French-Israeli member of the French National Assembly, Meyer Habib,
categorically stated that France "must" designate Hezbollah a terrorist
organizati

 

 


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Eye on Extremism


August 11, 2020

 

The Jerusalem Post: French MP Demands France Designate Hezbollah Terror
Organization
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“French-Israeli member of the French National Assembly, Meyer Habib,
categorically stated that France "must" designate Hezbollah a terrorist
organization, via his social media channels on Monday. The call comes on the
backdrop of the explosion that detonated more than 2,500 tonnes of ammonium
nitrate, devastating Beirut and triggering public outrage - resulting in the
deaths of at least 163 people, the injuries of more than 6,000 and the
destruction of swathes of the Mediterranean capital. Habib penned the letter to
French President Emmanuel Macron a year ago, requesting that the French leader
denounces the organization and designates the movement as a terrorist entity.
Following the public outcry and outrage from the Lebanese people - who Habib
adds, "say it loud and clear," that the disaster was a direct result of the
heavily armed Iran-backed Shi'ite Hezbollah movement's grip over the country -
Habib decided to revamp his position and resend the letter. "My letter recalls
the facts, all the facts, including that Hezbollah has a lot of French blood on
its hands and that our country was even one of the first victims," Habib said
on Facebook. He said that with regard to the letter, Macron gave him a
courteous but evasive answer, "dodging the heart of the subject."

 

Sahara Reporters: Boko Haram Recruiting More Members Despite Rehabilitation By
Nigerian Government, North-East Governors Tell Buhari
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“Despite the reintegration of ex-Boko Haram terrorists into the society,
governors of North-Eastern states in Nigeria have told President Muhammadu
Buhari that the group was recruiting more members in the region. The Nigerian
Government had in March 2016 launched Operation Safe Corridor programme to
encourage Boko Haram terrorists to surrender. The programme is based on
Deradicalisation, Rehabilitation and Re-Integration of former members of the
Islamic sect that has terrorised the North-East region for over 10 years. A
total of 881 'repentant' former terrorists have been released since the
programme was launched four years ago, with 601 released in July, 2020. But the
governors in a meeting with President Buhari alongside heads of security
agencies on Monday recommended that the police should be empowered with
adequate equipment to bridge the existing gap in manpower. Governors Babagana
Zulum of Borno State, who addressed journalists after the meeting, said the
governors highlighted the key security challenges in the region. He said, “The
government of the region has commended the efforts of the Federal Government in
securing the region. “However, we told the President that there is a need for
the Federal Government to address the causes of insurgency, which are not
limited to endemic poverty, hunger among others.”

 

Associated Press: Brooklyn Man Pleads Guilty In Subways-Related Terror Case
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“A Brooklyn man charged with trying to help the Islamic State group by
encouraging attacks on New York’s subway system pleaded guilty Monday in
Manhattan federal court. Zachary Clark, 41, pleaded guilty to attempting to
provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq. He faces up to 20 years
in prison when he is sentenced on Feb. 9. Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss
said in a release that Clark admitted pledging allegiance to the terrorist
group. Authorities said in court papers that he posted calls for attacks on the
public and institutions in New York in encrypted pro-Islamic State group chat
rooms. They said he posted maps and images of the New York City subway system
and encouraged Islamic State supporters to attack it. According to a criminal
complaint, Clark since at least March 2019 had spread propaganda and other
information, urging suicide bombings and “lone-wolf” attacks in the United
States and elsewhere. Authorities said the investigation relied on FBI
employees working online in an undercover capacity, law enforcement members
posing as representatives of the Islamic State group and two informants who
were paid by the FBI and posed as group members.”

 

United States

 

Al Monitor: Islamic State's ‘Beatles’ Could Finally Face Justice For Alleged
Role In Beheading Americans
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“Six years ago this month, the Islamic State (IS) published its first video in
what would become the prevailing image of the war: a jumpsuit-clad hostage
kneeling before a knife-wielding executioner. For the parents of slain
Americans James Foley, Steven Sotloff, Peter Kassig and Kayla Mueller, justice
has remained elusive. But two of the families told Al-Monitor they were given
fresh hope after a phone call with Attorney General William Barr on Aug. 6.
Barr told them federal prosecutors will take the death penalty off the table as
a potential sentence for two men alleged to have tortured and killed foreign
hostages. News of the call was first reported by NBC News. This decision would
make it possible for the United Kingdom, the suspects’ home country, to share
evidence that could be key to putting El Shafee Elsheikh and Alexanda Kotey
behind bars in the United States. If the British government doesn't provide its
evidence within six weeks, Barr told the families that Kotey and Elsheikh may
be prosecuted in Iraq where they are currently detained. “At this point, the
ball’s in their court,” said Carl Mueller, whose daughter Kayla was imprisoned
by the group and raped by then-IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.”

 

Syria

 

Al Monitor: First COVID-19 Case Among Residents Reported In Syrian IS Camp
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“A resident of al-Hol camp for Islamic State (IS) families in Syria has
COVID-19. This is the first confirmed case of the coronavirus in the infamous
camp, and the news follows the infections of three health workers there. There
are concerns from humanitarian organizations that the virus could spread
rapidly in the overcrowded dwelling. The first case in al-Hol was confirmed on
Monday, according to Save the Children, one of the international humanitarian
organizations that operate in the camp. The organization’s Syria head Sonia
Khush said that poor living conditions in the camp will make it difficult to
contain the virus. “An outbreak of COVID-19 in al-Hol camp is going to be
challenging to control considering how overcrowded the camp is and how little
access families have to water, personal hygiene items, tests and protective
equipment,” Khush said in a press release. “Sadly, there will be more cases.”
Al-Hol camp is home to more than 65,000 mostly women and children with varying
degrees of allegiance to IS. Most residents are from Iraq and Syria, but there
are also people from Europe, Asia and elsewhere. Families live in a
conglomeration of tents that are close together in a desert area near the Iraqi
border.”

 

Iraq

 

Daily Sabah: Anti-Terror Operations Continue Successfully In Northern Iraq,
Defense Minister Akar Says
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“Eighty-three PKK terrorists have been killed and a large number of weapons
and ammunition seized as part of Turkey's cross-border anti-terror operations
Claw-Tiger and Claw-Eagle, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said Sunday. Akar
inspected troops at the border in Turkey's southeastern Şırnak province with
Chief of General Staff Gen. Yaşar Güler and Land Forces Commander Gen. Ümit
Dündar. Akar said the Claw-Eagle and Claw-Tiger operations, which started June
16, have been successfully continuing for the last 48 days. “In the operations
carried out by Turkish forces, 83 terrorists have been neutralized so far. A
total of 359 mines/handmade explosives and 267 shelters were detected,” he
said. “A large number of weapons were seized in these shelters and caves,
including 13 AT-4 anti-tank missiles, two guided missiles, 15 DShK
(anti-aircraft weapons), 88 AK-47 infantry rifles, and 299 hand grenades,” Akar
added. Akar also said an operation against the PKK positions in northern Iraq's
Haftanin region was successfully carried out Saturday, adding that some top
terrorists were killed during the operation. “Our fight against terrorism will
resolutely continue until the last terrorist is neutralized,” he noted.”

 

Afghanistan

 

The Washington Post: As Afghanistan Struggles To Start Peace Talks, Violence
Fills The Void
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“In one of the most heavily contested provinces in Afghanistan, the
government's control ends just two miles from the governor's residence. Beyond
that point, Taliban influence reigns. The balance of power in Wardak province
held relatively steady for years. But since the signing of a U.S.-Taliban peace
deal in February, Taliban influence has grown here and in other key parts of
the country. An uptick in violence, aimed at giving the militant group leverage
in upcoming talks with the Afghan government, has caused hundreds of civilian
and combatant casualties and is undermining local government officials. “It’s
created a great distance between us and the people,” said Esmatullah Azim, a
local politician in the province. He said fewer civilians are approaching him
for help with compensation or for an explanation of the violence. Instead,
they’re turning to the Taliban. “The people blame the government for the delay
in peace talks. They are hungry for peace and want it any way and anyhow.
Instead, day by day, the Taliban are getting stronger.” Under the U.S.-Taliban
agreement, the Afghan-Taliban peace talks were slated to begin in March.”

 

The Diplomat: The Taliban Say They Have No Foreign Fighters. Is That True?
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“In a historic agreement signed with the United States earlier this year, the
Taliban made certain counterterrorism guarantees in return for a withdrawal of
U.S. troops from Afghanistan. However, the fact that officially the Taliban
continue to outright deny credible and detailed reports on the presence of
foreign fighters in Afghanistan — even reports that The Diplomat has
exclusively obtained from Taliban fighters on the ground — raises questions
about their commitment to these counterterrorism pledges. On February 29, after
more than 19 years of being at war, the United States and the Taliban signed
the “Agreement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan” in Doha, Qatar. At its core,
the agreement foresees that the United States will withdraw its troops from
Afghanistan in return for counterterrorism guarantees provided by the Taliban.
The key guarantees pledged by the Taliban are that the group will: “not allow
any of its members, other individuals or groups, including al-Qa’ida, to use
the soil of Afghanistan to threaten the security of the United States and its
allies.”

 

Pakistan

 

Radio Free Europe: Bomb Kills Five In Troubled Pakistani Border Town
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“A bomb targeting a vehicle from Pakistan's Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF)
exploded in a busy market in southwestern Pakistan near the Afghan border on
August 10, killing at least five people and wounding 10 others, police and
hospital officials said. Responsibility for the attack in the troubled border
town of Chaman was claimed by Jamaat ul-Ahrar (JuA), a splinter group of the
Pakistani Taliban, in a message circulated to journalists in Pakistan.
Authorities say the bomb had been attached to a motorcycle and detonated by
remote control. Zakaullah Durrani, the deputy chief of the Chaman city police,
told RFE/RL that all those killed by the explosion were civilians. Durrani said
two members of the ANF also were wounded in the blast and that a total of seven
wounded victims had been hospitalized in critical condition. Security forces
and police cordoned off the area. Residents said several shops and vehicles
were damaged. Prime Minister Imran Khan condemned the attack. The incident
follows violence by Pakistani troops who opened fire at a rally in Chaman
organized by minority Pashtun workers who were demanding the reopening of the
nearby border crossing into Afghanistan. The security forces killed at least
three people and wounded 13 in that confrontation.”

 

Lebanon

 

Al Jazeera: Hezbollah And The People Will Have To Negotiate A New Lebanon
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“The Beirut port explosion is likely to go down in history as a turning point
in Lebanon's political configuration. The blast, which killed more than 200
people, injured more than 6,000 and destroyed large parts of the city, has
revitalised the Lebanese protest movement which had been trying to remove the
entire political class since October 2019. Last year, when the economy finally
collapsed under unbearable debt and mismanagement, many Lebanese people
realised they had become pauperised, dispossessed and marginalised in their own
country, forced to survive on their own, with few basic services from the
government and little hope for the future. The tens of thousands of citizens in
the streets since August 7 have demonstrated new heights of distrust and anger
at their government, whose incompetence and disregard for the people's
wellbeing had allowed the port explosion to happen. The mock hangman's nooses
set up during the protests clearly express the citizens' sheer disgust with the
political elite who have long ruled them and have driven them and the entire
economy into bankruptcy and debt.”

 

Washington Examiner: Lebanon's Political Explosion May Be The End Of Hezbollah
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“Everyone from Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah to President Trump seems to
agree that storing 2,700 tons of ammonium nitrate in the middle of a civilian
city was a really bad idea. The explosion of that material last week and the
horrific damage and hundreds of deaths caused by the explosion leave no room
for doubt on that score. Hezbollah has used ammonium nitrate for terrorist
attacks around the world and has been caught storing it several times in
Western Europe. But whether Hezbollah was responsible for the Beirut disaster
is still a matter of debate for some. Yet as the most powerful political force
in the country at the moment of the disaster, it’s hard to believe that the
organization does not bear blame. It makes little difference whether
Hezbollah’s was a sin of commission (because it actually put the stuff there
and kept it there) or of omission (because, as the entity in de facto control
of the country, it failed to take the necessary steps to protect the Beirut
population). Wherever you come out on that question, there’s no way to avoid
the fact that Hezbollah is directly responsible for exactly the same horrific
choice, which it has made throughout the once prosperous, now failed country of
Lebanon: placing 150,000 missiles, and the launchers needed to fire them, in
houses, schools, mosques, and other storage facilities in the middle of
Lebanese towns and villages.”

 

Libya

 

The National: Victims Of Libyan-Backed Terrorism Face New Compensation Battle
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“British victims of Irish republican terrorism are preparing legal action to
force the government to share a report examining the compensation claims of
those injured and bereaved in attacks using explosives supplied by the regime
of Muammar Qaddafi. William Shawcross, a writer and former charity regulator,
delivered his report in March which examined how best to secure compensation
from Libya for victims of 1970s and 80s terrorism but the government has not
committed to publishing his findings. Families of victims responded angrily on
Monday as they had believed that the report would be made public and would
bolster their campaign to persuade the UK to take a more active role in
pursuing their cases. Mr Shawcross’s task was to inform government thinking on
the subject and advise on the level of compensation that should be sought.
Belfast lawyer Kevin Winters, who is taking legal action on behalf of families
of victims, told The National that he was working on a multi-pronged effort to
see the report first ordered by former Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt. “There
was an expectation on behalf of victims that would get access to the report, if
not the whole of it,” he said. “We accept there may be sensitive issues in
relation to intelligence that may be subject to redaction and we accept that.”

 

Nigeria

 

The Conversation: Nigeria: Why Terrorism Continues In Nigeria And How To Turn
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“For ten years, the Nigerian authorities have engaged the terror group Boko
Haram in the northeast without making much headway. After what appeared to be
some success in 2015 and 2016, there was a resurgence of Boko Haram violence in
2017. This worsened with the emergence of Islamic State in West Africa and, in
more recent times, banditry and kidnap gangs all over the northern Nigeria
region. Having studied this crisis over the years as a political scientist, my
view is that it is rooted in ethnic, religious and partisan politics and
corruption. National security springs from mutual respect, peaceful
co-existence and equality of social groups. But as argued in a paper I
co-authored, the affiliation of Nigerian leaders to identity groups poses a
challenge to national security. We conclude that the government must show the
will to fight the terrorists and eschew nepotism and ethnic or religious
sentiments in the war. It must also deal decisively with corruption.
Additionally, we underscore that neither Boko Haram or Islamic State in West
Africa is Nigerian or Muslim. No responsible or patriotic leader should see it
as such. Nigeria should be unified in the struggle and united against
terrorism.”

 

Somalia

 

Voice Of America: Seven Killed As Al-Shabab Inmates Fire At Somali Prison
Guards
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“Somali security forces have shot dead four armed inmates after a fierce gun
battle in Mogadishu’s central prison, security officials told VOA Somali. Three
prison guards were also killed in Monday’s incident, officials confirmed. The
inmates, all members of Islamist militant group al-Shabab, had obtained three
pistols and six hand grenades smuggled into the prison, a senior security
official told VOA. The inmates attacked guards, sparking the confrontation. Two
other inmates suspected of involvement were wounded and apprehended, according
to officials. One inmate is believed to have escaped the facility. Officials
said they believe the escapee killed the driver of a rickshaw and another
civilian outside the prison. The gunfire started in the section where inmates
serving a life sentence are held, according to the official. The security
official said it is believed the weapons were hidden in food and other items
smuggled into the prison when inmates receive visits twice a week. An inmate
held in a different part of the prison who was interviewed by a local radio
said the shooting started during change of shift by the guards.”

 

Africa

 

The Guardian: France Launches Anti-Terror Inquiry Into Attack On Aid Workers
In Niger
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“France’s anti-terrorism prosecutor has opened an investigation into the
killing of six French aid workers at a wildlife reserve in Niger, as Emmanuel
Macron condemned what he called a “cowardly” attack. A local driver working
with the French humanitarian group ACTED and a guide were also killed in the
attack, which took place on Sunday morning in a reserve known as the Giraffe
Zone, home to the last remaining population of west African giraffes, in the
south-western region of Kouré. Attackers on motorbikes ambushed the group as it
drove through the reserve, which is in an area considered safe by Niger’s
government. Images broadcast on France’s TF1 television channel showed the
torched remains of a 4x4 vehicle sprayed with bullet holes. Jihadist groups
have not claimed responsibility for the killing but are widely suspected, in a
country that has been beset by a jihadist insurgency. In the clearest sign yet
that France believes a militant group was involved, the office of France’s
anti-terrorism prosecutor said it was launching an investigation on suspicion
of the involvement of a terrorist group. In a statement posted on Twitter, the
French president said: “Several of our compatriots and Nigeriens were cowardly
murdered yesterday in Niger in a deadly attack. I share the pain of their
families and loved ones. Some were hired for the most altruistic of missions:
to help people.”

 

United Kingdom

 

The National: Alleged ISIS Member Living Off Benefits In The UK
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“A British-German woman who is accused of marrying an ISIS fighter in Syria is
now living in a canal boat in the UK and claiming government benefits, she
says. Natalie Bracht, 45, who is a mother to nine children, rejected reports
that she headed up an all-female ISIS brigade in Syria and was the second wife
of Celso Rodrigues Da Costa, a Portuguese convert who travelled to Syria to
fight for ISIS. She was living in Germany when Covid-19 reached Europe but she
arrived in the UK on April 3. Upon landing she was questioned under the UK
terrorism act and denied having been in Syria. Ms Bracht said she was asked
about Brexit, elections and vaccines but also where she had stayed in Syria.
“It has affected my family. I’ve been treated like a terror suspect. It looks
like I have to have a new identity and the stories must be put straight,” she
told The Sunday People. “It’s not for me. I can live with this. I have accepted
I am a full-time terror suspect without conviction. It either breaks you or
makes you stronger. In my case it has made me stronger,” Ms Bracht added. The
newspaper said that Ms Bracht claimed to have volunteered as a translator in
2012 for the controversial advocacy group Cage, which says it supports victims
of the war on terror.”

 

Technology

 

The Advertiser: Facebook Hackers Use ISIS Propaganda To Target ABC Host Julia
Baird
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“Hackers are hijacking people’s social media accounts, using them to post
terrorist propaganda and stopping the account owners from getting them back in
a new tactic affecting ordinary Australians and prominent public figures. One
lawyer says Facebook is not doing enough to combat the new technique, saying
the social giant giants fails to meet requirements of its own contract with
users. “It’s not doing what it says it will do, it’s not combating harmful
conduct and protecting and supporting our community, it’s effectively shutting
out someone that’s been hacked,” Sydney law firm Dowson Turco partner Nicholas
Stewart told news.com.au. “If Facebook wants to be consistent with what it puts
out there as its Terms of Service, you would think that it would respond to a
person’s request for help. Over the weekend, ABC host and Nine newspaper
columnist Julia Baird had her Facebook account compromised, which the hackers
then edited to feature the flag of the Islamic State terrorist group as its
profile picture and background. This is apparently not the first time this has
happened. Melbourne pilot Jake Barden told Nine News last month the same thing
had happened to him.”

 

Law360: Google Asks 11th Circ. To Uphold Win In Pulse Shooting Suit
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“Google, the parent company of YouTube, asked the court to uphold a Florida
federal judge's decision to dismiss a suit brought by Angel Colon and 61 other
plaintiffs alleging the tech giants aided and abetted an international
terrorist act and provided material support to ISIS by knowingly allowing the
terrorist group to use their social media sites to recruit, raise funds, spread
propaganda and carry out terrorist operations, including the June 12, 2016,
attack carried out by Omar Mateen that killed 49 and injured another 53
victims. The company pointed to the Sixth Circuit's April 2019 ruling in Crosby
v. Twitter , which found the plaintiffs' Anti-Terrorism Act suit failed to
present sufficient evidence that the social media companies aided or supported
ISIS and failed to prove "proximate cause" as required by the ATA.”



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