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Eye on Extremism
February 26, 2021
“The United States on Thursday carried out airstrikes in eastern Syria against buildings belonging to what the Pentagon said were Iran-backed militias responsible for recent attacks against American and allied personnel in Iraq. President Biden authorized the strikes in response to the rocketing in Iraq and to continuing threats to American and coalition personnel there, said John F. Kirby, the Pentagon press secretary, who spoke with reporters traveling with Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III in California. A rocket attack on Feb. 15 on the airport in Erbil, in northern Iraq, killed a Filipino contractor with the American-led military coalition and wounded six others, including a Louisiana National Guard soldier and four American contractors. American officials said the strikes were a relatively small, carefully calibrated military response: seven 500-pound bombs dropped on a small cluster of buildings at an unofficial crossing at the Syria-Iraq border used to smuggle across weapons and fighters. The strikes were just over the border in Syria to avoid diplomatic blowback to the Iraqi government. The Pentagon offered up larger groups of targets but Mr. Biden approved a less aggressive option, American officials said.”
The Wall Street Journal: Cayman Islands, Morocco Placed On Terror-Financing Watch List
“Four jurisdictions, including the Cayman Islands and Morocco, will undergo increased monitoring as they face pressure from a global watchdog to address deficiencies in their anti-money-laundering efforts. The Financial Action Task Force, a Paris-based organization that sets anti-money-laundering law standards, on Thursday added Burkina Faso, the Cayman Islands, Morocco and Senegal to its list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring, joining 15 other countries. The identified deficiencies vary for each jurisdiction, but they include maintaining comprehensive beneficial ownership information and expanding the operations of countries’ financial intelligence units, according to FATF. For instance, FATF in a report said the Cayman Islands government needs to impose effective administrative penalties and enforcement actions against entities involved in money-laundering violations, as well as implement adequate sanctions in cases where accurate and timely beneficial ownership information isn’t provided. “The Cayman Islands are a major financial center; we expect from countries who have higher risks, we expect commensurate measures against these risks,” FATF President Marcus Pleyer said during a virtual press conference Thursday.”
United States
“The acting chief of the U.S. Capitol Police warned lawmakers Thursday that militia members involved in the Jan. 6 riot “want to blow up the Capitol and kill as many members as possible” during President Biden’s first congressional address. The stark warning about another potential threat to Congress — which has not been corroborated by other law enforcement agencies — comes as a date for Biden’s first address on Capitol Hill has not been set. New presidents typically deliver a speech to a joint session of Congress in February. Acting chief Yogananda D. Pittman told lawmakers there was “a direct nexus” between the threats and a Biden speech. She cited that intelligence to explain why National Guard members who were deployed and the tall security barriers that were erected around the Capitol after the insurrection have not yet been removed. “Based on that information, we think that it’s prudent that Capitol Police maintain its enhanced and robust security posture until we address those vulnerabilities going forward,” Pittman said. It was not clear whether other agencies have also identified threats to the Capitol during Biden’s first congressional address. An FBI spokeswoman declined to comment.”
NBC News: New DHS Grants Allocate $77 Million To Target Domestic Violent Extremism
“The Department of Homeland Security announced Thursday that it is allocating more than $1.8 billion in grants to state and local jurisdictions to protect against terrorism and other disasters, with at least $77 million going to protect specifically against domestic violent extremism. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the most significant terrorism threat now comes from “small groups of individuals who commit acts of violence motivated by domestic extremist ideological beliefs.” “While we continue to lawfully protect against threats posed by foreign terrorist organizations, we also must ensure adequate focus and funding is provided to combat domestic terrorism, some of which is motivated by false narratives and extremist rhetoric spread through social media and other online platforms,” Mayorkas said in a statement. Acting U.S. Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman testified Thursday before Congress that members of militia groups who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 “want to blow up the Capitol and kill as many members as possible” when President Joe Biden addresses Congress.”
Yahoo Finance: US Lawmakers To Examine Crypto’s Role In Domestic Terrorism Funding
“Members of Congress on Thursday will discuss whether and how cryptocurrencies and decentralized systems may be used to fund domestic terrorism. The House Financial Services Committee’s Subcommittee on National Security, International Development and Monetary Policy published additional details about its hearing on domestic terror financing late Wednesday, including witness testimony. While cryptocurrencies won’t be the sole fundraising method discussed, their inclusion may indicate lawmakers are giving crypto similar importance as more traditional funding methods, as well as new-but-established tools such as PayPal. Other government officials have likewise drawn a connection between terrorism and cryptocurrencies recently. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has said she is concerned by crypto use by extremists, while members of Congress on the House Select Committee on Intelligence want more information on how extremists might have used streaming platform DLive, a unit of BitTorrent that is tied to the Tron Foundation, which rewards streamers in crypto, to raise or transfer funds using crypto.”
Al Jazeera: Trial Of US Citizen Charged With Terrorism In Venezuela To Begin
“A Venezuelan criminal court in a Wednesday hearing ordered that a trial begin for Matthew Heath, a US citizen detained in the South American country on terrorism charges and accused of being a US spy, Heath’s lawyer said on Thursday. Heath, 39, was detained in September 2020 in northwestern Venezuela and charged with terrorism and arms trafficking. His defence lawyer, Guillermo Heredia, said he rejected the “false” charges in the Wednesday hearing, which lasted until midnight. President Nicolas Maduro at the time of Heath’s arrest said he was spying on the OPEC nation’s oil refineries, and that he had been carrying “specialised weapons”. US officials at the time said Heath was not sent to Venezuela by Washington. No further court date had been set, Heredia said, adding that Heath was being held in the headquarters of Venezuela’s military counterintelligence directorate, known as DGCIM. Heath was arrested along with National Guard Sergeant Major Darwin Urdaneta, Marcos Garces and Daeven Rodriguez, the driver of the vehicle. The three Venezuelans were charged with treason, terrorism, arms trafficking and conspiracy.”
Iran
Arab News: New Iran-Based Al-Qaeda Head ‘A Potential Asset To Tehran’
“A former general in the Egyptian military could be the new leader of Al-Qaeda, but his confinement in Iran and potential value as a pawn in US-Iran negotiations mean that his vast military and terrorist experience may not herald a resurgence of the group to 9/11-era levels, according to an expert. Saif Al-Adel, one of the most senior members of Al-Qaeda, has been tipped to take over from Ayman Zawahiri, who has not been seen in years and is rumored to be dead. Al-Adel has been an active terrorist for over 30 years, and the US has placed a $7.5 million bounty on his head for his role in the 1998 US embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania, which killed 224. He is also said to have been involved in the 1993 “Black Hawk Down” battle in the Somalian capital Mogadishu, as well as having been instrumental in building the network behind the 9/11 attacks in New York. Philip Riding, lead analyst for Middle East and Africa at intelligence firm Sibylline, told Arab News that, while Al-Adel’s reputation as a skilled leader and military strategist remains cause for concern, his confinement in Iran is likely to hamper his leadership capacities. “Whatever Al-Adel’s considerable military experience — as a former Egyptian general — his isolation in Iran and ability to communicate with the remnants of his organization scattered across the world are much more pertinent,” he said.”
Turkey
Daily Sabah: Turkey Nabs 14 Daesh Terrorists, Dismantles Sleeper Cell In Adana
“Counterterrorism police nabbed 14 terrorists, dismantling a Daesh sleeper cell in Turkey’s southern Adana province, reports said Thursday. The police carried out the raid after the Adana Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office issued detention warrants for nine suspects who participated in Daesh activities in Iraq and Syria. Five of the terrorists were Syrian nationals and the remaining four were Iraqis, Ihlas News Agency (IHA) reported. The terrorists from Syria were identified as Ahmed Al M., 21; Muhammad Walid Al A., 24; Rabia O., 46; Ahmad Sh., 24 and his brother Muhammad Sh., 29. The Iraqis included Abdurrahman Raad B., 22; Sabet Tabban Mari M., 47; Abdurrahman H., 21 and his brother Ali H., 37. They reportedly fought for Daesh in Afrin and Azaz. Muhammad Sh. was a so-called Daesh police officer, while Muhammad Walid Al A. was responsible for teaching Arabic to the terrorist group's foreign fighters. Five of the suspects were arrested by the court and sent to jail, while four of them were released pending trial. In a separate operation, police nabbed five other suspects who vandalized 79 tombs, including those of police officers Ahmet and Mehmet Oruç, who were killed during the bloody coup attempt carried out by the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) in 2016.”
Daily Sabah: Turkish Police Catch Daesh Terrorist Spying On Military Post In Istanbul
“Turkish security forces caught a Daesh terrorist red-handed as he was secretly observing a command post in Istanbul early Thursday. Police received a tipoff that a man had climbed up a tree and was spying on the Military Police Command Post in Istanbul’s Yenibosna district at 2 a.m. local time (11 p.m. GMT), Demirören News Agency (DHA) reported. The suspect, identified as Muhammed Yahya E., was immediately detained. Police found Daesh-linked images and documents on the suspect, the report said. He was arrested and sent to jail after procedures, the report added. Turkey recognized Daesh as a terrorist group in 2013, and has since been attacked numerous times, including 10 suicide bombings, seven bombings and four armed assaults, which have killed 315 people and injured hundreds more. In response, Turkey launched military and police operations both inside and outside the country, capturing top Daesh members in counterterrorism efforts at home and in Syria. The terrorist group has been trying to reestablish itself in Turkey after being dealt a heavy blow in Iraq and Syria. According to testimony by terrorists detained in previous operations in Adana province, Daesh had been trying to kidnap judges, prosecutors and tourist groups as ransom in return for Daesh terrorists held in Iraq and Syria.”
Afghanistan
The New York Times: Afghan Government Backs Repatriation Of Guantánamo Detainee
“The government of Afghanistan has filed a petition in federal court supporting the return of a citizen who has been held for a third of his life at Guantánamo Bay and now argues that, based on a series of peace agreements in his fractious country, his war is over. The 24-page brief was submitted by Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry in the case of Asadullah Haroon Gul. It is believed to be the first time a foreign government has stepped into a habeas corpus case in two decades of detention challenges in federal court by the wartime prisoners held at the United States military base in Cuba. Earlier repatriations were the result of diplomacy, not litigation. The American military says Mr. Haroon, who is about 40, is a former commander of an Islamic militia that attacked coalition forces in Afghanistan and was a go-between for Al Qaeda. He was captured in 2007. Mr. Haroon is one of 40 prisoners at Guantánamo. Twelve are charged with crimes, but he is not one of them. Periodic reviews of his case by a national security panel have deemed him too great a threat to the United States to be released. But the request by the Afghan government comes as American policy toward the release of the prisoners could be shifting.”
Pakistan
Bloomberg: Pakistan Again Gets Extension To Make Case For Exiting FATF List
“A global anti-money laundering watchdog gave Pakistan time until June to show the nation had done enough to be removed from a monitoring list for terror-financing. Pakistan has addressed 24 of the 27 action items assigned to it, the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force said in a statement on Thursday. This is the second extension after the nation failed to meet four previous deadlines. Four months ago it was asked to see through the action plan by February. Pakistan has made significant progress but deficiencies remain, Marcus Pleyer, FATF president said at a briefing. “All of these deficiencies are related to terror financing.” Pakistan was placed on the FATF’s “grey” monitoring list in 2018 after a campaign by the U.S. and European nations to get the country to do more to combat militancy and close financing loopholes to terrorist groups. China, Turkey and Malaysia have lobbied in the past to prevent severe penalties against Pakistan, while India, which accuses Islamabad of funding militant groups operating in its portion of Kashmir, had sought a downgrade. But the South Asian nation has done enough to escape being put in a blacklist along with North Korea and Iran.”
Lebanon
The Jerusalem Post: IDF Gets Ready For Hezbollah Along The Israeli-Lebanese Border
“The IDF has reorganized the way it responds to alerts and deploys troops along the border with Lebanon amid growing concern of a possible confrontation with Hezbollah, senior officers told The Jerusalem Post. The IDF changes — led by the 91st Galilee Division – were done in recent months, in which the unit carried out significant measures to step up its preparedness. The purview of the 91st Division, which consists of the 300th Brigade in the West and the 769th Brigade in the East, spans the entire Israeli-Lebanese border. As part of its preparation, the division rearranged the way it deploys its troops. It formed new tactical units of infantry, tanks, missile batteries, engineering corps, and others in order to increase its firepower capabilities, and to “exact a higher price” when it responds to an enemy attack. In order to more rapidly respond to incidents, the division recently created a new mechanism to tighten cooperation between different units, including the Navy and the Air Force units that operate in the area. This new deployment was practiced in the recent “Lightning Storm” division drill completed two weeks ago. A major part of the drill was joint work on the “Circle of Fire” – the ability to have multiple units focus on a target and attack it at the earliest possible time.”
Nigeria
Agence France-Presse: Boko Haram Claims Deadly Rocket Attack On Nigerian City
“The Boko Haram jihadist group on Thursday claimed responsibility for a rocket attack earlier in the week on Nigeria's northeastern city of Maiduguri that left 16 dead and dozens injured. In a six-minute propaganda video released on Thursday, a voice claiming to be the group's leader Abubakar Shekau spoke over footage of militants firing rockets outside the city. “We heard that our brothers carried out an attack on Tuesday in Maiduguri,” the voice said. “We are happy. News has reached me our boys carried out the attack.” Officials said previously that 10 people were killed and 47 were injured when insurgents fired rocket-propelled grenades on the densely-populated capital of Borno state on Tuesday. Two self-defence militia leaders told AFP on Wednesday that the death toll had risen to 16, including nine boys who were playing football in a field. Eyewitnesses said the jihadists crossed the ditch fortification around Maiduguri, accessing the city's outskirts from where they fired rockets into busy neighbourhoods. Boko Haram has previously made incursions into Maiduguri, one of the last secure strongholds in Borno State, using heavy guns and suicide bombers. Such attacks are usually foiled in fierce gun battles with Nigerian troops.”
Somalia
“A suspected US airstrike hit Al-Shabaab training base in Burta Kumba approximately 12 kilometres Jamame town in the Lower Jubba region. According to Somali National Army Radio, the airstrike killed 15 Al-Shabaab militants at training the training camp on Wednesday afternoon. An unknown number of militants were also wounded in the attack. Meanwhile, the Somali military on Thursday morning captured four Al-Shabaab operatives in a joint operation with Southwest forces in Awdigle Bay region. The military said the operation was conducted after a tip-off from the residents that the four militants were in the area. Al-Shabaab which is linked to Al-Qaeda is fighting in Somalia to overthrow the internationally recognised government and establish strict Sharia law based in their own interpretation. The militants were driven out of the capital Mogadishu in 2011 by AMISOM and the Somali military but they still control rural areas in central and southern regions, conducting ambushes and planting landmines.”
United Kingdom
Evening Standard: Man Arrested On Suspicion Of Terrorism Charge In East London
“38-year-old man has been arrested in east London on suspicion of sharing terrorist material. Scotland Yard counter terrorism officers swooped on an address in the capital on Thursday morning. The suspect was held on suspicion of dissemination of terrorist publications, as well as publishing or distributing written material contrary to Section 19 of the Public Order Act 1986. He was taken to a south London police station where he remains in custody. The arrest was made under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act.”
Germany
Reuters: Germany Bans Salafist Muslim Group
“German authorities carried out raids in several locations in Berlin and Brandenburg on Thursday after banning a Berlin Salafist Muslim group, police said. Berlin’s senate department for interior affairs on Thursday said it had banned a “jihad-salafist” association Jama’atu Berlin, also known as Tauhid Berlin, and that police had undertaken the raids, without giving further details. German newspaper Tagesspiegel said the group glorified “Islamic State” fighting on the internet and called for the killing of Jews, adding that criminal proceedings were pending against some of its members. The newspaper added that the group had contact with Anis Amri, a failed Tunisian asylum seeker with Islamist links, who hijacked a truck and drove it into a Christmas market in Berlin, killing 12 people in 2016. Salafists - strict Sunni Muslims - include peaceful private people, activists seeking the implementation of Sharia law and militants advocating violence to establish states they might regard as representing true Islam. The number of Salafists had risen in Germany to an all-time high of 12,150 in 2019, Germany’s domestic intelligence said in its annual report last year, listing them among “Islamist extremists.”
Europe
Radio Free Europe: Former Islamic State Militant Sentenced To Six Years In Bosnia Court
“The top court in Bosnia has found a Bosnian Muslim man guilty of fighting with the Islamic State (IS) extremist group in Syria and sentenced him to six years in prison. The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina also found Jasmin Keserovic guilty on the second count of having published an incitement to murder on the Internet in 2016. Judges who announced the sentence on February 25 said that by publicly calling on Muslims to kill Christian soldiers and civilians alike, the defendant “demonstrated specific ruthlessness.” Judges rejected defense claims that Keserovic was in Syria for charity work to help the local population amid the war. The defense can appeal the sentence. Keserovic was part of a group of seven Bosnian men flown back from Syria on a U.S. Air Force flight in December 2019 along with 18 women and children. Bosnia became the first country in Europe in 2014 to announce prison terms for its citizens who fought abroad. Some 42 suspected IS fighters who have since returned to the country were tried and, in most cases, sentenced to prison.”
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