Eye on Extremism
September 3, 2019
BBC:
Syria War: US Missile Strike On 'Al-Qaeda Leaders' In
Idlib
“The US says it has carried out an attack on leaders of a group it
calls al-Qaeda in Syria, in the country's rebel-held Idlib province.
US Central Command said the operation had targeted those "responsible
for attacks threatening US citizens, our partners and innocent
civilians". No details were given but other reports say some 40 people
died in a missile strike on a jihadist training camp. It was hit just
after Syrian government forces began a truce in Idlib. Initial reports
indicated that calm had settled on the front lines after the
Russian-backed unilateral ceasefire, which started at 06:00 (03:00
GMT). Turkish threat: In a separate development, Turkey warned it
would launch an operation to set up a "safe zone" in north-eastern
Syria if talks with the US on the issue failed.”
Associated
Press: Cease-Fire Brings Temporary Calm To Syria’s
Idlib
“Government airstrikes and artillery attacks ceased Saturday
following a unilateral cease-fire in the northwestern province of
Idlib, a Syrian war monitor said. The U.S. military, meanwhile, said
it struck an al-Qaida leadership facility north of Idlib, marking the
first American strike inside the war-torn country since July. The U.S.
Central Command said the operation targeted leaders of the
organization for “attacks responsible for threatening U.S. citizens,
our partners, and innocent civilians.” “The removal of this facility
will further degrade their ability to conduct future attacks and
destabilize the region,” said Lt. Col. Earl Brown, CENTCOM Chief of
Media Operations. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human
Rights had earlier reported a missile attack on a meeting of militants
in Idlib province that it said killed at least 40 militants. The
strike came on the first day of a unilateral cease-fire in Idlib by
the Syrian government. The military said it agreed to a cease-fire
while reserving the right to respond to any violation. The Observatory
said it registered no airstrikes since government forces put into
effect the cease-fire after midnight Saturday. Idlib province is
dominated by al-Qaida-linked militant factions.”
The
New York Times: Guns, Filth And ISIS: Syrian Camp Is ‘Disaster In The
Making’
“In the desert camp in northeastern Syria where tens of thousands
of Islamic State fighters’ wives and children have been trapped for
months in miserable conditions with no prospects of leaving, ISIS
sympathizers regularly torch the tents of women deemed infidels.
Fights between camp residents have brought smuggled guns into the
open, and some women have attacked or threatened others with knives
and hammers. Twice, in June and July, women stabbed the Kurdish guards
who were escorting them, sending the camp into lockdown. Virtually all
women wear the niqab, the full-length black veil demanded by ISIS’s
rigid interpretation of Islam — some because they still adhere to the
group’s ideology, others because they fear running afoul of the true
believers. The Kurdish-run Al Hol camp is struggling to secure and
serve nearly 70,000 displaced people, mainly women and children who
fled there during the last battle to oust the Islamic State from
eastern Syria. Filled with women stripped of hope and children who
regularly die before receiving medical care, it has become what aid
workers, researchers and American military officials warn is a
disaster in the making.”
CBS:
Mother Of U.S. Navy Vet Held In Iran Worried He'll Die After Prison
Cancer Surgery
“A U.S. Navy veteran held jailed in Iran has undergone surgery in
prison to remove a melanoma from his back. Michael White's mother told
CBS News this week that her son's recurring health problems are
deteriorating, and she's "really worried he'll die over there." Joanne
White said she received an email last week from the U.S. State
Department relaying information on her son from Swiss diplomats, who
were permitted to visit him on August 28 for the first time in more
than three months. The Swiss government has represented U.S. interests
in Iran since Washington and Tehran severed formal diplomatic ties
decades ago. "I'm really worried that... If they don't release him on
appeal, he will die over there," Joanne White told CBS News. The Swiss
told the U.S. government, according to the email received by White's
mother, that the California man "continues to have medical issues" and
that prison doctors removed a melanoma from his back in early August.
"He also complained of dental issues related to previous chemotherapy
treatments," the email said.”
The
New York Times: Hezbollah Hits Back At Israeli Army But Without
Casualties
“The Lebanese militia Hezbollah fired missiles at an Israeli
military border post on Sunday in what it called payback for an
Israeli airstrike a week earlier that killed two Lebanese operatives
in Syria and a drone strike that damaged Hezbollah infrastructure in
the Beirut suburbs. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel
experienced no casualties — “not an injury, not even a scratch.” And
while Israel returned fire with attack helicopters and about 100
artillery shells, both sides appeared eager to let the hostilities
subside just as quickly as they had begun. Sunday’s abbreviated
fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed military force
that dominates politics in Lebanon, comes as Israel is pushing back
more assertively, and often openly, against what it sees as Iranian
aggression throughout the Middle East. Neither Israel nor Hezbollah
has shown much appetite for sustained conflict, but each skirmish
contains the potential for escalation. Israel said a squad of
Hezbollah fighters fired two or three anti-tank missiles after 4 p.m.
at a military post located just outside the small Upper Galilee town
of Avivim, which sits up against the United Nations-demarcated Blue
Line opposite the Lebanese village of Marun al Ras.”
The
Wall Street Journal: U.S. Tells Afghanistan It Will Withdraw Some
Troops Within 135 Days Of Pact
“With an accord on the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan
in sight, the chief U.S. diplomat overseeing talks with the Taliban
shared details of the proposed accord with a crucial, but largely
sidelined, stakeholder: the Afghan government. During a Monday meeting
at the presidential palace, Afghan officials said Zalmay Khalilzad
showed President Ashraf Ghani a draft of the pact hammered out with
the insurgents, who have refused to hold direct talks with a
government they regard as an American puppet. Mr. Khalilzad said for
the first time on Monday that the U.S. will start to withdraw 5,000
troops from five military bases in Afghanistan within 135 days after
the deal goes into effect, provided other conditions were met. He
provided no further details.”
United States
The
New York Times: Terror On Both Sides Of The Rio
Grande
“As schools resumed classes last week, teachers, students and
parents arrived at Rafael Veloz Elementary in Ciudad Juárez wearing
white, holding hands and weeping. The school’s head teacher, Elsa
Mendoza Márquez, had been killed on Aug. 3 in the mass shooting in El
Paso. The parents had to explain to their young children why she was
missing. The assistant head told them that Ms. Mendoza would always be
in their hearts. Ms. Mendoza, 57, was one of eight Mexican citizens
among the 22 people who died in the attack, in which a man named
Patrick Crusius is accused of shooting shoppers in a Walmart with an
AK-style rifle. Most of the other victims were Americans of Mexican
descent, while one was a German. Ms. Mendoza had crossed the border to
see family in El Paso, according to reports, and popped into the store
while her husband and son waited in the car. The El Paso shooting was
at the top of the agenda of the first meeting between President Andrés
Manuel López Obrador and the new American ambassador, Christopher
Landau, on Monday. (The last ambassador, Roberta Jacobson, resigned in
May 2018, and has since been a vocal critic of President Trump.)
Mexico’s position is that justice for the El Paso victims must include
a condemnation of the hate that the authorities say drove Mr. Crusius
to mass murder.”
FOX
8: FBI: Teen Charged With Attempting To Provide Material Support To
ISIS
“A 19-year-old has been charged in federal court after he was
arrested in Queens during an FBI national security investigation,
officials and law enforcement sources said. Awais Chudhary, a
naturalized American citizen born in Pakistan, is charged with
attempting to provide material support to ISIS, a designated foreign
terrorist organization. Chudary was arrested Thursday and made his
first appearance in court Friday before being held without bail. “As
alleged, Awais Chudhary planned to kill innocent civilians on behalf
of ISIS and record the bloodshed in the hope of inspiring others to
commit attacks,” United States Attorney Richard P. Donoghue said.
“This office, together with the FBI, the NYPD and all members of the
FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force will continue working tirelessly to
identify ISIS sympathizers like the defendant and prevent them from
carrying out their murderous intentions.” The teen was texting with an
undercover agent he thought was an ISIS sympathizer, saying he wanted
to carry out an ISIS-style attack, sources said. Law enforcement
carried out a search warrant at the teen’s East Elmhurst residence
Thursday night. About a dozen FBI agents could be seen going in and
out. The complaint against Chudhary said he wanted to record his
attack to inspire others to commit similar acts of violence.”
Asharq
Al-Awsat: US Treasury Sanctions 4 People For Funding
Hamas
“The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets
Control (OFAC) has blacklisted four people for their affiliation with
Iran. They facilitated the transfer of millions of dollars between
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) and Hamas’s
operational arm, the Izz-Al-Din Al-Qassam Brigades, to carry out
terrorist attacks originating from the Gaza Strip, it said. “OFAC
designated Muhammad Sarur, Kamal Abdelrahman Aref Awad, Fawaz Mahmud
Ali Nasser, and Muhammad Kamal al-Ayy for providing financial,
material, technological support, financial or other services to, or in
support of, Hamas,” the Treasury announced. It pointed out that the
financial facilitators are based in Lebanon and Gaza and are critical
intermediaries between the Iranian regime and the Izz-Al-Din Al-Qassam
Brigades and end users in the West Bank. In partnership with the
Sultanate of Oman, the Treasury sanctioned the four individuals under
the virtue of a US executive order, which targets terrorists and those
providing support to terrorists or acts of terrorism. Sarur, a Beirut,
Lebanon-based Hamas and Hezbollah-linked financial operative, is in
charge of transferring tens of millions of dollars per year from the
IRGC-Quds Force (QF) to the Izz-Al-Din Al-Qassam Brigades, it
said.”
The
Hill: Let's Tackle Mass Shootings Like We Do
Terrorism
“Mass shootings are a uniquely American tragedy. I have worked in
the extremism and counterterrorism space for a long time, as a federal
contractor for the Department of Homeland Security and as a national
security expert for several think tanks around the world. I have sat
in prison cells and interviewed convicted terrorists. I have sought to
understand the nuances of violent hate whether it manifests in an
ISIS-inspired bombing in Sri Lanka or a white supremacy-driven
shooting in El Paso. What I have seen is a common narrative: hatred,
the notion of superiority and cleansing, and mobilization to violence
in the name of an ideology. But in the United States, we’ve chosen to
fight back a lot harder against the kinds of violent extremism
perpetrated by foreigners or those with a certain color of skin. We
created a vast toolkit to counter al Qaeda and ISIS, but we do nothing
to prevent these homegrown extremists who happen to be white from
accessing weapons of mass destruction in our country. Though the
radicalization process might be the same across the extremism
spectrum, the numbers do not lie. The Center on Extremism released
statistics showing that 73 percent of extremist-related murders in the
U.S. over the last 10 years (through 2018) were committed by
right-wing domestic extremists.”
CNN:
US And Taliban Reach Agreement 'In Principle' On Afghanistan, Envoy
Says
“President Donald Trump's special envoy for Afghanistan said Monday
that the US and the Taliban have reached an agreement "in principle,"
pending final approval by the President. Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad told
Afghanistan's TOLOnews that a draft agreement will see the US pull
troops from five bases across Afghanistan within 135 days as long as
the Taliban meets conditions set in the agreement. If the deal
proceeds, the withdrawals could mark the beginning of the end of
America's longest running war, a nearly 18-year conflict triggered by
the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, that has cost billions in
taxpayer dollars and cost more than 2,300 American lives. The
agreement could lead to the gradual draw down of all of the almost
14,000 US troops in the country, fulfilling a longstanding goal and
campaign pledge of the President's, just as the most intense period of
the 2020 election campaign gets underway.”
Syria
Al
Jazeera: Syria's War: US 'Targets Al-Qaeda Leaders' In Rebel-Held
Idlib
“The United States military has said it hit an al-Qaeda-linked
training camp in northwest Syria's rebel-held Idlib province. The US
Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement on Saturday its attack
close to Idlib city targeted leaders that were “responsible for
attacks threatening US citizens, partners, and innocent civilians.”
“The removal of the facility will further degrade [al-Qaeda's] ability
to conduct future attacks and destabilize the region,” the statement
added, without mentioning what kind of weaponry was used. A war
monitor said “at least 40” fighters were killed in what it called a
missile attack. CENTCOM declined to say what kind of weaponry was used
in the attack in Idlib, the last remaining bastion for anti-government
rebels in Syria that has been the target of a Russia-backed government
offensive since April. The air attack “targeted a meeting held by the
leaders of Hurras al-Deen, Ansar al-Tawhid and other allied groups
inside a training camp,” the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for
Human Rights said on Saturday. Al Jazeera's Bernard Smith, reporting
from Hatay, near the Syria-Turkey border, quoted sources on the ground
as saying that the area targeted was “a training centre connected with
al-Qaeda.”
Asharq
Al-Awsat: Commander Of ISIS Foreigners
Captured
“Kurdish forces in northern Syria have arrested a Portuguese
extremist from London involved in kidnappings and executions of
Western hostages held by ISIS after years on the run. Nero Saraiva,
33, is believed to be one of the most important foreign ISIS recruits,
who succeeded in promoting the terrorist organization until he became
commander of the “foreign fighters unit.” Saraiva was arrested by the
Kurdish forces, putting an end to his seven-year journey which started
in Walthamstow northeast of London, and ended in ISIS territory, where
he married five women, and fathered 10 children. Saraiva, who is a
Portuguese national, was arrested after he moved to Baghouz, north
Syria, reported the Portuguese magazine Sabado last week. He suffers
from partial paralysis after being severely injured during the fall of
Baghouz. He was questioned in July by western intelligence agents who
believe that information he provides on the terrorist group’s UK
network, namely the so-called “ISIS Beatles”, could prove invaluable
to British security services. He was one of the first fighters to
arrive in Syria, and is potentially considered a goldmine of
information, the Sunday Times quoted an official as saying.”
The
National: ISIS Fighter Captured In Syria Could Hold Key To Finding
Kidnapped Journalist John Cantlie
“A senior ISIS fighter was interrogated by western intelligence
agents in July after being captured by Kurdish forces near the area
where the terrorist group lost the last of its Syrian territory.
Officials believe Nero Saraiva, a Portuguese man who lived in London
for 10 years before joining the terrorist group, could have
information about the inner workings of the organisation, including
the whereabouts of journalist John Cantlie. The British writer and
photographer was kidnapped in Syria with American James Foley in
November 2012 and remains a hostage. Foley was killed by ISIS in 2014
and his murder broadcast online. “He [Saraiva] was one of the first
fighters to arrive in Syria and lasted the duration,” an official
told The Times. “He’s potentially a goldmine of information.” Saraiva,
33, left his home in Walthamstow, north-east London in 2012, following
in the footsteps of those he had helped to join the terrorist group.
He left behind his wife and child and is rumoured to have taken five
more wives and fathered up to 10 children. Security services believe
Saraiva may have been close to a small band of British ISIS members
nicknamed The Beatles, serving as right-hand man to ISIS executioner,
Mohammed Emwazi.”
Kurdistan24:
US-Backed Forces In Syria Capture Top ISIS Financial
Officer
“The People’s Protection Units (YPG) Counter-Terrorist Forces on
Sunday captured a so-called Islamic State financial officer during an
operation in Syria. The operation took place in the ash-Shahil area in
Syria’s Deir al-Zor region after a long period of observation and
surveillance, a statement from the YPG informed. The offensive was
carried out with support from the US-led coalition, it added, naming
the captured as Mohammed Remedan Eyd al-Talah, the chief financial
officer of the terror group. “A number of weapons, armament, and
organizational documents, as well as stacks of money, was seized
during the operation.” The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), of which
the YPG make a majority, recently carried out several operations in
the Deir al-Zor region, including near Baghouz on the Syrian-Iraqi
border. Elsewhere, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) and
the news website Deirezzor24 reported that the SDF also arrested the
uncle of the former Governor of Wilayat al-Khayr, Mikhlif al-Rafdan,
and his son Yasser al-Rafdan in Al-Kasra town in the western
countryside of Deir al-Zor on Saturday.”
The
Telegraph: ISIL Executioner Who Conned Thousands Of Pounds In UK
Housing Benefits Is Captured
“The Isil terrorists who conned the British government out of
£10,000 in benefits to fund terror attacks in Paris and Brussels has
been captured in Syria. Anouar Haddouchi, dubbed the “executioner of
Raqqa” after beheading more than 100 people in the city, was arrested
with his wife Julie Maes, 32, by Kudish troops, it was reported
yesterday. The couple was understood to have been seized after a
battle for one of the last remaining Islamic State strongholds in
Baghouz, eastern Syria. Haddouchi is being held in a prison run by the
Syrian Democratic Forces. Haddouchi, 35, was born in Belgium but moved
to Birmingham in the West Midlands in 2009 where he and his wife, who
is also Belgian, claimed thousands of pounds in housing benefits
despite having moved to Syria to fight for Islamic State.”
Iran
The
Wall Street Journal: Iran Curbs U.N. Probe Into Tehran Nuclear
Equipment Site
“Iran is stifling a United Nations probe of its alleged storage of
nuclear equipment and radioactive material in Tehran, diplomats say,
leading to fresh concerns about Iran’s activities at a critical moment
for the fate of the 2015 nuclear deal. The diplomats said Iran has
refused to provide answers to important questions raised by the U.N.’s
International Atomic Energy Agency over allegations, first made public
by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a year ago, that Iran had
established a now-dismantled site in Tehran to store equipment and
material used during past nuclear weapons work. It is the first time
Iran seems to have refused to cooperate with the IAEA’s monitoring of
its activities since the multination accord was implemented in January
2016. It comes as European powers, led by France, try to prevent the
deal’s collapse after the U.S. withdrew from the agreement in May 2018
and then reimposed tight sanctions on Iran, in violation of the deal.
Until recently, the IAEA repeatedly said Iran was meeting all its
commitments and cooperating with inspections.”
The
New York Times: U.S. Imposes Sanctions On Wandering Iranian Oil
Tanker
“The Treasury Department on Friday imposed sanctions on an Iranian
oil tanker at the center of a power struggle between the United States
and Iran, a move that threatened to further escalate tensions between
the two countries. The tanker — once known as the Grace 1, and renamed
the Adrian Darya-1 — had been detained in Gibraltar for weeks on
suspicion of violating European Union sanctions by trying to transport
oil to Syria. It was released two weeks ago, despite a last-ditch
effort by American officials to have the tanker turned over to them.
The tanker is believed to be transporting more than two million
barrels of Iranian crude oil, testing American sanctions intended to
limit the country’s ability to sell oil. The ship’s reported
destination changed repeatedly throughout Friday. First, it was said
to be bound for Turkey, then for Lebanon, only for Lebanese officials
to say they did not believe it was coming there.”
Associated
Press: New US-Led Patrols In Persian Gulf Raise Stakes With
Iran
“As the U.S. tries a new way to protect shipping across the Persian
Gulf amid tensions with Iran, it finds itself sailing into uncertain
waters. For decades, the U.S. has considered the waters of the Persian
Gulf as critical to its national security. Through the gulf's narrow
mouth, the Strait of Hormuz, 20% of all crude oil sold passes onto the
world market. Any disruption there likely will see energy prices
spike. The U.S. has been willing to use its firepower to ensure that
doesn't happen. It escorted ships here in the so-called 1980s "Tanker
War. " America fought its last major naval battle in these waters in
1988 against Iran. Now, the U.S. Navy is trying to put together a new
coalition of nations to counter what it sees as a renewed maritime
threat from Iran. But Tehran finds itself backed into a corner and
ready for a possible conflict it had 30 years for which to prepare. It
stands poised this week to further break the terms of its 2015 nuclear
deal with world powers, over a year after President Donald Trump
unilaterally withdrew America from the accord and imposed crippling
sanctions on the country.”
Iraq
Iraqi
News: Iraqi Military Arrests Two Islamic State Terrorists In
Mosul
“Iraqi military intelligence forces arrested on Sunday two Islamic
State terrorists at a security checkpoint in Mosul city. The pair had
fled Mosul city to Erbil province in Iraqi Kurdistan region following
the crushing defeat of the Islamic State terrorist group in Iraq in
2017, Iraqi website Alghad Press quoted the Military Intelligence
Directorate as saying in a press statement. The two terrorists are
wanted by the Iraqi judiciary for their involvement in several attacks
against security forces in Mosul city, the statement read. Iraq
declared the collapse of Islamic State’s territorial influence 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. IS
declared a self-styled “caliphate” in a third of Iraq and neighboring
Syria in 2014. A government campaign, backed by a U.S.-led
international coalition and paramilitary forces, was launched in 2016
to retake IS-held regions, managing to retake all havens, most notably
the city of Mosul, the group’s previously proclaimed capital.”
Iraqi
News: Sadrist Militias Kill Eight Islamic State
Militants In Central Iraq
“Eight Islamic State terrorists were killed Monday in violent
confrontations with militias affiliated to Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr
in central Iraq, a security source said. “A force of the 313th brigade
of Saraya al-Salam (Peace Brigades) clashed with a number of Islamic
State militants in Samaraa city, north of the capital Baghdad, leaving
eight terrorists killed,” the source told Iraqi news website Alghad
Press. “The clashes also left two members of Saraya al-Salam dead and
two others wounded,” the source added. In December 2017, Sadr ordered
his fighters to hand state-issued weapons back to the government
following the country’s defeat of the Islamic State group. Sadr’s
Saraya al-Salam fighters took up arms against the extremist group in
2014 after the fall of Mosul and are officially part of the
government-sanctioned Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), also known as
al-Hashd al-Shaabi. Sadr called on his fighters to also hand over
parts of the territory they control to Iraq’s security forces,
however, he stressed that his fighters would remain present as
protectors of a holy Shiite shrine in Samarra, north of Baghdad.”
The
Arab Weekly: ISIS Never Disappeared From Iraq
“Is there something more revealing of the nature of the Iraqi
regime than the Islamic State? Everybody is saying the Islamic State
(ISIS) is “making a comeback.” ISIS had never left in the first place
and it was not defeated. The mechanisms responsible for producing it
have continued to spin without interruption. Despite the collapse of
ISIS’s self-proclaimed caliphate, no one dared say that a definitive
victory was achieved over this organisation. There was no official
announcement to that effect and the field commanders could still smell
the presence of the enemy even though they did not see it or dared
track it. Wherever ISIS went, there was devastation. That’s hardly
surprising and would not have changed anything coming from an
organisation whose strategy is based on destruction. Similarly, as
long as there existed militias created and supported by Iran for the
purpose of sustaining corruption and desolation, it was only natural
that there would be militias that do not find it difficult or fearful
to produce devastation everywhere. The ISIS “production machine” has
never ceased operating. All that the war on ISIS did was to destroy
some of the “goods” that came out of the production line. ISIS was the
child of the reality created by Tehran in alliance with the United
States when Iraq was invaded.”
Asharq
Al-Awsat: ISIS Resorts To ‘Booby-Trapped Cows’ In
Iraq
“Iraq’s security situation has been relatively stable despite
ongoing plots by ISIS terrorist organization to create chaos, most
recently by booby trapping animals, especially cows. At the height of
its power, ISIS had suicide bombers and a membership from different
generations. But it is no longer capable of making new recruitments
after its defeat in Iraq in late 2017. Despite its territorial losses,
the terrorist organization remains barricaded in various mountainous
and desert areas of western governorates, namely Diyala, Kirkuk,
al-Anbar, Saladin, and Nineveh. However, no one expected that ISIS
would resort to animals to carry out attacks. In 2005, 2006, and 2007,
al-Qaeda used animals in its operations before it was defeated by the
Awakening Council, the tribal organization established by the US in
al-Anbar. In Diyala province, 65 km northeast of Baghdad, residents of
al-Islah village of Jalawla district were recently targeted by two
booby-trapped cows, which injured one citizen. Security forces in the
governorate launched an operation on the outskirts of the village to
pursue ISIS remnants. Director of the Center of the Republic for
Strategic Studies Moataz Mohiuddin told Asharq Al-Awsat that security
forces had in the past been targeted by booby-trapped animals and dead
individuals across Iraq.”
Turkey
Voice
Of America: Terror Charges Dropped Against Pro-Kurdish
Leader
“A court in Turkey has dropped terror charges against a prominent
pro-Kurdish politician who has been jailed for more than two years,
but authorities are still pursuing a separate case against him, which
could keep him imprisoned. Selahattin Demirtas, a former co-chair of
the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), was accused of
leading a terrorist organization, carrying out terrorist propaganda,
and other terror-related crimes for which he was faced with up to 142
years in prison. According to Anadolu Agency, a state-run news agency,
Demirtas was accused of being a leader of Turkey's Kurdistan Workers'
Party, known as PKK, which is designated by Turkey, the U.S. and the
EU as a terrorist organization. He was also accused of having links to
the violence that erupted in 2014 after protesters took to the streets
to criticize the government's policies in neighboring Syria. At least
30 people were reportedly killed. Monday's court ruling cleared
Demirtas of the terror charges from the main case against him.
However, he could still serve time in prison for another case in which
he has been charged with supporting a terrorist organization during a
speech he gave in 2013.”
Afghanistan
The
New York Times: Afghan City Survives Third Taliban Assault, But Loses
A Top Defender
“The first two times the Taliban overran the city of Kunduz, Col.
Sayed Sarwar Hussaini survived the carnage, just as he had many
attacks and suicide bombings before. As the spokesman for the local
police, his job was essential: The long Afghan war is increasingly
fought as much on social media pages and television screens as it is
on the battlefield. Colonel Hussaini, 36, would spar with the Taliban,
telling a radio station that all was fine, promising a television
channel that Afghan forces had repelled an assault. On Saturday, the
Taliban came for the northern city for the third time in four years,
launching a pre-dawn offensive even as they continued peace talks with
American diplomats. Their advances were largely stemmed by the end of
the day, as Afghan commandos flooded Kunduz and airstrikes hit Taliban
positions. But as night fell over the battered city, Colonel Hussaini
was not so lucky. He was among the roughly 30 dead on the government
side, most of them security forces. At least 36 Taliban fighters were
also killed, Afghan officials said. Colonel Hussaini’s death was
emblematic of both the sacrifices made by an Afghan force that has
lost 50,000 people in the past five years alone and of the political
calculation with which the Taliban have waged their violence.”
Reuters:
U.S., Taliban Near Afghanistan Deal, Fighting Intensifies In
North
“U.S. and Taliban negotiators are close to a deal that would open
the way for peace in Afghanistan, a top U.S. official said on Sunday,
as the insurgents followed their weekend assault on the strategic
center of Kunduz by attacking a second northern city. Zalmay
Khalilzad, the Afghan-born U.S. diplomat overseeing negotiations for
Washington, said he would travel to the Afghan capital of Kabul on
Sunday evening for consultations after wrapping up the ninth round of
talks with Taliban officials in Qatar. ”We are at the threshold of an
agreement that will reduce violence and open the door for Afghans to
sit together to negotiate an honorable and sustainable peace and a
unified, sovereign Afghanistan that does not threaten the United
States, its allies, or any other country,” he said in a Twitter
post. The comment came as Taliban fighters attacked Pul-e Khumri, in
the northern province of Baghlan, just a day after a major show of
strength by hundreds of fighters who overran parts of Kunduz, a
strategic city the insurgents have twice come close to taking in
recent years. The interior ministry said in a statement on Sunday that
20 Afghan security force members and five civilians were killed, and
at least 85 civilians were injured in Kunduz city during clashes with
the Taliban fighters.”
The
New York Times: After Bombing, Afghans Demand That Foreigners Leave
Their Neighborhood
“Hundreds of residents of a Kabul neighborhood where a bombing
killed dozens of people staged a raucous protest on Tuesday, demanding
that the apparent target of the attack — a compound for foreign
workers and international organizations — be shut down. Smoke was
rising from fires set by protesters near the fortified compound,
called Green Village, where officials say a suicide bomber detonated a
vehicle full of explosives on Monday night. The blast in turn blew up
a gasoline station and a fuel tanker, and nearby homes were engulfed.
Officials said on Tuesday that at least 30 people had been killed and
about 100 injured. The Green Village compound has drawn suicide
bombers to the neighborhood before, and furious residents demanded on
Tuesday that the foreigners leave. Gunfire could be heard as the
police battled demonstrators. Some protesters tried to throw rocks
into the compound, and others attempted to scale its walls, an Afghan
journalist at the scene said. “I can’t hide the fact that people are
angry and it will take a little bit of time until they calm down and
we take control of the situation,” said Firdous Faramarz, a spokesman
for the police in Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital.”
MEMRI:
The US-Taliban Negotiations: A Deadly Qatari Trap
“What is happening in Afghanistan is already beyond grief. The
United States is negotiating with the Taliban, without the Taliban
first agreeing to a cease-fire as a precondition for talks, and
although President Trump has emphatically announced his determination
to withdraw from the country, American soldiers are still being killed
(in the last ten days, three American servicemen died) leaving their
families in mourning.[1] How did the Americans land in a situation
where their troops are constantly hounded by the Taliban, instead of
simply being allowed to peacefully return home? One can understand
President Trump's wish to leave Afghanistan. Whether the US can
sustain its strategic and economic leadership in the context of an
isolationist policy, is a legitimate debate. But this is the
president's and Congress's purview. However, even if one opts for
isolationism, there are ways to leave without losing people, respect,
allies and more. But the way Mr. Trump is doing this is the worst
possible way: instead of leaving unilaterally, while reinforcing the
democratically elected government in Kabul without boots on the
ground, he is empowering his Taliban enemy by protracted negotiations,
where America makes successive concessions and ultimately throws its
Afghan allies under the bus.[2] Afghan officials are the first to
sense that the sellout of the Kabul government is impending, and are
scurrying to defect to the Taliban, (in July alone there were 800
defections).”
Pakistan
Reuters:
Kashmiri Militant Calls For Pakistan Military Intervention In Disputed
Region
“A Kashmiri militant commander said on Sunday that Pakistan should
send troops to protect the people of India-controlled Kashmir if the
United Nations does not send peacekeepers, after New Delhi revoked its
autonomy last month. “It’s binding upon the armed forces of Pakistan,
the first Islamic nuclear power, to enter India-occupied Kashmir to
militarily help the people of the territory,” Syed Salahuddin, who
heads an alliance of over a dozen groups fighting Indian rule in
Kashmir, said. His comments underline growing domestic pressure on
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Kahn to take robust action after India
stripped Kashmir of its special status on Aug. 5. Khan has so far
focused on a global diplomatic campaign condemning India’s
actions. ”In these testing times... mere diplomatic and political
support is not going to work,” Salahuddin told a gathering of hundreds
in Muzaffarabad, the capital of the Pakistani zone of Kashmir. On
stripping Indian-controlled Kashmir of its special status, New Delhi
blocked the region’s right to frame its own laws and allowed
non-residents to buy property there. The government said the reform
would facilitate Kashmir’s development, to the benefit of all.”
Yemen
The
National: Resurgence Of Terror Groups In Yemen Is A Cause Of Concern
For Arab Coalition Forces
“At a time when the main thrust of diplomatic activity in Yemen is
focused on ending the country’s bitter civil war, the recent spate of
attacks against the Yemeni security forces demonstrates the continued
threat posed by terror groups such as Al Qaeda and ISIS. In the latest
attack, three members of Yemen’s security forces were killed in the
southern port city of Aden on Friday following a suicide bombing. And
in a separate attack, a senior security official survived a roadside
bomb attack against his convoy in central Aden. Five of his guards
were injured in the incident. Initially Yemeni officials blamed the
attacks on Al Qaeda, which has been responsible for an upsurge in
terrorist activity in southern Yemen in recent months. But this claim
was undermined when ISIS, which regards itself as a more extreme
Islamist terror group than Al Qaeda, claimed responsibility.The fact
that both of these terrorist organisations now appear to be operating
freely in areas of southern Yemen that are supposed to be under the
control of government forces is a deeply worrying development, one
that does not bode well for international diplomatic efforts to
resolve the country’s long-running war.”
The
National: Aden's Terror Groups Must Be Dismantled
“At the mouth of Bab El Mandeb Strait, the southern port city of
Aden is both strategically and politically important. It has served as
the seat of Yemen’s government since it was liberated from Houthi
rebels in 2015 and sits adjacent to some of the world’s most vital
shipping lanes. Aden had also been cleared of militant groups seeking
to over run the city. In the past few weeks, Aden has witnessed
in-fighting between forces loyal to the government and the Southern
Transitional Council, backed by the Arab coalition. Once united in the
battle against the Houthis, the split between factions is threatening
to tip the city into chaos and open up a power vacuum. On Friday, the
worst fears of those seeking to end the war in Yemen were realised
when a suicide bomber killed three members of Yemen’s security forces,
in an attack claimed by ISIS. In a separate attack, thought to have
been mounted by Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), the military
chief of the Security Belt forces, narrowly escaped a roadside bomb
that injured five of his guards. The attacks came shortly after the
Arab coalition launched a series of airstrikes targeting terrorist
groups in Yemen.”
Xinhuanet:
Yemen's Houthis Say Launch Multiple Ballistic Missiles At Saudi Najran
Airport
“Yemen's Houthi rebels said they had fired multiple ballistic
missiles toward Saudi Arabia's Najran airport in the southwest of the
kingdom on Tuesday morning, Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reported. "The
missiles hit the military targets in the airport and caused suspension
of the air traffic," the television said, citing a statement by Houthi
military spokesman Yahya Sarea. "The attack came in response to
Saudi-led aggression coalition's recent airstrikes against Yemen and
the continuing oppressive all-out blockade against the Yemeni people,"
Sarea said, adding that his group "took all necessary measures in the
attack to protect civilians." The Houthi attack came three days after
a deadly Saudi-led airstrike on a prison in Houthi-held province of
Dhamar which the International Committee of the Red Cross said killed
at least 130 prisoners of war and injured 40 others.”
Al
Monitor: Houthis Tout Missiles That Down Advanced US
Drones
“Yemen's Houthi rebels appear to be growing stronger by the day,
shifting from conventional weaponry and guerrilla warfare to upgraded
weapons and organized tactics. Whether these weapons were created
locally, as the Houthis claim, or smuggled from Iran or even purchased
on the sprawling black market in the Red Sea region, the Houthis have
used them effectively. As groups that were recently allied against the
Houthis are now fighting each other for control of Yemen's temporary
capital of Aden in the southwest, the Houthis claim to have used
surface-to-air missiles to shoot down US drones in other areas. “An
MQ-9 Reaper was shot down [Aug. 20] in Dhamar province … by a locally
developed missile that hit its target with high precision," Houthi
spokesman Brig.-Gen. Yahya Sarih announced Aug. 21. US Central Command
responded quickly, stating, “We are investigating reports of an attack
by Iranian-backed Houthis forces on a US [drone] in authorized
airspace over Yemen,” and that Iran's support of the Houthis “poses a
serious threat to stability in the region and our partners.”
Lebanon
Reuters:
Hezbollah: Flare-Up With Israel Over But A 'New Phase' Has
Started
“Lebanon’s Hezbollah leader said on Monday that while a flare-up
with Israel at the border was over, the episode had launched a “new
phase” in which the Iran-backed group no longer has red lines. In a
televised speech, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said the new focus would be
on targeting Israeli drones that enter Lebanon’s airspace, and this
would be handled by fighters in the field. Hezbollah and the Israeli
army exchanged cross-border fire on Sunday after a drone attack last
week in a Hezbollah-controlled Beirut suburb. Hezbollah blamed that
incident on Israel, raising fears of a wider regional conflict. In his
speech, Nasrallah said Sunday’s missiles sent Israel “a clear message
that if you attack, then all your border, your forces and your
settlements at the border and (deep inside)” will be at risk.”
The
Jerusalem Post: How Does Hezbollah Systematically Infiltrate
Lebanon?
“Hezbollah, as an arm of Iran, uses women’s groups, sports,
education, health programs and a cult surrounding Iran’s supreme
leader to infiltrate and maintain a hold on the Lebanese state,
according to a series of reports by an intelligence center. The Meir
Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center issued a report at
the end of last week discussing the latest strategies of Hezbollah in
constructing a “mini-state” among the Shi’ite community in Lebanon.
With massive financial and strategic support from Iran, Hezbollah
continues to enlarge an entire virtually autonomous civilian system
that “operates alongside its military infrastructure.” According to
the Meir Amit center, the social institutions that were established by
Hezbollah “provide Shi’ite residents with a wide variety of services
of the sort which is usually provided by the state, while taking
advantage of the weakness of the Lebanese central government and the
long-time neglect of the Shi’ite community.”
Middle East
The
Jerusalem Post: Hamas And ISIS Hate Israel — And Each
Other
“Explosions earlier this week at two Hamas police checkpoints in
Gaza City left three policemen dead. But it wasn’t Israel that planted
the explosives, as many might have suspected. Hamas says it was
Islamic State suicide bombers. A day after the deadly attacks, Hamas
began mass arrests of supporters of Islamic State and other Salafist
organizations in the Gaza Strip. It’s not the first time that Hamas
and members of the Islamic State, or ISIS, have clashed in recent
years. Israel and the United States consider both Hamas and ISIS to be
terrorist organizations. As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
declared at the United Nations in 2014, “Hamas is ISIS and ISIS is
Hamas.” So why do the two Islamist groups consider each other enemies?
Here’s a primer: The short answer is that Hamas, which is considered a
part of the Muslim Brotherhood, is a national liberation movement,
albeit with an Islamist bent, intent on forming an Islamic state in
the area that is now Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. ISIS,
which stands for Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, belongs to the
Salafist branch within Islam that wants to re-create the Islamic
caliphate and impose Sharia law throughout the region. ISIS views
Hamas and its supporters as “apostates.”
Libya
The
Washington Post: Libya Closes Tripoli’s Only Functional Airport After
Attack
“Libya’s airport authorities say they have closed the only
functional airport in the capital, Tripoli, a day after it was hit by
shelling amid clashes between rival armed groups fighting for control
of the city. Nasr al-Din Shaab el-Ain, the head of Tripoli’s civil
aviation authority, said Monday that all flights at Mitiga airport
have been suspended “until further notice.” The U.N. mission in Libya
said four projectiles struck the civilian parts of the airport Sunday,
with one hitting an airplane carrying pilgrims coming back from Saudi
Arabia. The Tripoli-based Health Ministry said at least four people
were wounded. The U.N-supported government blamed the attack on the
self-styled Libyan National Army, which launched an offensive to take
Tripoli in April. The LNA has denied the accusation.”
Nigeria
Al
Jazeera: UN Calls For Urgent Action To End Violence In
Nigeria
“The United Nations special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings
condemned rising violence across Nigeria and a “lack of
accountability” for perpetrators. Agnes Callamard, speaking at a news
conference on Monday in Nigeria's capital, said the country needed
urgent action to end the “pressure cooker” of violence that has
claimed thousands of lives. Nigeria is currently facing multiple
conflicts, from attacks by the armed group Boko Haram to fighting
between nomadic herders and farmers. “The overall situation that I
encountered in Nigeria gives rise to extreme concern ... The warning
signs are flashing bright red: increased numbers of attacks and
killings over the last five years with a few notable
exceptions,” Callamard said at a news conference. “If ignored its
ripple effect will spread throughout the sub-region given the
country's important role in the continent.” She condemned police and
military “brutality” across the country, and a “generalised system of
impunity”. ”The time is now to prioritise the rule of law and to make
it part and parcel of the Nigerian system,” especially for those
living in extreme poverty, she said.Cheta Nwanze, an analyst at SBM
Intelligence, told Al Jazeera: “In almost two decades of Boko Haram's
existence, I can't recall any of the financial backers who has ever
been brought to trial ... We've not had a single high-level conviction
of a Boko Haram member.”
Sahara
Reporters: Army Kills Two Suspected Boko Haram Terrorists, Recovers
Weapons In Borno
“The Nigerian Army said it has killed two suspected Boko Haram
terrorists in Borno State, who were trying to plant improvised
explosive devices on a troop supply road. The army in a statement
posted on its Twitter handle on Saturday said, “Troops of 26 Task
Force Brigade under the auspices of Operation HALAKA DODO, Theatre
Command Operation Lafiya Dole, successfully thwarted terrorists’
efforts to plant improvised explosive device for commuters and troops'
main supply route. “The troops laid an effective night ambush for
terrorists in the midst of heavy downpour, encountered the terrorists
IED party at Wala crossing point attempting to emplace the lethal
device. “Troops responded swiftly in a fire fight with two terrorists
killed while others scampered for their lives with likely gunshot
wounds.”
AllAfrica:
Nigeria: Residents Flee As Boko Haram Attacks Chibok
Again
“Residents of Yimirmigza village in Kautikari ward, Chibok local
government area of Borno, took to their heels after suspected Boko
Haram insurgents laid siege on their village. A Chibok resident told
TheCable on Saturday that they started hearing strange gunshots around
6pm. The villager said they fled when they noticed that the gunshots
were not the routine military gunshots. “They came in this evening and
started shooting sporadically. Most of the villagers have run into the
bush,” the source said. “We don't know if there are casualty yet
because right now the insurgents are still in charge of the village.”
TheCable also gathered that security operatives from the 117 Task
Force Battalion of the Nigerian army have been mobilised to stop the
insurgents. Yimirmigza village is 19 kilometres away from Chibok town
which is the local government headquarters. As at the time of filing
this report, efforts to reach Sagir Musa, acting director of the
army's public relations, was abortive. Chibok lies close to Boko
Haram's Sambisa forest enclave from where the jihadists launch attacks
on nearby villages. Boko Haram's nine-year conflict has killed an
estimated 35,000 people and displaced two million, creating a
humanitarian crisis and spilling into Nigeria's northern
neighbours.”
AllAfrica:
Nigeria: Leah Sharibu Alive, Govt Negotiating With Boko Haram To Free
Her – Presidency
“The Buhari administration is committed to freeing Leah Sharibu and
is in negotiation with the kidnappers to do so, a presidential aide
said on Saturday. Garba Shehu said the Buhari administration will not
give up on the safe return of Miss Sharibu. Miss Sharibu is one of the
110 students of Government Girls Science and Technical Secondary
School, Dapchi, who were kidnapped by Boko Haram terrorists in
February 2018. About four of the girls died during the kidnap while
the terrorists released the other 105. They, however, held on to Miss
Sharibu, reportedly for holding on to her Christian faith. However,
several rights activists and groups have demanded that the federal
government should secure the release of the teenager. In a statement
issued on Saturday, Mr Shehu addressed a group of journalists saying;
"Instead of giving up, the government is carrying forward processes
that should hopefully yield her release by her captors."
Somalia
Xinhua:
Somalia Says Kills 9 Al-Shabab Militants
“The Somali military on Monday confirmed the killing of nine
al-Shabab militants in an offensive on Sunday in southern Somalia. Ali
Abdullahi Araye, commander of Unit 35, section 7 of Somali forces,
said the offensive was launched after residents of Kaxarey, Busley and
Baldof villages informed the army that the militants had sneaked in
and ordered locals to pay taxes. “Our forces fought off the militants
and we defeated them, killing nine of them, and the rest ran away,”
Araye said, noting that the forces also burnt vehicles and motorbikes
that the militants used to carry explosives. Residents reported
witnessing fierce confrontations. “Every year like this month,
al-Shabab forcibly collects Zakawat (tax) among the residents,” Yahye
Alas, a resident, told Xinhua by phone. “But today they were attacked
by government forces.” “There was intense fight, but the militants
finally withdrew from the villages,” he said. The latest military
offensive came barely two days after six militants were killed and
nine others injured in a joint offensive conducted by Somali army and
Jubaland state forces in Lower Juba region.”
The
Washington Post: ‘If I Don’t Pay, They Kill Me’: Al-Shabab Tightens
Grip On Somalia With Growing Tax Racket
“The calls from an unknown number had been coming for weeks, but
Osman, a household-goods trader in the Somali capital’s largest
market, disregarded them — until he got the text message. “Will you
pick up our call? Yes or no. This is the mujahideen,” it said. The
mujahideen, the Islamist militants, al-Shabab. He knew right away what
they wanted: to capture him in a protection money racket that the
extremist group has been expanding across Somalia for years. “My
heart could barely pump blood in that moment,” said Osman, 45, a
father of seven, who spoke on the condition that only his first name
be used out of fear for his life. “If I don’t pay, they kill me.” When
Osman replied “yes,” he found that al-Shabab knew the size of his
business and even how many containers of goods he imported through the
city’s seaport. Don’t lie to us, they told him, we have the manifests
from the ships to cross-check.”
Africa
Reuters:
Tunisian Policeman And Three Islamist Militants Killed In
Clashes
“A Tunisian policeman and three Islamist militants were killed on
Monday in a security operation in a remote area near the Algerian
border, police said. Tunisia is one of the Arab world’s most secular
nations, and became a target for militants after being hailed as a
beacon of democratic change with an uprising against autocrat Zine
Abidine Ben Ali in 2011. A presidential election is to be held on
Sept. 15. “Our forces killed three terrorists after a clash that came
after a 10-day follow-up as part of the pursuit of terrorist
elements,” Police Colonel Houssem Jbebli said. The dead policeman was
the head of a station in the town of Haidra, he added. Prime Minister
Youssef Chahed told Reuters last week that Tunisia was still under
threat from militant groups including Islamic State. Tunisia suffered
three major attacks in 2015: one at a museum in Tunis, one on a
tourist beach in Sousse and one on presidential guards in the capital.
All three were claimed by Islamic State. Tourism has been recovering
gradually from the effect of the attacks.”
North Korea
The
New York Times: North Korea Missile Tests, ‘Very Standard’ To Trump,
Show Signs Of Advancing Arsenal
“As North Korea fired off a series of missiles in recent months —
at least 18 since May — President Trump has repeatedly dismissed their
importance as short-range and “very standard” tests. And although he
has conceded “there may be a United Nations violation,” the president
says any concerns are overblown. Kim Jong-un, North Korea’s leader,
Mr. Trump explained recently, just “likes testing missiles.” Now,
American intelligence officials and outside experts have come to a far
different conclusion: that the launchings downplayed by Mr. Trump,
including two late last month, have allowed Mr. Kim to test missiles
with greater range and maneuverability that could overwhelm American
defenses in the region. Japan’s defense minister, Takeshi Iwaya, told
reporters in Tokyo last week that the irregular trajectories of the
most recent tests were more evidence of a program designed to defeat
the defenses Japan has deployed, with American technology, at sea and
on shore.”
United Kingdom
BBC
News: Middlesbrough Terror Suspect Arrested In London
“A man has been arrested on suspicion of a terror offence with
addresses in London and Teesside searched. The 21-year-old, from the
Middlesbrough area, was arrested in north London on Saturday. Counter
Terrorism Policing North East (CTPNE) said he was believed to have
been involved in the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of
terrorism. An address in the capital and three on Teesside were
targeted by officers. Bomb disposal experts attended one of the
properties, in Teesville, Middlesbrough, to provide advice “following
the discovery of potentially suspicious items”. CTPNE said the arrest
was “intelligence-led and pre-planned” and the man was in custody.
Cleveland Police and Counter Terrorism Command are assisting with the
investigation.”
Express:
British Warship Fights Off 115 ‘Intimidating’ Confrontations From
Iranian Attack Craft
“Commander Will King said the HMS Montrose had been involved in 115
separate confrontations with the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps
(IRGC) in the Gulf since the start of July. He said the Iranian
military used fast attack craft and drones to “intimidate” his ship as
Tehran carried out a “continuous intent to disrupt or interfere with
UK interests in the area”. HMS Montrose, a Type 23 frigate, was sent
to patrol the strategic waters after the UK-flagged Stena Impero was
seized by the Iranians six weeks ago. The IRGC responded by beefing up
its coastal defence systems and aiming cruise missiles in the
direction of HMS Montrose. It has also emerged that the elite force
was given clearance to use live rounds against the British warship
during the Stena Impero episode.”
France
CNN:
One Person Was Killed, 8 Others Wounded In Knife Attack Outside Lyon,
France
“One person was killed and eight others wounded during a knife
attack at a subway stop near Lyon, France, according to authorities
and media reports. Three of the eight victims were seriously wounded,
CNN affiliate BFM TV reported. The station had earlier reported nine
wounded but later revised the number to eight, citing police sources.
The single fatality was a 19-year-old man, Villeurbanne Mayor
Jean-Paul Bret told reporters. A suspect has been taken into custody,
according to Lyon Mayor Gerard Collomb. The motive for the attack is
unknown. “I am extremely shocked by the attack that just took place in
the Lyon area, during which one person died and several others
wounded, some seriously,” the mayor tweeted. The suspected attacker
is a 33-year-old asylum seeker, BFM reported. The attack is not a
terror investigation at the moment, a police trade union official told
CNN. Bret said police were seeking information about the suspect from
authorities in Paris. Terrorism had “neither been dismissed nor
confirmed,” he said. French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner,
via Twitter, expressed his condolences to “friends and family of the
young man killed.” He said he was following the situation.”
The
New York Times: France Dangles $15 Billion Bailout For Iran In Effort
To Save Nuclear Deal
“A senior Iranian delegation arrived in Paris on Monday to work out
the details of a financial bailout package that France’s president,
Emmanuel Macron, intends to use to compensate Iran for oil sales lost
to American sanctions. In return for the money, Iran would agree to
return to compliance with a 2015 nuclear accord. Iranian press reports
and a senior American official say that the core of the package is a
$15 billion letter of credit that would allow Iran to receive hard
currency, at a time when most of the cash it makes from selling oil is
frozen in banks around the world. That would account for about half
the revenue Iran normally would expect to earn from oil exports in a
year. Mr. Macron’s government has declined to provide any details of
its negotiations with the Iranians, though it was the subject of
discussion between the French president and President Trump at the
Group of 7 summit last weekend.”
Europe
Reuters:
Hungary Charges Syrian Man With Terrorism, Crime Against
Humanity
“Hungarian prosecutors said on Tuesday they had charged a
27-year-old Syrian man with terrorism and crime against humanity
committed as a member of Islamic State in 2015. The man, identified
only as F. Hassan, was charged with executing several people in 2015
in the Homs region of Syria who refused to join Islamic State, the
prosecutors said. The prosecutors are seeking a life sentence. His
lawyer was not immediately reachable by phone.”
Reuters:
Syrian War Crimes Suspect Appears In Dutch Court
“Lawyers for a Syrian accused of war crimes in the Netherlands for
allegedly participating in an execution during the country’s civil war
denied on Monday that their client was a member of the radical Nusra
Front. Ahmad al Khedr, also known as Abu Khuder, faces charges of
murder and membership of a terrorist group under Dutch universal
jurisdiction laws. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison if
found guilty. This is the first time a Syrian national has been
charged with war crimes under Dutch jurisdiction laws. The case
against Al Khedr marks only the second time a Dutch court has looked
at crimes committed during the war in Syria, the earlier case
targeting Dutch Islamists who fought in the conflict. At a pretrial
hearing in a high-security courthouse near Schiphol airport, the
47-year-old Al Khedr was clean shaven and wore a light blue
shirt.”
Southeast Asia
The
Washington Post: IS Claims Attack In Bangladesh That Injured 2
Police
“Two Bangladeshi policemen in the capital were injured in a crude
bomb attack that has been claimed by the Islamic State group. Dhaka
Metropolitan Police chief Asaduzzaman Mia said the attack happened
late Saturday night when a car carrying a Cabinet minister was passing
through Dhaka’s busy Dhanmondi area. A policeman from his security
team and a traffic officer were both injured in the explosion. Local
Government and Rural Development Minister Tazul Islam escaped unhurt.
The Islamic State group said in a statement posted late Saturday on an
IS-affiliate website that two traffic police officers were severely
wounded when a “security detachment from the soldiers of the
Caliphate” detonated an explosive device in a Dhaka street targeting
the two officers. The policemen were being treated in a hospital and
their injuries were not life threatening. The IS has claimed similar
attacks on police in the past. Authorities do not publicly reveal the
results of their investigations. Bangladesh has a history of attacks
by radical groups.”
Al
Jazeera: Missing Maldives Journalist Killed By Al-Qaeda
Affiliate
“A journalist who went missing in the Maldives five years ago was
killed by a local affiliate of al-Qaeda, an investigator has said,
publicly acknowledging for the first time the hardline group's
existence and efforts to silence liberal voices in the Indian Ocean
island nation. Ahmed Rilwan Abdulla, whose disappearance in 2014 shook
the Maldives, was forced into a car at knifepoint outside his home on
the island of Hulhumale and taken to a boat out at sea where he was
killed, said Husnu Suood, the head of a presidential commission set up
to investigate the case. Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Suood said
the commission's nine-month investigation found that
then-President Abdulla Yameen tried to “divert the focus” of the
police investigation, while his former deputy tried to obstruct
justice in the case. The findings addressed long-unanswered questions
over the journalist's fate and prompted an outpouring of grief. In a
statement, Rilwan's family said it heard the commission's conclusion
with “deep sorrow” and called for protection for witnesses in the
case. Officials in the Maldives, a popular Indian Ocean holiday
destination, have previously denied the existence of hardline Islamic
groups in the Sunni Muslim state, despite a spate of attacks against
people advocating the practise of moderate Islam and freedom of
belief.”
Technology
The
Wall Street Journal: No Relief For Big Tech Under New EU
Leadership
“The leadership of the European Union is changing over the next few
months, but the organization’s scrutiny of U.S. tech companies likely
isn’t. The incoming head of the EU executive arm is promising new laws
on artificial intelligence and the use of big data within 100 days of
taking office on Nov. 1, as the bloc’s antitrust enforcer gathers
evidence in its probes into the practices of companies including
Facebook Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. The EU investigations, started by
departing EU competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager, examine how
Facebook and Amazon use data gathered on their platforms, and could
eventually lead to multimillion-dollar fines. Both companies deny
wrongdoing. In recent years, Alphabet Inc. ’s Google has been fined a
total of $9.4 billion in three separate EU probes. A fourth, relating
to Google’s job-search service, is currently at a preliminary
stage.”
NBC
News: Why Republicans (And Even A Couple Of Democrats) Want To Throw
Out Tech's Favorite Law
“When Twitter locked Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's
campaign account in early August, demanding that he remove a video of
profane protesters threatening violence outside his home, an arcane
war erupted. The company said they took the action because the video
violated their community rules, while Republicans launched a
reinvigorated assault on what they claim is ongoing bias by Big Tech
against conservatives. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., went on Fox News to
call the locked account "all too typical of Twitter and big tech,"
before turning his attention what he sees as the real problem: the
tiny-but-powerful piece of law that allows platforms to make their own
community rules in the first place. Hawley is one of a growing number
of GOP lawmakers waging a war on Section 230 of the Communications
Decency Act of 1996, which shields companies from the enormous risk of
hosting third-party content while allowing them to moderate content
according to their own sets of standards. It has paved the way for the
internet to be a bastion of free speech and information, while still
ostensibly offering guard rails against hate speech, harassment or
other material that tech companies don't want on their websites and
apps.”
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