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Eye on Extremism
August 25, 2021
The New York Times: Under Taliban Rule, Life In Kabul Transforms Once Again
“The Americans are all but gone, the Afghan government has collapsed, and the Taliban rule the streets of Kabul now. Overnight, millions of Kabul residents have been left to navigate an uncertain transition after 20 years of U.S.-backed rule. On Tuesday, nine days after the Taliban walked back into power, government services were still largely unavailable. Residents are struggling to lead their daily lives in an economy that, propped up for the past generation by American aid, is now suddenly in free fall. Banks are closed, and cash is growing scarce even as food prices rise. Gas is becoming harder to find. With American forces clinging to the international airport to conduct a rushed evacuation, the Taliban continued to tighten their grip in the capital’s neighborhoods and streets. While relative calm reigned over the capital, in sharp contrast to the free-for-all at the airport, many residents hid in their homes or ventured out only cautiously to see what life might be like under their new rulers. Reports varied according to neighborhoods and people, providing an evolving and sometimes contradictory snapshot of life in a city governed, once again, by the Taliban — a movement now promising moderation and inclusiveness but with a history of adherence to a harsh and uncompromising Islamist order of society.”
The Irish Times: Yazidi Women And Girls Still Enslaved By Isis Within Detention Camp
“On the seventh anniversary of Islamic State’s genocide of the Yazidi people, about 2,800 women and girls enslaved by the terror group are still missing. It is thought that many of those who survived may be trapped in the increasingly dangerous Al-Hawl detention camp in northeast Syria, imprisoned with their captors. Rights groups say that, without international efforts to identify and free them, these women and girls, originally from the Sinjar area in Iraq, are at risk of being smuggled outside the Kurdish-run camp and sent to Islamic State – or Isis – cells in Syria and third countries like Turkey – after which, it may become impossible to find them. Shejk Ziyad is head of the Yazidi Home Centre, a tiny operation whose volunteers have risked their lives to rescue 265 Yazidis from Al-Hawl. He believes that time is now running out, as Isis sympathisers within its perimeter have cottoned on to the presence of the centre’s infiltrators and are co-ordinating with the terror group’s networks on the outside to move them out. Faced with death threats, Ziyad has fled to an undisclosed location outside Syria. “Al-Hawl is like a giant spider’s web. Inside and outside, they have good and strong contacts with smuggling networks,” he told The Irish Times over the phone.”
United States
“Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich – the latest Republican to link the border crisis to the situation in Afghanistan – is warning of a potential terrorist threat via the southern border from prisoners being freed by the Taliban. In a letter to President Biden, Brnovich pointed to comments made by former Border Patrol Chief Rodney Scott about the threat of terrorists potentially making their way through the southern border amid the ongoing migration crisis facing the U.S. “I firmly believe that it is a national security crisis,” Scott said in a video message to agents, as reported by The Washington Examiner. “Immigration is just a subcomponent of it, and right now, it’s just a cover for massive amounts of smuggling going across the southwest border — to include TSDBs at a level we have never seen before. That's a real threat.” TSDBs refers to migrants whose names match those on the Terrorist Screening Center Database. It is not publicly available how many migrants have names on the TSDB, but in March, Fox News reported that at least four migrants whose names match those on the terror watch list had been picked up by U.S. Border Patrol since the beginning of the fiscal year. Brnovich linked Scott’s statements to the Taliban’s freeing of thousands of prisoners – including terrorists – as they take control of Afghanistan ahead of the U.S. withdrawal at the end of the month.”
Syria
Associated Press: Blast In Northern Syria Kills 8 Militants, Wounds Others
“An explosion shook the base of an al-Qaida-linked group in northern Syria on Tuesday, killing at least eight gunmen and wounding others, opposition activists said. The explosion came as opposition fighters suffered a major setback in southern Daraa province, where a Russian-brokered deal led to the evacuation of gunmen from the region. The evacuation was to pave the way for the deployment of government troops. It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the explosion at the base of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in the northwestern province of Idlib, the last major rebel stronghold in the country, but some said it was a shell that exploded as fighters trained. HTS is the most powerful group in Syria’s northwest. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the explosion near the village of Ram Hamadan was apparently caused by a shell that exploded. The Observatory said eight fighters were killed and 10 were wounded. It added that the explosion occurred as drones of the U.S.-led coalition were flying overhead. Step news agency, an activist collective, said at least nine fighters were killed and others were wounded in the blast. Step said it could have been caused when a mortar shell exploded during training.”
Afghanistan
Newsweek: Germany Warns Of 'Increase' In Islamic State Suicide Bombers Entering Kabul
“Germany's top military commander told reporters Tuesday that the military is concerned about an apparent threat of attacks by the Islamic State militant group (ISIS) in Kabul, Afghanistan, the Associated Press reported. General Eberhard Zorn said that “the threat has further increased,” adding that American and German intelligence indicates an increase of ISIS suicide bombers sneaking into the city. “That's increasing and leads to heightened precautions,” Zorn added. Germany's defense minister, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, warned that the Taliban's August 31 deadline for foreign troops to fully withdraw should be taken “seriously.” “I think one needs to take very, very seriously the announcement that they won't agree to a further delay,” she said, adding that the Taliban could be using the deadline as a bargaining chip in negotiations with foreign officials. The Dutch military is halting shooting exercises at one of its firing ranges because the facility will be used to house Afghans evacuated from Kabul. The Defense Ministry said Tuesday that shooting training at the Harskamp military base is suspended until further notice. The first Afghan evacuees are expected to arrive later Tuesday in Harskamp, a large military base in the forests of the Veluwe region of the central Netherlands.”
“Remember “Baghdad Bob,” the Iraqi information minister who, as U.S. forces entered the capital, insisted that there were no Americans in Baghdad? That’s what President Biden is beginning to sound like with his delusional insistence that no Americans were having trouble getting to the Kabul airport, no allies were calling into question the United States’ credibility, and that the United States had no interest in Afghanistan because al-Qaeda was “gone.” Really? If that last claim were true, then how did the Afghan military manage to kill al-Qaeda’s second-in-command, Abu Muhsin al-Masri, in Afghanistan’s Ghazni province last October? Al-Masri was on the FBI’s most wanted list for conspiracy to kill Americans. If al-Qaeda poses no threat to the United States in Afghanistan, as Biden claims, what was a senior al-Qaeda leader focused on external operations doing there? And why is Sirajuddin Haqqani, an al-Qaeda-linked U.S.-designated terrorist with a $5 million reward for information leading to his capture, serving as the Taliban’s second-in-command? His network was recently placed in charge of security in Kabul. The fact is al-Qaeda is not only present in Afghanistan, but deeply embedded within the Taliban.”
Metro: Isis Threat Escalates Amid ‘Disturbing Reports’ It Will Target Airport Evacuation
“…The Counter Extremism Project (CEP), a New York-based think tank, also warned Isis is exploiting the rapid UK and US exit for its own ‘brutal goals’. Nathan Sales, a former US ambassador-at-large who is now a CEP adviser, told Metro.co.uk: ‘While the Taliban has had a close partnership with Al-Qaeda that stretches back several decades, the Taliban and the local Isis affiliate see each other as enemies. ‘Nevertheless, there is a significant risk that Isis-Khorosan will be able to operate in Afghanistan after the Biden administration’s withdrawal. ‘We are already seeing disturbing reports that Isis may be planning to attack the airport in Kabul. ‘It appears that Afghanistan under Taliban control may become a permissive environment for a range of terrorist groups, even ones that are hostile to the Taliban.’ The Khorosan suffix has been given to the Isis element said to be active across Afghanistan and the wider south and central Asian region. While the Taliban has looked to consolidate its hold on power since rapidly seizing control of the country just over a week ago, this is not thought to have included a direct military assault on the Tora Bora region. David Ibsen, Executive Director to CEP, said: ‘In 2017, ISIS captured Tora Bora, the cave complex that was once bin Laden’s fortress.”
Saudi Arabia
Gulf News: UAE Condemns Al Houthi Terror Attacks On Khamis Mushait In Saudi Arabia
“UAE has strongly condemned the systematic attacks on civilians and civil objects in Khamis Mushait, Saudi Arabia, by Iran-backed Al Houthi terrorists. The attacks were intercepted by the Coalition Forces. In a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MoFAIC) on Tuesday, the UAE reiterated that these recurrent terror attacks by Al Houthis reflect their blatant disregard for the international community and all international laws and norms. The ministry has urged the international community to take an immediate and decisive stance to stop these recurrent acts, which target critical infrastructure and threaten the security and stability of Saudi Arabia, as well as global energy supplies. It also stressed that the continued threat of these attacks in recent days is a grave escalation that represents new evidence of these militias’ attempts to undermine security and stability in the region. The UAE renewed its full solidarity with Saudi Arabia over these subversive terrorist attacks and reiterated its position against all threats to the kingdom’s security and stability. The UAE also reiterated its support for all the measures undertaken by the Saudi authorities to ensure the safety and security of its citizens and residents.”
Libya
The North Africa Post: Libya Rejects Claims Of Terrorists’ Infiltration Into Tunisia
“Libya’s Interior minister Khaled Mazen has brushed aside claims by Tunisia that dozens of terrorists have crossed into Tunisian territory from around Al-Watiya airbase (AB) in view of attacking the border city of Ben Guerdane. Tunisia notified the Interpol of the presence of 100 terrorists at Al-Watiya AB and said they were trying to infiltrate into its territory, Libya Observer reports. Mazen in the rejection of the claims, argued that the Anti-Terrorism Force was doing its tasks of monitoring terrorist acts and detaining all those suspected of involvement in terrorism. A source close to military commanders at Al-Watiya AB, the Libyan media notes, said all forces in and around the base are regular army forces under the Ministry of Defense and said the Tunisian claims of terrorists were the first result of the “coup in Tunisia”. Tunisia’s President Kais Saied late last week claimed that he was aware of an assassination plan being plotted against him. He however did not provide names. Tunisia has been victim in the past of lawlessness in Libya where terrorists found safe haven. Three bloody attacks rocked Tunisia in 2015. The attackers were according to state officials trained in Libya.”
Nigeria
Associated Press: Gunmen Kill 2 In Raid On Nigerian Army School In Northwest
“Gunmen attacked a military training school in northwestern Nigeria early Tuesday, killing two military personnel and abducting another, an army spokesman said. Bashir Jajira said the gunmen entered a residential area at the Nigerian Defense Academy in Kaduna state but did not provide further details on how the assailants gained access to the base. Efforts were underway to rescue the hostage, he said. The attack comes amid mounting violence in Kaduna state, where already three mass school abductions have taken place this year alone including one near the military school in Afaka. The increase in crime has been attributed to bandits, though some observers fear there may be links between the attackers in Kaduna and the Islamic extremist groups in northeastern Nigeria. Boarding schools have been frequent targets of abductions for ransom in the northwest, though attacks on military bases are more rare.”
Voice Of America: Nigeria Says 'Safe To Assume' Boko Haram Leader Is Dead
“Nigeria’s government no longer has any doubts that Abubakar Shekau, the notorious leader of the Boko Haram terror group, is dead. Reports of Shekau’s death first emerged three months ago, with word he had been killed during a confrontation in the Sambisa Forest with rival terror group Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). Despite some initial skepticism, Nigerian officials now say the reports appear to be accurate. “Our position is that he has been reported dead and he is dead,” Nigerian Information Minister Lai Mohammed told VOA’s Hausa service in an interview late Monday. “Going from reports from the camp of Boko Haram itself, and going by the instability that has followed shortly after and the struggle for succession, and the recent surrender by thousands of Boko Haram adherents, I think it's safe to assume that really, you know, he's dead,” Mohammed said. “(We've) not seen any resurfacing of Abubakar Shekau.” The Nigerian assessment aligns with the thinking of some U.S. officials who, like their Nigerian counterparts, have yet to see conclusive evidence. “We think he was probably killed,” a U.S. military official told VOA on the condition of anonymity, because of the sensitivity of the intelligence about the Boko Haram leader.”
Somalia
Reuters: Al Shabaab Attacks Somali Military Base, Recaptures Central Town
“Al Shabaab fighters stormed a military base in the centre of Somalia on Tuesday and recaptured a town it lost to government forces earlier this month, eyewitnesses said. Residents of Amara in the Galmudug region said the morning assault started with a suicide bomb attack which targeted government special force units, known as Danab and Darawish. The Somali Army and Darawish forces responded with air strikes and “triumphed” over the attacking al Shabaab forces, killing “several” combatants, according to state media which did not providing details on casualties or the status of the military base or town. Amara is a strategic town which lies on the route to the coastal town of Harardheere, another al Shabaab stronghold. Harardheere was once a pirate base at the height of hijackings of merchant ships in 2011. “Al Shabaab militants have launched an attack on a government base in the town of Amara this morning. The government forces, especially the Danab and the Darawish of Galmudug, withdrew from the area and al Shabaab took control of the area,” Farah Osman, a resident of Amara, told Reuters by phone. Asmail Nur, another resident, confirmed the attack and said al Shabaab captured 11 armoured vehicles and burned seven others.”
Africa
Voice Of America: Cameroon Says 40 Villages Razed, Thousands Displaced Fear Returning
“Cameroonian authorities are urging thousands of villagers who fled northern Cameroon after a violent conflict between herders and fishers this week to return home. The villagers fled across the border into neighboring Chad after clashes over resources left farms and villages destroyed. Cameroon says the conflict between cattle ranchers and fishermen has displaced people in Logone and Chari villages, but residents are reluctant to return due to concerns of ongoing violence in the country’s northern border with Chad. Midjiyawa Bakari is the governor of Cameroon’s Far North region, where the Logone and Chari Division is located. Bakari insists that Mousgoum fishermen and Arab Choua cattle ranchers are fighting over water resources to maintain control over their natural habitats. He wants all civilians to know that Mousgoum fishermen also clash among themselves over water in fishing areas. He adds that the Arab Choua cattle ranchers have informed Cameroon government officials on several occasions that their peers allow cattle to stray out of ranches in search of water, causing tensions between Arab Choua cattle ranchers. Bakari said Mosgoum and Arab Choua communities are not fighting to chase each other from territories they have been living in for decades.”
The Africa Report: Islamic State, GSIM, Al-Qaeda: The Jihadist Gold Rush In Burkina Faso
“For the past five years, terrorist groups have been taking over gold mining sites in areas where the government of Burkina Faso is virtually absent. They are using their control as a means of financing themselves. More than two months after the attack that took place during the night of 4-5 June, which killed 132 people, Solhan has still not fully recovered. This town of 10,000 inhabitants (including 7,000 gold miners, according to local authorities) – located about 15km from Sebba, the capital of the north-eastern province of Yagha – has become the target for gold smuggling by two rival groups: the Islamic State (IS) and the Groupe de Soutien à l’Islam et aux Musulmans (GSIM, affiliated with Al-Qaeda).”
United Kingdom
“A “fascist” teenager attempted to make a 3D gun and drew up plans for a storage bunker as part of a far-right terror plot, a court has heard. Matthew Cronjager, 18, is accused of preparing acts of terrorism and running a social media channel that encouraged attacks. He denies the charges but on the first day of his trial on Tuesday, he admitted four separate offences of possessing information useful to a terrorist. Prosecutor Alistair Richardson told the Old Bailey that Mr Cronjager held “fascist beliefs” and hated Jews, Muslims, non-white people and the LGBT+ community. “He wanted to bring about his own revolution, based on his own racist ideology,” Mr Richardson told jurors. “To that end, he sought to produce a firearm using a 3D printer, he made plans for storage of firearms in preparation for his violent acts, and he provided instructions and funds to others in order to secure the manufacture of a firearm.” The court heard that Mr Cronjager was unknowingly communicating with an undercover police officer, and was arrested in December. Mr Richardson said that examinations of the defendant’s iPhone, laptop and USB devices showed that he had been “obtaining manuals to help him prepare” and had downloaded a large volume of extreme right-wing propaganda.”
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