Two notorious Islamic State detainees from Britain were brought to the United
States on Wednesday to face federal charges over accusations that they

 

 


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Eye on Extremism


October 8, 2020

 

The New York Times: Islamic State ‘Beatles’ Jailers Are Charged In Abuse Of
Murdered Hostages
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“Two notorious Islamic State detainees from Britain were brought to the United
States on Wednesday to face federal charges over accusations that they jailed
and tortured Western hostages, some of whom were beheaded, Justice Department
officials said. The transfer is a milestone in the saga of the two men, El
Shafee Elsheikh, 32, and Alexanda Kotey, 36, who are half of an ISIS cell of
four Britons called “the Beatles” — a nickname bestowed by their victims
because of their accents — and known for their extreme brutality. The American
government has linked the group to the kidnapping and abuse of more than two
dozen hostages, some of whom were ultimately beheaded for propaganda videos,
including the journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff. The British
extremists repeatedly beat the hostages they kept imprisoned in Raqqa, Syria,
formerly the Islamic State’s self-declared capital, according to prosecutors.
They subjected their hostages to abuses including waterboarding, mock
executions, painful stress positions, food deprivation, beatings with sticks
lasting 20 minutes or longer, chokeholds causing blackouts and electric shocks.
They also forced their hostages to fight each other and to witness murders,
court papers said.”

 

The New York Times: 2 Men Found Guilty Of Aiding 2013 Kenya Mall Attack
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“A court in Kenya on Wednesday found two men guilty for their role in an
assault on an upscale mall in the capital, Nairobi, that killed 67 people in
2013, the first convictions in one of the deadliest terror attacks in the
country’s history. The men — Mohamed Ahmed Abdi and Hussein Hassan Mustafah —
were found guilty of charges including conspiracy to commit terrorism and
aiding the Qaeda-linked Shabab terrorist group. A third man, Liban Abdullah
Omar, was acquitted of all charges. A fourth, Adan Dheq, was released last year
because of a lack of evidence. The ruling comes seven years after the attack on
the Westgate mall, in which Shabab gunmen killed 67 people from 13 countries,
wounding 175 others. Chief Magistrate Francis Andayi of the Milimani law courts
in Nairobi delivered the judgment, which had been delayed multiple times. A
court translator gave the verdict, which took four hours to read, in Somali to
the accused, who are all ethnic Somalis. “Their defenses and denials that they
had any links that were associated with the act that were committed by the
attackers is without substance and I dismiss it,” the chief magistrate said.
“They were acting in concert with the attackers.”

 

United States

 

Associated Press: Hacker Who Helped Islamic State To Remain In US Prison
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“A computer hacker who gave the Islamic State group personal data of more than
1,300 U.S. government and military personnel will remain in a federal prison
after a judge rejected his request for compassionate release. Ardit Ferizi, 24,
is serving a 20-year sentence. The native of Kosovo is the first person
convicted in the U.S. of both computer hacking and terrorism charges. He is
currently held at a federal prison in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, and is scheduled
for release in 2032 if he gets credit for good behavior. Ferizi asked a federal
judge in Alexandria to release him from prison. In a handwritten motion from
prison, he said his asthma and obesity place him at greater risk of contracting
COVID-19. He also said special restrictions at the prison require him to check
in with staff every two hours, increasing his contact with guards and his risk
of contracting the virus. Prosecutors opposed his release, and U.S. District
Judge Leonie Brinkema rejected Ferizi's request at a hearing Tuesday, citing
concerns that he might resume hacking if released, among other issues.”

 

Syria

 

Asian News International: US Strongly Condemns Deadly Terrorist Attack In
Syria's Al Bab: State Department
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“The United States is deeply concerned over the rising number of terrorist
attacks in Syria and strongly condemns this week's deadly car bombing in the
Syrian town of Al-Bab, State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said in a
statement on Wednesday. “The United States strongly condemns the terrorist
attack near a crowded traffic circle in al-Bab yesterday, which according to
initial reports killed more than 20 innocent people and injured scores more,”
Ortagus said. “We are deeply troubled by the rise in such terrorist attacks in
recent months, and we again remind all parties that violence impedes the hope
for a lasting political resolution to the conflict in Syria as called for by
UNSCR 2254.” On Tuesday, the state-run SANA news agency reported that dozens of
civilians were killed and wounded in the blast, which occurred on the territory
controlled by Turkish-backed armed groups.”

 

Iran

 

The Washington Free Beacon: Iranian Terror Proxies Prop Up Venezuela’s Maduro,
Report Says
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“A network of Iranian terror proxy groups operating in Latin America,
including Hezbollah, are providing the resources necessary for dictator Nicolas
Maduro's regime in Venezuela to flourish, according to a new investigation
released on Wednesday. Maduro's oppressive regime has faced down months of U.S.
opposition and sanctions by forming “an extensive relationship with several
foreign terrorist organizations, including Hezbollah and its terror sponsor the
Islamic Republic of Iran,” according to a new report published by the Atlantic
Council and the Center for a Secure Free Society, a national security think
tank. The relationship is centered on keeping the anti-U.S. Maduro in power and
solidifying Iran's terrorist footprint in Latin America, which has long served
as an operational hub for Hezbollah forces. Iran has found an ally in Maduro,
who has accepted millions of barrels of Iranian crude oil in recent months—a
central lifeline for the isolated Venezuelan regime. In return, Maduro has
opened Venezuela's borders to Iranian operatives and terror affiliates like
Hezbollah, according to the report. Details about this relationship are likely
to renew concerns about Iran's operations near the U.S. southern border, which
could pose a direct threat to the American homeland.”

 

Iraq

 

Voice Of America: ‘Unbearable' Memories Push Some Yazidi Survivors Of IS To
Suicide
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“Driven by “unbearable” memories, the suicide rate among members of the Yazidi
religious minority is increasing more than six years after the Islamic State
(IS) terror group attacked Yazidis' homes in the Sinjar district in northern
Iraq, according to Yazidi activists. Many Yazidis who fled the IS into Iraqi
Kurdistan's refugee camps are now facing mental health issues. The distress is
particularly acute among women who experienced sexual violence while in IS
captivity. “There are multiple factors pushing some Yazidis to commit suicide,
but the main reason is the unbearable memory of what happened during the IS
genocide,” said Khodr al-Domali, a Yazidi researcher and coordinator of social
support to Yazidi women in refugee camps. Al-Domali said thousands of Yazidis
in refugee camps are afraid to return home because armed groups are fighting
over who will control their villages and towns now that IS jihadists are gone.
Yazidis who have returned home can't find work or educational opportunities,
and they face discrimination by surrounding communities.”

 

Afghanistan

 

The National: Afghanistan: Over 500 Assassinated By The Taliban In Just Six
Months
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“Fifteen Taliban members thought to be responsible for a spate of
assassinations in Kabul and beyond were captured on Tuesday, Afghanistan’s
primary intelligence organisation announced. The National Directorate of
Security (NDS) said the men were tasked with carrying out assassinations of
security and defence forces as well as prominent political figures in
Afghanistan. “Members of this group would operate in teams of four and five,
and track movements of targets who are prominent and political figures in
Afghanistan before carrying out their attacks,” a spokesperson for the NDS
shared. The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) said 533
civilians have been killed and 412 others wounded in targeted attacks in the
last six months. Among these were two of AIHRC’s own employees, 24-year-old
Fatima Khalil and driver Ahmad Jawid Folad, who were killed in an explosion
targeting their vehicle on June 26. The Afghan Ministry of Interior (MOI)
provided equally grim figures, stating that at least 70 civilians were killed
and more than 140 injured in the last two weeks of September.”

 

Nigeria

 

Premium Times: How Nigerian Army Can Win Boko Haram War - Borno Governor
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“The Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, on Tuesday, listed some actions
he believes the army can take to win the Boko Haram war. The governor who was a
special guest of honour at the 2020 joint Chief of Army Staff Conference held
in Maiduguri, Borno State, said the Nigeria Army being the flagship of the
nation's military, has all it takes to win the war, only if it can review its
fighting strategy. While commending the military for what he said was the
recent improvement in troops' fighting spirit against the insurgents, the
governor said the war could be ended in no time if the military especially the
Nigeria Army can “change the war narratives.” He said it is appropriate to
commend the army when it has done well “and we must also have the courage to
tell each other the common truth and be critical of the troops' operations when
things go wrong.” He said his administration will not relent in giving the
soldiers all the needed support to win the war. “As part of the ten-point
agenda of this administration ... the Borno state government shall sustain its
role as a stakeholder in supporting the activities of the Nigerian army,
through the provision of all the needed support and morale-boosting mechanism
to all the security agencies to end the fight against Boko Haram crisis.”

 

Somalia

 

Associated Press: Extremists Release 2 Cuban Doctors In Somalia, Officials Say
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“The al-Qaida-linked extremist group al-Shabab has released two Cuban doctors
who were kidnapped in Kenya and held for a year and a half in neighboring
Somalia, officials say. But a Cuban official has denied it. A senior Somali
intelligence official told The Associated Press that the doctors were released
over the weekend after months of negotiations with their captors. He declined
to give further details. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because
he was not authorized to speak to the media. Several sources told the AP that
Somali intelligence, acting at the request of the Cuban government, negotiated
for the doctors' release after it obtained a video showing them a few months
ago. But an official with Cuba's foreign ministry, Juan Antonio Fernández
Palacios, denied the reported release of Assel Herrera Correa and Landy
Rodríguez Hernández, adding in a statement that “huge efforts continue to be
made to ensure the liberation and safe return to the homeland.” It was not
immediately clear where the doctors were Wednesday. Suspected Islamic
extremists kidnapped the doctors in Kenya’s Mandera County as they were going
to work in April 2019, killing one of their police bodyguards. The orthopedic
surgeon and physician had been deployed in 2018.”

 

Dalsan Radio: Somali Military Kills Ten Al-Shabaab Fighters Including Senior
Commander In Lower Shabelle Region
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“Somali National Army (SNA) forces on Monday killed ten Alshabab militants
including two senior Alshabab officials in a military operation near Barire
town in Lower Shabelle region, military official confirms. The two senior
operatives were identified as Isse Timaweyne also known as Abu Dhere who was in
charge of who was Alshabab operations and Qorey who was in charge of Zakat in
the region. Ahmed Hassan Siyad, 143 Section Commander of the Somali National
Army told the military-owned radio that the successful operation conducted to
flushing out terrorists and disrupting their plans to terrorize the residents
in the Lower Shabelle region. “We discovered the militants' presence in the
area and launched an attack on them, killing 10 of their fighters including two
officials,” Siyad said This comes hours after the military killed four Alshabab
fighters in Middle Shabelle on following fierce fighting on Monday. Alshabab
group has been fighting in Somalia since 2007 to topple the internationally
recognized government and establish Sharia law-based and understood in their
own interpretation. The group was driven out of Mogadishu in 2011 by the Somali
military and the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) but they still carry
out attacks in the capital and elsewhere.”

 

Mali

 

Agence France-Presse: 3 Mali National Guardsmen Killed In Overnight Attack
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“Three national guardsmen were killed in an attack in central Mali on Tuesday
night, a security official said, in the latest violence to hit the turbulent
region. Unidentified gunmen ambushed the guardsmen at around 11 pm in the
village of Birga-Peul near the town of Koro, by the border with Burkina Faso,
the security official said on Wednesday, killing three. The militants also
torched two vehicles and made off with another, added the official, who
declined to be named. Mali has been struggling to quell a jihadist insurgency
that emerged in 2012 and has since spread into neighboring Burkina Faso and
Niger. Central Mali has become an epicenter of the conflict, which has claimed
the lives of thousands of soldiers and civilians.”

 

Africa

 

Al Jazeera: Attackers Kill 25 Displaced Civilians In Burkina Faso, UN Says
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“A convoy carrying dozens of displaced civilians hoping to return to their
homes in central-northern Burkina Faso was ambushed by armed assailants, who
then separated the men from the group and killed 25 of them, the United Nations
has said. The attack late on Sunday took place some 9km (five miles) from the
town of Pissila in Sanmatenga province, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR) said on Wednesday. The women and children were let go, the UNHCR said
in a statement based on survivors’ testimony. One man who was left for dead
also survived. “The attack on the (internally displaced people) occurred as
they were returning to their homes from Pissila, hoping for an improved
security situation there,” the UN said. Ioli Kimyaci, UNHCR’s representative in
Burkina Faso, denounced the “brutal and callous” attack. “Innocent civilians
are seeking safety but instead are paying with their lives with alarming
frequency,” she said. An impoverished country of some 20 million people,
Burkina Faso is one of several West African states in recent years to have been
gripped by escalating violence that has spread across the western portion of
the Sahel region. Last year, clashes between government forces, bandits and
armed groups linked to ISIL (ISIS) and al-Qaeda led to more than 2,000 deaths
in Burkina Faso.”

 

United Kingdom

 

BBC News: Whitemoor Prison Terrorist Atttackers ‘Known To Be Dangerous’
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“When Brusthom Ziamani and Baz Hockton attacked Ian Trundle at HMP Whitemoor,
Cambridgeshire, in January, the assault was the first terrorist attack to occur
inside a British jail. It was not a snap decision by the two men responsible.
They had planned it in advance, crafting makeshift weapons, fake suicide vests
and a martyrdom letter. It was not the first time either of the men had been
involved in prison violence … Prof Ian Acheson, a former prison governor and a
senior adviser at the Counter Extremism Project, said he feared the murder of a
prison officer by a terrorist was "creeping ever closer". "The system of risk
management and intervention with terrorist offenders that we have got inside
prisons is not fit for purpose," he said. "We need a fundamental review of how
we manage the risk posed by, let's be clear, a very small number of prisoners
in custody at the moment." He said the case "should be a wake-up call", and
there should be discussion about placing such prisoners "under proper
surveillance, so they can't fashion suicide belts in one of the most surveilled
and secure environments in the country". Efforts should also be made to ensure
"their toxic ideology is not just contained somehow but is actively
challenged", Prof Acheson added.”

 

Germany

 

The National: Germany Criticised For Not Listing More Far-Right Groups As
Terrorist Entities
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“German efforts to curb far-right infiltration into the police and security
services are being hampered by the nation’s failure to list more extremist
organisations as terrorist entities. A report on extremism in the German
security forces, published Tuesday, uncovered more than 350 suspected far-right
cases between 2017 and April 2020. There have been a string of scandals
involving far-right networks in the police and military in recent years.
Experts have told The National that Germany should have been quicker to
designate far-right groups as terrorist organisations. The move would have
given the authorities powers to target bank accounts and electronic
communications, and to raid properties in connection with their investigations.
Hans-Jakob Schindler, Director of the Counter Extremism Project think tank,
said more extremist groups need to be listed as terrorist groups. “There is
clearly a problem with right-wing issues in the German security services,” he
said. “Germany has this problem and needs to treat it equally to Islamist
extremism. Just because these people are German and speak German does not mean
they are any less dangerous. “Since 2019 everyone has been looking closely at
the issue since the murder of a politician and then the Hanau terror attack
earlier this year. It is an issue which needs urgently addressing.”

 

Technology

 

Formtek: Deepfakes: Trying To Make Sense Of What’s Real And What’s Not
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“Deepfakes are videos or images that have been altered in ways to make it
difficult to detect that it is not authentic. Deepfakes often make celebrities
and public figures say things or appear in situations that are a spoof on
reality or an attempt to deceive the viewer. Deepfakes have evolved from early
days of photoshop alterations to images to now increasingly sophisticated
alterations of videos and images. The problem is that it can become difficult
for people to know when something is real or synthetic. In order to combat
deepfakes, Facebook, Microsoft and Amazon offered a ‘deepfake deteection
challenge‘ to developers to create an algorithm that can spot when a video or
image is fake or not. The results of the competition were not that encouraging.
Contestants were given 124k deepfake videos to train their algorithm with. Even
with those known videos, the best algorithms were able to spot fakes on 85
percent of the time. When the algorithms were tested with a different set of
10,000 unreleased videos, the best algorithm dropped to only 65 percent
accuracy. Hany Farid, a professor at UC Berkeley, told Wired that “it’s all
fine and good for helping human moderators, but it’s obviously not even close
to the level of accuracy that you need. You need to make mistakes on the order
of one in a billion, something like that.”

 



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