A far-right extremist in Germany was convicted Thursday and sentenced to life
in prison for the murder of a regional politician who had advocated help

 

 


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Eye on Extremism


January 29, 2021

 

Associated Press: Far-Right Extremist Convicted Of Murdering German Politician
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“A far-right extremist in Germany was convicted Thursday and sentenced to life
in prison for the murder of a regional politician who had advocated helping
refugees — a brazen killing that shocked the country. In its verdict against
47-year-old Stephan Ernst, the Frankfurt state court noted the “particular
severity” of the crime, meaning that he will likely not be eligible for release
after 15 years as is typical under German law, the dpa news agency reported.
During his trial, Ernst admitted to the June 1, 2019 shooting of Walter
Luebcke, a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel's party who led the regional
administration in the Kassel area of central Germany — though he gave three
different versions of events. Luebcke was targeted because he had been
outspoken in favor of helping refugees. Prosecutors said Ernst had attended a
2015 town hall event where the politician had defended the German government's
decision to allow hundreds of thousands of asylum-seekers into the country. The
court found that Ernst “projected xenophobia onto Dr. Luebcke.” Ernst shot
Luebcke on the politician's porch and he died hours later. The German
government warned after the Luebcke killing and other attacks — including one
on a synagogue on Yom Kippur, Judaism's holiest day, in October 2019 — that
far-right extremism posed a significant security threat in the country.”

 

Sahara Reporters: More Victims Kidnapped By Boko Haram, Including Chibok Girls
Escape From Captivity
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“A number of victims kidnapped by Boko Haram, including some of the abducted
Chibok schoolgirls have escaped from their captors, SaharaReporters can
confirm. SaharaReporters also learnt that the escapees are still with the
military. A source privy to the information confirmed the news to
SaharaReporters, saying, “They are many and not only Chibok girls alone; they
are made up of a variety of women abducted by Boko Haram terrorists.” It was
that some parents had been contacted by government officials and may reunite
with their loved ones in Maiduguri, Borno State, soon. According to Daily
Trust, some parents had been contacted by officials handling the girls and that
they might be invited to Maiduguri on a later date. A source indicated that
Halima Ali is one of the girls believed to have escaped five years since the
escape of her sister Maryam. Halima was allegedly married off to a commander
under the instruction of Abubakar Shekau a few months after their abduction
from their boarding school in Chibok. Her father, Ali Maiyanga, could not be
reached for comment but a credible source said that friends and family members
trooped to his house to congratulate the family on the good news.”

 

Syria

 

Voice Of America: US Condemns Killing Of Two Women By IS In Syria
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“The United States has condemned the killings of two local female officials
who were recently kidnapped by militants affiliated with the Islamic State (IS)
terror group in northeastern Syria. The U.S. Embassy in Syria said Thursday
that it “was deeply saddened to learn of the deaths of Seda al-Faisal al-Hermas
and Hind Latif al-Khidr.” “We condemn their murder by Daesh terrorists and
offer sincere condolences to their families,” the embassy said in a tweet,
using an Arabic acronym for IS. The U.S. Embassy in Damascus suspended its
operations in 2012 following a Syrian government crackdown on protesters during
the early days of the country’s civil war. The embassy, however, maintains
contact with the Syrian public through social media. Hermas and Khidr
reportedly were kidnapped last week from their houses in the town of
al-Dashisha, south of the city of al-Hasakah in northeast Syria. Witnesses told
local news media that at least eight men, suspected to be part of an IS cell,
orchestrated the kidnappings. Hours after their abductions, the bodies of the
two women were found decapitated near a main road in the area, local reports
said. Hermas was the co-chair of her town’s local administrative council, while
Khidr was a board member of the same council.”

 

Iran

 

Arab News: Former MEPs Slam Iran’s Terror Campaign Across Europe
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“A group of former Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have slammed Iran
for its campaign of terror across Europe. A cross-party panel of former
European policymakers and experts on Tehran’s use of terrorism criticized the
regime for using intelligence assets as terrorists. The panel, hosted by the
International Committee in Search of Justice (ISJ), gathered amid a diplomatic
crisis between Iran and the EU, with an Iranian diplomat currently on trial for
planning to bomb an anti-Tehran rally in Paris. Assadollah Assadi — a senior
Iranian diplomat at the embassy in Vienna, Austria — and his three
co-conspirators are charged with plotting a terror attack on an annual
gathering of the Iranian opposition in 2018. The “Free Iran” gathering was
launched to show support for the Iranian opposition leader Maryam Rajavi’s
proposed roadmap for the future of Iran, which calls for the universal right to
vote, free elections, and a market economy. A court in Belgium is expected to
offer its ruling on the case of Assadi and his conspirators on Feb. 4. The ISJ
panel included Alejo Vidal-Quadras, former vice president of the European
Parliament, Giulio Terzi, former Italian foreign minister, Struan Stevenson,
former Scotland MEP, and Paulo Casaca, a former Portuguese MEP.”

 

Iraq

 

Associated Press: Iraq Kills IS Commander, A Week After Baghdad Suicide Blasts
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“Iraqi security forces have killed a senior commander of the Islamic State
group, the prime minister said on Thursday, a week after the rare, twin suicide
bombing by IS militants killed dozens in Baghdad. The Islamic State group had
quickly claimed responsibility for the Jan. 21 blasts at a busy open-air market
in the Iraqi capital. At least 32 people were killed and more than 100 were
wounded. Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi tweeted on Thursday that an
“intelligence-led” operation in northern Iraq killed 39-year-old Abu Yasar
al-Issawi, deputy commander and IS chief in Iraq. The country’s security forces
have faced mounting pressure after the Jan. 21 attack in central Baghdad, with
many saying the attack — the first to strike the Iraqi capital by the militant
group in three years — was a failure of Iraq’s intelligence. “I gave my word to
pursue the Daesh terrorists, we gave them a thundering response,” al-Kadhimi
said, referring to IS by its Arabic acronym. Al-Issawi, born Jabbar al-Issawi,
was killed in an operation west of the city of Kirkuk where IS militants are
known to still have a presence. The operation was lead by Iraq's elite
Counter-Terrorism Service, in cooperation with Iraqi intelligence.”

 

Afghanistan

 

CNN: Pentagon Won't Commit To Afghanistan Troop Withdrawal By May, Says
Taliban Are Not Honoring Commitments To US
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“The Pentagon said Thursday that the Biden administration would not commit to
a full drawdown of troops from Afghanistan by May because the Taliban have not
honored the commitments they made in their deal with the United States. That
agreement, negotiated under the Trump administration and signed in February
2020, calls for the militant group to reduce violence and cut ties with
terrorist organizations, among other demands. If the conditions of the deal
were met, US forces would leave Afghanistan by May 2021. The US force level in
Afghanistan went down to 2,500 troops just days before former President Donald
Trump left office. “The Taliban have not met their commitments,” Pentagon
spokesperson John Kirby said at a news briefing. “Without them meeting their
commitments to renounce terrorism and to stop the violent attacks on the Afghan
national security forces, and by dint of that the Afghan people, it's very hard
to see a specific way forward for the negotiated settlement.” Kirby told
reporters the US remains committed to working toward that negotiated settlement
between the Taliban and the Afghan governments.”

 

Pakistan

 

The Wall Street Journal: Acquitting Daniel Pearl’s Killer Is Part Of
Pakistan’s Dance With Jihadism
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“The decision by Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Thursday to acquit four men
involved in the kidnapping and beheading of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel
Pearl in 2002 comes at a bad time for Pakistan. Hoping to overcome longstanding
allegations of supporting terrorism, Pakistan’s leaders helped U.S. negotiators
in their talks with Afghanistan’s Taliban. The acquittal of Ahmed Omar Saeed
Sheikh—mastermind of the Pearl kidnapping—against U.S. advice is likely to
attract renewed scrutiny of Pakistan’s terrorist links. It could also
jeopardize Pakistan’s efforts to get off the United Nations “gray list” of
countries with inadequate controls over terrorism financing. Mr. Sheikh is an
unrepentant jihadist terrorist who lured Mr. Pearl on the pretext of an
interview and handed him over to al Qaeda associates. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed,
mastermind of 9/11, bragged about beheading the reporter during a hearing
before a military tribunal at Guantanamo Bay. Mr. Mohammed’s boast became
grounds for Mr. Sheikh’s appeal in the Pakistani courts. But while Mr. Mohammed
may have wielded the sword that killed Mr. Pearl, Mr. Sheikh played the key
role in the terrorist kidnapping and brutal murder.”

 

Arab News: Pakistan Arrests Key Militant Over Iran Terror Links
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“Pakistan has arrested a “most wanted” militant linked to the Zainabiyoun
Brigade, with investigators saying on Thursday he had received military
training in neighboring Iran. The Zainabiyoun Brigade was placed on the US
Treasury’s financial blacklist in January 2019 and is believed to have sent
young members of the Pakistani Shiite community to fight in Syria. “The
arrested terrorist, Abbas Jafri, is a close aide of another most-wanted
terrorist, Yawar Abbas, and, much like other members of the Zainabiyoun
Brigade, got his military training in neighboring Iran,” Omar Shahid, deputy
inspector-general of the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), said. According to
an official handout, Jafri, who was arrested in Karachi, was trained in 2014
and, among other skills, taught to carry out intelligence operations and
provide medical services. “The arrested terrorist specialized in automatic
weapons and received training from a neighboring country,” the handout added.
Police said that weapons were confiscated from Jafri following his arrest.
Jafri was described as the right-hand man of Yawar Abbas and named in the “Red
Book,” an official document that lists the names and profiles of hardened
militants. According to police, Jafri helped carry out reconnaissance
activities for militants.”

 

Somalia

 

Dalsan Radio: Somalia: Civilian Killed In Roadside Bomb On Afgoye-Mogadishu
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“A landmine explosion has hit a vehicle transporting Turkish company workers
near ex-control Afgoye in Mogadishu on Wednesday. According to witnesses, one
pedestrian was killed and another one injured rushed to the hospital for
treatment. Al-Shabaab often targets Turkish workers and engineers building a
tarmac road between Mogadishu and Afgoye, and construction is nearing
completion near Afgoye. Authorities have not yet commented on the incident. No
group has claimed responsibility but Al-Shabaab fighters have on 2 January
attacked Mogadishu Afgoye construction site killing five people including two
Turkish engineers. Mogadishu Afgoye road construction is funded Qatar project
runs and runs 120 kilometres. It will link the capital and the agriculturally
productive Lower Shabelle region.”

 

Africa

 

All Africa: EU Could Help Mozambique Train Troops Against Militants
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“The European Union may train Mozambican troops in order to step up the fight
against the insurgency in northern Mozambique, Portuguese Foreign Minister
Augusto Santos Silva has said. In 2020, the Filipe Nyusi-led government asked
the EU for “support in the area of specialist training for the fight against
terrorism and insurgency.” The support, according to reports, could take the
form of training, logistics for the forces fighting the insurgency, equipment
for medical assistance in combat zones, and technical capacity building. The
insurgency, if unchecked, could weaken the whole of the southern Africa region
as it has already spilled into Tanzania and so far claimed over 2,000 lives,
displacing over 400,000 people in the past few years.”

 

Sahara Reporters: Exclusive: Boko Haram Terrorists Invade Bassa Communities In
Niger, Abduct 50 Residents
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“There has been tension in Bassa, Kukoki communities in the Shiroro Local
Government Area of Niger State after Boko Haram terrorists invaded the areas,
abducting no fewer than 50 residents. SaharaReporters gathered that the
terrorists, working together with bandits, attacked the areas in large numbers
on Wednesday and early on Thursday, from Bassa, Kukoki communities up to
Palalli in Gurmana Ward of the same Shiroro LGA. Residents stated that during
the deadly invasion, a yet-to-be-ascertained number of persons were also killed
as the people continued to live in fear. SaharaReporters was told that last
Tuesday, the bandits and terrorists also in “broad daylight attacked Kokki in
Gurmana Ward, Magami in Manta Ward and Maguga, Marenje and other adjoining
villages using 10 motorcycles,” abducted several persons and killed a few
others. A source said, “Bassa is under siege. Terrorists in their large numbers
in the early hours of today, Thursday, stormed our town and unleashed mayhem on
unsuspecting and defenceless locals. “During the deadly invasion, the criminals
carried out armed robbery and kidnapping of an uncertain number of people but
there is strong indication that the kidnapped victims are not less than 50
persons.”

 

Southeast Asia

 

The Straits Times: Muslim, Christian Leaders Condemn Terror Plot, Reaffirm
Mutual Trust
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“Christian and Muslim religious leaders here met yesterday to reaffirm the
mutual trust and understanding between the two communities and condemn the plot
by a Protestant Christian youth to attack Muslims at two mosques. The meeting
was held at Yusof Ishak Mosque in Woodlands, one of two sites targeted by the
youth, a 16-year-old Singaporean of Indian ethnicity who had been inspired by
the 2019 Christchurch shootings. Leaders from the National Council of Churches
of Singapore (NCCS) met Mufti Nazirudin Mohd Nasir and Mr Esa Masood, chief
executive of the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore. Also present were the
chairmen of Yusof Ishak Mosque and Assyafaah Mosque, as well as Law and Home
Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam, and Minister of State for Home Affairs and
National Development Faishal Ibrahim. NCCS' president, Reverend Keith Lai, told
the media that the Christian community was pained by news of the alarming plot.
“We were in shock and disbelief that this could happen, and especially coming
from a 16-year-old,” he said, adding that “whatever had been planned by this
young man is contrary to what our Bible teaches about love and acceptance.”



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