The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations has called Iran “the world’s No. 1
sponsor of terrorism,” a day after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said th

 

 


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Eye on Extremism


August 7, 2020

 

Radio Free Europe: Iran Is No. 1 Sponsor Of Terrorism, U.S. Says Ahead Of UN
Arms-Embargo Talks
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“The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations has called Iran “the world’s No. 1
sponsor of terrorism,” a day after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the
United States plans to hold a UN Security Council vote next week to extend an
arms embargo against Iran. Ambassador Kelly Craft also warned Russia and China
that they will become “co-sponsors of the No. 1 state that sponsors terrorism”
if they use their veto to block the resolution to extend the embargo. The
United States hopes Russia and China “will see the importance of peace in the
Middle East,” Craft said. But she added that the partnership between Russia and
China was clear: “They're just going to be promoting chaos, conflict, and
mayhem outside their borders, so we have to just corner them.” Craft and Brian
Hook, the top U.S. envoy for Iran, briefed a group of reporters following
Pompeo's announcement on August 5 that the United States will call for a
Security Council vote next week on a U.S.-drafted resolution to extend the arms
embargo that is due to expire in October. Hook announced hours after the
briefing that he was stepping down.”

 

The Australian: Islamic State Video Urges New Recruits To Light Bushfires In
Australia
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“Prime Minister Scott Morrison has confirmed a “sick” video has been released
by Islamic State encouraging new recruits to set fire to bushland in Australia.
Today, Mr Morrison said there was a “new recruitment video this morning telling
followers to deliberately light bushfires in places like Australia” when asked
by 2GB’s Ben Fordham. He said as Australia was gripped by the coronavirus
crisis, there were still “plenty of creeps out there who would want to hurt
us”. “It’s right Ben, it’s a reminder that while there is the great threat of
the pandemic at the moment, the other threats haven’t gone anywhere,” Mr
Morrison said. “And we need to remain vigilant about that.” Australia’s horror
black summer saw hundreds of fires across the country, with 11 million hectares
of land burned. The land area scorched by the bushfires was larger than Ireland
or South Korea. The bushfires destroyed almost 6000 buildings, killed 34 people
and wiped out an estimated 1 billion animals. Mr Morrison didn’t directly
comment on the nature of the IS video – but said the government remains “very
vigilant” against online threats. “Yesterday with Peter Dutton, we launched the
cyber security strategy. That‘s keeping families safe from the dark web and the
paedophiles and other creeps that go around trying to get into our kids’ lives
through the internet.”

 

United States

 

NBC News: AG Barr Promises To Rule Out Death Penalty For ISIS 'Beatles',
Victims' Families Say
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“Attorney General William Barr has promised to formally rule out the death
penalty for two notorious ISIS detainees to ensure that the British government
can provide evidence against them, relatives of the victims told NBC News after
speaking with Barr by phone Thursday. Barr’s decision breaks an impasse with
the British government and appears to clear the way for the two former UK
residents – who were part of a group in Syria known as “the Beatles”– to be
transferred from U.S. military custody in Iraq to the criminal justice system
for trial in the United States. “We just had a very promising call with the
attorney general. He’s going to get the death penalty off the table in the
coming days,” said Diane Foley, whose son, journalist James Foley, was beheaded
in 2014 by one Beatles member. Foley and the parents of Steven Sotloff, another
U.S. journalist beheaded by ISIS in 2014, said Barr told them he intends to
notify British Home Secretary Priti Patel in the coming days, having already
spoken to her about his intentions. The attorney general was very gracious and
now that the families are unanimous, he’s willing to move forward,” Foley said.
“He’s going to make the request for evidence from the UK Home Secretary. He
wants to use the evidence as soon as possible.”

 

Associated Press: Court Date Reset For 3 In Vegas ‘Boogaloo’ Terror Plot Case
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“Arraignment was postponed Thursday in Nevada state court for three men
accused of plotting to firebomb a Las Vegas racial injustice protest in May to
spark violence and advance views of an extremist anti-government “boogaloo”
group. Stephen Parshall, Andrew Lynam and William Loomis were not brought in
custody to Las Vegas from a private detention facility in rural Pahrump, where
they’re being held on separate but similar federal charges. Prosecutor Michael
Dickerson told Judge Valerie Adair that authorities have been unable to arrange
video appearances for the men from the CoreCivic Southern Nevada Detention
Center. The judge reset to Aug. 27 the Clark County District Court hearing for
what defense attorneys say will be not-guilty pleas to four felony charges.
Adair then would schedule trial. The men already are scheduled for trial Nov.
31 in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas on federal conspiracy and firearm
charges. They were arrested together May 30 by police and the FBI while
allegedly preparing gasoline-rag-and-glass-bottle firebombs on the way to a Las
Vegas protest following the death of George Floyd in police custody in
Minneapolis. Boogaloo refers to a loosely organized internet-rooted network of
gun enthusiasts who generally express support for overthrowing the U.S.
government.”

 

Afghanistan

 

Radio Free Europe: Afghan Civilians, Taliban Militants Killed In Attacks
Across Afghanistan
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“Taliban militants and Afghan civilians have been killed in attacks and
clashes across Afghanistan amid peace efforts aimed at ending the nearly
19-year war. Defense Ministry spokesman Fawad Aman said at least 16 Taliban
militants were killed in two separate clashes with government forces in the
eastern province of Ghazni on August 6. It was the first direct fighting
between the Taliban and government security forces since a recent cease-fire
was announced. Aman did not comment on casualties suffered by government
forces. In one attack near the provincial capital, Ghazni city, Afghan forces
called in an air strike on Taliban fighters who stormed a military facility
where about 300 government troops were based Aman said Taliban fighters also
attacked a military convoy in the Gilan district of Ghazni Province late on
August 5. Officials said seven civilians were killed when their vehicle struck
a land mine in the Khash Rod district of the western province of Nimroz late on
August 5. There was no immediate claim of responsibly for the land mine,
although similar cases in the past have been blamed on the Taliban. Meanwhile,
officials said clashes erupted between Taliban fighters and government forces
along a highway in the northern province of Baghlan, leaving four militants
dead.”

 

Agence France-Presse: Afghan Gathering To Decide Fate Of 400 Taliban Prisoners
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“Thousands of prominent Afghans will gather in Kabul Friday to decide whether
to release about 400 Taliban prisoners, including many involved in brutal
attacks that killed scores of Afghans and foreigners. US Secretary of State
Mike Pompeo urged attendees to free the detainees, promising help if the
war-torn nation moves forward on peace efforts. “We acknowledge that the
release of these prisoners is unpopular,” Pompeo said in a statement. “But this
difficult action will lead to an important result long sought by Afghans and
Afghanistan's friends: reduction of violence and direct talks resulting in a
peace agreement and an end to the war.” The prisoners' fate is a crucial issue
in determining when peace talks between the Taliban and the Kabul government
might begin, as the two foes had committed to completing a prisoner exchange
ahead of talks. While Kabul has released almost 5,000 Taliban inmates,
authorities have balked at freeing a final 400 or so demanded by the Taliban.
According to an official list of the Taliban prisoners seen by AFP, many of the
inmates are accused of serious offences, with more than 150 of them on death
row. The list also includes a group of 44 insurgents of particular concern to
the United Sates and other countries for their role in “high-profile” attacks.”

 

Pakistan

 

Voice Of America: Pakistan: Militants Target Outposts From Across Afghan Border

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“Pakistan said Thursday that suspected militants operating out of Afghanistan
have attacked several border outposts, killing a paramilitary soldier and
“critically” injuring two others. A Pakistani foreign ministry statement
accused Afghan border security forces of facilitating the assailants. “Pakistan
strongly condemns this unprovoked, aggressive action by Afghan forces and the
evident support provided to the terrorists,” said the statement. It warned that
such actions are “detrimental to coordination and cooperation between the two
countries. The Afghan foreign ministry rejected the charges and said that being
a victim of terrorism, Afghanistan would not allow any terrorist group to use
its territory against Pakistan or other countries. It said that border military
officials from both sides held an emergency meeting Thursday at the request of
Islamabad to discuss the situation. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an
outlawed anti-state extremist outfit waging attacks against Pakistani security
forces and civilians, took responsibility for Wednesday's attack. In a
statement circulated via TTP social media, the militant group commonly known as
the Pakistani Taliban said its fighters used rockets, mortars and other assault
weapons to target eight Pakistani border posts.”

 

Lebanon

 

The Jerusalem Post: How Will Hezbollah React To This Week’s Massive Blast In
Beirut?
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“A wedding photographer was flying a drone in Beirut on Tuesday. As the drone
maneuvered over the head of the bride and then circled next to her dress, a
massive explosion kilometers away caused a burst of air that sent dust gusting
into the frame and caused the bride to run for cover. The camera crew and the
bride were the lucky ones. Across Beirut at least 137 were killed, thousands
were injured, and the city was laid waste. Prime Minister Hassan Diab declared
three days of mourning from Thursday as early investigations blamed negligence
for the explosion at Beirut port. Up to a quarter of a million people were left
without homes fit to live in, officials said, after shock waves smashed
building facades, sucked furniture out into streets and shattered windows miles
inland. The death toll was expected to rise from the blast, which officials
blamed on a huge stockpile of highly explosive material stored for years in
unsafe conditions at the port. The explosion was the most powerful ever in
Beirut, a city still scarred by a civil war that ended three decades ago and
reeling from an economic meltdown and a surge in coronavirus infections.”

 

National Review: Help Lebanon: Remove Hezbollah’s Stranglehold — And Its
Dangerous Missile Stockpiles
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“If Hezbollah does capitalize on this disaster, it will only accelerate
Lebanon’s economic collapse, and hold the country hostage in a future war with
Israel. Beirut has been ravaged by a massive explosion, likely caused by
careless handling of ammonium nitrate stored in a warehouse at its port. As the
city is still picking through the debris and thousands search for loved ones,
countries such as Turkey, Iran, Qatar, France, and Israel are rushing to
provide support. Yet looming over Beirut even now is the presence of the
terrorist group Hezbollah with its network of 150,000 missiles, many stored in
civilian areas throughout the country. While Hezbollah has not been blamed for
the August 4 warehouse fire that led to the massive explosion, it is alleged to
have imported and stored similar stockpiles of dangerous munitions and
chemicals, such as ammonium nitrate, used in explosives. Hezbollah also helped
create the corrupt and negligent political system whose lack of accountability
enabled the careless storage of these deadly chemicals for years. For instance,
a new report by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies asserts that
Hezbollah siphons off billions from around the world into a kind of black
market.”

 

Lead Stories: Fact Check: 'Crude Fake' Video Does NOT Show A Missile Incoming
Before Beirut Explosion
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“Does a missile show up on Beirut explosion footage that is converted to
negative film? No, that's not true. Video that has gone viral that is claiming
to show a missile hitting the area where the huge blast hit in the capital of
Lebanon is a "crude fake," Hany Farid, professor at the University of
California, Berkeley, who focuses on digital forensics, told Lead Stories. The
claim appeared as a post (archived here) where it was published on Facebook on
August 6, 2020. It opened: I told you there was a missile. Look at the footage
in negative film.. That's warfare not a accident... This is what the post
looked like on Facebook at the time of writing: The video from the August 4,
2020, blast in Beirut has been converted to "negative film," which shows
reverse colors, with smoke billowing out of the area. There appears to be a
bright line that goes directly into the smoke and then the explosion happens.
However, Farid explained to Lead Stories how the video was doctored: If you
watch the video frame by frame, you will notice a few things that clearly
illustrate it to be a crude fake. At about the 00:08 second mark, the missile
vanishes from view, well before the explosion. There is no motion blur on the
missile as would be expected given the speed at which it would have been
traveling.”

 

Nigeria

 

Premium Times: Military Speaks On Alleged Al-Qaeda, ISIS Inroad In Nigeria
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“The Defence Headquarters has allayed fears of Nigerians over alleged plans by
Al-Qaeda and ISIS to make an inroad into Southern Nigeria and penetrate the
north-western part of the country. The Coordinator, Defence Media Operations,
John Enenche, a major general, while answering questions from journalists at
the updates briefing on military operations across the country on Thursday in
Abuja, said there was nothing to fear about the claim.The U.S. had said
Al-Qaeda and ISIS were looking to make an inroad into Southern Nigeria and that
Al-Qaeda had started penetrating the north-western part of the country. The
Commander of the U.S. special operations command, Africa, Dagvin Anderson, made
the claim in a digital briefing on Wednesday. Mr Enenche, however, said the
claim was nothing but just an alarm and that Nigeria security agencies were
equal to the task, urging the public not to be afraid of such a claim. The
coordinator, who described the statement as a wakeup call or form of advice,
said the security agencies were on top of the situation. “On the issue that
terrorists from other zones are coming to the country, I think it will be good
for us to be keeping records as events are unfolding, for me this is not the
first time they are raising such an alarm.”

 

Daily Post Nigeria: Boko Haram: Fresh Action To End Terrorism, Banditry
Revealed
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“A group, under the aegis of Initiative for One Nigeria (ION), has vowed to
hold massive campaigns against the activities of Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists in
the country. The group said there is need for active participation by all and
sundry in the war against insurgency, stressing that the fight shouldn’t be
left alone for the Federal Government and military. According to ION, from its
findings, there has been neglect from politicians, community heads as well as
relevant stakeholders in charting a solution to the insurgency. Speaking at a
press conference on Thursday in Abuja, Secretary-General, Comrade Ohene Dominic
Ejembi, reassured by closing all gaps and working together with the military,
the country will experience a rebirth in the coming days. Read the full
statement below: The Initiative for One Nigeria, an organization dedicated to
the peace and progress in Nigeria welcomes you all to this important press
conference convoked in the light of the fact that there has been an erroneous
mentality that the war against insurgency is the preserve of the Federal
Government /Military alone. While it is understandable that this line of
thought has been entrenched in the system for so long, however, it is not too
late to change the mentality to that of collective endeavour rather than a job
for the Federal Government/Military alone.”

 

Africa

 

Vice: Child Gold Miners In Africa Have To Deal With Floods, Collapse, And Now,
Al Qaeda
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“Over an hour’s drive through the bush from the nearest dirt road, a lunar
landscape of deep mine shafts lies between two hills. Shot through the middle
is a strip of tents and shacks selling coffee, candy, and cigarettes.
Rock-breaking machines drone and from the plumes of dirt they throw out, young
men and boys emerge like ghosts, head to toe in dust. Trapped in poverty
cycles, hundreds, possibly thousands, of children are stuck working in gold
mines in Burkina Faso, regarded as the War on Terror’s newest front line. At
the mine VICE News visited, children already lived and worked in extreme
conditions. Now they are afraid terrorists will come to their mine and kill
them. Less than eight miles away, suspected Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin
(JNIM) militants, al Qaeda’s local subsidiary, kill civilians, burn and loot
shops, and kidnap young couples. Sitting on a mound of earth dug with shovels
and pickaxes from the shaft next to it, Oumarou Ouedraogo, 14, says, “I’ve
heard about terrorists killing people around Kaya, at a gold mine like this
one… I’ve seen them on TV. They were dressed in black and had their faces
covered. Most of us here are afraid of them.” Burkina Faso, where Ouedraogo
lives and works, is a country in West Africa’s semi-arid Sahel.”

 

United Kingdom

 

The National: ISIS Terrorist Fails In Test Case To Overturn UK's New Terror
Laws
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“An ISIS terrorist has lost his test case in which he challenged a new UK
terrorism law banning the early release of jailed extremists. The UK changed
its law allowing prisoners to be released halfway through their sentences
following two attacks by terrorists soon after their release from jail.
Mohammed Zahir Khan would have been eligible for automatic release in March
prior to the law change. He had been jailed for spreading ISIS propaganda
online including a video encouraging a terror attack and had endorsed acts of
terrorism, such as murder and martyrdom. The former shopkeeper pleaded guilty
in 2018 to five counts of encouraging terrorism, one count of dissemination of
a terrorist publication and two counts of stirring up religious hatred. He was
jailed for four years and six months. Khan tried to appeal against the UK
government's new law on the grounds it was discriminatory and unjust because of
the changed nature of the sentence he had been given in court. But two judges
at the High Court in London threw out his claim, saying the government's law
change was “logical and rational” given the threat to public safety. “In our
judgment, it is impossible sensibly to regard a terrorist offender as in an
analogous position to an ordinary offender,” Mr Justice Garnham said.”



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