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Eye on Extremism
January 26, 2021
Al Jazeera: Pakistan Taliban ‘Commanders’ Killed In Northwest: Pakistani Army
“Pakistan’s military says it has killed five members of the Pakistan Taliban group in two separate security operations in the northwestern North Waziristan district, including two senior members of different factions of the armed group. In a statement released late on Sunday, the military said it had conducted security operations in the Mir Ali and Kaisoor areas of the district, which was once the headquarters of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP, or Pakistan Taliban). “During IBOs [five] terrorists including two terrorist commanders Syed Raheem [also known as] Abid of TTP (AKK Group) and Saifullah Noor of TTP (Gohar Group) were killed,” said the statement. According to the statement, Raheem had been directly involved in 17 attacks against Pakistani security forces since 2007 and had been involved in a recent spate of targeted killings in the district. Since last year, more than 50 people have been killed in targeted gun and improvised explosive device (IED) attacks in North Waziristan, according to media reports. “[Raheem] was tasked by hostile agencies for target killing, recruiting new terrorists and organizing them,” said the Pakistani military statement.”
France 24: Canada Parliament Labels US Far-Right Proud Boys Group 'A Terrorist Entity'
“Canada's parliament on Monday unanimously passed a motion calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government to designate the right-wing Proud Boys as a banned terrorist group. The motion is purely symbolic, but the government has said authorities are monitoring the group and collecting evidence that could support the move. Put forward by the fourth-ranked New Democrats, the motion states that the government should “use all of available tools to address the proliferation of white supremacists and hate groups, starting with the immediate designating Proud Boys as a terrorist entity.” Members of the Proud Boys, which was started by a Canadian who has since distanced himself from the group, were among Donald Trump supporters charged over the violent assault on the US Capitol earlier this month. Its chairman, Enrique Tarrio, was also arrested in Washington over the torching of a Black Lives Matter banner taken from a church during violent protests in December. In Canada, they first made headlines in 2017 when five navy members of the Proud Boys were disciplined for disrupting an indigenous ceremony in Halifax. Canada lists dozens of banned terrorist organizations including Al-Qaeda, Hezbollah, the Taliban and the Islamic State group.”
United States
Fox News: Texas Wannabe ISIS Terrorist Pleads Guilty To Providing Materials To Brutal Group
“A 22-year-old Texas man pleaded guilty Monday to providing material support to ISIS, federal prosecutors said. Jaylyn Christopher Molina, aka Abdur Rahim, of Cost, Texas, appeared in court in San Antonio before U.S. Magistrate Judge Richard Farrer. Molina pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to provide material support to ISIS and one count of receiving child pornography. The wannabe terrorist admitted that since May 2019, he conspired with 34-year-old South Carolina resident Kristopher Sean Matthews, aka Ali Jibreel, and others to provide services to ISIS. These services included, among other things, administering an encrypted chat group for ISIS supporters, collecting, generating and disseminating pro-ISIS propaganda, attempting to recruit individuals to join the group, and disseminating bomb-making instructions. Molina also pleaded guilty to one count of receiving child pornography. In September, federal authorities executing a search warrant of Molina’s home where they seized his cell phone, which contained 18 images depicting child pornography. If convicted, Molina faces up to 20 years in federal prison on the conspiracy charge and up to 20 years in federal prison on the child pornography charge. He remains in federal custody pending his sentencing.”
The Hill: Should US Forces Stay Or Go From Jihadi Lands?
“As the Biden administration addresses an old issue anew — the threat from the hostile landscape inhabited by jihadis who continue to plot attacks on the United States — it must decide whether to continue or affirm the Trump administration’s retreat from Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Somalia. In other words, after two decades of frustration to tame the region, has the time come for Washington to pack up and walk out entirely? In a word, the answer turns on the expectation of “blowback.” Translated, will exiting increase the terror risk to the American homeland, the bedrock justification for keeping forces in the jihadi lands? Unfortunately, policymakers have no confident response reflecting five uncertainties: mixed lessons from past walkouts; significant questions about the gravity of the foreign terrorist threat to the United States; the effectiveness of homeland security; the adequacy of native and regional resources to attenuate risks; and the comparative merits of having American forces offshore the landscape or onshore — mindful there are competing demands to allocate military resources to address a rising China and to keep Russia in tow.”
Syria
The Jerusalem Post: ISIS Terrorism Returns To Target Women In Syria - Analysis
“Two women have been abducted and murdered in eastern Syria. These appear to be the latest murders carried out by ISIS against the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces and their civilian authorities. The women were found murdered in the countryside of Hasakah, according to Kurdistan24, which based its report on the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. They were both officials of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria. Hind Laif al-Khadir and Sa’da Faysal al-Hermas were the co-chairwomen of a local council. They were kidnapped and found killed in al-Dashisha, Kurdistan24 reported. This area is one of many that the SDF liberated from ISIS years ago. The SDF is an armed force that defeated ISIS in Raqqa in 2017 and finally crushed the last pockets of ISIS in March 2019. However, ISIS “sleeper cells” and networks remain active, and there are weekly raids against the group. In recent weeks, the jihadist group appears to have begun a resurgence, attacking Syrian regime forces west of the Euphrates and carrying out a large twin bombing in Baghdad. ISIS is able to operate because it does so over a large area controlled by different groups, including the Iraqi Security Forces, the Syrian regime and SDF. It also operates in Turkish-occupied areas of northern Syria.”
Agence France-Presse: Three Syrian Soldiers Killed In IS Bus Ambush
“Gunmen in eastern Syria ambushed a bus carrying government troops on Sunday, killing three and wounding 10, state media said, in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group. “Three soldiers were killed, and 10 others were wounded after a bus came under attack by terrorist groups,” Syria’s official SANA news agency said. The attack took place in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor, it said. The Islamic State group claimed the attack in a statement released by its propaganda arm via social media. “IS fighters today attacked a convoy of Syrian army vehicles including busses carrying soldiers” west of Deir Ezzor city, it said. The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also said IS was responsible. IS overran large parts of Syria and Iraq and proclaimed a cross-border “caliphate” in 2014, before multiple offensives in the two countries led to its territorial defeat. The group was defeated in Syria in March 2019, but sleeper cells continue to launch attacks. In recent months it has ramped up attacks against Syrian regime forces, especially in the east of the country bordering Iraq. After a series of IS bus ambushes this month, regime forces launched a Russian-backed campaign on January 16 to secure a key artery in east Syria, according to the Observatory.”
Iraq
Agence France-Presse: Iraq Hangs Three Convicted Of 'Terrorism': Security Source
“Three Iraqis convicted of “terrorism” were hanged on Monday, a security source said, days after a deadly double suicide attack in a crowded Baghdad marketplace killed over 30 people. The reported hangings came after rights groups warned Iraq may authorise a spree of such executions in a show of strength following the bombings on Thursday, which were claimed by the Islamic State group. “Three people convicted under Article 4 of the anti-terror law were executed on Monday at the Nasiriyah central prison,” the security source told AFP, on condition of anonymity. On Sunday, an official from Iraq's presidency told AFP more than 340 execution orders “for terrorism or criminal acts” were ready to be carried out. “We are continuing to sign off on more,” that official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Another official from Iraq's presidency said Monday that all the orders were signed after 2014, most of them under ex-president Fuad Massum and at a time when IS occupied a third of the country. Thursday's attack, which killed at least 32 people, was a jolting reminder of the persistent threat posed by IS, despite the government declaring victory over the jihadists in late 2017. A 2005 law carries the death penalty for anyone convicted of “terrorism,” which can include membership of an extremist group even if they are not convicted of any specific acts.”
Turkey
Al Monitor: Turkey Faces Mysterious Jihadi Enemies In Idlib
“Obscure jihadist groups have stepped up attacks on Turkish forces in Syria’s rebel-held province of Idlib, adding to Turkey’s dilemmas amid the fragile status quo in the region. Al-Qaeda-inspired groups such as Hurras al-Din stood out as potential troublemakers when Turkish forces began to reinforce their presence around the key M4 highway last year, coordinating with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the dominant rebel group in Idlib. Caucasian fighters, concentrated in Jisr al-Shughur and the Latakia countryside, were not seen as an immediate threat, though they share the jihadi ideology. The attacks on the Turkish forces, however, have come from unexpected assailants. A group calling itself the Khattab al-Shishani Brigade claimed the first three attacks, which targeted Turkish-Russian patrols along the M4 on July 14, July 17 and Aug. 25. “Shishani” means “Chechen” in Arabic and has become the hallmark of Chechen-led groups in Syria. After the July 14 car bomb attack, Russia said three of its soldiers were injured, while Turkey spoke only of damage to vehicles. A statement from the assailants, meanwhile, slammed the major jihadi groups in the region for inaction against the Turkish-Russian patrols. It contained quotes from al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden and referred to Russian soldiers as “crusaders” and Turkish forces and HTS as “apostates.”
Daily Sabah: 5 Terrorists Surrender To Turkish Security Forces
“Turkish security forces convinced five terrorists to lay down their arms and surrender, the Interior Ministry announced late Sunday. According to a statement by the ministry, four PKK and one far-left terrorist were persuaded into surrendering to Turkish forces in a coordinated effort between police and gendarmerie forces. The terrorists joined the terror groups at different times between 1993 and 2015 and were active in Syria and Iraq, the statement noted. The number of PKK terrorists who have surrendered through persuasion this year has reached 14, it added. Separately, a member of the PKK's Syrian branch, the YPG, was being held in the town of Al-Bab in northern Syria on Sunday, an official statement said. Local security forces continue their efforts to expose the terrorist group's activities, the governor's office in southeastern Turkey's southeastern Gaziantep province said. The terrorist, identified by the initials A.E.M., was rounded up in Al-Bab in an operation by local security units and the governorship, which provides the Syrian town with consultancy services. Al-Bab was previously ruled by Daesh terrorists who destroyed its infrastructure and displaced thousands of civilians. It is now a fully functioning town with a local council, schools, hospitals and a university thanks to Turkey's efforts.”
Afghanistan
Long War Journal: Al Qaeda ‘Gaining Strength’ In Afghanistan, U.S. Treasury Says
“Earlier this month, the U.S. Treasury Department posted a written update on its work to combat illicit terrorism financing. The summary was submitted in response to inquiries from the Department of Defense’s Lead Inspector General. Written in a question and answer format, the Jan. 4 memo provides a window into how Treasury’s counterterrorism officials currently view al Qaeda and the Islamic State’s competing networks. Much of the document cannot be independently corroborated, as the source information has not been made public. The Trump administration sold its Feb. 29, 2020, agreement with the Taliban as a victory for America’s counterterrorism efforts. Despite supposed assurances that the Taliban would break with al Qaeda, however, the Treasury Department’s analysts find that the two remain closely allied. As of 2020, according to the report, al Qaeda was “gaining strength in Afghanistan while continuing to operate with the Taliban under the Taliban’s protection.” Al Qaeda “capitalizes on its relationship with the Taliban through its network of mentors and advisers who are embedded with the Taliban, providing advice, guidance, and financial support.” To date, there is no publicly available evidence showing that the Taliban has taken steps to uproot al Qaeda’s network inside Afghanistan.”
“Hundreds of Taliban prisoners released under last year’s U.S.-Taliban peace deal have been arrested after returning to the battlefield, a top Afghan security official said. The Afghan military expects the insurgents to intensify attacks as the year progresses, National Security Adviser Hamdullah Mohib also told reporters Sunday. “We have recaptured 600 of the freed individuals because they were fighting alongside the Taliban even though they promised they would not fight again,” Mohib said. Other released prisoners were involved in making car bombs and planning attacks on security forces, Mohib said, citing intelligence reports. Over 5,000 Taliban prisoners were released last year in exchange for 1,000 Afghan security force personnel captured by the guerrillas. The prisoner exchange, which was a part of the U.S.-Taliban deal struck last February, was a precursor for the ongoing peace talks between the insurgents and the Afghan government. The Kabul government — which did not participate in talks leading up to the agreement — was initially hesitant to free the prisoners, but eventually bowed to pressure from Washington. Many in Afghanistan criticized the move, saying it could worsen the security situation.”
Yemen
Al Jazeera: US Allows Transactions With Houthis As ‘Terrorist’ Label Reviewed
“The United States has temporarily stayed a ban on transactions involving Yemen’s Houthi movement as it reviews a decision by former President Donald Trump’s administration to designate the Iran-aligned group as a “foreign terrorist organisation”. The announcement on Monday permits all transactions involving the Houthis, who are involved in a years-long conflict in Yemen against a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, until February 26. It comes a day after 22 aid organisations working in the war-torn country called on the US to lift the “terrorist” designation about concerns it would exacerbate a continuing humanitarian crisis and risk plunging the country into widespread famine. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the Houthi designation on January 19, a day before President Joe Biden took office. The measure froze any US-related assets of the Houthis, banned Americans from doing business with them and made it a crime to provide support or resources to the movement. The Biden administration has promised to review the designation, however, amid widespread criticism from aid groups and US lawmakers, including the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, who said it “endangers the lives of the Yemeni people.”
Africa
The Nation: Kenya: KDF Guns Down Terror Suspect, Injures Dozens
“Security forces have shot dead a suspected terrorist and injured several others as the government turns the screws on Somalia-based militant group Al-Shabaab. Special Operation Group (SOG), which is undertaking an operation in Banisa and Mandera North, gunned down the suspect and injured several others, according to a security brief. “SOG team, which was conducting patrol operations at Ashabito, received information on the presence of Al-Shabaab militants in Ali Wol dam, about 14 kilometres north of Ashabito. The team responded immediately, where they encountered a group of five militants,” reads the report. The team gunned down one militant and recovered an AK-47 rifle, money and a hand set radio. The SOG team drawn from the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) spent the better part of yesterday tracking down other terrorists believed to have escaped with gunshot wounds. “We're firmly on the ground and a lot is happening, including flashing out the enemy. We shall continue with our operation,” said Mandera County Commissioner Onesmus Kyatha. Senior security officers in Mandera are upbeat on winning the war the Al-Qaeda-linked terrorist group, which has successfully carried out attacks in the region in the past one month, is waging.”
United Kingdom
BBC News: Isis: From Cardiff To The Caliphate
“In 2013, Nasser Muthana and Reyaad Khan left their lives in Cardiff to fight for Islamic State in Syria. Three months later Nasser's younger brother Aseel also went out to join them. I went to sixth form college with both Nasser and Reyaad, and Aseel had gone to my school. I recently travelled to Syria for BBC Panorama to try and speak to Aseel and to find out why they left Cardiff to join such a brutal organisation. Aseel was pleased to see me. He's spent two years in a crowded cell in north-east Syria. He is being held by the Kurdish forces who captured Islamic State group members at the last bloody battle of Baghuz. I wanted to know what made Aseel go from selling ice creams in Cardiff Bay to joining Islamic State.He said he had been attracted to Syria by the revolution and civil war there. “People being killed and, you know, children dying, barrel bombs… The regime, what they were doing to the people.” Nearly 900 people from Britain went to join Islamic State. Many of them were recruited after watching online videos and reading messages appealing to a sense of empathy towards the suffering Syrian people. I wanted to know what Aseel did when he arrived to alleviate the suffering of Syrians. He couldn't answer me - because he had no answer.”
Germany
Agence France-Presse: Germany's Far-Right AfD Braces For Surveillance
“Germany's domestic security agency is on the verge of announcing whether the far-right AfD will be placed under surveillance for posing a threat to democracy, dealing a potential blow to the anti-immigration party in a key election year. After a two-year investigation and a report totalling over 1,000 pages, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) is to decide in the coming days if the Alternative for Germany (AfD) will be classed as a “suspected case” over its ties to right-wing extremism. The classification would allow intelligence agents to shadow the party, tap its communications and possibly use undercover informants. The anti-Islam, anti-immigration AfD has often courted controversy by calling for Germany to stop atoning for its World War II crimes. Senior figure Alexander Gauland once described the Nazi era as just “a speck of bird poo” on German history. The BfV's decision comes at a sensitive time for the AfD. While it is the largest opposition party in parliament, it has seen its ratings fall as the pandemic has kept the spotlight firmly on Chancellor Angela Merkel's ruling coalition parties.”
Southeast Asia
Jakarta Globe: Five Men Arrested In Aceh Over Alleged Links With IS
“The Aceh Provincial Police have arrested five men, including a local civil servant, for alleged role in a series of terror attacks and suspected link with global terror network the Islamic State, a spokesman said on Monday. The suspects are part of the home-grown militant group that carried out suicide bombing at a parking lot in the Medan Metropolitan Police headquarters, North Sumatra, on Nov. 13, 2019, Aceh Police spokesman Chief Comr. Winardy said. They were arrested in separate raids on Wednesday and Thursday, he said. “One of the suspects identified by initials S.J. is an employee of the East Aceh district government,” Winardy said over telephone. He said the suspects have managed to blend in with the community by living ordinary lives -- two of them work as construction workers, one sells fruit and another owns a café. They were arrested during separate raids in provincial capital Banda Aceh, Langsa and Aceh Besar. Authorities have blamed shadowy terror group Jemaah Ansharut Daulah for the November 2019 bombing that killed the sole bomber identified as Rabbial Muslim Nasution and injured six people. When carrying out the attack, Rabbial wore the familiar jacket of a ride-hailing company to get through the police compound's check point.”
Technology
Axios: Tech Digs In For Long Domestic Terror Fight
“With domestic extremist networks scrambling to regroup online, experts fear the next attack could come from a radicalized individual — much harder than coordinated mass events for law enforcement and platforms to detect or deter. The big picture: Companies like Facebook and Twitter stepped up enforcement and their conversations with law enforcement ahead of Inauguration Day. But they'll be tested as the threat rises that impatient lone-wolf attackers will lash out. Where it stands: “Without any apparent large scale event in the immediate future, there is always a risk that radicalized individuals may feel themselves compelled to act out,” said Jared Holt, a visiting research fellow with the Atlantic Council. What they're saying: Twitter says it's working closely with the FBI and Department of Homeland Security to minimize potential risks, including those specifically relating to planned future demonstrations from white nationalists and other extremist groups across the country. “These relationships are longstanding and go beyond any one event,” a Twitter spokesperson told Axios. Facebook and YouTube also said they continue to work with law enforcement.”
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