Eye on Extremism
October 16,
2019
The
Washington Post: UN: 85 Civilians Killed In Attacks Targeting Afghan
Election
“A special U.N. report has described the severe impact of
election-related violence on Afghanistan’s civilians, mainly from the
Taliban’s campaign targeting its presidential election last month. The
report released Tuesday says attacks aiming to disrupt the electoral
process killed 85 people and wounded 373 others across the country.
The number includes 277 civilian casualties, 28 killed of whom were
killed Sep. 28 on the polling day. More than one-third of civilian
casualties were children, it added. Afghans voted in presidential
elections earlier last month despite Taliban threats and violence.
However, the polling was marred by widespread misconduct and
accusations of fraud — as well as controversy over what appeared to be
low turnout and claims from a lead contender, Abdullah Abdullah, that
he had won the vote.”
The
Wall Street Journal: Turkey Rejects U.S. Call For Immediate Cease-Fire
In Syria
“Turkey dismissed a U.S. call for an immediate cease-fire in
northeast Syria, pressing ahead with its military offensive as senior
Trump administration officials rushed to Ankara to try to halt
fighting triggered by the withdrawal of American troops from the
region. President Trump has dispatched Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
and Vice President Mike Pence to the Turkish capital, where they will
meet with Mr. Erdogan, on Thursday, to urge him to stop a weeklong
military incursion in northeastern Syria.”
The
New York Times: ‘We Looked To Escape Death’: Violence Uproots Nearly
500,000 In Burkina Faso
“A wave of violent attacks and suspected terrorist activity in
Burkina Faso has triggered a sudden humanitarian crisis, uprooting
hundreds of thousands of people from their homes in what was once one
of West Africa’s most tranquil nations. In the space of just three
weeks, the number of internally displaced people in Burkina Faso has
increased by almost 70 percent to nearly half a million people, in a
nation of 20 million, according to the United Nations refugee agency.
About one-third of the country’s territory has become engulfed in
fighting between armed groups, making the area inaccessible to aid
workers, UNICEF officials said…”
Deutsche
Welle: Southeast Asia In The Crosshairs Of 'Islamic
State'
“Last week, Indonesian Security Minister Wiranto was stabbed twice
as he was getting out of a car in the city of Pandegland in West Java.
He suffered severe injuries and is currently being treated at a
military hospital in Jakarta. The minister is said to be in a stable
condition. Wiranto's attacker was 31-year-old Syahril Alamsyah, a
member of the terrorist organization Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD). JAD
is one of the many terrorist groups in Southeast Asia that have allied
with the “Islamic State” (IS). Other outfits include Abu Sayaf and the
Maute group in the Philippines, along with more than a dozen Islamist
terror organizations that are active across Thailand, Malaysia,
Indonesia, Singapore and the Philippines. However, not all of these
groups have joined IS. For example, the terror group Jemaah Islamiyah
(JI) in Indonesia carried out a bombing on the island of Bali, a
famous tourist destination, in 2002 that killed over 200 people. After
this attack, security forces were able to get JI mostly under control.
But experts say that JI is back, strengthening its network. Zachary
Abuza, a Southeast Asia expert at National War College in Washington
DC, and Colin P. Clarke of the RAND Corporation recently wrote a
report on the security blog Fortuna's Corner concluding that
“Southeast Asia may be the newest breeding ground for militant
Islam.”
Reuters:
Exclusive: U.S. Carried Out Secret Cyber Strike On Iran In Wake Of
Saudi Oil Attack: Officials
“The United States carried out a secret cyber operation against
Iran in the wake of the Sept. 14 attacks on Saudi Arabia’s oil
facilities, which Washington and Riyadh blame on Tehran, two U.S.
officials have told Reuters. The United States carried out a secret
cyber operation against Iran in the wake of the Sept. 14 attacks on
Saudi Arabia’s oil facilities, which Washington and Riyadh blame on
Tehran, two U.S. officials have told Reuters.”
The
Telegraph: How Youtube Led Me Down A Wormhole Of Neo-Nazi Conspiracy
Theories
“How long does it take for supremacists to target you on YouTube?
For one user, it was immediate. “I once clicked on some old German
folk songs, and was then fed folk song videos of neo-Nazis,” the user
explains. “I did not regret having clicked on the politically correct
folk songs... but rather that YouTube apparently thinks that those who
listen to such songs are highly likely to be considered close to
National Socialism.” This is one of 28 crowd-sourced stories from
people who claim their use of YouTube backfired, gathered by search
engine Mozilla this week.”
United States
Associated
Press: Hearing Examines Video That Wasn’t Disclosed In Terror
Case
“Surveillance video taken on the day that two Phoenix men left for
suburban Dallas to attack a 2015 Prophet Muhammad cartoon contest
shows them in religious clothing, one of the men with a handgun on his
hip and both carrying unspecified objects out of their apartment, an
FBI agent has testified. The footage showing Elton Simpson and Nadir
Soofi outside their Phoenix apartment before the attack in Garland was
the focus of a court hearing Tuesday. The FBI didn’t turn over the
footage until three years after a friend of Simpson and Soofi was
convicted for providing the guns used in the attack.”
The
New York Times: U.S. Indicts Turkish Bank On Charges Of Evading Iran
Sanctions
“The Justice Department on Tuesday sharply escalated economic
pressure on Turkey by filing fraud and money-laundering charges
against the country’s second-largest state-owned bank, accusing it of
helping Iran evade United States sanctions. The charges against the
institution, Halkbank, came as the administration sought ways to
project that it was taking a tough line with Turkey after President
Trump effectively signaled this month that the United States would not
stand in the way of Turkey’s desire to send forces into northern
Syria.”
Syria
The
New York Times: Pence And Pompeo To Push Erdogan For Pullback From
Syria
“Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will
meet with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey in Ankara on
Thursday to relay President Trump’s demand that Mr. Erdogan negotiate
a cease-fire in Syria and to reiterate the president’s threat to
impose economic sanctions if he does not comply. The president’s
sending of the delegation — to also include his national security
adviser, Robert C. O’Brien, and the State Department’s special envoy
for Syrian affairs, James F. Jeffrey — is part of a scrambled effort
to wrest back control of a chaotic situation in Syria that has
endangered American forces there even as they prepared to leave.”
Associated
Press: Russia Seeks To Cement Its Role As Power Broker In
Syria
“Russia moved to fill the void left by the United States in
northern Syria on Tuesday, deploying troops to keep apart advancing
Syrian government forces and Turkish troops. At the same time,
tensions grew within NATO as Turkey defied growing condemnation of its
invasion from its Western allies. Now in its seventh day, Turkey’s
offensive against Kurdish fighters has caused tens of thousands to
flee their homes, has upended alliances and is re-drawing the map of
northern Syria for yet another time in the 8-year-old war.”
The
Wall Street Journal: U.S. To Try Diplomacy In Turkey As Russian Forces
Swoop Into Syria
“The Trump administration dispatched senior officials to Turkey to
press for an end to Ankara’s military offensive in northeastern Syria,
as Moscow began to fill a void created by departing U.S. troops.
President Trump on Tuesday said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo would
travel to Turkey with Vice President Mike Pence, who will meet with
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday where, the White
House said, Mr. Pence will reiterate the administration’s commitment
to maintain sanctions on Turkey until a resolution is reached.”
Reuters:
France, Britain Try To Revive Fight Against Islamic State; Decry
Turkey, U.S
“France and Britain on Tuesday accused Turkey and the United States
of undoing five years worth of work in fighting Islamic State and
scrambled to define how to react should militants escape prisons and
camps in Syria. Turkey has pressed on with its assault against Kurdish
militias in northern Syria, while the Russia-backed Syrian army roared
into one of the most hotly contested cities abandoned by U.S. forces
in President Donald Trump’s retreat. “These decisions put into
question five years of effort by the coalition,” French Prime Minister
Edouard Philippe told lawmakers. “This intervention is devastating for
our collective security with the inevitable resurgence of Islamic
State in northern Syria and also probably northwest Iraq.” Britain’s
Foreign Minister Dominic Raab echoed those comments and called
Turkey’s offensive “reckless” an “counterproductive.” Ankara’s
unilateral offensive has angered Washington and Turkey’s main European
NATO allies who fear a return of Islamic State in the region. European
countries are especially concerned about what foreign Islamic State
fighters and adults returning to Europe.”
Reuters:
France's Le Drian To Go To Iraq To Discuss Trials For Jihadists From
Syria
“France’s foreign minister said on Wednesday that he would soon go
to Iraq to discuss a judicial framework to enable jihadists being held
in Syria to face trial. “The subject with the Iraqi authorities is to
find a judicial system that could try all these fighters, including
the French ones,” Jean-Yves Le Drian told BFM television, referring to
Islamic State militants held in Kurdish-controlled camps in
northeastern Syria. European states are trying to fast-track a plan to
shift thousands of foreign Islamic State militants out of Syrian
prison camps and into Iraq, after the outbreak of fresh conflict in
Syria raised the risk of jihadists escaping or returning home,
diplomats and officials have told Reuters. “There needs to be an ad
hoc judicial system and that’s what we’ll be talking to the Iraqi
authorities about,” le Drian said. Le Drian said he would head to Iraq
very soon because it was vital to offer support to Baghdad which was
in danger of seeing the hardline militant group revive its activities
in the northwest Iraq. Iraq saw some of the bloodiest battles against
Islamic State and its government is already conducting trials of
thousands of suspected Islamic State insurgents with many arrested as
the group’s strongholds crumbled throughout Iraq.”
The
National: ISIS Supporters In Syrian Camps Beg Australian Government
For Repatriation
“Two former partners of ISIS fighters have sent audio messages to
the Australian government asking for help as the Syrian army advances
on the Al Hol camp in northern Syria. In one message, the Australian
mother of two young children sobs: “Until now Australia hasn't done
anything for us.” “We understand the world has hate but we're asking
just as regretful humans, don't let us fall into the hands of the
regime, please.” The woman is among 66 Australians, including 46
children, living in the camp for the children and former partners of
ISIS fighters. Syrian government soldiers and a pro-Damascus militia
arrived in the region yesterday as part of a deal with Kurdish leaders
to deter the Turkish invasion. The soldiers arrived on trucks with
some residents cheering them on, but for the occupants of Al Hol camp
it is a frightening development, as the Syrian army has executed ISIS
prisoners. The Australian government has indicated that it will not
take home the women and children. Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton
told radio station 2GB that some of the women in the camp are as
“hard-core” as the fighters and “have the potential and capacity to
come back and cause a mass-casualty event.”
Iran
Reuters:
Iran Holding Second French Researcher: Le Figaro
“A second French national is being detained in Iran and has been
imprisoned since the summer, Le Figaro newspaper reported on
Wednesday, which is likely to complicate France’s efforts to defuse
tensions between the United States and Tehran. Two sources aware of
the matter confirmed to Reuters that Roland Marchal, a senior
researcher from Science-Po university was being held in Iran, but
declined to give further details given the sensitivity of the
matter.”
Iraq
Al
Monitor: Pentagon To Stay In Islamic State Fight From
Iraq
“The Pentagon expects to fight the Islamic State from Iraq, a
senior defense official said today, as American troops are set to
leave northern Syria under pressure from a Turkish offensive probing
deeper into the war-torn country than the Defense Department
anticipated. The campaign to defeat the Islamic State (IS) will
continue, the official told reporters at the Pentagon. “We have
significant assets, personnel as well as coalition capabilities
throughout the region, and we will continue to prosecute that
campaign.” The US Central Command is still planning the details of how
to remotely wage the campaign, which has leaned heavily on a Kurdish
troops that have struck a deal for protection with the Bashar al-Assad
regime under intense military duress from Turkey’s three-pronged drive
into the country. “We will be adjusting to new circumstances on the
ground that create new challenges,” the official said. “But we’re good
at adapting and we’ll continue to do so.” The official said the Syrian
Democratic Forces (SDF) had “signaled a willingness to continue
prosecuting” the fight to defeat IS in Syria. Gen. Raymond Thomas,
then-head of US Special Operations Command, told Congress in March
that the Pentagon was “working on solutions” to remotely provide
support to the SDF, but conceded it would be “harder” for American
units not to have proximity with their Syrian Kurdish and Arab
counterparts.”
Turkey
The
Guardian: Erdoğan’s Calamitous Syrian Blunder Has Finally Broken His
Spell Over Turkey
“If Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Turkey’s belligerent president, were a
true patriot with his country’s security and wellbeing at heart, he
would resign immediately. He has made an appalling hash of things. His
Syrian misadventure, while unusually calamitous, is but the latest in
a long line of foreign blunders. Erdoğan abuses his position. He harms
his country. He is still in office not because he is popular but
because of the fear he instils and the power he crudely wields. It’s
time for him to go.
Afghanistan
Al
Jazeera: Taliban Truck Bomb Kills Police, Wounds Children In
Afghanistan
“At least three security officers have been killed and dozens
wounded, mostly children, after the Taliban set off explosives in a
truck near a police headquarters building in eastern Afghanistan,
officials have said. The spokesman for the Afghan Ministry of Interior
Affairs, Nasrat Rahimi, said Wednesday's attack in Alishang district,
in Laghman province, wounded 36 people, mainly civilians. Asadullah
Daulatzai, a spokesman for the provincial governor, said 20 children,
studying inside a nearby religious school, were among those wounded.
The building was also damaged. “The students were wounded by flying
glass,” he said. “The explosion was huge.” A Taliban spokesman,
Zabihullah Mujahid, confirmed in a statement that fighters used a
large truck packed with explosives in the attack, leaving dozens of
Afghan security forces dead and wounded. Rescuers searched through
the ruins of buildings destroyed by the blast. “We, with the rescue
teams, are still looking for bodies under the rubble,” Obaidullah, a
resident, told Reuters news agency. The attack came during a relative
lull in violence after a presidential election last month that saw a
surge in attacks by the Taliban, who denounced the vote as a
sham.”
Xinhua:
Afghan Forces Kill Over 50 Militants In 24 Hours
“More than 50 militants have been killed elsewhere in Afghanistan
over the past 24 hours as the government forces have intensified
crackdowns on the armed insurgents, officials said Tuesday. The
security forces in the latest operations struck a Taliban hideout in
Aband district of the eastern Ghazni province early Tuesday killing
three militants, provincial government spokesman Aref Nuri said.
According to Nuri, four more insurgents were killed in the neighboring
Deyak district on Monday. Similarly, the government forces' operations
have killed 13 militants and wounded four others in Ghazni's
neighboring Zabul province over the past 24 hours, said a press
release of national army released Tuesday. At least 16 insurgents have
been killed and two others injured as the security forces backed by
fighting planes targeting Taliban hideouts in Kohna Shakh area of
Khawja Bahaudin district in the northern Takhar province since Monday,
an army statement said. Government forces have also stormed Taliban
hideout in Wardoj district of the northern Badakhshan district on
Monday killing 15 militants and injuring five others, a district
official Zalmay Khan said.”
Pakistan
The
New York Times: As Militants Kill In Kashmir, People Are Afraid To Go
To Work
“Militants are terrorizing civilians in the fractious Kashmir
Valley, hoping to bring life there to a halt in protest of India’s
dramatic reorganizing of the region. And many civilians eager to
return to work after weeks of a military clampdown say they are
terrified of provoking the militants’ ire. The fatal shooting of a
truck driver transporting apples on Monday night is the most recent in
a campaign of threats and violence that separatist militants have
carried out since August, when the Indian government unilaterally
revoked the autonomy that Kashmir had held for years. “This is bad
news for business,” said Mohammad Asharf Wani, the president of the
Fruit Association of Shopian, in Kashmir’s apple-producing region.
Apple growing is a source of income for thousands of Kashmiris, and
October is the height of apple picking season. In Monday night’s
attack, a truck driver — from Rajasthan, a state hundreds of miles
away — was set on by a mob as he was loading his truck with apples in
the Shopian area. Witnesses said that a crowd pelted the driver with
stones, and that when he tried to crawl into a sleeping area at the
front of the truck to escape, members of the crowd dragged him out. A
masked militant then pulled out an assault rifle, witnesses said, and
shot the driver in the head at close range, killing him
instantly.”
Time:
Pakistan Faces Blacklisting Over Terrorism Financing And Money
Laundering
“Pakistan is trying to avoid getting blacklisted by the Financial
Action Task Force, a global watchdog, when it meets Wednesday in
Paris. A report earlier this month by the task force’s Asia Pacific
Group, which monitors Pakistan’s progress, is not encouraging. The
report says Pakistan has fully implemented only one item from a list
of 40 measures that the country should be taking to curb terrorist
financing and money laundering. The other 39 measures were either
partially implemented or in some cases overlooked entirely. Iran and
North Korea are currently the only two countries on the blacklist.
Being blacklisted would be a serious blow for Pakistan’s Prime
Minister Imran Khan as he tries to boost its faltering economy and
attract foreign investment and loans. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran
Khan has denounced India’s crackdown in Kashmir and warned of a
“bloodbath” in the disputed region. Pakistan got a mixed review for
its efforts to curb terrorist financing and money laundering as it
tries to avoid getting blacklisted by the Financial Action Task Force,
a global watchdog, when it meets Wednesday in Paris. A report earlier
this month by the task force’s Asia Pacific Group, which monitors
Pakistan’s progress, was not encouraging.”
Yemen
Xinhua:
Houthis Intensify Attacks In Southern
Yemen
“Yemen's Houthi rebels intensified their attacks against areas
controlled by the pro-government forces in the country's southern part
on Tuesday evening, a military official told Xinhua. The military
source said on condition of anonymity that "Houthi fighters launched a
series of attacks against different locations in areas controlled by
the pro-government forces in the southern province of Dhale." The
Houthi attacks targeted the pro-government military locations on
northern outskirts of Dhale near Qataba district, the source
said.”
Somalia
Xinhua:
Somali Forces Kill 11 Al-Shabab Militants In Southern
Regions
“Somali national forces on Tuesday killed 11 al-Shabab extremists
in an operation in the southern region of Gedo, a military official
said. Ali Mohamed Hassan, commander of the Unit 49 division 10 of
Somali National Army told journalists that the forces launched an
attack on the militants in the outskirts of Bardhere town following a
tip-off from the residents that the militants were forcefully
collecting taxes from the locals. “There was a fierce gunfight between
our army and the militants, but our forces finally drove the militants
out of the town. We killed 11 of them during the gun fight,” the
commander said. He noted that the security forces recovered 300
animals which the militants forcefully took from the residents. The
commander also said their forces captured al-Shabab fighters during
the battle. Locals reported heavy fighting in the town between the
army and the militant group which has been fighting to overthrow the
Western-backed government. “Al-Shabab ordered the residents to collect
a large number of animals and suddenly they were attacked by the
government army. Both sides exchanged heavy artillery for a while, but
the situation returned to normal after the militants were chased from
the town,” Asmo Bashir, a resident told Xinhua through phone.”
North Korea
Associated
Press: Kim Rides Horse On Sacred Peak, Vows To Fight US
Sanctions
“North Korea released a series of photos Wednesday showing leader
Kim Jong Un riding a white horse to a sacred mountain he has often
climbed before making key decisions. Near the mountain, Kim reportedly
vowed to overcome U.S.-led sanctions that he said had both pained and
infuriated his people. The images and Kim’s rhetoric appeared aimed at
bolstering his leadership at home as the North tries to pressure the
United States into making concessions in nuclear diplomacy.”
United Kingdom
The
Telegraph: Britain To Consider Bringing Back Children Of Islamic State
Fighters, Dominic Raab Says
“Orphans thought to be British caught up in fighting in Syria
should be brought back to the UK, Dominic Raab said yesterday, adding
that the “fluid situation” may mean Islamic State fighters could be
repatriated too. Amira, 10, her sister, Hiba, eight, and their brother
Hamza, who were brought to Syria to live in Isil’s “caliphate” five
years ago by their late parents, were discovered this week in a
detention camp. They had to be rescued by the UN’s refugee agency on
Sunday after Ain Issa camp came under Turkish attack and detainees
escaped. “It is clear that the humanitarian situation will be
compounded, not made any better, by the intervention made by Turkey,
it also has much broader implications for stability.” Mr Raab, Foreign
Secretary, told the Commons. “In relation to minors, unaccompanied
minors or orphans, I can tell you that, assuming that they would
represent no security threat... we would be willing to see them return
home if that can be done in a safe way given the situation on the
ground.” The security situation has dramatically worsened since
Turkish and allied Syrian forces began their offensive on Kurdish-held
north-east Syria last Wednesday. Any possible extraction of the
children would also be complicated by the deal made between Kurdish
forces and the Bashar al-Assad regime, with whom the UK has no
diplomatic relations.”
France
RFI:
French Women “Rejoin IS” After Fleeing Displacement Camps In Northern
Syria
“At least three French women who were being held in a Syrian
Kurdish-run camp for families of jihadists, claim they have rejoined
the Islamic State armed group according to messages they sent their
lawyers on Tuesday. Several French women who had travelled to Syria to
join Islamic State when the jihadist group was growing in numbers,
were captured once main elements of the armed group were defeated. The
women and children had been separated from the fighters and placed in
a camp for displaced persons in northeast Syria. But since Turkey’s
week-long incursion into northern Syria to target Kurdish forces, many
of the Kurdish-run prisons housing families of jihadists have been
abandoned, giving those inside a chance to escape as they did over the
weekend. The Kurdish administration in northern Syria says Turkish
bombardments near the camp in the northern town of Ain Issa gave 785
relatives of IS members a chance to be rescued by Islamic State
fighters. In one message sent to a relative, as confirmed by AFP, one
of the women said they had been “retrieved” by IS. One of her
relatives told the families’ lawyer, Marie Dose, in a message that the
men who took charge of the women said “We are your brothers from the
Islamic State, we will take you to safety in the desert.”
Europe
Iran
Focus: Experts Say It’s Time For EU To Blacklist Iran-Tied Hizballah
In Its Entirety
“Both the Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council have already
classified the Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah as a terrorist
organization. The European Union, however, decided six years ago to
put only the "military wing" of Hezbollah, an ally of Iran, on its
terrorist list. At the time, this partial recognition was a success.
The 28 Member States finally - after much resistance - added
Iran-funded Hezbollah on the EU terror list. Thanks to the initiative
of Britain and the determination of Bulgaria - which had to face a
deadly Hezbollah attack last year - as well as Cyprus - where a
Hezbollah supporter was arrested for spying on targets - the EU
acknowledged the threat posed by Hezbollah in European cities.”
Australia
The
Guardian: Threat From Extreme Rightwing Terrorism In
Australia Has Increased, Asio Says
“The threat from extreme rightwing terrorism in Australia has
increased in recent years and will remain an “enduring threat”,
according to Australia’s spy agency. The Australian Security and
Intelligence Organisation issued the warning in its latest annual
report, adding that “extreme rightwing groups in Australia are more
cohesive and organised than they have been in previous years”. The
comments amp up the agency’s concern about rightwing extremist
terrorism, after Asio boss Duncan Lewis told Senate estimates in April
it was an important issue but the Christchurch massacre had not
changed the agency’s calculus. The massacre of 49 people at two
mosques in Christchurch, for which 28-year-old Australian Brenton
Tarrant has been charged, prompted renewed scrutiny of the far right
including by Australia’s home affairs department. The Asio report said
the national terrorism threat level remained at “probable” because
“credible intelligence … indicates an intention and capability to
conduct a terrorist attack in Australia”. “The principal source of the
terrorist threat remains Sunni Islamist extremism and emanates
primarily from small groups and individuals inspired, directed or
encouraged by extremist groups overseas,” it said.”
The
Guardian: Accused Rightwing Terrorist Researched Recipe For Mace And
Bombs, Court Hears
“The Victorian supreme court has heard that an accused rightwing
terrorist allegedly labelled members of a socialist organisation
“traitors” and looked up a recipe for mace and how to make bombs when
writing a how-to guide. Phillip Galea, 34, is standing trial over
alleged terrorist plots against Melbourne anarchist and socialist
groups between August 2015 and 2016. He called a member of the
Socialist Alliance a “traitor”, a Victorian supreme court jury was
told on Wednesday. The guide Galea is accused of writing was titled
the Patriot’s Cookbook. “The only way you can strike fear into them
was to put something like that out there so that way they realise
they’re in danger,” he allegedly told police after he was arrested. “I
told people to defend themselves, to arm themselves ... but I’d never
encourage anybody to commit a terrorist attack.” However, prosecutors
argued he intended for the document to incite others to act with
violence. “He was writing this as a counter to the effect of the
Anarchist Cookbook ... and was doing so in the knowledge it was likely
to cause others to commit terrorist offences,” the prosecutor, Richard
Maidment QC, said. Documents found on his laptop were said to have
included guides and images of home-made shotguns and body armour.”
Southeast Asia
Al
Jazeera: US 'Concerned' Over Untrackable China Ships Carrying Iran
Oil
“The White House has warned Chinese shipping companies against
turning off their ships' transponders to hide Iranian oil shipments in
violation of United States sanctions, two senior administration
officials said. "We've been messaging very heavily to the shipping
companies, you don't want to do this, it's not worth it," said one
official, who spoke to Reuters news agency on condition of
anonymity.
South
China Morning Post: Indonesia On Alert As Isis Fighters Escape Syria
To Awaken Sleeper Terror Cells Back Home
“Some 50 Indonesian Islamic State fighters and their family members
imprisoned in northern Syria are believed to have escaped during
Turkey’s invasion of the region to oust Kurdish forces, according to a
counterterrorism source. Turkey began a military assault on Syria
after the United States abruptly withdrew its troops from the country
last week. Of the 12,000 Isis militants held in Syrian jails, about
2,000 come from foreign countries, including Indonesia and Malaysia.
The rest are mostly from Syria and Iraq. “According to our
intelligence, around 50 Indonesian fighters and their families held in
prison in Syria have escaped. That is our latest information,” an
Indonesian counterterrorism source, who declined to be named, told the
Post. Indonesia has an estimated 34 jihadist fighters and about 700
Isis family members in Syria, he said. “We have tightened up our
surveillance at the airports, ports, land borders,” he said. The
12,000 jailed Isis militants in Syria are guarded by only 400 Kurdish
soldiers, who also oversee a sprawling camp holding over 70,000 Isis
family members. As Turkey escalates its assaults in Syria, the Kurdish
guards are buckling under severe strain.”
Technology
CBS
News: Facebook Officially Launches Libra Cryptocurrency Despite
High-Profile Defections
“Facebook officially moved forward with its plans Monday to create
a new digital currency called Libra, despite several high-profile
defections from the project and intense criticism from U.S. regulators
and politicians. The Libra Association, the nonprofit that will govern
the currency, officially signed on 21 charter members on Monday at the
organization's inaugural meeting in Geneva. Originally the Libra
Association had 27 potential members, but several companies dropped
out in recent days, including Visa, Mastercard and PayPal.”
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