Irish and British security services suspect that the New IRA’s links with
Iran-backed Hezbollah may have led to the import of arms including mortars

 

 


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Eye on Extremism


September 14, 2020

 

Arab News: Hezbollah’s Links With Irish Terror Group Exposed
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“…Irish and British security services suspect that the New IRA’s links with
Iran-backed Hezbollah may have led to the import of arms including mortars and
assault rifles. MI5 agent McFadden is now in witness protection after his work
led to the arrest of 10 people in Northern Ireland on terrorism-related
charges. His operation found that Hezbollah and the New IRA opened
communications around 2017. Members of the New IRA then traveled to Lebanon in
2018 to meet with Hezbollah representatives, where British security services
suspect they procured the weapons. Saoradh, the political wing of the New IRA,
has been a long-time supporter of Iran, Hezbollah’s key international ally and
patron. In the aftermath of the US killing of Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem
Soleimani in January this year, Saoradh representatives signed a book of
condolences at the Iranian Embassy in Dublin. Hezbollah is known to have
fostered relationships with terrorist organizations and criminal groups across
the Middle East and further afield. The Counter Extremism Project notes
Hezbollah’s extensive cooperation over the smuggling of “people and contraband”
into the US with Mexican drug cartels, and their profiting off the Colombian
cocaine trade. Hezbollah also maintained a relationship with Spanish terror
group Eta until it was disbanded.”

 

Reuters: Saudi Coalition Attack Houthi Military Sites In Yemen's Sanaa:
Al-Arabiya
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“Saudi Arabian-led coalition fighter jets early on Sunday attacked barracks
and military sites of the armed Houthi movement in Yemen’s capital Sanaa,
Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya reported. The coalition also destroyed four Houthi
drones at Al-Delmi air base north of Sanaa, Al-Arabiya said, citing local
sources. There was no immediate official confirmation from the coalition, which
launched air strikes on two sites in Sanaa a day earlier. Those strikes
followed a Houthi claim it had attacked an “important target” in the Saudi
capital Riyadh on Thursday using a ballistic missile and drones. The coalition
did not confirm an attack on Riyadh but said it had intercepted and destroyed
ballistic missiles and explosive drones launched towards the kingdom on
Thursday. Bombings in Sanaa city have been relatively rare since September
2019, when Saudi Arabia launched indirect talks with the Iran-aligned Houthi
movement, which it has been at war with since 2015. The conflict has killed
100,000 people and led to what the United Nations describes as the world’s
worst humanitarian crisis. The Houthis took over the Yemeni capital Sanaa and
most other cities in 2014 after ousting the Saudi-backed government of
Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.”

 

United States

 

Fox News: Defense Secretary Esper: Since Sept. 11 Attacks, Our Heroic Military
Has Successfully Fought Terrorism
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“Exactly 19 years ago, Al Qaeda launched a vicious attack on our homeland by
using four hijacked airlines as tools to murder nearly 3,000 innocent men,
women and children at New York City’s World Trade Center, at the Pentagon, and
on a quiet field near Shanksville, Pa. No one could have fathomed on that
bright and clear September morning just how much the world would change in the
wake of the darkest and most vicious terrorist attack in our nation’s history.
It was an evil assault on our citizens, our institutions, and on our
fundamental ideals themselves — freedom, human rights and respect for the
American way of life. In their attempt to break the spirit of our people and
fracture the foundation of our republic, the terrorists underestimated
Americans’ resilience, resolve and determination to fight for our values.
Almost two decades after that fateful day, we have dealt devastating blows to
Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups around the world by eliminating key
leaders, cutting off resources, and crippling their attempts to orchestrate
future attacks. In doing these things, we not only protect our nation’s people
and everything they represent, but also continue to honor the rarified valor
that emerged out of the devastation on Sept. 11, 2001.”

 

Fox News: Wolf Says 'Lone, Homegrown' Terror Threat Is Top DHS Focus 19 Years
After 9/11
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“Nineteen years after Al Qaeda attacked America, the terror threat to the
United States has “changed and it's morphed over the years,” Acting Homeland
Security (DHS) Secretary Chad Wolf told “Special Report” Friday. “From a threat
perspective, we still see a number of the traditional threats that we battled
on 9/11,” Wolf told host Bret Baier. “[We see in] counterterrorism some of the
foreign terrorist organizations that are still certainly a threat to the
homeland, but we see more of a domestic threat here in the country as well over
the last several years. “The threat has changed and it's morphed over the
years,” Wolf added, “but we continue to do the work at the department to
confront all threats.” Baier noted that in February, FBI Director Chris Wray
had confirmed that the FBI is engaged in active domestic terrorism
investigations in all 50 states. “The lone, homegrown offender that is going to
do some kind of incident here in the homeland is certainly a concern for the
department,” Wolf agreed. “That's the threat we are focused on today. “As
you've seen in the last several years, most of the attacks on the homeland have
come from lone offenders or small cells of individuals,” he added. “And that's
where the focus is and again, we do all threats at the department, so while we
are focused on one, we certainly do focus on the wide range of threats based on
the homeland.”

 

Iraq

 

Kurdistan 24: Coalition Strikes ISIS Hideout In Rural Kirkuk Amid Fresh Attacks
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“The International Coalition against the so-called Islamic State on Sunday
conducted an airstrike against a hideout of the terror group in rural parts of
the disputed Kirkuk province, killing at least two suspected terrorists. “On
the order of the Joint Operations Command, the International Coalition Air
Force carried out an airstrike on ISIS terrorist targets” in the Wadi al-Shai
area, killing two suspected members of the terror group and destroying the
hideout and a motorcycle, said a statement from the Iraqi military
communication center. Wadi al-Shai, a known hiding place for members of the
Islamic State—as the Coalition has described it in the past—is located in the
southeast of Daquq district of Kirkuk, a province disputed between the
Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the federal Iraqi government. The
valley area also has characteristically rugged, difficult to navigate terrain,
which other militants in the past have used as their base of operations. In
recent days, Iraqi forces have conducted several operations, chiefly led by the
elite Counter-Terrorism Service, against Islamic State members, with the
military recently announcing the arrests and killings of multiple alleged
leaders in the terrorist organization.”

 

Afghanistan

 

The Washington Post: Taliban Prisoners Linked To Killing U.S. Troops Are
Released Ahead Of 9/11 Anniversary
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“President Trump warned in characteristically over-the-top terms during a
political rally in Michigan on Thursday night that Joe Biden, if elected, would
invite “terrorists” into the suburbs by raising the cap on the number of
refugees allowed to resettle in the United States. He made these comments as
the Afghan government – under pressure from his administration – reluctantly
released high-value Taliban prisoners who were allegedly involved in killing
American troops. That jarring split screen happened on the eve of the 19th
anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, which originated in Afghanistan,
where the Taliban provided a safe haven for al-Qaeda and its leader Osama bin
Laden, the mastermind of the plot that killed nearly 3,000 people. “We’re
getting along very, very well with the Taliban,” Trump said at a news
conference earlier Thursday.  The president announced that Secretary of State
Mike Pompeo will fly to Doha, Qatar, for the start of formal peace talks this
weekend between the Taliban and the Afghan government. As the precondition for
starting these talks, six Taliban prisoners accused of playing a role in the
killings of American, French and Australian nationals were released from Afghan
custody on Thursday and flown to Doha.”

 

The Wall Street Journal: Afghanistan And Taliban Begin First-Ever Direct Peace
Talks
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“The Afghanistan government and the Taliban began on Saturday their first
direct talks to end nearly two decades of fighting, a negotiation brokered by
the U.S. as part of its plan to withdraw from its longest war. Officials from
the warring sides have convened in Doha, Qatar’s capital, for the talks, with
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo attending the opening ceremony. “Today is a
truly momentous occasion,” Mr. Pompeo said at the ceremony. “Afghans have at
long last chosen to sit together and chart a new course for your country. This
is a moment to dare to hope.” In the face of steep odds, Afghanistan’s leaders
said they want to put the country’s conflict behind them. “We have come here
with good will and good intentions,” Abdullah Abdullah, the head of the Afghan
government delegation, said in opening remarks Saturday morning. “We want all
of the people of Afghanistan to be reunited under one roof again.” The U.S. and
the Taliban signed a conditional peace agreement in February that involved a
phased withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan over the course of 14 months.
In exchange, the insurgents pledged not to attack U.S. troops, to prevent al
Qaeda and other terrorist groups from operating in Taliban-controlled areas and
to discuss a long-term cease-fire with Kabul.”

 

Lebanon

 

Reuters: Three Lebanese Soldiers Killed During Raid On Militant's House, Army
Says
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“Three Lebanese army soldiers were killed when they came under fire while
raiding the home of a wanted militant in northern Lebanon, the army said in a
statement overnight. The patrol from Lebanese army intelligence was attacked
with gunfire and a hand grenade when it raided the house near the city of
Tripoli in the Minyeh Jabal al-Bedawi area, the army said. A fourth soldier was
seriously wounded.”

 

Libya

 

The New York Times: Russian Attack Jets Back Mercenaries Fighting In Libya
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“More than a dozen attack jets that Russia sent to Libya this year are
conducting ground strikes and other combat missions in support of Russian
mercenaries fighting alongside a beleaguered commander in his campaign to oust
the government from Tripoli, the capital, a top American military official said
on Friday. The Pentagon’s Africa Command revealed in May the deployment of at
least 14 MiG-29 and Su-24 jets to Libya, underscoring Moscow’s deepening role
in a sprawling proxy war, where its Libyan ally, the commander Khalifa Hifter,
had experienced a series of setbacks that dealt his campaign a major blow. The
planes were flown from Russia to Syria, where their Russian markings were
painted over to camouflage their origin, American military officials said. The
aircraft were then flown into Libya, in violation of a United Nations arms
embargo. At the time, the scope and scale of the aircrafts’ missions were
unclear. Rear Adm. Heidi Berg, the Africa Command’s director of intelligence,
said on Friday that the Russian planes, flown by crews from the Wagner Group, a
Kremlin-backed private military company whose mercenaries provided a major
boost to Mr. Hifter’s assault on Tripoli last fall, had carried out several
ground strikes and other missions.”

 

Africa

 

The Washington Post: Burkina Faso’s Wildlife Reserves Have Become A Battle
Zone, Overrun By Militants And Poachers
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“The land used to be a tourist magnet, a haven for elephants and lions. Now
park officials in the West African nation of Burkina Faso say extremists have
turned wildlife reserves into a battlefield, targeting rangers and exposing
endangered animals to poachers. “One of my colleagues was killed right in front
of me,” said Brahima Kabore, 34, a ranger in the country’s east. The forest
takeover marks another violent chapter in Burkina Faso’s four-year fight
against militants loyal to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State who are vying to
control vast swaths of West Africa. The government-protected reserves offer a
double dose of value to armed groups, analysts say: secluded places for
hideouts and illegal poaching activities to exploit. Al-Qaeda and Islamic State
groups are working together in West Africa to grab large swaths of territory
Attacks have doubled in Burkina Faso’s rural areas every year since 2016,
forcing more than a million people from their homes in what the United Nations
has called the world’s fastest-growing humanitarian crisis. The conflict has
also devastated tourism in the country, which drew crucial income from campers,
hunters and animal lovers. Now leisurely excursions throughout the verdant,
hilly terrain are unthinkable, park officials say. Even the guardians have
retreated.”

 

The Associated Press: Moroccan Police: IS Cell Dismantled, Was Plotting Attacks

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“Moroccan authorities say police arrested five people suspected of plotting
suicide bombings and being part of an extremist network linked to the Islamic
State group. One suspect set off an explosive as police moved in during
coordinated raids in four cities, and one officer was injured when another
suspect attacked him, according to a statement Thursday from the Central Bureau
of Judicial Investigations cited by the state news agency MAP. Authorities
seized explosive belts, detonators, pressure-cookers loaded with nails,
ammonium nitrate and other chemicals suspected of being used for explosives,
and IS paraphernalia, the statement said. The police operations were carried
out in Tangiers, Tiflet, Temara and Skhirat. The statement said the suspects
were in the “advanced stages” of plotting suicide bombings against unidentified
sensitive targets. More than 1,000 Moroccans are believed to have joined IS
between 2013 and 2017 as it seized territory across Syria and Iraq. Moroccan
authorities carry out periodic sweeps of terrorism suspects.”

 

The Wall Street Journal: Sudan Deal To Settle Embassy Bombing Claims Stalls
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“A split among Senate Democrats threatens to derail a U.S.-brokered deal to
help Sudan establish a stable civilian government and resolve terror victims’
claims against the former regime of Omar al-Bashir, which harbored al Qaeda in
the 1990s. In its latest form, the deal would see Sudan’s new reformist
government pay $335 million to compensate more than 700 victims of al Qaeda’s
1998 terrorist attacks on U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. In return,
Washington would remove Sudan’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism and
restore its sovereign immunity from additional liability in U.S. courts. At
least two senior Democratic senators, however, say the deal is inadequate,
according to congressional aides, and want to see greater payouts for foreign
victims of the terrorist attacks. They also want to make Sudan compensate an
additional group of victims—those of al Qaeda’s Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, for
which Sudan denies complicity. The U.S.-brokered plan is aimed at opening the
impoverished nation to commercial investment and more aid from international
organizations, while protecting its assets from plaintiffs in terrorism-related
lawsuits.”

 

Foreign Policy: Mozambique Can’t Contain Its Insurgency Alone
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“On Aug. 11, militants with links to the Islamic State captured the port of
Mocímboa da Praia in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province. The extremists have so
far managed to hold the port city, signaling that the national government may
have lost control over the conflict in its resource-rich north that began with
a few attacks in 2017. The capture of Mocímboa da Praia, the gateway to a $20
billion offshore liquified natural gas project led by the French multinational
Total, shows that the insurgency is growing in size and sophistication,
mutating into a force that may be difficult to contain. Mozambique’s security
forces are ill equipped to deal with the militants. Many soldiers sent to Cabo
Delgado are inexperienced in combat, poorly trained, and suffer from low
morale.  Instead, Mozambique’s government has taken a haphazard approach to the
conflict on its own. Given the poor showing of its military, its lack of
financial resources, and its ill-defined strategy, The odds appear stacked
against Mozambique. the odds appear stacked against Mozambique. The absence of
coordinated external assistance has given the insurgency the opportunity to
take Mocímboa da Praia and perhaps to spread into southern Africa.”

 

United Kingdom

 

Reuters: UK Counter-Terrorism Police Arrest Man Over London Package
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“British police said counter-terrorism officers arrested a man on Saturday on
suspicion of attempting to cause an explosion over a package sent to an address
in north London earlier this week. Police said the man, in his 20s, had been
arrested by armed officers in Cambridge, central England, over the suspicious
item sent to a property in Cricklewood in north London on Thursday. “Specialist
officers attended and made safe what was assessed to be a small improvised
explosive device,” they said in a statement. The man is being questioned at a
south London police station while two addresses in Cambridge are being
searched. There was no risk to the local community, police said.”

 

Daily Mail: Mother Of ISIS 'Beatle' Launches New High Court Challenge Over
Priti Patel's Decision To Share Evidence With The US As Court Hears Prosecutors
Will Decide 'Imminently' If He Will Face Trial In UK
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“The mother of a suspected ISIS 'Beatle' has slammed Priti Patel's 'unlawful'
decision to share evidence with the US in a fresh High Court challenge.
Alexanda Kotey, 36, and El-Shafee El-Sheikh, 32, are accused of belonging to a
cell of executioners in Syria - nicknamed The Beatles because of their British
accents - responsible for killing a number of Western captives. El-Sheikh's
mother Maha Elgizouli is bringing a judicial review at the Royal Courts of
Justice in London over the Home Secretary's decision to provide material to US
authorities under a 'mutual legal assistance (MLA)' request. At a hearing in
London today, Ms Elgizouli's lawyers argued that Ms Patel's decision was
unlawful as it is incompatible with the Data Protection Act. They are asking
the court to order that no material should be provided to the US. The Supreme
Court lifted a court order stopping the UK from sharing vital evidence with
Washington last month - a week after Attorney General William Barr notified
Britain that the US will not seek the death penalty against El-Sheikh and
Kotey. The court had previously ruled that the UK could not provide evidence
against the pair to the US so long as the death penalty remained a possibility.”

 

France

 

Agence France-Presse: Al-Qaeda Threatens Charlie Hebdo For Republishing
Mohammed Cartoons: SITE
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“Al-Qaeda has threatened French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo with a repeat
of a 2015 massacre of its staff, after it republished controversial cartoons of
the Prophet Mohammed, the SITE observatory said on Friday. Al-Qaeda in its
publication One Ummah had warned that Charlie Hebdo would be mistaken if it
believed the 2015 attack was a “one off”, after the magazine printed the
“contemptible caricatures” in a defiant issue that marked the start of the
trial in Paris of suspected accomplices in the attack. The comments came in an
English edition of the Al-Qaeda publication that purported to mark the
anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States carried out
by the terror network. It said it had the “same message” for the France of
President Emmanuel Macron as it did for his predecessor Francois Hollande who
was president at the time of the 2015 attacks. It said France under Macron
“gave a green light” to the republication of the cartoons. Twelve people,
including some of France's most celebrated cartoonists, were killed on January
7, 2015, when brothers Said and Cherif Kouachi went on a gun rampage at the
offices of Charlie Hebdo, whose no-taboo style, including publishing cartoons
of the prophet, had divided the country.”

 

Technology

 

The Straits Times: Facebook Removing Posts Linking Oregon Blazes To Extremist
Groups
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“Facebook has started removing false claims that the deadly wildfires in
Oregon were started by various left-wing and right-wing groups, a spokesman for
the social media company said, after the rumours left state officials inundated
with queries for information. Since early last week, state officials in the
United States have been attempting to debunk misinformation on social media
that has blamed extremist groups on both sides for the deadly blazes. Facebook,
which earlier was attaching warning labels to such posts, decided to move to
the stricter approach after “confirmation from law enforcement that these
rumours are forcing local fire and police agencies to divert resources from
fighting the fires and protecting the public”, Facebook spokesman Andy Stone
said in a statement on Twitter. Mr Stone called the decision “consistent with
(Facebook's) past efforts to remove content that could lead to imminent harm
given the possible risk to human life as the fires rage on”. One of Facebook's
third-party fact-checking partners, PolitiFact, wrote last Thursday on its
website that dozens of posts blaming Antifa - a largely unstructured, far-left
movement - for the fires had been flagged by Facebook's systems, and that
collectively the posts had been shared thousands of times.” 



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