Eye on Extremism
July 15, 2019
Voice
Of America: Somalia Hotel Attack Kills 33
“Authorities in Somalia say the death toll from Friday’s attack on
a hotel in the southern Somali port city of Kismayo has climbed to 33.
Ahmed Mohamed Islan, also known as Madobe, the president of the
Jubbaland regional administration, said another 56 people were
wounded. “Our valiant security forces have ended the hotel attack
after long hours of battle with the evils, and eventually protected
many innocent people who were holed up in their hotel rooms,” Madobe
said in a statement." Madobe said “those killed in the attack included
two journalists, a presidential candidate for upcoming regional
elections, and a U.N. agency staff member. He said "Kenyans,
Americans, a Briton, Tanzanians and a Canadian were among the dead”.
Security officials in Kismayo told VOA Somali that at least four
militants who carried out the attack were also killed by security
forces.”
The
Wall Street Journal: U.S. Service Member Killed In Action In
Afghanistan
“The U.S. military says an American service member has been killed
in action in Afghanistan, but offered no further details about the
service member’s identity or circumstances surrounding the death. In a
telephone interview, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahed said the
militant group was behind Saturday’s killing, but offered no further
details. U.S. peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad has been holding talks with
the Taliban in recent weeks to try to negotiate an end to the war in
Afghanistan. The current conflict began in 2001 with the U.S.-led
invasion to unseat the Taliban and hunt down al Qaeda leader Osama bin
Laden. After nearly 18 years, it is America’s longest war, in which
over 2,400 American service members have died. Separately,
Afghanistan’s Islamic State affiliate claimed Friday’s suicide attack
that killed six people.”
The
Wall Street Journal: Syrian Government Intensifies Strikes On
Opposition Stronghold
“By his front door in northwest Syria, Ahmad Haraki keeps a
suitcase packed with bare essentials in case Syrian government and
Russian airstrikes force him to make a quick escape. “We don’t own
much, since we’ve been moving from the beginning,” the 32-year-old
father of two said by phone from Idlib province, the country’s last
remaining opposition stronghold. “The airstrikes are taking a toll,
not only on our daily lives, but also mentally.” While much of the
world’s focus on the Middle East centers on rising tensions between
the U.S. and Iran, the Syrian government and its Russian allies have
intensified airstrikes on Idlib and the surrounding areas in a
monthslong campaign to recapture the territory, upending lives and
leaving residents wondering where else they can go, eight years into a
brutal war. On Friday, airstrikes hit several cities in Idlib, killing
10 people, according to the White Helmets, a rescue group operating in
opposition-held parts of Syria. Bakeries and residential neighborhoods
were targeted as they have been in other recent attacks, which have
also frequently hit hospitals. Mr. Haraki said he and his wife have
put off making any long-term decisions, including to have more
children, as they constantly fear having to run for their lives.”
Bloomberg:
Iran Won’t Be Alone If It Fights U.S., Lebanon's Hezbollah
Says
“Iran won’t stand alone in fighting the U.S. if war breaks out
between the two nations, the Islamic Republic’s Lebanese ally
Hezbollah said. Groups backed by Iran are currently in talks about the
possibility of such a conflict, Hassan Nasrallah, chief of the
militant organization, said in an interview broadcast Friday on its Al
Manar TV. “Are we going to sit back and watch? Iran won’t be alone in
the war, that is clear,” he said. Tensions have soared in the Persian
Gulf region since the Trump administration stopped issuing sanctions
waivers for buyers of Iranian oil and reimposed crippling economic
measures against Tehran. The U.S. has blamed Iran for sabotaging oil
tankers near the Strait of Hormuz, an oil chokepoint at the mouth of
the Gulf, and for downing an American drone. Tehran denied
responsibility for the ship attacks and said the drone violated Iran’s
airspace.”
The
New York Post: ISIS Propaganda Could Be Making A
Comeback
“The Islamic State has been all but obliterated from the
battlefields of the Middle East. But it could be making a propaganda
comeback. A spate of recent videos published to ISIS’ social media
channels show fighters pledging allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr
al-Baghdadi, according to Voice of America. The videos aim to prove
“that ISIS has not been defeated and that its militants in several
parts of the world remain loyal to their leaders,” a US
counterterrorism official told VOA. So far, eight videos appeared as a
series titled “The Best Outcome is for the Pious.” They feature ISIS
fighters from West Africa, Sinai, and the Philippines, among
others.”
The
New York Times: Facebook Dodged A Bullet From The F.T.C. It Faces Many
More
“After Facebook was hit on Friday with a fine of around $5 billion
for privacy violations, critics immediately said it escaped largely
unscathed: The settlement neither bruised its bottom line nor severely
restricted its ability to collect people’s data. Yet even if the
Silicon Valley company dodged that bullet, its pain was just
beginning. Regulators and lawmakers in Washington, Europe and in
countries including Canada have already begun multiple investigations
and proposing new restrictions against Facebook that will probably
embroil it in policy debates and legal wrangling for years to come.
And in some of these places, the authorities are increasingly
coordinating to form a more united front against the company. In the
United States, the potential for a federal antitrust investigation
looms, several state attorneys general have initiated investigations
of the company, and members of Congress are considering a federal
privacy law and other restrictions. Not to mention that President
Trump has turned up the heat on Facebook and other tech behemoths,
including on Friday when he said that the platforms were “dishonest”
and “crooked” and that “something is going to be done.”
United States
Reuters:
Neo-Nazi Faces Sentencing In Murder Of Protester In Charlottesville,
Virginia
“The self-professed neo-Nazi who drove his car into a crowd
protesting against white supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia,
killing one of the demonstrators, was due in court on Monday for
sentencing on his first-degree murder conviction. James Fields, 22,
was expected to receive the maximum penalty of life in prison, as
recommended by a Virginia state court jury that found him guilty last
December of murder plus eight counts of malicious wounding and a
hit-and-run offense. Fields, a resident of Maumee, Ohio, has already
received a separate life sentence without the possibility of parole
after pleading guilty in March to federal hate-crime charges stemming
from the violence in Charlottesville on April 12, 2017. The deadly
car-ramming capped a day of tension and physical clashes between
hundreds of white nationalists and neo-Nazis who had gathered in
Charlottesville for a “Unite the Right” rally, and groups of
demonstrators opposed to them.”
Syria
The
Washington Post: Syria Says Militant Attack Shuts Down Gas
Pipeline
“Militants targeted a gas pipeline in government-controlled central
Syria, putting it out of order Sunday, according to state media. The
SANA news agency didn’t name the attackers. The area in the central
Homs province is close to where remnants of the Islamic State group
are still holed up after losing all the territory they once held in
the country. Separately and hours later, insurgents in the country’s
northwest fired missiles at the government-controlled city of Aleppo,
killing seven civilians and injuring 25 others, the state-run
al-Ikhbariya TV said. The reporter, speaking from Aleppo, said the
missiles set fire to a number of residential buildings and vehicles
parked in two neighborhoods in the city. One taxi driver died in his
car when a missile hit it, the reporter said, adding that an earlier
missile had hit an 18-story municipal building crowded with people.
The missiles were lobbed from a rebel-controlled area northwest of the
city, he said. SANA said technical teams were working to fix the gas
pipeline in Homs province, which links the Shaer fields to the Ebla
processing plant. It did not elaborate on the extent of the damage or
the nature of the attack. The agency said the pipeline carries about
2.5 million cubic meters of gas to the processing plant and onward to
power stations.”
News
24: Clashes Kill More Than 100 Fighters In Northwest
Syria
“More than 100 fighters were killed in clashes between regime and
jihadist-led forces in northwest Syria, a war monitor said on
Thursday, as violence raged on the edge of an opposition bastion
despite a September truce deal. Eight civilians also died in the
latest violence, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Six of
them, including a child, were killed in regime air strikes on the town
of Jisr al-Shughur. A car bombing killed 13 people in nearby Afrin,
the city that Turkey-backed rebels seized last year from Kurdish
fighters. Syria's civil war has killed a total of more than 370 000
people and spiralled into a complex conflict since starting in 2011
with the repression of anti-government protests. Syrians in Turkey's
largest city fear tensions are on the rise as the economy stumbles and
rising unemployment fuels anger against their presence, as many Turks
see them as cheap labour taking over jobs and using services. Russian
and regime aircraft have since late April ramped up deadly bombardment
of the Idlib region of some three million people in northwest Syria,
despite a deal to avert a massive government assault.”
Iraqi
News: 6 Killed, 9 Injured In Terrorist Rocket Attack On Syria’s
Aleppo
“Six Syrian civilians were killed and nine others were injured on
Sunday in a terrorist rocket attack on Aleppo city. According to the
Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), terrorist groups located in Aleppo’s
western countryside fired rocket shells at New Aleppo and Minian
neighborhoods in Aleppo city, claiming the lives of six civilians and
injuring 8 others. The injured were rushed to al-Razi Hospital and the
University Hospital for treatment. Earlier in the day, terrorists
positioned in the western parts of Aleppo province fired a rocket
shell at the city, which fell in the surroundings of al-Qasr
al-Baladi, injuring a little girl and causing material damage.”
Voice
Of America: Islamic State Terror Group Ramping Up Video
Messaging
“Islamic State media operatives appear to have regrouped, at least
in part, intent on showing the world that the terror organization is
living up to its motto of “remaining and expanding” despite its lack
of a physical caliphate. For almost a month, the group’s core media
channels have been pumping out a series of videos showing fighters
pledging allegiance, or renewing their pledges, to IS leader Abu Bakr
al-Baghdadi. Intelligence officials and analysts say, so far, the
group, also known as ISIS or by its Arabic acronym, Daesh, has
produced and disseminated eight of these videos under the title, “The
Best Outcome is for the Pious.” The video series “aims at proving that
ISIS has not been defeated and that its militants in several parts of
the world remain loyal to their leaders,” a U.S. counterterrorism
official told VOA. IS media operatives issued the most recent of the
videos this past Wednesday, the first-ever video from the terror
group’s Turkish province. “If you think that by weakening the Islamic
State and its soldiers, that they will divert from their path or leave
their jihad, you have great delusions,” said a fighter, identified as
Abu Qatada al-Turki, according to a translation by the SITE
Intelligence Group. Turki further threatened Turkish President Recep
Tayyip Erdogan, calling him an “arrogant tyrant.”
Al
Jazeera: At Least 22 Civilians Killed In Government Air Attacks In
Syria
“Air attacks by Syrian and Russian military aircraft have killed at
least eight people in the northern region of Idlib in the last two
days, while 11 people were killed in different areas of Idlib province
on Saturday, according to the White Helmets rescue group. Three
people, including a woman and a child, were killed in air raids in the
town of Kafarya in eastern Idlib, the organisation said. Eleven people
were injured, including a White Helmets rescuer, the organisation said
in a tweet. Earlier in the day, air attacks in the Khan Sheikhoun town
killed at least six people, including four children and two women,
when their house was targeted, the White Helmets reported.”
Nine.Com.Au:
Islamic State Oil Minister 'Killed' In Syrian Hideout:
Report
“A high-ranking Islamic State leader who allegedly masterminded the
extremist group's half-billion-dollar oil smuggling enterprise has
been killed in a firefight, according to reports. Thabit Sobhi Fahd
Al-Ahmad, a self-styled minister of oil in the now dismantled
so-called caliphate, was gunned down in his hideout by Kurdish-led
Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), according to a statement. The SDF
statement said the attack in Deir Al-Zor province, east of Syria, was
carried out in cooperation with the US-led Coalition forces. Ahmad was
considered to have a close relationship with the elusive leader of IS,
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who remains at large - despite several reports
in the past claiming he had been killed. The smuggling of black market
oil had been a lucrative cornerstone of the IS economy, which helped
the group take over vast swathes of Iraq and Syria.”
Iran
Al
Jazeera: Hezbollah Warns Iran Able To Bombard Israel If War
Starts
“The leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah has warned that Iran “is able to
bombard Israel with ferocity and force” if a war breaks out with
the United States. Sayed Hassan Nasrallah's remarks were broadcast on
the movement's Al-Manar television on Friday, following weeks of
increasing tensions between the United States and Iran. “When the
Americans understand that this war could wipe out Israel, they will
reconsider,” Nasrallah said. “Our collective responsibility in the
region is to work towards preventing an American war on Iran.” He said
neither Saudi Arabia nor the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had any
interest in conflict. On Friday, the US House of Representatives voted
to restrict Trump's ability to attack Iran, voicing fear that his
hawkish policies are pushing towards a needless war. The US considers
Hezbollah - the only faction not to have disarmed after the Lebanese
1975-1990 civil war - a “terrorist” organisation. But it is also a
major political player in the small Mediterranean country, taking 13
seats in parliament last year and securing three posts in the current
cabinet. Nasrallah also said he had decreased the number of his
movement's fighters supporting President Bashar al-Assad's government
in neighbouring war-torn Syria.”
The
Wall Street Journal: Call Iran’s Bluff With An Offer Of Nuclear
Power
“The Iranian regime recently announced its decision to produce
fissile material with a purity of more than 4.5%. Iran’s nuclear
program is again on the march. In truth, it never stopped—contrary to
glowing media reports and efforts by some Western leaders to spin on
what the regime was doing. Under the Iran nuclear deal, the Joint
Comprehensive Plan of Action, the Iranians could ramp up quickly and
easily from the enrichment levels necessary for peaceful nuclear power
to levels needed to make a bomb. The 10-year sunset clause allowed
Iran to go back to enriching uranium at any level. The agreement also
didn’t restrict Iran’s ballistic-missile program, which gives it a way
to launch a nuclear bomb. All this, combined with an incredibly weak
inspection regime and the deal’s complete silence on Tehran’s
sponsorship of terrorism, made the JCPOA, as President Trump rightly
put it last year, a “one-sided deal that should have never, ever been
made.” We supported his decision to withdraw from it.”
The
Wall Street Journal: Europe Rallies To Save Iran Nuclear
Deal
“European foreign ministers said the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran
can still be saved, despite U.S. threats to further tighten sanctions
on Tehran. Arriving in Brussels to discuss the nuclear deal and Iran’s
military actions in the Middle East, U.K. Foreign Secretary Jeremy
Hunt said on Monday, “We are looking to find a way to preserve the
nuclear deal which we think is the best way of keeping the Middle
East, as a whole, nuclear-weapon free,” he said. “Iran is still a good
year away from developing a nuclear weapon. We think there is still
some closing but small window to keep the deal alive,” Mr. Hunt added.
Since the start of July, Iran has breached two limits in the 2015 deal
on its stockpile of low-enriched uranium and the level it enriches
uranium at. Enriched uranium can be used as fissile material in a
nuclear weapon. European officials say the steps taken thus far by
Iran don’t significantly reduce the one-year period it would take the
country to amass enough nuclear fuel for a bomb.”
Reuters:
With Iran Deal Teetering On Brink, Europeans Assess Next
Steps
“European foreign ministers will seek to flesh out how to convince
Iran and the United States to reduce tensions and initiate a dialogue
when they meet in Brussels on Monday amid fears that the 2015 nuclear
deal is close to collapse. U.S.-Iranian tensions have worsened since
U.S. President Donald Trump decided last year to abandon the nuclear
deal under which Iran agreed to curtail its atomic program in return
for relief from economic sanctions crippling its economy. In reaction
to the re-imposition of tough U.S. sanctions, which have notably
targeted Iran’s main oil revenue stream, Tehran has scaled back on
some of its nuclear commitments under the deal, leading the European
parties to the pact, France, Britain and Germany, to warn it about not
fully complying with the terms.”
The
Hill: UK Ties Iranian Tanker's Release To Promise On
Syria
“The United Kingdom on Saturday tied the release of an Iranian oil
tanker to a guarantee it would not go to Syria. Foreign Secretary
Jeremy Hunt told his Iranian counterpart that he would facilitate the
release of the Grace One, which the British Royal Marines seized off
the coast of Gibraltar last week. The tanker was captured on suspicion
of planning to breach European sanctions on oil shipments to Syria.
Iran has denied that the tanker was headed to Syria. Hunt said he held
a “constructive call” with Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad
Zarif and reassured him “our concern was the destination, not the
origin, of the oil." Hunt elaborated in a statement from the Foreign
Office, saying: “This was about the enforcement of EU Syria sanctions:
action was taken because of where the oil was going — a sanctioned
Syrian entity — not because it was from Iran."
Iraq
Al
Jazeera: Iraq: ISIL Atrocities Are Over But Where Are Missing
Yazidis?
“It is going to be five years next month since the Islamic State of
Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS) launched a mass killing campaign in
northwest Iraq. It is estimated that between 3,000 and 5,000 Yazidis
were killed because of their religious beliefs. Many more are missing.
Earlier this year, UN teams began exhuming bodies from mass graves to
identify the dead and gather evidence of ISIL atrocities for eventual
trials. Forensic specialists are having trouble matching the samples
with Yazidi survivors because they are scattered both in Iraq and
abroad. Some of the survivors are women who were sold into slavery.
Many have lost their husbands and children, while others are unable to
return home because of the trauma they suffered.”
Iraqi
News: Military Intelligence Apprehends IS Militants In
Mosul
“The Iraqi Military Intelligence Directorate announced, on
Saturday, apprehending a member of the Islamic State group, while he
was trying to enter Mosul coming from Erbil. The Directorate said in a
statement that based on accurate intelligence information, Military
Intelligence forces managed to apprehend on of the terrorists, who
were serving as security members in the Islamic State group, while he
was trying to enter Makhmoud District in Mosul, coming from Erbil. It
is noteworthy that Iraqi security forces manage, from time to time, to
arrest wanted persons on criminal and terrorism charges, in different
areas of the country. In 2014, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria
seized control of the city of Mosul and an estimated 500,000 refugees
fled the area. The Iraqi government managed to recapture the city in
the “Battle of Mosul” three years later, during which the city
sustained heavy damage.”
Iraqi
News: Security Forces Dismantle IS Explosives Factory In
Kirkuk
“An official source informed, on Sunday, that security forces
discovered 10 explosive devices, inside a hideout belonging to the
Islamic State group, in Domez area, in Kirkuk. In a press statement,
the source said that al-Hashd al-Shaabi troops (paramilitary forces)
found 10 bombs inside a hideout in Domez area, in Kirkuk Province. He
further explained that the hideout belongs to the Islamic State group.
The source added, on condition of anonymity, that the Bomb Squad is on
its way to the area of incident to dismantle or detonate the bombs. It
is noteworthy that the Islamic State group launched a suicide attack
on the city of Kirkuk in October 2016, less than a week after the
beginning of the Battle of Mosul that was launched by Iraqi security
forces and allies."
Afghanistan
The
Washington Post: U.S. Service Member Killed In Afghanistan, Military
Says
“A U.S. service member was killed in Afghanistan on Saturday, a
NATO statement said. A spokesman for the Resolute Support mission said
that, in accordance with policy, no additional information will be
released until 24 hours after the deceased’s next of kin is notified.
In a tweet, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said two American
soldiers were killed and three wounded in a bomb attack in Wardak
province, west of Kabul. He offered no additional evidence. A seventh
round of talks between U.S. and Taliban representatives concluded
early last week in Doha, Qatar. The negotiations focused on the
possible withdrawal of U.S. troops and efforts to end the 18-year war.
The top U.S. negotiator, Zalmay Khalilzad, described the recent
discussions as “the most productive session to date.” American
officials have expressed a desire to reach a peace deal by Sept. 1,
ahead of Afghan presidential elections scheduled for later that month.
The Taliban has claimed responsibility for a number of attacks during
the peace talks, including a July 1 assault in Kabul that claimed
dozens of lives. The United States has been fighting the Taliban in
Afghanistan since 2001. More than 2,400 U.S. military personnel have
died in the conflict.”
The
New York Times: The Taliban Promise To Protect Women. Here’s Why Women
Don’t Believe Them.
“At just 29, Zainab Fayez made herself into one of Afghanistan’s
foremost defenders of women. As the first and only female prosecutor
in Kandahar Province, deep in the conservative south of the country,
she sent 21 men to jail for beating and abusing their wives or
fiancées. I thought I should speak with her. I had gone to Afghanistan
to ask women one of the most urgent questions hanging over the peace
talks now unfolding between Taliban leaders, the Afghanistan
government and American diplomats: After 18 years of gains for
Afghanistan’s women, what are these women thinking now that the
Americans might leave, and the Taliban might return? But as I prepared
to travel to Kandahar to meet Ms. Fayez, I discovered that she had
fled the city. She had received a warning she could not ignore: a
handwritten note, tacked to the windshield of her family car, folded
over a bullet. “From now on, you are our target,” the letter said,
“and we will treat you like other Western slaves.” It was signed “The
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,” the formal name the Taliban use for
themselves. Many Afghan women seized on the freedoms that emerged
after the American invasion and collapse of the Taliban government in
2001. They do not want to go back to the terms of Taliban rule — to
the floggings and banishment from public life.”
Reuters:
Afghan Radio Station Shuts Down After Threats By Suspected
Taliban
“A private radio station in Afghanistan has shut down after
numerous threats from a suspected Taliban commander who objected to
women working as presenters, officials at the radio station said on
Monday. The incident comes as the Taliban are discussing a peace deal
with the United States that could see them re-joining mainstream
society, and that has brought new scrutiny of their attitudes to
issues like women’s rights and the media. The private radio station,
Samaa, has been broadcasting political, religious, social and
entertainment programs in the central province of Ghazni since 2013.
Its 13 employees, including three women presenters, broadcast in
Afghanistan’s two main languages - Dari and Pashto. The radio
station’s director, Ramez Azimi, said Taliban commanders in the area
had sent written warnings and telephoned in, to tell the radio station
to stop employing women. “The Taliban also came to my house and
issued a threat,” Azimi said. He said the threats had forced him to
suspend broadcasts. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid denied that
a Taliban commander had issued the threats. “We are trying to find
details,” said Mujahid. The Taliban say many people falsely identify
themselves as Taliban, often in the course of private disputes.”
Pakistan
The
Asia Age: Nothing New To Al Qaeda’s Threat Over
Kashmir
“The security forces' officials combating a three-decade-old
insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir have said that there is “nothing new”
to Al Qaeda’s latest threat over the state. However, they are not
going to make light of the potential danger. “There's nothing new to
Al Qaeda’s threat. We’re used to hearing such talk. But, as we have
only delivered some fatal blows to terror and militancy in J&K and
not eradicated it completely, we can't afford to lower our guard,”
said a senior officer of local police's Special Operations Group (SOG)
which is known for its aggressive counterinsurgency operations. The
officer who spoke to this newspaper on the condition of anonymity was
echoing external affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar who
during a routine weekly briefing sought to shrug off the Al Qaeda
chief Ayman al-Zawahiri threat over Kashmir saying the security forces
deployed in the Himalayan state are capable of dealing with it
effectively. He said, “We’re used to such sort of threats. I don’t
think we should take them seriously. Our security forces are capable
of dealing with such situations effectively.”
Yemen
Asharq
Al-Awsat: Washington Concerned Over Houthi Execution
Verdicts
“The US on Sunday voiced concern over the unfair sentence issued by
Yemen’s Houthi militias to execute 30 political prisoners in Sanaa. US
State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus tweeted that “the US is
seriously concerned by the Iranian-backed Houthis’ sentencing of 30
political prisoners to death in Yemen”, including academics and
political figures who were arrested on baseless charges and physically
tortured during the arrest. “We urge the Iranian-backed Houthis to
retract these sentences, treat detainees humanely, and cease arbitrary
detentions,” Ortagus said. In Aden, the Supreme Judicial Council said
the death sentence issued last week by a Houthi-run court against the
30 detainees is illegal. The court has no mandate to issue or hold
such trial as the council transferred its authority in April 2018 from
Sanaa to Marib.”
Middle East
Voice
Of America: Israel Threatens 'Crushing' Response To Any Hezbollah
Strike
“Israel's prime minister says it will deliver a “crushing” strike
against Hezbollah if the Lebanese militant group attempts to attack.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was reacting to comments made by
Hezbollah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah. In an interview Friday,
Nasrallah boasted that his group is much stronger than during the 2006
war and is capable of striking anywhere in Israel. Pointing to a map,
Nasrallah identified a list of targets he said his group could strike,
saying “in all fields, the resistance has developed in quantity and
quality.” Speaking to his Cabinet Sunday, Netanyahu criticized what he
called Nasrallah's “arrogant” words. He says “if Hezbollah dares to do
something stupid and attack Israel, we will strike it and Lebanon, a
crushing military strike.”
The
Telegraph: The Truth About Sex And Isil - From The Ex-Soldier Who
Rescued 70 Jihadi Brides From Its 'Giant Brothel'
“After a long day patrolling the Isis border with a Kalashnikov,
what the young jihadi fighter looks forward to is getting back to the
‘women’s guesthouses’ for a shower and a one-night ‘pleasure
marriage.’ If he happens to bring a loaf of bread or a bar of
chocolate, skinny-ribbed girls will line up to be blessed by an imam
before climbing into the bridal bed. The marriage will last a couple
of hours and be annulled in the morning so the woman can be passed on
to someone else. This is just one of the many stories I heard from the
70 or so women, children and disaffected fighters I helped to rescue
from the so-called Islamic State, over three years.”
Asharq
Al-Awsat: Kuwait Busts Terrorist Cell Linked To Muslim
Brotherhood
“Kuwait announced on Friday the arrest of a terrorist cell linked
to the Muslim Brotherhood group. The Ministry of Interior said that
the members of the cell, all of whom are Egyptian, have outstanding
judicial sentences against them by authorities in Egypt. Some of the
sentences reach up to 15 years in prison. The ministry personnel
located and arrested the fugitives, who had escaped from Egypt to
Kuwait. During interrogations, they confessed to carrying out
terrorist operations in Egypt, reported the Kuwait news agency (KUNA).
Investigations are underway to find out their accomplices, said the
ministry, warning that it would crack down ruthlessly against
saboteurs.”
Arab
News: How Qatar Is Molding Americans’ Opinion In Favor Of
Extremism
“Qatar is investing billions of dollars in American universities,
cash-hungry lobbyists in Washington, DC, journalists, mainstream
activist groups and policy think tanks in an apparent drive to soften
criticism of its activities that researchers focused on terrorism say
fuels violent extremism. The researchers argue that these concerns
should have led the discussion that President Donald Trump held with
Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani on July 9 at the White House.
Though in the past Trump has criticized Qatar over its support for
terrorism, this meeting focused only on economic issues. Journalist
and activist Mike Cernovich, who was involved in exposing the sexual
harassment allegations that forced Congressman John Conyers to resign
and opened the seat to Palestinian activist Rashida Tlaib in
Michigan’s 13th District, released a documentary in March titled
“Blood Money: How Qatar Bought off the D.C. Media Establishment” to
argue the case for greater scrutiny of Qatar’s activities. Cernovich
has come under attack from liberal writers, including some secretly
funded by Qatar’s foreign allies. But Cernovich’s documentary raises
serious concerns about how Doha has spread its influence deep into
critical US establishments to shape Americans' perception of Qatar,
playing down its dubious associations and extremist agenda.”
Egypt
Egypt
Today: Egypt Urges Enhancement Of Anti-ISIS
Efforts
“Egypt has participated in meetings of a liaison strategy group of
the anti-Daesh Global Coalition, stressing the need to exert further
efforts to combat terrorism and Daesh extremist ideologies. The 2-day
meetings wound up on Sunday in Washington, where the Egyptian
delegation was chaired by Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ahmed
Hafez. Hafez placed emphasis on the necessity to continue to exert
further efforts to combat all forms of terrorism after the field
victories over Daesh. He reiterated that terrorism can only defeated
finally through adopting an international approach for an all-out
confrontation of terrorist groups on all levels and face the extremist
thoughts of Daesh and all terrorist activities. Hafez cited the
initiative launched by President Abdel Fattah El Sisi to renew
religious discourse, praising the role played by Azhar and Dar al
Iftaa to counter terrorism.”
Nigeria
The
Telegraph: Boko Haram Leave Trail Of Opioid Addicts In Nigeria
Desperate To Numb The Pain Of War And
Hopelessness
“Six years since the day when Boko Haram gunmen stormed his home
town of Bama, Abel Habila still has trouble blotting out the memories.
Prayer has helped, but far more effective are the red and yellow pills
that he buys from the street dealers near his home. “At first they
just helped me to forget the trauma of the attack, and how we had to
run for our lives,” he said, voice already drowsy from the two doses
he has had this morning. “But now I take them for other reasons too -
just to blot out the pain of life here in Nigeria, the boredom and
hopelessness. My consumption has rocketed.”
Somalia
The
New York Times: At Least 26 Dead In Somalia Hotel Attack Claimed By
Shabab
“The death toll from a car bomb and gun attack on a hotel in
Somalia rose to 26 on Saturday, officials said. A former politician
and two prominent Somali journalists were among the dead. One of the
journalists was identified as Hodan Nalayeh, a well known
Canadian-Somali who was lauded as a hero and an inspiration to fellow
Somalis. Three Kenyans, three Tanzanians, two Americans and a Briton
also died in Friday’s attack, according to Ahmed Mohamed Islam, the
president of the Jubbaland region where the attack took place. The
attack in the southern port city of Kismayo targeted the Asasey Hotel,
which is popular with politicians and Somali expatriates. The Shabab,
an Islamic rebel group with links to Al Qaeda, claimed responsibility
for the attack. The group, which has killed thousands across East
Africa, seeks to overthrow Somalia’s Western-backed government and has
accused the president, Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, of being an apostate
and an American “puppet.” The attack began Friday evening when at
least four Al Shabab militants stormed the Asasey Hotel. Over the next
14 hours, government troops besieged the hotel compound and killed
some of the attackers, officials said. It ended Saturday morning after
an all-night siege by Somalian troops who shot and killed some of the
attackers in the compound, officials said.”
The
New York Times: She Moved Back To Tell Her Homeland’s Story, Then Fell
Prey To The Unsparing Narrative Of Terrorism
“She grew up in Canada, but like many children of immigrants,
dreamed of reclaiming her heritage. So Hodan Nalayeh, a journalist,
founded an online show, Integration TV, to chronicle life in her
country of birth, Somalia and in the Somalian diaspora. Then in
December, she moved back there, newly married. Ms. Nalayeh’s reporting
steered clear of politics, her friends and colleagues said, focusing
instead on the lives of women and young people, on the struggles of
the poor to make ends meet, and on the natural beauty of the country.
“She never spoke about the ills of the country,” said Fadumo Qasim
Dayib, a Somali who met Ms. Nalayeh a few years ago. “She tried to
stay neutral so that she wouldn’t be seen as a threat.” In the end,
that proved no protection. Ms. Nalayeh was killed in a terrorist
attack this weekend on a hotel in the southern port city of Kismayo.
Responsibility for the attack, which began Friday night, was claimed
by the Shabab, an Islamist rebel group with links to Al Qaeda. The
Shabab has killed thousands across East Africa in its bid to overthrow
Somalia’s Western-backed government. Ms. Nalayeh’s husband, Farid Jama
Suleiman, a hotel developer and former minister in the regional
government of the surrounding area, was also killed.”
Xinhua:
Somali Forces Kill 15 Al-Shabab Militants After Hotel
Attack
“At least 15 al-Shabab militants were killed on Saturday in a
military operation in Somalia's southern regions barely a day after
the terrorist group claimed more than 20 lives in a deadly attack.
Somali National Army (SNA) forces senior commander said Sunday the
forces conducted an offensive against al-Shabab in Wanlaweyn town in
Lower Shabelle region. “Our forces advanced to take control of areas
from al-Shabab extremists. We killed 15 of them and captured Yaq
Buraweyne, Madah Marodi and Idow Jalad villages,” SNA commander in
charge of the 35th division Mohamed Abdullahi Arale said. He added
that the forces will proceed with the operations until they drive the
militants out of the entire Lower Shabelle region. Residents said they
heard the sound of heavy gun fight between the militants and the army.
“A fierce battle broke out in Yaq Buraweyne village between government
forces and al-Shabab militants, both sides fought for a while but
government troops are now in the town and the militants withdrew from
it,” Jamal Ga'al , a local resident told Xinhua by phone. Somali
forces have stepped up operations on al-Shabab extremists in central
and southern regions to flush the militants out of those regions.”
CNN:
She Moved From Canada To Somalia To Tell Positive Stories, But Ended
Up Dead In A Terrorist Attack
“"What a blessing to be back home in Somalia after 30+ years away,"
Hodan Nalayeh posted on her Instagram on May 1 this year, in what she
described as "her first Ramadan back home." But, eight weeks later,
she was dead. Nalayeh was a victim of a brutal terrorist attack that
ripped through Kismayo, the normally serene and beautiful port city in
Jubaland, about 500 kilometers (300 miles) south of the capital
Mogadishu. She was among 26 people who died after several gunmen
stormed the Asasey Hotel after a suicide bomber detonated a vehicle
loaded with explosives outside the hotel. The attackers battled with
Jubaland's security forces for 12 hours, authorities said.”
Africa
The
Irish Times: Terrorism Risk In African Region Similar To Iraq And
Syria, Conference Hears
“United Nations secretary general António Guterres has called for
more support for Sahel states fighting terrorism, saying the African
region is on the “front line” and needs help. “The trauma from
terrorism causes lasting damage to individuals, families and
communities,” Mr Guterres said, while speaking at the opening of a
counterterrorism conference in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital, on
Wednesday. He told reporters that jihadi groups were particularly
gaining ground in west Africa. “It started in Mali, it went to Burkina
Faso, Niger and now, when we speak with the presidents of Ghana,
Benin, Togo, and Ivory Coast, they say that terrorism is coming to
their borders.” Mr Guterres also asked the international community to
aid the G5 Sahel Joint Force – a military effort involving Burkina
Faso, Mali, Chad, Niger, and Mauritania, which was established in
2014. Women’s voices must be central in any response, Mr Guterres
added. “Common to each of these groups, regardless of their ideology,
is the subjugation of women’s and girls’ rights. African Union
Commission chairman, Moussa Faki Mahamat, accused the international
community of “procrastinating”, saying the situation in the Sahel is a
“phenomenon that has the same characteristics” as what happened in
Iraq and Syria.”
United Kingdom
Sky
News: Islamic State Supporter Farhad Salah Plotted To Use Driverless
Car In Terror Attack
“An Islamic State (IS) supporter who was arrested amid fears of a
Christmas terror plot has been found guilty of planning an attack
using a remote-controlled explosive and a driverless car. Farhad
Salah, 24, was convicted at Sheffield Crown Court after jurors heard
that he messaged a contact on social media about using an autonomous
vehicle to deliver a potentially deadly device. Writing on Facebook,
the Iraqi told them he also wanted to find someone who could help him
travel to Syria, with the court told how he was a supporter of IS. He
appeared in court with a co-defendant, Chesterfield chip shop owner
Andy Star, 32, who was charged with the same offence - marking the
second time the pair had been tried on these charges. By the end of
the first trial last year, a jury failed to reach verdicts on either
of them. This time round, Judge Paul Watson told Mr Star, also from
Iraq, that he should not face a second retrial and a not guilty
verdict was recorded, although he will remain in detention on
immigration matters. But Salah will be sentenced on 24 July, with the
five-week trial having heard how he and Mr Star were in the early
stages of testing small explosive devices when they were arrested
during raids on their homes in December 2017.”
The
National: UK Terror Police Investigate If Christian Charity Paid
Ransom To ISIS
“UK police are investigating a Christian charity to determine if it
financed terrorism after its chairman was involved in the freeing of
226 hostages held by ISIS in Syria in 2016. The Assyrian Church of the
East Relief Organisation (Acero) is chaired by the bishop of Syria,
Mar Afram Athneil, but is run by Andy Darmoo, 71, who is the director
of a lighting company in southern England. In its financial statements
for the year ended July 31, 2016, Acero has an expenditure of £147,689
(Dh682,000) marked as “Iraq Hostages”. An Associated Press report in
2016 described Mr Athneil as being “almost exclusively” behind the
year-long brokering of the deal to free the hostages. Three were
murdered on camera by ISIS. The exact ransom amount is unknown but is
estimated to be in the millions. “In January 2018, the Met received a
referral from the Charities Commission over concerns relating to
alleged payments to Syria by” Acero, a statement by London’s
metropolitan police said. “This matter is being investigated by
officers from the National Terrorism Financial Investigation Unit
(NTFIU), which is part of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, to
determine if terrorist financing offences have been committed,” it
said.”
France
The
Wall Street Journal: The New Anti-Semitism
“When France’s Yellow Vests began to protest weekly last November,
it was about President Emmanuel Macron’s decision to raise fuel taxes.
Within a few months, it also started to be about the Jews. Signs that
labeled Mr. Macron as a “whore of the Jews” and a slave of the
Rothschilds, a reference to the president’s past employment with the
investment bank, became a fixture of the demonstrations. In February,
several Yellow Vest protesters—since disavowed by the
movement—assaulted the Jewish philosopher Alain Finkielkraut on the
doorstep of his Paris home, yelling, “You will die,” “Zionist turd”
and “France is for us.” “When there is a world-wide economic and
social malaise, people look for scapegoats—and the Jews have always
served as scapegoats,” said Francis Kalifat, the president of CRIF,
the council uniting France’s Jewish institutions. “Anti-Semitism
creates bridges between the far right and the far left: They have such
a hatred in common that they come together.”
Germany
The
Jerusalem Post: Terrorist Group Hezbollah Linked To 30 Mosques/Centers
In Germany
“The intelligence agency for the city of Hamburg has reported that
30 mosques and cultural centers in Germany have ties to the
US-classified terrorist organization Hezbollah. “In Germany there are
currently about 30 known cultural and mosque associations in which a
clientele regularly meets that is close to Hezbollah or its ideology,”
the agency wrote this past week. According to the 282-page document
reviewed by The Jerusalem Post, “The collection of donations is one of
the most important tasks of the associations” where Hezbollah
operatives meet. “The associations are characterized by the effort to
strengthen the bonds of the Lebanese living here [in Hamburg] with
their homeland and to the organization.” The intelligence document
raises the question of how much money German Hezbollah members are
sending to Lebanon to aid in advancing terrorism and to wage war
against Syrian civilians. The Post has previously reported on
Hezbollah-controlled centers in the cities of Bremen and Münster along
with other Hezbollah meeting places in the state of Lower Saxony. The
Hamburg report shows a larger presence of Hezbollah locations than
previously documented by German authorities.”
Europe
Associated
Press: EU Supports Iraq-Proposed Conference On US-Iran
Tensions
“The European Union supports an Iraqi proposal to hold a regional
conference amid rising tensions between the United States and Iran,
the group’s foreign policy chief said Saturday. Iraq is an ally of the
two rival nations, which are on a collision course as the Iran nuclear
deal threatens to unravel. Iraq has offered to mediate between Tehran
and Washington, while Iran has pressed European parties to the nuclear
agreement to offset the effects of U.S. sanctions. Foreign Policy
Chief Federica Mogherini, on her first visit since 2014, said the EU
shared with Iraq the approach to dealing with the difficult situation,
adding that the priority is to avoid escalation and any
miscalculations that could lead to “dangerous consequences” for Iraq
and beyond.”
Technology
The
Wall Street Journal: FTC Approves Roughly $5 Billion Facebook
Settlement
“The Federal Trade Commission has endorsed a roughly $5 billion
settlement with Facebook Inc. over a long-running probe into the tech
giant’s privacy missteps, according to people familiar with the
matter. FTC commissioners this past week voted 3-2 in favor of the
agreement, with the Republican majority backing the pact while
Democratic commissioners objected, the people said. The matter has
been moved to the Justice Department’s civil division and it is
unclear how long it will take to finalize, one of the people said.
Justice Department reviews are part of FTC procedure but typically
don’t change the outcome of a decision by the commission. A settlement
is expected to tighten government restrictions on how Facebook treats
user privacy. The additional terms of the settlement couldn’t
immediately be learned. An FTC spokeswoman declined to comment, as did
a Facebook spokesman.”
Deadline:
Facebook-Driven Area 51 Storming May Be Countered With Force, Says Us
Air Force
“Fun and games on Facebook may have serious consequences for the
foolish. That was the message delivered by the US Air Force, who have
responded to a Facebook’s group’s efforts to have 450,000 people storm
a top secret military base. Conspiracy theorists have always believed
that Area 51 in Nevada holds information about extra-terrestrial
activities on our planet, possibly including actual alien remains and
aircraft. That belief spawned a Facebook group suggesting that a wave
of humanity could overwhelm the defenses at the base and discover the
truth. More than 400,000 people have joined a Facebook event page
calling for storming Area 51, with many more indicating interest. The
proposed event is scheduled for Sept. 20. “We will all meet up at the
Area 51 Alien Center tourist attraction and coordinate our entry,” the
event description reads. “If we naruto run, we can move faster than
their bullets. Lets see them aliens.”
Forbes:
Facebook Embeds 'Hidden Codes' To Track Who Sees And Shares Your
Photos, Report
“Facebook has become synonymous with privacy violations in the year
since Cambridge Analytica came to light. Now in the same week that
details of the record $5 billion FTC fine emerged, an Australian cyber
researcher has reopened a years-old debate as to whether the social
media giant is embedding "hidden codes" in photos uploaded by users
onto the site. "Facebook is embedding tracking data inside photos you
download," Edin Jusupovic claimed on Twitter, explaining he had
"noticed a structural abnormality when looking at a hex dump of an
image file from an unknown origin only to discover it contained what I
now understand is an IPTC special instruction." The IPTC
(International Press Telecommunications Council) sets technical
publishing standards, including those for image metadata.”
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