A man deliberately plowed an SUV through pedestrian streets and a central
square in the southwestern German city of Trier on Tuesday, police said

 

 


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Eye on Extremism


December 2, 2020

 

The Washington Post: Car Plows Through Pedestrian Street In German City Of
Trier, At Least 4 Dead
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“A man deliberately plowed an SUV through pedestrian streets and a central
square in the southwestern German city of Trier on Tuesday, police said,
killing at least four people including a 9-month-old baby. Authorities said
they arrested the suspected driver, a 51-year-old German who lived in the area.
While the incident bore the hallmarks of past terrorism attacks with vehicles
used as weapons, police said they had no evidence of possible political,
religious or terrorist motives. At least 15 people were injured, four severely.
The suspect, who had been living in his car, was intoxicated and would undergo
a psychological evaluation, said the state’s interior minister, Roger Lewentz.
The car sped for more than a half-mile through the picturesque medieval city
center and past the city’s Christmas tree, zigzagging to apparently maximize
casualties, before being cornered by police, he added. Video posted online
showed a man being pinned to the ground by police next to a silver-gray vehicle
along a bike lane. Another showed the mayhem inflicted: ambulances and
paramedics on a shopping street strewn with debris. One witness quoted in the
local media described a stroller flying in the air as the car flew through the
market area.”

 

Reuters: U.N. Warns Child Labor, Trafficking On The Rise In Troubled Mali
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“More children have been trafficked, forced to work in gold mines and to fight
as soldiers in Mali this year as conflict worsened and COVID-19 shut schools,
the United Nations said on Tuesday. With security in Mali deteriorating, a
network of humanitarian agencies led by the U.N. Refugee Agency (UNHCR)
documented 230 cases of child recruitment by armed groups in the first half of
2020, compared to 215 cases in all of 2019. The agencies also found about 6,000
children, mostly boys, working in eight gold mining sites, after 24 children
bound for the mines were rescued in June in the West African nation, one of the
continent’s largest gold producers. “As a result of conflict and socio-economic
deterioration worsened by the pandemic, we are seeing some of the most
egregious human rights violations in the Sahel,” said UNHCR’s Assistant High
Commissioner for Protection, Gillian Triggs. “Children are being forced to
fight by armed groups, trafficked, raped, sold, forced into sexual or domestic
servitude, or married off,” she said in a statement, which said the victims
were Malian, as well as refugees and migrants. Millions of children were out of
school for about six months due to the coronavirus pandemic in Mali, where
security is worsening as militants linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State have
gained ground, making swathes of the country ungovernable.”

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United States

 

Fox News: Women Linked With Anarchist Group Charged With Terrorist Attack On
Train Tracks North Of Seattle
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“Federal authorities in Seattle on Monday charged two women with a terrorist
attack on train tracks, suggesting they were working with an anarchist
community to stand in solidarity with a Native American tribe to oppose the
construction of a natural gas pipeline across the Canadian province of British
Columbia by trying to derail trains in Washington state. Samantha Frances
Brooks, 27, and Ellen Brennan Reiche, 23, were arrested Saturday night in
Bellingham, located in Whatcom County, which borders Canada, as they allegedly
placed “shunts” on Burlington Northern Santa Fe tracks, according to a
complaint filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of
Washington Monday. A shunt is comprised of wire and magnets that are strung
across the tracks, mimicking the electrical signal of a train. The two women
were charged in connection to Saturday’s incident, but there have been 41
incidents of shunts placed on the BNSF tracks in Whatcom and Skagit counties
since January. Shunts were placed in areas that disrupt the crossing guards
where the tracks cross streets, so vehicles could have tried to cross the
tracks unaware of the oncoming train, U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran said.”

 

The Hill: Anonymous Shell Companies Fund Crime And Terror; It's Time To Crack
Down
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“For nearly 30 years, a 36-story office building in the heart of midtown
Manhattan — around the corner from Radio City Music Hall and Rockefeller Center
— was secretly owned by the government of Iran. How was a government that was
under economic sanctions able to own a highly coveted piece of real estate in
the middle of the largest city in the United States? The answer is surprisingly
simple: It used anonymous shell companies. What’s worse, those shell companies
were not created in some shady foreign jurisdiction — they were formed right
here in the U.S. In 2016, bombshell reports by “60 Minutes” and The New York
Times showed how easy it is for terrorists, drug dealers and other criminals to
launder money in the U.S. through anonymous shell companies. These reports,
along with a multi-year undercover investigation by Global Witness, documented
numerous examples where loopholes in U.S. state and federal laws are used to
hide the identities of the true owners of these shell companies, allowing
criminals to launder their money by purchasing real estate and other assets
with illegal funds. Corporations and limited liability companies (LLCs) are
formed at the state level in the U.S., and no U.S. state currently requires
companies to disclose their true, beneficial owners.”

 

Iran

 

Atlantic Council: A Top Baluchi Terrorist Was Killed—How Will This Impact
Insurgencies In Iran?
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“The headline is familiar: “Leader of the Insurgent Group Killed.” Also
familiar is Iran’s reaction and position on regional insurgencies. Instead of
implementing much-needed actions in easing discriminations, Tehran’s approach
has been to expand its military presence in the deprived Sistan and Baluchistan
province. Top terrorist Omar Shahoozi—nom de guerre Mullah Omar Baluchi or
Mullah Omar Irani—was killed along with his two sons in Turbat, Pakistan on
November 17. Shahoozi was described by Fararou, a media outlet close to the
Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), as the leader of the Sunni extremist
militant group Jaish-ul-Adl. The Salafi group Jaish-ul-Adl (Army of Justice),
operates mainly in the Baluchistan region. In recent years, it has adapted to a
more political tone, justifying its terrorist attacks in retaliation for Iran’s
“crimes against the oppressed peoples of Iran and Syria.” The militant group is
responsible for a number of attacks in Iran targeting both military personnel
and civilians. This includes one that killed fourteen Iranian border guards in
October 2013 in the city of Seravan in the Sistan and Baluchistan province on
the Iran-Pakistan border; the abduction of twelve Iranian security forces
members near the border with Pakistan in October 2018; and a suicide bombing in
February 2019, targeting a bus carrying IRGC personnel, which killed
twenty-seven people.”

 

Afghanistan

 

France 24: Afghan Army Kills Mastermind Of Taliban Car Bomb Attack On Military
Base
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“Afghan forces have killed the Taliban mastermind of a suicide car bomb attack
that left at least 30 security personnel dead, officials said Monday. Hamza
Waziristani was killed in an air strike overnight in the eastern province of
Ghazni where the bomber struck an Afghan military base on Sunday. “The
mastermind behind yesterday's terrorist attack on the (Ghazni) base was killed
along with seven other terrorists,” the defence ministry said in a statement.
Ministry spokesman Fawad Aman told AFP that Waziristani was a Taliban militant
from the Pakistani border region of Waziristan. The attack was one of the
deadliest in months targeting government forces in Afghanistan, where violence
has surged since the start of peace talks between President Ashraf Ghani's
administration and the Taliban in Qatar. No group has claimed the attack. The
Taliban often do not comment on deadly attacks they are accused of carrying
out. The insurgents have launched near daily attacks against Afghan forces,
primarily in rural areas, since signing a deal with Washington in February that
paved the way for the withdrawal of foreign troops by May 2021. Health
officials in Ghazni said 30 people died in Sunday's attack, but the defence
ministry -- which is known to downplay tolls in attacks against its forces --
said 10 were killed.”

 

Middle East

 

The Interpreter: Al-Qaeda: The Core Problem
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“For year after year, the moustached face Abu Mohammed al-Masri has stared
blankly from a photo on an FBI most-wanted poster. A founding senior member of
al-Qaeda, al-Masri was responsible for the 1998 US embassy bombings in Kenya
and Tanzania that left more than 200 dead. Also known as Abdullah Ahmed
Abdullah, he’d been hunted ever since. Until 7 August, when al-Masri was
reportedly killed in Iran, along with his daughter Maryam, on the anniversary
of the attacks he orchestrated in East Africa 22 years earlier. News of his
death has taken months to trickle out. The killing was first reported as an
Israeli assassination against a man called Habib Dawoud – an academic with ties
to Hezbollah. But it didn’t take enterprising regional journalists long to
figure out that there was no such Hezbollah associate by that name, and that
the man who was killed in a drive-by shooting was in fact the senior al-Qaeda
operative. There was an erroneous suggestion the strike had taken place in
Afghanistan. Iran still denies the reports of his death, and neither Israel nor
the United States has taken responsibility, although al-Qaeda has finally
confirmed it. Iran has played a significant role in keeping al-Qaeda’s fortunes
alive by sheltering the al-Qaeda exiles from Afghanistan.”

 

Nigeria

 

Agence France-Presse: Boko Haram Claims Nigeria Farm Massacre As Toll Rises To
76
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“The Boko Haram jihadist group on Tuesday claimed responsibility for a brutal
massacre of farm workers in northeast Nigeria over the weekend as the death
toll rose to 76. The grim search for bodies continues after gunmen on
motorbikes attacked the area outside Borno state's capital Maiduguri on
Saturday, slaughtering dozens of labourers in rice fields near the village of
Zabarmari. It was initially unclear which Boko Haram faction was behind the
assault, but the main group loyal to shadowy leader Abubakar Shekau said in a
video Tuesday it was “responsible for what happened around Maiduguri in recent
days... especially in Zabarmari.” Borno state information commissioner Babakura
Abba Jatau meanwhile said the death toll had risen from 70 to 76. “Forty-three
bodies were buried on Sunday and another 33 were buried on Monday,” he told
AFP, adding that the death toll could rise further. “Residents of Zabarmari
village where the victims were buried said many more bodies could be scattered
in the marshy rice fields.” The United Nations on Sunday said that 110
civilians were killed, but later scaled that back to “tens” of victims,
admitting its initial toll was “unconfirmed”. The bloodletting centred on the
village of Koshobe, where Boko Haram fighters tied up farm workers and slit
their throats.”

 

Deutsche Welle: Nigeria: President Buhari's War On Boko Haram 'Far From Over'
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“Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari came to power promising to defeat the
Boko Haram insurgency and end the insecurity in Nigeria's restive northeastern
region. Five years after Nigerians swore in Buhari as president of Africa's
most populous nation, an Islamist insurgency in the north, armed banditry and
insecurity remain a huge challenge. Last weekend's slaughter of civilians by
jihadists has raised questions on Buhari's ability to fulfill his promises. The
United Nations said gunmen brutally killed “tens” of civilians and wounded many
other workers who were harvesting rice in Koshobe village, near Maiduguri,
capital of Borno State. Edward Kallon, the UN humanitarian coordinator in
Nigeria, said he was concerned about reports of women being kidnapped. In a
series of tweets, President Muhammadu Buhari condemned what he described as
“insane and senseless killings by terrorists.” No one has yet claimed
responsibility, but residents suspect Boko Haram of being behind the attack.
“The last week was largely an appraisal of the performance of the president or
the current administration in terms of security,” Awwal Faruq, a Nigerian
security analyst, said. “The killings and the kidnappings of worshippers in
Kanoma, Zamfara State and the slaughter of peasant farmers in cold blood, are
another appraisal of what is happening,” Faruq told DW.”

 

Pulse Nigeria: Military Kills Scores Of Boko Haram Terrorists In Air Raids
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“The Defence Headquarters says the Air Task Force of Operation Lafiya Dole has
hit terrorists' camps in Sambisa forest and Yale area of Borno, killing scores
in separate air strikes on Monday. The Coordinator, Defence Media Operations,
Maj.-Gen. John Enenche, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja. Lai
Mohammed says 'badly degraded' Boko Haram can only attack 'soft targets'
Enenche said the air interdiction missions destroyed some dwellings of Boko
Haram terrorists' leaders in the Sambisa Forest area and at a settlement about
1.7 Km East of Yale, both in Borno. He said the air raids were undertaken after
credible intelligence and series of aerial surveillance missions. He said that
this indicated that some terrorists that carried out recent attacks against
innocent civilians were harboured in makeshift structures in the areas.
According to him, the military dispatched Nigerian Air Force fighter jets and
helicopter gunships to attack the two locations. “The attack aircraft, while
taking turns to engage the targets, delivered lethal bomb and rocket strikes,
resulting in the destruction of some of the structures and the killing of
several terrorists,” he said.”

 

Mali

 

SOFREP: Al-Qaeda-Linked Jihadists Attack Several Bases In Mali
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“For the first time, Islamic jihadists have conducted coordinated attacks on
the three military bases in Mali. The jihadists, who are reportedly linked to
al-Qaeda, targeted French military bases in Kidal, Menaka, and Gao in northern
Mali within the space of a few hours on Monday as they tried to coordinate
attacks. The bases were hit by rocket attacks as well as mortars but no one was
injured. “There were no casualties, but there was some material damage,” a
Malian military official told AFP. Thomas Romiguier, a spokesman for the
French-led coalition added that the only base damaged was the United Nations
base in Kidal, which is next to the French base. Al-Qaeda released a statement
through its affiliated media network, al-Thabat saying that, “The rocket
attacks of the mujahideen, in support of Islam and Muslims, targeted the bases
of the French infidel army.”  Locals in the town of Gao reported that the
rocket attack began at 5:30 a.m. on Monday morning. The attack on the base at
Kidal was conducted after a group of men on motorcycles were observed riding
around the camp before dawn, a camp security officer said. “It was after they
passed by that there was fire from rockets and machine guns. There were no
deaths but there was significant material damage,” the official specified.”

 

United Kingdom

 

BBC News: Birmingham Woman Denies Terrorist Videos Charges
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“A woman accused of sending Islamic State videos to an undercover police
officer has appeared in court. Aaminah Amatullah faces two charges of
disseminating terrorist publications in September last year. The 38-year-old,
of Livingstone Road in Handsworth, Birmingham, pleaded not guilty to both at
Westminster Magistrates Court. She is set to appear next at the Old Bailey on
December 18. The charges relate to two videos allegedly sent to an online
contact, whom she did not know was an undercover officer, on September 17 and
22 last year. Ms Amatullah was arrested at her studio apartment on Livingstone
Road, Handsworth, Birmingham, on November 24 as part of an investigation by the
West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit.”

 

Germany

 

Al Jazeera: Germany Bans Far-Right, Pro-Nazi Group, Police Raid Homes
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“Police raided homes in three German states early on Tuesday after the German
government banned a far-right group, a spokesman for the interior ministry
said. The homes of 13 members of the far-right group, Wolfbrigade 44, were
searched in Hesse, Mecklenburg West-Pomerania and North Rhine-Westphalia to
confiscate the group’s funds and far-right propaganda material, German news
agency dpa reported. “Whoever fights against the basic values of our free
society will get to feel the resolute reaction of our government,” Interior
Minister Horst Seehofer said, according to his spokesman, Steve Alter. The
group’s goal is to re-establish a Nazi dictatorship, according to security
officials. The 44 in their name stands for the fourth letter in the alphabet,
DD, and is an abbreviation for Division Dirlewanger. Oskar Dirlewanger was a
known Nazi war criminal and commander of a Nazi SS special unit. The far-right
group was founded in 2016. It is known for possessing illegal weapons and
members have participated in far-right protests. Earlier this year, the German
government banned other far-right groups including the Combat 18 and the
Nordadler, dpa reported.”

 

Reuters: Germany Uncovers Suspected Far-Right “Reichsbuerger” In Armed Forces
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“Germany military intelligence has opened an investigation into eight civilian
employees of the armed forces suspected of belonging to the far-right
“Reichsbuerger” movement that denies the existence of the modern German state.
“We don’t tolerate enemies of the constitution in the Bundeswehr,” Defence
Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said on Tuesday, referring to the armed
forces. The tip-off leading to the investigation came from the military, she
added. Members of the Reichsbuerger (Citizens of the Reich) do not recognise
modern-day Germany as a legitimate state, and insist the former, far larger
“Deutsche Reich” still exists despite Nazi Germany’s defeat in World War Two.
“It is very important to act wherever there is suspicion, no matter if we are
talking about small or major cases,” Alexander Neu, a lawmaker from the
opposition far-left Linke party, told Reuters. Last week, German authorities
uncovered a group of soldiers suspected of organising a chat group relating to
anti-Semitism, right-wing extremism and pornography, according to a Defence
Ministry document seen by Reuters.”

 

Europe

 

The National: European Countries Scrambling To Adopt New Terror Laws Before
ISIS Fighters Return
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“A terrorism expert says a growing number of countries across Europe are
rushing to introduce new terror laws as they accept the inevitability of ISIS
fighters returning. Tanya Mehra, a senior research fellow at the International
Centre for Counter-Terrorism in The Hague, says the repatriation of Foreign
Terrorist Fighters (FTFs) is the “only way forward” … Speaking in a webinar
hosted by the Counter Extremism Project, Ms Mehra said many European
politicians are against the repatriation of their citizens, fearing they will
commit atrocities. But she argued doing nothing will lead to more escapes and
the unmonitored return of fighters to Europe. “Countries like Austria, Belgium
and the UK have stripped some citizens of their nationalities,” she said. “In
the Netherlands 11 people have been deprived of their nationalities since 2017.
“But there is a shift taking place in Europe, and several countries, Sweden,
Germany, France and the Netherlands, have been looking at how their crimes can
be prosecuted as international crimes which could provide longer sentences.” 

 

Southeast Asia

 

Christian Post: Indonesia: Terrorists Behind Murder Of 4 Christians, Attack On
Salvation Army Post Identified
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“Muslim extremists with the terrorist group Eastern Indonesia Mujahideen (MIT)
are believed to be responsible for the gruesome attack on The Salvation Army’s
service post in central Sulawesi that left four Christians dead. According to
International Christian Concern, on Nov. 27, Poso-based MIT militants Ali
Kalora and Jaka Ramada, who pledge allegiance to the Islamic State, set fire to
a church and burned down the homes of six churchgoers after they attacked the
Lewonu Lembantongoa Service Post of The Salvation Army, slitting the throats of
three Christians and beheading another. The leader of the outlawed Islamic
group, Ali Kalora, was also seen at the scene of the crime. According to Yoga
Priyautama, the chief of police in Sigi, a joint team has spread out and
conducted searches in a number of areas that are suspected to be the killers’
escape routes. Following the attack, ICC followed up with local Christians to
receive more information about the case. Survivors said that on the day of the
murders, a Christian woman, Nei, was having breakfast with her husband, Yasa,
when she saw approximately 10 unknown people visiting someone named Naka, who
was at a nearby house in Tokelemo, Lembantongoa Village.”



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