Eye on Extremism
October 10, 2019
The
Wall Street Journal: German Man Arrested After Failed Attack On
Synagogue
“A German man suspected of killing two people near a synagogue in
the country’s east and streaming the assault online was arrested on
Wednesday after what authorities said appeared to be an anti-Semitic
attack by a far-right extremist. Witnesses said they saw the suspect,
armed with two guns and wearing a helmet with a camera on top, try and
fail to gain access to a synagogue in the city of Halle, where some 60
worshipers, including 10 U.S. nationals, had gathered to celebrate Yom
Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar. The suspected attacker
then lobbed a projectile over the synagogue gate and started shooting,
witnesses said. Police said a woman was then shot dead on the street
near the synagogue and a man was killed in a nearby kebab restaurant.
A hospital spokesman said two people were wounded during the incident
and treated at Halle’s university hospital. A senior security official
identified the suspect as Stephan Balliet, 27, a German citizen from
the state of Saxony-Anhalt, where Halle is located, and said he wasn’t
previously known to authorities. German Interior Minister Horst
Seehofer said prosecutors had enough information to assume a far-right
motivation behind the attack, even though it was too early to make a
final determination.”
AFP:
Germany Shooting Livestreamed Despite Efforts By Tech
Firms
“Just weeks after a broad effort announced by tech platforms to
curb the spread of violent content, a video of Wednesday's deadly
shooting in the German city of Halle was posted online, where it was
seen by some 2,200 people. Hans-Jakob Schindler of the Counter
Extremism Project, a group seeking to curb online violence, said the
latest livestream highlights a need for stronger actions against
social platforms. "Online platforms need to step up and stop their
services being used and in turn, parent companies need to hold them
accountable," Schindler said. "Amazon is just as much to blame as
Twitch for allowing this stream online. This tragic incident
demonstrates one more time that a self-regulatory approach is not
effective enough and sadly highlights the need for stronger regulation
of the tech sector."
The
New York Times: Death Toll Climbs As Turkish Offensive In Syria Enters
2nd Day
“Fighting lit up the sky early Thursday as Turkish troops pressed
their air and ground offensive against United States-allied Kurdish
fighters in northern Syria. At least 16 Kurds were reported to have
been killed, one monitoring group said. Members of the Kurdish-led
Syrian Democratic Forces were killed in the Tel Abyad and Ras al-Ain
areas of northeastern Syria, along with six attackers of unknown
identity, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a
conflict monitor based in Britain. American troops had withdrawn from
both areas on Monday.”
Independent:
ISIS 'Beatles' Moved From Syrian Prison To Face Trial In
US
“Two British men accused of being part of a notorious Isis cell
dubbed “the Beatles” and which were filmed executing hostages, have
been transferred into US custody to be tried in America. The men, El
Shafee Elsheikh and Alexanda Amon Kotey, had been among hundreds of
suspected Isis figures being held in Kurdish-operated jails inside
Syria. After the US gave the green light for Turkey to controversially
enter Syria and attack those Kurdish forces who had backed the west’s
efforts against Isis, there were also concerns as to what would happen
to the prisoners, including those of high value.”
ABC
News: American Hostage Held By ISIS Is Alive: Niger
President
“An American missionary abducted by Islamic State-linked terrorists
in Africa three years ago is still alive and in captivity, the
president of Niger said in a recent interview with ABC News. Jeffery
Ray Woodke, 59, of McKinleyville, California, was kidnapped in October
2016 while doing humanitarian missionary work in Niger. He is believed
to be a hostage of a jihadi group affiliated with ISIS, multiple U.S.
counterterrorism officials have told ABC News. “Fortunately -- and I
had to declare it a few weeks ago -- he is alive and he is in good
health,” Nigerien President Mahamadou Issoufou told ABC News. Woodke's
recovery has been a priority for American military and intelligence
assets in the Sahel region of Africa since 2016 -- valuable resources
Issoufou said he’d like more of in order to succeed in defeating
Islamist militants who cross into Niger to carry out attacks. “We will
continue in any case to do everything to make conditions for his
liberation,” the Nigerien leader said in French through an
interpreter. The interview took place while Issoufou was in New York
for the United Nations General Assembly in September. Woodke had
worked in Niger for almost three decades as a humanitarian aid worker
when he was kidnapped in Abalak and driven off in the direction of
Mali while working for a local aid group called
JEMED.”
HuffPost:
Homicidal Neo-Nazi Terrorist Group Reappears On YouTube Amid FBI
Probe
“It took YouTube more than a week to take action against a
propaganda video on its site produced by the Atomwaffen Division (AWD)
— the neo-Nazi terrorist organization under FBI investigation and
linked to five murders in the U.S. — and the poster’s channel remains
active. The Google-owned tech giant previously banned an AWD-run
channel in response to public uproar, but has since been unwilling or
unable to keep the group’s content off its platform. "It’s troubling
that YouTube didn’t delete the channel that clearly uploaded an AWD
video,” said Joshua Fisher-Birch, a research analyst at the Counter
Extremism Project who found and reported the now-removed video. In the
past, YouTube was slow to remove channels that uploaded ISIS videos,
even after the videos were deleted. "Though violence-minded extremists
often congregate on the dark web and on fringe networks, YouTube has
continued to be a mainstream place where they 'can communicate with
each other and connect and share materials," Fisher-Birch added. "This
is preventable."
United States
The
Washington Post: We Fought ISIS Side By Side With The Americans. Now
They’re Leaving Us To Our Fate.
“The organization I represent, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF),
is the ally of the global coalition against the Islamic State. Our
relationship with the United States began in 2014, after the battle of
Kobani, when our men and women in uniform astonished the world with
their heroic defense against Islamic State jihadists. I was one of the
main advocates for sustaining and improving the relationship between
Syrians and Americans. Skeptics warned me: “The U.S has no friends,
only interests.” But I rejected such sentiments as an anti-American
narrative encouraged by our enemies. Now it turns out that the
pessimists were right. I was wrong.”
The
New York Times: U.S. Moves To Take ‘High Value’ ISIS Detainees,
Including Britons Who Abused Hostages
“The American military is moving to take as many as several dozen
Islamic State detainees out of Kurdish-run wartime prisons in northern
Syria, including two British men already in custody who are notorious
for their roles in the torture and killing of Western hostages,
according to United States officials. The decision comes as the
Turkish military moved into northern Syria after getting a green light
from President Trump. Turkey is targeting the American-backed Kurds —
known as the Syrian Democratic Forces — who were the primary allies of
the United States in the fight against the Islamic State in Syria. The
Turkish invasion called into question the militia’s ability to
continue securely holding some 11,000 captured ISIS fighters. Mr.
Trump has said that Islamic State detainees will become Turkey’s
responsibility, and it is not clear what his administration’s
long-term plan will be for those who would instead come into the
American military’s custody. For now, the military was taking at least
some of the men to Iraq, where the United States has a base where it
has held a handful of Islamic State detainees with American
citizenship before transferring them to domestic soil — or, in one
case, releasing a detainee in Bahrain.”
The
Washington Post: Trump Has Ushered In A Grotesque Coda To The War
Against ISIS
“By acquiescing to Turkey’s invasion of northeastern Syria on
Wednesday, President Trump has opened the door to what could become a
genuine nightmare for the United States and its allies: the revival of
the deadly terrorist organization that called itself the Islamic
State. The danger lies not simply in the group’s sleeper cells that
are still active — and that detonated three suicide bombs in the
terrorists’ former capital of Raqqa on Wednesday. The larger risk
comes from about 11,000 Islamic State fighters who have been detained
by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the Kurdish-led militia that
Trump is abandoning, and who may now try to flee. As the SDF mobilizes
to combat the Turks, security at nearly 20 makeshift prisons is likely
to deteriorate, U.S. officials said. The U.S. military has said that
it won’t take control, nor will European allies. Turkey’s claim that
it can police the camps is hollow, given that many of these terrorists
arrived in Syria after passing through Turkey. The cascade of bad
events could get worse if action isn’t taken quickly. U.S. officials
fear that as security deteriorates, U.N. relief agencies may abandon
control of a camp called al-Hol, which holds more than 70,000
refugees, more than 25 percent of whom are relatives of killed or
captured Islamic State fighters.”
NJ.com:
Terrorist And Attempted Cop Killer Ahmad Rahimi Faces A 3rd Trial For
Bombs Found In N.J.
“Already serving life behind bars for a Manhattan bombing and
convicted of attempting to kill five Linden cops on Tuesday, Ahmad
Khan Rahimi still faces a possible third trial for bombs authorities
say he planted in two New Jersey towns in September 2016. But when
that occurs is unclear. The charges against Rahimi in federal court in
New Jersey have been on hold with no filings in the case since the
days after he was arrested on charges of planting bombs in Seaside
Park and Elizabeth. “The federal charges in the District of New Jersey
remain pending,” said Matthew Reilly, spokesman for the New Jersey
District Attorney’s office. He would not comment on the timeline of
when Rahimi is expected to be in court next, or why the New Jersey
federal case has had no activity for three years. On Sept. 17, 2016,
police say Rahimi placed homemade pipe bombs along a 5K military
charity run in Seaside Park, which detonated in a trash can. Nobody
was injured in the blast. Later that day, Rahimi placed two pressure
cooker bombs in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood — one detonated and
injured more than 30 people. He’s also suspected of leaving bombs at
the Elizabeth Train Station, which were found by a homeless man and
detonated by police using a robot.”
Syria
Associated
Press: US Pullback Could Boost Islamic State Group
Revival In Syria
“The American pullback from parts of northeastern Syria could help
breathe new life into the Islamic State group if fighting erupts
between the Kurds and Turkey. Syrian Kurdish authorities are already
struggling to guard IS fighters captured during the long U.S.-backed
campaign against the militants and to keep a lid on IS supporters and
family members thronging displacement camps. Their hold will suffer
even more if they are fighting Turkey. The White House has said Turkey
will take over responsibility for the thousands of imprisoned
fighters. But it is not clear how that will happen, if it all, given
that the Kurdish forces are Turkey’s nemesis. Turkey is sending troops
along the border in preparation for an offensive against the Syrian
Kurds. Ankara has said it wants to impose a zone of control
potentially 30 kilometers (19 miles) deep that would stretch the
length of the border. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces have
vowed to fight back. Here is a look at what is at stake and why IS
stands to gain. Angered by the sudden pullback of U.S. troops, Kurdish
officials sounded the alarm that, to fight any Turkish assault, they
will have to divert their forces away from guarding IS prisoners.”
NPR:
Turkey Launches Offensive Against Kurds In Northern
Syria
“Turkey has begun shelling and airstrikes against Kurdish forces in
northern Syria. Kurdish militant groups have been key to the U.S.-led
fight against ISIS.”
CNN:
'Huge Concerns' Thousands Of ISIS Prisoners May Escape As Turkey
Invades Syria
“Fears are growing among American officials that thousands of ISIS
fighters may escape from prisons in Syria as the Kurdish personnel
guarding them gear up for a fight with Turkey, which launched a
military offensive in northeastern Syria on Wednesday. Turkey's
assault has already had a “detrimental effect” on American
counter-ISIS operations, which have “effectively stopped,” a senior US
defense official told CNN on Wednesday. The Turkish offensive, the
official said, “has challenged our ability to build local security
forces, conduct stabilization operations and the Syrian Democratic
Forces' [ability] to guard over 11,000 dangerous ISIS fighters.” When
asked Wednesday about the threat of ISIS prisoners escaping, President
Donald Trump claimed that some of the most dangerous ISIS prisoners
had been moved, “putting them in other areas where it's secure.” He
dismissed the overall threat, replying, “Well, they're going to be
escaping to Europe.” US officials have long warned of the
vulnerability of the “pop-up prisons” housing some 11,000 to 12,000
ISIS fighters captured on the battlefield, 2,000 of whom are
foreigners not from Iraq or Syria. Despite Trump's assertion, only
several hundred of the prisoners are believed to be from Europe.”
Reuters:
Turkish Offensive In Syria Could Reinvigorate Islamic State -
Germany
“Germany on Wednesday urged Turkey to halt a military operation in
northern Syria, saying the incursion would destabilise the country and
risked helping a resurgence of the Islamic State militant group.
“Turkey is risking a further detribalization of the region and a
reinvigoration of Islamic State,” Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said in
a statement. “The Turkish offensive could lead to a new humanitarian
disaster as well as new refugee flows.” He added: “We urge Turkey to
end its operation and to pursue its security interests in a peaceful
way.”
Iran
Associated
Press: Iraq’s Uprising An Open Crisis With No Known Path
Forward
“Iraq has been plunged into a new cycle of instability that
potentially could be the most dangerous this conflict-scarred nation
has faced, barely two years after declaring victory over the Islamic
State group in a war that left much of the country in ruins and
displaced tens of thousands.”
The
Telegraph: £1m Charity Cash For Group Linked To Iran
“A human rights organisation has received more than £1 million in
charity cash despite being run by self-declared Islamist
revolutionaries closely aligned to Iran who say that the West is “the
enemy” and Britain a “Stasi state”. According to an investigation by
The Times newspaper the Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC), which
is supported by Jeremy Corbyn, speak of “apartheid London”, label
anti-terrorism laws a “war on Muslims” and condemn English as a
“colonial language that will always subjugate you”.
Financial
Times: US Accuses Iran Of Lying About Oil Delivery To
Syria
“The US has accused Iran of delivering oil to Syria despite denials
from Tehran that the Adrian Darya 1, a tanker seized by British
commandos and released weeks later, had been sailing to Syrian ports
to sell crude in violation of US and EU sanctions. Mike Pompeo, US
secretary of state, said the tanker, which had remained off the coast
of Syria for several weeks, had offloaded its oil via another ship
called the Jasmine.”
Iraq
Iraqi
News: Air Raid Kills Two Islamic State Militants In Iraq’s
Diyala
“Two members of the Islamic State militant group were killed
Wednesday in an air raid on a terrorist hotbed in the eastern province
of Diyala, a security committee said. “A series of airstrikes targeted
several hotbeds of the Islamic State militant group in al-Maita area
on the provincial border with Salahuddin, leaving two IS dead,” Sadiq
al-Husseini, head of the security committee of Diyala provincial
council, told Baghdad Today. The air raid was based on intelligence
information, he added. In January 2015, Iraqi forces announced
liberation of Diyala province from Islamic State extremist militants
who proclaimed an “Islamic Caliphate” in Iraq and Syria in 2014. The
province has seen months of fighting between Iraqi troops and IS
militants especially in the Jalawla and Saadiyah areas in the
province’s north and areas near the town of Muqdadiyah.”
Xinhua:
12 IS Militants Killed In 2 Attacks In Iraq
“A total of 12 Islamic State (IS) militants were killed Wednesday
in a raid and an airstrike in the Iraqi provinces of Salahudin and
Diyala, security sources said. In the central province of Salahudin,
an army force raided a house used as an IS hideout at a village in
northwest of the provincial capital Tikrit, some 170 km north of
Baghdad, said a statement by Abdul Muhsin Hatem, commander of
Salahudin operations. During the raid, the house which appeared to be
booby-trapped was detonated, killing an army officer, and after
searching the destroyed house, the troops discovered a bunker where 10
IS militants were hiding, sparking a heavy clash that resulted in the
killing of all the militants, the statement said. In Iraq's eastern
province of Diyala, the Iraqi aircraft conducted an airstrike, based
on intelligence reports, on an IS position in a rugged area located
near the provincial border with neighboring Salahudin province,
destroying the position and killing two IS militants inside, Sadiq
al-Husseini, head of the security committee of Diyala's provincial
council, told Xinhua. The Iraqi forces are continuing security
operations in different areas in central Iraq to track the extremist
IS militants and destroy their locations.”
Turkey
The
New York Times: Turkey Launches Offensive Against U.S.-Backed Syrian
Militia
“Turkey launched a ground and air assault on Wednesday against a
Syrian militia that has been a crucial American ally in the fight
against ISIS, days after President Trump agreed to let the operation
proceed. As Turkish warplanes bombed Syrian towns and troops crossed
the border, the chaos in Washington continued, with President Trump
issuing seemingly contradictory policy statements in the face of
strident opposition from his Republican allies in Congress. Mr. Trump
acquiesced to the Turkish operation in a call with Turkey’s president
on Sunday, agreeing to move American troops out of Turkey’s way
despite opposition from his own State Department and military. On
Wednesday, hours after the operation began, he condemned it, calling
it “a bad idea.” By that time, Turkish fighter jets were streaking
through the sky over Syrian towns, while artillery shells boomed
overhead. Traffic was jammed with terrified civilians fleeing south in
trucks piled high with possessions and children. After about six hours
of airstrikes, Turkish troops and their Syrian rebel allies crossed
the border, opening a ground offensive. At least seven people were
killed in the Turkish attacks on Wednesday, according to the Rojava
Information Center, an activist group in northeastern Syria.”
NBC
News: Turkish Invasion Of Syria Would Be 'Godsend' For ISIS, Experts
Warn
“For years, U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters in Syria paid with their
lives to defeat the Islamic State militant group. In the wake of
President Donald Trump's announcement that U.S. forces were pulling
back from northeast Syria, the remaining fighters worry that their
comrades' sacrifices will have been in vain. “We have more work to do
to keep ISIS from coming back and make our accomplishments permanent,”
Mustafa Bali, the spokesperson for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic
Forces, tweeted Tuesday. “If America leaves, all will be erased.” The
SDF has been a crucial U.S. ally in the war against ISIS and currently
controls much of the area close to the border with Turkey. The forces
say they have lost 11,000 fighters during the struggle. In March, the
group captured the last sliver of land held by the extremists, marking
the end of the so-called caliphate that was declared by ISIS' leader
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in 2014. Now they are caught between a U.S.
president anxious to deliver on promises to remove America from
foreign wars, and a Turkish government that sees Kurdish fighters as
terrorists who threaten the integrity of its country.”
Afghanistan
The
Washington Post: U.S. Airstrikes Against Taliban Drug Labs Killed 30
Afghan Civilians, U.N. Report Says
“U.S. airstrikes in May on suspected Taliban drug facilities killed
30 civilians, the United Nations said Wednesday in a detailed report
on the incident. The U.S. military disputed the claims, arguing that
all those killed in the strikes were combatants. The strikes targeted
drug labs run by the Taliban that produce methamphetamine. The U.S.
military said the workers in those labs are legitimate targets because
the “personnel in the labs were members of the Taliban,” according to
a statement released by the media office of U.S. forces in Afghanistan
on Wednesday. The U.S.-led mission in Afghanistan “disputes the
findings, legal analysis, and methodology” of the U.N. report,
according to the statement, and questions “their reliance on sources
with conflicted motives or limited knowledge . . . and their narrow
definition of legally targetable combatants.” The United Nations said
under international law “facilities that contribute economically or
financially to the war effort . . . are considered civilian
objectives.” The U.N. report determined strikes on more than 60 sites
killed 30 civilians and wounded five. The strikes were carried out in
Afghanistan’s western Farah and Nimruz provinces. The dispute
surrounding the drug lab strikes reflects the difficulty of separating
civilians from combatants as Afghan government troops battle an
insurgency with support from U.S. forces.”
The
Washington Post: The Taliban Vowed Massive Attacks On Election Day.
Here’s How Afghanistan Avoided Them.
“The Afghan army commander scrolled through months of intercepted
Taliban communications on his phone: references to large-scale
attacks, plans to launch waves of suicide bombs, and repeated calls to
disrupt Afghanistan’s election “by any means.” Afghanistan had been
braced for the worst on Sept. 28. “Everyone was worried,” said Brig.
Gen. Abdul Moqim Abdulrahimzai, the director general of operations and
plans for the Interior Ministry and one of the officials who oversaw
election security plans nationwide. But when the polls closed, Afghan
officials and civilians breathed a sigh of relief. The Taliban
launched more than 200 attacks that day, but they were small and
scattered. The Defense Ministry said indirect fire and small
explosives killed five civilians and wounded 76 nationwide. The
relative calm on election day is a rare success for the country’s
military and police forces, which have struggled in combat with the
Taliban. Afghan and American officials attribute the low toll to
aggressive planning and coordination, after months of intense military
pressure on Taliban strongholds.”
The
New York Times: Ally Of Al Qaeda Killed In Afghanistan Raid, Officials
Say, But Taliban Deny It
“American and Afghan commandos killed the head of an affiliate of
Al Qaeda in a southern Afghanistan raid last month, according to a
statement released Tuesday by Afghanistan’s intelligence agency. The
Taliban denied the assertion, calling it propaganda by “officials of
the stooge Kabul administration.” The intelligence agency’s statement
followed weeks of rumors that the militant, Asim Umar, had been killed
in the Sept. 23 raid, which was said to have left dozens of civilians
dead. The raid, in the Musa Qala district of Helmand Province, also
killed a Pakistani who had close ties to Mr. Umar, the leader of Al
Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent since 2014, and to Ayman al-Zawahri,
the current head of Qaeda’s main branch, the statement said. He was
identified only as Raihan. The presence of the commander of a
Qaeda-linked group in a Taliban-controlled district in Afghanistan’s
violent south underscored the ties between the Taliban and associates
of the militants who carried out the Sept. 11 attacks 18 years ago. It
also cast doubt on the Taliban’s pledge, during recent peace
negotiations with the United States, to prevent Afghanistan from
reverting to a safe haven for violent extremists.”
Pakistan
News
18: Pakistan Activated 20 Terror Camps, 20 Launch Pads With 50
Terrorists Each Along LoC
“Pakistan has activated at least 20 terror camps and another 20
launch pads along the Line of Control with increased efforts to ensure
infiltration of as many terrorists as it can into Jammu and Kashmir
before the onset of winter, officials said on Tuesday. The terror
training camps and launch pads, with at least 50 terrorists in each,
were activated after these were temporarily shut down following the
bombing of a CRPF bus in Pulwama in February and subsequent
retaliatory bombing of terror camps in Balakot by the Indian Air
Force. Pakistani agencies were desperately looking to carry out
spectacular terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir and even in the
hinterlands following the abrogation of the special status given to
Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 and its bifurcation into two Union
Territories, a security official said quoting intelligence inputs.
Since the terrorists have not been able to carry out any major attack,
the Pakistani agencies were trying hard to push as many terrorists as
they can into Jammu and Kashmir. “We have intelligence inputs that
Pakistan has activated at least 20 terror training camps and another
20 launch pads with about 50 terrorists in each. All these terrorists
will infiltrate through LoC wherever and whenever there are
opportunities,” the official said.”
Yemen
The
National: Houthis Recruited 30,000 Child Soldiers, Says Yemeni
Minister
“The Houthi rebels in Yemen have recruited at least 30,000 child
soldiers to bolster their ranks in the country's five-year war, a
senior Yemeni official said on Tuesday, warning of the dire
consequences the issue could have on the country’s future. “There is
at least 30,000 child recruits with the Houthis today,” Mohamad Askar
, the Yemeni minister for Human rights told The National in an
interview. He also estimated 320 women detainees held by the rebel
group. His numbers are based on human intelligence and reports by
witnesses who fled the Houthi-controlled areas.”
Lebanon
Asharq
Al-Awsat: STL Asks Lebanese Public For Info On Accused From
Hezbollah
“The Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) has invited the Lebanese
public to submit any information on the whereabouts of Hezbollah
member Salim Ayyash to the court through an audio-visual and audio
public service announcement, and as a poster with info on the accused
in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.”
An-Anhar:
Hezbollah Threatens Europe With Syrian Refugees
“In an attempt to draw European support for Lebanon as it grapples
with financial unease, Hezbollah MP Mohammad Raed threatened the bloc
with the sensitive issue of Syrian refugees. “All we have to do is
wave the card of Syrian refugees and all the European countries will
kneel before us,” Raed said Tuesday, mirroring the comments of Turkish
President Recep Erdogan who threatened to reopen the route for
refugees and migrants into Europe if he does not receive adequate
international support.”
Asharq
Al-Awsat: US Criticizes Lebanese Government For Tolerating
Hezbollah
“The United States is unhappy with the Lebanese government for
tolerating Hezbollah, a western diplomatic source told Asharq Al-Awsat
on Tuesday. “The situation has not changed. There are still two armies
in Lebanon, one of them being illegitimate and taking orders from
abroad,” the diplomat, who was not identified, said. He warned that
there could be a large confrontation with Israel if Hezbollah received
a certain order from abroad or some of its members decided to turn
rogue. The diplomat lashed out at Lebanese leaders for tolerating the
status-quo and having a state within a state, in a direct threat to
Lebanon’s national interests and its stability and security. The first
step towards finding a solution to the situation, the source
explained, comes by admitting the problem’s existence. He said that
the latest US sanctions are not against Shiite banks or figures, but
they specifically target Hezbollah and its members, and everyone who
supports the party. “Sanctions could be imposed on any individual who
offers support to Hezbollah, regardless of his political, sectarian or
religious background,” he said. Asked whether the sanctions would
affect the Lebanese government, the source admitted that certain
parties in Washington are supporting such an idea.”
Nigeria
Premium
Times: Five Boko Haram Terrorists Surrender To Troops –
Army
“The Nigerian Army has announced the surrender of five Boko Haram
terrorists to troops of 3 Battalion stationed in Gamboru Ngala and
Dikwa Local Government Areas of Borno. The Nigerian Army Operations
Media Coordinator, Aminu Iliyasu, disclosed this in a statement on
Thursday in Abuja. Mr Iliyasu, a colonel, said that during preliminary
interrogation, the surrendered insurgents revealed that hunger and
unending bombardments of their hideouts left them with no choice than
to escape from their group. He added that they also disclosed that
they belonged to the Al-Barnawi faction. Mr Iliyasu gave the names of
the surrendered insurgents as Ramat Mohammed, Alhaji Brazil, Bukar
Gambo, Waziri Bukar, and Bashuna Musa, adding that they were currently
undergoing further interrogation. “In the NE Theatre, as troops of
Operation LAFIYA DOLE intensify the bombardment of identified Boko
Haram criminals locations and blockade of the criminals’ crossing
points and escape routes, more criminal insurgents are giving up their
indignant acts of criminality and surrendering to troops. “This
sobriety is further exacerbated by hunger resulting from the blockade
of their supply routes, arrest of their logistics suppliers and
collaborators as well as incessant artillery bombardments of their
criminal hideouts,” he stated.”
Daily
Post Nigeria: Troops Kill One Terrorist, Arrest 66, Rescue 12 Kidnap
Victims Across Nigeria
“The Nigerian Army on Wednesday revealed that troops in separate
operations across the country, between the 1st and 8th of October
2019, have made 66 arrests and rescued 12 persons from kidnapers as
well as killed 1 bandit. Colonel, Nigerian Army Operations Media
Coordinator, said troops of the Nigerian Army operating in various
theatres of operations across the country have continued to record
significant achievements against terrorists. According to the
statement, during the period under review, troops intensified their
operations nationwide to deny criminal elements freedom of action,
leading to a safer and more conducive environment especially with the
approach of the 2019 festivities. The statement read, “In the NE
Theatre, as troops of Operation LAFIYA DOLE intensify the bombardment
of identified Boko Haram criminals locations and blockade of the
criminals’ crossing points and escape routes, more criminal insurgents
are giving up their indignant acts of criminality and surrendering to
troops. “This sobriety is further exacerbated by hunger resulting from
the blockade of their supply routes, arrest of their Logistics
suppliers and collaborators as well as incessant artillery
bombardments of their criminal hideouts.”
Somalia
Xinhua:
Two Senior Al-Shabab Leaders Surrender To Somali
Forces
“Two senior members of the al-Shabab militant group on Wednesday
surrendered to Somali government forces in the southern region of
Gedo, a military official said. Abdi Hakim Mohamed Omar, commander of
Unit 10 of the 43rd Division of Somali National Army (SNA) said the
two al-Shabab militants - Guuliye Hareed Mohamed and Abdullahi Nasiri
Ali - handed themselves over to the government forces in Garbaharey
town following the recent operations in the region against the
militants. “The two militants contacted our forces and informed they
were going to give themselves up and they were ready to leave the
militant group and the forces cooperated with them,” the commander
said. He added the government is committed to welcoming those who are
quitting al-Shabab militants. The two former al-Shabab leaders who
also spoke to journalists asked Somali people to forgive them for
their past actions. “I regret my previous deeds in al-Shabab as I
joined the militant group when I was misguided as a child and I beg my
people to pardon me,” said Ali, calling on the other remaining cells
in al-Shabab to follow suit. Somali forces are on major operations in
southern regions to flush the militants out of their strongholds in
those regions.”
Africa
Reuters:
Al Qaeda Affiliate Claims Deadly Attack On Malian
Army
“Al Qaeda’s West Africa affiliate on Tuesday claimed responsibility
for coordinated, deadly attacks last week on two army bases in central
Mali, it said in a statement. Thirty-eight soldiers were killed and
dozens others went missing during attacks on bases in Boulkessi and
Mondoro, in some of the worst violence seen against the army this
year. The attack underscored the reach and sophistication of jihadist
groups operating in central Mali, which has slipped from government
control despite the presence of the French army and other
international forces.”
Xinhua:
4 Killed, 5 Injured In Blast On Outskirts Of
Mogadishu
“At least four people were killed on Tuesday night and five others
injured in a roadside bomb blast along the road linking Mogadishu to
Afgoye in the Lower Shabelle region, an official said on Wednesday. A
police officer who declined to be named told Xinhua that a bomb
planted along the road exploded as a vehicle carrying soldiers was
passing by. “The soldiers were coming back from an operation of
deactivating mines on the same road when the blast happened. Four
people died in the blast and five others got injured,” the official
said, adding that among the dead were two soldiers.”
France
The
Wall Street Journal: The Enemy Within: How A Member Of French
Intelligence Turned To Terror
“As police intelligence agents in Paris tracked Islamist radicals
over the summer, one of their longtime colleagues was quietly
embracing a more extreme version of his Muslim faith. While away from
the office, Mickaël Harpon, a 45-year-old convert to Islam, had begun
dressing in more religious garb and established ties with followers of
Salafism, a fundamentalist strain of Islam, according to prosecutors.
At work, he appeared to avoid physical contact with women, colleagues
would later tell prosecutors.”
The
National: Emmanuel Macron Vows To Wage ‘Unrelenting’ War On Terror
After Paris Police Killings
“France’s President Emmanuel Macron has vowed to wage “an
unrelenting fight” against Islamic extremists at a memorial to honour
four Paris police staff who were murdered by their colleague last
week. Mickael Harpon, a computer expert who worked in the Paris police
headquarters’ intelligence-gathering department, stabbed to death
three police officers and an administrative worker before being shot
dead by police. Prosecutors said initial investigations had shown that
the 45-year-old Muslim convert, who was born on the French island of
Martinique, had been radicalised and was in contact with a hardline
Salafist iman in the months prior to the deadly rampage. “We will wage
an unrelenting fight in the face of Islamist terrorism,” Mr Macron
vowed at a ceremony on Tuesday. He said that it was “inconceivable and
unacceptable” that Harpon, who had worked for the police since 2003,
had carried out the killings “in the very place where we pursue
terrorists and criminals”. Mr Macron said he wanted to build a
“society of vigilance” in France, which has seen several extremist
attacks in recent years. Pressure has mounted on the French government
to explain how a radicalised individual could have been able to work
in the police with access to classified data within the Paris police’s
intelligence division.”
Germany
The
Wall Street Journal: Synagogue Attack Sparks Concern About Far-Right
Extremism In Germany
“Authorities suspect Wednesday’s attack on a synagogue in the east
German city of Halle was fueled by far-right extremism, a threat
German authorities have been warning about for months. Germany’s
domestic intelligence service said in its annual report in June that
the arrival of nearly two million asylum seekers since 2015, in
particular, had emboldened far-right extremists motivated by racism,
anti-Semitism, revisionist theories and anti-democratic values. While
crimes classified as far-right in nature dropped slightly last year,
violent crime rose, according to the report. Violent anti-Semitic
acts, in particular, grew 71.4%. Violent street clashes in the eastern
German cities of Chemnitz and Köthen in August and September 2018 in
reaction to alleged attacks on residents by migrants had shown
far-right agitators could mobilize increasingly large groups, the
agency said. Both cities are near Halle, where the attack occurred.
“Many posts on social media contain diffuse or explicit encouragements
to ‘fight back,’ “ the agency wrote. “Such cycles of radicalization
can lead all the way to the formation of terrorist groups.”
The
New York Times: A Synagogue Attack Shocks Germany. But
Why?
“On Wednesday a gunman attacked a synagogue in the eastern German
city of Halle while 51 Jews, including a group of young Americans,
were inside observing Yom Kippur. When he found the door locked, he
killed two people nearby and fled. The man filmed his assault and
streamed it live on the internet. Journalists who have seen the video
say that the man can be heard rambling anti-Semitic slurs. The police
have arrested a suspect and confirmed that he is a 27-year old
German.”
The
New York Times: Assailant Live-Streamed Attempted Attack On German
Synagogue
“A heavily armed gunman with a live-streaming head camera tried to
storm a synagogue in eastern Germany on Wednesday as congregants
observed the holiest day in Judaism. Foiled by a locked door, he
killed two people outside and wounded two others in an anti-Semitic
spree that smacked of far-right terrorism. Hours later the police
announced the arrest of a suspect in the assault in the city of Halle,
one of the most brazen in a string of recent attacks aimed at Jews in
Germany. Police officials declined to confirm if the suspect was the
gunman or whether he had any accomplices.”
Fox
News: Germany Truck Attack That Injured 8 Probed As Possible Act Of
Terror, Syrian Man Detained
“Eight people were injured after a Syrian national stole a truck
and rammed it into a line of cars in a town in western Germany,
authorities said. Authorities are investigating the possible act of
terror and the suspect's background as bystanders told police he spoke
of “Allah.” The incident happened late Monday afternoon in the town of
Limburg, located west of Frankfurt. Officials said the driver
apparently commandeered the truck before driving into a line of eight
cars, pushing the vehicles into each other. Seven people were taken to
area hospitals but were released during the night, according to
police. The truck's driver told the Frankfurter Neue Presse newspaper
the man dragged him out of the vehicle after he stopped at a red
light. The truck drove into a line of eight cars in Limburg, Germany
late Monday afternoon, pushing the vehicles into each other. Police
said seven people were taken to hospitals and the driver also was
slightly injured. “'What do you want from me?'“ the driver told the
paper he asked the man. “But he did not say a word. I asked him again.
Then he dragged me out of the lorry.” Several bystanders, including a
group of joggers, told the Neue Presse the suspect received first aid
after the crash and said “Allah” several times.”
Europe
Reuters:
Bosnia Will Take Back And Try Nine Captured Islamic State
Fighters
“Bosnia is preparing to take back and try nine of its nationals
suspected of fighting for Islamic State in Syria, its security
minister said on Wednesday. Hundreds of people are believed to have
left Europe to fight for Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, and many
await in detention camps to be handed over to their countries of
origin. “We are working to bring back nine persons for whom Bosnia and
Herzegovina had issued arrest warrants,” Minister Dragan Mektic told
Reuters. Mektic declined to say when the suspects would be returned to
Bosnia, but added they would be handed over to the judiciary
immediately upon arrival. The Sarajevo-based investigative
portal http://www.zurnal.ba reported the nine men, all captured and
kept in detention camps in Syria and Iraq, should be returned by the
end of the week. According to a 2014 criminal code, all Bosnians who
leave the country to fight in foreign wars must be prosecuted under
terrorism charges. According to Bosnian intelligence, 241 adults and
80 children left Bosnia or the Bosnian diaspora in 2012-2016 for Syria
and Iraq, where 150 more children were born. About 100 adults,
including 49 women, remain there, while at least 88 have been killed
or died. Islamic State’s last territorial foothold, in Syria, fell in
March this year.”
Deutsche
Welle: Brussels Conference Discusses Terrorism Challenges In South
Asia, Europe
“A Bangladeshi diaspora group, European Bangladesh Forum (EBF),
last week organized an international conference in Brussels to discuss
the security challenges and threats faced by South Asian nations on
account of violent extremism, and the role governments and civil
society can play to counter them. Members attending the meeting
stressed the need for more concerted efforts to tackle
terrorism-related threats in the world. In a globalized world, they
said, terror threats were not limited to South Asia; other regions
like Europe and North America were also equally affected. Immigration
has been a hot topic in Europe over the past several years. In 2015,
Germany allowed nearly 900,000 refugees and asylum-seekers to enter
the country under Chancellor Angela Merkel's open-door policy. Many of
them were fleeing war and extreme poverty in the Middle East, Asia and
Africa. The number of asylum-seekers entering Europe has drastically
dropped since then. Still, euroskeptic and right-wing groups have
seized on the crisis, claiming it undermines the social fabric of the
continent and managing to improve their electoral prospects. The
28-nation EU has not yet found compromise or reached an agreement on a
system of distribution for rescued asylum-seekers.”
The
National: Muslims Across Europe Face 'New Kind Of Terror' Rooted In
White Supremacist Ideology: Report
“In Europe the Muslim community is facing a “new kind of terror”
which is rooted in anti-Muslim racism and white supremacist ideology,
a report funded in part by the EU has said. According to the European
Islamophobia Report, nationalist, populist and far-right movements
have increased their influence across the European continent and,
where they have achieved power, they have undermined the rights of
minorities in general, singling out Muslims in particular. The
policies and rhetoric of governments, of the kinds seen in 2018 in
Italy, Austria, Hungary and Poland, has eventually led to violence
against Muslims, the report outlines. “Finally, the xenophobic and
anti-Islam climate fostered by far-right governments paves the way for
physical and terror attacks against Muslims or people who might be
taken to be Muslim,” it said. Even where they have not come into
power, as is the case in the majority of European counties, far-right
movements have imposed what the report describes as a “nativist
ideology” coupled with an “Islamophobia agenda” on national debate.
This leads to Islamophobia entering the mainstream.”
Southeast Asia
Bloomberg:
Indonesian Security Minister Stabbed By Suspected
Terrorist
“Indonesia’s Security Minister Wiranto was attacked by a
knife-wielding man with suspected links to the Islamic State terrorist
group, the police said. Wiranto, a former military chief who uses only
one name like many Indonesians, was stabbed twice by the assailant
near his vehicle after visiting an Islamic boarding school at
Pandeglang in the province of Banten west of Jakarta on Thursday.
Wiranto, who was flown to the capital, was in a stable condition and
set to undergo surgery, President Joko Widodo told reporters after
visiting the minister.”
Technology
Daily
Mail: Anger As German Synagogue Shooter Is Able To Live-Stream His
35-Minute Attack To Thousands Of Viewers On Amazon-Owned Twitch Before
The Site Took The Horrifying Footage Down
“Social media firms faced anger and calls to 'step up' last night
after graphic footage of an anti-Semitic gun rampage in Germany was
streamed live on Twitch and watched by thousands of people. Wearing a
helmet camera, the gunman filmed himself shooting two people dead and
trying to force his way into a synagogue in Halle on Wednesday. Last
night there were calls for social media sites to take stronger action
to stop their platforms being used for violence. 'Amazon is just as
much to blame as Twitch for allowing this stream online,' said
Hans-Jakob Schindler of the Counter Extremism Project. 'Online
platforms need to step up and stop their services being used and in
turn, parent companies need to hold them accountable.”
The
New York Times: 2,200 Viewed Germany Attack Before Twitch Removed
Post
“Twitch, the Amazon-owned live-streaming platform known for its
video game content, is developing another, darker reputation as a
place to find footage of mass shootings. On Wednesday, a heavily armed
man with a head-mounted camera live-streamed his shooting rampage in
Halle, Germany, on Twitch for more than 35 minutes. Two people were
killed and two others injured in the attack, which took place outside
a synagogue and in a kebab shop. Twitch said on Twitter that only five
people had watched the live stream of the shooting. But 2,200 people
viewed a recording of the attack, which stayed up for 30 minutes
before it was flagged and removed. More people watch live streams on
Twitch than on any other digital platform, including YouTube and
Facebook, according to a report from StreamElements. But the platform
has struggled to police content as it is posted. Last year, a Twitch
live stream from a gaming tournament in Jacksonville, Fla., captured
part of a shooting in which three people, including the gunman, died.
In June, Twitch sued users who had posted footage of an attack in
March involving mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. On Wednesday,
the company said in a statement that it was “shocked and saddened” by
the shooting in Germany.”
The
Hill: Extremists Find New Home In Online App Telegram
“Experts say that two months after 8chan, the fringe social network
known as a breeding ground for white supremacists, went offline, other
platforms are now attracting extremist voices. 'Where people really
are going is Telegram," said Joshua Fisher-Birch, a researcher with
the Counter Extremism Project, which tracks fringe communities online.
Over the past month alone, Fisher-Birch has seen the user base of 65
extreme-right-wing channels on Telegram grow by an average of 256
users — or 43 percent. Even though users are certainly moving onto
other platforms, extremism researchers said they were still glad 8chan
is offline. "I think that it’s always important that people are
mindful of the actual violence that’s involved in these sites,"
Fisher-Birch said. "I am happy that the community that was encouraging
more accelerationist attacks on 8chan is no longer there.”
The
Wall Street Journal: Facebook CEO To Testify At House Panel About
Libra
“Facebook Inc. FB 1.18% Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg is slated
to return to Capitol Hill this month to testify before a House panel
about the company’s foray into cryptocurrency, just weeks after facing
a chilly reception from lawmakers about his vision for internet
regulation. The House Financial Services Committee said Wednesday that
Mr. Zuckerberg will be the sole witness at an Oct. 23 hearing that
examines Facebook’s impact on the financial services and housing
sectors.”
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