Civil rights groups on Wednesday said Facebook has failed to address hateful
content in India as they demanded that the company's head of public

 

 


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Eye on Extremism


September 10, 2020

 

Al Jazeera: Facebook Bias Spurs Violence In India, US Rights Groups Say
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“Civil rights groups on Wednesday said Facebook has failed to address hateful
content in India as they demanded that the company's head of public policy
there be removed. A letter addressed to Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg and his
second-in-command Sheryl Sandberg wanted the social network's India policy
chief Ankhi Das sidelined pending the results of a civil rights audit.
"Facebook should not be complicit in more offline violence, much less another
genocide, but the pattern of inaction displayed by the company is reckless to
the point of complicity," said the letter signed by more than 40 groups
including the Southern Poverty Law Center, Witness, Muslim Advocates, and
Global Project Against Hate and Extremism. "It is no secret, given the
acknowledged and harsh realities of Facebook's role in the Rohingya genocide in
Myanmar, that online violence and hate easily spill into violence in real
life." The letter comes in the wake of controversy over anti-Muslim remarks
posted on the page of a member of the ruling party that were not initially
removed.”

 

The Associated Press: Mozambique Accused Of Abuses In Its Fight Against
Extremists
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“Amnesty International Wednesday accused Mozambique’s government forces of
torturing suspected members of an Islamist insurgency in the country’s northern
Cabo Delgado province, as well as “possible extrajudicial executions” and
“discarding a large number of corpses into apparent mass graves.” “This
behavior flouts fundamental principles of humanity. The abuses attributed to
the group known as Al-Shabaab can never justify further violations by the
security forces of Mozambique,” said Deprose Muchena, Amnesty International’s
Regional Director for East and Southern Africa. “The government of Mozambique
must now order a swift, transparent and impartial investigation to bring all
those responsible for such crimes to justice in fair trials.” Mozambique’s
extremist insurgency began in northern Cabo Delgado province, bordering
Tanzania in the north and the Indian Ocean to the east, in October 2017. More
than 1,000 civilians have been killed, mainly by the rebels, and the total
number of fatalities stands at 1,854 including combatants on either side,
according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED). The
rebels dramatically stepped up their attacks in 2020 and in August captured the
strategic port city of Mocimboa da Praia and have held it for nearly a month.”

 

Iraq

 

The New York Times: U.S. To Reduce Troop Levels In Iraq To 3,000
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“The United States is cutting troop levels in Iraq nearly in half, to 3,000
forces, the top U.S. commander in the Middle East said on Wednesday, in a
long-expected move that will help fulfill President Trump’s goal of reducing
the Pentagon’s overseas deployments. The decision to reduce the 5,200 troops
now in Iraq comes three weeks after Mr. Trump met in Washington with Mustafa
al-Kadhimi, the Iraqi prime minister, in part to complete details of the
drawdown, which will happen this month. “This reduced footprint allows us to
continue advising and assisting our Iraqi partners in rooting out the final
remnants of ISIS in Iraq and ensuring its enduring defeat,” Gen. Kenneth F.
McKenzie Jr., the commander of the military’s Central Command, said in remarks
in Iraq on Wednesday. General McKenzie, who last month signaled the impending
troop cuts, said improvements in the Iraqi military’s campaign against the
Islamic State enabled the Pentagon to make the additional troop cuts. “This
decision is due to our confidence in the Iraqi security forces’ increased
ability to operate independently,” General McKenzie said. The move comes eight
weeks before the November presidential election and allows Mr. Trump to tell
voters he is fulfilling a campaign promise to bring home the troops.”

 

Saudi Arabia

 

Gulf News: Saudi Arabia: Two Militants Sentenced To Death Over Terror Attack
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“A Saudi court today sentenced two militants to death on charges of
involvement in a 2014 attack on a Shiite gathering and links to the terrorist
Daesh group, the news portal Sabq reported. Both convicts did not show up at a
court session held last week when rulings against co- defendants were
delivered, according to the report. Last Wednesday, the court handed down death
sentences to seven other defendants and a 25-year-jail term to each of three
others in the same case. All the rulings are preliminary. The 2014 attack in
the eastern Saudi region of Al Ihsa killed eight people, including three
children.”

 

Lebanon

 

Voice Of America: Recent US Sanctions Increase Risk For Potential Hezbollah
Allies
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“A U.S. government decision Tuesday to sanction two former Lebanese government
ministers is the latest unprecedented campaign against Hezbollah, with some
observers saying the move dramatically increases the risk for Lebanese
politicians to engage with the U.S.-designated terror group. The Trump
administration said it blacklisted former Minister of Transportation and Public
Works Yusuf Finyanus and former Minister of Finance Ali Hassan Khalil because
they had helped Hezbollah bypass U.S. sanctions and profit from
multimillion-dollar government contracts. Firas Maksad, an adjunct professor
and researcher on Lebanon at George Washington University, said that Lebanon’s
economy is highly dollarized, giving Washington a “tremendous leverage” to use
sanctions to deter Lebanon’s political groups from cozying up to the Iran proxy
when the country is trying to form a new government. “In the past when the U.S.
Treasury had moved to designate Lebanese banks, those banks would fall within
24 hours,” Maksad told VOA by phone. “These sanctions, in particular, are
different and of a more significant caliber because it’s the first time that
they target two former ministers.”

 

Middle East

 

Foreign Affairs: Al Qaeda’s Franchise Reboot
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“Nineteen years after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, does al
Qaeda still pose a significant threat to U.S. national security? Among
researchers, military and intelligence officials, and policymakers who study
the group, there is little consensus. But very few experts on Salafi-jihadi
movements would dismiss the group outright. So when U.S. Secretary of State
Mike Pompeo confidently declared in a March interview on Fox & Friends that “al
Qaeda is a shadow of its former self,” we were startled and concerned. By
portraying al Qaeda as more of a nuisance than a threat, Pompeo helped
President Donald Trump’s administration make the case for withdrawing U.S.
troops from Afghanistan and making peace with the Taliban. Unfortunately,
politically motivated threat assessments can be very dangerous, and Pompeo’s
characterization of al Qaeda reflects wishful thinking at best and naiveté at
worst.”

 

Middle East Monitor: Hamas-Hezbollah Talks And Iran-Turkey Cooperation Come At
A Crucial Time
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“The recent meeting in Beirut between Hamas and Hezbollah leadership where the
threats to the Palestinian cause and normalisation between Israel and Arab
states were discussed is the latest sign that the two resistance movements have
revived relations. The reconciliation between the Hamas and Hezbollah has been
in the works over the past seven years, after falling out over the conflict
which engulfed Syria in 2011, the once long-time allies finding themselves
supporting opposing sides. Until 2012, the political bureau of the Palestinian
movement Hamas had been based in the Syrian capital Damascus since it was
expelled from neighbouring Jordan in 1999 after being accused of “illicit and
harmful” activities. After initially abstaining from taking sides in Syria,
referring to it as an “internal affair”, the dilemma Hamas found itself in soon
became untenable as the country descended into civil war. Under then-leader
Khaled Meshaal, the bureau left for Doha, effectively joining the
“Turkish-Qatari axis” and shifting away from its traditional allies which it
shared with Lebanon’s Hezbollah; Iran and Syria.”

 

Somalia

 

Dalsan Radio: Somalia: SNA Kills 14 Alshabaab Fighters In Southern Somalia
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“The Somali Military has on Tuesday killed at least 14 Alshabab militants
including senior Alshabab officials in an operation conducted Lower Jubba on
Tuesday, officials confirm. Speaking to the Media General Abdimalik Ma'alin
commander of the SNA's 16th unit said 14 militants were killed in the operation
covered in several villages which lies 75 kilometres from Kismayo. "Fourteen
Alshabab militants were killed including two commanders in the operation,"
SNA's 16th unit Abdimalik Ma'alin said. Meanwhile, another fourteen Alshabab
militants were on Tuesday killed and several others sustained injuries
including civilians in Bal'ad town. A fierce gunfight erupted after the Somali
military repulsed Alshabab attack at least 30 kilometres north of Mogadishu
where the insurgents have been attacking the security forces. Somali government
spokesman Ismail Mukhtar said the situation was calm in the town in a tweet.
"The situation in the town is calm after an attack by Alshabab 14 militants
were killed and soldier, seven civilians were wounded during the
confrontation," he said in a tweet.”

 

Africa

 

The Washington Times: Africa Providing 'Safe Haven' To Islamist Terror Groups,
Special Forces Commander Says
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“A top U.S. commander warned Wednesday that terror groups such as al Qaeda and
Islamic State are finding new sanctuaries in Africa where they can rebuild
their forces and attract new recruits. Air Force Maj. Gen. Dagvin Anderson,
head of special operations for U.S. Africa Command, sounded the alarm even as
the Pentagon was announcing the death of senior leader of the Somali terror
group al-Shabab in a U.S. airstrike last month. Abulqadir Commandos, reportedly
a senior commander of the jihadist group, was killed near Saakow, Somalia, on
Aug. 25, U.S. officials said. While groups such as the Islamic State and al
Qaeda have been battered by attacks from the U.S. and allied nations over the
past few years in the Middle East and Afghanistan, they are increasingly
relying on Africa as a safe haven where they can reconstitute their dwindling
numbers, while co-opting local fighters into their ranks, U.S. commanders say.
Maj. Gen. Anderson noted that both terrorist groups have frequently stated they
intend to attack and undermine the United States. “Africa is providing them
that safe haven, that venue where they can establish themselves,” he said
Wednesday during an online interview with the American Enterprise Institute.”

 

United Kingdom

 

The Independent: Manchester Arena Bombing Inquiry: MI5 Did Not Reopen
Investigation Into Salman Abedi Despite His Visits To Terrorist Prisoner
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“MI5 did not reopen its investigation into the Manchester Arena bomber despite
knowing he was visiting a convicted terror offender in prison, an inquiry has
heard. The probe is to examine whether Salman Abedi’s attack, which killed 22
victims and injured hundreds more on 22 May 2017, could have been prevented. On
Wednesday, the third day of the public inquiry heard that signs of his
radicalisation went back several years. Bereaved relatives were shown a photo
from social media of Abedi performing a hand gesture used by Isis supporters,
and told he had expressed support for the group and “spoken about martyrdom and
jihad in positive terms”. A teacher saw a photo of him holding a gun in Libya
during the country’s civil war, but believed his claim that he had merely been
“shooting” on his family’s land. MI5 had received information on Abedi dating
back to 2010, but repeatedly assessed that he did not pose a security threat
despite knowing of his contact with Isis supporters and travel to Libya. Paul
Greaney QC, counsel to the inquiry, said it would consider whether it was
“reasonable” for MI5 to close an active investigation into Abedi in July 2014,
and not to reopen it in light of new intelligence.”

 

Germany

 

The Associated Press: German Officials: 1,000s Of Extremists Joined Virus
Protest
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“Thousands of far-right and anti-government extremists were among the crowds
at demonstrations against Germany’s coronavirus restrictions last month that
culminated in attempts by some protesters to storm parliament, German security
officials said Wednesday. The incident was condemned across much of the
political spectrum in Germany, with the president and other senior officials
describing the rush on parliament as an assault on the heart of democracy. But
some lawmakers also criticized the police handling of the Aug. 29
demonstrations and that there were only a handful of officers to stand in the
way of hundreds of protesters despite advance warnings that extremists might
try to enter the Reichstag. A preliminary review of images from the protests
indicated that “at least 2,500 to 3,000 right-wing extremists and Reich
Citizens took part in the protests,” the head of Berlin state’s intelligence
service, Michael Fischer, told lawmakers in the capital’s regional assembly.
The so-called Reich Citizens movement, which disputes the legitimacy of the
post-World War II German Constitution and by extension the current government,
has caused growing concern among security officials in recent years, in part
due to its ties to the far right.”

 

Deutsche Welle: Halle Synagogue Attack Trial Offers Insights On Police Probe
Into Far-Right Anti-Semitism
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“Jewish survivors of the attack on the Halle synagogue have accused the police
of failing to properly investigate the online far-right scene that is believed
to have inspired last October's deadly attack in the eastern German city.
28-year-old Stephan B. is on trialfor attempting to commit what would have been
the worst anti-Semitic atrocity in Germany since the Holocaust. Only the
perpetrator's jammed weapons and the synagogue's locked door prevented a
massacre. He has been charged with the murder of the two people who were killed
that day — a passerby Jana L. and kebab shop customer Kevin S. Some 43 people,
all survivors or the relatives of victims, are co-plaintiffs in the trial of
the case that shows parallels to crimes perpetrated in Christchurch and other
places. Several witnesses from in and around the synagogue and kebab shop were
called on Tuesday and Wednesday, the tenth and eleventh trial days, describing
in powerful detail their impressions and fears. Among them was a retired
professor who was in the kebab shop, and who injured his shoulder as he escaped
through a back window."

 

Australia

 

Brisbane Times: Keneally Calls For Right-Wing Extremists To Be Put On Terror
Register
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“The federal opposition has been calling for the Morrison government to send
the criteria for the terror list to Parliament's powerful intelligence and
security committee for a wide-scale review to make sure it is fit-for-purpose.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced last week that the
Australian-born Christchurch gunman would be put on its proscribed terror list.
While Australian security agencies have been monitoring and acting on the
escalating threat of right-wing extremism, Australia has not listed any extreme
right-wing groups as terrorist organisations on its proscribed list. All of
Australia's Five Eyes intelligence partners - Canada, the United Kingdom, the
United States and New Zealand - now have right-wing extremists groups or
individuals listed as terrorist organisations. In a speech to the Australian
Strategic Policy Institute on Thursday night, Senator Keneally will say that
Australia is "the odd one out". She will say proscribing the Christchurch
killer as a terrorist "would be symbolic, but it would be more than just
symbolic". "Some experts suggest that, in our increasingly networked world, any
practical distinction between domestic and international terrorism has almost
gone completely," Senator Keneally will say, according to a draft of the
speech.”

 

Technology

 

Euractiv: Stakeholders Jockey For Influence In EU’s Bid To Regulate Digital
Services
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“…On illegal content, US NGO the Counter Extremism Project said that
“algorithms on social media and video sharing platforms still do prioritize
harmful or illegal content, and in some cases are even amplifying terrorist and
violent extremist propaganda”. As a result, transparency obligations should be
imposed on how such algorithms operated, the group believes. Meanwhile,
Microsoft sought to get its point across on the difficulty of identifying
‘gatekeeper platforms,’ saying that ‘the regulation should set an exacting and
high threshold that only a few platforms likely meet.’ On the other side of the
coin, consumer rights group BEUC favours the creation of a blacklist of
prohibitions and of targeted obligations “comprising a defined list of
comprehensive, self-enforcing and regularly reviewable prohibitions and
obligations for large online platforms acting as gatekeepers.” The European
Digital Rights organization EDRi noted that the advertising admission process
for large online platforms is insufficient, and needs further scrutiny.
However, the group also renewed their commitment to supporting freedom of
expression online and said that “any attempt to weaken the current legal
liability regime while pushing intermediaries to “take more responsibility” for
online expression inevitably leads to the systematic over-removal of legitimate
speech by commercial Big Tech companies.”

 



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