Two Americans held hostage by Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen were freed
on Wednesday as part of a U.S.-backed trade that returned more than 200

 

 


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Eye on Extremism


October 15, 2020

 

The Wall Street Journal: Two Americans Held Hostage By Iran-Backed Forces In
Yemen Freed In Trade
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“Two Americans held hostage by Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen were
freed on Wednesday as part of a U.S.-backed trade that returned more than 200
of the group’s loyalists to the fractured Middle East country, according to
U.S. and Saudi officials. A Royal Oman Air Force plane carrying the two
Americans and the remains of a third flew out of Yemen’s Houthi-controlled
capital of Sana’a, hours after the jet and a companion flight brought the
militants back to the country following years stuck in Oman. The deal secured
freedom for Sandra Loli, an American humanitarian worker held hostage by the
Houthis for 16 months, and Mikael Gidada, a U.S. businessman held for more than
a year, said Kash Patel, a deputy assistant to President Trump who worked on
the deal. The pact also included the return of the remains of Bilal Fateen, a
third American who had been held by the Houthis. U.S. officials provided only
limited information on the three Americans, but said they worked urgently to
secure the deal because Ms. Loli’s health was in decline. The deal also
included delivery of medical aid for Yemen.”

 

CNN: 30% Of UK Terror Plots Disrupted By MI5 Were Far Right, Says Security
Chief
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“The new head of MI5, the UK's domestic security service, has warned that
nearly 30% of the major terror plots it has disrupted at a late stage since
2017 have been from far right extremists. Ken McCallum said that the
pan-European threat from the far right was increasing with “bitty, but
meaningful international connectivity.” In his first engagement with reporters
since taking the job in March, McCallum said far-right extremism was not on
“the same scale as Islamist extremist terrorism. But it is growing: of the 27
late-stage terrorist attack plots in Great Britain disrupted by MI5 and
counter-terror policing since 2017, eight have been right-wing extremist.” He
added that was not the case for the four years before 2017, and that “quite a
few young people [are] attracted to this ideology, which does tend to suggest
this threat will be with us for some years to come.” Yet he added that the far
right, while showing signs of international links, was not yet “a kind of
coherent global movement,” like al Qaeda or ISIS “where you have a sort of
unifying purpose and single organization that pools things together.”
Individuals, “often acting in comparative isolation,” were often fueled by
“social processes, to do with individual's own needs and self view,” McCallum
said, and the far-right ideology was often “tacked on after someone has moved
in that direction.”

 

United States

 

Milwaukee Independent: Rise Of Vehicular-Based Terror Attacks On Peaceful
Protesters Marks New Trend In America’s Civil Unrest
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“In Seattle, a man in a black sedan car barreled into a large demonstration
protesting the killing of George Floyd. After he stopped, he got out and shot a
protestor at point blank range. The crowd scattered in terror. The man calmly
left the area. Meanwhile, in Buffalo a woman screaming racial slurs slammed her
truck into an anti-racist demonstration. Incidents like these have become
commonplace all over America. Wherever there are protests over racial
injustice, there often are acts of violence against them. Indeed, according to
Ari Weil, a terrorism researcher at the University of Chicago’s Project on
Security and Threats, there were 104 separate incidents of drivers crashing
into protests between May 27 – the date of the George Floyd killing – and
September 5, including 96 civilians and 8 police vehicles. The motivations
behind some of the incidents are unknown or contested. Vehicular based terror
attacks have been common for many decades in some parts of the world, but are
only recently gaining a grizzly popularity in the United States. Perhaps the
most infamous incident was the 2017 Charlottesville attack, where James Alex
Fields Jr. plowed through a crowd of anti-racist demonstrators, protesting the
far-right gathering happening in the Virginia town.”

 

Syria

 

The Wall Street Journal: Turkish-Backed Syrian Fighters Join Armenian-Azeri
Conflict
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“Hundreds of fighters from Syrian militias allied with Turkey have joined the
fighting between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the disputed enclave of
Nagorno-Karabakh, and hundreds more are preparing to go, according to two
Syrians involved in the effort. Turkey quickly declared its support for
Muslim-majority Azerbaijan, whose people speak a Turkic language, in the
escalating conflict between two former Soviet republics near the border with
Russia—an area in which Moscow has historically been the dominant influence. On
Monday, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu raised the issue of Middle East
fighters in a phone call with his Turkish counterpart, Hulusi Akar. And on
Tuesday, Russia warned of the possible “transfer of terrorist fighters” from
the Middle East to Nagorno-Karabakh. A senior Turkish official rejected claims
that Ankara was involved in sending Syrian fighters to the Caucasus. “Those
claims, which are intended to distract attention from Armenia’s 30-year
occupation of Azerbaijan’s sovereign territory, are not true,” the official
said. Azeri officials have also denied using foreign mercenaries.”

 

Asharq Al-Awsat: 900 Syrian ISIS Suspects Referred To Court In East Euphrates
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“The Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration courts began the prosecution of
ISIS suspects after around 900 Syrian prisoners were referred to the People's
Defense Court in Qamishli for trial. Social Justice Council of North and East
Syria member Khaled Ali said the court is currently looking into the cases of
around 900 ISIS suspects accused of fighting or having links to the terrorist
organization. He said the laws applied in the trial are those included in
Decree No. 20 that was issued by the Legislative Council of North and East
Syria. About 19,000 ISIS mercenaries, including 12,000 Syrians, are held in the
Autonomous Administration prisons in northeast Syria. On Saturday, the
Autonomous Administration said all prisoners serving time for petty crimes,
those suffering from incurable or terminal diseases and those aged over 75,
will be released from prison. However, the amnesty excluded people charged with
betrayal, espionage, honor killing, sexual abuse, and trading with or consuming
drugs, in addition to commanders in terrorist organizations like ISIS. Ali
called for establishing an international court to prosecute the foreign ISIS
members held in the prisons of the Autonomous Administration that includes
suspects from 55 countries.”

 

Turkey

 

Daily Sabah: Security Forces Arrest 8 Syrian, Iraqi Daesh Terrorist Suspects
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“Turkish police are holding seven Syrians and an Iraqi national for suspected
links to the Daesh terrorist group, security sources said Wednesday. The
Syrians were nabbed in anti-terror operations in the western province of İzmir,
said sources who wished to remain anonymous. The arrested are accused of
working for the terrorist group, with one suspect still at large. Separately,
police rounded up an Iraqi allegedly linked to the terrorist group in central
Niğde province. Although the terrorist group has been largely defeated in Iraq
and Syria, its presence still poses a threat, as individuals following its
ideology encourage others to carry out violence. European analysts warn that
Daesh attacks carried out by isolated individuals who are not under the watch
of intelligence services have become more common. Turkey recognized Daesh as a
terrorist group in 2013 and since then has suffered numerous attacks at the
hands of the organization including four armed assaults, seven bombings and 10
suicide bombings resulting in the death of 315 with hundreds more injured. In
response, Turkey launched military and police operations domestically and
abroad, capturing top Daesh members in counterterrorism efforts at home and in
Syria.”

 

Afghanistan

 

The Washington Post: Taliban Offensive In Helmand Threatens U.S., Afghan Peace
Efforts
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“A Taliban offensive in southern Helmand province has raised concerns here
that a growing wave of insurgent violence could undercut fledgling intra-Afghan
peace talks in Qatar and sabotage a U.S.-Taliban pact reached in February. The
multiday assault in several areas near Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital, was
partly quelled by Afghan forces Tuesday with support from U.S. airstrikes, but
thousands of families were forced to flee the surrounding areas, highways were
blocked, and some Taliban fighters were reported Wednesday to still be
advancing into the city. The complex attack appeared to have been planned
before President Trump tweeted last Wednesday that he wanted to bring all U.S.
troops home by Christmas, a significant shift in policy that immediately put
the Taliban in a stronger bargaining position at the peace talks, which have
been bogged down in disputes for a month. But it also appeared to violate the
intent, if not the letter, of the U.S.-Taliban deal, which included Taliban
pledges to avoid attacking Afghan cities, reduce violence in general and cut
ties with terrorist groups. In return, the United States agreed to gradually
withdraw all troops by May, as long as the insurgents met those conditions.”

 

Pakistan

 

The Associated Press: Pakistan Says Roadside Bomb Kills 6 Troops In Border
Region
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“Pakistan’s military said seven troops were killed in separate incidents on
Wednesday in the country’s northwest, in a region along the Afghan border that
until recent years had served as a base for Pakistani and foreign militants.
Six soldiers, including an officer, died in North Waziristan, when their army
patrol struck two roadside bombs, while a seventh soldier was killed in a
firing incident in the border Bajur region. The military said the shooting had
come from the Afghan side of the frontier. The attack in North Waziristan also
wounded several others, and a second soldier was wounded in the Bajur attack on
a border security post. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the
attacks. Both Bajur and North Waziristan are former tribal regions of the
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Earlier this month, the Pakistani Taliban took
responsibility for a powerful roadside bombing in North Waziristan that
targeted a military vehicle, killing three soldiers and wounding four. Similar
cross-border attacks in in July and September in Bajur killed two Pakistani
soldiers.”

 

Libya

 

The Christian Post: Last Of 21 Christians Martyred By ISIS In Libya Finally
Laid To Rest After 5 Years
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“The remains of a Ghanaian Christian beheaded by the Islamic State terrorist
group on a Libyan beach in an execution video in 2015 has finally been laid to
rest in Egypt. Cairo-based journalist Farid Y. Farid reported on Sept. 29 that
the body of Matthew Ayariga was finally laid to rest alongside the 20 Coptic
Christians who were beheaded beside him on a beach in Sirte, Libya, in a video
released by the jihadi death cult in February 2015.  “His remains finally
arrived today to #Egypt to be laid to rest, w/his Coptic brothers, after 5+yrs
of his body not being claimed,” Farid, who has had articles published in The
New York Times and other outlets, tweeted.  Farid provided a link to an article
by Watani Newspaper, an Egyptian weekly newspaper widely read by Coptic
Christians. The article reports that the families of the Coptic Christians
celebrated the remains of the martyr.  “We collapsed with great joy because the
martyr Matthew is dear to us, and he is one of our children because he was
martyred with our children and adhered to his Christ,” a mother of two of the
martyred Coptic Christians told Watani News. “We thank our master because He
succeeded in returning the remains of the martyr so that he would be next to
his [brothers] in the church.”

 

Nigeria

 

Leadership: Nigeria: Blame Poor Infrastructure For Boko Haram Attacks,
Presence In Northern Borno, Special Rapporteur
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“A special rapporteur has blamed poor infrastructure for the continous
presence of Boko Haram terrorits in northern Borno and recent attacks on the
convoy of Governor Babagana Zulum. Professor Philip Daheeda of the Department
of Public Administration, University of Abuja, made this revelation in a
detailed report on behalf of the Save Humanity Advocacy Centre (SHAC). Daheeda
said it uncovered the actual circumstances surrounding the attack after leading
the SHAC together with other credible non-governmental organizations and civil
society organizations on a fact-finding mission to Northern Borno. Speaking at
a press conference on Tuesday in Abuja, Prof. Daheeda said the troops have made
substantive progress in the north of Borno, particularly the Kukawa/Baga axis
once regarded as the epicentre of the Boko Haram insurgency due to its
proximity to the Lake Chad Basin. He further disclosed that the radical sect
has been significantly incapacitated and have now turned to guerrilla tactics,
planting Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) on routes frequently used by IDPs
returning to their communities.”

 

Somalia

 

Washington Examiner: 'Al Shabaab Presents A Future Threat To America' Says
AFRICOM After Trump Somalia Plans Made Public
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“President Trump’s reported plans to pull U.S. troops from Somalia were not
warmly embraced by U.S. Africa Command, which reacted hesitantly and
underscored al Shabaab's continued terrorist threat to the American homeland.
“Somali Armed Forces are making progress, but the threat al Shabaab presents
requires international assistance,” U.S. Africa Command’s Air Force Col. Chris
Karns told the Washington Examiner. “Al-Shabaab presents a future threat to
America,” he said, “They have communicated as much in their videos and in their
intent. This is a dangerous network that requires pressure placed on its
forces.” The American combatant command, which has been ordered by Trump to
vacate its headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany, is responsible for neutralizing
terrorist threats on the African continent. In Somalia, 650 to 800 American
soldiers help train Somali forces, monitor al Shabaab, conduct intelligence
sharing, and other security assistance activities. But having boots on the
ground in far-flung parts of the world does not jibe with the Trump doctrine.
News of Trump's desire to remove U.S. troops from Somalia was first reported by
Bloomberg Tuesday. AFRICOM forces have been part of the international effort to
strengthen Somali security institutions since 2008.”

 

Dalsan Radio: Somalia: Somali Intelligence Agency Seize 79 Tons Of Bomb-Making
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“Somalia's National Intelligence and security agency (NISA) said its troops
have seized 79 tonnes of sulphuric acid smuggled into the country for use by
al-Shabab militants to make explosives. “We have seized 79 tonnes of sulphuric
acid and arrested a number of people who smuggled it into the country and were
transporting it to the al-Shabab militants,” NISA said in a tweet. The agency
added that investigations were ongoing and the suspects will be arraigned later
in court. Military court in Jubaland sentences Alshabab militant death Police
in Puntland destroy bottles of Alcohol and Hashish. Somalia Marks 66th
Anniversary of Its Blue Flag It did not reveal when the seizure was made. This
comes as the horn of Africa marks the third anniversary of the 14 October 2017
bombing in the capital, Mogadishu, that killed over 600 people. Al-Shabab did
not say it carried out the attack, although it frequently stages attacks in the
capital.”

 

Africa

 

Mozambique News Agency: Alleged Terrorist Recruiter Released
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“The Mozambican police have released 39 year old Joseph Adremane Kumucho, who
had initially been accused of recruiting young men to join the islamist
terrorists waging war in the northern province of Cabo Delgado. Tuesday's issue
of the independent newssheet “Carta de Mocambique” reports that Kumucho was
arrested by the defence and security forces on Saturday in Mueda district, and
then transferred to Montepuez in the southern part of Cabo Delgado. The
newsheet's sources say that Kumucho was released after his family and friends
convinced the authorities that they had arrested the wrong man. Failure to
gather sufficient evidence has been a recurrent problem for the police in Cabo
Delgado, and is why many of those charged with terrorist offences have been
released. In six trials held in the provincial capital, Pemba, 130 alleged
terrorists were acquitted and 126 were convicted. They were sentenced to prison
terms of between two to 40 years for crimes against state security, against
state organisation, for instigating violence and collective disobedience, and
possession of prohibited weapons. Most of those convicted are Mozambicans but
they also include citizens of Somalia, Tanzania and Burundi.”

 

France

 

Voice Of America: Man Who Attacked Paris Police Officer Sentenced To 28 Years
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“A Paris court on Wednesday handed down a 28-year jail term to the Algerian
man who attacked a police officer with a hammer in 2017 as officers guarded
Notre Dame Cathedral. Farid Ikken, now 43, was convicted of attempted terrorist
murder. Beginning with the 2015 terror attack in Paris on Charlie Hebdo
magazine staff, in which 17 people were killed, France has been the site of
several such incidents. Many of the attacks have targeted French security
forces. In 2017, Ikken a former doctoral student, yelled, “This is for Syria,”
before he charged officers outside the well-known tourist site. One officer was
struck in the head with the hammer. Ikken was shot and wounded by other
officers. Prosecutors said that during a search of Ikken's home, police found a
declaration of allegiance to Islamic State in a self-filmed video on his
computer. They say he appeared to have acted alone. The trial began Monday. On
Tuesday, Ikken testified that he had no regrets for his role in the incident,
adding he still felt a “satisfaction of duty accomplished” after the attack.”

 

Europe

 

The Guardian: Neo-Nazi Leaders Of Greece's Golden Dawn Sentenced To 13 Years
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“The neo-Nazi leaders of Golden Dawn have each been sentenced to 13 years in
prison by a court in Athens, at the end of a historic hearing. The neo-fascist
group was officially laid to rest as its disgraced former MPs were shown little
mercy by a three-member panel of judges. Last week the court ruled that Golden
Dawn lawmakers had operated a criminal organisation under the guise of being a
democratically elected party. A public prosecutor proposed lengthy prison terms
for 57 defendants convicted of murder, assault, weapons possession and either
running or participating in the criminal outfit, and on Wednesday a total of
more than 500 years behind bars was handed down by the tribunal. The court,
which almost unanimously dismissed pleas for leniency, went into recess
following the announcement to deliberate on whether the sentences would be
suspended pending appeal. Defence lawyers had argued during the marathon legal
proceedings for sentences to be reduced, citing their clients’ good behaviour,
honourable family lives and even love of animals. Under Greece’s revised penal
code, the maximum prison sentence for the crime of heading a criminal gang is
15 years.”

 

Technology

 

Forbes: ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire’ But For Terror Attacks: Game Trains
Police To Get Facebook Data Fast
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“When a terrorist strikes, getting information fast from a tech giant can make
the difference between police catching the suspects, or another attack taking
place. That’s the premise of a new game created by Europol, the European body
responsible for connecting the continent’s myriad policing agencies and helping
them investigate major crimes. Right now, police officers are often confused by
the process. What data can they request from which provider? Can they retrieve
any encrypted content from the likes of Apple or WhatsApp? What legal
mechanisms should they be using? What’s the best language to use to ensure they
get the information they want quickly? The game, exclusively shown to Forbes
ahead of its release to law enforcement partners and their 4,500 officers on
Wednesday, hopes to make sure police know the answers to those when an
emergency happens. It looks much like Who Wants To Be A Millionaire but crossed
with a create your own adventure game and without the options of phoning a
friend or asking the audience. It opens with a hypothetical terror attack in
which a gunman has started firing at people on a city street, killing 15 and
injuring many others. When the player arrives on the scene, they learn that the
suspect has fled but had worn a body camera to livestream the event.”

 



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