Eye on Extremism
September 19, 2019
Associated
Press: US Says Attack On Saudi Oil Site Was An Iranian ‘Act Of
War’
“U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday called the attack
on Saudi Arabia’s oil installations an “act of war” against the
kingdom by Iran, as the Saudis displayed missile and drone wreckage
and cited other evidence they said shows the raid was “unquestionably
sponsored by Iran.” Iran, which has denied involvement in the attack,
warned the U.S. it will retaliate immediately if it is targeted.
President Donald Trump, meanwhile, said he is moving to increase
financial sanctions on Tehran over the attack. He was noncommittal on
whether he would order U.S. military retaliation. At a news
conference, Saudi military spokesman Col. Turki al-Malki said the
attack Saturday that did heavy damage to the heart of the Saudi oil
industry was “launched from the north and was unquestionably sponsored
by Iran.” Yemen is south of Saudi Arabia, while Iran and Iraq lie to
the north.”
CBS
News: American Airlines Mechanic Charged With Sabotaging Plane Accused
Of Having ISIS Videos
“An American Airlines mechanic charged with sabotaging a plane is
now accused of having ties to terrorists. According to
prosecutors, Abdul-Majeed Marouf Ahmed Alani shared videos stored on
his phone of ISIS murders. Family of Alani were in court as a federal
judge deemed him a danger and a flight risk, citing new evidence of
potential terrorist sympathies in denying the 60-year-old mechanic
bail. On July 17th, Alani allegedly super glued styrofoam inside the
nose of an American Airlines 737, interfering with the plane's
navigation system, prompting an alert stopping pilots from taking off.
At the time, 150 people were on board but no one was hurt. Alani said
he was upset about stalled contract talks which had affected him
financially. Alani is an Iraqi born naturalized U.S. citizen, who
prosecutors now claim shared videos stored on his cell phone of ISIS
murders, made statements wishing Allah would use “divine powers” to
harm non-Muslims, had recently sent money to someone in Iraq and has a
brother there, who may have ties to the Islamic State. Alani's lawyer
said he didn't intentionally put people in danger, because the plane
had backup systems. Alani passed regular background checks. So far, he
has not been charged with any terror-related offenses.”
The
New York Times: Taliban Blast Kills At Least 20 In Latest Spasm Of
Violence In Afghanistan
“A Taliban truck bomb killed at least 20 people and injured 95
others when it exploded near a hospital in southern Afghanistan on
Thursday, a provincial official said, with casualties expected to rise
as rescuers searched the rubble from the blast. The Taliban, who have
been carrying out nearly daily attacks since the collapse of peace
talks with the United States this month, said the target was a nearby
building housing the government’s intelligence department in Qalat,
the capital of Zabul Province. “The bomb was huge and it was carried
by a mini-truck,” said a senior Defense Ministry official in the
capital, Kabul, speaking on condition of anonymity as he was not
authorized to speak to the news media. The militants wanted to target
a training base for Afghanistan’s powerful National Directorate of
Security, but parked the vehicle laden with explosives outside a
hospital gate nearby, said another Defense Ministry official. Twenty
bodies and 95 injured people have been taken from the blast site, said
Haji Atta Jan Haqbayan, a member of the provincial council in Qalat.
“The number of casualties may rise as rescue teams and people are
still searching for bodies under the rubble,” he added. Several women,
children, health workers and patients in the hospital were critically
injured in the blast.”
The
Wall Street Journal: Lebanon, Hezbollah And Iran’s Emerging Client
State
“After Iran’s attack on a Saudi oil refinery last weekend, the U.S.
sent a Navy destroyer as a show of support for allies. But the USS
Ramage didn’t sail to the Arabian Peninsula. It docked, bizarrely, in
the Port of Beirut, in Lebanon—a country dominated by Iran’s terrorist
proxy, Hezbollah. The U.S. continues to treat Lebanon as a friend,
even as the difference between its government and Hezbollah has become
hard to discern. Earlier this summer, the U.S. Treasury imposed
sanctions on Lebanon’s Jammal Trust Bank for facilitating Hezbollah
transactions. Days later, Hezbollah fired missiles at Israel from
territory it controls in southern Lebanon, with the government’s full
support. Over three U.S. administrations, since George W. Bush ’s
second term, the Washington consensus on Lebanon has gone something
like this: The best way to deal with the Hezbollah challenge is to
empower the pro-Western political bloc, strengthen state institutions,
and shield the banking sector. That’s like fighting cancer with a
placebo, and the disease has overtaken the patient. Although the
Treasury described Jammal Trust as Hezbollah’s “bank of choice,” it’s
hardly the only Lebanese bank infected with Hezbollah finance.”
The
Washington Post: Facebook, Google And Twitter Face Fresh Heat From
Congress On Harmful Online Content
“Congressional lawmakers are drafting a bill to create a “national
commission” at the Department of Homeland Security to study the ways
that social media can be weaponized — and the effectiveness of tech
giants’ efforts to protect users from harmful content online. The
draft House bill obtained by The Washington Post is slated to be
introduced and considered next week. If passed, the commission would
be empowered — with the authority to hold hearings and issue subpoenas
— to study the way social media companies police the Web and to
recommend potential legislation. It also would create a federal social
media task force to coordinate the government’s response to security
issues. The effort reflects a growing push by members of Congress to
combat online hate speech, disinformation and other harmful content
online, including a hearing held Wednesday where Senate lawmakers
questioned Facebook, Google and Twitter executives to probe whether
their platforms have become conduits for real-world violence.”
Newstalk
ZB (New Zealand): Facebook And Right Wing Extremism
"CEP Senior Director Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler discusses Facebook's
plan to expand to Australia a program that targets right wing
extremism on its platform. The program was begun last year in the U.S.
Schindler said it was "astonishing" that it took the Christchurch
mosque attacks for Facebook to recognize that right wing extremist
content could lead to violence."
United States
AL.com:
Alabama Man Arrested In Terrorism Probe; Allegedly Said He Would Kill
Soldier For ISIS
“An Alabama man has been apprehended as part of a yearslong
terrorism probe in which the FBI says he told agents he would execute
a U.S. soldier if ordered to do so by the Islamic State group. FBI
agents took Nayef Qashou into custody Monday. He's charged with lying
to the FBI and destroying records. In a newly unsealed affidavit, the
FBI says Qashou arrived in the U.S. through Atlanta's airport in 2015,
planning to study nursing at an Opelika, Alabama, community college.
The FBI interviewed him more than a dozen times over the next four
years. He used encrypted phone apps to communicate with suspected
terrorists who told him he should carry out an attack in the United
States, the FBI said. “Qashou would not tell interviewers exactly how
he responded to the suggestion to conduct a U.S. attack,” FBI Special
Agent Scott Sullivan wrote in the sworn affidavit. “He stated he
essentially responded by saying the only way he could justify an
attack is for it to be against U.S. Armed Forces personnel on U.S.
soil.” The nature of the encrypted communication was to discuss
attacks against U.S. forces, among other things, the affidavit states.
FBI agents searched his home in Auburn, telling a judge they were
looking for computer equipment and computer storage devices.”
Business
Insider: A 22-Year-Old From Minneapolis Who Is Jailed In Syria Says
ISIS Recruited Him On Twitter
“A 22-year-old from Minneapolis who is jailed in northern Syria
says was recruited to join ISIS on Twitter when he was just 18 years
old. Abdelhamid Al-Madioum, a naturalized US citizen, told CBS News
his story from a prison run by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces
(SDF). Al-Madioum said he entered ISIS territory in 2015, when he was
18. He had been contacted on Twitter, and started watching propaganda
videos that claimed ISIS was helping Muslims. He said he saw ISIS
terrorism as “fake news,” and wanted to become a doctor for the
extremist group. “They gave me a blank check to buy whatever I
wanted,” Al-Madioum said. “Here's the thing. People like me that see
this, don't really believe the news.” Al-Madioum disappeared while on
a family vacation in Morocco in 2015, according to court documents
detailed by the Minneapolis Star Tribune in 2017. His parents said he
had been on his phone more than usual, and that he secretly booked a
flight to Istanbul. From there, he made his way to Syria and joined
the Islamic State. After failed attempts to reach their son,
Al-Madioum's parents went to the US consulate and spoke to FBI agents
about their son's disappearance. FBI agents found notes in his room
that detailed his plans to leave the Islamic state.”
Newsweek:
White Supremacy Is A Global Terror Threat: Report
“A new study by the Anti-Defamation League has found that white
supremacy is being internationalized “like never before.” American
white supremacists, the report finds, are connecting with European
counterparts online and in person to create a cross-Atlantic force of
bigotry and anti-Semitism. “As white supremacy grows and connects
across borders, it has become essential to understand how followers
are growing their networks and recruiting new members,” said Sharon
Nazarian, ADL senior vice president for international affairs. “On
both sides of the Atlantic, racist and xenophobic views are seeping
into mainstream social discourse. This growing network of hate has
emboldened white supremacists who see themselves as part of a global
movement to 'save the white race.'“ As European and American white
nationalists coordinate their messaging and activities, there has been
a marked rise in hate crimes abroad and at home, according to the
report. The cross-pollination of these ideas has led to a
normalization of open hate crimes and a rise in hateful rhetoric in
politics.”
The
National Interest: Nuclear Terrorism Remains A Threat That America
Should Remain Vigilant Against
“Just in time for the annual appearance of cherry blossoms,
fifty-two heads of state will come to Washington to discuss nuclear
security. The fourth and final Nuclear Security Summit, launched by
President Barack Obama in 2010, will take stock of the progress made
in securing vulnerable nuclear material over the last six years.
Thanks to the summit process, nuclear security, which was previously
relegated to small groups of mainly Western bureaucrats and nuclear
nerds, has become a prominent issue on the international stage. Major
media outlets cover it, governments around the world have been forced
to learn about it and greater understanding exists of why protecting
nuclear material is critical to international security. Despite the
buzz that these regular meetings of heads of states have generated,
many states around the world and their citizens still do not consider
nuclear security a relevant concern. The message the Nuclear Security
Summit is promoting—that nuclear or high-risk radiological material
might end up in the wrong hands and used in a bomb—just doesn’t
resonate.”
The
Washington Examiner: The Pentagon Is Taking On ISIS 'Clandestine
Insurgency'
“The remnants of the Islamic State have returned to the group's
insurgent roots since the destruction of its land caliphate earlier
this year, but it may be regrouping to make another land grab, the
Pentagon says. The terrorist group has been operating in a
“clandestine” fashion since losing the last of its territory in Iraq
and Syria, said Chris Maier, director of the Pentagon's Defeat-ISIS
Task Force, in a Wednesday press briefing. ”They established control
over large swaths of territory. We see no indication that that
intention or desire has gone away,” Maier told the Washington
Examiner. “The reason we use 'clandestine insurgency' is because we
think this is a calculated effort on their part to stay below the
radar screen, re-gather strength, and then potentially attempt to
establish a caliphate or something more down the road.” He described
the group as having a “shadow” of its former military, economic, and
political strength but added it's clear ISIS survivors are attempting
to “seep back into some of the areas where they've lost the ability to
control or govern.” Maier did not say exactly how many ISIS forces
remain but estimated there are thousands between Iraq and Syria.”
The
Washington Post: How Trump Can Punish Iran, Without Starting A
War
“President Trump is reportedly looking for a way to respond to
Iran’s brazen attack on Saudi Arabia that would be proportional but
not drag the United States into a new war. The best place for such a
response would be in Syria, where Iran’s military and its proxies are
committing war crimes and where Iran’s regional aggression needs to be
stopped anyway. The president and Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) got
into a public dispute on Twitter Tuesday over the administration’s
Iran policy and a potential U.S. response to last weekend’s drone and
missile attack on Saudi oil facilities, which U.S. officials believe
was perpetrated by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Trump’s June decision to abort a strike inside Iran following the
downing of a U.S. drone was “clearly seen by the Iranian regime as a
sign of weakness,” according to Graham, who added that “the goal
should be to restore deterrence against Iranian aggression which has
clearly been lost.”
The
New York Times: Trump Weighs Retaliation Against Iran And Names
National Security Adviser
“In the space of seven minutes on an airport tarmac on Wednesday,
President Trump captured the thorny decision he faces as he once again
straddles the edge of war and peace. One moment, he threatened to
order “the ultimate option” of a strike on Iran in retaliation for
attacks on oil facilities in Saudi Arabia. The next he ruminated about
what a mistake it had been for the United States to get entangled in
Middle East wars and welcomed Iran’s president to visit. To help sort
through the alternatives, Mr. Trump on Wednesday named a hawkish new
national security adviser, Robert C. O’Brien, the State Department’s
chief hostage negotiator. But as Mr. Trump spoke with reporters,
shouting to be heard over the roar of Air Force One engines, Mr. Trump
sounded like a commander in chief searching for a way to be tough
without pulling the trigger.”
Syria
Voice
Of America: Concerns Mount Over Makeshift Prisons For Islamic State
Fighters
“Efforts to secure prisons holding thousands of captured Islamic
State fighters appear to be on the verge of crumbling, a
development that could help strengthen the terror group's efforts to
re-emerge in Syria and Iraq. For months, officials have said the
prisons, run by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, were “good
enough” to hold the fighters, many of whom were captured following the
fall of Baghuz, the terror group's last Syrian stronghold, in
March. But as efforts to repatriate IS foreign fighters to their
countries of origin have stalled, and as thousands more wait to face
some sort of justice, fears are growing that the prisons may be
reaching a breaking point. “There are not prisons controlled by
forces in northeast Syria that can house 10,000 ISIS fighters,” Chris
Maier, director of the Pentagon's Defeat IS Task Force, told reporters
Wednesday, using another acronym for the terror group. ”This is not
sustainable over time,” he added, noting that the United
States’ anti-IS coalition partners ”share that assessment.” Many of
the prisons are buildings, like schools, that were quickly converted
into detention facilities as the U.S. and coalition forces rolled back
the last of the terror group's territory in Syria.”
The
Defense Post: Pentagon Official: Makeshift Jails For Captured ISIS
Adherents In Syria ‘Not Sustainable’
“A U.S. Defense Department official said the long-term detainment
of tens of thousands Islamic State fighters and their families in
makeshift prisons in northeast Syria is unsustainable and that the
United States aims to move detainees to more secure facilities.
Speaking to reporters at the Pentagon on Wednesday, September 18,
director of the Defeat-ISIS Task Force Christopher Maier said the U.S.
continues to train and supply the Syrian Democratic Forces to guard
ISIS prison facilities, and is talking “daily” with Coalition allies
about repatriating foreign ISIS fighters back to their home countries.
Tens of thousands of ISIS fighters and their families were captured in
Syria by the SDF, an alliance of militias led by the
predominantly-Kurdish Syrian People’s Protection Units (YPG), and
supported by the U.S.-led international Coalition to defeat ISIS. The
SDF oversee a number of prisons and camps throughout the country’s
northeast. The largest, al-Hol, holds some 80,000 people, mostly women
and children, including roughly 10,000 foreign nationals, according to
Human Rights Watch.”
Haaretz:
Report: Drones Attacked Ammunition Facilities Of Iran-Backed Militia
On Iraq-Syria Border
“Drones attacked a company of Iranian-backed Popular Mobilization
Forces fighters Wednesday evening in Syria near the border with Iraq,
Iraqi sources reported. Sky News in Arabic cited an Iraqi security
source sa saying that five people were killed in the attack, and nine
more were wounded. The attack targeted militias that were operating
near the Syrian city of Al Bukamal, the source said. Following the
attack, the troops dispersed to avoid further assaults on them, the
source added; they also moved ammunition to hidden places to make it
more difficult to strike them from the air. This is the second time
this week that sites run by Shi'ite militias are attacked in this
area. Overnight Monday, there were reports in Iraq of a strike on
weapon storage facilities run by militias affiliated with Iran. Iraq's
Afaq TV attributed the attack to Israel, and the Syrian Observatory
for Human Rights said that 10 Iran-backed fighters died.”
Reuters:
U.N. Security Council To Vote On Rival Calls For Truce In Syria's
Idlib
“The United Nations Security Council is due to vote on Thursday on
rival draft resolutions that call for a truce in northwest Syria after
Russia and China put forward their own text in response to a proposal
by Kuwait, Germany and Belgium. Syria’s northwest corner, including
the Idlib region, is the last major chunk of territory still in rebel
hands after more than eight years of war. In that time Russia has
vetoed a dozen draft Security Council resolutions to protect its ally,
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Experts from the council’s 15
members have met three times to negotiate on the latest text drafted
by Kuwait, Germany and Belgium last month. A resolution needs nine
votes and no vetoes by Russia, China, France, Britain or the United
States to pass. Diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity, said
Russia wanted language to be included in the resolution that would
exempt from the truce military offensives against armed groups
blacklisted by the Security Council.”
Iran
The
Wall Street Journal: Iran’s Whip Hand
“President Trump announced Wednesday that the U.S. will impose new
sanctions on Iran, and later in the day proposed an international
coalition at the United Nations to shape a response. Neither of these
initiatives is likely to deter Iran from further attacks, as its
leaders conclude that Mr. Trump has no desire for a tougher response.
Saudi Arabia on Wednesday unveiled evidence that it said proved the
weekend attacks came from Iran. This adds to U.S. public claims made
by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and more hesitant speculation by
Mr. Trump. The latest reports say the attacks may have included cruise
missiles fired from Iran territory, which means the mullahs don’t feel
the need anymore to hide through proxy militias. The escalating
attacks on oil production and tankers are clearly aimed at pressuring
Mr. Trump to drop his “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran. In
particular, Iran wants sanctions lifted on its oil exports, which are
its main source of financing. Rising oil prices that might trigger a
recession could cause Europeans to ignore U.S. sanctions and buy
Iranian oil.”
The
Wall Street Journal: Trump Steers Clear Of War Footing Toward
Iran
“The White House is pushing to build an international coalition to
exert pressure on Iran through the United Nations as its chief
response to the attack on Saudi oil facilities, an approach consistent
with President Trump’s aversion to military intervention, but also
reflecting limits on his retaliatory options. Within about 18 hours of
17 missile strikes on Saudi Arabia oil facilities on Saturday, the
Trump administration pinned the blame squarely on Iran, which has
denied carrying out the attacks. A day later, after an emergency
meeting at the White House with his inner circle, Mr. Trump declared
the U.S. “locked and loaded” and ready to respond. But Mr. Trump’s
assertive reaction was peppered with qualifiers—the U.S. intelligence
still needed verification, he didn’t know what Riyadh knew, or how
Saudi officials wanted to proceed. Since then, the emphasis has been
on building a case with allies and others on Iran’s responsibility for
the attacks and on signaling that sanctions on Iran will be
stiffened.”
CNN:
Trump To Announce Iran Sanctions Within 48 Hours
“What to know about the Saudi oil facilities attack: What happened:
President Trump has ordered new sanctions on Iran. Trump has not
definitely stated that Iran was behind the Saudi oil attacks, but
others in his administration have pinned blame on Tehran. Key question
left unanswered: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called the attacks an
“act of war” Wednesday but did not promise a military response, or
provide intelligence that shows the attack was launched from inside
Iran. About the attacks: It knocked out almost half of Saudi Arabia's
oil capacity. Saudi Arabia’s energy minister said the Kingdom would
aim to ramp up oil and gas production as fast as possible.”
Iraq
Associated
Press: Germany Extends Anti-Islamic State Mission In Iraq By 1
Year
“Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Cabinet has approved extending
Germany’s military participation in an international coalition against
the Islamic State group. Merkel spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer said
Wednesday the Cabinet extended the Bundeswehr’s training of local
Iraqi forces until Oct. 31, 2020. A shorter extension that expires on
March 31 was applied to the use of Germany’s Jordan-based Tornado
reconnaissance aircraft and also the use of German refueling aircraft
for anti-Islamic State missions. Demmer says the international
coalition’s work has been “bearing fruit” with the extremist group’s
widespread defeat in Iraq. She says the extension of Germany’s
commitment is aimed at ensuring those gains are not eroded. The
mission caps German military participation at 700 troops.”
Iraqi
News: Iraqi Security Forces Seize ISIS Hideout, Arrest Terrorist In
Kirkuk
“Iraqi Ministry of Interior announced on Wednesday apprehending a
hideout belonging to the Islamic State group, south of Kirkuk, while
arrested a terrorist who was hiding inside the hideout, and found
detonators and explosive devices inside the hideout. The ministry’s
Spokesman Major General Saad Maan said in a press statement that the
detachments of the Federal Police based on the confessions of one of
the arrested defendants, managed to seize a hideout of the ISIS
terrorist group in Wadi al-Shay, where one of terrorists was arrested,
while hiding inside the hideout. Maan added that three explosive
devices, a booby-trapped gas cylinder, a 120-mm grenade, a rocket
launcher, two bombs, 50-meter-long detonating wires, a detonating fuse
and five detonators were found inside the hideout. Iraq declared the
collapse of Islamic State’s territorial influence in November 2017
with the recapture of Rawa, a city on Anbar’s western borders with
Syria, which was the group’s last bastion in Iraq. IS declared a
self-styled “caliphate” in a third of Iraq and neighboring Syria in
2014. A government campaign, backed by a U.S.-led international
coalition and paramilitary forces, was launched in 2016 to retake
IS-held regions, managing to retake all havens, most notably the city
of Mosul, the group’s previously proclaimed capital.”
Afghanistan
The
New York Times: Trump Must Restart The Taliban Talk
“President Trump calling off the talks with Taliban insurgents on
Sept. 7 has, at least for now, quashed hopes of imminent agreement
between the United States and the Taliban. The two sides had appeared
to be on the brink of a deal that might have paved the way for talks
among the insurgents, the Afghan government and other Afghan power
brokers. The agreement could have been Afghanistan’s first significant
step toward peace in a generation. In his tweets calling off the
talks, Mr. Trump cited the death of an American soldier as evidence
that the Taliban were not negotiating in good faith. The insurgents’
strikes in towns and cities exact a high civilian toll. Though they
claim otherwise, they are pursuing a brutal war of attrition, hoping
to grind down morale among Afghan troops and to show they can outlast
the American military. Even so, Mr. Trump’s reason to end talks makes
no sense: The United States shares responsibility for increased
violence. An intensification in American bombing raids — the United
States flew more raids in 2018 than during any previous years of the
war and is on track to do the same in 2019 — and offensives by Afghan
forces have occurred in parallel. While Taliban attacks on urban
centers remain more visible, the attacks by American and Afghan
government forces on rural Afghanistan, which have caused enormous
suffering, remain largely hidden.”
Bloomberg:
Rushed Afghan Deal Could Aid Terror Groups, U.S. Watchdog
Says
“A rushed peace deal in Afghanistan could leave millions of
unemployed men at risk of being recruited by terrorist groups and
criminal gangs, according to a Pentagon watchdog who’s been tracking
the war 18 years after the U.S. invaded to oust the Taliban. Any
effort to reach a peace deal between the government in Kabul and the
Taliban must include a plan to reintegrate fighters into civilian life
after decades of war, the U.S. Special Inspector General for
Afghanistan Reconstruction, or SIGAR, said in a report published late
Wednesday. “It is reasonable to assume that millions of unemployed
young men will remain at risk for recruitment by criminal groups and
terrorist organizations,” according to Inspector General John Sopko.
“For lasting peace, various state-aligned, non-state, and illegal
armed groups must also demobilize and transition to civilian life. Not
including those groups could deter the Taliban from demobilizing and
reintegrating.” Talks between the U.S. and the Taliban broke done
earlier this month when Donald Trump canceled secret meetings with
Taliban leaders and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani at the presidential
retreat at Camp David, Maryland.”
Yemen
Reuters:
Yemen's Houthis Threaten To Attack United Arab Emirates
Targets
“Yemen’s Houthi group said on Wednesday it had identified dozens of
sites in the United Arab Emirates as possible targets, in an attempt
to underscore its military clout following a weekend attack it claims
to have carried out on Saudi oil facilities. “To the Emirati regime
we say only one operation (of ours) would cost you dearly,” Yahya
Saria, the military spokesman for the Iran-aligned movement, said in a
televised speech. ”Today and for the first time we announce that we
have dozens of targets within our range in the UAE, some are in Abu
Dhabi and can be attacked at any time.” He said the Houthis have new
drones, powered by “normal and jet engines” that can reach targets
deep in Saudi Arabia. In Riyadh, Saudi Defense Ministry spokesman
Colonel Turki al-Malki said the attack could not have come from Yemen,
adding the Houthi movement was “covering up” for Iran. The UAE is a
leading partner in a Saudi-led coalition that intervened in Yemen in
March 2015 to restore Hadi’s government after it was toppled by the
Houthis in late 2014. Saria said the attacks were launched from three
locations. Qassef 3 drones were launched from one site, Samad 3 drones
from a second and new jet powered drones from a third, he said.”
The
National Interest: Yemen's Houthi Rebels Have Missiles That Could Sink
A Navy Warship
“Yemen's Houthi rebels, who have been at war with a Saudi-Emirati
coalition since 2015, claimed responsibility for coordinated attacks
on two Saudi Aramco facilities on Sept. 14, 2019. The attacks
apparently involved either cruise missiles or far-flying drones firing
small guided munitions. Thanks in part to support from Iran’s
Revolutionary Guard Corps, the Houthis possess both types of weapons.
The Houthis also have produced an array of land-attack ballistic
missiles. The militants reportedly have converted old Soviet- and
North Korean-made Scud rockets, which once belonged to the Yemeni
military, into longer-range “Burkan” ballistic missiles. Similar
efforts resulted in an arsenal of anti-ship weapons. In 2015 and 2016
the Houthis repeatedly targeted ships sailing near Yemen. At the peak
of the shipping war in October 2016, Houthi forces fired fired two
cruise missiles toward the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Mason and the
amphibious ship Ponce while the two vessels were sailing in
international waters north of the Mandeb Strait.”
Saudi Arabia
The
New York Post: Saudi Arabia Vows To Prove Iran Backed ‘Terrorist
Attack’ On Oil Facilities
“Saudi Arabia on Wednesday said it would reveal evidence
showing Iran was behind the attack on its oil facilities as Tehran
threatened to retaliate “immediately” if any action is taken against
it. The Saudi Defense Ministry said it would present “material
evidence and Iranian weapons proving the Iranian regime’s involvement
in the terrorist attack.” Iran reiterated that it played no part
in the strikes on the Abqaiq refinery and the Khurais oil fields on
Saturday that knocked out half of Saudi’s oil production as it aired
the threat of retaliation. “If any action takes place against Iran,
the action will be faced by Iran’s answer immediately,” state-run
news agency IRNA quoted a note sent to Swiss diplomats. The
development comes as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is expected to
meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman in Jeddah to
coordinate efforts against “Iranian aggression,” the US Mission to the
United Arab Emirates said. The prince, in a phone call with South
Korean President Moon Jae-in, said the attack posed “a real test of
global will” to counter subversive acts that threaten international
stability.”
The
Wall Street Journal: U.S., Saudi Military Forces Failed To Detect
Attack On Oil Facilities
“U.S. and Saudi military forces and their elaborate air-defense
systems failed to detect the launch of airstrikes aimed at Saudi
Arabian oil facilities, allowing dozens of drones and missiles to hit
their targets, U.S. officials said. Saudi and U.S. focus had been
largely on the kingdom’s southern border with Yemen, where Riyadh has
been fighting Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen’s civil war, the
officials said. The attacks, however, originated from Iranian
territory in the northern Persian Gulf, people familiar with the
investigation into the strikes said. As Saudi officials review
information coming in from the U.S., Kuwait and their own
investigators, they are increasingly confident that drones and
missiles launched near Iran’s southern border with Iraq flew low to
the ground on their way to slamming into the heart of the Saudi oil
industry early Saturday.”
Fox
News: Saudi Oil Attacks An 'Act Of War' By Iran, Not Yemen Rebels,
Pompeo Claims
“U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday doubled down on
accusations Iran is responsible for the weekend bombing on Saudi
Arabia’s oil facilities, telling reporters that the strike was “an act
of war.” Pompeo, speaking from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, added that even
if the "fraudulent claims" of responsibility by the Yemen Houthi
rebels were true, "it doesn't change the fingerprints of the [Iran
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei] as having put at risk the
global energy supply." His comments come hours after President Trump
tweeted that he had ordered Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to
“substantially increase sanctions” on Iran, amid escalating tensions
between the two countries. Earlier this week, Trump said it was
"looking like" Iran was responsible for the bombing but did not
publically accuse Tehran of the attack.”
Egypt
Voice
Of America: Egypt Says Police Kill 9 Suspected Militants In
Cairo
“Egypt on Wednesday said police have killed nine suspected members
of a militant group with links to the now-outlawed Muslim Brotherhood
in two separate Cairo shootouts, while a rights lawyer said
prosecutors have ordered a prominent leftist activist to remain in
custody pending an investigation into charges that include joining the
Muslim Brotherhood. The Interior Ministry said in a statement the
alleged militants were members of the Revolution Brigade, a breakaway
faction of the Muslim Brotherhood group that has targeted security
forces in militant attacks. It said the exchanges of fire took place
as police were trying to arrest them at their alleged hideouts in the
northeastern Obour district and the southern May 15th City suburb. The
ministry, which oversees police forces, said the dead included a
militant leader accused of killing a top military officer, Brig-Gen.
Adel Ragai, commander of the army’s 9th armored division, who was
gunned down in Oct. 2016 near his home in Obour. The suspected
militant leader was also allegedly behind an attack on a checkpoint in
August that year in the northern Nile delta province of Menoufia, the
statement said.”
Somalia
Xinhua:
2 Killed, 4 Injured In Central Mogadishu Car Bombing
“At least two people were killed and four others injured on
Wednesday evening in a car bomb blast in Somalia's capital Mogadishu,
police and witnesses said. A police officer who declined to be named
told Xinhua that a car parked near a new restaurant along the city's
Maka Al-Mukarama road exploded and caused casualties and damage. "We
can confirm that two people were killed in the blast and four others
injured. The death toll may rise as many people were inside the
restaurant," the officer said. He added that security forces arrived
at the area and were conducting investigations. Unconfirmed reports
indicated the blast was targeting a Member of Parliament who was in
the vicinity. Eyewitnesses said the blast caused shockwaves in the
area. "I heard a big bang and the whole area was shaking. I saw people
lying on the ground, some were screaming for help," Asma Jama, an
eyewitness, told Xinhua.”
Africa
Xinhua:
Cameroon Army Kills 10 Boko Haram Militants In Repelled
Attack
“Ten militants of terror group Boko Haram were killed when
Cameroonian troops repelled a coordinated attack launched in the
country's Far North region, military sources said on Wednesday.
Weapons used by the terror group were also seized during the attacks
that took place on Tuesday in Manawadji, a locality in the region.
“The terrorists came to attack the locality but were unaware of the
presence of the army. The troops ambushed them and killed seven on the
spot. A gun battle started and lasted for over three hours. Three
others were killed in the process,” a senior military officer who
asked not to be named told Xinhua. There have been no reports on
casualties on the side of government forces. On Saturday, at least
five Cameroonian soldiers were killed by the militants in a fight in
Soueram, another locality in the Far North region according to the
army. More than 2,000 people have been killed since Boko Haram
launched attacks in the Far North since 2014, according to security
reports.”
Europe
Yahoo
News: Norway Mosque Shooter Who Killed Sister Had Racist Motive:
Police
“A Norwegian man accused of killing his step-sister before opening
fire in a mosque near Oslo in August had racist motives, police said
Tuesday, confirming he shot her because of her Chinese origin. Philip
Manshaus, 22, was arrested after opening fire in the Al-Noor mosque in
an affluent Oslo suburb on August 10 before he was overpowered by a
65-year-old man. Just three worshippers were in the mosque at the
time, and there were no serious injuries. The body of his 17-year-old
step-sister was later found in their home. Adopted by his father's
girlfriend, Johanne Zhangjia Ihle-Hansen, was killed by four bullets,
police said in a statement. Manshaus' explanation and technical
evidence, including the lack of a struggle, "support the version that
she was killed because of what the attacker considers as race, because
she was of Asian origin," police official Pal-Fredrik Hjort Kraby told
TV2.”
Technology
PBS
News: Facebook Still Auto-Generates Islamic State And Al-Qaida
Pages
“In the face of criticism that Facebook is not doing enough to
combat extremist messaging, the company likes to say that its
automated systems remove the vast majority of prohibited content
glorifying the Islamic State group and al-Qaida before it’s reported.
But a whistleblower’s complaint shows that Facebook itself has
inadvertently provided the two extremist groups with a networking and
recruitment tool by producing dozens of pages in their names. The
social networking company appears to have made little progress on the
issue in the four months since The Associated Press detailed how pages
that Facebook auto-generates for businesses are aiding Middle East
extremists and white supremacists in the United States. On Wednesday,
U.S. senators on the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation will be questioning representatives from social media
companies, including Monika Bickert, who heads Facebooks efforts to
stem extremist messaging. The new details come from an update of a
complaint to the Securities and Exchange Commission that the National
Whistleblower Center plans to file this week.”
Voice
Of America: Facebook, Twitter, Google Detail Efforts
Against Online Extremism To Lawmakers
“In a hearing Wednesday to examine the spread of extremism online
and the effectiveness of measures taken to prevent violent content,
leaders from Facebook, Twitter and Google faced tough questions from
U.S. lawmakers, accentuating the positive steps taken, while
acknowledging the work remaining. Policy representatives from the
social media giants told members of the Senate Committee on Commerce,
Science and Transportation that their companies had made significant
progress in curbing bigotry and extremist content on their platforms.
Senators suggested the companies could do much more, however, as part
of their “digital responsibility” to prevent terrorists and extremists
from using the internet to encourage violence. “No matter how great
the benefits to society these platforms provide, it is important to
consider how they can be used for evil at home and abroad,” Sen. Roger
Wicker, a Mississippi Republican, said in an opening statement, citing
incidents in which white nationalists and Islamic State sympathizers
used social media to radicalize and post their crimes. The role of
social media companies has come under scrutiny in recent months in the
aftermath of assorted high-profile mass shootings that were posted
online.”
The
Hill: House Democrat Urges Trump To Address Online Extremism At
UN
“Rep. Max Rose (D-N.Y.) is urging President Trump to address the
issue of online extremism at the United Nations General Assembly this
month, according to a letter provided exclusively to The Hill. The New
York Democrat, who heads the House Homeland Security Committee's
counterterrorism panel, said the president and the United Nations
should push the social media companies to invest in their efforts to
stop extremist content from spreading. “I know you share my concerns
that terrorists are using social media to spread their ideologies
across the world, to recruit future terrorists, to find funding, and
to plan and disseminate terrorist attacks,” Rose wrote in the letter
to Trump. In the wake of the El Paso, Texas, shooting last month,
which left 22 dead and dozens injured, the White House has been honing
in on the issue of online radicalization while Democrats have pushed
for new gun control legislation. In the letter, Rose said the top
social media companies could stave off the spread of extremist content
by building out the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism
(GIFCT), a 2017 initiative by Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter and YouTube
aimed at curbing the spread of Islamic terrorist content online.”
The
Wall Street Journal: Zuckerberg Heads To Capitol Hill To Push His
Version Of Internet Regulation
“Facebook Inc. CEO Mark Zuckerberg will travel to Capitol Hill on
Thursday to pitch his vision for moderate internet regulation and seek
to placate lawmakers who are weighing tougher moves. “Mark will be in
Washington, D.C. to meet with policy makers and talk about future
internet regulation,” a company spokeswoman said. “There are no public
events planned.” In the wake of a series of disclosures about Facebook
business practices, lawmakers have been considering stringent new
regulation of internet platforms in areas such as user privacy and
content moderation. No action appears imminent on any of the measures.
But one idea that has gained attention is placing new limits on the
sweeping legal immunity that platforms enjoy for harms caused by their
users. Mr. Zuckerberg was expected to meet with at least one lawmaker,
Sen. Josh Hawley (R., Mo.), who has advocated such an approach.”
NewstalkZB:
Facebook Using Real Firearms Footage To Develop Auto-Blocking
AI
"Facebook has been using real-life first-person shooter video
footage to develop artificial intelligence that can more effectively
auto-block the type of video that was livestreamed on March 15.
Facebook has been widely criticised over the way it failed to stop the
spread of the March 15 footage, which was uploaded 1.5 million times
over 24 hours. CEP Senior Director Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler discusses
Facebook's reactive plans to tackle right wing extremism on its
platform."
CNBC:
Here’s Why Regulators Are So Worried About Facebook’s Digital
Currency
“Policymakers around the world have upped the pressure on libra,
the digital currency being introduced by Facebook, amid concerns it
could heavily disrupt the global financial system. On Tuesday,
European Central Bank board member Benoit Coeure warned that virtual
currencies like libra “could challenge the supremacy of the U.S.
dollar.” Coeure’s comment appeared to echo a concern from President
Donald Trump, who earlier this year said libra would have “little
standing or dependability” and that the “only one real currency” in
the U.S. is the dollar. It appears to be a running theme from a number
of regulators and lawmakers, who worry libra would compete with
government currencies. That’s because Facebook is such an influential
platform, with more than 2.4 billion monthly active users as of July
2019. And the companies it’s partnering with in a Switzerland-based
consortium known as the Libra Association include giants like Uber,
Visa and Vodafone.”
The
Irish Times: Zuckerberg In Washington As Scrutiny Grows Over Facebook
Privacy
“Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg is visiting Washington as
the company confronts growing scrutiny over its privacy and
marketplace practices. Mr Zuckerberg will “meet with policy makers and
talk about future internet regulation,” Facebook spokesman Andy Stone
said in a statement. Senator Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat and the
ranking member of the Intelligence Committee, and other senators had
dinner with Mr Zuckerberg in Washington, Rachel Cohen, a Warner
spokeswoman, said in a statement released Wednesday night. “The
participants had a discussion touching on multiple issues, including
the role and responsibility of social media platforms in protecting
our democracy, and what steps Congress should take to defend our
elections, protect consumer data, and encourage competition in the
social media space,” Ms Cohen said.”
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