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Eye on Extremism
December 1, 2020
Middle East Monitor: Belgium: Iran Diplomat Receives 20-year Prison Term For Terrorism
“An Iranian diplomat suspected of leading a failed state-sponsored bomb attack in Europe has received a 20-year prison sentence in Belgium. Assadollah Assadi, 48, faced trial in Antwerp, Belgium, last week, alongside three other Iranians over his involvement in a 2018 plot against an exiled opposition group in France. The trial, which started on Friday, was the first time a European Union (EU) state has charged an Iranian official with terrorism offences. Assadi allegedly brought nearly half a kilogramme of explosives into Belgium on a commercial flight from Iran to Vienna in June 2018, the New York Times reported. The 48-year-old then drove, in a rental car, to Luxembourg, where he handed the substance over to an Iranian-Belgian couple. The couple, Amir Saadouni, 40, and his wife, Nassimeh Naami, 36, were arrested two days later, on the day of the convention, while they were driving to Paris. Assadi was arrested in Germany, on his drive back to Vienna. A fourth man, Mehrdad Arefani, 57, was arrested on suspicion of being Assadi's accomplice. Belgium's court spokesperson announced the verdict saying: "For the Iranian diplomat suspect in this case, a 20-year prison term. For the couple found in possession of the bomb, an 18-year prison term, and for the fourth suspect, a 15-year prison term.”
The Australian: Convicted Terrorist Abdul Nacer Benbrika In Contact With IS Fighters While In Jail
“Convicted terrorist Abdul Nacer Benbrika received visits from men who went on to become Islamic State fighters, including one who took a photo of his son holding a severed head, a court has been told. Benbrika has spent 15-years behind bars after he was found guilty and jailed for being the leader of Australia’s largest terrorist network. He is due to be released this year. “He remains an unacceptable risk of committing a serious terrorist act,” government lawyer Rowena Orr QC told the Supreme Court of Victoria on Tuesday. Benbrika plotted to bomb Crown Casino and the MCG on grand final day in a bid to coerce the Australian government to withdraw troops from Iraq. The barrister, representing Home Affairs, argued the terrorist should remain behind bars until 2023 under a continuing detention order. Ms Orr said Benbrika’s later statements denouncing some of his radical beliefs were “self-serving”. While in jail Benbrika received visits from Khaled Sharrouf, who went on to fight for Islamic State in Syria and posted a photo of his then seven-year-old son holding the severed head of a soldier, the court was told. “That’s my boy,” the caption read. His former son-in-law Shayden Thorne was also convicted of terrorism offences.”
Afghanistan
Reuters: Taliban-Afghan Government Agreement Marred By Document's Wording
“A breakthrough on an initial agreement reached between Taliban and government negotiators has been held up at the last minute after the insurgent group balked at the document’s preamble because it mentioned the Afghan government by name. Teams representing the Taliban and the Afghan government have been negotiating in the Qatari capital since September to reach a consensus on the modalities of peace talks, moving forward to help end decades of war in Afghanistan. “The negotiating teams have so far agreed on all 21 articles that provide guiding principles for the negotiations,” Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said in a statement on Monday. “At this time, they continue to debate the preamble, in which some issues need further clarification”. Government and diplomatic sources told Reuters that when it came to signing the document in November, which was to include references to the “Islamic Republic of Afghanistan” - the official name of the Afghan government, - the Taliban backed off. The Taliban refuse to refer to the Afghan negotiating team as representatives of the Afghan government, as they contest the legitimacy of Ghani’s election.”
Lebanon
The Wall Street Journal: Lebanon’s Central Bank Fuels Corruption, Extremism Concerns
“U.S. and other Western financial-enforcement and diplomatic officials are exerting pressure on Lebanon’s central bank as part of an international push to sideline Iran-backed Hezbollah, oppose corruption and alleviate the country’s economic and political crises. Washington and its allies for months have demanded a forensic audit of the central bank that they believe may uncover evidence of money laundering, corruption and links to Hezbollah by top Lebanese officials, including at the central bank, Western officials said. The pressure on the central bank, including the threat of possible sanctions, according to the Western officials, is a rare step the U.S. usually reserves for bitter rivals such as North Korea, Iran and Venezuela. Forensic audits are investigatory examinations that check for possible evidence of fraud or other activity that could bring legal or enforcement action. Washington and its allies are leveraging Beirut’s desperate need for emergency financing, demanding the examination in the hope of shedding light on long-opaque central-bank operations, the officials said. Efforts to conduct an exam suffered a setback this month when the independent auditor hired to carry it out withdrew, citing insufficient access to central-bank records.”
Egypt
Daily News Egypt: Analysis: What If Al-Qaeda Leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri Really Died?
“Al-Qaeda (AQ) leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri is allegedly dead. Since 13 November, several reports published by researchers and news websites have claimed that the leader of the terrorist organisation died a month ago of natural causes. The organisation has not confirmed the reports of its leader’s death, although analysts suggest that it is very typical of the group to refrain from publishing news of its leader’s death promptly. Hassan Hassan, co-author of the book ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror, was one of the first to publish the news on Twitter. “The news is making the rounds in close circles. I realize the issue with such claims but corroborated it with sources close to AQ (Hurras al-Din),” he tweeted … Al-Adel played “a crucial role in building Al-Qaeda’s operational capabilities and quickly ascended the hierarchy”, according to the Counter Extremism Project. He currently lives in Iran, and operates as one of Al-Zawahiri’s chief deputies, according to a 2018 UN report.”
Somalia
Dalsan Radio: Somalia: Al-Shabaab Attacks Military Base In Southern Somalia
“A military base belonging to Somali National Army (SNA) was on Monday attacked by Alshabab militants. The incident took place at Somali troops base in the southern town of Ba'adweyne in Mudug region. A heavy gunfight between the two parties ensured four over two hours according to the residents. At the time of publishing, this report details from either side remain scanty. The Alshabab militants who have been fighting with SNA troops in the region claimed victory in the internet saying they took over the town and took control. On Friday suicide bomber blew himself up near Adan Adde International Airport killing at least eight people and injured fifteen others on the attack. In a statement posted on its online affiliate media, the Al-Shabaab terror group claimed resposibility for the attack saying their suicide bomber killed people. Alshabab still controls of rural central and southern Somalia despite the fact that the group has lost strategic town over past years. The African Union Forces and the US Africa Command have been assisting Somali National Army degrading the group.”
Africa
Daily News: Southern Africa: Terrorism Main Threat
“President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi has called for an integrated and coordinated regional approach to effectively deal with imminent threats. Officially opening the SADC extraordinary Organ Troika summit on November 27, Dr Masisi said the region was threatened by issues of terrorism, insurgencies, cybercrime and transnational organised crime. The President, who is SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation chairperson, said there was an urgent need to deal with the threats, particularly terrorism, which had been identified as the most serious threat by the Assessment of Security Threats to the SADC region report. Stressing the importance of peace and security, he said they were a strong pedestal for deepening political cooperation, cohesion towards regional integration and socio-economic development. President Masisi said SADC Vision 2050 and Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) recognised that peace, security and stability were not only complementary but preconditions for national, regional and global development. He commended SADC member states for individually and collectively tightening efforts to ensure that the bloc's aspirations and priorities were fully realised.”
United Kingdom
BBC News: Manchester Arena Inquiry: Review 'Reshaped UK Counter-Terrorism Teams'
“Fast-time learning” from the attack on Manchester Arena led to several changes in how UK counter-terrorism teams work, the inquiry into the bombing has heard. The inquiry into the attack of 22 May 2017, which killed 22 people, was told senior officers reviewed what happened five days later to learn from it. Their 21 recommendations had mostly been implemented, the hearing was told. A senior officer said that at the time, counter-terrorism focused on the nature, not the timing, of a threat. Twenty-two people were killed and hundreds more were injured as they left an Ariana Grande concert on 22 May 2017. Lucy D'Orsi, deputy assistant commissioner with National Counter Terrorism Police, said she believed the security advice at the time was correct. She said: “I think there should be a holistic focus on what the attack methodology is, which in this case was a person-borne IED (improved explosive device).” There was no mention in the guidance of the specific terrorist threat of people leaving a concert, the inquiry heard. When asked if she thought it was a mistake this had been left out, Ms D'Orsi disagreed. She told the inquiry it was “obvious” to security bosses a mass of people would leave a concert when it finished.”
BBC News: Birmingham Woman Charged With Terror Offences
“A woman from Birmingham has been charged with terrorism offences. Aaminah Amatullah, from Livingstone Road, Handsworth, was arrested on 24 November as part of an investigation by counter terrorism police. The 38-year-old faces two counts of disseminating terrorist publications contrary to section 2 of the Terrorism Act 2006. Ms Amatullah is due to appear before Westminster Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, West Midlands Police said.”
Europe
The Local Switzerland: Does Switzerland Face A Threat From Terrorism?
“After a stabbing attack in Lugano on Tuesday, an incident which federal police regards as terrorism-related, many in Switzerland are wondering whether the country is at risk from more attacks. This is what the experts say. A 28-year-old assailant was arrested last week after allegedly trying to strangle one person with her bare hands, and stabbing another in the neck in the southern city of Lugano, in the canton of Ticino. “The perpetrator is known to the federal police,” the police said on Twitter. “She was part of a police investigation in 2017 in connection with jihadism.” In another incident in September, a man stabbed and killed a random person in the back while the victim was eating in a restaurant in the town of Morges, in Vaud. Officials said the suspect had been known to the Federal Intelligence Service (FIS) “because of the consumption and dissemination of jihadist propaganda”. In a report published on November 24th, FIS noted that “in Switzerland, the terrorist threat remains at a heightened level”. However, while Switzerland could be a target of attacks, “it is not a top priority for jihadists”, FIS said. Where does the biggest threat come from? FIS noted that as Switzerland is part of the Western world, judged by jihadists to be Islamophobic, so they view the country as a “legitimate target.”
Australia
The Guardian: Christchurch Inquiry: Islamic Group Says It 'Asked For Help' Before Attack
“New Zealand’s Islamic community has told the Christchurch massacre inquiry that it knew it was “vulnerable” to a terror attack, and that security forces had wrongly focused on terrorism committed by Muslim extremists. “We asked for help. We knew we were vulnerable to such an attack. We did not know who, when, what, where or how. But we knew,” the Federation of the Islamic Associations of New Zealand said in a submission made public on Monday. Its conclusion is based on the Islamic community’s own review of a decade of media reports, parliamentary speeches, public addresses, online forums and other sources. Fifty-one people died when a white supremacist armed with automatic weapons stormed two mosques in Christchurch during Friday prayers on 15 March 2019. A royal commission of inquiry into the attacks gave its report to the government last week. It will be made public after it is shown to the families of the victims and survivors. The Islamic federation’s submission points to numerous examples of how New Zealand’s director-general of security, Rebecca Kitteridge, wrongly framed terrorism as a “Muslim issue” rather than seeing the community as potential victims.”
Technology
“Recent research is said to have found numerous Holocaust denial Facebook pages that were still active as of mid-November. This is according to The Markup, which also said Facebook’s algorithms continue to promote and recommend antisemitic content to people who click on the pages. The nonprofit investigative news outlet said that this is "effectively creating a network for pushing anti-Semitic content." A lot of the antisemitic content found was said to be connected to infamous Holocaust denial groups that would be likely candidates for Facebook to target during its hate speech crackdown. Facebook did not respond to The Markup's multiple requests for comment. The Sun has also reached out to the tech giant. Vice president Monika Bickert wrote on the Facebook blogpost back on October 12: "Today we are updating our hate speech policy to prohibit any content that denies or distorts the Holocaust." She added: "Our decision is supported by the well-documented rise in anti-Semitism globally and the alarming level of ignorance about the Holocaust, especially among young people."
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