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Eye on Extremism
December 18, 2020
The Wall Street Journal: Nigerian Boys Taken In Kidnapping Claimed By Boko Haram Are Freed
“More than 300 schoolboys kidnapped by gunmen from their boarding school in northwest Nigeria last week were handed over to security agencies late Thursday, Nigeria’s government said, prompting outpourings of relief and joy across Africa’s most populous nation after fears they would become long-term hostages of jihadist militants. Shortly after 8 p.m. on Thursday, Aminu Bello Masari, the governor of Katsina state, announced in a televised interview that 344 of the boys had been handed over in the forest of neighboring Zamfara state and would be immediately driven to Katsina for medical treatment. The release comes six days after the students were seized from their dormitories at the Kankara Government Science Secondary School in Katsina and driven into the nearby forest, marking one of the largest mass school kidnappings in history. President Muhammadu Buhari praised the military and security agencies in a statement that offered prayers for the full recovery of the victims. They “endured significant hardships in the course of their ordeal,” the statement said. Local newspaper The Katsina Post tweeted images of dozens of schoolboys jammed onto the back of trucks, some looking dazed, but others sporting wide smiles for the camera as they headed toward home.”
The New York Times: Gunman Sentenced To Life In Prison For 2015 Attack On Paris-Bound Train
“Four men involved in a terrorist attack on a Paris-bound train in 2015 that was foiled only by the courageous action of other passengers were convicted of attempting murder, complicity and criminal terrorist association, and sentenced to prison terms ranging from seven years to life. Ayoub El Khazzani, who is accused of being the main attacker on the train, was sentenced to life in prison. His presence in the courtroom provided a rare opportunity for prosecutors to delve into the operations of the Islamic State in Europe. At the time of the attack, the European authorities were struggling to keep track of several thousand people in Europe who had circulated to and from Iraq and Syria, trying to join jihadist groups. Just a few months earlier, in January, terrorists killed 17 people, including 10 at the offices of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, which had published cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. The trial of 14 people accused of aiding the terrorists in that attack ended on Wednesday with all found guilty. But the actual assailants in that case were all dead. The attack on the train took place on Aug. 21, 2015, and was thwarted by several passengers — including three Americans and a man with dual French and American citizenship — who tackled the assailant and overpowered him after an intense hand-to-hand fight. Only one person was wounded. Mr. El Khazzani was captured and arrested.”
Turkey
Associated Press: Turkey, Iraq Agree To Cooperate Against Extremist Groups
“Turkey and Iraq have agreed to continue their cooperation in fighting extremist organizations, including the Islamic State group and Kurdish rebels, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Thursday. Speaking to reporters following meetings with visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, Erdogan also said he hoped that an Iraqi-Turkish oil pipeline that was damaged by the IS during the conflict against the militant group would soon be repaired and would resume oil transfers to world markets. Turkey has carried out numerous ground and aerial cross-border offensives into neighboring northern Iraq to attack militants of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, who maintain bases in the region. The latest offensive in June, dubbed Operation Claw Tiger, saw Turkish commandos being airlifted into Iraqi territory. The PKK, which has been fighting the Turkish state since 1984, is considered to be a terror organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union. “We have agreed to continue our struggle against our common enemies IS, PKK and FETO,” Erdogan said — the latter a reference to a network led by U.S.-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, who Turkey blames for a failed coup in 2016.”
Afghanistan
“The Pentagon’s top general met with the Taliban as senior U.S. and Afghan officials press for a reduction in violence, defense officials said Thursday, while talks with the militant group drag on with few signs of progress. Army Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, met Tuesday with Taliban officials in Doha, Qatar, and Wednesday with senior Afghan officials in Kabul. The meeting with the Taliban was “part of the military channel established in the U.S.-Taliban agreement” that was reached in February, said Navy Cmdr. Sarah Flaherty, a military spokeswoman. That deal called for the United States to withdraw all U.S. troops from Afghanistan by spring and for the Taliban to begin meeting with Afghan officials, break with al-Qaeda and not allow the country to be used as a safe haven for terrorists. U.S. officials said then that the military withdrawal would depend on conditions on the ground, but the Taliban has maintained ties to al-Qaeda and launched waves of bloody attacks against Afghan security forces and civilians. “The Chairman discussed the need for an immediate reduction of violence and accelerate progress towards a negotiated political solution which contributes to regional stability and safeguards U.S. national interests,” Flaherty said in a statement.”
Yemen
Arab News: Time For International Community To Get Tough On Houthis
“Houthi terrorist attacks continue to target international shipping lanes and commercial ships, as well as civilian airports and residential areas. Another attack took place on Monday, when a mined boat caused an explosion on board an oil tanker off the Saudi port of Jeddah. With this latest attack on the Saudi energy sector, the Houthi militia intensified its terrorist acts, with Iranian support and planning, on the Kingdom’s land, seas and oil installations. These attacks confirm Iran’s insistence on destabilizing the security and stability of the region, as it is the real actor responsible. The attacks follow its hostile policy in the region and the spread of its terrorist revolution and its malicious ideology. However, the responsibility today also goes beyond Iran and now includes the international community that turns a blind eye to Tehran’s terrorism and its support for terrorist militias that occupy four Arab capitals. These militias carry weapons outside the framework of the state, as can be seen in Lebanon and Iraq, while in Yemen the Houthis have gone even further, as they carried out a coup against the legitimate government. Tehran also poses an intercontinental threat. It has several projects that threaten global security and stability, including using its militias, which carry advanced weapons from Tehran such as drones and ballistic missiles.”
Lebanon
Gulf News: Lebanese Pop Singer Fadel Chaker Charged For Terrorism, Gets 22-Year Jail Sentence
“A Lebanese military court has sentenced pop singer Fadel Chaker on terrorism charges to 22 years in prison in absentia, Lebanese media reported Thursday. The verdict was delivered on two counts, including sentencing Chaker to 15 years in jail on charges of involvement in terrorist acts committed by terrorists by providing logistical services to them. He was also handed down seven years in prison and a fine of 5 million Lebanese pounds on charges of funding the militant Al Assir group. The court has ordered the 51-year-old singer be stripped of his civil rights. The fugitive singer had been earlier convicted in a different case. In September 2017, a Lebanese military court sentenced Chaker to 15 years in prison in absentia after convicting him in connection with a 2013 attack on the Lebanese army that left 18 soldiers dead in the southern city of Sidon. Chaker started his career in mid-1990s. He was catapulted to fame in 1999 when he released his album “The Seller of Hearts” that earned him the nickname “King of Romance”. In 2012, he quit his music career on religious grounds and became a follower of Lebanon’s radical cleric Ahmad Al Asir. He appeared on a local TV station sporting a beard typical of ultra-conservative Salafists. In 2018, Chaker announced his comeback to the music arena.”
The Jerusalem Post: Gantz: Latin American Jews Could Be Hezbollah Terror Target
“Latin American Jews could be targeted by the Iranian-backed terror group Hezbollah as they have been in the past, Alternate Prime Minister and Defense Minister Benny Gantz said on Thursday night. “The possibility that there could be a terror attack, like what to my sorrow we saw in Argentina [in the early 1990s] is something that could certainly happen,” the Blue and White leader said. “I do not know of a specific threat that could happen now, but the danger exists,” Gantz said. He spoke at a special virtual Zoom gathering for Jews who live in Latin America to mark the eighth day of Hanukkah, which was sponsored by both the Jewish Agency and the Strategic Affairs Ministry. One of the participants, a leader of the São Paulo Jewish community, asked Gantz about the danger of a terror attack, particularly from Hezbollah, in light of the large Lebanese community that lives in Latin America. In 1994, 87 people were killed in a bombing attack in Argentina on the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA), which was linked to Hezbollah and Iran. Hezbollah has tentacles globally and in Latin America in particular, Gantz said. It is therefore important to work with the local authorities to ensure both personal and institutional safety, he added.”
Nigeria
CNN: Why Can't Nigeria Protect Its Children From Boko Haram?
“It was a kidnapping as brazen as it was unexpected. While the numbers are murky, more than 300 schoolboys are still missing after an attack on a boys' school in northwest Nigeria nearly a week ago. A large number of attackers riding motorbikes ambushed the children at the school. “They said they were not here to rob us, that we shouldn't run. 'We are going to help you,'“ said 13-year-old Khalid Yargobe, who escaped over a wall with scores of his classmates as attackers breached the wall of his school. Rosetta Stone has deals on three-month and one-year subscriptions so you can pick up a new language or two. While kidnapping for ransom by criminal elements in Katsina state have seen a disturbing increase, an abduction of this scale is unheard of. It is a reminder of the brutal kidnapping of 276 girls from Chibok in 2014 by terror group Boko Haram. More than 100 of those girls never returned home. On Tuesday, an audio message surfaced claiming responsibility for the kidnapping, purportedly from Abubakar Shekau, the leader of a faction of terror group Boko Haram. Katsina State governor Aminu Bello Masari told CNN that officials have yet to see any concrete evidence that the boys were taken by the group. But if the claim is true, it is a deeply disturbing shift of the influence of Boko Haram.”
Mali
Agence France-Presse: Bomb Kills Malian Soldier And Wounds Five
“A Malian soldier was killed and five others were wounded when their vehicle hit an improvised explosive device on a highway in the troubled west African country, the army said Wednesday. Mali is struggling with an Islamist insurgency that first erupted in the north but has since spread to the center of the country, as well as spilling over into neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger. The patrol was traveling between the cities of Gao and Mopti on one of the country’s only tarred highways when the explosion occurred early Tuesday, the army said. Jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State have frequently attacked military camps and planted improvised explosive devices along highways, resulting in civilian and military casualties. In addition to its own armed forces, the fragile country hosts France’s mission in the Sahel, UN peacekeeping troops, and contingents from a five-nation anti-jihadist group.”
United Kingdom
BBC News: Woman Jailed For Sharing Terrorist Material
“A woman who shared terrorist and extremist material has been jailed for three years. Khadidja Benboukhemis pleaded guilty to two charges of dissemination of terrorist publications. Evidence of discussions about the Islamic State group was found on devices in her house along with proof files had been sent to other people. The 41-year-old of Damerel Close, Plymouth, Devon, was sentenced at Kingston Crown Court on Tuesday. Benboukhemis was arrested following an investigation led by Counter Terrorism Police South East (CTPSE) and supported by Counter Terrorism Police South West and Devon and Cornwall Police, She received an extended sentence of three years comprising two years imprisonment and a one-year extended licence. Det Ch Supt Kath Barnes, head of CTPSE said: “The team of investigators on this case left Benboukhemis with little option other than to plead guilty, due to the weight of evidence they collected and the diligent work carried out in this case.”
Express: In British Polite Society Even Uttering The Words Islamist Or Islamism Is Taboo - ANALYSIS
“Austria has founded an observatory to better understand and monitor domestic Islamist movements. Germany has cut off public funding to major Islamist linked charities. European governments are increasingly aware of the social cohesion challenge and the link between ‘non-violent’ Islamists and jihadist violence. Meanwhile, Britain is conspicuous in its absence from the debate and falling badly behind. In fact, in British polite society, even uttering the words Islamist or Islamism is taboo, while those sincerely concerned by the growth of this political ideology in Britain must constantly fight off baseless racism accusations and Muslim activists are accused of being Uncle Toms. Authorities seem only able to discuss Islamism if they speak in equal terms about the far-right. At this stage of the fight and at this threat level, this is an unforgivable blind spot. We have made very little effort to understand Islamism as distinct political theory and intellectual tradition. But this is exactly what it is: a political theory and not a matter of race or religion.”
Europe
The Portugal News: Portuguese “Jihadists” Sentenced To Prison Terms
“Lisbon Criminal Court has sentenced Rómulo Costa and Cassimo Turé to prison terms of nine years and eight years and six months respectively, for crimes in support of terrorist organisations linked to Islamic radicalism. Both defendants were convicted of supporting, assisting and collaborating with Islamic terrorism, “in apparent competition with the crime of financing terrorism”. The court absolved them, however, of the crimes of membership and recruiting militants for terrorist organisations. The judgment proved that Cassimo Turé and Rómulo Costa “were aware of the political-military situation experienced in Syria, while also being aware of the extremist political-religious conventions of Nero Saraiva, Sadjo Turé (Cassimo’s brother), Edgar Costa and Celso Costa (brothers of Rómulo), Fábio Poças and Sandro Marques, as well as their intention, in an organised way, through a group they formed in the United Kingdom (London), to join terrorist organisations”. Such organisations - advances the collective court chaired by Francisco Coimbra - were namely ISIL and ISIS, Brigade of Emigrants and later Islamic State (IS), with these friends and brothers of the defendants “becoming members” of these movements “recognised internationally by the United Nations (UN) and European Union (EU) as terrorists.”
Australia
“A man shot dead by police along a Brisbane motorway is being treated as a suspected solo terrorist and a double murderer. Raghe Abdi, 22, was killed after he allegedly lunged at police and was shot on Thursday morning along Logan Motorway. Deputy Commissioner Tracy Linford said the incident was being treated as a terrorist act but stressed he acted alone. Nine hours after Mr Abdi was shot dead, police discovered the bodies of two elderly people in a home at nearby Parkinson that they said he was linked to. “We are now treating this matter as act of terror,” Ms Linford said. “Examinations of the scene have led us to determine that this is a double homicide. “I want to stress that nothing else has been uncovered at this point at this that would indicate that any other pe rsons are involved in this terrorism event. “Our focus sill be to continue to investigate the activities of Mr Abdi leading to yesterday’s shooting and what connection he may have had with the couple.” Ms Linford said after examining the shooting scene and the dead couple’s residence, “there was a direct link between the two matters.” She said an item of Mr Abdi’s was found at the elderly couple’s house.”
The Sydney Morning Herald: Killer’s Brother Gets More Jail Time For New Year Terror Attack Plan
“An aspiring terrorist who planned to kill New Year’s revellers at Melbourne’s Federation Square has had his prison term increased by six years on appeal. Ali Khalif Shire Ali, younger brother of Bourke Street attacker Hassan Khalif Shire Ali, intended to use an AK-47 assault rifle to kill as many people as he could in the name of Islamic State as the clock ticked down to midnight on December 31, 2017. Ali Khalif Shire Ali was arrested in November 2017. Anti-terrorism police thwarted his plan when they arrested him five weeks before the intended attack. Ali Khalif Shire Ali, 23, was in May jailed for 10 years and told to serve 7½ years before he became eligible for parole, however the Court of Appeal on Friday re-sentenced him to 16 years and ordered he complete a minimum 12 years locked up. The new sentence follows an appeal by federal prosecutors that the original sentence imposed by Supreme Court Justice John Champion was manifestly inadequate. Shire Ali, who pleaded guilty to intentionally doing an act in preparation for or planning a terrorist act, has served more than three years since his arrest in late November 2017. He was in prison when his older brother killed much-loved restaurant owner Sisto Malaspina in the Bourke Street terror attack on November 9, 2018.”
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