Eye on Extremism
August 30, 2019
Associated
Press: Trump: Taliban Deal Close, US Troops To Drop To
8,600
“President Donald Trump said Thursday the U.S. plans to withdraw
more than 5,000 American troops from Afghanistan and then will
determine further drawdowns in the longest war in American history.
Trump’s comment comes as a U.S. envoy is in his ninth round of talks
with the Taliban to find a resolution to the nearly 18-year-old war.
The president, who campaigned on ending the war, said the U.S. was
“getting close” to making a deal, but that the outcome of the
U.S.-Taliban talks remained uncertain. “Who knows if it’s going to
happen,” Trump told Fox News Radio’s “The Brian Kilmeade Show.” Trump
did not offer a timeline for withdrawing troops. The Pentagon has
been developing plansto withdraw as many as half of the 14,000 U.S.
troops still there, but the Taliban want all U.S. and NATO forces
withdrawn. “We’re going down to 8,600 (troops) and then we’ll make a
determination from there,” Trump said, adding that the U.S. is going
to have a “high intelligence” presence in Afghanistan going
forward.”
The
New York Times: Syria, Russia Step Up Assault On Rebel
Stronghold-Opposition, Residents
“Syria and its ally Russia have stepped up an offensive against the
last big stronghold of Syrian rebels, mounting more air raids and
deploying ground reinforcements including Iranian-backed militias,
army defectors and residents said on Friday. The Russian-led alliance
is pushing into densely populated parts of Idlib province in the
northwest where millions of people who fled fighting elsewhere in
Syria have taken refuge. The northwest offensive has prompted U.N.
warnings of a new humanitarian crisis amid the gains by Damascus and
its partner Moscow, which has helped President Bashar al-Assad turn
the tide in the eight-year-old conflict since intervening in 2015.
Moving deeper into territory along the Turkish border, the advance
took the town of Tamaneh after earlier capturing Khwain, Zarzoor and
Tamanah farms, the defectors and residents said.”
The
Washington Post: Israel: Iran, Hezbollah Intensifying Missile
Efforts
“Israel’s prime minister on Thursday accused Iran and its Lebanese
proxy Hezbollah of racing to build a missile-production program in
Lebanon, vowing to destroy the ambitious project and issuing a stern
warning to his enemies to “be careful.” The threats ratcheted up an
already tense standoff that has pushed the bitter adversaries closer
toward open, armed conflict in recent weeks. “Today we uncovered part
of Iran and Hezbollah’s precision missile project. We know a few other
things,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a news conference.
“We are determined to eliminate this dangerous project. The aim of the
publication today is to convey a message that we will not sit by and
allow our enemies to arm themselves with deadly weapons directed at
us,” he said. “Today I say to them: ‘Dir Balak,” he added, using a
popular Arabic phrase that means “be careful” and is often used as a
warning or threat in Hebrew slang. Hezbollah denies harboring missile
factories. While the group’s leader boasts about having highly
accurate missiles, he denies that the group produces them. Israel
considers Iran to be its greatest enemy and has identified Hezbollah
as the most potent military threat on its borders.”
CNN:
Authorities Arrest A Queens Resident For Allegedly Plotting An
ISIS-Inspired Attack
“Authorities have arrested a 19-year-old man who they say texted
undercover agents that he planned to conduct a terror attack in the
name of ISIS in Queens, a law enforcement official said Thursday. The
19-year-old is a Queens resident who was born in Pakistan, the
official said. Authorities allege he was inspired by ISIS and planned
to conduct a stabbing or bombing attack in Queens. According to the
official, the man was under constant surveillance by law enforcement
authorities and did not pose a danger to the public. “An individual
was arrested in New York today as part of a national security
investigation. Further information will be released when appropriate.
There is no current public safety issue as a result of the arrest,” a
Justice Department spokesman told CNN. The suspect is expected to
appear in court in Brooklyn federal court on Friday.”
Fox
News: US Labels Lebanon Bank With Hezbollah Ties A 'Global Terrorist,'
Sanctions Iranian Networks Linked To Regime
“The U.S. designated Lebanon-based Jammal Trust Bank a
“global terrorist” Thursday over its ties to the Iran-backed Hezbollah
terror group, one day after it slapped sanctions on Iranian networks
it claimed facilitated “tens of millions of dollars' worth” of
activities that benefited Iran’s military and regime. Washington, in
partnership with Oman, also announced sanctions against four
individuals accused of moving tens of millions of dollars between
Iran's elite Quds Force and the military wing of the Islamic militant
group Hamas in Gaza. “Treasury is targeting Jammal Trust Bank and its
subsidiaries for brazenly enabling Hezbollah's financial activities,”
Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Sigal
Mandelker said in a statement. ”Corrupt financial institutions like
Jammal Trust are a direct threat to the integrity of the Lebanese
financial system. Jammal Trust provides support and services to
Hezbollah's Executive Council and the Martyrs Foundation, which
funnels money to the families of suicide bombers.”On Wednesday, the
Treasury Department sanctioned two Iranian networks that
it says engaged in “covert procurement activities benefitting multiple
Iranian military organizations.”
Voice
Of America: Why The Ghosts Of Islamic State Still Haunt
Raqqa
“The water near the edge of the Euphrates River in downtown Raqqa
reflects a strange mix of blues, like a tropical sea rushing through
an urban riverbed. Men and boys splash near a bridge, newly built
almost two years after the battle with Islamic State militants that
left the city in ruins. This was the epicenter of the self-declared
“Caliphate” that ruled parts of Syria and Iraq for three years,
imposing their harsh version of Islamic law and attracting devotees
from around the world. But as Raqqa slowly revives, emerging from a
brutal war after years of extremist rule, an ever-present fear is
growing. Will hiding militants return? Sleeper cells awake? Will
supporters take their revenge on those that live in peace under the
enemies of IS? “We are scared,” Abdullah, a 33-year-old father of five
tells us, still dripping from his dip in the river. “If IS comes back
they will kill us all.” A few blocks away, behind heavy cement walls,
officials say attacks in the city are increasingly common, with four
or five this month. Many other attempts were thwarted, says Khalid
Barkal, Raqqa’s speaker of Parliament. After years of IS rule, he
explains, devotion to the group runs deep among some people, and
trauma and fear are widespread.”
United States
The
Hill: Ohio Woman Pleads Guilty To Plotting Terror Attack On Toledo
Bar
“An Ohio woman pleaded guilty to conspiring to launch a terrorist
attack on a Toledo bar, the Justice Department announced Thursday. The
U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio said
Elizabeth Lecron had pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to
provide material support or resources to terrorists and another count
of transporting explosives in interstate commerce. Lecron plotted with
Vincent Armstrong from April to December 2018, a period in which
Lecron introduced Armstrong to the online “True Crime
Community,” according to the Justice Department. Prosecutors said
she was particularly fascinated with the 1999 Columbine High School
shooting and the 2015 Charleston, S.C., massacre, in which white
supremacist Dylann Roof murdered nine African American churchgoers.
Lecron and Armstrong allegedly began discussing and formulating a mass
murder of their own, which they referred to as “D-Day.” The two
planned to use an AK-47 Armstrong owned and a shotgun Lecron
purchased, as well as a pipe bomb they researched how to construct.
Lecron also discussed the planned massacre with an informant and
undercover agents in 2018, according to the Justice Department.”
Las
Vegas Review-Journal: Poker Player Indicted In Connection With Las
Vegas Casino Threats
“A man who exposed himself during the World Series of Poker Main
Event this summer was indicted Thursday on a terrorism charge in
connection with threats posted on social media against a Strip casino.
Chief District Judge Linda Bell ordered 45-year-old Kenneth Strauss
held on $150,000 bail for one count of making threats or conveying
false information concerning an act of terrorism. Prosecutors said
that in social media posts Strauss threatened to destroy The Venetian.
A spokesman for the resort could not be reached for comment Thursday
evening. The judge called the allegations against Strauss
“extraordinarily concerning.” When he was arrested July 27, Strauss
mumbled to himself “kill them all,” according to Chief Deputy District
Attorney Pete Thunell. Earlier that day, Strauss tweeted: “Shootings
are taking place all over Las Vegas. Please leave me alone
@VenetianVegas I have no place to go currently. And all Casinos that
have me banned will be destroyed effective immediately. And @Rio, get
my belongings together immediately when @POTUS declares safe I’m
going.” The prosecutor compared Strauss’ behavior and threats to that
of the Route 91 Harvest festival gunman, who killed 58 people in
October 2017 before turning a gun on himself.”
Air
Force Times: Convicted Air Force Veteran To Be Resentenced For Trying
To Join ISIS
“A U.S. Air Force veteran was properly convicted on terrorism
charges for trying to join the Islamic State group and die a martyr,
an appeals court said Thursday, but it ordered a judge to resentence
him and better explain his reasons behind any penalty. Tairod Pugh,
51, of Neptune, New Jersey, is serving a 35-year prison sentence, the
maximum possible penalty he faced after a Brooklyn jury convicted him
in 2016 of trying to provide material support to a terrorist
organization and obstruction of justice. It was the first verdict
in more than 70 cases the U.S. brought against Americans suspected of
supporting the militant group. Pugh’s lawyer Eric Creizman didn’t
respond to requests for comment Thursday. Prosecutors said Pugh, who
was an airplane mechanic in the Air Force from 1986 to 1990, was
seeking a route into Syria to join the Islamic State group in 2015
when he was stopped at a Turkish airport. They said he had a laptop
with information on Turkey-Syria border crossing points; 180 jihadist
propaganda videos, including footage of an Islamic State prisoner
beheading; and a letter declaring: “I will use the talents and skills
given to me by Allah to establish and defend the Islamic States.”
Syria
CBS
News: Syrians Trapped By Assad's Ruthless Russian-Backed Barrage In
Idlib Beg For Help
“More than three million people are trapped under a Syrian bombing
campaign as Bashar Assad battles to reclaim the last enclave held by
rebels in his country. Idlib is the only remaining opposition
stronghold after eight grueling years of civil war. CBS News
correspondent Holly Williams got rare access to the region, where some
people are begging the U.S. to help stop the relentless bombing
campaign by the Syrian regime and its ally, Russia. Williams said
things in Idlib on Wednesday were normal; there were warplanes
overhead, airstrikes and reports of at least nine civilians killed.
For many civilians left in the region, there's nowhere left to run -
they're impotent against the faceless killers in the sky. The guides
leading Williams through the devastation showed her a local hospital
they said was hit by an airstrike early Wednesday morning. The regime
has attacked hospitals, as well as schools, markets and bakeries. For
those who survive the strikes, the destruction of such vital
infrastructure makes life unlivable — and that's the whole point. CBS
News visited one of the few remaining hospitals, now a last resort for
about half a million people. The Syrian regime and its Russian backers
have pushed the local population to breaking point.”
Voice
Of America: Could Move By US Against IS Trio Weaken Terror
Group?
“The United States is offering rewards of up to $5 million for
information about three Islamic State (IS) leaders, a move analysts
say could place more pressure on the terror group. The cash bounty,
which is part of the U.S. Rewards for Justice program, lists three
prominent IS leaders — Mutaz Numan Abd Nayif Najm al-Jaburi, Sami
Jasim Muhammad al-Jaburi and Amir Muhammad Said Abdal-Rahman al-Mawla
— the U.S. State Department announced last week. “As ISIS is defeated
on the battlefield, we are determined to identify and find the group's
leaders so that the global coalition of nations fighting to defeat
ISIS can continue to destroy ISIS remnants and thwart its global
ambitions,” a statement by Rewards for Justice said, using another
acronym for IS. Experts say the three militant leaders have been
playing a key part within IS's organizational hierarchy. “These
individuals have had a major role in regrouping the terror group after
it lost control of territory in Syria and Iraq,” said Watheq
al-Hashimi, director of the Iraqi Group for Strategic Studies, a
Baghdad-based research center. “In the past few months, [IS leader]
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has heavily relied on them to organize the group
and reach out to smaller jihadist groups after most of his first-rank
officials were killed in the [the U.S.-led] war,” he told VOA.”
VOA:
UN Considers Cease-Fire For Syria's Idlib
“Three U.N. Security Council members have put forward a draft
resolution calling for a cease-fire in Syria's northwestern Idlib
province, which has been enduring an intensified Russia-backed Syrian
government military campaign since April. "Over the last four months
the ongoing military campaign, using continuous airstrikes, shelling
and reportedly barrel bombs, has caused immense human suffering and
took an enormous toll on the population," Belgium Ambassador Marc
Pecsteen de Buytswerve said Thursday. He and the ambassadors of
Germany and Kuwait oversee the council's work on humanitarian efforts
in Syria and jointly called for the council to act. "Today we call for
the council to urgently take a unified stance with us against this
violence that has caused so much human suffering," he said. "This
situation cannot continue."
Iran
Fox
News: Satellite Images Suggest Iranian Rocket Blew Up On Launch
Pad
“Iran apparently has now struck out in its attempts to launch a
satellite this year. Images taken from space Thursday appear to show
that a rocket exploded at an Iranian space center that was gearing up
for a satellite launch, suggesting the Islamic Republic suffered its
third failed launch this year alone. "Whatever happened there, it blew
up and you're looking at the smoldering remains of what used to be
there," David Schmerler, a senior research associate at the Middlebury
Institute of International Studies, said after analyzing the images.
State media and officials did not immediately acknowledge the incident
at the Imam Khomeini Space Center in Iran's Semnan province, some 150
miles southeast of Iran's capital, Tehran. Aerial images of the space
center provided to Fox News by Maxar’s WorldView-2 satellite show gray
and black plumes of smoke emanating from its launch pad.”
The
Wall Street Journal: Stop Indulging Javad Zarif
“Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has often found itself on the
regime’s sidelines. To be sure, its diplomats have done their part:
They tirelessly distribute anti-American and anti-Semitic propaganda,
provide diplomatic pouches and logistical assistance to Iranian
operatives, and deny and whitewash deadly operations. Yet Westerners
have usually been willing to exempt Iranian diplomats from damning
censure if they seem “moderate” in manner. Shaking a woman’s hand, a
smile, a bit of wit, a willingness to be in the presence of
alcohol—Americans and Europeans appreciate it when Islamists behave.
That forgiving disposition has never been more egregiously on display
than in the way Western VIPs treat Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, who
has proved a faithful factotum of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and a
handmaiden to terrorism. Typical was Mr. Zarif’s response to French
accusations that a thwarted bombing of an Iranian opposition group’s
large June 2018 rally in a Paris suburb had been planned in Tehran.
Mr. Zarif claimed the regime “unequivocally condemns all violence and
terror anywhere, and is ready to work with all concerned to uncover
what is a sinister false flag ploy.”
The
New York Times: In Iran’s Hierarchy, Talks With Trump Are Now Seen As
Inevitable
“In the power circles of Tehran, where “Death to America” is
regularly chanted, the idea has taken hold that Iran must eventually
negotiate with President Trump, according to several people with
knowledge of the shift. These people said Iran’s leadership had
concluded that Mr. Trump could be re-elected and that the country
cannot withstand six more years of the onerous sanctions he has
imposed. It is a remarkable turnabout for the political establishment
in Tehran, which for the past 40 years has staked its legitimacy on
defiance of the United States but has been particularly hostile toward
Mr. Trump. President Hassan Rouhani of Iran teased a possible meeting
with Mr. Trump earlier this week, indicating he would be willing if it
would benefit Iranians.”
Iraq
Asharq
Al-Awsat: Iraqi Judiciary Sentences 11 ISIS Members To
Death
“The Babel High Criminal Court has sentenced 11 ISIS members to
death for a deadly 2014 attack on a bridge in Jarf al-Nassir district,
south of Baghdad. The latest verdicts are part of a series of trials
and death or life sentences involving more than 18,000 terrorism
suspects since 2005, according to the Iraqi High Commission for Human
Rights (IHCHR). The media office of the Supreme Judicial Council
issued a statement saying the provincial criminal court examined the
cases of 11 “suspects who confessed being ISIS members.” The
terrorists admitted to staging an attack they called “al-Fadhilyah
raid” on a strategic bridge located in Jarf al-Nassir, previously
known as Jarf al-Sakhr, north of Babel. The attack destroyed the
bridge, and killed three security forces and injured 19 others
stationed nearby, said the statement. The terrorists also confessed to
committing other crimes at different locations and different times,
according to the court. The court held a public trial in the presence
of the public prosecutor, the lawyers of the defendants, and issued a
sentence of execution by hanging against the 11 convicts. Jarf
al-Nasr, which is about 40 kilometers from Karbala province, was a
major stronghold of terrorist organizations such as al-Qaeda and later
ISIS.”
Xinhua:
IS Local Leader Killed, 6 Captured By Paramilitary Force In Western
Iraq
“Iraq's paramilitary Hashd Shaabi force killed Thursday a prominent
leader of Islamic State (IS) militant group and arrested six of his
bodyguards in Iraq's western Anbar province. An online statement by
the Hashd Shaabi said a force from the 18th brigade conducted an
operation in the desert area of Wadi Hauran in western Anbar province
and killed Abdul-Salam Hamad, nicknamed Abu Nour, believed to be the
IS leader for the capital Baghdad. The force also captured Hamad's six
bodyguards and wounded his aide, who blew up his explosive belt before
being captured, the statement said without giving further details. IS
militants are known for exploiting the gorges of Wadi Hauran to set up
hideouts and arms depots and use the area as a launching pad for
attacks on civilians and security forces. The operation came a day
after the Iraqi forces backed by Iraqi and U.S.-led coalition aircraft
concluded a major offensive dubbed “Victory Will” to hunt down
remnants of IS militants in central Iraq. The security situation in
Iraq has been dramatically improved after Iraqi security forces fully
defeated IS in late 2017.”
Afghanistan
The
New York Times: Taliban Peace Talks Cast Uncertainty On Presidential
Vote
“On one track is the American negotiations with the Taliban over a
troop withdrawal, possibly days away from a breakthrough. On the other
is the Afghan presidential election, set for just a month from now.
They’re both races against time, but also effectively against each
other — clashing priorities that have set President Ashraf Ghani and
American officials at odds, and have pushed Afghanistan’s political
future into one of its greatest periods of uncertainty since 2001.
American diplomats are pushing hard to reach a troop withdrawal deal
with the Taliban that would immediately lead to the opening of direct
talks between the insurgents and Afghan officials. The goal of those
talks would be to hammer out what a political reconciliation would
look like — and the Taliban have bluntly stated that holding the
presidential election in that atmosphere would ensure that the war
continued. But Mr. Ghani, who is seeking another five-year term, is
insisting that the vote, set for Sept. 28, must go ahead. He says the
country’s democracy must not be made a hostage to uncertain talks with
the insurgency that could take years to resolve, even if they don’t
fall apart. The uncertainty has cast a deep shadow over the election,
with many of the 16 candidates challenging Mr. Ghani not bothering to
hold big rallies just weeks before the vote.”
Reuters:
Trump: U.S. Will Maintain Presence In Afghanistan Even If Deal Reached
With Taliban
“President Donald Trump said on Thursday that U.S. troop levels in
Afghanistan were being reduced to 8,600 but that American forces would
remain in the country even if Washington reaches an agreement with the
Taliban to end the 18-year war. “Oh yeah, you have to keep a
presence,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News radio. “We’re
going to keep a presence there. We’re reducing that presence very
substantially and we’re going to always have a presence. We’re going
to have high intelligence.” Trump said the U.S. force level in
Afghanistan was being reduced to 8,600 “and then we make a
determination from there as to what happens.” Some 14,000 U.S. service
members are currently in Afghanistan, among whom about 5,000 are
dedicated to counterinsurgency operations. The Taliban said on
Wednesday it was close to a “final agreement” with U.S. officials on a
deal that would see U.S. forces withdraw from Afghanistan in exchange
for a pledge that the country would not become a haven for other
Islamist militant groups. ”We hope to have good news soon for our
Muslim, independence-seeking nation,” Suhail Shaheen, a spokesman for
the Taliban’s political office in Doha said. Both U.S. and Taliban
negotiators have reported progress in their talks in recent weeks,
raising the prospect of an end to the conflict.”
Pakistan
The
New York Times: Imran Khan: The World Can’t Ignore Kashmir. We Are All
In Danger
“After I was elected prime minister of Pakistan last August, one of
my foremost priorities was to work for lasting and just peace in South
Asia. India and Pakistan, despite our difficult history, confront
similar challenges of poverty, unemployment and climate change,
especially the threat of melting glaciers and scarcity of water for
hundreds of millions of our citizens. I wanted to normalize relations
with India through trade and by settling the Kashmir dispute, the
foremost impediment to the normalization of relations between us. On
July 26, 2018, in my first televised address to Pakistan after winning
the elections, I stated we wanted peace with India and if it took one
step forward, we would take two steps. After that, a meeting between
our two foreign ministers was arranged on the sidelines of the United
Nations General Assembly session in September 2018, but India canceled
the meeting. That September I also wrote my first of three letters to
Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling for dialogue and peace.”
Lebanon
The
National: From Latin America To West Africa, Hezbollah’s Complex Web
Of Connections Is Fuelling Its Terrorist Activity
“When Paraguay announced it was designating Hezbollah as an
international terrorist organisation last week, it created a new legal
basis to take action against the Lebanese group’s money laundering and
terror-financing activities. These fundraising operations span the
globe, from Latin America and the US to West Africa. Hezbollah
exploits existing smuggling routes, links to cartels and relies on
family networks to boost its coffers, without having to develop a
criminal infrastructure. With Hezbollah’s proscription, Asuncion can
help reduce the group’s influence. The fight against Hezbollah needs
to be global and Latin America, where much of the group’s illicit
activities are concentrated, is a good place to start. Until recently,
Latin American governments were unwilling to label Hezbollah a
terrorist group. Last month, however, Argentina took the unprecedented
step of doing so, noting Hezbollah’s responsibility for terror attacks
against an Israeli embassy and a Jewish community centre on
Argentinian soil in 1992 and 1994. The designations followed
Argentina’s creation of a public registry for terror entities and
individuals. Argentina’s actions clearly influenced Paraguay, its
neighbour to the north, whose government previously refused to
acknowledge the obvious.”
The
Wall Street Journal: Israel Calls On Lebanon To Curtail Hezbollah’s
Missile Program
“Israel accused Hezbollah of stepping up efforts to build
precision-guided missiles inside Lebanon, as it urged Beirut to do
more to prevent the Iran-backed group from being able to use the
country to target it. The warning comes as Israel’s shadow campaign to
challenge Iranian military entrenchment in the region has spilled out
into the open, with attacks against Tehran and its allies in Lebanon,
Iraq and Syria in recent days. On Thursday, Israeli military officials
said Lebanon-based Hezbollah, with the help of Iran, has accelerated
attempts to convert existing rockets into precision-guided missiles by
smuggling the required components from Syria. Hezbollah is the most
powerful military and political force in Lebanon.”
Middle East
The
New York Times: Hamas Arrests 10 Suspects In Gaza Suicide
Bombings
“Hamas, the Islamist movement that controls Gaza, said Thursday
that it had arrested 10 people responsible for suicide bombings that
killed three police officers in Gaza City on Tuesday. The suspects,
according to two Hamas security officials briefed on the
investigation, included current and former members of Palestinian
Islamic Jihad, a rival militant group that often works in concert with
Hamas, especially against Israel. The officials, who spoke on
condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the
investigation, said the suspects also belonged to an extremist
movement, known as Salafi jihadism, that is at odds with the more
moderate Hamas and has clashed repeatedly with it in recent years.
Salafi jihadists view Hamas as insufficiently pious and overly
interested in politics at the expense of violent struggle. A spokesman
for Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Dawoud Shehab, said that it condemned
the bombings and that it eschews violence except against Israel. He
did not respond to questions about the arrests of present or former
members, saying only that the group was cooperating with the
investigation. A spokesman for the Hamas Interior Ministry did not
immediately respond to requests for comment on Thursday night.”
Egypt
The
Washington Post: Egypt Says Militant Arrested, Search Underway For 80
Others
“Egyptian security officials say they arrested a suspected militant
and are pursuing 80 others in a province west of Cairo for plotting an
imminent attack. The officials said on Thursday the home of
25-year-old Hammad Mohamed Shafei was raided in Senofar village in
Fayoum province. They say he’s a member of the militant Hasm group,
which authorities have linked to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood. The
officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter with
reporters. They didn’t elaborate on the planned attack. The Hasm group
has been tied to a massive explosion earlier this month in Cairo, when
a car filled with explosives crashed outside the county’s main cancer
hospital, killing at least 20 people. Egypt has long battled militants
led by an Islamic State affiliate in Sinai.”
Nigeria
All
Africa: Nigeria: 'Boko Haram - Why Army Adopts New
Strategy'
“The Acting General Officer Commanding 7 Division of the Nigerian
Army, Brigadier General Abdul Khalifa has said that the adoption of
new strategy by the Nigerian Army is aimed at forcing the remnants of
the Boko Haram terrorists to surrender. Further making explanation on
the “ Super Camps” just adopted by the Army, he said is a concept in
warfare, whereby the Army strongly hold position where it will be able
to have reasonable resources within the “ Super Camps “ , and from the
“ super camps “ the Army will be able to project power. Brigadier
General Khalifa who just took over Command of the 7 Division Nigerian
Army, reveled two more concepts as Response Area ( RA ) and Strong
Response Area ( SRA ) which he said will heat up the insurgents to
surrender . The new Acting GOC made the revelation yesterday in
Maiduguri while on operational tour of Army units within the 7
Division and 7 Division Garrison, especially 211 and 251 battalion. He
said the essence of the response area and strong response area is for
Soldiers to be able to carry out patrol, raids and ambush from these
areas”. Brigadier General Khalifa noted that over sometimes, the Army
has discovered that the criminal Boko Haram terrorists have the kind
of mobility, because the Army were in defence.”
Somalia
Yahoo
News: Six Countries Block UN Sanctions Against
Somalia's Al-Shabaab
“Six UN Security Council members on Wednesday blocked a move to
include Somali jihadist group Al-Shabaab on a list of organizations
such as Al-Qaeda that are under international sanctions, diplomatic
sources said. Several NGOs and the UN Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs recently stepped in to oppose the classification,
which would have effectively kept humanitarian aid away from millions
of Somalis living in Al-Shabaab-controlled areas. Germany, Belgium,
Poland, France, Kuwait and the United States were the six countries
whose votes blocked the implementation of the new sanctions. Kenya, on
the other hand, has pushed for tightening sanctions against Al-Shabaab
since late last year, and especially since an attack by the group at a
Nairobi hotel in January left 21 people dead. The country had wanted
an amendment to UN Resolution 1267, which sanctions Al-Qaeda, the
Islamic State group and their affiliates. A large portion of the
population in Somalia relies on international aid after three decades
of conflict and economic ruin. Critics of the defeated sanctions have
said including Al-Shabaab in the Resolution 1267 designations would
have effectively criminalized UN and other assistance to people in
Somalia who depend on it.”
Europe
The
National: Spanish Police Arrest Moroccan Who Provided Support To ISIS
Plotters
“National police in Spain have arrested a 25-year-old of Moroccan
origin accused of being part of a fraud and counterfeiting operation
that provided support to the Islamic State militant group (ISIS).
Spain’s national police said in a press release on Thursday that the
man was detained in the Alicante town of Elda on charges of document
falsehood, tax fraud and fraud. The man’s arrest came as part of an
European Order of Detention issued by Germany. Police outlined how the
man was identified during investigations into the logistical networks
supporting ISIS terror attacks and the group’s recruitment activities.
During 2016 European security services uncovered a plot to carry out
attacks on civilians Paris. Like the November 2015 ISIS attacks in
Paris, in which 130 people were killed, the aspiring militants planned
on using assault rifles in an attack on the French capital. The plot
never came to fruition because of police intervention. During the
investigation into the plans for the attack three individuals in
Germany were identified as providing false documents and logistical
support to the operational members.”
China
The
Straits Times: China Says Uighur Award Nomination Is 'Supporting
Terrorism'
“Beijing slammed on Thursday (Aug 29) the nomination of a jailed
academic from China's Uighur minority for one of Europe's top human
rights awards, saying it equated to “supporting terrorism”. Europe's
top rights body has shortlisted Ilham Tohti, an economics professor
who was sentenced to life in prison in September 2014 after being
convicted of separatism. The 49-year-old economics professor “has
worked for over 20 years on the situation of the Uighur minority and
on fostering inter-ethnic dialogue and understanding in China”, the
Council of Europe's parliamentary assembly said in a statement after
meeting on Monday in Prague. But China's Foreign Ministry spokesman
Geng Shuang on Thursday called Tohti a “separatist who supports
extreme terrorism” and urged the Council of Europe to withdraw its
nomination. “This nomination is an attempt to whitewash his criminal
activities and fool the human rights community,” Mr Geng said at a
regular briefing. “We urge relevant agencies to withdraw their
nominations and stop supporting separatist activities and terrorism.”
Tohti is one of three nominees for the 2019 Vaclav Havel prize, along
with Tajik human rights lawyer Buzurgmehr Yorov and a youth group
promoting post-war reconciliation in the Balkans.”
The
New York Times: China Expels A Wall Street Journal Reporter In Sign Of
Tougher Line
“China has effectively expelled a reporter working for The Wall
Street Journal after he wrote an article about the cousin of the
country’s top leader, Xi Jinping, in the latest sign of a government
clampdown on media freedoms. The Chinese authorities declined to renew
the press credentials of Chun Han Wong, a reporter in Beijing for The
Journal, a spokesman from Dow Jones, the parent company of the
newspaper, said in an emailed statement on Friday. Mr. Wong, a
Singaporean national, had reported on Chinese politics from Beijing
for The Journal since 2014. Mr. Wong’s expulsion comes amid a widening
crackdown on journalists, both foreign and domestic. The government
has threatened others with expulsion or made reporters wait for
months, and sometimes years, before their visas were approved.”
Southeast Asia
The
New York Times: Tensions Over Kashmir Rise As India Tightens
Security
“The Indian government imposed fresh restrictions on the disputed
Kashmir region on Friday, telling people to stay off the streets as
the crisis there dragged into its fourth week. According to reports in
the Indian media — foreign journalists have been barred from entering
Kashmir — security forces set up barricades, more businesses closed
down, and public transportation had ground to a halt. The Indian
government is coming under more criticism for the intensifying
restrictions it has imposed in Kashmir since Aug. 5, when the
administration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi unilaterally scrapped
the autonomy that the disputed region had held for decades. Indian
security forces have cut off internet and phone service to millions of
Kashmiris and rounded up more than 2,000 people, including nearly the
entirety of Kashmir’s elected leadership, who are being held without
charges.”
Technology
BoingBoing:
YouTube Reinstated These Extremist And White Nationalist Channels,
Apologized To Them
“YouTube reinstated video channels for a European white nationalist
grifter and a British nationalist grifter, and apologized for the
temporary pause of their channels -- describing the removal of racist
garbage a “wrong call.” YouTube says it was a "mistake" to remove the
channels of Martin Sellner and another extremist right-wing online
personality known as "the Iconoclast," but the company won't tell
reporters what happened. A YouTube spokesperson said: "With the
massive volume of videos on our site, sometimes we make the wrong
call. When it's brought to our attention that a video has been removed
mistakenly, we act quickly to reinstate it. "We also offer uploaders
the ability to appeal removals and we will re-review the
content.””
The
Wall Street Journal: Facebook Said It Aced Brazil Elections.
Internally, There Were Doubts
“Facebook Inc. executives last year publicly touted their efforts
ahead of Brazil’s presidential election as evidence of the company’s
progress in combating misinformation on its platforms. Inside
Facebook, the picture was more complicated. Facebook’s own analysis
found the social-media giant wasn’t able to uncover and stamp out
suspicious behavior or misinformation on a large scale after the
assassination of Brazilian politician Marielle Franco in March 2018,
according to documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. Facebook
still relied on third parties, including the media, to flag issues
bearing on that year’s October election because it hadn’t yet
developed tools for “proactive detection” of certain problems, the
documents show. Facebook took four months to dismantle a network of
accounts spreading disinformation about Ms. Franco after her murder,
an event that further polarized the country ahead of the hotly
contested presidential election. The company also found that a
right-wing group in Brazil that supported Jair Bolsonaro, the
election’s winner, was encouraging its Facebook followers to use a
third-party app that enabled the group to post on their behalf twice a
day.”
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