“Thirteen civilians were killed in clashes north of Bangui, the capital of the
perennially restive Central African Republic, the UN mission in the cou

 

 


<[link removed]>
<[link removed]>
Eye on Extremism


July 23, 2021

 

France 24: At Least A Dozen Civilians Killed In Central African Republic
Attack, UN Says
<[link removed]>

 

“Thirteen civilians were killed in clashes north of Bangui, the capital of the
perennially restive Central African Republic, the UN mission in the country
said Thursday. Peacekeepers found “13 dead bodies in Bongboto”, about 300
kilometres (190 miles) north of Bangui, on Wednesday, MINUSCA spokesman
lieutenant-colonel Abdoulaziz Fall told AFP. CAR is the second least-developed
country in the world according to the UN and suffers from the aftermath of a
brutal civil conflict that erupted in 2013. MINUSCA said it would do everything
“to shed light on this sad incident” and bring the attackers to justice. The
government has blamed the Coalition of Patriots for Change, created in December
2020 to try and topple President Faustin Archange Touadera, of being behind the
attack.”

 

NBC News: U.S. Is Still Carrying Out Airstrikes Against Taliban In Afghanistan
<[link removed]>

 

“The U.S. military has conducted a half-dozen airstrikes against the Taliban
in the past 30 days, including several since the symbolic end of U.S.
involvement in Afghanistan with the departure ceremony for the U.S. commander
last week, two defense officials said. The officials said the U.S. conducted
two strikes overnight in Kandahar, targeting stolen military vehicles and
equipment that was directly threatening the Afghan military. As the Taliban
take over land, they have been collecting Afghan military vehicles and
equipment left behind. Army Gen. Scott Miller stepped down as commander of U.S.
Forces Afghanistan on July 12 after three years. Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie,
commander of U.S. Central Command, took over control of the U.S. mission in
Afghanistan and has full responsibility for approving airstrikes. The officials
said most of the recent strikes have been conducted by unmanned Predator drones
that have flown in from the “across the horizon” locations — in other words,
they fly in from outside Afghanistan. The officials said the U.S. will continue
to conduct strikes against the Taliban in support of the Afghan National
Security Forces until at least the end of August, when the U.S. military
mission officially ends.”

 

United States

 

CNN: As The West Winds Down Its 'War On Terror,' Jihadists Are Filling The
Vacuum, UN Warns
<[link removed]>

 

“As the 20th anniversary of 9/11 approaches, the United Nations is warning
that the threat from terror groups such as ISIS and al Qaeda is not only
resilient, but in many places expanding. A report to the Security Council by
the UN monitoring team charged with tracking worldwide jihadi threats,
published Thursday, warns that these groups pose a growing threat in much of
Africa. And both are entrenched in Afghanistan, from where al Qaeda plotted the
9/11 attacks. The UN report suggests a consistent pattern. Wherever pressure on
jihadi terror groups is absent or negligible, they thrive. In Afghanistan,
where the United States says it will complete its military withdrawal by August
31, the UN warns of a potential “further deterioration” in the security
situation. In Somalia, the report says, US military withdrawal and the partial
drawdown of the African Union Mission has left Somali special forces
“struggling to contain” the al Qaeda affiliate Al-Shabaab. In Mali, where
France is winding down its counterterrorism mission, the report says that al
Qaeda-affiliated terrorists have consolidated their influence and are
“increasingly claiming populated areas.” In Mozambique, the report says, “the
absence of significant counter-terrorist measures” have transformed the ISIS
affiliate in central Africa into a “major threat.”

 

Politico: Biden’s Domestic Terrorism Strategy Concerns Advocates
<[link removed]>

 

“Jessica Reznicek’s friends insist on one thing: She is not a terrorist. On
election night 2016, she and fellow activist Ruby Montoya used coffee canisters
stuffed with rags and motor oil to light fire to five pieces of machinery at a
Dakota Access Pipeline construction site. The fires resulted in about $2.5
million of property damage, according to Grist. The women decided it wasn’t
enough. So over the ensuing months, they studied welding. And starting in March
2017, they traveled through Iowa and South Dakota using oxy-acetylene torches
to cut into empty valves along the pipeline. She and Montoya later publicly
described what they had done. “[W]e went with our torches and protective gear
on, and found numerous sites, feeling out the ‘vibe’ of each situation, and
deciding to act then and there, often in broad daylight,” they said in a
statement. “Trust your spirit, trust the signs.” The pair said they chose to go
public because the company building the pipeline lied about what had
temporarily stalled its progress. “If there are any regrets, it is that we did
not act enough,” their statement concluded. “Please support and stand with us
in this journey because we all need this pipeline stopped.”

 

Syria

 

France 24: Syria Army Shells Rebel Bastion, Killing Seven: Monitor
<[link removed]>

 

“The Syrian army shelled the Idlib region Thursday killing seven civilians,
three of them children, in its third deadly bombardment of the rebel bastion in
a week, a monitor said. Several people were seriously wounded in the morning
bombardment of the village of Iblin, south of Idlib, the Britain-based Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights said. The army has stepped up its bombing of the
northwestern enclave since Saturday when President Bashar al-Assad took the
oath of office for a new term vowing to make “liberating those parts of the
homeland that still need to be” one of his top priorities. The same day strikes
on the Idlib villages of Sarja and Ehsin killed 14 civilians, seven of them
children. Two days earlier shelling of Idlib and the town of Fuaa further north
killed nine civilians, three of them children, the Observatory said. Controlled
by an alliance dominated by Al-Qaeda's former Syria affiliate, the Idlib region
is home to nearly three million people, two-thirds of them displaced from other
parts of the country. A March 2020 deal brokered by the rival sides' main
foreign backers Russia and Turkey has eased fighting on the front line but the
region remains in the government's sights. Elsewhere in the country,
Kurdish-led forces control a large swathe of the east after expelling the
Islamic State group from the region.”

 

Iraq

 

The Wall Street Journal: U.S., Iraq To Agree That Combat Troops Should Leave
By End Of 2021
<[link removed]>

 

“Top Iraqi and U.S. officials plan to issue a statement calling for U.S.
combat troops to leave Iraq by year-end, both nations’ officials said, but
would reaffirm the need for a U.S. military presence to help Iraqi forces in
their fight against Islamic State. “We don’t need any more fighters because we
have those,” Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein told The Wall Street Journal.
“What do we need? We need cooperation in the field of intelligence. We need
help with training. We need troops to help us in the air.” The statement is to
be issued in connection with Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi’s visit to
Washington on Monday, when he will meet with President Biden. The purpose of
the statement, current and former officials said, is to enable the Iraqi leader
to blunt the political pressure from hard-line Shiite factions who want all of
the approximately 2,500 American troops in the country to depart, while
maintaining U.S. support for Iraqi security forces. One U.S. official said that
Washington plans to meet the terms of the statement mainly by redefining the
role of some of the U.S. forces in the country instead of reducing the U.S.
presence. “It is not really a numerical adjustment but rather a functional
clarification of what the force would be doing consistent with our strategic
priorities,” a U.S. official said.”

 

Asharq Al-Awsat: ISIS Attack Kills Two Soldiers In Iraq's Salahuddin Province
<[link removed]>

 

“Two Iraqi soldiers have been killed and three others injured in an ISIS
attack in Iraq’s northern province of Salahuddin, a police officer said on
Wednesday. “Unidentified gunmen believed to be affiliated with the ISIS terror
group attacked the headquarters of the 66th Army Brigade in the Mutaibija area
in the northern part of the province,” the source said. He added that
reinforcements were dispatched to the site as ISIS members fled the area. Iraq
declared victory over ISIS in 2017, however, the group continues to launch
attacks against army and PMF positions, leaving casualties and causing material
damages. According to security experts, ISIS remains active in Diyala, Kirkuk,
and Salahuddin. Two days ago, an attack took place in a popular market in Sadr
City, causing more than 100 deaths and injuries. The Iraqi authorities held the
group responsible for the attack.”

 

Afghanistan

 

The Wall Street Journal: U.S. Expands Efforts To Relocate Afghans At Risk Of
Taliban Vengeance
<[link removed]>

 

“The U.S. military is preparing to house as many as 35,000 Afghan interpreters
and family members at two American bases, in Kuwait and in Qatar, in an
expanding effort to aid those who face Taliban retribution for helping American
forces, U.S. officials said. Plans are under way to build temporary housing and
other facilities at Camp As Sayliyah in Qatar and Camp Buehring in Kuwait that
would be designed to house the interpreters for at least 18 months. Thousands
of welcome packages, containing health and comfort items and packaged military
meals that don’t contain pork, to accommodate Muslim dietary requirements, are
being positioned at the bases, officials said. The plans are to accommodate the
interpreters and their families as they await processing for American visas to
be permanently resettled in the U.S. Construction and other preparations at the
two bases are expected to cost the U.S. government several hundred million
dollars, officials said. The plans build on similar preparations elsewhere. A
first group of about 2,500 Afghan interpreters and their families are expected
to arrive at Fort Lee, Va. in coming days, officials said. Those people, who
include 750 applicants and family members, will stay at Fort Lee for a week to
10 days before being resettled in the U.S. permanently, officials said.”

 

Somalia

 

All Africa: Al-Shabaab Threatens To Disrupt Upcoming Somali Elections
<[link removed]>

 

“Somali militant group Al-Shabaab has threatened to attack electoral delegates
who will be choosing lawmakers in parliamentary elections. The leader of the
group, Ahmed Abu Ubaidah, said they are opposed to the poll process and
threatened the electoral delegates. Ubaidah urged delegates to reconsider their
decision to participate in this year's election, adding that those who defy
Al-Shabaab will not be safe.  Abdisalam Gulaid, the former deputy director of
Somali Intelligence Agency NISA, said this latest threat is aimed to create
climate of fear among those involved in the polls. He said the new threats
should not be taken lightly, stressing that there is a need for a coordinated
response. The polls begin on July 25, 2021 with Somalia's influential clans
electing 54 members of the upper house of parliament. Meanwhile, The Pentagon
has confirmed that U.S. forces were behind the single strike near Galkayo,
about 580 kilometers north of the capital of Mogadishu. The airstrike targeting
the militant group, is the first such strike in six months, and the first
carried out since U.S. President Joe Biden took office. The U.S. carried out 63
airstrikes against Al-Shabaab in 2019 and 53 airstrikes in 2020.”

 

Mali

 

Reuters: French Army Says It Has Killed Two 'Terrorists' In Mali
<[link removed]>

 

“The French army has killed two members of the EIGS “terrorist” group, which
France says has links to Islamic State, in Mali, French armed forces minister
Florence Parly said on Thursday. Parly's statement said the operation had taken
place overnight in the Menaka region in co-ordination with the United States
army. “This latest operation highlights our determination to continue the fight
against armed terrorist organisations, working alongside our partners in the
Sahel and in co-ordination with our European and American allies,” the
statement said. France is in the process of re-shaping its military presence in
West Africa's Sahel region, which includes Mali, where France has been on the
front line in the fight against Islamist militia groups. Mali has been thrown
into political turmoil since a military junta toppled President Ibrahim
Boubacar Keita in August 2020.”

 

Africa

 

Al Jazeera: Tanzanian Opposition Leader To Face ‘Terrorism’ Charges: Party
<[link removed]>

 

“Tanzania’s main opposition party has said that its leader and other members
will be charged with “terrorism” after being arrested in a sweeping midnight
raid that has drawn international concern. Chadema chairman Freeman Mbowe and
15 other members were rounded up during the night on Wednesday in a crackdown
denounced as a throwback to the oppressive rule of the country’s late leader.
Police searched Mbowe’s house in Dar es Salaam and seized his laptop and other
devices from family members before transferring the Chadema chairman to the
city’s central prison, the party said on Thursday. “We have received shocking
information that Mbowe will be jointly charged with terrorism alongside the
other suspects being held in prison in Dar es Salaam jail,” it said on Twitter.
Mbowe and the other Chadema officials were arrested in the Lake Victoria port
city of Mwanza ahead of a planned public forum to demand constitutional reform.
The region’s police commander Ramadhan Ngh’anzi said Mbowe would later be
returned to Mwanza to join the others who were arrested for organising the
“banned” meeting. “For now, he is safe in the central police station in Dar es
Salaam,” he told reporters.”

 

United Kingdom

 

Yahoo News: Hateful Neo-Nazi Who Wanted To ‘Purge Gays For The Greater Good’
Jailed For Terrorism
<[link removed]>

 

“Dymock, 24, promoted a banned right-wing group called System Resistance
Network (SRN) through Twitter and on a separate website while studying at
Aberystwyth University, the Old Bailey court heard in June. In 2017, Andrew
Dymock wrote an article that said gay people “are simply degenerate and must be
purged from society for the greater good”. The SRN group also “preached
zero-tolerance” of non-white, Jewish and Muslim communities. Dymock was found
guilty by a jury in June on 15 terror and hate charges. He was sentenced to
seven years in prison by Judge Mark Dennis QC on Wednesday (21 July), with an
additional three years on extended licence. The judge said he believed Dymock
posed a “significant risk of serious harm to the public”, BBC News reports. “It
is clear you were a leader and not a follower,” Judge Dennis said. He said
Andrew Dymock was “wholly misguided” despite the fact that he is both
“intelligent” and “well-read”, adding that he had the advantage of a “good
education and family upbringing”. Despite these privileges, Dymock “chose at
the age of 20, to take the path of dreadful bigotry,” the judge said.”

 

Germany

 

Deutsche Welle: German Court Sentences IS Widow Over Yazidi Slaves
<[link removed]>

 

“A German court on Thursday sentenced the woman, Omaima A., to additional jail
time for using slave women to clean her home. The 37-year-old, already
convicted of belonging to the “Islamic State” (IS) militant group, had already
admitted the offense, the DPA news agency reported. The court confirmed to DW
that a previous sentence of three and a half years would be extended to four
years in total. The defendant told the court that, at the beginning of 2016,
she had two Yazidi slave girls clean her living quarters. Omaima A., the widow
of former rapper and IS fighter Denis Cuspert, said she got in contact with the
girls through a friend but admitted it was clear to her they were there against
their will. “I showed the place to the two slave girls and told them which
areas they should clean,” she said at the time. The German-Tunisian woman, who
was born in Hamburg, distanced herself from IS and said she regretted her
misconduct. She had apologized to the two women, one of whom was a plaintiff in
the trial. The woman had already been convicted of aiding and abetting slavery
for keeping watch over another enslaved Yazidi girl, a 13-year-old, for several
hours. The admission of guilt to aiding and abetting slavery was by agreement
earlier in the process.”

 

Europe

 

CNN: A Far-Right Extremist Killed 77 People In Norway. A Decade On, 'The
Hatred Is Still Out There' But Attacker's Influence Is Seen As Low
<[link removed]>

 

“…The Counter Extremism Project (CEP), an NGO that combats extremist groups,
said in a statement Thursday that survivors of Breivik's attacks had voiced
concern regarding his “status as an inspirational figure among far-right
extremists.” “[This status] underlines the need for greater action to target
the dissemination of known extremist propaganda with clear links to violence on
online platforms,” said David Ibsen, CEP executive director. “The continued
presence of far-right views online, along with greater exposure to extremist
content over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic, is of particular concern.”
According to Ravndal, research indicates that within Norway the far right has
not gained much appeal overall since the attacks and has been unable to turn
out supporters in any numbers on the streets. “Of course in Norway, as
everywhere else, online activity has grown over these 10 years,” he said. “But
whether that reflects a substantial increase of far-right activity or simply
mirrors the growth of social media on the internet, that's very difficult to
say.” On that quiet summer day in 2011, Breivik drove a van packed with a
homemade fertilizer bomb into Oslo and parked it outside a government office.”

 

Vice: The Rise And Fall Of Europe’s Most Influential Far-Right Youth Movement
<[link removed]>

 

“In October 2012, dozens of members of an obscure far-right group stormed the
site of a mosque under construction in the western French city of Poitiers. In
an act of provocation that would draw outrage from across the political
spectrum, the activists draped a huge banner from the roof, that read “732” –
the year an invading Muslim army had been repelled not far from the city. If
the reference was lost on observers, the group’s website made their demands
explicit: “We do not want more immigration from outside Europe, or new mosque
construction on French soil.” The group was Génération Identitaire, or
Generation Identity, and the mosque occupation was just the first of many
attention-grabbing stunts that would become the movement’s stock-in-trade as it
attempted to detoxify far-right politics and inject its extremist ideology into
the political mainstream. In the subsequent years, the pan-European group’s
activities would propel it to become one of the global far-right’s most
influential movements, inspiring extremists – including terrorists – and
reshaping far-right activism across the world, before eventually being banned
and de-platformed in its country of origin earlier this year.”



Click here to unsubscribe.
<[link removed]>