Eye on Extremism
October 7, 2019
The
Wall Street Journal: France Rocked by Extremist’s Counterterror
Role
“France has been rocked by a security breach that allowed an
Islamist extremist to work in the heart of its counterterrorism
apparatus for years, before he killed four of his colleagues last
week. Interior Minister Christophe Castaner faced calls to resign
Monday from opposition lawmakers over the assault, which snapped the
relative lull in terror attacks in France in recent months. Mr.
Castaner brushed aside the calls. Mickaël Harpon, a 45-year-old
convert to Islam, was allowed to continue working in the intelligence
division of the Paris police, despite arguing with colleagues in 2015
that the terror attack on the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo was
justified, Mr. Castaner said. Harpon’s colleagues mentioned the
conversation to their superiors, but he wasn’t flagged in France’s
security database that tracks extremists across the nation.”
The
Washington Post: Trump Pulls Troops From Northern Syria As Turkey
Readies Offensive
“The United States began withdrawing American troops from Syria’s
border with Turkey early Monday, in the clearest sign yet that the
Trump administration was washing its hands of an explosive situation
between the Turkish military and U.S.-allied Kurdish fighters.
President Trump, in a series of Twitter messages Monday, suggested
that the United States was shouldering too much of the burden — and
the cost — of fighting the Islamic State. He rebuked European nations
for not repatriating citizens who had joined the extremist group,
claiming that the United States was being played for a “sucker.” And
he chided his own Kurdish allies, who he said were “paid massive
amounts of money and equipment” to fight the militants.”
Independent:
Iraq Protests: Death Tolls Soars As Pro-Iran Militias Accused Of
Shooting Protesters
“Iraqi paramilitary groups close to Iran are suspected of joining
attacks on protesters in Baghdad and other cities, leading to heavy
loss of life among demonstrators. Some 107 people have been killed and
over 6,000 wounded in the last six days, though hospital doctors say
the government is understating the true number of fatalities. “The
pro-Iranian militia have each taken a sector of Baghdad and are
responsible for its security,” a source, who does not want his name
published, told The Independent.”
The
Washington Post: Syria Camp Is At Risk Of Falling Under ISIS Control,
Kurdish General Says
“America’s Syrian Kurdish allies are at risk of losing control of
the vast camp where the families of the Islamic State’s defeated
fighters are being detained as militant women increasingly assert
their dominance over the camp, according to the top Kurdish military
commander. Guards at the al-Hol camp in eastern Syria are failing to
contain the increasingly violent behavior of some of the residents,
and the flimsy perimeter is at risk of being breached unless the
international community steps in with more assistance, said the head
of the Syrian Democratic Forces, Gen. Mazloum Kobane, who uses a nom
de guerre and is known simply as Mazloum.”
Military
Times: State Department offers $5 million for ISIS combatant linked to
2017 ambush of Green Berets in Niger
“The US is offering a $5 million reward for information that leads
to the arrest or conviction of the militants who committed or aided in
the deadly October 4, 2017, attack on a joint US-Nigerien military
patrol that left four US soldiers dead. The US Department of State's
Rewards for Justice Program is also offering a $5 million reward for
information or location of Adnan Abu Walid al-Sahrawi, the leader of
the ISIS offshoot known as Islamic State in the Greater Sahara,
according to a news release.”
NBC
New York: Man Pleads Not Guilty In Deadly Calif. Synagogue
Attack
“A man charged with a deadly Passover shooting at a Southern
California synagogue pleaded not guilty to murder. John T. Earnest
entered pleas in San Diego to charges of hate crime-related murder,
attempted murder and other charges included in an updated complaint. A
hate crime-related murder conviction would make Earnest eligible for
the death penalty, though prosecutors have not said what punishment
they plan to seek. Prosecutors said the 20-year-old nursing student,
armed with a semi-automatic rifle, opened fire during a Passover
service at the Chabad of Poway synagogue in San Diego County on April
27. The attack killed 60-year-old Lori Gilbert-Kaye and wounded three
others, including an 8-year-old girl and the rabbi, who lost a finger.
During a preliminary hearing in September, prosecutors played a
12-minute recording of the gunman calmly telling a 911 dispatcher that
he had just “shot up” a synagogue to save white people from Jews,
describing terms for a peaceful surrender and scolding law enforcement
for taking too much time to find him in his parked car.”
United States
The
Verge: Should We Treat Incels As Terrorists?
“In April of 2018, a 25-year-old man killed 10 people in downtown
Toronto and injured many more. A Facebook post hinted that the killer
was part of the incel movement, a mostly online community of men
obsessed with their own “involuntary celibacy.” Last week, an
interview transcript and video removed all doubt — the perpetrator
claimed to be launching an “uprising” against attractive and average
men because women refused to date him. But the interview didn’t just
confirm what we already knew. It described an inchoate form of
terrorism in a surprising way: not as isolated acts inspired by an
internet echo chamber, but as something like an organized movement.
With growing pressure to fight violent far-right movements based on
racism and nationalism, incels are demonstrating more clearly than
ever what a terrorist group motivated by gender looks like. And that
could be completely intentional. The interview took place soon after
the attack, although it was only made public last Friday. Speaking
with a detective, perpetrator Alek Minassian — who now faces multiple
charges of murder and attempted murder — described a process of being
“radicalized” by incel ideology online. He called himself part of an
“uprising” or a “rebellion” to overthrow society as it currently
exists, all for the purpose of forcing women to “reproduce with the
incels.”
The
Daily Beast: We Don’t Need New Laws To Fight Right-Wing Terror. We
Need To Call It By Its Name.
“Last month’s massacre of 22 people in a Texas Walmart by a man
aiming to battle “a Hispanic invasion” is only the latest horror story
as the radical right continues to murder and terrorize. For the first
time in memory, a consensus of U.S. law enforcement officials agree
that white supremacist domestic terrorism has become the No. 1
terrorist threat facing the United States. The question now is, what
is to be done? I recently attended a conference hosted by the National
Counterterrorism Center, the FBI, and the Department of Homeland
Security, entitled “Domestic Terrorism and Its Global Context:
Exploring the USG Approach”—an invitation-only gathering of government
officials, civil society activists and academics concerned with the
threat. The meeting was convened specifically to make suggestions for
U.S. government action. I have been studying the radical right for
almost 25 years now, and it’s difficult enough to come up with
anything approaching a “solution” for private groups or individuals,
let alone laws or police actions that must and should be carried out
by a government that respects civil liberties in a free society. There
is nothing approaching a silver bullet for the government, or for
private citizens.”
Syria
The
Wall Street Journal: U.S. Begins Pullback From Northern Syria,
Clearing Way For Turkish Offensive
“Convoys of American military personnel began pulling back from the
Syria-Turkey border, after President Trump ordered the Pentagon to
clear the way for Ankara to launch an offensive against Kurdish
fighters who spearheaded the U.S.-campaign against Islamic State.
Kurdish fighters have warned of all-out war with Turkey in
northeastern Syria, where the U.S.-backed forces hold more than 70,000
Islamic State fighters and their families. As the Turkish military
prepared to enter Syria, and seize border areas from the U.S.-backed
Syrian Democratic Forces, the Kurdish-led group vowed to fight “at all
costs.”
The
New York Times: Trump Endorses Turkish Military Operation In Syria,
Shifting U.S. Policy
“In a major shift in United States military policy in Syria, the
White House said on Sunday that President Trump had given his
endorsement for a Turkish military operation that would sweep away
American-backed Kurdish forces near the border in Syria. Turkey
considers the Kurdish forces to be a terrorist insurgency, and has
long sought to end American support for the group. But the Kurdish
fighters, which are part of the Syrian Democratic Forces, or S.D.F.,
have been the United States’ most reliable partner in fighting the
Islamic State in a strategic corner of northern Syria.”
CBS
News: U.S. Withdrawing Troops From Northern Syria Posts, Leaving
Kurdish Allies To Face Turkey
“Turkey's president and Kurdish militia members said Monday that
American troops had started withdrawing from positions in northern
Syria. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke hours after the White
House said U.S. forces in northeast Syria would move aside and clear
the way for an expected Turkish incursion into the neighboring
nation.”
Reuters:
U.S.-Backed Syrian Force Warns Of 'All-Out War' In Response To Any
Turkish Attack
“The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces said on Saturday it would
“not hesitate to turn any unprovoked (Turkish) attack into an all-out
war” to defend its region in northeast Syria. President Tayyip Erdogan
said that Turkey will carry out an air and ground military operation,
as soon as Saturday or Sunday, targeting the SDF-controlled area east
of the Euphrates river in Syria.”
The
National: Syria’s Al Hol Camp Could Fall To ISIS, Says Kurdish
General
“A displacement and detention camp in northeast Syria has become a
hot spot for radicalisation, raising fears the camp could fall into
the hands of ISIS. A Kurdish military commander claims weapons are
being smuggled into the sprawling Al Hol camp by ISIS members and
sympathisers. “There is a serious risk in Al Hol,” he told the
Washington Post. “Right now, our people are able to guard it. But
because we lack resources, Daesh are regrouping and reorganising in
the camp.” The Al Hol camp was created in 2016 and now houses 70,000
people in tents. After the fall of ISIS’ last stronghold in Baghouz in
March this year, the camp saw an influx of tens of thousands of women
and children from the lost territory. Many were normal Syrians caught
up in the fighting, but camp authorities estimate around 30,000 of Al
Hol’s residents are loyal to the extremist group. Ten thousand of
those are housed in an annex of the camp reserved for foreigners. Camp
authorities say female ISIS members have introduced their own
religious court and police and have begun to punish other people
living in the camp for transgressions against their strict codes.”
France
24: Nine Jihadists Killed In Russia Strikes On Idlib:
Monitor
“Nine jihadists were killed Saturday in Russian airstrikes on
Syria's war-torn province of Idlib, a monitoring group said. “Russian
strikes this morning targeted the Hurras al-Deen group and Ansar
al-Tahwid in eastern Idlib... killing nine jihadists,” said the
Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, adding eight others
were wounded. Six of the dead were members of the Al-Qaeda linked
Hurras al-Deen, a group which is also targeted by the US-led
coalition. Moscow is a key ally of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad
in the country's civil war, and despite an Idlib ceasefire deal
reached on August 31, the province has continued to be targeted by
Russian air attacks. Russia-backed regime fighters have for weeks been
chipping away at the edges of the province bordering Turkey that is
the last jihadist stronghold outside of Assad's control. Hayat Tahrir
al-Sham -- a group led by Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate --
extended its administrative control over the whole of Idlib in
January, but other rebel factions remain present. In late August,
clashes between anti-government fighters and regime forces left more
than 50 dead on both sides, when the jihadists attacked loyalist
positions in the south.”
The
Washington Times: Trump Oks Turkey's Custody Of ISIS Prisoners,
Military Operation In Syria
“The White House gave Turkey a green light Sunday evening on both
an upcoming military operation in northern Syria and the custody of
captured Islamic State terrorists. In a statement, press secretary
Stephanie Grisham said President Trump had spoken with Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the two men had discussed Turkey’s
“long-planned operation into Northern Syria.” “The United States Armed
Forces will not support or be involved in the operation, and United
States forces, having defeated the ISIS territorial ‘Caliphate,’ will
no longer be in the immediate area,” Ms. Grisham said. The White House
did not specify the nature of the Turkey’s military operation, but
Ankara has long been suspicious of the region’s Kurds and fought a
lengthy guerrilla war against Kurdish groups within its own territory.
The Kurds, especially those living in Iraq and Iran, have long been
one of the few groups in the region consistently allied with the U.S.
The Sunday night statement also expressed frustration with how other
NATO allies had handled, or not handled, captured ISIS fighters and
also put that issue in Ankara’s hands. Ms. Grisham said the U.S. had
“pressed France, Germany, and other European nations, from which many
captured ISIS fighters came” but “they did not want them and
refused.”
Iran
The
Jerusalem Post: Israel Should Focus More On Iran’s Nuclear Weapons
Than On Hezbollah’s Missiles
“A senior Israeli official recently said that Israel’s top
priorities are to prevent Iran from producing a nuclear weapon and to
thwart Hezbollah’s precision missile project. Those are the biggest
security challenges Israel faces but there is a huge difference
between them. An Iranian nuclear attack might annihilate Israel and
cause hundreds of thousands of casualties. Hezbollah’s precision
missiles present a major problem, but on a much smaller scale than the
nuclear one. The gap between the two issues is so vast that it
requires putting each one of them in its own category.”
Reuters:
Exclusive: Iran Not 'Drawing Back' Militarily After Saudi Attack -
U.S. Admiral
“Iran has not drawn back to a less threatening military posture in
the region following the Sept. 14 attack on Saudi Arabia, the top U.S.
admiral in the Middle East told Reuters, suggesting persistent concern
despite a lull in violence. “I don’t believe that they’re drawing back
at all,” Vice Admiral Jim Malloy, commander of the U.S. Navy’s
Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet, said in an interview. The United States,
Saudi Arabia, Britain, France and Germany have publicly blamed the
attack on Iran, which denies involvement in the strike on the world’s
biggest crude oil-processing facility. The Iran-aligned Houthi
militant group in Yemen has claimed responsibility.”
The
National Interest: Is Iran's Regime Really Be About To
Collapse?
“Iran and the United States are as close to direct conflict as they
have been for three decades, since Operation Praying Mantis in 1988
which was, at the time, the largest surface naval engagement since
World War II. A lot of ink has been spilled and oxygen expended
discussing the matter, some of it good and some of it simplistic. Here
a few thoughts, informed by being lucky enough to spend close to seven
months studying in the Islamic Republic while finishing a doctorate in
philosophy on Iranian history. I worked on the Iran desk at the
Pentagon during the George W. Bush administration, frequently visit
the Persian Gulf, and have followed Iran almost continuously for a
quarter century.”
The
Times Of Israel: Trump’s Policy Of Inaction Is Whetting Iran’s
Appetite For Aggression
“The Trump administration’s disregard for the unprecedented
September 15 Iranian attack on Saudi Arabia’s oil refineries and
fields is reminiscent of the actions — or lack thereof — taken by
former US president Barack Obama in response to Syrian President
Bashar Assad’s 2013 chemical attack in Ghouta al-Sharqiya, in the
country’s southwest, which left hundreds of people dead. Back then, it
was clear that an American response was imminent because Obama himself
had warned that an attack using unconventional weapons, especially on
civilians, would constitute crossing a “red line,” the likes of which
the US would not abide. But lo and behold, the Americans refrained
from responding, choosing instead to hammer out a deal that
significantly reduced Syria’s chemical stockpiles.”
Fox
News: German Intelligence Reports On Iran's Illicit Nuclear Activities
Met With Silence From European Powers
“Serious questions have emerged about the International Atomic
Energy Agency’s and the European powers’ silence regarding a series of
German intelligence reports documenting the Iranian regime’s illegal
attempts to obtain nuclear weapons technology as late as 2018. Emily
B. Landau, director of the Arms Control and Regional Security Project
at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv, told Fox
News that the material in the German documents necessitate
“confronting Iran with the intelligence and asking hard
questions.”
The
National Interest: How To Start A U.S.-Iran Shooting War: Iran Closes
The Strait Of Hormuz?
“The recent mining of two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman,
attributed to Iran by the United States, offers an important window
into the strategic thinking of Iran and similarly situated regional
powers. The incident is notable because the act of mining a limited
number of vessels makes relatively little sense when viewed through
the lens of traditional patterns of coercive behavior. Limited
coercive acts typically have little value with regards to gaining
concessions from a determined opponent. Generally, these acts may
serve as a visible demonstration of a state’s willingness to enact
some other, more substantial threat, such as shutting down the Strait
of Hormuz outright. However, this requires the state making the threat
to have the capacity to make good on its more substantial threats and
for its opponents to believe that it is willing to incur the risks
entailed. Iran, however, could not shut down the Strait of Hormuz for
very long even if it wished to—something noted by President Donald
Trump—and is unlikely to incur the substantial risks that an attempt
would entail. Iran’s opponents, then, clearly don’t see its limited
provocations as harbingers of something worse.”
Al
Jazeera: Iran Says Chinese State Oil Firm Has Withdrawn From $5bn
Deal
“China's state oil company pulled out of a $5bn deal to develop a
portion of Iran's massive offshore natural gas field, the Islamic
Republic's oil minister said. The South Pars field deal, struck in the
wake of Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, appears to be just
the latest business casualty of the United States' pressure campaign
on Tehran following President Donald Trump's unilateral withdrawal of
the US from the deal.”
The
Wall Street Journal: My Brother Ali Is Iran’s Latest
Hostage
“As the Trump administration speaks of placing “maximum pressure”
on Iran, my brother Ali Alinejad has become another victim of Iran’s
perpetual maximum pressure on its own citizens. Two weeks ago,
Intelligence Ministry agents raided his home in Tehran and blindfolded
and handcuffed him in front of his two small children, and dragged him
away. He is now being interrogated at Iran’s notorious Evin prison.
His only crime is being my brother. Around the same time as Ali’s
arrest, a team of seven agents raided my former husband’s home in the
northern city of Babol. The agents arrested his sister and brother,
again using blindfolds and handcuffs. They too were targeted only
because of their connection to me.”
Turkey
Deutsche
Welle: Turkey Detains 5 Germans On Terror Charges
“The German Foreign Ministry has confirmed five German citizens are
receiving consular support, following reports that Turkish authorities
detained five German citizens this week. The five are accused of
membership in an illegal organization and spreading propaganda,
pro-Kurdish Mezopotamya news agency reported late on Friday, without
naming a group of their alleged membership. Since a failed coup in
2016, several Germans have been targeted in Turkey over alleged terror
ties, mainly to the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The PKK is
considered to be a terror group by Ankara, the United States and the
European Union. Speaking to the French news agency AFP, the German
Interior Ministry denied claims that information leading to the
detention of the five had been handed over to Turkish authorities
during Interior Minister Horst Seehofer's visit to Ankara this week.
However, a ministry spokesman would not rule out that such information
could have been exchanged “as part of the routine cooperation between
our security services.” A series of arrests of Germans in 2017,
including the detention of journalists and activists, fueled a
diplomatic spat between Berlin and Ankara. Many of those arrested were
allowed to leave Turkey while court cases against them continue in
their absence.”
Afghanistan
The
New York Times: Taliban And U.S. Envoy Meet For First Time Since Peace
Talks Collapsed
“Taliban officials have met in Pakistan with the top American
diplomat who recently led peace negotiations with them, current and
former members of the insurgent group said on Saturday. It was the
first such meeting since President Trump halted the talks last month,
calling off a deal that had already been broadly agreed upon, and
blaming an uptick in Taliban violence. The meeting in recent days in
Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, between Taliban officials and the
American diplomat, Zalmay Khalilzad, came after a surge in bloodshed.
The Taliban had spent days concentrating attacks across the country
before last week’s Afghan presidential election, in an effort to
derail the electoral process and keep voters from the polls. A State
Department spokesman, as well as Taliban spokesmen, declined to
comment. Reuters was first to report the meeting on Friday. The
discussions between the two sides were informal, the Taliban members
said, and did not indicate the beginning of a new round of peace
discussions, only that one may take place in the future. After Mr.
Trump canceled the talks and a possible peace deal, Washington has
been quiet on the United States’ future strategy for Afghanistan.”
The
New York Times: Opium-Smuggling Taliban Leader’s Release From Prison
Raises Questions
“Eleven Taliban commanders have been released from the
high-security prison in Bagram, Afghanistan, according to Taliban
officials, in an apparent deal that included a prominent former
Taliban regional leader who was caught personally escorting a shipment
of nearly a ton of opium five years ago. Afghan and American officials
have remained tight-lipped about the apparent releases, refusing to
comment on whether a deal had been struck with the Taliban and the
Afghan officials saying they were still looking into the matter.”
Al
Jazeera: Afghanistan 'Frees' Several Taliban
Prisoners
“Taliban officials said that several of the armed group's members
have been freed from Afghan jails, including former shadow governors,
the first move of its kind since a peace deal that seemed imminent was
declared “dead” and just days after a US envoy met top Taliban leaders
in the Pakistani capital. The officials also said the Taliban has
released three Indian engineers who were being held, though that has
yet to be confirmed by New Delhi or the Afghan government. The Taliban
officials spoke to AP news agency on Sunday on condition of anonymity
because they were not cleared by their leadership to speak to the
media. Shadow governors in northeastern Kunar province and
southwestern Nimroz province, Sheikh Abdul Rahim and Maulvi Rashid,
were among the Taliban freed, the officials said. The Taliban have
established a shadow government throughout the country; in areas under
their control they have even established courts. Afghanistan's defence
department and the president's office declined to comment to AP. US
peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad met last week with the Taliban's top
negotiator Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, a co-founder of the hardline
Taliban movement and head of a Taliban delegation to the Pakistani
capital.”
Radio
Free Europe: Taliban Militants Kill Six Afghan Police At Remote
Checkpoint Northeast Of Kabul
“Taliban fighters have killed six Afghan police officers at a
checkpoint in the province of Kapisa to the northeast of Kabul, Afghan
officials say. According to provincial councilors Mohammad Hussain
Sanjani and Mohammd Mahfooz Safi, three police officers were also
wounded during the Taliban's overnight attack in the remote Nejrab
district. They said the Taliban had established a presence in part of
Nejrab district and occasionally attack checkpoints there. Meanwhile,
the police chief for Zareh district in the northern Balkh Province
died on the evening of October 4 from injuries he sustained in a
recent Taliban attack. The attacks came as Taliban negotiators
announced that they met in Islamabad with Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S.
peace envoy for Afghanistan, for the first time since President Donald
Trump in September called the peace process “dead.”
Yemen
Gulf
News: Al Houthis Manipulate Women To Lay Landmines
“Security authorities in Yemen’s western province of Jawf have said
they uncovered several groups of bombers, including women linked to Al
Houthi militiamen. “Security forces have captured a number of cells
sent by Al Houthi militias to plant mines and explosives in markets
and other gatherings of civilians,” chief of special security forces
in Jawf, Col Abdullah Al Barbar, said, according to Saudi newspaper
Asharq Al Awsat. “They included a women cell who had explosives in
their possession,” he added. Rights groups have repeatedly accused
Iran-aligned Al Houthis of indiscriminately laying landmines in
civilian areas in war-racked Yemen, resulting in large deaths mainly
women and children. “The expertise gained by Al Houthi militias in
manufacturing and hiding explosives has been transferred to them by
experts from [Lebanese] Hezbollah group and Iran sent to Yemen to
train Al Houthis in killing the Yemeni people,” Col. Al Barbar said.
He added that military engineers in Jawf had managed to remove and
defuse many landmines, mostly planted in busy markets and on roads. Al
Houthis plunged Yemen in war in late 2014 when they toppled the
country’s internationally recognised government and seized parts of
the impoverished country including the capital Sana’a.”
Arab
News: Houthis Killed In Clashes With Yemeni Army
“Several elements of the Houthi militia were killed and wounded in
confrontations with Yemeni armed forces in west of the country’s
Al-Jawf province, Saudi state news agency reported on Sunday. The
clashes happened after the Iranian-backed militia tried to sneak into
the army’s sites in the fronts of Sadah and Waqaz in Al-Masloup
district. The troops warded off the Houthis’ attempt and forced them
to leave.”
Lebanon
The
Times Of Israel: US Sanctions On Iran-Backed Hezbollah Deepen
Lebanon’s Economic Crisis
“The conflict between Iran and the US that has created tensions
throughout much of the Middle East is now also being felt in Lebanon,
where Washington has slapped sanctions on Iran-backed Hezbollah and
warned they could soon expand to its allies, further deepening the
tiny Arab country’s economic crisis. The Trump administration has
intensified sanctions on the Lebanese terror group and institutions
linked to it to unprecedented levels, targeting lawmakers for the
first time as well as a local bank that Washington claims has ties to
the group.”
Middle East
The
Jerusalem Post: Israeli Citizen Indicted For Trying To Join Isis,
Produce Explosives
“A resident of the southern Israeli town of Tel Sheva was indicted
on Sunday for attempting to join the ISIS terrorist organization and
produce explosives. Bilal Abu Rakaik, 20, intended to join the
terrorist group and travel to Syria because he supported ISIS
ideology. In an attempt to identify with the jihadist organization,
Rakaik would listen to songs praising ISIS and read posts and news
from the group, including about the war the organization was fighting
in Syria, Somalia and Iraq, and about terrorist attacks conducted by
it in these countries. The accused bought uniforms similar to those
used by ISIS through the Internet, and wore them daily with sandals
outside of his house and in the mosque that he attended. He also took
pictures in the uniform and published them on Facebook. Rakaik found
an Internet site detailing the requirements for joining ISIS,
including the necessity to apply for a passport to exit Israel. In
order to fund his trip to Syria, the accused planned on producing
explosives and selling them to others. Rakaik looked at multiple
websites for information on how to produce explosives and explosive
material. He bought hydrogen peroxide, salicylic acid and aluminum
foil and attempted to produce the explosive material in his home.”
The
Arab Weekly: Conditions Propitious For Extremism In The Arab
World
“If we want to have some control over our present and our future –
and avoid repeating mistakes, it is essential we develop an acute
awareness of history. This is the argument put forth by Mahmoud
Ismail, a professor of Islamic history at Ain Shams University, when
he tries to determine the future of extremist religious groups in the
Arab world. Ismail said terrorist organisations will not be
disappearing anytime soon in the Middle East. He bluntly stated that
the time of the Muslim Brotherhood, al-Qaeda, the Islamic State (ISIS)
and others has not ended. “Do not think that the defeat of ISIS means
the end of the time of terrorist organisations. These organisations
mutate or are reborn and they are able to expand as long as the
surrounding environment allows them to grow and renew themselves,” he
said. Ismail issued that warning in speaking to The Arab Weekly after
a three-year hiatus from writing because of illness. He said the best
way to stop terrorist movements and keep them from spreading is to
have more freedom, expand political participation and address the
economic and social imbalances in Arab countries that have experienced
revolutions.”
Egypt
Asharq
Al-Awsat: Muslim Brotherhood Demands Kuwait To Stop Handing Over Its
Members To Egypt
“The Muslim Brotherhood in Kuwait demanded on Friday local
authorities to cease handing over its detained members to Egypt. The
party urged Kuwait to instead to allow the them to “safely depart
Kuwait to any other country”. The statement was issued days after
Kuwait handed over to Cairo Khaled al-Mahdi, a member of the youth
leadership in the Brotherhood. He has been sentenced to ten years in
jail by Egypt for his involvement in violent acts and financing the
group. The Muslim Brotherhood is banned by Egypt and designated as a
terrorist organization. A security source told Asharq Al-Awsat that
Brotherhood fugitives wanted by Egypt and residing in Kuwait are
handed over to Cairo based on an agreement signed by the two
countries. Mahdi, he revealed, attempted to recruit Egyptian
expatriates in Kuwait and to set up electronic militias in the Gulf
country in order to attack Egypt. In a statement on Friday, the
Brotherhood acknowledged the existence of its cell in Kuwait. It was
arrested by authorities and its members turned over to Egypt. The
statement said the detainees were members of the Brotherhood and that
they had verdicts issued against them by Egypt. Kuwait has the right
to determine their fate.”
Nigeria
Sahara
Reporters: Boko Haram Kills 16 Civilians, 11 Soldiers In
Borno
“Boko Haram terrorists have killed 16 civilians and 11 soldiers in
Borno State. This was disclosed to AFP by military and militia sources
on Saturday. On Thursday, insurgents ambushed a military convoy near
Mauro Village in Benisheikh district, according to a military source.
“Our men on patrol fell into a terrorist ambush... which claimed 11
soldiers and wounded 16 others. “Two other soldiers are still
missing,” an officer, who asked not to be identified, said. He added,
“The terrorists made away with 11 AK-47 rifles and anti-aircraft gun
mounted on the gun truck.” In another attack that same day, Boko Haram
insurgents opened fire on a vehicle at Frigi Village, killing one
person and injuring another, militia sources said. Jihadist fighters
also killed two militiamen in Gubio, 80 kilometres from the state
capital, Maiduguri. On Saturday, Boko Haram fighters stormed a camp
for those displaced by the conflict in the town of Banki near the
border with Cameroon, killing two residents and injuring three
vigilantes guarding the area, two militia sources said. The
decade-long Boko Haram campaign has killed 35,000 people and displaced
around two million from their homes in North-East Nigeria.”
Sahara
Reporters: Boko Haram Terrorists Burn Emir’s Palace In
Yobe
“Boko Haram insurgents on Saturday afternoon burnt a section of the
Emir of Jajare’s Palace in Babangida headquarters of Tarmuwa Local
Government Area of Yobe State, according to a report by The Nation.
Eyewitness said the insurgents headed straight for the emir’s palace
upon entering the town but the Emir had left the palace before that
time. Apart from setting the palace on fire, the hoodlums also went
away with a Hilux van belonging to the Emir. A resident of the
community claimed that the insurgents were on a mission to eliminate
the District Head in a revenge mission for earlier giving intelligence
report to security agencies that led to the elimination of some Boko
Haram members.”
Africa
Hivisasa:
Breaking: Top Al-Shabaab Commanders Killed In Latest Deadly Army
Operation
“Al-Shabaab militants on Monday morning suffered a heavy blow
following an army operation by Jubaland forces bouyed by Kenya Defense
Forces, reports indicate. The raid on the Islamist militants comes a
week after ten others were killed after an attempted raid at the
Ballidogle military base which is manned by US African Command troops.
Reports by Garowe Online, one of the biggest media house in Somalia,
say that at least 20 militants were killed at Abdalla Birole in the
outskirts of Kismayo.”
BBC
News: Rwandan Forces 'Kill 19 Terrorists' In Retaliatory
Attack
“Rwandan security forces have killed 19 “terrorists” blamed for an
attack that resulted in the deaths of 14 people, police said. The
initial attack on Friday was reportedly carried out by ethnic Hutu
rebels in the north of the country. Officials suspect that the rebels
carried out the killings while searching for food. The retaliatory
attack took place near the border with the Democratic Republic of
Congo, police said. Armed attackers reportedly went on a rampage with
knives, machetes and stones in Musanze district near the Volcanoes
National Park, which is popular with tourists for its mountain gorilla
sanctuary. While the death toll was initially put at eight,
authorities are now saying that 14 people were killed. The area has
been targeted by Rwandan Hutu rebels active within DR Congo in the
past. Rwandan police say they were able to track down some of the
perpetrators. “The security forces were able to follow these
terrorists, to kill 19 of them and arrest five,” the police said in a
statement. Tourism officials said that all visitors to the area were
safe.”
North Korea
Associated
Press: North Korea: No More Talks Until US Ends ‘Hostile
Policy’
“North Korea said Sunday that it won’t meet with the United States
for more “sickening negotiations” unless it abandons its “hostile
policy” against the North, as the two countries offered different
takes on their weekend nuclear talks in Sweden.”
United Kingdom
The
Sun: Former Head Terrorism Cop Backs Calls For New Task Force To
Target Hate Preachers And Extremism
“Britain needs a new hateful extremism taskforce to target hate
preachers and groups spreading fake news to whip up tensions, a major
report says today. The commission for countering extremism calls for a
complete overhaul of the government’s strategy for tackling far-right,
Islamist and other forms of non-violent extremism.”
The
Guardian: 'It Could Have Been Me': On The Trail Of The British
Teenagers Who Became 'Brides Of Isis'
“When the Bethnal Green schoolgirls disappeared off the streets of
east London in early 2015, never showing up at home for dinner and
instead boarding flights to Istanbul, their parents hadn’t the
slightest inkling. The first to leave had been Sharmeena Begum. She
left to join Isis, followed two months later by Amira Abase, Kadiza
Sultana and Shamima Begum (no relation). Just last week, Priti Patel
said “no way” could Shamima return to the UK. The girls were bubbly
and well-liked at school and seemed like model British Muslim girls:
studious, respectful – and walking the delicate line between
conservative home environments and liberal modern London. I found
myself transfixed by the girls’ defection to Isis, but even more so by
the news coverage, the viciousness of it and the swift excommunication
of the girls from Britishness. They quickly went from being “our
girls” – 15-year-olds who had been groomed by sophisticated predators
– to “brides of jihad”. I had to read the press coverage closely – I
was teaching journalism at a London university with a large Muslim
student population. Maybe my students didn’t read the tabloids, but
they lived the atmosphere the papers conjured. The shift was palpable,
especially on the bus to campus.”
The
Independent: Far Right Poses As Protectors Of Women To Target Muslims,
Official Extremism Report Finds
“Far--right activists are exploiting concerns about the safety of
women and children to target Muslims and ethnic minorities, an
official report has found. The Commission for Countering Extremism
said some groups “deliberately distort the truth to persuade their
audience to adopt discriminatory and hateful attitudes”. The
government agency’s first major report, seen exclusively by The
Independent, warned that the tactic was drawing in white communities
who would not normally support the far right, and worsening social
division. As part of research into all forms of extremism across
Britain, the commission examined a series of protests sparked after a
woman claimed she was gang raped by Middle Eastern migrants in
Sunderland. The report said prominent far-right figures including
Tommy Robinson, Jayda Fransen and former Ukip leadership candidate
Anne Marie Waters used rallies in 2016 and 2017 to “spread
anti-minority and anti-Muslim agendas”. “The marchers said they aimed
to improve the safety of women and children locally,” the report
said. “However, their rhetoric targeted ethnic minorities, despite
nearly 85 per cent of people convicted of sexual offences in 2018 in
the Northumbria Police force area being white.”
France
The
Washington Post: Suspect In Paris Police Stabbings Had Ties To
Islamist Extremist Networks, Prosecutor Says
“The suspect in a deadly knife attack at Paris police headquarters
worked for more than 15 years in the complex as he began following a
“radical vision” of Islam, a top prosecutor said Saturday amid tense
political fallout from the incident. French prosecutors are now
investigating Thursday’s attack that killed four people — two police
officers and two headquarters staff — as an act of terror. But
opposition leaders have accused the French government of incompetence
for delays in identifying the apparent motives of the suspect, a
45-year-old man identified as Mickaël Harpon who was killed at the
scene by a police intern. Initially, French authorities were hesitant
to label the attack as possible terrorism. That cautious approach also
has drawn fiery opposition backlash against the French Interior
Ministry — including calls for Christophe Castaner, France’s interior
minister, to resign. Hours after the attack, Castaner told reporters
at the scene that the Harpon had “never presented behavioral
difficulties, nor the slightest sign of alarm.” But France’s
anti-terrorist prosecutor, Jean-Francois Ricard, offered a starkly
different portrait in a news conference Saturday.”
Reuters:
Terrorist Risk Still 'Very High' In France: Interior
Minister
“France’s interior minister said on Monday that the terrorist risk
remained “high” to “very high” in France following the killing of four
police personnel by a radicalized colleague. Minister Christophe
Castaner, who also reiterated he had no plans to resign, added to
France Inter radio that since 2003 some 59 terrorist attacks had been
prevented by police, including three since the beginning of the year.
Castaner rejected opposition calls for his resignation on Sunday but
acknowledged opportunities had been missed to prevent the killing of
the police staff last week. Mickael H, a 45-year-old IT specialist
with security clearance, killed three officers and one civilian
employee before he was shot dead by another officer last week.”
Europe
Reuters:
Spanish Police Arrest Man On Suspicion Of Islamic State
Links
“Spanish police said on Saturday they had arrested a 23-year-old
man on suspicion of belonging to the Islamic State (IS) militant
group, adding that a search of his home found explosive-making
chemicals and a list of targets. Identified only as “A.A.A,” the
Spanish citizen was arrested in Parla, a town near Madrid, on
suspicion of incitement to commit attacks and terrorist threats,
police said in a statement. The case is being investigated by Spain’s
high court. Islamic State claimed responsibility for attacks in 2017
in Barcelona and Cambrils that killed 14 people. Police said that
during a raid on the suspect’s home they had found chemicals that
could be used to make the explosive triacetone triperoxide or TATP, an
unstable explosive that has been used in several attacks in western
Europe in recent years. They said they had also found a bulletproof
vest with shrapnel attached, along with detailed notes on how to
prepare explosives and a list of potential targets. Spanish newspaper
El Pais cited unnamed sources saying the suspect had threatened to
attack a judge at Spain’s high court. Police said he was responsible
for the Spanish wing of Muntasir Media, which promotes Islamic State
and operates internationally to incite followers to commit
attacks.”
Southeast Asia
The
Straits Times: 7 Ex-Muslim Rebels Killed In Philippines By Pro-ISIS
Group
“Seven former Muslim rebels have been killed in the southern
Philippines in an attack claimed by the Islamic State in Iraq and
Syria (ISIS) group, military and police authorities said yesterday.
They said the dead were all members of the Moro Islamic Liberation
Front (MILF), formerly the country's largest guerrilla group but which
began decommissioning weapons last month under the terms of a 2014
peace treaty. A pro-ISIS armed group called Dawlah Islamiyah attacked
a MILF camp near the town of Shariff Saydona on Friday, sparking
fighting that lasted several hours, said Lieutenant-Colonel Ernesto
Gener, commander of a local army battalion. ISIS claimed
responsibility in a communique seen by Site Intelligence Group, which
monitors extremist activity. The extremists said eight MILF members
were killed, but local police commander, Lt-Col Arnold Santiago, tol
reporters the authorities were only aware of seven deaths. Locals said
they saw seven bodies being loaded onto a boat at a riverbank in
Shariff Saydona, about 900km south of Manila. MILF spokesman Von al
Haq declined to comment. The peace pact with MILF ended decades of
Muslim rebellion that had claimed 150,000 lives by government
estimates in the Mindanao region, home to the Catholic nation's large
Islamic minority.”
Technology
Facebook
Must Play Its Part In Tackling The Paedophiles And Terrorists That
Lurk Online
“We cannot waste time when it comes to tackling paedophiles and
terrorists online. The technological boom over the past two decades
has changed the way we live our lives, opening up an array of new
opportunities to communicate. But the internet has also been a force
for evil, giving terrorists, paedophiles and other serious criminals a
platform to spread hate and prey on the vulnerable.”
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