“After the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) cracked down on cells affiliated with
the Islamic State (IS), the latter’s activity seems to have diminished

 

 


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Eye on Extremism


July 1, 2021

 

Al Monitor: Kurdish-Led Forces Intensify Crackdown On Islamic State Cells In
Northeast Syria
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“After the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) cracked down on cells affiliated
with the Islamic State (IS), the latter’s activity seems to have diminished,
especially in June, which was the quietest month in terms of IS operations in
the SDF-held areas in northern Syria. This decline was particularly evident in
the city of Raqqa and its countryside, while IS cells are still active in the
countryside of Deir ez-Zor where they target the SDF or civilians cooperating
with it almost on a daily basis. IS also targets some tribal sheikhs loyal to
the SDF, in addition to clerics who either support the SDF or attack IS through
their sermons in mosques. On June 25, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights
(SOHR) reported that three members of the SDF’s self-styled security forces
were killed and six others wounded in an ambush carried out by unknown gunmen,
who are likely to be affiliated with IS. The latter targeted a bus in the town
of Jazra al-Milag in the western countryside of Deir ez-Zor. On June 22, SOHR
reported, “The SDF cordoned off at midnight the city of al-Busaira in the
eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor, and imposed a curfew, coinciding with the
ongoing raids and arrests [of IS suspects]. A man and his wife who were on
their roof were shot at during an SDF raid.”

 

BBC News: Afghanistan: US Military 'Days Away' From Completing Pull-Out
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“The US military could complete its withdrawal from Afghanistan within days,
reports say, amid increasing Taliban battlefield gains. US officials told
Reuters that some US forces were expected to stay to protect the US embassy and
Kabul airport. The reports came as a top US commander warned the country risked
sliding into civil war as the last US troops leave. Fighting has surged since
the US began withdrawing last month, with the Taliban seizing swathes of
territory. CNN quoted US officials corroborating the Reuters report. “This week
could be a critical week in the withdrawal and end of the retrograde process,”
an unnamed defence official told the network. About 650 US troops are expected
to remain to help secure the US embassy in Kabul, and several hundred more may
be stationed at the city's airport. President Biden has set a deadline of 11
September for US troops to fully withdraw. But recent reports had suggested
most of the more than 4,000 troops deployed in recent months would be out by
mid-July, well ahead of time. The pace of the pull-out now appears even faster.
On Tuesday, Gen Scott Miller said Afghanistan could face “very hard times” if
its leadership was unable to unite once international troops leave.”

 

United States

 

The Washington Post: U.S. Arrests More Than A Dozen In Capitol Riots, Among
The Most Made Public In A Single Day
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“More than a dozen arrests in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot were announced or
unsealed Wednesday, revealing charges against alleged supporters of extremist
right-wing groups including the Oath Keepers, Proud Boys and Boogaloo Bois, and
individuals accused of attacking the property of news media. The arrests ranked
among the most made public in a single day and came as an alleged Oath Keepers
member reached an unexpected plea deal with prosecutors in the largest
conspiracy case brought against those accused of obstructing Congress as it met
to confirm the 2020 election results. Mark Grods, 54, of Mobile, Ala., became
the second from the anti-government group publicly to flip in the 16-defendant
conspiracy case and cooperate with prosecutors in the latest sign of movement
in the investigation. In court Wednesday, he admitted to two federal counts of
conspiracy and aiding and abetting the obstruction of an official proceeding.
The surge of at least 13 new or unsealed arrests came as the FBI and Justice
Department highlighted developments in the criminal probe nearing six months
after the event, and the House voted to create a select committee to
investigate the Capitol breach.”

 

Reuters: U.S. Says 'Pipe Bomb' Found In Home Of Ex-Cop Charged In Capitol
Attack
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“A Virginia man awaiting trial on criminal charges stemming from the Jan. 6
attack on the U.S. Capitol recently procured a pipe bomb and other weapons, a
violation of his parole, federal prosecutors said on Wednesday. U.S. Justice
Department lawyers said in a court filing that they discovered a “loaded M4
rifle” and a “partially assembled pipe bomb,” among other weapons, during a
search of Thomas Robertson's home in Ferrum, Virginia. Robertson is a former
police sergeant in Rocky Mount, Virginia. The town's police department fired
him and another officer, Jacob Fracker, and photographs surfaced of them inside
the Capitol building during the deadly attack. The two were charged on Jan. 13
with unlawful entry into a restricted area and violent entry and disorderly
conduct on Capitol grounds. A judge released Robertson from jail while he
awaits trial, prohibiting him from possessing firearms. Prosecutors said in
Wednesday's court filing that the release order should be revoked immediately
because Robertson violated the judge's orders and “presents a danger to the
community that no release conditions will adequately mitigate.” Prosecutors did
not say if Robertson planned to use the weapons, but alleged he recently made
comments on an internet forum that suggest he is capable of violence.”

 

Penn Live: Harrisburg Terrorist Who Circulated ‘Kill List’ Seeks Early
‘Compassionate’ Release From Federal Prison Over COVID-19 Fear
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“A Harrisburg man who is serving a federal prison term for trying to aid the
ISIS terrorist group at the height of its reign of horrors is seeking an early
“compassionate release,” citing fears he might catch COVID-19. The decision on
that plea by Jalil Ibn Ameer Aziz will be up to U.S. Middle District Judge
Christopher C. Conner, who sentenced Aziz to 13.3 years behind bars in 2017.
Aziz, now 24, has been in prison since federal agents raided his Fulton Street
home in December 2015. At the time, ISIS controlled a large swath of Iraq and
Syria and was freely beheading its opponents. Aziz was accused of, among other
crimes, retweeting an ISIS “kill list” that urged the terror group’s backers to
kill 100 U.S. service people, preferably by beheading them in their own homes.
Many federal prisoners have been petitioning for compassionate early release
amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Aziz’s lawyer, Kathy Manley, cited that concern in
her petition to Conner, but also portrayed her client as an immature and
socially inept dupe of ISIS. “Certainly, the offense was very serious, but…Mr.
Aziz was very young at the time, and had been kept isolated from the world by
an overly controlling mother,” Manley wrote.”

 

Daily Mail: White Supremacist-Connected Domestic Terrorism Is Possible Over
July 4th Weekend, DHS Warns After 'Monitoring Online Chatter'
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“The Department of Homeland Security said it will be on 'heightened alert'
this July 4th weekend for white supremacists looking to exploit states'
rollback of COVID-19 restrictions and attack a range of possible targets,
officials told DailyMail.com. The warning comes as officials say they've been
monitoring a spike in online chatter that could indicate white
supremacist-motivated attacks. Homeland Security issued a National Terrorism
Alert System (NTAS) Bulletin, which it it said it won't release to the public
at this time, but ABC News obtained it. 'In recent weeks, domestic violent
extremists (DVEs) motivated by various violent ideologies have continued to
advocate violence and plan attacks,' the bulletin said, according to ABC News.
'As of 16 June, racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist-white
supremacists (RMVE-WSs) were sharing downloadable links to a publication
discussing targeting mass gatherings, critical infrastructure and law
enforcement officers,' it said. The Fourth of July weekend will likely have the
highest number of large gatherings in 15 months, with more than 30 states
rolling back nearly all of its COVID-19 restrictions. There were 183 domestic
terrorism prosecutions filed by U.S. Attorney's offices around the country from
October 2019 to October 2020, according to Department of Justice figures.”

 

Syria

 

Reuters: Red Cross Reveals That Children Held In Northeast Syria Prisons
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“Hundreds of children are incarcerated in adult prisons in northeastern Syria,
the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Wednesday,
disclosing their plight as inmates for the first time. The children, mostly
boys, have been removed to prisons from al-Hol, a desert camp run by Syrian
Kurdish forces for 60,000 people from more than 60 countries, the aid agency
said. Most are women and children who fled there after Islamic State’s last
enclaves collapsed two years ago. Local authorities have said that many are
associated with Islamic State fighters. “Hundreds of children, mostly boys,
some as young as 12, are detained in adult prisons, places they simply do not
belong,” Fabrizio Carboni, ICRC regional director for the Middle East, told a
news briefing. The ICRC made 36 visits to places of detention across Syria last
year, the only agency with such access. It requires private talks with inmates
on their treatment and conditions, but its confidential findings are shared
only with the authorities. It has access to some places of detention in
northeast Syria - a Syrian Kurdish-controlled area - a spokeswoman said,
declining to give details. The ICRC also renewed its appeal for countries to
repatriate their nationals from the al-Hol camp and keep families together, “as
international law requires.”

 

Iraq

 

Reuters: Explosion Injures 11 In Baghdad’s Sadr City
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“At least 11 people were wounded in an explosion on Wednesday in Baghdad’s
Sadr City neighbourhood, Iraqi police and medical workers said. A military
statement said an explosion took place in Sadr City but gave no details. There
was no immediate claim of responsibility. It was the second attack to hit Sadr
City and the third to target a busy market this year in Baghdad. In April four
people were killed and 20 wounded in a car bomb attack in the same
neighbourhood. And in January a suicide attack killed at least 32 people in a
crowded market. Both attacks were claimed by Islamic State militants. Large
bomb attacks, once an almost daily occurrence in the Iraqi capital, have halted
since Islamic State fighters were defeated in 2017, part of an overall
improvement in security that has brought normal life back to Baghdad.
Wednesday’s attack comes during an election year, a time when tension between
rival Iraqi political groups has often caused violence. The populist cleric
Moqtada al-Sadr, after whom Sadr city is named and who commands a following of
millions of Iraqis, counts among his enemies both Islamic State and rival
Shi’ite parties with militias backed by Iran.”

 

Turkey

 

Al Monitor: Turkey's Mixed Record Against Islamic State
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“Turkish security operations against networks linked to the Islamic State (IS)
appear on the rise, but how efficient they are remains open to question amid a
number of shortcomings, including the lack of adequate cooperation with foreign
counterparts. According to open-source research conducted by this author on the
basis of more than 450 Turkish media reports, Turkish security forces carried
out at least 105 operations targeting IS from Dec. 1, 2020, to June 1,
detaining around 930 suspects, the overwhelming majority of whom were
foreigners, mostly from Iraq and Syria. A Turkish security expert who worked
with the security forces until recently said the nationality of IS-affiliated
foreigners apprehended in Turkey is often withheld because their home countries
request so, citing two reasons — operational security and concerns to avoid
negative publicity. “We have received files on nearly 5,000 IS suspects from
various countries and caught about 2,300 of them in the past four years. That
figure excludes suspects who have been captured after being identified by us,”
he told Al-Monitor on the condition of anonymity. “But is this enough? No. New
files have kept coming about members, sympathizers, supporters and financial
backers,” he added.”

 

Afghanistan

 

The New York Times: Security In Afghanistan Is Decaying, U.S. General Says As
Forces Leave
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“The commander of the U.S.-led mission in Afghanistan warned on Tuesday that
the country could be on a path to chaotic civil war as American and other
international troops prepare to leave in the coming weeks. His assessment, in a
rare news conference at the headquarters of U.S. and NATO command in Kabul,
will likely be one of the last publicly delivered by an American four-star
general in Afghanistan, where recent events have included a Taliban offensive
that has seized around 100 district centers, left dozens of civilians wounded
and killed, and displaced thousands more. “Civil war is certainly a path that
can be visualized if it continues on the trajectory it’s on,” the commander,
Gen. Austin S. Miller, told reporters during the news conference. “That should
be a concern for the world.” With some intelligence estimates saying that the
Afghan government could fall in six months to two years after a final American
withdrawal, General Miller’s comments were a window into recent tension between
the White House and the Pentagon. For months, Pentagon leaders argued for some
sort of lasting American military presence in Afghanistan, citing
counterterrorism concerns and the need to provide a check on the Taliban’s
advance.”

 

Forbes: One Month, 700 Trucks: Afghanistan’s U.S. Military Vehicles Fall Into
Taliban Hands
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“An investigation of imagery posted on social media concludes that in the
month of June alone the Taliban has captured a staggering 700 trucks and
Humvees from the Afghan security forces as well as dozens of armored vehicles
and artillery systems. Those shocking numbers reflect that local defense forces
in some districts are evaporating in the face of Taliban pressure—sometimes
without a fight, due in part to the perception that the government is doomed
due to the imminent U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan later this year.  And that
in turn implies huge volumes of military equipment donated or sold to
Afghanistan to help it fight the Taliban may instead continue pouring into that
very group’s hands. The tally come from a open-source investigative report
published at the Oryx blog by Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans. The continuously
updated talley has catalogued hundreds of photos posted online by the Taliban
of destroyed or captured Afghan military equipment. The blog was earlier
distinguished for its detailed open-source investigation on equipment losses in
the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.”

 

Pakistan

 

RFI: Kashmir Drone Attacks Raise Fears Of New Turn In Terror Tactics
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“A drone attack on air force station in the city of Jammu in
Indian-administered Kashmir reflects a shift in terror tactics, according to
experts, which leaves Delhi looking at strong countermeasures to tackle the new
threat. Three days after the Jammu attack, investigators are still not sure
whether the drone was a crude, commercially available version that had been
rigged to drop an explosive charge or was one that could fly longer distances
and attack with greater accuracy. Two low-intensity explosions were reported
early Sunday in the technical area of Jammu air force station. One caused minor
damage to the roof of a building while the other exploded in an open area.
Since the attack, three more drones were spotted in the Kaluchak area of the
region. The drones were flying high and disappeared after briefly hovering over
the establishment. The security establishment says the attacks represent a new
threat and a dangerous sign of things to come. Despite multiple warnings, and
the lack of real damage, the attack on the airbase shows how unprepared India
was in combating this threat. Experts believe that India should have woken up
to the exponential proliferation of new technologies and artificial
intelligence long back, and thus makes the task of combating terror even more
challenging.”

 

Nigeria

 

All Africa: Nigeria: Terrorism, Greatest Threat To Human Existence
<[link removed]>

 

“The National Security Adviser (NSA), Major General Babagana Monguno (rtd),
has stated that beyond the COVID-19 and climate change, terrorism remains the
greatest threat to human existence. He also added that to deal decisively with
the complex nature of terrorism and other transnational organised crimes, the
international community must see the threat of terrorism to a particular
country as a threat to global peace and security. Monguno said this on Monday
at the ongoing Second United Nations High-Level Conference of Heads of
Counter-Terrorism Agencies of members states, convened by the United Nations
Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, at the United Nations Headquarters in New
York. The NSA said terrorism has continued to manifest itself as a vicious and
relentless global threat, recognising no border, nationality and all religions;
adding that it has become a contemporary weapon of violence for non-state
actors in this era of globalisation. He said, “I can say with total conviction
that apart from pandemics, natural disasters and the climate itself, today the
greatest threat to the existence of human race is the global scourge of
terrorism.”

 

Sahara Reporters: How Boko Haram, ISWAP Groups Are Recruiting Via Social Media
― Nigeria's Security Adviser
<[link removed]-―-nigerias-security-adviser>

 

“The National Security Adviser, Maj Gen Babagana Monguno (retd.), has raised
the alarm that terrorist organisations like the Boko Haram and Islamic State
West Africa Province are recruiting and radicalising vulnerable Nigerian youths
through the social media. Monguno raised the alarm at the ongoing second United
Nations High-Level Conference of Heads of Counter-Terrorism Agencies of
member-states, convened by the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio
Guterres, in New York. He declared that the intention of the terrorist groups
was to portray the Federal Government as incapable of protecting the
population, Tribune reports. The NSA said, “The Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists
are also using the social media to instil fear in the target communities, as
well as to deflate the morale of defence and security forces.” He added that
terrorism had continued to manifest itself as a vicious and relentless global
threat, recognising no border, nationality and religion. The NSA stated that in
order to deal decisively with the complex nature of terrorism and other
organised transnational crimes, the international community must see the menace
as a threat to global peace and security.”

 

United Kingdom

 

Express: Shamima Begum Should Return To Britain, Says Ex-US Ambassador – ‘Not
A Dangerous Person’
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“…Speaking to Express.co.uk, Liam Duffy, a strategic advisor to the Counter
Extremism Project (CEP), argued against the “celebritisation” of western ISIS
volunteers. He contrasted “the plight of the Yazidis and the situation they’re
living in now” with “westerners who joined ISIS, who in some cases are living
in much more comfortable conditions than their victims”. Mr Duffy added: “I
just wish as much attention was given to the people they tormented as to the
tormenters. “I think there’s a real problem of celebritisation of people who
joined ISIS. “We’ve inverted the victim/aggressor relationship a little bit to
make these people sound more like the victims. “They were recruited therefore
they’re a victim which is really morally unserious.” Hundreds of British ISIS
volunteers are already believed to have returned to the UK. Whilst it has been
seriously damaged, ISIS continues to mount an insurgency in Syria and Iraq
whilst gaining strength in parts of Africa.”

 

Daily Mail: Taught To Use A Gun Aged 8: The Chilling Story Of 13-Year-Old
'Caliphate Cub' Locked Up In Prison For Child ISIS Fighters Who Claims To Have
Been Dragged From UK To Syria And Now Wants To Come 'Home'
<[link removed]>

 

“A 13-year-old boy who was taught to use a gun by ISIS fighters aged eight is
locked up at a prison for 'Caliphate Cubs' and says he wants to come 'home' to
Britain. Abdullah, who says he is a fan of Chelsea and McDonald's, claims he
grew up in London with his family, who are originally from Pakistan. When he
was eight, his mother and father took him to live under the Islamic State in
Syria, along with his younger sister and two brothers. They are all now dead.
Most of his family were killed at Baghouz, the final stronghold of ISIS which
was obliterated by US airstrikes in the last days of the so-called 'caliphate'
in March, 2019. He is now being kept at the Kurdish-run Hori Centre, a
rehabilitation facility for boys accused of carrying out atrocities on behalf
of ISIS, in the northeastern town of Tal Marouf.  Abdullah is one of scores of
children ISIS sought to indoctrinate as 'Caliphate Cubs' to further their
twisted ideology in a similar model to that used by the Hitler Youth. Abdullah,
who speaks good English with a slight accent, said he had been in Syria for
less than a year when he was taught how to use an AK-47 assault rifle. He
claims to have never used it, but that ISIS wanted him and other children to do
so.”

 

Germany

 

Daily Mail: The March Of Germany's Neo-Nazis: Shocking New Evidence Of How
Far-Right Police, Soldiers And Civilians Are Carrying Out Manoeuvres To Prepare
For Day X 'When They Will Seize Power'
<[link removed]>

 

“Far-right police, soldiers and civilians in Germany have held military
exercises to prepare for 'Day X' - when they believe they must seize power to
save the country, shocking new evidence has revealed. New photos show members
of the secret group Nordkreuz, or Northern Cross, dressed in camouflage and
carrying weapons as they lug equipment through forests, fast-rope off bridges
and clamber through underground tunnels. The images were retrieved from a hard
drive, along with maps and plans, which was was obtained by investigative
reporter Dirk Laabs. It is not clear who gave him the drive. It contains plans
for Day X, a date when Nordkreuz claims the German state will collapse and the
far-right will seize power to re-establish order. Laabs spoke to PBS Frontline
to reveal the trove of intelligence, telling the US broadcaster that these were
'big training drills' which involved professional 'soldiers who would train
civilians.' 'So, it was really thought-through. It was a military operation,'
Laabs added. The group spawned from an online chatroom which was set up by a
member of Germany's elite special forces, the KSK, for servicemen with
far-right sympathies.”

 

Canada

 

Yahoo News: Acquitted Of Terrorism But Still Considered A Threat, This Man's
Status In Canada Hangs In Limbo
<[link removed]>

 

“Since his release from immigration detention almost two years ago, Othman
(Adam) Hamdan has been living in limbo. The Canada Border Services Agency has
been trying to deport him, calling him a risk to Canadians. He says he has been
trying to clear his name and get on with his life. “I'm trying to go forward;
I'm trying to be the model citizen,” Hamdan told The National in his first
televised interview. “And still, the Canadian government has the audacity to
say I'm dangerous.” Hamdan, a Jordanian citizen, arrived in Canada in 2002
seeking a better life, and settled in Fort St. John, B.C. But the politically
minded, outspoken man caught the attention of the RCMP in 2014 in the wake of
the Parliament Hill shootings. As part of Project Scollop, which investigated
online extremism in Canada after that attack, RCMP approached Hamdan about
Facebook posts he had made that seemed to support ISIS. Hamdan said he was told
the topics he was posting about were “very sensitive” and could be offensive to
some. But, he says, they did not tell him to stop Eight months later, Hamdan
was arrested and charged with four terrorism-related offences.”

 

Technology

 

The National: Extremists Use Minecraft And Roblox To Recreate Christchurch
Attack
<[link removed]>

 

“…The Counter Extremism Project, which monitors extremist activity online,
said: "CEP researchers identified a video posted on Streamable consisting of a
recreation of the Christchurch terrorist attack video in the online video game
Roblox, as well as a map of one of the mosques targeted in the attack in the
game Minecraft, which was then shared on an image board that promotes violent
white supremacism." "The video included a weapon made to resemble the
attacker’s rifle and included music originally used in the attack video. The
link was posted on 4chan and had 23 views when it was located. "CEP also
located a map and video recreation in the game Minecraft depicting one of the
mosques targeted in the terrorist attack. The map had been online for two
months when it was located and had received over 330 views."



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