Sudan took a major step back into the international fold on Monday when the
United States formally removed it from a list of nations that sponsor

 

 


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Eye on Extremism


December 15, 2020

 

The New York Times: Sudan Celebrates ‘New Era’ As U.S. Drops It From Terrorism
List
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“Sudan took a major step back into the international fold on Monday when the
United States formally removed it from a list of nations that sponsor
terrorism, ending a 27-year period of isolation that left the vast African
country a diplomatic pariah, hobbled its economy and blocked access to
financial aid that it now urgently needs. Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, the
leader of Sudan’s fragile transitional government, hailed the American move as
a rare cause for celebration in a nation that is straining badly under a
crushing economic crisis and the coronavirus pandemic. This is the beginning of
a “new era,” Mr. Hamdok declared on Twitter, adding that after three decades of
isolation Sudan could officially rejoin the international community as “a
peaceful nation supporting global stability.” The move put in effect a decision
announced by President Trump on Oct. 19, when he said Sudan would be removed
from the terrorism list in exchange for a $335 million compensation payment to
the victims of the 1998 Qaeda attacks on American Embassies in Kenya and
Tanzania. Only three countries now remain on the American list of state
sponsors of terrorism: North Korea, Iran and Syria.”

 

Associated Press: Indonesia Police: Top Terror Suspect Mastermind Of Attacks
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“Indonesian authorities said Monday that a top terror suspect arrested last
week was the architect of a series of deadly attacks and sectarian conflicts in
the world’s most populous Muslim nation. Aris Sumarsono, known as Zulkarnaen,
was arrested Thursday by counterterrorism police in a raid at a house in East
Lampung district on Sumatra island. “He was the military commander of Jemaah
Islamiyah,” National Police spokesperson Ahmad Ramadhan said at a news
conference in the capital, Jakarta. “He’s been on the police wanted list for 18
years.” Zulkarnaen, a biologist who was among the first Indonesian militants to
go to Afghanistan in the 1980s for training, was an instructor at a military
academy there for seven years, Ramadhan said. Since May 2005, Zulkarnaen has
been listed on an al-Qaida sanctions list by the U.N. Security Council for
being associated with Osama bin Laden or the Taliban. The Security Council said
that Zulkarnaen, who became an expert in sabotage, was one of al-Qaida’s
representatives in Southeast Asia and one of the few people in Indonesia who
had had direct contact with bin Laden’s network.”

 

Syria

 

Fox News: ISIS Sleeper Cell Attacks In Syria Reach Record Low, Data Shows
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“Despite the still frequent terrorist attacks ripping through the once
ISIS-controlled pockets of northeastern Syria, data released this month showed
that November 2020 recorded the lowest number of sleeper cell attacks by the
Islamic terror group since their territorial defeat last year. According to the
Syria-based monitoring group Rojava Information Center (RJC), there were 16
confirmed attacks – plus an additional seven attacks at the sprawling al-Hol
displaced person camp – making it an 80% decrease year over year … Riza Kumar,
a researcher at the Counter Extremism Project (CEP), underscored that raids
against ISIS need to continue to ensure that sleeper cells are actively
neutralized to prevent future recruits' radicalization. "The camp continues to
be a threat to the region as former ISIS members are able to recruit,
indoctrinate, and exploit fellow detainees. However, if camp departures are
safe and low-risk, the camp will be better able to monitor higher-risk
individuals who pose a genuine threat to regional security," she said. "(But)
given the mass release of Syrian detainees from al-Hol, there will also have to
be active rehabilitation and monitoring systems in place to ensure that former
detainees—who may have acquired knowledge on how to carry out attacks and
persuade recruits—will not potentially re-radicalize or radicalize others in
their home villages."

 

Afghanistan

 

BBC News: Afghanistan: Kabul Governor Killed In 'Sticky Bomb' Attack On Car
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“Kabul's deputy governor has been killed in a “sticky bomb “attack in the
Afghan capital, security officials have said. Mahboobullah Mohebi was
travelling by car on Tuesday when a device attached to his vehicle exploded. No
group has yet claimed responsibility. It is the latest in a spate of killings
in Afghanistan this month, which have included a government prosecutor, who was
shot dead while on his way to work. Journalists, activists and other political
figures have been targeted. Attackers often use so-called “sticky bombs”, which
are stuck to vehicles by magnets. Afghan news channel Tolo TV reports that Mr
Mohebi's secretary was also killed in this latest blast, and two of his
security guards were injured. Peace talks between Afghan officials and the
Taliban - which have been taking place in Doha, Qatar - have been paused until
January. The two sides have have recently made progress on preliminary issues
but are yet to begin discussing a ceasefire or power-sharing arrangement. Last
month the US announced plans to withdraw 2,000 troops from the country by
mid-January. The decision was criticised amid concerns that a sharp and speedy
reduction of troops would weaken the Afghan government's ability to deal with a
resurgence of the Taliban and other militant groups.”

 

Reuters: Afghan Government, Taliban To Resume Peace Talks In January
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“Peace talks between the Afghan government and Taliban insurgents will resume
in early January as the warring sides take a break after reaching agreement on
procedural ground rules for sustaining their dialogue to end the war. The talks
between the Afghan sides began in Qatar in September, months after the United
States and the Taliban struck a deal on the withdrawal of the remaining 12,000
U.S. troops in exchange for Taliban security guarantees and a commitment to
talk peace. Members of the Afghan government delegation said on Monday they
would travel back to Kabul from Doha. “We’re taking a break for now and will be
ready to discuss the agenda when talks resume,” said a senior Afghan official
overseeing diplomatic communications with the Taliban. A Taliban spokesman was
not immediately available for comment. Despite the peace process, violence in
Afghanistan has not ended. There are regular clashes in various parts of the
country and bomb and rocket attacks in Kabul. Last week, the U.S. forces
carried out an air strike against Taliban insurgents to protect government
forces in Kandahar province in a rare U.S. intervention since their pact with
the Taliban. Afghan officials in the southern province told media the Taliban
were planning coordinated attacks on security forces when the U.S. military
bombed them, killing more than 20 Taliban fighters.”

 

Agence France-Presse: Scores Of Taliban Militants Killed As Fighting Rocks
Insurgent Bastion
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“Dozens of Taliban fighters were killed in fierce overnight fighting between
Afghan forces and militants who attacked multiple checkpoints in the insurgent
bastion of Kandahar, officials said Sunday. Taliban militants attacked
checkpoints in five districts surrounding the city of Kandahar, which Afghan
forces countered with heavy air and ground assaults, the ministry of defense
said in a statement. “The security forces repulsed the attack, killing 51
terrorists and wounding nine,” the ministry said, without offering details of
any casualties among government forces. Seven members of a family were also
killed in an Afghan air strike in one of the districts, a local official told
AFP on condition of anonymity. “The Afghan air force wanted to target a car
filled with explosives… when they hit the car it detonated and caused civilian
fatalities,” he said. The ministry of defense said it was investigating the
incident. The fighting lasted for several hours through the night, marked with
continuous gun battles and heavy bombardments, an AFP correspondent reported
from Kandahar. When contacted the Taliban did not offer an immediate comment.”

 

Pakistan

 

Associated Press: Pakistan Police Arrest 3 Militants, Foiling Possible Attack
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“Pakistan's counter-terrorism police on Monday raided a militant hideout in
the garrison city of Rawalpindi, arresting three suspects linked to past bomb
attacks. The men had also plotted to target the Islamabad Stock Exchange,
police said. According to the police statement, the suspects were involved in
four bombings that killed four people and wounded 30 this year. It said the
arrested militants had a history of links with the Pakistani Taliban but were
now allegedly acting as mercenaries and receiving instructions from someone in
neighboring Afghanistan. Pakistan has witnessed scores of militant attacks in
recent years. The latest development comes a day after a roadside bomb wounded
23 people near a police station in the city of Rawalpindi, where the Pakistani
military’s headquarters and the offices of the country’s spy agencies are
located. Rawalpindi is located about 15 kilometers (9 miles) south of the
capital, Islamabad.”

 

Al Jazeera: India, Pakistan Repeat War Of Words Over ‘Cross-Border Terrorism’
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“Pakistan has “categorically reject[ed]” statements by India’s foreign
minister regarding “cross-border terrorism”, in which he appeared to be making
a thinly veiled dig at India’s western neighbour. In a statement issued late on
Sunday, Pakistan’s foreign ministry termed the remarks by Indian Foreign
Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar as “baseless allegations”. “Pakistan
categorically rejects terrorism-related insinuations by the Indian External
Affairs Minister and other political figures today,” read the Pakistani
statement. “Regurgitating of baseless allegations does not turn them into
truth.” Jaishankar made the remarks while delivering a lecture in New Delhi on
Sunday, which marked the 19th anniversary of the 2001 attack on the Indian
parliament that killed nine people and led to a tense military standoff between
the nuclear-armed neighbours. “At one level, some of the more perennial
problems associated with our national consolidation and development will
continue,” said Jaishankar. “In particular, a longstanding political rivalry is
today expressed as sustained cross-border terrorism by a neighbour.”

 

Yemen

 

Arab News: Yemenis Demand Protection Against Houthi Attacks
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“Twelve rights groups, medical workers and officials in Yemen’s southern city
of Taiz have called for the protection of civilians against arbitrary mortar
strikes by the Iran-backed Houthis. The groups wrote a joint petition urging
the international community to help put an end to Houthi attacks that had
claimed the lives of dozens of civilians in the densely populated city since
early last month. “These acts are considered crimes against humanity that
require urgent action by the international community,” they said in their
petition. “We hold the Houthi group and all the parties that commit those
violations fully responsible for these actions. We demand them to abide by the
principles of international humanitarian law and human rights law.” On
Saturday, a mortar shell landed inside a stadium in Taiz, killing a football
coach and his 10 year-old son and wounding two children. The attack triggered
outrage as Yemenis called for an end to the attacks and labeled the Houthis
terrorists due to their crimes against civilians. On Sunday, dozens of
protesters gathered inside the stadium to denounce the Houthi attacks that have
escalated during the past couple of months.”

 

Saudi Arabia

 

Al Jazeera: ‘Terrorist Attack’ Strikes Oil Tanker At Saudi Port In Jeddah
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“A fuel transport ship was attacked by an explosive-laden boat in Saudi Arabia
on Monday, the kingdom’s Ministry of Energy said. The Singapore-flagged oil
tanker’s owner confirmed it was struck by a blast in the fuel terminal in
Jeddah during a “terrorist” assault.  “The attack resulted in a small fire,
which emergency units successfully extinguished. The incident did not result in
any casualties, and there was no damage caused to the unloading facilities, nor
any effect on supplies,” a ministry spokesman said, according to the state news
agency SPA. In a statement on Monday, shipping company Hafnia said all 22
sailors on board the BW Rhine escaped without injury. The company warned it was
possible some oil leaked out from the site of the blast. The ship’s crew put
out the fire, the company said, adding parts of the ship’s hull had been
damaged. The blast struck off a crucial port and distribution centre for Saudi
Arabia’s oil trade and comes after a number of security incidents concerning
Saudi oil infrastructure. On November 25, an explosion damaged a Greek-managed
tanker while at berth in the Saudi port of Shuqaiq. The kingdom blamed Yemen’s
Houthi rebels for the mine attack.”

 

Middle East

 

The Defense Post: Understanding The Brutality And Resilience Of Militant
Jihadism
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“Despite the pandemic, jihadist groups remain active and continue to undertake
heinous acts of violence. Various African countries, as well as Iraq, Austria,
and Afghanistan, have recently witnessed attacks, including massacres at a
maternity hospital, funeral, and prison. Militant jihadists are also increasing
their online outreach, particularly among the young who are spending more time
online because of lockdowns. Yet, many people, especially in the West, struggle
to understand jihadist violence and its motivations, particularly at a time of
worldwide crisis. Why do jihadists continue to target public places, massacre
innocent civilians, conquer territory, enslave women and children, and attract
adherents who will do egregious violence in the name of jihad? While there are
many factors involved, the key to understanding the brutality and resilience of
militant jihadism is its victim identity. A recurring justification for
militant jihadists is that they claim to be fighting for the victimized. Dr.
Abdel Aziz Rantisi, a founder of Hamas, called the understanding that the
organization’s militants are aggressors the “number one misunderstanding” about
the group. “We are not: we are the victims,” he said in 2000.”

 

Somalia

 

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“The Special Forces squad, Danab killed 17 Al-Shabaab militants including two
foreigners in the Lower Shabelle region in operation conducted on Sunday.
According to a statement from the army, the soldiers destroyed a base belonging
to the militants in Sablale district on Saturday morning following an operation
there. Among those militants killed were Suleiman Abu Mahfud, al-Shabaab's in
deputy supervisor who is a Tanzanian national, Abu Yasir Yahid, a Syrian
national who was in charge of the group's security, and Hassan Mohamed Osman in
charge of militants operations. Somali government forces and African Union
Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) have driven Alshabaab militants from the capital in
2011 but the still some parts of southern and central Somalia. Government
forces have in past months intensified operations in the against al-Shabab
extremists, who have been hiding in rural areas and conducting ambushes and
planting landmines.”

 

Washington Examiner: Anti-Terrorist Campaign In Somalia Continues Despite
Troop Reduction
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“U.S. Africa Command showed it is not about to scale back the fight against
Islamic terrorist group al Shabab in Somalia, releasing its first video of a
targeted airstrike Dec. 10 as American soldiers prepare to leave the country at
President Trump’s orders. The short, black-and-white video with blue crosshairs
shows a precision missile hitting a target inside a building compound. AFRICOM
said eight bomb makers were killed and two were injured in the strike. “Even
when the repositioning of forces occurs, AFRICOM will ensure a focus on the
continuity of operations and support in Somalia and the East African region,”
U.S. Air Force Col. Christopher Karns told the Washington Examiner. “The
airstrikes reflect this fact and demonstrates Al-Shabaab will not go
unchecked,” he added. Ten days ago, Trump made good on a campaign promise to
end the “forever wars” that keep service members globally deployed when he
ordered 750 troops out of Somalia. The move followed a Nov. 26 visit by acting
Defense Secretary Chris Miller, himself a former Special Forces operator, to
Somalia and America’s only African base, Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti.”

 

Africa

 

Africanews: Mozambique: Thousands Of Refugees Flee To Pemba Amid Extremist
Threat
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“The port of Pemba in northern Mozambique is known for its wide bay but rather
than hosting tourists it has become home to thousands of refugees who have fled
Islamic extremists. Boatloads of people have fled their homes over the last few
months after they fell to Al-Shabab gunmen who claim allegiance to the Islamic
State group. They seized coastal zones with natural gas installations and have
begun to push to the inland districts of Cabo Delgado. In October, the violent
rebellion entered its fourth year and has reportedly killed more than 2,400
people and displaced half a million, according to the government. Their
villages were torched, many men killed and many young women kidnapped. Many
settlers are using their skills to build a new life in Pemba. Suleimane Saide,
49, arrived three months ago and now works as a carpenter to feed his family,
sculpting long fishing boats that line local beaches. “They attacked my village
and took my daughter. I came to Pemba and was welcomed by a family here,” he
told AFP. “I still haven't forgotten what happened. I do not sleep. My head
hurts. I think they should stop this war.”

 

United Kingdom

 

The Independent: Met Police Officer Denies Membership Of Neo-Nazi Terrorist
Group
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“A police officer has denied being a member of a neo-Nazi terrorist group and
concealing his allegiance from Scotland Yard. Benjamin Hannam, 22, was serving
in the Metropolitan Police when he was arrested on suspicion of a terror
offence and fraud. Appearing at London’s Old Bailey on Monday, he denied being
a member of the neo-Nazi terrorist group National Action between December 2016,
when it was banned, and September 2017. He also pleaded not guilty to two
counts of fraud by false representation. Mr Hannam is accused of lying on his
application to join the Metropolitan Police, made in July 2017, and a vetting
form submitted in October 2017. Both documents asked him whether he had “been a
member of an organisation similar to the British National Party”. The
Metropolitan Police previously said Mr Hannam was still in his probation period
when he was arrested and was currently suspended from duty. Mr Hannam, of
Enfield in north London, was released on bail under a series of conditions,
which ban him from travelling abroad and restrict his internet usage. He is due
to go on trial on 1 March and a further pre-trial hearing was set for 1
February.”

 

Daily Mail: Deradicalisation Of Jihadis Does NOT Work, Warns Terror Watchdog
In Call For Offenders To Be Closely Monitored And Given Regular Lie-Detector
Tests
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“Attempts to deradicalise jihadis using mentoring and theological programmes
do not work, the head of the terrorism watchdog has warned. Jonathan Hall QC
said there is 'no magic bullet, no special pill' that could successfully
deradicalise someone whether they were coming back from Syria or being released
from a prison. Instead, the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation
suggested said that extremists being released onto the streets of Britain
should be closely monitored and made to take lie-detector tests. He described
terrorists as 'deceptive' like sex offenders, who would say anything their
probation staff would want to hear if it meant being given their freedom. There
has been furious debate over whether Britons returning from ISIS in Syria and
Iraq, such as Shamima Begum who has been stripped of her citizenship, should be
allowed back into the country with the help of mentoring. Mr Hall added that
although there was no harm in using theological mentoring and other schemes for
offenders, people should be under 'no illusion' they would be effective.”

 

Germany

 

Associated Press: Germany Investigates Cross-Border Extremist Network
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“Germany's top security official pledged Monday to get to the bottom of an
alleged plot intended to arm far-right extremists in the country with weapons,
ammunition and explosives procured in neighboring Austria. Austrian authorities
on the weekend said that recent raids had led to the seizure of 70 automatic
and semi-automatic firearms, explosives and more than 100,000 rounds of
ammunition. Five people have been arrested in Austria, including the prime
suspect, identified as a 53-year-old Austrian with known links to organized
crime and right-wing extremism, Vienna investigators said. German Interior
Minister Horst Seehofer said Berlin had been cooperating with Vienna since
October on the case. He called the discovery of “such a great quantity” of
weapons, munitions and explosives “alarming” and pledged a full investigation
into the case. “This is particularly true for the right-extremist background of
the suspect in Austria,” he said in a written statement. Two alleged
accomplices were also arrested in the German states of Bavaria and North
Rhine-Westphalia, Germany's Interior Ministry said. Austrian authorities have
said that a significant quantity of drugs was found in the raids and that
investigators believe that narcotics being smuggled from Germany were being
used to finance the procurement of the weapons.”

 

Technology

 

The Independent: Facebook Did Not Ban Violent Extremist Group In India Over
Fears Of Damage To Business Prospects, Report Says
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“Facebook did not ban a violent Indian extremist group after deciding that
such a move could adversely impact the company’s business prospects in the
country as well as endanger staff, it has been claimed. Earlier this year,
officials at the social media giant held that the Bajrang Dal group supported
violence against minorities across India and should be banned from the
platform, reported The Wall Street Journal. However, a subsequent report by
Facebook’s security team warned such a move could infuriate the group as well
as politicians from India’s ruling Hindu nationalist party. Facebook has
defended its position and a spokesperson said “we ban individuals or entities
after following a careful, rigorous, and multi-disciplinary process”.”We
enforce our dangerous organisations and individuals policy globally without
regard to a political position or party affiliation.” The WSJ report quoted a
Facebook spokesperson saying that the security team’s warning was “a subject
for discussion as part of the standard process”. A Bajrang Dal spokesperson,
meanwhile, denied it being in conflict with other religious groups. For
Facebook, India and its 300 million users of a total worldwide user base of 2.5
billion, is a crucial market. It has also invested heavily in new retail
ventures in the south Asian country.”



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