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Eye on Extremism
January 20, 2021
“Twelve National Guard members have been removed from duties related to the inauguration of President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr., two of them for expressing anti-government sentiments, Defense Department officials said on Tuesday. Two of the members were removed over texts and social media posts that made threatening comments toward political officials, Pentagon officials said. They declined to specify the exact nature of the threats. “I will share that they were inappropriate,” Gen. Daniel R. Hokanson, the chief of the National Guard Bureau, told reporters during a telephone briefing. Two officials described the texts as broad in nature — not directed specifically at Mr. Biden or Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, but rather at lawmakers as a whole. One of the service members removed, the officials said, made a point of expressing support for President Trump in addition to making menacing comments. General Hokanson said that one case was reported by the service member’s chain of command and that the other was flagged through a tip to a hotline. The other 10 National Guard members were removed for a wide variety of issues — criminal investigations, domestic abuse or outstanding complaints. All 12 members have been sent home, Pentagon officials said.”
Al Jazeera: US ‘Terrorist’ Designation Of Yemen’s Houthis Comes Into Effect
“A leading humanitarian aid group working in Yemen is once more raising alarm over the effects that the Trump administration’s “terrorist” designation of Yemen’s Houthi rebels will have on civilians in the war-torn country. Just days before United States President Donald Trump was set to leave office, his administration announced plans to label the Houthis a “foreign terrorist organization” – effectively barring US citizens and entities from interacting financially with the group. The designation came into effect on Tuesday, just as the US Treasury Department released details of limited licensing exemptions to the restrictions. The department said licences would be available, among other things, to authorise “the official activities of the US government and certain international organizations, such as the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross”. It also said the export of agricultural commodities, medicine, and medical devices would be exempt. But the Houthis control large swathes of territory in Yemen – and Joel Charny, executive director of Norwegian Refugee Council USA, told Al Jazeera on Monday that the licensing system “is not a panacea.”
NBC News: U.S. Soldier Accused Of Wanting To Plot ISIS Strike On 9/11 Memorial In New York City
“A U.S. soldier was arrested Tuesday for allegedly saying he wanted to help ISIS strike the 9/11 Memorial in New York City and attempting to help ISIS to target U.S. soldiers in the Middle East, according to senior law enforcement officials. The officials say Cole James Bridges, 20, from Stow, Ohio, allegedly went into an online forum and chatted with a person he thought was with ISIS, but was in fact an FBI undercover agent. Bridges is currently assigned to Fort Stewart in Georgia with the 3rd infantry division of the Army. He was arrested on charges of attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization and attempting to murder U.S. military service members. He faces up to 40 years in prison. A criminal complaint alleges that Bridges started “researching and consuming online propaganda promoting jihadists and their violent ideology” and expressing his support for ISIS on social media beginning in at least 2019. He joined the Army in September of that year. In October, he started talking with an undercover FBI agent posing as an ISIS supporter in contact with ISIS fighters in the Middle East.”
United States
The New York Times: Biden Nominee Vows To Track Foreign Influence On Domestic Extremist Groups
“President-elect Joseph R. Biden’s nominee to be the next director of national intelligence said on Tuesday that the incoming administration would step up efforts to examine foreign interference in American politics, including overseas efforts to influence domestic extremists groups like those tied to the QAnon conspiracy theory movement. Avril D. Haines, Mr. Biden’s nominee, told the Senate Intelligence Committee that she would work to establish a center within the intelligence community on foreign malign influences and assist the F.B.I. and Department of Homeland Security with a public written assessment of the threat from QAnon. Even before a pro-Trump mob struck the Capitol on Jan. 6, the Biden transition team had been discussing how intelligence agencies could increase scrutiny on efforts by foreign powers to influence extremist groups in America. But in the aftermath of the riot, and reports that Russia and other countries have been trying to amplify disinformation about it, the Biden team has put even greater emphasis on how to counter domestic extremist groups. The pro-Trump mob included some followers of QAnon, a wide-ranging online movement that falsely claims that President Trump is on a crusade to rid the world of satanic pedophiles organized by the Democratic Party and Hollywood celebrities.”
“Retired Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III vowed Tuesday to eradicate extremism in the ranks if confirmed as the next defense secretary, as the Pentagon struggles to address a growing internal threat in the wake of this month’s riot at the U.S. Capitol. “We can never take our hands off the wheel on this,” Austin, who would become the country’s first African American Pentagon chief, told lawmakers considering his nomination by President-elect Joe Biden. “This has no place in the military of the United States of America.” Austin, who before his 2016 retirement served as head of U.S. Central Command and previously commander of U.S. troops in Iraq, made reference to a consequential episode earlier in his career when, as a young officer in the 82nd Airborne Division, a network of skinhead soldiers was uncovered following the murder of an African American couple near the division’s base. Nearly two dozen soldiers were later found to have links to neo-Nazi or extremist groups. A distressing realization, Austin said, was that military leaders hadn’t picked up on signs about the threat. “We just didn’t know what to look for,” he said. Austin’s reference to the 25-year-old incident signifies the urgency of the military’s challenge today in identifying and addressing anti-government and racist currents, among the numerous issues he will face if he becomes Biden’s Pentagon chief.”
“An alleged militia leader was arrested Tuesday for being involved in the “planning and coordinating” of the Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol, as the FBI’s hones its efforts on extremist groups suspected of being linked to the attack, court papers show. Thomas Edward Caldwell is one of the multiple alleged militia members to be connected, so far, with the Capitol Hill insurrection. Federal investigators described the 65-year-old Virginia man as having a “leadership role” within a paramilitary group known as the Oath Keepers, according to an affidavit for Caldwell’s arrest. Oath Keepers ‒ identified in court papers as a “loosely organized collection of militia who believe that the federal government has been coopted (s.i.c.) by a shadowy conspiracy that is trying to strip American citizens of their rights” ‒ were seen in photographs on Capitol grounds on Jan. 6. Investigators scoured Caldwell’s Facebook page and found that Caldwell “was involved in planning and coordinating the January 6 breach,” the affidavit states. Caldwell allegedly made arrangements for other Oath Keepers to stay in a Virginia hotel, reportedly writing on Facebook: “This is a good location and would allow us to hunt at night if we wanted to.”
Bloomberg: Far Right Groups Get Bitcoin Windfall Weeks Before Capitol Riot
“Far-right groups and personalities received a windfall last month and evidence “strongly suggests” it came from a now-deceased computer programmer based in France, according to the researcher Chainalysis Inc. On Dec. 8, the donor sent 28.15 Bitcoins, worth about $522,000 at the time of transfer, to 22 separate addresses in a single transaction, according to Chainalysis, whose clients include law-enforcement agencies. Web personality Nick Fuentes, who the Anti-Defamation League describes as a white supremacist, received the largest portion -- about $250,000 -- -- and other recipients included the anti-immigration organization VDare and “alt-right streamer” Ethan Ralph, the researchers said. The French programmer appears to be Laurent Bachelier, according to online records. Ralph, who hosts a political podcast in which he denounced the Capitol attack, confirmed that he received about “half a Bitcoin” on Dec. 8, but still doesn’t know exactly who sent it to him. He said he’d never received donations from that wallet before and immediately sold his share of the contribution. “I definitely don’t support domestic terrorism,” Ralph said in an interview. He rejected the “alt right” label, saying instead that he’s a right-wing conservative.”
Syria
Kurdistan 24: Kurdish-Led SDF Arrests Senior ISIS Leader In Northeast Syria
“The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced on Tuesday that it had captured four Islamic State fighters, including one of the group’s reported leaders, during an operation in Syria’s northeastern Deir al-Zor province the previous day. According to the SDF’s Department of Media and Information, the US-led Coalition provided support for the operation. The local ANHA (Hawar News Agency) reported that SDF Anti-Terror Units (YAT) arrested the senior Islamic State leader known as “AJ” who it said had been tasked with carrying out multiple assassinations, the planting of explosives, and various other attacks against the SDF. Although the Kurdish-led SDF and the Coalition announced the territorial defeat of the Islamic State in Syria in March 2019, sleeper cell attacks by the group persist in liberated territories in what appears to be a deliberate campaign to destabilize the area. According to the annual report of the Syria-based Rojava Information Centre (RIC) released on Saturday, the number of attacks and fatalities in 2020 has decreased when compared with previous years. While in 2019 there were 906 Islamic State incidents, there were only 572 last year. Moreover, the number of fatalities in 2020 was 209, roughly half the tally of 415 in 2019.”
Iraq
The Jerusalem Post: Alleged US Airstrike Was ISIS Attack On Power Lines: Iraqi Officials
“An attack by ISIS militants on power transmission towers south of Baghdad caused the explosions mistakenly reported by regional media as US airstrikes on sites belonging to pro-Iranian militias in Jurf al-Sakhar south of Baghdad on Monday night, Iraq's Security Media Cell confirmed on Tuesday morning. On Monday night, the Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Mayadeen news, as well as Al-Hurra and Al-Arabiya, reported that explosions were heard near Jurf al-Sakhar overnight after airstrikes targeted sites in the area. While Al-Mayadeen claimed that US airstrikes had targeted sites belonging to the Iraqi Armed Forces, Al-Hurra and Al-Arabiya claimed that the sites allegedly targeted belonged to the pro-Iranian Kataib Hezbollah militia, with multiple deaths and injuries reported in the alleged incident. Iraq's Security Media Cell denied that Iraqi security forces in the area had been targeted by any strikes on Monday night, calling on the media and bloggers to be careful about transmitting information and not to broadcast rumors. A senior US defense official told Jennifer Griffin of Fox News overnight that there were no US airstrikes near Baghdad on Monday night, despite the reports. A Reuters reported confirmed that the US Central Command (CENTCOM) denied any knowledge of airstrikes in Iraq.”
Turkey
Daily Sabah: Turkey Detains 35 Daesh-Linked Suspects In Counterterrorism Operations
“Turkish security forces detained 35 Daesh-linked suspects in counterterrorism operations in 15 provinces, reports said Tuesday. Police carried out raids in the Gaziantep-based operation and confiscated organizational materials, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported. In Istanbul, police detained 16 suspects in 20 different addresses in five districts, including Fatih, Başakşehir, Küçükçekmece, Bayrampaşa and Eyüp. Special operations squads carried out the raids. The suspects were transferred to the police station as part of the investigation. Security forces are still looking for other suspects, reports said. The terrorist group has been trying to establish a new formation in Turkey after receiving a heavy blow in Iraq and Syria. According to testimony by terrorists detained in previous operations in Adana province, Daesh had been attempting to kidnap judges, prosecutors and tourist groups as ransom in return for Daesh terrorists held in Iraq and Syria. Turkey detained the so-called “Turkey emir” of Daesh, named Mahmut Özden, in August. He was planning to carry out an attack on Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque and target politicians, nongovernmental organization (NGO) heads and other prominent figures in Turkey, according to the official investigation.”
Afghanistan
CBS News: Afghan Journalists Are Being Killed For Their Work, And They Just “Want To Stay Alive”
“Nazifa Mahbobi worked for years as a journalist in Afghanistan's capital, most recently for Radio Free Europe. Last month, she fled her country after repeated warnings from the national intelligence agency that insurgents were plotting to kill her. She only made the difficult decision to leave after a would-be assassin, disguised as vaccination worker, made it into her home. “The angel of death made it to my apartment doorsteps,” Mahbobi told CBS News. “I thought I was dying gradually from the inside when the threats turned out to be serious.” Afghan officials have confirmed to CBS News that a terror cell was established jointly by the Taliban and the ISIS branch in the country and tasked with disguising themselves as social workers, including vaccine administrators, to assassinate journalists in Kabul. Family members and relatives take part in the funeral procession of Afghan journalist Rahmatullah Nekzad, in the Khoja Omari district of Ghazni province, December 22, 2020. Nekzad was shot dead by gunmen in what appeared to be a targeted killing. Mahbobi said women knocked on the door of her home twice, but she wasn't there on either occasion. The women spoke to her mother, who had no idea the visitors had come to kill her daughter.”
Somalia
Xinhua: Somali, U.S. Forces Kill 3 Al-Shabab Terrorists In Southern Region
“Somali and U.S. forces on Tuesday killed three al-Shabab terrorists in the latest two airstrikes targeting fighters of the extremist group in the southern region. The U.S. Africa Command (Africom) said the strikes targeted the militants in the vicinities of Jamaame and Deb Scinnele of the southern part of the country. “These strikes targeted known al-Shabaab leaders involved in IED facilitation, fighter training, and attack planning,” Dagvin Anderson, Joint Task Force-Quartz commander, said in a statement. Anderson said no civilians were injured or killed as a result of this operation which came as the allied forces intensified military operations against the al-Qaida allied terrorist group in the Horn of African nation. “We are working closely with our Somali partners to support their operations against al-Shabab, protect their people, and provide governance,” he added. Somalia and partner forces have increased military raids into territory formerly controlled by al-Shabab after driving the insurgents out of Mogadishu in 2011. The strikes have largely targeted al-Shabab figureheads based in southern Somalia where the group still maintains a strong grip in some regions.”
Africa
Reuters: Violence Create Food Crisis In Northern Mozambique- WFP
“Militant attacks that have forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes in Mozambique’s northern Cabo Delgado province have created a humanitarian crisis, the U.N. World Food Programme (WFP) said on Tuesday. “What is happening is nothing short of a food security and nutritional crisis,” WFP spokesman Tomson Phiri told a U.N. briefing. “This is a humanitarian disaster.” The attacks have forced 570,000 people to flee, Mozambique President Filipe Nyusi said last month, saying he would defeat insurgents who stepped up attacks since pledging loyalty to Islamic State last year. Speaking ahead of a joint briefing by U.N. agencies on Wednesday, Phiri said there were limited supplies so the cost of food had soared, while access to water and sanitation was also impacted, as was education. The insurgent group, Ahlu Sunnah Wa-Jama, staged its first attack in 2017. Known at first mainly for beheadings, the fighters declared allegiance to Islamic State in June 2019 and since then have increased attacks in scale and frequency.”
United Kingdom
“Britain's youngest convicted terrorist, who was sentenced to life in prison for masterminding a plot to behead an Australian police officer in broad daylight in 2015, can now be set free, a parole board ruled on Monday. The 20-year-old man, from Blackburn, Lancashire, was aged 14 when he planned the strike in Melbourne for Anzac Day -- a national holiday honoring Australia's war dead -- according to CNN affiliates Seven News and Nine News. Because he was a minor, he can only be identified as RXG. RXG recruited Australian co-conspirator Sevdet Besim, who was 18 at the time, to carry out the attack, in which a police officer was to be beheaded in front of thousands of people during Anzac Day celebrations. The plan was ultimately uncovered and foiled by police, and both were arrested. Later that year, RXG was sentenced to life in prison for inciting terrorism overseas. But on Monday, the Parole Board for England and Wales ruled that he could be set free, Seven News and Nine News reported. “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,” the board said in a statement.”
Germany
Voice Of America: Violent German Far-Right Groups' Recruitment Aided By Lockdown Frustrations
“Violent far-right groups are using rising frustration with pandemic lockdowns in their recruitment efforts, German officials fear. Germany's domestic intelligence agency is closely monitoring protesters of coronavirus restrictions, worried that the influence of militants, including Nazi admirers, ultranationalists and Holocaust deniers, is growing. While Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has seen a precipitous slump in its poll ratings since the pandemic struck — the party was polling at just 9% of support last month — officials say violent right-wing extremists, united in their opposition to what they say are illegitimate curbs on freedom, are gaining a boost from the coronavirus and strengthening their mobilization around anti-government conspiratorial narratives. “Actors within this movement largely see the COVID-19 pandemic as a chance to spread their ideology more widely and to reach a broader recruitment base,” warned the Counter Extremism Project (CEP), a nonprofit nongovernmental organization headquartered in New York, in a lengthy report assessing threats posed by transnational violent right-wing extremism in Europe and the United States.”
Southeast Asia
The Straits Times: New Indonesian Law Empowers Communities In Anti-Terror Fight
“Indonesia is pushing back against violent extremism by introducing a presidential regulation to let civil societies and communities receive empowerment training to help their neighbourhoods. Aiming for a softer approach in countering terrorism, local communities would, for example, be trained to identify vital national infrastructure and other facilities around where they live that are prone to terrorist attacks. Other programmes propose annual awards for young people who respond fastest against extremist threats. The 122-page regulation also contains guidelines and action plans aimed at equipping communities to monitor and report any suspicious clues to prevent terrorism. The "national action plan to prevent and mitigate violence-based extremism that lead to terrorism" follows years of deadly terror attacks in Indonesia by home-grown extremist groups. The government, in explaining its rationale for the regulation, said: "The country's Constitution mandates the government to ensure that everyone is entitled to having the feeling of security and protection from the threat of fear.”
Technology
“Have the nation's leading tech companies been doing a good job handling violent threats, hate speech and conspiracy theories after the attack on the U.S. Capitol? Depends on who you ask. Nearly two weeks later, the role of Facebook, Twitter and Google’s YouTube in dousing flames on their platforms is still being hotly debated. More than a third – 37% – of Americans say they approve of how the companies are cracking down on potentially harmful or dangerous content, with 28% saying they have gone too far and 23% saying they haven't gone far enough, according to a new survey from The Harris Poll shared exclusively with USA TODAY. “Most Americans saw the actions taken by Big Tech in recent weeks as necessary, but they're still deeply skeptical of the power and influence these companies have,” John Gerzema, CEO of The Harris Poll, said in an emailed statement. Opinions largely split along party lines, with 51% of Democrats saying tech companies were doing a good job, compared with 25% of Republicans. Generations also diverged in the survey of 1,960 U.S. adults between Jan. 15 and Jan. 17.”
“Right-wing extremists used Facebook to make calls to overthrow the government and storm the US Capitol in the period leading up to a violent insurrection on Jan. 6, a tech watchdog group has found, contradicting attempts by the social media company to downplay the role of its platform in the affair. A new report from Tech Transparency Project (TTP) shared with BuzzFeed News uncovered a slew of specific threats made in pro–President Donald Trump and militant groups on Facebook both before and after President-elect Joe Biden’s election victory in November. In those groups, organizers and members alike perpetuated the lie that the election results were fraudulent and made open calls to “Occupy Congress” on Jan. 6. “If they won’t hear us, they will fear us,” read one image shared on Dec. 31 to a 23,500 member private group called “The Patriot Party,” which has since been deleted. “The Great Betrayal is over.” While Facebook said it had banned pages and groups from right-wing militants and QAnon conspiracists over the summer, TTP’s report shows that extremist groups continued to flourish on Facebook. BuzzFeed News previously found that groups for “Stop the Steal,” the go-to slogan for Trump supporters casting doubt on Biden’s victory, persisted on the social network in the days after the violence at the US Capitol.”
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