Eye on Extremism
October 18, 2019
The
Wall Street Journal: Turkey Agrees to Pause Military Operations in
Northern Syria
“Turkey agreed to suspend military operations in northern Syria for
five days in return for a U.S. pledge to facilitate a pullout by
Syrian Kurdish fighters, a deal President Trump hailed as “an amazing
outcome,” but that some critics said mainly fulfilled Turkish goals.
Vice President Mike Pence reached the deal after five hours of talks
with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday aimed at
stopping a nine-day Turkish military incursion into Kurdish-held areas
in northern Syria. The U.S. and Kurds have been allies in fighting
Islamic State, but Turkey considers Kurdish forces to be
terrorists.”
The
Washington Post: The Past Three Months In Afghanistan Have Been The
Deadliest For Civilians In A Decade
“More civilians were killed and injured in Afghanistan in the past
quarter than during any other three-month period in the past decade,
according to a U.N. report released Thursday, a spike that coincided
with increased violence as talks to end an 18-year war gained steam
and then suddenly collapsed. Between July and September, 1,174
civilians were killed and 3,139 were wounded. Those figures bring
total civilian casualties (both dead and injured) this year to more
than 8,000, according to counts by the U.N. Assistance Mission in
Afghanistan. In the previous quarter, 785 civilians were killed and
1,254 were wounded. Both the Taliban and the U.S.-backed Afghan
military have stepped up operations in recent months. Before President
Trump scuttled the talks in early September, both sides were fighting
to gain leverage ahead of a deal. Tadamichi Yamamoto, the U.N.
secretary general’s special representative for Afghanistan, said the
high number of civilian casualties is “unacceptable, especially in the
context of the widespread recognition that there can be no military
solution to the conflict in Afghanistan.” Overall, the United Nations
blamed Taliban attacks for the most civilian casualties this year,
because of an increased use of suicide bombs and other
explosives.”
Foreign
Policy: Turkish Proxies Appear To Be Using White Phosphorus In
Syria
“Turkish-backed forces appear to be using white phosphorus-loaded
munitions—a chemical that can maim and kill when it comes in contact
with human flesh—in their violent campaign against Kurdish fighters in
northern Syria, Foreign Policy has learned. Meanwhile, reports emerged
overnight that Turkey continues to attack Kurdish fighters and
civilian settlements in the border town of Ras al-Ain, despite a
ceasefire agreement announced by U.S. Vice President Mike Pence.
Turkish-backed forces targeted a Kurdish medical convoy and an
American aid organization trying to get into the town to evacuate
wounded civilians, according to a Syrian conflict monitor.”
Reuters:
Iraq Prudent Over Taking Islamic State Foreign
Nationals
“Iraqi officials appeared cautious on Thursday after holding talks
with European powers this week aimed at accelerating efforts to create
a judicial framework that would enable jihadists being held in Syria
to face trial in Iraq. European states have been trying to fast-track
a plan to move thousands of foreign Islamic State militants out of
Syrian prison camps and into Iraq, after the Turkish offensive in
northern Syria raised the risk of jihadists escaping or returning
home, diplomats and officials have told Reuters. Legal experts from
Belgium, Britain, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden
have been in Baghdad this week for technical talks, and French Foreign
Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian was in Iraq on Thursday to discuss the
issue with the Iraqi government and Kurdish leaders. Speaking at a
news conference with Le Drian, Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohammed
al-Hakim said his government’s priority was to bring back Iraqi
fighters and their families “if possible”. “With regard (to) foreign
fighters ... these countries must take necessary and appropriate
measures to try these people,” he said, without elaborating. Europeans
comprise a fifth of around 10,000 Islamic State fighters held captive
in Syria by Kurdish militias which are under heavy attack by Turkish
forces.”
The
Washington Post: Video Giant Twitch Pushes Trump Rallies And Mass
Violence Into The Live-Stream Age
“Joshua Fisher-Birch, a researcher at the nonprofit Counter
Extremism Project, said the rise of terrorist violence performed
online can’t be blamed on any one technology. But the power that a
video-sharing platform gives users, to broadcast live to the world,
can still have consequences that are too devastating to ignore. "When
someone commits an act of violence like this, they’re speaking to this
community that idealizes these extremist mass shooters. There’s a
group of people they want to impress," Fisher-Birch said.
"Live-streaming turns that act of violence into a spectacle, … this
simultaneously public and intimate act." For violent extremists, he
added, the technology "has turned mass shootings like these into
propaganda gold mines."
The
New York Times: At A School For Suicide Bombers’ Children, Dancing,
Drawing And Deradicalization
“Ais likes to dance. She knows the words to “I’m a Little Teapot.”
Her dimples are disarming. Her parents didn’t want their daughter to
dance. They didn’t want her to sing. They wanted her to die with them
for their cause. Last year, when she was 7, Ais squeezed onto a
motorcycle with her mother and brother. They carried a packet that Ais
refers to as coconut rice wrapped in banana leaves. Her father and
other brother climbed onto a different bike with another parcel. They
sped toward a police station in the Indonesian city of Surabaya, a
place of mixed faith. The parcels were bombs, and they were set off at
the gate to the police station. Catapulted off the motorcycle by the
force of the explosion, Ais rose from the pavement like a ghost, her
pale head-to-toe garment fluttering in the chaos. Every other member
of her family died. No bystanders were killed. The Islamic State,
halfway across the world, claimed responsibility for the attack. Ais,
who is being identified by her nickname (pronounced ah-iss) to protect
her privacy, is now part of a deradicalization program for children
run by the Indonesian Ministry of Social Affairs. In a leafy compound
in the capital, Jakarta, she bops to Taylor Swift, reads the Quran and
plays games of trust.”
United States
Miami
Herald: South Florida Man Found Guilty Of Sending Weapons To Colombian
Terrorist Group
“A South Florida man pleaded guilty Thursday to shipping a cache of
weapons inside air compressors to a violent Colombian rebel group at
the center of an uncommon U.S. terrorism-support case. Francisco
Joseph Arcila Ramirez, who is a legal permanent resident in the United
States, reached a plea agreement convicting him of providing “material
support to a foreign terrorist organization,” the ELN, a leftist group
that was responsible for the deadly bombing of a Bogotá police academy
in January of this year. The group, also known as the National
Liberation Army, did not use any weapons from Ramirez’s shipment in
that attack, however.”
The
Greenville News: Students Return From Fall Break To Find Swastikas And
'Sexually Explicit' Graffiti In Dorm
“Furman University students returned from fall break to discover
swastikas and "sexually explicit" comments and drawings in one
dormitory. University officials said the graffiti was discovered
Tuesday on whiteboards that hang on dorm room doors at Blackwell Hall,
a co-ed dorm for freshman students. "It was crude, offensive
language," Clinton Colmenares, a spokesperson for the school, said.
Colmenares said the messages have been erased.”
Reuters:
Trump Defends Middle East Policy, Says Islamic State Is Under
Control
“U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday defended his Middle East
policy, as he comes under bipartisan criticism over his
administration’s move to withdraw U.S. troops from northeast Syria and
an agreement for a 120-hour pause to a Turkish incursion of the area.
“ISIS is totally under control and we’re continuing to capture more,”
Trump said, using an acronym for Islamic State. He spoke at a
ribbon-cutting ceremony for a factory in Texas.”
Syria
The
Wall Street Journal: Fighting Flares In Syria Despite Hours-Old
Cease-Fire
“A day-old cease-fire deal between the U.S. and Turkey that led to
a brief lull in the Turkish offensive in northeastern Syria appeared
shaky Friday. Fighting flared in the border region with each side
blaming the other for the resumption in violence. On Thursday, the
U.S. and Turkey agreed that Ankara would suspend military operations
so Kurdish fighters could lay down arms and leave the area. But
sporadic clashes, drone strikes and artillery shelling resumed
overnight and increased into Friday morning around the Syrian border
town of Ras al-Ain, according to people living in the area and a
commander and a media officer with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic
Forces, or SDF.”
The
Washington Post: Amid A Hasty Withdrawal, Pentagon Scrambles To Revise
Campaign Against Islamic State
“U.S. officials acknowledged this week the difficulty of preventing
an Islamic State resurgence in Syria once the bulk of American forces
withdraw, as the military scrambles to assemble a plan for battling
the militants from afar. The rush to revise the campaign blueprint
comes as the Pentagon moves to ensure that U.S. troops aren’t swept up
in a Turkish military operation in northern Syria, which has unleashed
chaos in what was a relatively stable area and handed a major
advantage to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his chief military
backer, Russia. The fast-moving events of the past week follow
President Trump’s sudden decision to remove U.S. forces from northern
Syria ahead of Ankara’s planned offensive against U.S.-allied Kurdish
forces, who helped drive out the Islamic State. The Pentagon had hoped
to keep a small number of troops in the area to contain what it says
is a still-potent militant threat. The officials, who spoke on the
condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, stressed
that the planning has not reached its final stages. They said the
discussions centered on arrangements that would permit the United
States to continue some level of air attacks and surveillance from
outside Syria, relying in part on an expanded footprint in Jordan, and
transferring Special Operations forces to Iraq.”
The
New York Times: Kurds Accuse Turkey Of Violating Truce As Shelling
Continues In Syria
“The leadership of the Syrian Kurdish fighters accused the Turkish
military and its proxies on Friday of violating the terms of a truce
in northern Syria that was brokered a day earlier by Vice President
Mike Pence, raising questions about the feasibility of the cease-fire
and whether the Americans can enforce it. A spokesman for the Kurdish
forces, Mustafa Ali, said on Twitter that Turkey continued to pound
civilian areas and a hospital, despite the announcement on Thursday
night by Mr. Pence that there would be a five-day pause in the
fighting.”
The
Atlantic: The Democrats’ Hypocrisy On Syria
“On Tuesday night, the Democratic presidential candidates vied with
one another to offer the harshest condemnation of President Donald
Trump’s abrupt withdrawal of American troops from northern Syria. Joe
Biden called it “the most shameful thing that any president has done
in modern history … in terms of foreign policy.” Elizabeth Warren said
Trump “has cut and run on our allies,” and “created a bigger-than-ever
humanitarian crisis.” Kamala Harris announced, “Yet again Donald Trump
[is] selling folks out.”
Fox
News: Gen. Jack Keane: There Is 'No Doubt' ISIS Will Return After US
Pullout From Syria
“There is “no doubt” that ISIS will return in the wake of the
Turkey-Syria conflict, Fox News senior strategic analyst Gen. Jack
Keane said Thursday. Appearing on “America's Newsroom” with anchor
Bill Hemmer, Keane said, “It's not a possibility, it's guaranteed.”
“There [are] 18,000 ISIS fighters operating between Iraq and Syria
right now,” he explained. “According to Ambassador Jeffrey, who is
President Trump's personal envoy, there [are] 10,000 ISIS fighters in
20 detention centers guarded by the Kurds. That's a significant force
if you put it together: 28,000.” “That's pretty close to where we
began with ISIS in 2014,” he told Hemmer. Vice President Mike Pence
and a delegation are in the Turkish capital of Ankara Thursday to try
to broker a cease-fire. However, Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan
has been less than receptive to the words of the U.S. president. He
reportedly threw into the trash an Oct. 9 letter from President Trump
warning him against taking action along the border, as well as
threatening economic sanctions. “If we can get a cease-fire and
negotiate the buffer zone that we had been negotiating before Erdogan
decided to stop that and invade, that's clearly the right answer,”
Keane said.”
Al
Jazeera: France, Iraq Diplomats Hold Talks On ISIL Prisoners In
Syria
“Iraq's top diplomat has said Baghdad will take back its citizens
suspected of fighting with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
(ISIL or ISIS) in Syria, while urging home countries of other
detainees to also take the “needed measures”. Mohammed Ali al-Hakim's
comments on Thursday followed talks with his French counterpart,
Jean-Yves le Drian, who was in Baghdad to discuss the fate of
thousands of suspected ISIL members held in makeshift prisons in
northeast Syria following a Turkish offensive in the region. “We
discussed the situation in Syria and Iraq is taking all measures to
prevent foreign fighters from crossing through the border into Iraq,”
al-Hakim told a news conference. “The number of the foreign fighters
in Syria is very high, and they are from up to 72 countries. These
countries should take necessary measures toward their citizens,” he
said, a move that signals Baghdad will not accept those who came from
around the world to Iraq and Syria to join the armed group. Iraq will
repatriate its own citizens and put them on trial, he added. The
Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) says it is holding about
12,000 suspected ISIL fighters in northeast Syria. They include 2,000
foreigners, of which 800 are Europeans.”
The
Atlantic: There Is No Plan B For ISIS
Prisoners
“The prisoners were an emergency waiting to happen. For months,
thousands of suspected Islamic State fighters from some 50 countries
languished in makeshift jails in the desert; sometimes, a few broke
out. But U.S.-backed Kurdish forces were, for the most part, keeping
them locked up. Then President Donald Trump ordered U.S. forces to
withdraw from outposts in northeastern Syria, clearing the way for the
Turkish assault on America’s Kurdish partners in the fight on ISIS,
and destroying the tenuous balance that has helped keep the Islamic
State contained. Vice President Mike Pence’s announcement of a
five-day pause in the fighting today—meant to give Kurdish forces time
to leave territory within 20 miles of the Turkish border—also included
the promise that Turkey would cooperate with the U.S. to guard
prisoners. But it left unresolved the question of how those prisoners
would be transferred from the custody of the Kurdish-led Syrian
Democratic Forces, because the SDF was not part of the negotiations
that led to the deal and had no immediate response to it. Meanwhile,
in the chaos of the days leading up to Tuesday’s announcement, and
with many Kurdish forces suddenly consumed with defending themselves,
more suspected fighters reportedly broke out.”
The
Daily Beast: Captives In ISIS Detention Camps Fear Calm Before The
Storm
“The Trump administration and Turkey say they’ve reached a
ceasefire. The formerly U.S.-backed forces of the Syrian Democratic
Forces say they’ll accept it but won’t accept further incursions into
Kurdish-held areas. Caught in the middle of the war between Turkey and
Syrian Kurds are tens of thousands of ISIS prisoners—mostly women and
children—now detained in a sprawling network of camps guarded by
Kurdish forces who are waiting and considering their options amidst
uncertainty about who, if anyone, will man the gates of their
temporary homes. The Daily Beast reached out to a number of those
women and found a range of views about the Turkish offensive and what
it could mean for ISIS detainees. Some professed optimism about the
possibility of release in the event that Kurdish guards melted away or
Turkish forces took a more permissive attitude toward security.
Others, however, are worried about what could happen to them under a
new regime just as they’ve grown accustomed to living under Kurdish
forces. President Trump’s withdrawal of U.S. forces from Syria has
prompted intense criticism and warnings that the ensuing security
vacuum could lead ISIS to rebuild in Syria.”
The
National: Up To 100 ISIS Members Escape Al Hol Camp In
Syria
“Up to 100 suspected ISIS members escaped Al Hol camp in eastern
Syria on Wednesday, as concerns over the security of prisons under
Kurdish control grows one week into a Turkish-backed offensive in
North East Syria. A western diplomatic source told The National that
dozens escaped from the camp’s so-called annex - where many of the
most dangerous, foreign ISIS members are held. The camp has a
population of over 60,000, most of whom are internally displaced
people from Iraq and Syria. Yet more than 10,000 foreign women and
children are also housed a secure section known as the annex. The
source did not say what nationalities may have been among the
escapees. It came as Iraq’s foreign minister announced the country
would take back Iraqi ISIS suspects currently held in SDF custody.
There has been a wave of attempted break outs from facilities holding
ISIS suspects since the Turkish operation - dubbed Operation Peace
Spring - began last Wednesday. ISIS-affiliated channels on Telegram
named the two Belgian ISIS militants believed to have who escape
Kurdish custody last week as Mohammed Botachbaqut and Yassine
Cheikhki, according to the Qamishli based Rojava Information
Centre.”
Iran
Reuters:
Pompeo Seeks To Assure Israel-U.S Focus Stays On Iran
'Threat'
“Secretary of State Mike Pompeo underscored U.S.-Israeli efforts to
counter Iran in talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on
Friday, in an apparent attempt to ease concerns in Israel that Tehran
could exploit a U.S. military pullback in Syria. Pompeo and Netanyahu
met in Jerusalem hours after Turkey agreed with the United States to
pause its offensive on Kurdish forces in Syria.”
Al-Monitor:
Pentagon Turns To Irregular Tactics To Counter Iran
“The Pentagon is trying to put the finishing touches on a plan to
use irregular warfare tactics to temper Iran’s military escalation in
the Middle East, Al-Monitor has learned. In a still-classified review
ordered by former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, the Pentagon is aiming
to find new ways to counter Iran’s lower-cost military operations,
such as the shooting down of a $100 million US surveillance drone over
the Gulf in June. “Iran utilizes, principally through the Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps, Quds Force, an economy of force and capital
model that prioritizes relatively low-cost operations,” said Mick
Mulroy, the Pentagon’s top Middle East policy official. “We can do
much more to combat this strategy by calibrating our responses and
levying a counter-cost imposition strategy against Iran, whose pockets
are much shallower than ours.”
Haaretz:
From Iraq To The Red Sea, Iran-Israel Battleground Now Spans Entire
Mideast
“Ten years ago there were numerous reports about Israeli actions in
the Red Sea, primarily directed against Iranian arms smuggling to the
region and against weapons manufacturing sites in Sudan. The
international media attributed various operations to the IDF,
including aerial bombardments and commando raids on the Sudanese
coast. Back in 2002, in the Red Sea south of Sharm al-Sheikh, Israeli
naval commandos raided the Karine A, a ship loaded with weapons that
the Iranians were attempting to smuggle to the Palestinians. This
successful IDF operation at the height of the second intifada also
yielded an important diplomatic gain, as it helped Israel convince
U.S. President George W. Bush of Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser
Arafat’s deep involvement in terrorism.”
Financial
Times: Mystery Surrounds Abduction Of France-Based Iranian
Activist
“From his homes in France and Turkey, Ruhollah Zam called on his 1m
followers on social media to reveal what they knew about the Tehran
political elite’s alleged corrupt dealings and sexual affairs. Through
the Amadnews channel on the popular Telegram app, Mr Zam encouraged
Iranians to try to overthrow the Tehran regime, even going so far as
providing online tutorials on how to make petrol bombs during the
unrest of late 2017. So for many Iranians it came as a shock to see
the 46-year-old son of a former reformist official back in Tehran this
week, on state television, regretting his past opposition to the
regime and advising people not to ever trust foreign intelligence
services.”
Iraq
The
National: French Foreign Minister Talks Trying Thousands Of ISIS
Suspects In Iraq
“France's top diplomat held talks in Baghdad on Thursday about
transferring foreign militants from northern Syria, where a Turkish
offensive has triggered fears of mass jailbreaks, to be tried in Iraq.
European governments are worried that the Turkish operation will allow
the escape of some of the 12,000 suspected ISIS group fighters –
including thousands of foreigners – held by Syrian Kurds. The issue
was top of the agenda for French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian
in his talks with his Iraqi counterpart Mohammed Ali Al Hakim,
President Barham Saleh and Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi. Mr Le
Drian said he had discussed with Iraqi leaders “the way to implement
an appropriate judicial mechanism” to try French and other fighters
“in the best conditions”. The aim is for foreign militants to be tried
in Iraqi courts while upholding certain principles of justice and
respect for human rights, a French diplomatic source said. One issue
will be Iraq's use of the death penalty, which is outlawed throughout
the EU. Belgium, Britain, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands
and Sweden sent officials on a technical mission to Baghdad this week
to assess the situation.”
Afghanistan
The
Washington Post: Pro-Government Forces Make Fragile Gains Against
Taliban In Northeast Afghanistan
“Victory against the Taliban in this remote northeastern province
of Afghanistan is measured in distance: 20 miles of mud-brick villages
and dirt roads. That’s how far Afghan Gen. Yasin Zia’s motley crew —
local fighters in T-shirts, Afghan Army commandos in American tactical
gear, and intelligence officers in shalwar kameez — managed to push
back the militants, who had come within six miles of the provincial
capital of Taloqan. “For us, this was a huge victory,” Zia said from a
dusty hilltop used as a makeshift base. The advances against the
Taliban here, as elsewhere, came at a price. Pro-government forces
lost more than a dozen foot soldiers in the battles, both from
friendly fire and Taliban counterattacks. And Zia and local leaders
warn that the string of villages, long home to profitable smuggling
routes, could easily slip back under insurgent control once troops
leave. Across the country, Taliban forces have expanded their reach in
recent years, building strength in rural communities and from there
launching attacks on urban centers. The Afghan government’s control
slipped to just over half the country in October 2018, the last
assessment produced by the U.S.-commanded mission in
Afghanistan.”
Reuters:
Pakistan Expects To Avert Blacklisting Over Terrorism
Financing
“Backed by longtime ally China, Pakistan is confident it will avert
blacklisting over terrorism financing by a global watchdog on Friday
but it will not be completely off the hook until it proves it is
genuinely severing ties with Islamist militants, officials and
analysts said. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) last year placed
Pakistan on a gray list of countries with inadequate controls over
terrorism financing. The group, holding a five-day meeting, will
decide on Friday whether to retain that, or blacklist it alongside
Iran and North Korea. If blacklisted, Islamabad faces financial
consequences and economic setbacks at a time when its economy is
facing a balance of payment crisis. “The main challenge for Pakistan
is to convince the FATF that it is taking complete and irreversible
steps against terrorist financing,” Michael Kugelman, deputy director
Asia Program at the Wilson Center thinktank, told Reuters by email.
Pakistan, which blames arch-rival India for lobbying to blacklist it,
is relying for support on friendly countries like China, Turkey and
Malaysia. Three votes are mandatory for any country to escape the
blacklisting.”
Xinhua:
Afghan Forces Kill 12 Militants, Destroy Hideout In Eastern Logar
Province
“The security forces have killed 12 militants in a tunnel used by
the insurgents as a hideout to target security forces in the eastern
Logar province, said an army statement released here Thursday. Acting
upon intelligence report, the security forces targeted a Taliban
hideout in Charkh district on Wednesday and killing 12 armed
insurgents on the spot, the statement said. According to the
statement, the hideout virtually was a tunnel dug by the militants to
target the security forces and hide themselves and their weapons
inside it. Taliban militants who are active in parts of the relatively
troubled Logar province haven't commented yet.”
Pakistan
The
Washington Post: Pakistan Silences Army’s Critics With Raids, Terror
Charges
“A dozen plainclothes Pakistani security forces attempted Thursday
to raid the former home of a human rights activist who recently fled
to the United States seeking asylum. Gulalai Ismail’s elderly parents
said they were ordered to come outside “just to talk,” but refused.
The security men eventually left after nearly an hour. “I told them
you have weapons in your hands and no uniform — I won’t come out,”
said Ismail’s father, Mohammad, a retired professor living in the
capital of Islamabad. Raids like this are part of an expanding push by
Pakistan’s security services to crack down on anyone who voices
criticism of their activities. Gulalai Ismail’s parents are facing
charges of financing terrorism, allegedly for funneling money from
their daughter toward terrorist activities. They deny the charges and
are currently out on bail but have been ordered not to leave Pakistan.
Their daughter went into hiding for several weeks after her criticism
of the Pakistan army and its powerful intelligence made her a target.
Last month she surfaced in the U.S. seeking asylum. The family
supports an ethnic Pashtun movement known as the PTM that is
stridently critical of the army’s war on terror, particularly in the
country’s border regions.”
The
Guardian: Five Killed In Kashmir's Deadliest Day Since Losing Special
Status
“Five people were killed in Indian-administered Kashmir on
Wednesday, thought to be the deadliest day in the region since it was
stripped of its autonomy this summer. Two non-Kashmiris – an apple
trader from Punjab and a migrant labourer – were killed in separate
attacks by suspected militants in Shopian and Pulwama, south Kashmir.
A second apple trader was in a critical condition. Earlier on
Wednesday security forces killed three alleged rebels near Bijbehara
town, 28 miles south of the main city of Srinagar. Kashmir has been
under a security lockdown since 5 August when the Indian government
scrapped its special status. Mobile phone services were restored for
some users on Monday after a 72-day blackout but internet services
remain suspended. Before Delhi’s announcement that it was to remove
Kashmir’s autonomy, the leader of the region’s largest militant group,
Hizbul Mujahideen, had warned that the move would make Indians in the
territory legitimate targets. Indian officials argued that removing
Kashmir’s special status, which granted it its own constitution and
rules protecting land ownership, would bring greater development and
rid the state of terrorism.”
Lebanon
The
Washington Post: ‘The Country Is Burning’: Thousands Fill Lebanon’s
Streets To Protest Corruption
“Shirtless men with covered faces launched shovels at billboards in
downtown Beirut. Hundreds of scooters circled a large, blazing fire.
Protesters ripped whatever they could from the walls of a construction
site nearby and flung it at the blaze to feed the fire early Friday
morning. Riot police stood by. Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, as well as
many other cities in the small Mediterranean country, swelled with
chants of protesters and the flames of burning tires and bonfires as
thousands flooded the streets to rally against government corruption.
“The people want to bring down the regime,” people yelled over and
over, pumping their fists in unison. “The people are exhausted,” one
protester muttered under his breath. The famous Arabic phrase, born
out of the Arab Spring in 2010, was accompanied by chants of religious
unity against the tyranny of the political class. “Bring down, bring
down capitalism,” a woman standing atop a man’s shoulders yelled into
the crowd. The swelling crowd repeated it back. A few protesters were
reported injured, and the Red Cross said it dispatched five teams to
move out the injured from the center of town. Reuters later reported,
citing the National News Agency (NNA), that two foreign workers choked
to death from a fire that spread to a building near the protests.”
Egypt
Al
Monitor: Egypt Dismisses 1,070 Teachers In Extremism
Fight
“Egypt has announced the dismissal of 1,070 teachers for belonging
to the terrorist-labeled Muslim Brotherhood after they were convicted
in court, with some even sentenced to death. The announcement came as
part of a government crackdown on extremist ideology and terrorism. At
an Oct. 7 press conference at the general office of Egypt’s Ministry
of Education in Cairo, Education Minister Tarek Shawki said the
ministry had decided to dismiss 1,070 teachers working in public
schools because of their extremist ideas. He said these teachers have
been sentenced by courts; he said the dismissal of the teachers “aims
to counter destructive and extremist ideas and preserve the future of
students.” Shawki said those fired were “unfit to be educators.”
Shawki also said that on Oct. 16, he will launch the largest
electronic portal for teachers to apply for jobs at public and private
schools in Egypt. He said a new competition will be open for temporary
one-year contracts with 120,000 teachers to fill the deficit at
schools, provided that the required papers are submitted through the
portal. The minister also said the Ministry of Education will finance
these contracts from its financial resources.”
Libya
Reuters:
Gunmen Raid Cafes In Libya Capital To Curb Social
Freedoms
“Gunmen raided two trendy seafront cafes in the Libyan capital
Tripoli this month to banish unmarried couples and impose strict
religious codes, witnesses said, in a move that has alarmed civil
liberties defenders. The identity of the armed men has not been
confirmed, but the episode appears to reflect the rise of Islamist
currents, including hardline Salafism, in some of the powerful armed
groups that the authorities rely on to keep order. The raids, the
latest of several incidents in eastern and western Libya to worry
human rights advocates, add a fresh layer of uncertainty to a city
under assault by an eastern-based force that aims to win power
nationally. Both cafes targeted are in the upscale Hay Andalus
neighborhood, just west of central Tripoli. At one, Eleanor, “a group
of armed men stormed the cafe with their guns and started questioning
the men, to see if they were accompanied by a woman who was a close
relative, or by a friend,” on Oct. 6, a witness said, speaking on
condition of anonymity. “Men who were sitting with (female) friends
were taken out of the cafe by the armed group ... they took them into
their vehicles for a couple of minutes then released them,” the
witness said. “The men came in again to pay the bills and left.”
Nigeria
All
Africa: Nigeria: Buhari Says Boko Haram Aiming 'Soft Targets', But
Nigeria Loses 2,006 Soldiers In Three Years
“President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday repeated his claim that
Boko Haram has been defeated and reduced to aiming “soft targets”, but
a new report says the group has targeted and killed at least 2,006
Nigerian soldiers in the last three years. The report by SBM
Intelligence, which researches and analyses data on security, politics
and economy, was released last week. The data captures military
casualties reported by PREMIUM TIMES and other news channels about
attacks on soldiers. Speaking while launching the commencement of
armed forces emblem for 2020 in Abuja Wednesday afternoon, President
Buhari praised the gallantry of the nation's servicemen and women in
the fight against insurgency, but again dismissed Boko Haram as “only
daring soft targets.” “The nation is appreciative of the gallantry and
sacrifices of Officers and Men of our Armed Forces in the campaign
against insurgency and other Internal Security Operations,” he said.
“This has led to the return of normalcy in affected parts of the
nation. The Boko Haram terrorists have been substantially defeated and
degraded to the extent that they are only daring soft targets.”
Somalia
Long
War Journal: Al Qaeda’s General Command Praises Recent Shabaab
Attacks
“In a statement released online yesterday, al Qaeda’s general
command levied heavy praise on Shabaab, its branch in East Africa. The
statement speaks to Shabaab’s recent attacks on foreign troops inside
Somalia. An additional audio statement commending Shabaab by Ibrahim
al Qosi, a senior leader within al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula
(AQAP) and former Guantanamo detainee, was also published yesterday.
The two statements were released as a coordinated messaging campaign,
as evident by the synchronization of the publication of each
respective statement. It should be noted that some senior AQAP leaders
are also believed to serve within AQ’s general command. “Western
Crusader occupying forces have for long sought to conceal their
sinister role in Somalia. However, the valiant men of Shabaab have
demonstrated that they are even more keen to expose this hidden role
by inflicting humiliating blows on Western interests,” the statement
penned by al Qaeda’s general command begins. In making a comparison to
the infamous “Black Hawk Down” incident in 1993, al Qaeda’s general
command alleges that the “recent attack in the Shebelle state of
southern Somalia represents the biggest blow in the history of the
contemporary Crusader occupation of Somalia.”
United Kingdom
The
Telegraph: British Isil 'Matchmaker' Pleads For Return To UK After
Escape From Kurdish-Run Camp
“The British “Islamic State matchmaker” who escaped a detention
camp has said she wants to be given passage to Turkey and allowed back
home, in an interview with The Telegraph from a rebel “safehouse” in
northern Syria. Tooba Gondal, 25, who is being held by Syrian rebel
fighters close to the Turkish border, says she “wants her nightmare to
end”, in her first interview since she fled from a Kurdish-run
detention camp over the weekend. “I want to go home, see my family,”
the former Goldsmiths, University of London, student said via WhatsApp
messages. “But if I am not able, I want to seek refuge in Turkey.
“After all these years, I’m tired, you know? Enough,” she said, from
the outskirts of the...”
France
Reuters:
France Says Foiled September 11-Inspired Attack
“France’s interior minister said on Thursday that intelligence
services had arrested a man for planning an attack inspired by plane
attacks on the World Trade Center in New York in Sept. 2001. France
has for several years grappled with how to respond to both homegrown
jihadists and foreign militants following a series of attacks across
the country. French officials say the threat of attacks remains very
high. On Oct. 3, an IT specialist with suspected Islamist sympathies,
who had a security clearance, killed three officers and one civilian
employee before he was shot dead by another police officer. “Just
before (that attack) there was a 60th attempted attack since 2013,”
Christophe Castaner told France 2 television. “An individual, who was
inspired by the events of Sept. 11 and the planes which destroyed the
World Trade Center towers, was arrested by our intelligence services.”
France has seen more than 230 people killed in the last four years on
its territory from Islamist militant attacks, notably in Nov. 2015
after coordinated strikes across the capital. The attacks were claimed
by Islamic State in Syria, and were carried out in part by French-born
fighters.”
Germany
The
Christian Science Monitor: The Soft Power Of Mothers: Fighting
Extremism Begins At Home
“Edit Schlaffer felt as if she was part of history in the making
when 60 mothers from this southern region of Germany recently received
their MotherSchools diploma from Bavaria’s social minister. Ms.
Schlaffer initiated her MotherSchools syllabus six years ago for women
in Tajikistan who were concerned about Islamic extremists recruiting
their children. The program has since become a global movement whose
goal is to fight extremism not with soldiers, but with mothers.”
Europe
BBC
News: Russians Accused Of Extremism Cut Wrists In
Court
“Two Russians on trial for belonging to an anarchist organisation
have slit their wrists in a Moscow courtroom. The pair, Ruslan
Kostylenkov, 25, and Vyacheslav Kryukov, 20, face extremism charges
after being accused of belonging to Novoye Velichiye (New Greatness)
group. They were removed from the witness stand. Their condition is
not yet known, Russian media report. Both had called to be put under
house arrest but had their request rejected. When their request was
denied, they reportedly told the courthouse: “This is an unfair trial”
and “Glory to Russia, freedom of Russia, freedom of political
prisoners.” They then slit their wrists. Lawyer Alexander Lupashko
said it was unclear how the pair had managed to get sharp objects into
the courtroom.”They were checked by dogs. I believe either a piece of
glass or a piece of a blade was carried in there,” he said. Mr
Kostylenkov's lawyer, Svetlana Sidorkina, said: “Their nerves couldn't
handle it any more. All of the evidence proves that they didn't commit
a crime.” The pair are part of a group of 10 young people facing trial
on charges of creating an extremist organisation and seeking to
overthrow President Vladimir Putin's government.”
The
Irish Times: Call For State To Repatriate Lisa Smith In Effort To
Understand Radicalisation
“Ireland should bring Islamic State supporter Lisa Smith home to
study how an Irish soldier can be turned into an Islamic extremist, a
leading counter-terrorism expert has said. Ian Acheson, who worked on
counter-terrorism and counter-extremism policy for the UK government,
said it was vital to understand terrorists and people associated with
terrorism without condoning their actions. He said Ireland must avoid
falling into the trap of “moral superiority” when addressing violent
extremism, “particularly when it comes to the far right”.
Southeast Asia
Xinhua:
Indonesia Nabs Dozens Of Alleged Militants, Foils Terrorist Plots
Ahead Of Presidential Inauguration
“Indonesian counter-terrorism squad has arrested dozens of alleged
terrorists, thwarted scores of their plots and beefed up security
ahead of inauguration of the country's new president. Incumbent
President Joko Widodo and his running mate Ma'aruf Amin won the April
17 presidential polls after beating rival former general Prabowo
Subianto and his mate Sandiaga Uno, the winning pair is scheduled to
take oath of the office on Sunday at a ceremony in Jakarta, the
country's capital. As many as 36 alleged militants have been arrested
by the anti-terror squad, known as Detachment 88, across the country,
including the country's tourism center of Bali resort island, since
days ago, spokesman of national police Brigadier General Dedi Prasetyo
said. Among the militants arrested was Abu Rara, who with his spouse
stabbed Indonesian Chief Security Minister Wiranto on Oct. 10 in
Banten province, according to police. One local police chief and a
civilian were also wounded during the attack by the alleged militants
who are believed to be members of an outlawed Jemaah Ansharut Daulah
(JAD) which claims allegiance to the IS group in Iraq and Syria,
according to the police. Most of the militants arrested by the squad
were members of the cell affiliated with IS group, the spokesman
revealed.”
Technology
The
New York Times: Defiant Zuckerberg Says Facebook Won’t Police
Political Speech
“Senator Elizabeth Warren recently accused Facebook of being a
“disinformation-for-profit machine.” Marc Benioff, chief executive of
the online software maker Salesforce, said the social network “needs
to be held accountable for propaganda on its platform.” And regulators
around the world are examining whether to break the company up or clip
its power. Under fire on all sides, Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s chief
executive, went on the offense on Thursday against his critics. In a
winding, 35-minute speech at Georgetown University’s Gaston Hall —
where presidents and foreign heads of state have delivered addresses —
Mr. Zuckerberg fought back against the idea that the social network
needed to be an arbiter of speech. He said that Facebook had been
founded to give people a voice and bring them together, and that
critics who had assailed the company for doing so were setting a
dangerous example.”
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