting Iran-backed Houthi forces
against a Saudi-led military coalition supported by the U.S.”
DW:
Erdogan And Putin Meet As Syria Offensive Pummels
Idlib
“Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is meeting with his Russian
counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on Tuesday to discuss a Syrian military
offensive against the jihadi-dominated province of Idlib where Moscow
and Ankara had set up a demilitarized zone. Syrian troops backed by
Russian airpower have advanced in recent weeks against jihadi forces
in the last major rebel enclave in northwestern Syria, and encircled a
Turkish military post. The fierce fighting has all but unraveled a
fragile truce deal struck in September by Russia and Turkey as the
Syrian regime pushes north to control strategic highways connecting
the government-controlled cities of Aleppo and Hama and the regime's
Alawite heartland in Latakia on the Mediterranean coast. Last week, a
Turkish military convoy heading to an observation post in Idlib came
under attack in an air raid conducted either by the Syrian government
or Russian warplanes. The airstrike killed three civilians and wounded
a dozen more. The Turkish Defense Ministry "strongly condemned" the
August 19 attack and said it was contrary to "existing agreements as
well as our cooperation and dialogue with Russia."
The
Wall Street Journal: Republicans Warn Trump Over Afghanistan
Pullout
“The ongoing negotiations between U.S. officials and the Taliban
over the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan could soon run
into a familiar stumbling block: Senate Republicans. The Trump
administration has set Sept. 1 as an unofficial date to announce the
withdrawal agreement, which would include a guarantee from the Taliban
that they will fight terrorism in the country. A U.S.-Taliban
agreement is a precursor to talks between the Taliban and Afghan
government officials on a cease-fire and a power-sharing agreement.
But Senate Republicans are warning that the Trump administration
cannot pull out too many of the 14,500 U.S. military personnel
currently stationed in Afghanistan to reach a deal with the Taliban.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.), a defense hawk, said on “Face the
Nation” on CBS Sunday that a rapid reduction, favored by the Taliban,
could endanger U.S. national security. “I am concerned that the
president, in his desire to get out, is going to make the same mistake
that President Obama did in Iraq,” Mr. Graham said. Republicans like
Mr. Graham have argued that the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq
under Mr. Obama was premature and led to the rise of ISIS in the
country.”
The
Jerusalem Post: The Call To Brand Hezbollah
“The news that Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro is actively
considering labeling Hezbollah a terrorist organization should be
welcomed across the civilized world. Momentum is finally gathering
behind this movement, as governments belatedly recognize the
pernicious and malign threat this organization poses. Previously, they
have avoided such measures due to the so-called, entirely illusionary
distinction between Hezbollah’s military and political wings. As
Iran’s proxy-in-chief, we must use all tools at our disposal to cut
off their funding and inhibit their ability to operate. Iran has long
sought to destabilize its neighbors and perceived enemies through
unconventional means. Lacking the resources of “the Great Satan” in
the United States, it has sought to project its power by funding,
supplying and training ruthless and violent groups who can disrupt and
destabilize without requiring the force of a highly developed, well
trained military. Hezbollah has become the standard bearer for this
approach, which has also been extended to Hamas in Gaza and the
Houthis in Yemen. For a variety of political reasons, including a
concerted lobbying effort by Islamists and apologists for extremism,
Western governments have been reluctant to brand Hezbollah, in its
entirety, as terrorists. The United Kingdom has long held off on such
a move, with then home secretary Sajid Javid finally announcing full
proscription earlier this year.”
VICE:
Taken By ISIS: One American Father’s Harrowing Journey To Get His Kids
Back From The Caliphate
“The scene was apocalyptic: Twisted steel from the skeletal frames
of destroyed vehicles sticking out of mounds of earth; ammunition
belts strewn along the side of the road; bloated and decomposing
bodies of ISIS fighters lying between the obliterated buildings. It
was March 23 and the territorial caliphate declared by Abu Bakr
Al-Baghdadi had finally crumbled, the last town under the control of
his so-called Islamic State now in the hands of the U.S.-backed Syrian
Democratic Forces. But the story was far from over. Somewhere among
the thousands of families who had poured out of ISIS’ last stronghold
during the final assault were two young American children named Yousuf
and Zahra. Their mother had been killed several months ago, and their
father back in the U.S. was anxiously waiting to hear if they’d been
found. Yousuf was just 4, and Zahra 1, when they were taken from their
home in Miami to Syria. They are the children of Bashir Shikder and
his wife, Rashida, devout Muslims who immigrated to the U.S. from
Bangladesh and became citizens. The kids were born in Florida; Rashida
stayed home to care for them, while Bashir worked as an engineer. But
one day in early 2015, he returned from a trip overseas to find the
house empty.”
United States
Al
Jazeera: US Authorities Seek Death Penalty In Pittsburgh Synagogue
Attack
“A man charged with killing 11 people in a Pittsburgh synagogue
should face the death penalty if convicted, federal prosecutors said
in a court filing on Monday. The United States Attorney's Office in
Pittsburgh filed a notice of intent to seek the death penalty against
46-year-old Robert Bowers in last year's attack. The government filing
said justification for a death sentence included allegations of
substantial planning and premeditation, the vulnerability and number
of victims, and a motivation of religious hostility. It also listed
the injury, harm and loss caused to the victims and the choice of the
Tree of Life synagogue as the site of the attack. The notice accused
Bowers of targeting the worshippers “in order to maximise the
devastation, amplify the harm of his crimes, and instill fear within
the local, national and international Jewish communities.” Bowers has
pleaded not guilty and awaits trial. His lawyers did not return
messages seeking comment. A spokeswoman for US Attorney Scott Brady
declined to discuss the filing. Prosecutors wrote that the death
penalty will be justified if Bowers is convicted of obstruction of
free exercise of religious beliefs resulting in death or of using a
gun to commit a crime of violence.”
The
Washington Post: Creating A ‘Domestic Terrorism’ Charge Would Actually
Hurt Communities Of Color
“In the wake of the horrific mass murder this month in El Paso, in
which a gunman killed 22 people and wounded dozens of others,
Americans have understandably sought ways to prevent such tragedies.
In particular, some have called for making “domestic terrorism” a
chargeable offense. As former federal civil rights prosecutors, we
don’t believe that we need new laws. We just need to stop
discriminating in the resourcing and enforcing of the laws we have. We
already have powerful tools for prosecuting hate crimes — criminal
offenses motivated by bias toward an individual’s race, color,
religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity
or disability. The first federal hate crime law was passed in 1871 to
address the Reconstruction-era racial terrorism experienced by African
Americans, including lynchings. These laws have evolved over time. In
2009, President Barack Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd
Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which expanded existing laws to
protect a broader range of threatened communities. On the other hand,
domestic terrorism (unlike international terrorism) is not a
chargeable offense. It never has been, nor does it need to be. Such a
law is unnecessary and would be harmful to communities of color.”
ABC
Fox Montana: Montana Terrorism Suspect Planning To Change Plea To
Guilty
“A man arrested in Bozeman for sympathizing with terrorist groups
is scheduled to change his plea this week. Court documents say Fabjan
Alameti is set for an Aug. 28 hearing to change his plea in federal
court. A plea agreement says Alameti will plead guilty to two counts
of making a false statement to a federal officer in a matter involving
terrorism. Each count carries a maximum sentence of 8 years in prison
and a $250,000 fine. If accepted, the court will dismiss two other
charges against Alameti related to making false statements and
possessing a firearm while using a controlled substance. Investigators
say Alameti wanted to fight for ISIS and attack people to avenge the
New Zealand mosque shooting. Alameti is also quoted as saying that he
was moving from New York to Montana to buy a gun because Montana has
less stringent gun laws.”
ELLE:
Two Sisters And The Terrorist Who Came Between Them
“We’re here to determine whether the woman is a terrorist, but all
Lori sees is her sister. The gait and the posture she would recognize
anywhere, even through her khaki prison uniform. The tattoo, a pair of
puckered lips on her neck, peeking over the collar. She has Lori’s
natural brown hair color, now gray at the roots. Sam is Lori’s older
sister, but Sam was the one always getting in trouble. Parties, older
boyfriends, dead-end jobs, dead-end marriages. And now, three federal
charges: providing material support to ISIS, aiding and abetting ISIS,
and lying to the FBI. The Justice Department says she supported ISIS,
anyway. This is a procedural hearing today, part of the big case
against her. U.S. law enforcement has known about Sam since at least
November 2017, when she was interviewed by FBI agents in a Kurdish-run
prison camp in Syria. Before that, she had been living for more than
two years in Islamic State–controlled territory in Raqqa with her four
young children. In the days and weeks leading up to this hearing, Sam
has told the FBI, told her lawyers, told anyone who will listen that
she was the victim of an abusive husband. He was Moroccan, but they
met in Indiana. He used to be so much fun, she told them. They went
skinny-dipping.”
Syria
The
National: Air Strikes Kill 12 Civilians In North-Western
Syria
“Russian and Syrian regime air strikes have killed 12 civilians in
north-western Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says. The
monitor said Russian air strikes on areas in the southern province of
Idlib killed six civilians. It said the regime's raids also killed six
civilians in the same area under the control of Al Qaeda-linked group
Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, and wounded 27. Earlier on Monday at least four
people, including a woman and her child, were killed in air raids on
Bsakla village, said the opposition's Syrian Civil Defence rescue
group, also known as White Helmets. Heavy shelling in the province,
which borders Turkey, has killed more than 2,000 people including
hundreds of civilians since the end of April. Syrian forces backed by
Russian warplanes are advancing in the province to capture rebel-held
areas. Ten of thousands of people have fled to the Turkish border over
the past few days as the Syrian army pushes further into the
stronghold. On Wednesday, the Syrian military seized the key town of
Khan Sheikhoun from militants and allied rebels, and overran the
countryside to the south, encircling a Turkish observation post in
northern Hama. On Saturday, pro-government fighters gathered north of
Khan Sheikhoun to press on with the offensive.”
France
24: Northwest Syria Clashes Kill 51 Fighters: Monitor
“Clashes between anti-government fighters and regime forces killed
51 combattants on both sides in northwestern Syria Tuesday, a war
monitor said. Russia-backed regime fighters have for weeks been
chipping away at the edges of the jihadist-run stronghold of Idlib --
a province that borders Turkey -- after bombarding it for months. But
hardline rebels and jihadists on Tuesday attacked loyalist positions
in the south of the bastion, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for
Human Rights said. “Violent clashes east of the town of Khan Sheikhun
broke out at dawn after jihadist and opposition groups attacked regime
positions,” Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said. The attack was
led by the Al-Qaeda-linked Hurras al-Deen group and another jihadist
faction -- Ansar al-Deen -- he said. The fighting has killed 23 regime
forces and 20 opponents, including 13 jihadists, the Observatory said.
In the southeast of the bastion, eight rebels were killed trying to
sneak through frontlines towards regime positions near the Abu Duhur
military airport, the monitor added. Regime forces recaptured Khan
Sheikhun last week, and have been massing north of the town in recent
days as they prepare to push on with their assault.”
Iran
The
Guardian: Iran President Steps Back From Possible Trump
Talks
“Iran’s president has back-pedalled on possible talks with Donald
Trump and now says the US president must first lift sanctions imposed
on Tehran. Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday that otherwise a meeting
between the two would be just a photo op and “that is not possible”.
Rouhani’s change of heart came a day after Trump said there was a good
chance the two leaders could meet after a surprise intervention by the
French president, Emmanuel Macron, during the G7 summit in Biarritz to
try to bring Washington and Tehran together. In a televised address,
Rouhani said that “without the US’s withdrawal from sanctions, we will
not witness any positive development”. He added that Washington “holds
the key”. On Monday, Rouhani had expressed readiness to negotiate a
way out of the crisis following America’s pullout from the 2015
nuclear deal and subsequent reimposition of biting sanctions. Trump
also said he would be ready to meet if the conditions were right.”
NPR:
Iran Seen Preparing For Space Launch
“In the latest indication that it may be readying an attempt to
launch another space rocket, Iran has given its launch pad a fresh
coat of paint. A satellite image taken by the commercial company
Planet shows the pad painted a bright blue. The image, taken August
24, was shared with NPR. Until this month, the launch pad at the Imam
Khomeini Space Center had been sporting a burn scar from a previous
failed launch attempt. It had also been covered in debris from a
possible flash flood at the site this past spring. "The Iranians have
finished clearing off the pad, and they painted over the previous
launch scar," says Dave Schmerler, a senior research associate at the
Middlebury Institute for International Studies who has analyzed the
imagery. Other recent imagery has shown vehicle activity at a nearby
building where Iran assembles its rockets. "We're getting close to a
launch, but exactly when that will happen I can't tell you," Schmerler
says. Iran's press has reported that the government has three
satellites that could be ready for launch by the end of the nation's
calendar year in March of 2020. A recent report from August suggests
that one of the satellites, a communications satellite known as
Nahid-1, is ready for launch now.”
Express:
Iran News: 'Weak' EU Policies Against Iran Blasted As Citizens Fight
Regime Atrocities
“Hossein Abedini, a representative of the National Council of
Resistance of Iran - a dissident political organisation which
considers itself to be the main opposition to the Iranian regime -
told Express.co.uk the Iranian regime has been able to use dual
nationals hostages as a “bargaining chip” to deal with the West thanks
to the "weak" approach of the European Union against the rogue state.
Mr Abedini said: “Whatever the regime says it’s not from a position of
strength. If they saw robustness and if they saw a strong action, a
unified action, they would retreat from their position. Our experience
for many many years is that this regime has faced lots of crisis
inside Iran. “It’s only a hollow threat but it’s, of course, a
terrorist regime so the only way to deal with it is not to give it
further concessions. “They should deal with it as strongly as they
say. There are tactical measures that should be taken. “Especially
putting the IRGC down on a terrorist list. “The EU, unfortunately, has
weak and vassal governments with weak policies that are
counterproductive. “It has only affected the regime to a degree to
challenge its atrocities.”
The
Wall Street Journal: Macron’s Iran Gambit
“Did French President Emmanuel Macron trap President Trump into a
potential negotiation with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani ? That was
a major media preoccupation at the G-7 meetings in France this
weekend, but the more important story may have been Israel ’s weekend
bombing of a military site in Syria that was a staging area for
Iranian militia. Israel said Saturday it bombed the site to prevent
attacks on its homeland by Iran’s proxies in Syria. Iran’s Quds Force
is trying to expand and arm militia forces in Syria that can
complement its Hezbollah allies in Lebanon. In the next war with
Israel—and there will be another one—those proxies would be able to
open what amounts to a second front against the Jewish state. Israel
has been regularly bombing in Syria and even sometimes in Iraq to
deter this military buildup. That puts Mr. Macron’s diplomatic gambit
in sharper relief than merely trying to arrange a sit-down between the
Iranian and American Presidents. France is trying to salvage the 2015
nuclear deal with Iran because it has business interests it wants to
continue. Mr. Trump’s withdrawal from that deal and imposition of new
sanctions is squeezing Iran’s economy and thus its leadership’s cash
flow.”
The
New York Times: Iran’s Rouhani Says No Talks With Trump Until
Sanctions Are Lifted
“President Hassan Rouhani of Iran said on Tuesday that he would not
sit down for a meeting with President Trump until Washington had
lifted all of its economic sanctions against Iran. His comment came a
day after President Emmanuel Macron of France said he would try to
arrange a meeting between Mr. Trump and Mr. Rouhani in the next few
weeks, in an attempt to ease the strained relationship between their
countries. Mr. Trump said he was open to the idea if the Iranians were
“good players.” Mr. Rouhani responded in kind. “In the relations
between Iran and the U.S., we will not witness any positive
development unless the U.S. abandons the sanctions and corrects the
wrong path it has chosen,” Mr. Rouhani said during a meeting in Tehran
on Tuesday, according to the semiofficial Iranian news agency
Tasnim.”
Iraq
Iraqi
News: Iraqi Troops Destroy 10 Islamic State Hideouts In
Anbar
“An Iraqi paramilitary commander said on Monday that 10 hotbeds of
the Islamic State militant group were destroyed during an ongoing
military operation in the country. “Security forces, backed by Iraqi
warplanes, destroyed 10 Islamic State hideouts and killed all
terrorists inside as part of the fourth phase of the Operation Will of
Victory in the desert of Anbar on the Iraqi-Syrian border,” Qatari
al-Obeidi, a senior commander of the Popular Mobilization Forces, told
Iraq’s Almaalomah website. The operation was carried out based on
intelligence information, he said, adding that the security forces
launched a wide-scale campaign to search for other IS hideouts in the
area. The Will of Victory Operation’s first phase had been launched in
July, targeting IS elements in western regions. According to the Iraqi
military, 13 villages were cleared in areas south of Nineveh during
the operation’s third phase. Iraq declared the collapse of Islamic
State’s territorial influence in Iraq in November 2017 with the
recapture of Rawa, a city on Anbar’s western borders with Syria, which
was the group’s last bastion in Iraq. In November, Iraqi forces
recaptured Anbar’s western town of Rawa, the last Islamic State
entrenchment in Iraq.”
Al
Monitor: Hunt For Iraqi IS Leaders Continues Amid Heightened
Secrecy
“As the fourth phase of Operation Will of Victory gets underway in
Iraq to hunt down Islamic State (IS) remnants, attempts to understand
who the current top IS military leaders are is proving frustrating.
Several Iraqi security analysts and Deir ez-Zor sources have told
Al-Monitor that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and other key Iraqi leaders are
mostly believed to be in Syria. But beyond that, scant information is
available. One source, a well-connected Deir al-Zor native who cannot
be named for security reasons, told Al-Monitor that a man known as
Jabbar al-Iraqi may be key to understanding Baghdadi’s whereabouts.
The source is known to have provided coordinates to the international
coalition for IS targets in Syria in the past. Jabbar al-Iraqi is from
the Shimmari tribe, he said, “an Iraqi Bedouin who uses this to his
advantage to get IS leaders across the border,” the source said. The
Shimmari tribe is one of the largest tribes in Iraq, and a significant
number are in northeastern Syria as well. Jabbar al-Iraqi is a
military leader of Wilayet al-Jazeera and is very close to Baghdadi,
the source told Al-Monitor, adding that several local sources had told
him that Baghdadi fled the Syrian Baghouz during the battle there in
February-March 2019 by crossing into Iraq with shepherds.”
The
Wall Street Journal: Iraq Moves To Pull Plug On Its Iran Power
Cord
“Iraq is trying to cut its dependence on Iranian energy under
pressure from the U.S., moving to connect its power grid to Tehran’s
Arab rivals and develop alternatives to Iranian natural-gas imports.
American officials, who are trying to isolate Tehran diplomatically
and economically, have long criticized Iraq’s deep energy relationship
with Iran. The U.S., however, has given Iraq a rare exemption from
sanctions, largely because much of the country would plunge into
darkness without Tehran’s energy but also because Baghdad has promised
to break its Iranian habit. Between 30% and 40% of Iraq’s power supply
is derived from Iranian electricity and natural gas, with electricity
imports accounting for roughly a quarter of that total. Now, Iraqi
officials say they have made progress on cutting back.”
Afghanistan
Foreign
Policy: How To Partner With The Taliban
“With the Trump administration apparently close to announcing a
peace deal with the Taliban, it is now time for a major consideration
of U.S. strategy for Afghanistan. Virtually everyone agrees that
Americans should seek to maintain current liberal political gains and
prevent a future sanctuary for international terrorists in the
country. The question is: What is the best plan to achieve America’s
core security aims over the long haul? Three options are now
imaginable. The first is to maintain U.S. ground forces in Afghanistan
indefinitely at, near, or even above today’s current levels of 14,000,
a position favored by many in the U.S. Defense Department, think tanks
such as the American Enterprise Institute, and prominent media
commentators. The second is a negotiated complete withdrawal of all
U.S. ground forces from Afghanistan in 2020, supported by Trump
administration officials who favor negotiated promises from the
Taliban; the New York Times editorial board, which would pass the buck
to regional players like Pakistan, Russia, Iran, India, and China;
and ”offshore” balancers, who believe a complete withdrawal would
allow for more counterbalancing against potential regional hegemons
like China in Asia.”
Radio
Free Europe: Renewed Taliban, U.S. Peace Talks Enter Their Fifth
Day
“Peace talks to end the 18-year war in Afghanistan continue as
dialogue that would allow the United States to wind down its
deployment entered a fifth day in the Qatari capital of Doha. AFP
reported discussions lasted into the night on August 27 as Taliban and
U.S. representatives were seen “shuttling between the two sides’
negotiating teams clutching papers.” Technical points of an agreement
with the United States were being finalized, the militant group had
earlier announced. U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad
rejected suggestions a truce might not apply to the Taliban’s fight
against the U.S.-backed Afghan government. “We will defend Afghan
forces now and after any agreement with the Talibs,” Khalilzad
tweeted during the ninth round of dialogue. “All sides agree
Afghanistan’s future will be determined in intra-Afghan negotiations.”
Previous rounds of U.S.-Taliban negotiations have focused on issues
including a U.S. troop withdrawal, a cease-fire, intra-Afghan
negotiations to follow, and guarantees by the militant group not to
harbor terrorist groups. The Taliban has so far rejected holding
direct talks with the Afghan government. The Taliban has said a news
conference would be called to announce any deal reached and would
include representatives from China, Russia, and the UN.”
Xinhua:
Over 3 Dozen Militants Killed In N. Afghanistan
“At least 37 militants have been killed in parts of Afghanistan's
northern Balkh province over the past 24 hours, army spokesman in the
northern region Mohammad Hanif Rezai said Monday. The operations
backed by fighting aircrafts and covered the restive Charbolak and
Sholgara districts since Sunday have also left dozens of militants
injured, the official said. Several villages have been liberated from
the clutches of the armed militants, Rezai said. Taliban militants,
who are active in parts of Balkh province with Mazar-e-Sharif as its
capital 305 km north of Kabul, have yet to make comment.”
Yemen
Gulf
News: Coalition Denies Al Houthi Strike In Riyadh
“The Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen dismissed an Al Houthi
claim that it had struck the Saudi capital of Riyadh in a missile
strike. Coalition spokesman Colonel Turki al-Malki said the Houthi
account was “fake and deceptive”. Late Sunday, the Coalition said it
had intercepted and destroyed six ballistic missiles fired by the
Iran-aligned group targeting civilians in Jizan. The attacks are part
of an escalation of cross-border assaults in the four-year-old
conflict between the Houthis and coalition forces. The Houthis, who
control the capital Sana’a, have in the past few months stepped up
their attacks against targets in the kingdom. In response, the
coalition has targeted military sites belonging to the group,
especially around Sana’a. “The Houthi militias continued targeting of
civilians through drones and ballistic missiles ...is an act of
aggression and terrorism and a war crime according to international
human law,” Al Malki said in a statement. The UAE condemned the
attacks. In a statement issued on Monday, the UAE Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and International Cooperation reiterated its full solidarity
with the Kingdom over these terrorist attacks targeting civilians,
affirming its support of all measures taken by Saudi authorities to
secure the country’s security and stability, as well as any actions
taken in the face of extremism and terrorism.”
Lebanon
The
New York Times: Lebanon Accuses Israel Of 2nd Attack In 2
Days
“An Israeli drone struck a Palestinian militia base in eastern
Lebanon on Monday, Lebanon’s National News Agency said, the fourth
time in three days that Israel has been accused of attacking
Iranian-backed forces across the Middle East. The string of events —
only one of which Israel has claimed responsibility for — has
heightened tensions and raised fears that what has so far remained a
shadow war between Iran and Israel and their respective allies could
escalate into a more direct conflict. The strike on Monday hit the
base of an Iranian-backed Palestinian militia, the Popular Front for
the Liberation of Palestine-General Command, in the eastern Bekaa
Valley. On Sunday, a drone exploded south of Beirut, shattering the
windows of an office belonging to Hezbollah, another Iranian-backed
group. Lebanese politicians across the spectrum condemned the attacks
and accused Israel of pushing the country toward conflict. “What
happened is tantamount to a declaration of war that allows us to
resort to our right to defend our sovereignty, independence and
territorial security,” President Michel Aoun of Lebanon told a top
United Nations official on Monday, according to a statement released
by the president’s office.”
The
Hill: Hezbollah's Dangerous False Narrative About The Lebanese
Army
“Recently, I have seen writers perpetuating Hezbollah propaganda
claiming that the Lebanese Army and Hezbollah have become close
partners. This is a false claim and needs to be debunked immediately.
Hezbollah would like nothing more than for the West to fall for their
false narratives and stop funding the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF). The
LAF is the only legitimate state security organization and the one
constant entity ensuring the stability and security of Lebanon. With
Hezbollah’s power threatened, it is resorting to spreading false
narratives with the intention of creating doubt in the United States.
The first false narrative is that Hezbollah has greater influence over
the state-led military than U.S. officials are willing to admit. These
allegations often point to the LAF’s failure to disarm Hezbollah and
not enforcing UN Resolution 1701 which states that all militias other
than the LAF must be disarmed. These critics are omitting the fact
that attempting to disarm Hezbollah at this time would almost
certainly lead to another civil war in Lebanon. Not only would this
endanger the Christian community in Lebanon, but Lebanon’s border to
Israel would be exposed to increased violence. Hezbollah could use the
opportunity to strike Israeli civilians with their arsenal of Iranian
rockets. The U.S. would be forced to intervene in order to oppose Iran
and protect Israel. Another civil war in Lebanon is an unacceptable
outcome for the U.S. and our allies in the region.”
Middle East
Asia
Times: Al-Qaeda Not Down And Out, Even If Hamza Dead
“Last month, news media reported the death of Hamza bin Laden, the
favorite son of the late al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden, who was
apparently willing to follow in his father’s footsteps. These reports
cited several US officials who claimed that there was evidence
confirming Hamza’s death. The New York Timesreported, citing its
sources, that the United States was involved in the operation and
Hamza died in an air strike during the first years of the current
presidential administration. And yet little is known about the
circumstances surrounding the terrorist’s death. If Hamza’s
elimination proves true, it should rather be considered as a symbolic
victory. Aged around 30, Hamza bin Laden was largely viewed as
al-Qaeda’s emerging leader and was being prepared for this role for
many years. Being young, charismatic and associated with the most
famous man in terrorism, Hamza had all chances to become al-Qaeda’s
new face. More important, as the Soufan Group’s chief executive
officer Ali Soufan put it, he could unite jihadis all over the world,
something that would be pretty timely, given the fall of Islamic
State’s self-declared caliphate. While representing a jihadist group
that is an ideological rival to ISIS, Hamza had never criticized
Islamic State.”
Egypt
Al
Monitor: Is Salafism Making Comeback In Egypt?
“Egypt’s Ministry of Religious Endowments granted on Aug. 7, for
the first time since 2014, Vice President of the Salafist Call Sheikh
Yasser Borhami a preaching permit for Friday sermons between Aug. 1
and Aug. 31 at Al-Kholafaa Al-Rashdeen Mosque in Alexandria. Borhami
has repeatedly sparked controversy in the past with the fatwas he
issues, including one barring Muslims from sending holiday greetings
to Coptic Christians, another banning people from watching soccer
games and one forbidding children from decorating their bedrooms with
Disney character posters. The Ministry of Religious Endowments issued
a law in June 2014, according to which only imams who are graduates
of Al-Azhar University are authorized to preach, and only
after passing an interview with the nationwide endowments directorates
affiliated with the ministry, which in turn issue the preaching
permits. The permit granted to Borhami includes seven instructions he
must follow: First, he must abide by the unified sermon imposed by the
Ministry of Religious Endowments, as per its July 2014 decision. Also,
Borhami must abide by the Ash’ari doctrine, a moderate Islamic school
of thought adopted by Al-Azhar. Second, his sermon must not exceed
15-20 minutes.”
Europe
The
Daily Mail: Donald Trump Presses Merkel To Accept Captured ISIS
Fighters Claiming They're Mostly From Germany, UK, France And Other
European Nations
“Donald Trump urged German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the G7 in
Biarritz, France to take back captured ISIS fighters who journeyed to
the conflict zone from Europe. He said most radicals being guarded
came to the battlefield by way of Germany, France, the UK and other
European nations 'We did a great job, and we have had very good talks.
But you know, it's not fair for the United States to have these
people. We want to give them to the areas where they came from,' he
asserted in France. He said, 'And that includes not just Germany.
France. We have a lot from France. We have a lot from the UK. We have
a lot from a lot of different countries, and for the most part, all in
Europe.' Merkel had been asked by a reporter, in English, about the
ISIS fighters Trump has been threatening to unshackle in European
countries, where they'll be free to roam. Yet it was Trump who
responded, saying, 'We're talking about that now. We have a lot from
Germany, which is a great thing. We'll work something out. I think
we're going to work something out.' The German chancellor said after
that her nation had already accepted a 'a number' of people and 'we
want to find a solution together' to the problem. She did not commit
taking back ISIS fighters with German ties who were taken into custody
in Syria.”
The
Defense Post: Austria To Repatriate Orphan Children Of Female ISIS
Adherent From Syria
“Austria is preparing to repatriate from Syria two young orphans of
a female Islamic State supporter in the first such move for Vienna, a
government spokesperson said Monday, August 26. The decision to hand
over the boys aged one and three to their grandmother in Vienna was
made after positive DNA results and a court granting her custody,
according to foreign ministry spokesperson Peter Guschelbauer. “We
have decided to bring back the two orphans, and preparations have
started … It is the first repatriation of children from this region,”
he told AFP, adding that the process could take several weeks. The
children are now in the crammed Kurdish-run al-Hol camp in
northeastern Syria. Their Austrian mother, who went to join ISIS in
2014 when she was 15 years old, is believed to have died. Guschelbauer
said at least three other children could be repatriated later. Last
week, authorities in northeastern Syria handed over to Germany four
children from ISIS families, all of them under 10 years old.
Another dozen children of alleged jihadist fighters have been
repatriated from Iraq to Germany since March. France and Belgium have
also brought a handful of orphans home, while the United States last
year repatriated a woman, Samantha Elhassani, with her four children.
Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kosovo have repatriated dozens of women and
children.”
China
Slate:
China’s Global War On Terrorism
“Chinese President Xi Jinping listed terrorism—alongside extremism
and separatism— as one of ”three evils” his country is combating in a
June 2017 speech delivered to a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization in Astana, Kazakhstan. In discussing this evil, China
often uses language that seems lifted directly out of U.S.-style war
on terror rhetoric. But no one should be fooled. Beijing’s sole
strategy for counterterrorism is widespread surveillance and
repression, completely out of proportion to the level of threat it
faces. It is using the threat of terrorism to mute international
criticism of these practices—and to export them abroad. It’s Beijing’s
handling of Xinjiang province that shows what a Chinese
counterterrorism strategy really looks like. Over the past decade,
groups advocating separatism for Xinjiang’s Muslim Uighur
minority—including the Turkistan Islamic Party and before it, the East
Turkistan Islamic Movement—have been linked to numerous low-level
attacks using knives and vehicles as weapons. China responded by
putting between 1 million and 3 million Uighurs in concentration
camps, which government spokespeople refer to as “vocational training
centers” that “purge ideological diseases.”
Southeast Asia
Al
Jazeera: Sri Lanka Urged To Tackle 'Hate Propaganda' Against
Muslims
“A United Nations human rights expert has called on Sri Lanka to
take urgent action on “hate propaganda targeting Muslim communities”
following a spate of deadly attacks on churches and hotels on Easter
Sunday. Ahmed Shaheed, the UN special rapporteur on freedom of
religion or belief, issued the call on Monday at the end of a 12-day
mission to the Buddhist-majority country in the Indian Ocean. He said
there was a “serious deficit of trust among ethnoreligious
communities” in the wake of the ISIL-claimed attacks in April. More
than 250 people were killed in the bombings, the deadliest since the
end of a 26-year-civil war against Tamil separatist fighters in 2009.
“While the government promptly brought the situation more or less
under control after the bomb blasts, many religious communities remain
very concerned about their security because of incitement to hatred
and violence by some religious extremists,” Shaheed said in
a statement. The suicide assaults led to anti-Muslim riots in May,
which were partly blamed on Buddhist groups. There was also a spike
in reports of hate speech, with a senior Buddhist monk saying in June
Muslims should be stoned in one case.”
Technology
The
Wall Street Journal: Google Warns Against Blocking ‘Cookies’ Entirely,
Triggering Criticism
“After promising to offer tools to let users limit “cookies,” tiny
files that help internet and advertising companies track users,
Alphabet Inc. ’s Google suggested it won’t go any further, saying in a
blog post that blocking cookies entirely could be counterproductive
for user privacy. The post from late last week has drawn criticism in
recent days from some privacy advocates who say Google’s Chrome
internet browser should catch up to the stricter practices of rivals
Firefox and Safari. Ad tech companies and some digital publishers are
wary of a major crackdown on cookies, saying it would hurt their
businesses. In its post, Google said blocking cookies will encourage
the rise of other, more nefarious methods of tracking internet users.
These include so-called “fingerprinting” through which sites collect
various signals about users, such as the fonts on their screens or the
devices they use, to keep track of unique individuals as they browse
the internet. Google said it was exploring new privacy technologies to
enable personalized ads without compromising privacy, in a framework
it called the “privacy sandbox.”
|
