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Eye on Extremism
January 19, 2021
CNN: Dozens Killed, Some Decapitated, In Suspected Rebel Attack In The Democratic Republic Of Congo
“Forty-six people from the ethnic Pygmy group were killed -- some of them decapitated -- on Wednesday in a suspected militant attack in northeast Democratic Republic of Congo, according to an NGO official based in the central African country. An armed group shot civilians and decapitated others with machetes in Ambedi, a village in Irumu territory in Ituri province, said Christophe Munyanderu, regional coordinator for the NGO Convention pour le respect de droit de l'homme, or Convention for the Respect of Human Rights. A spokesman for the Armed Forces of the DRC in Ituri attributed the attack to the Allied Democratic Forces, a rebel group that operates in the region. Two of the assailants were arrested and are currently under interrogation, the spokesman said. Most of the victims were women and children, said Rachel Taruwayo, the regional coordinator for the provincial government. Munyanderu said that a Pygmy who was hunting during the attack determined the death toll. When he returned to the village, Munyanderu said, he found a female survivor with a gunshot wound and a two-year-old child whose hand had been chopped off.”
Voice Of America: Pakistan Arrests Suspected Islamic State 'Fundraiser'
“Authorities in Pakistan said Monday they have arrested a university student in the southern port city of Karachi for allegedly collecting and sending funds to Islamic State militants fighting in Syria. Separately, the Pakistani military said its forces raided a hideout near the country’s western border with Afghanistan and killed two senior “terrorists” in the ensuing firefight. It said that a third militant “got injured and apprehended.” The counterterrorism department in Sindh province, of which Karachi is the capital, identified the detained suspected IS operative as Umar Bin Khalid, a final year student at the city’s NED University of Engineering and Technology. He was trying to board a train before being taken into custody on Sunday. The department noted that a “forensic examination” of Khalid’s two cellphones established his links to a group “raising funds in Pakistan for Daesh and sending them to Syria.” Daesh is the Arabic name for Islamic State. The statement said the detainee was involved in the fundraising activity for the last two years, and he was in contact “directly with families of terrorists plotting terrorism in Pakistan and Syria.” IS has taken credit for plotting deadly attacks in Pakistan in recent years.”
United States
“Since a violent mob of President Donald Trump's supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol last week, U.S. officials have repeatedly warned that like-minded domestic terrorists could strike again when President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in as commander-in-chief next week. But a wide-ranging threat assessment issued Thursday by several federal and local agencies makes it clear that U.S. agencies are preparing for the possibility that Biden's inauguration could inspire additional threats to the U.S. homeland, including foreign influence operations and even drone attacks from extremists. “Since the incident at the U.S. Capitol, Russian, Iranian, and Chinese influence actors have seized the opportunity to amplify narratives in furtherance of their policy interest amid the presidential transition,” the threat assessment noted, citing at least once instance in which a Russian “proxy” promoted claims the rioters at the Capitol last week were actually members of the radical left-wing antifa movement who “disguised themselves” as Trump supporters. Still, the assessment said the U.S. government has not identified any “specific, credible” information that suggests foreign nations might target critical infrastructure or U.S. personnel supporting the inauguration.”
“The FBI investigation of the Capitol riot has begun to zero in on potential key figures in the chaos, including some self-styled militia members who in some videos and photos appear to be planning or urging further violence. Though no one has been charged with leading or directing the violence, investigators are working to find out whether certain individuals helped coordinate aspects of the attack, before and during the chaos, or were merely opportunistic instigators. In nearly two weeks since the assault, the Justice Department has charged more than 100 people — mostly individuals who revealed themselves as participating in the Jan. 6 riot through social media boasts. But the weekend arrests of people with alleged ties to extremist groups reflects the FBI’s increasing attention to the more prepared, organized and determined groups among the larger mass of rioters. One of those newly charged was Robert Gieswein, 24, of Woodland Park, Colo. Charging documents and videos indicate he may have links to the three extremist groups that have drawn the most attention from the FBI: the Proud Boys, Oath Keepers and Three Percenters. Some of the videos appear to include members who discussed storming the Capitol about an hour ahead of the riot.”
“Ahead of an Inauguration that experts and federal officials have warned could culminate in violence, extremists are trading tactics in fringe online platforms on how to carry out deadly attacks. In posts on 8kun, the home of QAnon and successor to the banned extremist hotbed 8chan, and on right-wing extremist channels on the messaging app, Telegram, anonymous users are sharing instructions on how to make bombs and other weapons, as well as military tactical guides. On 8kun, Mother Jones reviewed a collection of files called “Civil War Tools” that had been shared on the site using MediaFire, a file-hosting service, with instruction guides for building homemade explosives, silencers, and other weapons. The files also contain guides on guerrilla warfare and operational security. Similarly on Telegram, in a channel for Boogaloos, a loose group of extremists who are preparing for an anticipated second civil war have shared materials including a United States Marine Corps manual on “Military Operations on Urbanized Terrain.” … Joshua Fisher-Birch, a researcher at the Counter Extremism Project, also shared with Mother Jones several instances of neo-Nazis calling on their followers to carry out lone-wolf attacks and sharing other tactics on Telegram and 8kun.
Syria
Al Monitor: Did Islamic State Make Comeback To Opposition Areas In Countryside Of Aleppo?
“Syria TV correspondent and journalist Bahaa al-Halabi survived an assassination attempt Jan. 6 in the Turkish-backed opposition-controlled city of al-Bab in the northeastern countryside of Aleppo. The attempt took place outside Halabi's home, as masked individuals intercepted his private car and fired their bullets directly at him. The incident sparked controversy and fear among activists and journalists in the opposition areas in the countryside of Aleppo. Speculations soared about the entity behind this type of operations. Some believe the incident is due to the security chaos that al-Bab and other opposition-controlled areas are experiencing in the countryside of Aleppo. They believe bombings and assassinations are usually carried out by agents of the Syrian regime or the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which both share an interest in perpetuating the security chaos in the region. Other journalists believe the attempt to assassinate Halabi has the Islamic State's (IS) fingerprints all over it. IS members excel in this type of assassination. In their view, the incident ushers in the return of the organization to the opposition areas in the countryside of Aleppo through its agents. On Dec. 12, 2020, journalist Hussein Khattab was assassinated in a similar manner in al-Bab. Two masked individuals shot him in the city center while he was preparing a press report.”
Voice Of America: Obscure Islamist Group Targets Turkish Military In Northwest Syria
“A small Islamist militant group has claimed responsibility for an attack on Turkish forces in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib. The Ansar Abu Bakr al-Siddiq Squadron said it was behind the attack Saturday that targeted a Turkish military outpost in the northern countryside of Idlib. “The sniper platoon of the Abu Bakr al-Siddiq Squadron targeted one of the main bases of the ‘Turkish NATO’ military stationed near the town of Batbo, north of Idlib,” the extremist group said Sunday in a statement published on social media. Three Turkish soldiers were wounded as a result of the assault, according to local news media. The Turkish government has not commented. Idlib is the last major stronghold controlled by forces opposed to the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) is the most powerful Islamist group present in Idlib, but other al-Qaida-affiliated groups and Turkish-backed rebels also have a significant presence in the Syrian enclave. The HTS, formerly known as al-Nusra Front, is considered a terrorist organization by the United States.”
Asharq Al-Awsat: ISIS Landmines Kill 10 Russia-Backed Fighters In Syria’s Homs
“Ten Russia-backed fighters were killed when ISIS landmines exploded in al-Tayba area in al-Sukhna, in Syria's eastern Homs countryside near the administrative border with the Deir Ezzor province. Meanwhile, Russian warplanes carried out on Sunday 40 airstrikes targeting ISIS positions in Aleppo, Hama and Raqqa. The Russia-backed forces launched a security campaign in the deserts of Deir Ezzor and Homs, where forces from the al-Quds Brigade, 5th Corps and National Defense militias continue to comb the area from Kabajib and al-Shoula to al-Sukhna, in an attempt to secure the Deir Ezzor-Homs road. ISIS has recently increased its attacks against regime forces, killing and injuring dozens. Analysts believe this reflects the difficulty of completely eliminating ISIS remnant cells operating in the Badia desert area stretching from eastern Homs, in central Syria, to the easternmost parts of the Deir Ezzor province in the east. On December 30, ISIS targeted three busses carrying pro-regime militants and members of the 4th Division, in al-Shula desert on Deir Ezzor-Homs road, killing 39 and injuring others. The terrorist organization also ambushed various vehicles on the Damascus-al-Raqqah highway in the beginning of the year.”
Iraq
Kurdistan 24: ISIS Attacks In Disputed Iraqi Town Leave Security Force Member Dead, 3 More Injured
“Islamic State fighters launched a double attack late Friday evening, killing one security force member and wounding three more in one of Iraq's territories disputed by Baghdad and the autonomous Kurdistan Region. The attack took place in the town of Jalawla, located outside the disputed city of Khanaqin. A security source told Kurdistan 24 that Islamic State militants infiltrated Jalawla's al-Shuhada neighborhood late at night, catching both the army and police by surprise with two attacks near or on the Helwan Bridge. The attack is just the latest after a series of similar incidents targeting security forces and civilians in disputed areas in Diyala, Salahuddin, and Kirkuk provinces. The extremist group often launches attacks in areas between those controlled by Iraqi forces and Kurdish Peshmerga, taking advantage of the security vacuum in multiple disputed territories. At the same time, Kurdistan 24 correspondent also reported that an Iraqi soldier was wounded by sniper fire at a checkpoint in the Tarmiyah area in the northern suburbs of Baghdad. Kurdistan Region security officials have repeatedly stated that the Islamic State continues to pose a threat to the region and the whole of Iraq.”
Afghanistan
The New York Times: She Killed An American In 2012. Why Was She Freed In The Taliban Deal?
“Nargis Mohammad Hasan was serving as an Afghan police officer when she shot and killed an American civilian adviser on Dec. 24, 2012, in Afghanistan’s capital. It was considered the first known attack by a woman in the Afghan security forces on a coalition member since the U.S. invasion in 2001. Ms. Hasan’s possible motives for the killing have always been murky. Having emigrated from Iran, she was portrayed by internal investigations and Afghan and U.S. officials as someone who was either mentally unwell, or was an Iranian agent, or both — theories that were further clouded by the Taliban’s decision last year to call for her release even though they acknowledge that she was not a member. Originally sentenced to death by Afghan courts, she had remained in prison. Then this past summer, she was freed as part of the United States’ peace deal with the Taliban after U.S. State Department negotiators dismissed the F.B.I. and diplomats’ opposition to her release, according to U.S. and Afghan officials. As peace negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban continue in Qatar, the internal debate in Washington over Ms. Hasan’s fate illustrates one of the difficult decisions that efforts to end a war can bring.”
NBC News: Airstrike In Afghanistan Bombs Taliban Target. Now 18 Members Of One Family Feared Dead.
“Mir Hatim says he spent the early hours of Jan. 10 sifting through the bombed-out house of his relatives, searching for their bodies in the rubble. “Everyone there was crying,” Hatim, 29, told NBC News by phone in the days after a nighttime Afghan airstrike killed and injured civilians in the rural Nimroz province around midnight on Jan. 9. “We witnessed one of the most savage acts by the government,” he said. Hatim said 18 of his relatives, all members of the same family, were killed in the airstrike in Manzari village in Khashrod district overnight Saturday. The next day, he says he and others took their remains to the provincial capital, Zaranj, on the border with Iran, to show local officials that women and children were among those killed. “Why did they attack us, we’re not terrorists or Taliban fighters … what’s our crime?” he said. The Afghan Ministry of Defense tweeted Monday that a strike in the district had targeted a Taliban hideout, and said that nine Pakistani terrorists and five local Taliban militants had been killed, and six others had been injured. An investigation into allegations of civilian casualties was underway, it added.”
Al Jazeera: Two Afghan Female Judges Shot Dead In Kabul Ambush
“Two female judges have been killed by unknown gunmen in an ambush early on Sunday in Afghanistan’s capital. The attack on the Supreme Court judges took place as they were driving to work, Ahmad Fahim Qaweem, a court spokesman, said. Kabul police confirmed the attack. Mujahid said the group was not responsible. Violence has surged across Afghanistan in recent months despite ongoing peace talks between the Taliban and government – especially in Kabul where a new trend of targeted killings aimed at high-profile figures has sown fear in the city. The latest attack comes two days after the Pentagon announced it cut American troop levels in Afghanistan to 2,500, the lowest in nearly two decades. More than 200 female judges work for the country’s top court, Qaweem said. Afghanistan’s Supreme Court was a target in February 2017 when a suicide bomb in its car park killed at least 20 court employees and wounded 41. In recent months, several prominent Afghans – including politicians, journalists, activists, doctors and prosecutors – have been assassinated in often brazen daytime attacks in Kabul and other cities. Afghan officials have blamed the Taliban for the attacks, a charge the militia has denied.”
Bloomberg: Taliban Call On Biden To Honor Trump Deal To Remove U.S. Troops
“The Taliban has called on President-elect Joe Biden to honor a U.S. agreement to withdraw all American forces from Afghanistan by May in order to secure intra-Afghan peace talks and end the two-decade-long war. “Steps must now be taken to end the war, not to prolong it, and the agreement was made for the purpose,” Mohammad Naeem, a senior spokesman in the Taliban’s political office in Doha, said on Monday, referring to their accord with the U.S. signed last February which paves the way for a complete withdrawal of American troops by May in exchange for Taliban security guarantees. “The lack of complete implementation of the agreement can affect the ongoing process of negotiations,” he added. The call from the insurgent group comes just days after the U.S. reduced its troop levels from 4,500 to 2,500 at President Donald Trump’s direction, despite opposition from both Republican and Democrat lawmakers who’ve warned of the potential impact on counter-terrorism operations. Naeem cheered the reduction on Twitter, saying the move was a “good advancement.”
Yemen
Al Jazeera: Calls Grow For Biden To Reject Houthi ‘Terrorist’ Designation
“Dozens of civil society and faith-based groups in the United States are urging President-elect Joe Biden to overturn the Trump administration’s decision to label Yemen’s Houthis a “terrorist” organisation. In a letter (PDF) to Biden on Friday, 50 organisations including the National Council of Churches and Health Alliance International said “rather than being a catalyst for peace, these designations are a recipe for more conflict and famine”. They will “prevent the delivery of critical humanitarian assistance to millions of innocent people, greatly hurt the prospects for a negotiated settlement to the conflict, and further undermine U.S. national security interests in the region”, the letter reads. Outgoing President Donald Trump’s administration said on Monday it was designating the Houthis a “Foreign Terrorist Organization” and a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist”. The foreign policy move – part of Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran and its allies, such as the Houthis – is expected to come into effect on January 19, the day before Biden takes office.”
Nigeria
Reuters: Residents Flee Islamist Insurgent Attack On Town In Northeast Nigeria
“Government troops and several hundred residents have been forced to flee after Islamist insurgents overran a town in northeast Nigeria in an attack claimed by Islamic State, security sources said on Saturday. Friday’s assault on Marte, which lies on Lake Chad in Borno state, came just two months after residents driven from their homes by Islamist attacks had returned to the town under a government programme. It underscores the precarious security situation in northeast Nigeria, where Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) are active, and the difficulties the government faces as it tries to return people displaced by the violence. Soldiers fled during Friday’s assault and Marte remained under the control of the militants on Saturday, the sources said. An unspecified number of wounded people could not be reached, and it was not immediately clear whether there had been any deaths. The sources said they believed the insurgents were part of ISWAP. An army statement said troops “tactically withdrew” to defend against a militant attack outside Marte. Troops had “effectively destroyed” seven gun trucks and “decimated” an unconfirmed number of attackers, it said.”
Al Jazeera: Armed Group Captures Military Base In Northeast Nigeria
“Government troops and hundreds of residents have been forced to flee after an armed group overran a town and captured a military base in northeast Nigeria’s Borno state in an attack claimed by the ISIL (ISIS) group, security sources said. Machinegun-wielding fighters from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) attacked the base in the town of Marte in the Lake Chad area overnight on Friday into Saturday, two sources told AFP news agency. “The priority now is to reclaim the base from the terrorists and an operation is under way,” one of the sources said on Saturday. “We took a hit from ISWAP terrorists. They raided the base in Marte after a fierce battle.” The second source said the army had “incurred losses” but it was not yet clear how many people had died or the level of destruction inflicted by the armed group. An army statement said troops “tactically withdrew” to defend against an attack outside Marte. Troops had “effectively destroyed” seven gun trucks and “decimated” an unconfirmed number of attackers, it said. The ISIL later posted a statement on its Amaq news channel on Telegram claiming responsibility for the attack. Without giving further details, it said seven people had been killed, and one captured, and that its fighters had seized weapons, ammunition and six four-wheel-drive vehicles, as well as burning down the army barracks.”
Somalia
SOFREP: US Airstrike Kills Al-Shabaab Extremist Leader In Somalia
“The U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) is keeping the pressure on the terrorist group al-Shabaab in Somalia despite the redeployment of troops from Somalia to other countries in East Africa. AFRICOM conducted another airstrike against the group on Wednesday, striking a compound in the vicinity of Buulo Fulaay in southern Somalia killing one of the group’s members. In a released statement, AFRICOM said that according to its initial assessment no civilians were injured or killed as a result of the operation. “This strike in Buulo Fulaay combined with recent strikes, shows our resolve and degrades al-Shabaab’s ability to threaten Somalia and its neighbors,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Dagvin Anderson, Joint Task Force – Quartz commander. “Side by side with our partners, we plan to leave no safe place for al-Shabaab to hide.” This was the third time this month that AFRICOM has hit al-Shabaab in Somalia with airstrikes. On January 1, the command conducted two drone strikes that targeted al-Shabaab compounds near Qunyo Barrow. The drone strikes killed three and wounded one al-Shabaab member; they destroyed six and damaged one al-Shabaab compound buildings.”
Africa
Reuters: At Least 48 Dead In Militia Attack On El Geneina, West Darfur - SUNA
“At least 48 people died and 97 people were injured in a militia attack on the West Darfur city of El Geneina on Saturday, Sudan’s state news agency SUNA said, citing a local doctors union. The attack came just weeks after UN peace-keepers began withdrawing from the region, where violence is increasing, and was triggered when a member of the Masalit tribe stabbed a member of an Arab tribe, human rights organisation the Darfur Bar Association said in a statement. “Armed militias took advantage of the incident and attacked El Geneina from all sides,” the association said, as well as the nearby Kreinding camp for internally displaced people, from where SUNA said there was now a wave of people moving towards the city. The association accused the militias of looting and human rights abuses. Similar incidents have occurred in Darfur since conflict began in 2003, when the government of Omar al-Bashir armed militias to help repress a revolt. “We have warned several times about the deteriorating security situation in Darfur ... as armed militias still pose a constant threat,” a coordinating committee for IDP camp residents said in statement.”
United Kingdom
“Britain's youngest convicted terrorist who planned to behead police officers at an Anzac Day parade can be freed from jail, a parole board has ruled. The terrorist, who can be identified only as 'RXG', was just 14 when he told Sevdet Besim, 18, to carry out the massacre at the parade in Melbourne. He exchanged more than 3,000 encrypted mobile app messages with Besim after he became swiftly radicalised by online Islamic State propaganda. They also discussed packing a kangaroo with explosives, painting it with an Islamic State symbol and setting it loose on police officers. The teenager, from Blackburn in Lancashire, was jailed for life at Manchester Crown Court in October 2015 after he admitted inciting terrorism overseas. He is among a group of child offenders, including the killers of the toddler James Bulger, to be granted lifelong anonymity by the High Court. In a document detailing the decision, the Parole Board said: 'After considering the circumstances of his offending, the progress made while in detention, and the evidence presented at the hearings, the panel was satisfied that RXG was suitable for release.' At the age of just 14, the teenager took on the role of 'organiser and adviser' and suggested beheading or using a car to kill officers.”
Metro: Brexit Will Disrupt Hunt For UK’s Most Wanted Fugitives, Terrorism Expert Warns
“The hunt for some of the UK’s most wanted terrorists will be disrupted by Brexit, a former counter terrorism chief has warned. Sir Ivor Roberts, former Head of Counter Terrorism at the Foreign Office, says ‘White Widow’ Samantha Lewthwaite is among the fugitives who could go further off the radar after the end of mutual security arrangements with the EU. The British diplomat was involved in a key test of the European Arrest Warrant (EAW) – one of the tools the UK no longer has access to. He claims the fast-track extradition of terrorist Hussain Osman will be ‘impossible to replicate’ after the January 1 departure from the EU. Sir Ivor was the British Ambassador to Italy at the time Osman was arrested in Rome over the failed plot to bomb London on July 21, 2005. The UK is no longer part of the EAW and has also forfeited its membership of Europol and the Schengen Information System II (SIS II), which British law enforcement accessed around half a billion times annually … Sir Ivor, senior advisor to US think-tank the Counter Extremism Project (CEP), has spoken of the continued threat posed by Lewthwaite and other fugitives at a time the world’s focus shifts to the far-right in the wake of the deadly riot at the US Capitol.”
Germany
Associated Press: 2 Syrians Charged With Terrorism Over Army Officer's Killing
“Two Syrians have been charged in Germany for alleged links to a terrorist organization on suspicion they were involved in the killing of an army officer in their homeland in 2012, prosecutors said Monday. Khedr A.K. was charged with membership in a terrorist organization while Sami A.S. was charged with supporting a terrorist organization on allegations they were acting on behalf of the Nusra Front, as al-Qaida’s affiliate in Syria was known at the time of the alleged offenses. Neither of their last names were given in line with German privacy laws. The two were arrested last summer in Naumburg, in eastern Germany, and in the western city of Essen. The pair are suspected of taking part in the killing of a captured lieutenant colonel of the Syrian government forces in July 2012, prosecutors said. They said that Khedr A.K. guarded the man as he was brought to the execution site. Sami A.S. is suspected of filming the officer’s shooting and preparing the footage for use as propaganda. It was not immediately clear when the two came to Germany.”
Europe
Reuters: Greece Arrests Suspected Syrian Militant Wanted In Netherlands
“Greek authorities have arrested a 37-year-old Syrian asylum seeker wanted in the Netherlands for suspected terrorism offences, a police official said on Friday. The man arrived on the island of Samos from Turkey on Oct. 4, 2018, and was later transferred to a migrant facility near Thessaloniki where he was arrested on Wednesday under an international arrest warrant issued by Dutch authorities, according to the official. Two earlier applications for asylum in Greece had been rejected, he added. The unnamed man was suspected of terrorist offences and being a member of al Nusra, a Syrian group affiliated with al Qaeda as well as migrant trafficking. Extradition procedures were under way. Tens of thousands of migrants have arrived in Greece in recent years, many fleeing the civil war in Syria.”
Australia
“A Sydney man has been arrested after he allegedly failed to comply with a condition of a control order by accessing online material that supported executions, beheadings and torture. Australian Federal Police acting commander Alex Nicholson fronted the media on Saturday, detailing how the 25-year-old was accused of breaching the Federal Court of Australia direction. The man, who was released from jail on January 1, was subject to the control order until December 30. “The man has an extremist ideology aligned to the ISIS terror network,” acting commander Nicholson said. The AFP High Risk Terrorist Offenders team arrested the man at his Denistone home on Saturday morning. Commander Nicholson said there was no threat to the community. “This man is now the fifth person arrested by the AFP for breaching a control order since July,” he said. “While we are continuing to see high risk terrorist offenders breach their control orders, police are ensuring offenders who breached their orders are arrested, charged and face the consequences of their actions. “AFP offices continue to work with our state and territory counterparts and security agencies to protect the community from extremist material and the violence it promotes.”
Southeast Asia
“Even as Indonesia is in the grips of the COVID-19 pandemic, terrorism cells are thriving in the country, the authorities have said. Terrorists are actively recruiting operatives, plotting attacks and spreading radical messages, the counterterrorism officials in the country said. “They are actively recruiting, spreading their ideology, raising funds and conducting training,” said the National Counter Terrorism Agency's (BNPT) director for enforcement, Eddy Hartono. In an exclusive interview with the Channel News Asia, the brigadier said terror cells in the country “are not sitting back and relaxing.” However, he added that terror cells have not been able to dispatch as many militants to join outfits like the Al-Qaeda and the Isis as they used to do before the pandemic. The counterterrorism wing of the police arrested as many as 232 people in 2020 for alleged involvement in terrorism. “They are indeed planning attacks on security officials, state institutions, military and the police ... Thank goodness we have been able to prevent (these attacks) from happening,” Hartono added. The authorities also said terror cells have been using raising funds from the public through thousands of 'charity boxes on the pretext of donations for natural disasters, social aid as well as COVID-19 relief efforts.'“
Technology
Associated Press: Extremists Exploit A Loophole In Social Moderation: Podcasts On Apple, Google
“Major social platforms have been cracking down on the spread of misinformation and conspiracy theories in the leadup to the presidential election, and expanded their efforts in the wake of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. But Apple and Google, among others, have left open a major loophole for this material: podcasts. Podcasts made available by the two Big Tech companies let you tune into the world of the QAnon conspiracy theory, wallow in President Donald Trump's false claims of a stolen election and bask in other extremism. Accounts that have been banned on social media for election misinformation, threatening or bullying, and breaking other rules also still live on as podcasts available on the tech giants' platforms. Conspiracy theorists have peddled stolen-election fantasies, coronavirus conspiracies and violent rhetoric. One podcaster, RedPill78, called the Capitol siege a “staged event” in a Jan. 11 episode of Red Pill News. The day before the Capitol riot, a more popular podcast, X22 Report, spoke confidently about a Trump second term, explained that Trump would need to “remove” many members of Congress to further his plans, and said “We the people, we are the storm, and we're coming to DC.”
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