Two Islamic State officials who allegedly facilitated last month’s double
suicide bombing in a crowded Baghdad marketplace have been killed, Iraqi

 

 


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Eye on Extremism


February 5, 2021

 

Al Monitor: Islamic State Officials Behind Baghdad Bombing Killed, Prime
Minister Says
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“Two Islamic State officials who allegedly facilitated last month’s double
suicide bombing in a crowded Baghdad marketplace have been killed, Iraqi Prime
Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi says. Abu Hassan al-Gharibawi, commander of IS
forces in southern Iraq, and Ghanem Sabah Jawad, who had a role in transporting
suicide bombers, were killed in an airstrike west of Baghdad on Tuesday near
Abu Ghraib, Kadhimi said on Twitter the same day. The airstrike was carried out
by the US-led international coalition to defeat IS on intelligence gathered by
Iraqi authorities, Iraq’s Security Media Cell said. Members of an infantry unit
from Iraq’s 17th Division later arrived on the scene and reportedly found
suicide vests among the bodies. Brig. Gen. Yehia Rasool, a spokesman for
Kadhimi on military matters, said Gharibawi — also known as Jabbar Ali Fayyad —
supervised the Jan. 21 twin suicide bombings at Tayaran Square which killed
more than 30 people and wounded more than 110. Jawad “was responsible for
transporting the suicide terrorists,” Rasool said. The two are the latest
senior IS officials killed by the international coalition since last month’s
bombings.”

 

The New York Times: Prominent Lebanese Critic Of Hezbollah Is Killed
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“A prominent Lebanese critic of the militant group Hezbollah was found dead on
Thursday after being shot multiple times in what his friends called a political
assassination. Lokman Slim, 58, was a publisher and filmmaker who was among a
small group of political activists from the country’s Shiite Muslim minority
who openly criticized Hezbollah, a Shiite extremist group, for its violent role
in the country and the wider Middle East. Mr. Slim’s killing came at a time of
multiple crises that have pushed Lebanon to the brink of collapse. Its
political system is nearly paralyzed, its economy is in free-fall, and many of
its people are still suffering the aftereffects of a huge explosion in the
Beirut port in August that killed more than 200 people. For weeks, Lebanon has
been under total lockdown, with a 24-hour curfew aimed at slowing the rapid
spread of the coronavirus. The killing of Mr. Slim, which the Lebanese
authorities said they were investigating, raised fears among his supporters
that the country could slide into a new period of political killings similar to
those it had suffered through in the past. Assassinations have been rare in
recent years, but multiple killings of politicians, journalists and security
officials mar the country’s history.”

 

United States

 

The Washington Post: Bipartisan Support Emerges For Domestic-Terror Bills As
Experts Warn Threat May Last ‘10 To 20 Years’
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“An apparent bipartisan majority of the House Homeland Security Committee on
Thursday endorsed the idea of new laws to address domestic terrorism in the
wake of last month’s riot at the U.S. Capitol, as experts warned such internal
threats would plague the country for decades to come. Elizabeth Neumann, a
former assistant secretary of homeland security for counterterrorism during the
Trump administration, warned lawmakers that there is a “high likelihood” that
another domestic terrorist attack would occur in the coming months and that the
problem would persist “for the next 10 to 20 years.” Jonathan Greenblatt, head
of the Anti-Defamation League, told lawmakers that Jan. 6 had been a “watershed
moment for the white supremacist movement,” and that its adherents viewed the
Capitol breach as a “victory.” Their comments came during the committee’s first
hearing in its investigation into the riot that has moved House Democrats and
10 Republicans to impeach the now-former president for an unprecedented second
time. The panel’s chairman, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), indicated that he
expected its probe would result in concrete legislation to punish and dissuade
such attacks, and better monitor and regulate the environments in which
extremist ideologies proliferate.”

 

Iraq

 

Kurdistan 24: ISIS Attack Kills 2 Iraqi Soldiers In Disputed Territory Of
Diyala Province
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“Islamic State militants launched an attack on Thursday against Iraqi army
forces in the town of Jalawla, killing two Iraqi soldiers and wounding more in
Diyala province’s Khanaqin district, according to a military source. This is
just the latest attack launched by those loyal to the group in areas disputed
by Baghdad and the autonomous Kurdistan Region, after a series of bloody
attacks that left victims among the security forces, many of which were
launched within Diyala. A source in the region's Peshmerga forces told
Kurdistan 24 that members of the extremist group's “sleeper cells” surprised an
Iraqi army force at the opening of a military headquarters along the outskirts
of the village of Qaya in Jalawla, resulting in the fall of the two soldiers
and the wounding of two others who were immediately taken to the hospital for
treatment. In recent months, the Islamic State has carried out numerous attacks
in areas between those controlled by Iraqi forces and Kurdish Peshmerga, taking
advantage of the security vacuum in those territories. A security source stated
that, over the past month, Islamic State militants have killed 25 soldiers,
policemen, and members of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) militias in
disputed areas in Diyala province alone.”

 

Turkey

 

The Jerusalem Post: Turkey’s Government Calls Student Protesters 'Terrorists'
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“Turkey’s far-right ruling party, which has imprisoned journalists and
dissidents, continued its extremist slide on Thursday, calling student
protesters “terrorists.” This is the latest group on Turkey’s list of
“terrorists” after removing 60 of 65 opposition HDP mayors and imprisoning, or
charging critics on Twitter and journalists as “terrorists.” For Turkey’s
ruling AK Party, which has in the past been supported by the US, EU and NATO,
any critic is now a “terrorist.” The latest outburst in Ankara comes from the
Ministry of Foreign Relations which has now attacked peaceful student protests
as “terrorists.” The statement came after days in which Turkey’s leader, Recep
Tayyip Erdogan, bashed gay activists and condemned LGBT student protesters.
Turkey’s ruling party has called gay people “deviants” and supported religious
extremists who claimed gays spread “disease.” Turkey’s government, despite
being a member of NATO and an ally of the US, and wanting to join the EU, is
one of the most authoritarian in the world and has put the most journalists in
prison, and frequently bashes gay rights. The current US administration has
been following the student protests and is concerned about Turkey’s extremist
rhetoric.”

 

Afghanistan

 

The New York Times: Inside The Shadowy Militias Luring Unsuspecting Afghans To
Fight, Or Die
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“A network of shadowy power brokers and warlords, bankrolled by the Afghan
government and the national police force, is luring disadvantaged people into
joining militias, sometimes under false pretenses, out of a growing desperation
to hold territory around highways in the country’s north, according to former
militia members and local officials. These key arteries, which are the few
means of road travel between the provinces, have increasingly become the front
line for an emboldened Taliban insurgency. To protect them, local officials in
Balkh Province are manning highway outposts with often untrained Afghans, who
are given little more than a rifle and the promise of a paycheck if they
survive. Others have been offered construction jobs, only to arrive and realize
there is no repair work to be done. The militia members are dropped in areas
too dangerous to flee and only picked up weeks or months later, dead or alive.
The crooked recruitment practice is the latest indication that Afghanistan’s
security forces have been hollowed out by degrading morale and poor recruitment
as Taliban attacks continue at an unrelenting pace across the country.”

 

Yemen

 

NBC News: Al Qaeda Leader In Yemen In Custody, U.N. Confirms
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“The leader of Al Qaeda’s branch in Yemen has been under arrest since October,
and the terror group has suffered an erosion of its ranks caused by desertions,
according to a United Nations report released Thursday. Khalid Batarfi, aka Abu
Miqdad al-KindiNew Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness. The
report marked official confirmation that AQAP chief Khalid Batarfi had been
detained, following unconfirmed reports. His arrest represents a propaganda
embarrassment for the group, which promotes the idea of “martydom” among its
followers, and could provide potentially invaluable intelligence to
counterterrorism efforts led by the United States. Batarfi was arrested and his
deputy, Saad Atef al Awlaqi, died during an “operation in Ghayda City,
Al-Mahrah Governorate, in October,” according to the report to the U.N.
Security Council from a U.N. monitoring team that tracks Al Qaeda, Islamic
State and other extremist groups. The report did not offer further details
about the arrest or where Batarfi is being held. The U.S. intelligence
community and the Pentagon were not immediately available to comment.”

 

Nigeria

 

Agence France-Presse: Nigeria Troops Overrun Jihadist Camps In Northeast
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“Nigerian troops backed by jets have taken control of several camps of
IS-linked jihadists, with two senior commanders escaping after several other
ranking militants were killed, two military sources told AFP Thursday. Troops
overran Islamic State's West Africa Province (ISWAP) camps in an area
straddling Yobe and Borno states in northeast Nigeria after a month-long
military operation, the sources said. The operations have been ongoing as
President Muhammadu Buhari replaced his four top military commanders after
months of pressure over his government's failure to end the country's more than
decade-long Islamist insurgency. On Wednesday, soldiers aided by fighter jets
overran Dole camp, the last jihadist stronghold in the so-called “Timbuktu
triangle”, the two military officers said. “With the fall of Dole the whole
area is now under the effective control of Nigerian troops,” said one of the
officers. The jihadists have been in control of the area since 2013 when they
seized it and established a strong presence, especially in the Talala area,
which became the second largest ISWAP camp outside the group's Lake Chad
stronghold. Last month troops took over Talala after a fierce battle in which
six soldiers were killed by a suicide bomber who detonated his explosive-laden
vehicle among troops, military sources told AFP.”

 

Sahara Reporters: Boko Haram Terrorists Capture, Destroy Police Operational
Vehicles In Borno
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“Militants belonging to the Islamic State-backed faction of Boko Haram, the
Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), formerly known as Jamā'at Ahl
as-Sunnah lid-Da'wah wa'l-Jihād, have allegedly destroyed two operational
patrol vehicles the group captured from the Nigeria Police Force. According to
ISWAP in a statement sighted by SaharaReporters on Wednesday, the vehicles were
captured when the group attacked a police checkpoint along the
Maiduguri-Chabal-Magumeri Road in Borno State. Chabal in the Magumeri Local
Government Area is about 22km from Maimalari Cantonment, 7 Division Nigerian
Army, Maiduguri. The insurgents also claimed that many policemen and civilians
were kidnapped during the attack. SaharaReporters had earlier reported how the
insurgents killed two policemen and a civilian at Chabal. “We just received a
signal that Boko Haram terrorists attacked some police officers at Chabal
community. A civilian Joint Task Force member was also shot dead. Soldiers from
Maimalari Cantonment, 7 Division of the Nigerian Army in Maiduguri have been
mobilised to the area,” a military source had told SaharaReporters on Sunday.”

 

Somalia

 

The Nation: Somalia: Target In Mogadishu Attack Was Retired Army General, Say
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“Somalia militant group Al-Shabaab says it laid a siege on a Mogadishu hotel
because it was hosting a former military general they were targeting. The group
said on Tuesday that the primary motive of attacking Afrik Hotel in the Somali
capital Mogadishu on Sunday was to kill Maj-Gen (rtd) Mohamed Nur Galaal, a
veteran of the Somali army during Siad Barre's days. “The prime target of our
assault mission on Afrik Hotel was to eliminate General Mohamed Nur Galaal,”
the group said in a statement. Around 5pm on Sunday, a huge explosion was heard
across the city, followed by exchange of gunfire between three attackers and
the hotel's security personnel. About 2am in the morning of Monday, the
Spokesman of Somalia Police Force Sadik Adan Ali told the media that the
operation to stop the attack and siege on the hotel was concluded. He said nine
people died. “The siege has been concluded and the nine persons we have
witnessed as dead included the four attackers (suicide car bomber and three
gunmen) and five civilians including retired General Galaal,” said Ali.
Al-Shabaab said its mission to attack the hotel had achieved its aim, having
killed General Galaal.”

 

Africa

 

Reuters: Burkina Faso Government Says It Is Open To Talks With Jihadists
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“Burkina Faso's government said for the first time on Thursday that it was
open to talks with Islamist militants to try to end a growing insurgency,
echoing a position taken by authorities in neighbouring Mali. Nearly a decade
after militants linked to al Qaeda briefly seized control of northern Mali,
governments across West Africa's Sahel region again find themselves struggling
to contain the jihadists, leading some to reconsider prior opposition to talks.
“If we want to end the security crisis, we will need to find paths and ways to
talk with those responsible for terrorist attacks so that we are in peace,”
Prime Minister Christophe Dabire said in response to a question in parliament.
Attacks in Burkina Faso by fighters linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State have
surged in Burkina Faso since 2018, contributing to a humanitarian crisis that
has forced more than one million people to flee their homes. Mali's former
president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita said a year ago that his government was
prepared to negotiate with the local al Qaeda affiliate, and the current
government has reaffirmed that position. It is not clear if any progress has
been made since then.”

 

France 24: Algerian Court Delays Trial Of Jihadist Suspects In French Hiker’s
Murder
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“The trial of fourteen suspects in the 2014 beheading of French mountaineer
Hervé Gourdel has been postponed until February 18, a court in Algiers ruled on
Thursday, citing the main suspect's poor health. Herve Gourdel, 55, was
abducted on September 21, 2014 while hiking in Djurdjura National Park in the
Kabylie region, a popular destination for hikers that has long been a sanctuary
for jihadists. Three days after he disappeared, gunmen from militant group Jund
al-Khilafa published a video of his gruesome killing. The French government had
rejected their demand to halt air strikes against the Islamic State (IS) group
in Iraq and Syria. Gourdel's body was found in a booby-trapped grave three
months later, following a massive manhunt involving thousands of soldiers. In
total, 14 people face charges over the case. Only one is known to be in
custody: suspected jihadist Abdelmalek Hamzaoui, who appeared in court in a
wheelchair on Thursday after undergoing hip surgery. The presiding judge
decided to postpone the start of the trial, citing Hamzaoui's poor health.
Seven others will be tried in absentia, but no details have been made public on
what charges they face.”

 

Germany

 

Reuters: German Watchdog Orders Goldman Sachs To Comply With Money Laundering
Rules
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“Germany’s financial watchdog has ordered Goldman Sachs’ European arm to
comply with rules to prevent money laundering and terrorist financing, it said
on Thursday. The watchdog, BaFin, said it had asked Goldman Sachs to comply
with due diligence obligations regarding customers and risk analysis
requirements under Germany’s anti-money laundering laws. Goldman Sachs said in
a statement that BaFin’s order followed an audit undertaken by BaFin in 2020.
“The required implementation is already underway,” the bank said. People
familiar with the matter said that Goldman Sachs had not fully complied with
German know-your-customer standards when transferring British customers to
Germany. The data on the transferred customers did not always provide
sufficient clarity on which persons were linked to certain accounts, the people
said. They also said that BaFin could impose fines if Goldman Sachs did not
address the issue sufficiently. Goldman Sachs is moving customers with roughly
$60 billion in assets to Germany from the United Kingdom because of Brexit,
people familiar with the matter have said.”

 

Technology

 

The Guardian: 'It Let White Supremacists Organize': The Toxic Legacy Of
Facebook's Groups
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“Mark Zuckerberg, the Facebook CEO, announced last week the platform will no
longer algorithmically recommend political groups to users in an attempt to
“turn down the temperature” on online divisiveness. But experts say such
policies are difficult to enforce, much less quantify, and the toxic legacy of
the Groups feature and the algorithmic incentives promoting it will be
difficult to erase. “This is like putting a Band-Aid on a gaping wound,” said
Jessica J González, the co-founder of the anti-hate speech group Change the
Terms. “It doesn’t do enough to combat the long history of abuse that’s been
allowed to fester on Facebook.” Facebook launched Groups, a feature that allows
people with shared interests to communicate on closed forums, in 2010, but
began to make a more concerted effort to promote the feature around 2017 after
the Cambridge Analytica scandal cast a shadow on the platform’s Newsfeed. In a
long blogpost in 2017 February called Building Global Community, Zuckerberg
argued there was “a real opportunity” through groups to create “meaningful
social infrastructure in our lives.”



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