Iraq’s foreign minister Wednesday condemned a rocket attack in the capital a
day earlier, calling it a “terrorist act,” and said combat operations by

 

 


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Eye on Extremism


November 19, 2020

 

Associated Press: Iraqi Official Says Combat Operations Against ISIS By US-Led
Coalition Ending After Troop Drawdown
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“Iraq’s foreign minister Wednesday condemned a rocket attack in the capital a
day earlier, calling it a “terrorist act,” and said combat operations by the
U.S.-led coalition will cease once troop withdrawals take place in the coming
weeks. Fuad Hussein’s comments came hours after seven rockets struck Baghdad,
four of them exploding inside the heavily fortified Green Zone, the seat of
Iraq’s government and home to the U.S. Embassy. The rockets, which killed a
child and wounded five other civilians, indicated an end to an informal truce
announced by Iran-backed militias in October to halt attacks targeting the U.S.
presence in Iraq. One rocket landed just 600 meters (2,000 feet) from the U.S.
Embassy compound, Iraqi security officials said. U.S. troops invaded Iraq in
2003 and left in 2011 but returned in 2014 after the Islamic State group
overran large parts of Iraq. Frequent attacks targeting the U.S. Embassy and
vehicles transporting equipment for U.S. troops have led Washington to threaten
to close its Baghdad diplomatic mission. Hussein called the attack against the
Green Zone “blatant, criminal and terrorist” in comments to reporters following
a meeting with the U.S. ambassador and U.S. military leaders.”

 

Shabelle Media Natwork: Somalia: U.S. Blacklists Al-Shabaab Unit Leader After
Deadly Kenya Attack <[link removed]>

 

“The United States on Tuesday put on its terror blacklist the leader of an
elite unit of Al-Shabaab blamed for a January attack in Kenya that killed three
Americans. The State Department said that it was listing Maalim Ayman, leader
of the Al-Shabaab squad Jaysh Ayman, as well as Abdullahi Osman Mohamed, who
manages both explosives and media for the Al-Qaeda-linked movement as a whole,
as Specially Designated Global Terrorists. Authorities say the Jaysh Ayman unit
carried out the January attack on Camp Simba on Kenya's northern coast, killing
three American personnel and destroying several aircraft.A 2018 study by the
Jamestown Foundation described Jaysh Ayman as the Somali-based Al-Shabaab's
effort to create a well-equipped “local” unit inside Kenya. Kenya has suffered
a series of devastating attacks since it sent troops into Somalia in 2011 as
part of an African Union mission that chased Al-Shabaab out of the capital
Mogadishu. Al-Shabaab -- designated by Washington as a terrorist movement in
2008 -- was suspected in another suicide attack Tuesday at a Mogadishu
restaurant that killed at last five people. Nathan Sales, the State Department
counterterrorism coordinator, said that the United States was working with
Kenya, Somalia, and other nations to apply “all instruments of national power”
against Al-Shabaab.”

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United States

 

The Philadelphia Inquirer: Pa. Husband And Wife Plead Guilty To Helping
Relatives Who Joined ISIS
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“A Pennsylvania husband and wife originally from Bangladesh pleaded guilty
Wednesday in federal court in Philadelphia to providing support to family
members who joined ISIS, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.Shahidul Gaffar, 40, a
naturalized U.S. citizen, and his wife, Nabila Khan, 35, a legal permanent
resident, pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide material support to a
terrorist organization. The maximum sentences for both would be five years in
prison, $250,000 fines, and three years of supervised release. Court documents
show that Gaffar and Khan were listed as not in custody when they appeared in
court to make their pleas. Prosecutors identified Gaffar and Khan as
Pennsylvania residents but did not say specifically where they were living. The
financial support, amounting to several thousand dollars, according to the
newly unsealed information, aided two of Khan’s brothers, identified only by
the initials JK and IK. Both men moved to Syria to join ISIS fighters. IK was
killed in fighting last year, prosecutors said. The conspiracy dates to 2015
and also involves Khan’s mother, identified as YPK, who lived in Bangladesh and
Saudi Arabia during the conspiracy, and Khan’s twin sister, NK, who lived in
Bangladesh, prosecutors said.”

 

Syria

 

Agence France-Presse: Daesh Kills 11 Pro-Regime Fighters In Syria Clashes:
Monitor
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“Clashes in the Syrian desert between Russia-backed Syrian government forces
and Daesh (Islamic State group) militants killed 11 regime loyalists Wednesday,
a Britain-based pro-opposition war monitor said. Mobile Daesh units have
remained active in the Badia desert since the jihadists lost the last shred of
their self-proclaimed caliphate in March last year. A group of Daesh militants
on Wednesday ambushed a Syrian regime convoy deployed to the desert to sweep it
for hideouts, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The subsequent
clashes killed at least 11 regime and pro-government fighters, including a
Syrian army general, the monitor added. At least 17 other pro-government forces
were wounded in the fighting some 70 kilometres (40 miles) southwest of the
town of Al-Mayadeen. Intermittent fighting, mostly in the Badia, has killed
more than 980 regime fighters and 140 allied Iran-backed combatants since March
2019, as well as more than 530 IS jihadists, the Observatory said. IS overran
large parts of Syria and Iraq in 2014, declaring a proto-state there, before
military campaigns in both countries led to its territorial defeat.”

 

Iran

 

WTOP: The Hunt: Death Of Top Al Qaida Commander In Tehran Was Covered Up
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“Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah, the second in command of the terror group Al Qaida,
was assassinated recently in Iran.On this week’s episode of “The Hunt with WTOP
NSC JJ Green,” Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler, senior director of the Counter
Extremism Project, explains what happened.”

 

Afghanistan

 

France 24: Taliban Hails US Troop Drawdown From Afghanistan As 'Good Step'
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“The Taliban on Wednesday welcomed the Pentagon's announcement it would soon
pull about 2,000 US troops from Afghanistan as a “good step” that will help end
the country's long-running conflict. The Pentagon announced Tuesday that the US
will slash troop levels in Afghanistan and Iraq to their lowest levels in
nearly 20 years of war after President Donald Trump pledged to end conflicts
abroad. “It is a good step and in the interest of the people of both
countries,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told AFP, referring to the US
and Afghanistan. “The sooner the foreign forces leave, the more the war will be
prevented.” Critics have expressed concerns that a precipitous departure could
embolden the Taliban and erode gains made since 2001, when US-led forces ousted
the hardline Islamists in the wake of the September 11 attacks. The latest
Pentagon move would see 2,000 US troops quit Afghanistan by January 15, less
than a week before President-elect Joe Biden is expected to be sworn into
office. The withdrawal follows outgoing President Donald Trump's plan to end US
military involvement in Afghanistan. Under a deal signed February 29, the Trump
administration agreed to pull all foreign forces from the country by May 2021.”

 

Yemen

 

Al Monitor: Aid Groups In Yemen Say Houthi Terror Designation Would Deepen
Crisis
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“Should the Trump administration formally designate Yemen’s Houthi rebels as a
terrorist organization, aid groups say it would greatly undermine their ability
to deliver life-saving assistance to millions of civilians and worsen what the
United Nations calls the world’s worst humanitarian catastrophe. In an effort
to financially squeeze the Houthi group and pressure its regional backer, Iran,
the State Department is considering naming the entire Houthi movement a foreign
terrorist organization, as reported by Foreign Policy earlier this week. Saudi
Arabia has lobbied hard for the terrorism designation, which would criminalize
material support for the Houthis, trigger an asset freeze and impose a travel
ban to the United States. The Trump administration might instead designate
individual Houthi leaders as specially designated global terrorists, said a
source familiar with the matter, in a mostly symbolic action that carries
similar financial sanctions. The Iran-aligned group has waged a nearly six-year
war in Yemen against a Saudi-led military coalition that intervened in early
2015 to restore the internationally recognized government. The fighting killed
more than 100,000 people, devastated Yemen’s health infrastructure and pushed
the impoverished country to the brink of famine.”

 

Foreign Policy: U.N. Pulling Americans From Northern Yemen Ahead Of Houthi
Terrorist Designation
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“American staffers for the United Nations and some workers at nongovernmental
organizations have been relocated out of northern Yemen in anticipation of the
Trump administration’s possible terrorist designation for the Iran-backed
Houthi rebels that is likely to complicate aid deliveries and further
exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in the war-torn country. Officials familiar
with the decision said that more than a dozen Americans working for the U.N.
and international relief agencies in Yemen have been transferred temporarily
out of Houthi-controlled territory in Sanaa. It remained unclear whether they
have been redeployed to southern Yemen or to the Ethiopian capital of Addis
Ababa, or when they might return. Depending on conditions in the country, the
staff could return to regular rotations after a short leave. On Monday night,
the U.N. sent an urgent WhatsApp message to relief agencies warning it was
“most likely the designation of AA [Ansar Allah] as a terrorist organization
will take place tonight by US Gov. UN are encouraging all US citizens to leave
the North of Yemen as the implications are unknown.”

 

Middle East

 

France 24: Al Qaeda Deputy Leader Killed: Breaking Down The Mystery
Surrounding His Reported Death
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“Last week, The New York Times reported that Israeli agents, at the behest of
the US, had assassinated al Qaeda's number two on the streets of Tehran. Abu
Muhammad al-Masri was gunned down along with his daughter, Miriam. She was also
reportedly a target, as she was being groomed for a leadership role in al
Qaeda. Iran has vehemently denied these reports. To shed some light on this
story, we talk to Ronen Bergman. He's one of the writers of the piece and also
the author of “Rise and Kill First: The Secret History of Israel's Targeted
Assassinations”. Meanwhile, Lebanon has entered its second lockdown to curb the
spread of the coronavirus. This comes as the country reports more than 100,000
cases. Officials hope the latest restrictions will give the health sector time
to avoid a collapse. But many fear the economic impact, especially struggling
local businesses. Our correspondent Linda Tamim reports. And in Israel, a small
stream is stoking ethnic divisions between Jews. Part of the stream crosses a
kibbutz, a collective community in Israel which was built by European Jews more
than six decades ago. Now, residents of the neighbouring town – mostly Arab and
North African Jews – want the right to swim there, but the kibbutz won't agree.”

 

Nigeria

 

Fox News: Nigeria’s Christians Become Target Of Genocide As International
Community Remains Silent: Advocates
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“The religious persecution of Christians in Nigeria is teetering on genocide,
religious leaders and foreign policy analysts caution in a desperate bid for
the international community to take urgent action. The Rev. Johnnie Moore,
co-author of the new book “The Next Jihad: Stop the Christian Genocide in
Africa,” told Fox News that Christian communities have been decimated by
terrorists in parts of Nigeria – and most of the persecution happening in the
shadows. “Thousands of churches have been torched, children massacred, pastors
beheaded, and homes and fields set ablaze by the tens of thousands, with people
being targeted for their Christian faith alone,” he said. Earlier this year –
just weeks before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic – Christian
Solidarity International (CSI) warned of a possible genocide unfolding in the
West Africa country of 206 million people. The warning underscored that “the
conditions for genocide exist in Nigeria, with Christians, non-violent Muslims,
and adherents of tribal religions being particularly vulnerable,” and called on
the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council to take heed. But the cry
fell on deaf ears, and as the pandemic has gripped the already fragile state,
the level of persecution is documented to be getting worse.”

 

Somalia

 

The New York Times: Somalia Worries That A U.S. Withdrawal Will Be Disastrous
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“The American-trained Somali commando force Danab is usually deployed to
counter the Qaeda-linked group Al Shabab: liberating areas it controls, ending
its attacks on government offices and beachside restaurants, and targeting
senior Shabab operatives. But with President Trump expected to withdraw
American troops from Somalia, the highly specialized Somali force will be left
in limbo, jeopardizing whatever security gains it helped achieve in recent
years, officials and observers said. The U.S. military presence has been
heavily focused on training, equipping and supporting the elite 850-soldier
Somali unit. “The United States troops and the Danab unit they have trained are
the ones who have taken a critical lead in disrupting terrorism activities,”
said Hussein Sheikh-Ali, chairman of the Hiraal Institute research group and a
former national security adviser to the Somali president. “If the mentor
leaves, the unit might just literally collapse.” Following the Pentagon’s
formal announcement on Tuesday that the United States will reduce its military
presence in Afghanistan and Iraq, acting Defense Secretary Christopher C.
Miller, a former Green Beret and top counterterrorism official, is also
expected to approve in the coming days plans to remove most if not all of the
more than 700 American troops in Somalia conducting training and
counterterrorism missions.”

 

Africa

 

Associated Press: Burkina Faso Moves Ahead With Vote Despite Extremist Attacks
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“A change in Burkina Faso’s electoral code means results from this month’s
election will be considered valid even if people can’t vote in parts of the
West African country that are overrun by Islamic extremist violence. Candidates
like Tegawende Ouedraogo, who ran and lost in 2015, fear the change could cost
them the election. The 38-year-old is based in one of the hardest hit areas in
the country, Sanmatenga province. The province accounts for almost 10% of the
more than 2,000 fatalities due to violence this year, according to the Armed
Conflict Location & Event Data Project and thousands of people might not be
able to vote. “When a tire bursts, people run away. There might be rumors of
attacks and people will not go to polling stations,” he said. Burkina Faso will
go to the polls on Nov. 22 to vote in presidential and legislative elections
marred by ongoing violence. Attacks linked to Islamic militants have ravaged
the once peaceful nation, forcing more than 1 million people from their homes
and making swaths of land inaccessible. It now threatens to undermine the
legitimacy of the elections. Burkina Faso’s main political parties voted to
change the law in July, making the election valid based on the areas where
people can vote, instead of previously requiring ballots to be cast across the
country.”

 

Mozambique News Agency: PM Calls For Unity To Face Terrorism
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“Mozambican Prime Minister Carlos Agostinho do Rosario on Wednesday urged all
Mozambicans “to unite efforts in facing our common enemy of terrorism which is
endangering the territorial integrity of our country and the tranquillity and
welfare of the population”. Speaking in the Mozambican parliament, the Assembly
of the Republic, in a question and answer session between the deputies and the
government, Rosario said “this is one of those moments when, faced with the
threat to territorial integrity and to the welfare of the public caused by the
heinous acts of terrorism, there should be no room for us to display political
party, ethnic, racial or religious differences”. “We must all remain vigilant
and support the defence and security forces in the struggle against the
terrorists”, in the northern province of Cabo Delgado. The jihadist group in
Cabo Delgado, which has pledged allegiance to the so-called “Islamic State”,
has committed “the most barbaric atrocities”, said Rosario, “including the
indiscriminate beheading of defenceless people, and the destruction of homes
and of public and private infrastructure”. With such acts, the terrorists “are
creating panic and fear among the population, who are forced to abandon their
places of origin”, he added.”

 

United Kingdom

 

The New York Times: The Pandemic Makes Young People More Open To
Radicalization, British Police Say
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“British police say the coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent social
isolation have contributed to a “perfect storm” that is making more young
people vulnerable to radicalization. Neil Basu, the assistant commissioner of
the Metropolitan Police, said that police had already seen a sharp increase in
extremist material online and, with young people spending more time online in
isolation without the protective influence of schools and support networks,
they were increasingly at risk. “In my opinion that is a perfect storm, one
which we cannot predict and that we might be feeling the effects of for many
years to come,” Mr. Basu said in a statement released by the police on
Wednesday. The comments come after a series of attacks in France and a shooting
this month in Vienna, all linked to Islamist extremists. Britain’s terror
threat level was raised to its highest — severe — in the wake of the violence,
meaning authorities suspect an attack is likely, though without a specified
threat. Mr. Basu also noted that the police are seeing more young people being
drawn to terrorist activity. In 2019, 12 children under the age of 18 —
including some as young as 14 — were arrested in relation to terrorism
offenses, he said.”

 

BBC News: Manchester Arena Inquiry: Attack On Crowds Leaving 'Not On Our Radar'
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“A police counter-terrorism security adviser said prior to the Manchester
bombing the risk of an attack on crowds leaving an event was not considered.
Liz Forster, Greater Manchester Police's principal adviser, told the public
inquiry into the arena attack: “It's changed the way we operate.” Ms Forster
agreed it was a watershed moment as the threat to crowds in the foyer was not
“on our radar” then. Twenty-two people died as they left an Ariana Grande
concert in May 2017. The inquiry at Manchester Magistrates' Court is looking
into the security advice police gave to the venue. The threat to people in the
arena foyer “wasn't in sharp focus” at the time, Ms Forster told the hearing.
“This sounds dreadful, but it wasn't the remit so we didn't look at crowds
outside of that site perimeter. “At that time, 2014, that is not something that
was on our radar.” She said her counter-terrorism advisers helped venues by
“identifying vulnerabilities at a site that…. a dedicated attacker may take
advantage of”. Their advice “won't necessarily stop an attack, it will help to
mitigate the outcome or deter an attacker”, she said. She agreed the arena
attack was a watershed moment for giving counter-terrorism security advice. “It
was a totally different methodology… the attack for egress, so waiting around
for people to come out.”

 

Reuters: UK Police Arrest Man Over 1974 Birmingham Pub Bombings
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“British counter-terrorism police said on Wednesday they had arrested a man
over the 1974 pub bombings in the city of Birmingham which killed 21 people,
the deadliest attack on the British mainland in 30 years of Northern Irish
violence. The bombings took place in the crowded Mulberry Bush pub and The
Tavern in Birmingham, central England, on Nov. 21, 1974. Although the Irish
Republican Army (IRA) was believed to have planted the explosives, it never
claimed responsibility. West Midlands Police said counter-terrorism officers
had arrested a 65-year-old man at his home in Belfast on Wednesday in
connection with the attacks. “The man was arrested under the Terrorism Act and
a search of his home is being carried out,” they said in a statement. “He will
be interviewed under caution at a police station in Northern Ireland.” The
bombings, in which over 180 people were also wounded, caused the biggest loss
of life on the British mainland during the 30 years of conflict between mostly
Catholic nationalists, who favoured Northern Ireland’s unification with the
Republic of Ireland, and Protestants wanting to stay in the United Kingdom. The
violence, known as “The Troubles” in which some 3,600 people died, was largely
brought to an end with the 1998 Good Friday agreement.”

 

Germany

 

Associated Press: German Prosecutors Seek Life For Right-Wing Extremist Who
Attacked Synagogue On Yom Kippur
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“German prosecutors called Wednesday for a court to impose a life sentence on
a 28-year-old right-wing extremist who attacked a synagogue in the eastern city
of Halle last year, killing two people after he failed to gain entry to the
building. The attack on Yom Kippur, Judaism's holiest day, is considered one of
the worst anti-Semitic assaults in Germany's post-war history. The defendant,
Stephan Balliet, has is alleged to have posted a screed against Jews before
trying to shoot his way into the synagogue on Oct. 9, 2019, while broadcasting
the attack live on a popular gaming site. Federal prosecutors asked the court
in nearby Magdeburg to convict Balliet of murder, attempted murder, incitement
to hatred and attempted violent extortion. They urged the judges to find the
defendant “seriously culpable,” meaning that he would be barred from early
release after 15 years. During his trial, which began in July, Balliet admitted
he wanted to enter the synagogue and kill 51 people inside. When he was unable
to open the building's heavy doors, the German shot and killed a 40-year-old
woman in the street outside and a 20-year-old man at a nearby kebab shop, and
wounded several others. Federal prosecutor Kai Lohse said the shooting had been
an attack not just on the people inside the synagogue but on Jewish life in
general in Germany.”

 

Europe

 

New Europe: ΜEPs Call For Stronger EU Response To Terrorist Threats
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“The members of the European Parliament’s Civil Liberties Committee have
called for an enhanced EU approach to terrorist threats, in the wake of several
terror attacks across Europe. Their call came on Monday, during a discussion
with Home Affairs Commissioner, Ylva Johansson and Christian Klos, from
Germany’s Interior Ministry, whose country currently holds the rotating
six-month EU Council Presidency.  It followed a series of terror events across
Europe, that started with the killing of Samuel Paty, a history teacher who was
beheaded by a Moscow-born Chechen refugee for showing cartoons of prophet
Mohammed during a class on freedom of speech, and further escalated with the
killing of three people in the French city of Nice, at the heart of the
Notre-Dam Basilica and most recently, with the attack in front of the main
synagogue in Austria’s capital, Vienna, that left four people dead and dozens
injured. During last week’s plenary session, MEPs stressed the need to further
develop the bloc’s counter-terrorism strategy, along with additional efforts to
promote fundamental freedoms and integration. To this end, the Civil Liberties
Committee is preparing a resolution on the EU Security Union Strategy, that
will reflect the parliament’s priorities over the next five years.”



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