“Nearly a month after its takeover, there has been no formal recognition of the
Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan. But that step app

 

 


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Eye on Extremism


September 10, 2021 

 

The Washington Post: Countries Are Establishing Relations With The Taliban
Even Though None Has Offered Formal Recognition Of The Militant Government
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“Nearly a month after its takeover, there has been no formal recognition of
the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan. But that step appears
increasingly irrelevant, at least for the short and medium term, as countries
around the world have established varying degrees of relations with the
militant regime. For some, including the United States, the need to extricate
their remaining citizens and Afghan partners has imposed acceptance of the
Taliban as the sole national authority. At the same time, the Biden
administration has pledged to continue humanitarian aid that has amounted to
hundreds of millions of dollars in the past few months alone. “There is no
diminution in our humanitarian assistance to the people of . . . any country
around the world where we may have differences, including profound ones,” State
Department spokesperson Ned Price said Thursday. “We do not express those
disagreements by taking it out on the people.” Many of Afghanistan’s closest
neighbors in Central and South Asia are consulting with one another in search
of a unified policy that will prevent them from being overcome with refugees
and maintain security in the region. Others, including China and Russia, see
the Taliban ascension as an opportunity, both to highlight U.S. failure over 20
years of warfare and nation-building, and to boost their own regional sway.”

 

NBC News: From Al Qaeda To QAnon: How The Department Of Homeland Security Has
Had To Evolve Since 9/11
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“When then-President George W. Bush commissioned the formation of the
Department of Homeland Security in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, he
was clear about the new agency’s top goal — to be “one department whose primary
mission is to protect the American homeland.” In other words, to prevent
another foreign attack on American soil. Twenty years after the attacks, DHS is
now the third-largest federal agency, with nearly 230,000 employees, and is
most visible for its role in enforcing immigration laws at the southern border.
This week, two former DHS secretaries and current Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas
reflected on the agency’s evolution and whether the agency formed in the wake
of 9/11 was built to respond to threats such as cyber intrusion and domestic
violent extremism, which they say now eclipse the threat of foreign terrorist
organizations. Michael Chertoff served as DHS secretary from 2005 to 2009 under
Bush. He was the second person to hold the post, and in those early years, he
recalls, “we had to build pretty much from scratch.” He arrived less than two
years after the creation of DHS and shortly before Hurricane Katrina would
expose the shortcomings of the Federal Emergency Management Administration,
which had just become part of the newly formed agency.”

 

United States

 

NBC News: Federal Judge Says Moussaoui Trial Proved Civilian Courts Can Handle
Terrorism Cases
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“The federal judge in the trial of Zacarias Moussaoui, the only person ever
put on trial in the U.S. in the 9/11 attacks, said Thursday that the trial
proved that civilian courts can successfully handle terrorism cases, despite
the abundant challenges. U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema presided over the
lengthy trial in Alexandria, Virginia. The courthouse is near the Pentagon,
which was one of the three targets hit by terrorist hijackers 20 years ago this
week. She made rare public comments about the trial during a panel discussion
hosted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for Eastern Virginia. “I think our
approach to terrorists should be really an approach to criminals. They
shouldn't get any heightened respect or treatment,” she said. Brinkema noted
that when the trial was over, Moussaoui asked to withdraw his guilty plea and
sought a new trial. He assumed he would get the death penalty; when he did not,
he said he realized he could get a fair trial even with American jurors, she
recalled. Moussaoui, who came to the U.S. from France, was arrested in 2001 28
days before the 9/11 attacks. Officials at a flight school in Minneapolis told
the FBI that they were suspicious of Moussaoui's desire to learn only how to
operate a Boeing 747 jetliner. They said he told them it as “an ego boosting
thing.”

 

Syria

 

The Guardian: Syria Cement Plant At Centre Of Terror Finance Investigation
‘Used By Western Spies’
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“A cement plant in Syria at the centre of a terror financing investigation in
France was used by western intelligence agencies to gather information on
hostages held by Islamic State, sources connected to the operation have said. A
Jordanian intelligence officer who was central to the spying effort has
confirmed to the Guardian that the Lafarge factory, which continued operating
after the terrorist group overran eastern Syria, in one of the most
controversial episodes of the war, was the regional hub of a failed effort to
rescue up to 30 hostages. Those IS held included the American journalist James
Foley, British photographer John Cantlie and Jordanian pilot Moaz al-Kasasbeh,
two of whom were later confirmed to have been killed. France’s highest court
ruled this week that Lafarge could yet be investigated over allegations of
complicity in crimes against humanity over its dealings in Syria, saying that a
previous decision to strike out the charge was flawed. The company is under
formal investigation in France over efforts to keep operations going through
the peak of the terror group’s rampage in 2013-14.”

 

Iraq

 

Asharq Al-Awsat: Iraqi Forces Arrest ISIS Members In New Security Campaign
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“Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Forces continue to chase ISIS members in the north of
Iraq staring from Kirkuk, which witnessed on Saturday a massacre that killed
dozens from the federal police. Major General Yahya Rasool, the spokesperson
for the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces, said that Iraqi
Counter-Terrorism Forces are achieving victories in eradicating ISIS in the
country. A total of eight terrorists were arrested in various regions upon
accurate intelligence information. Moreover, Rasool said anti-terror unit
snipers took out some of the militants in three provinces including Kirkuk. The
operation came after a deadly ISIS attack on a federal police outpost south of
Kirkuk on Sunday, which left 13 members of security forces dead and wounded
dozens. Also, Iraqi Defense Minister Juma Inad arrived in Kirkuk on Wednesday
heading a high-level security delegation following the attack to be briefed on
current security measures, state media reported. The delegation included
Defense Minister, Army Chief of Staff, military adviser to the prime minister
and deputy of joint operations, and others. Member of Iraq's Parliamentary
Security and Defense Committee Abdul-Khaleq al-Azzawi considered the
developments in Rashad in Kirkuk as a blatant security violation.”

 

Afghanistan

 

CNN: He's On The FBI's Most-Wanted List And Is Now A Key Member Of The
Taliban's New Government
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“Nothing says you are renouncing al Qaeda quite like appointing a member of al
Qaeda to a top cabinet position in your new government. The Taliban on Tuesday
appointed Sirajuddin Haqqani to be Afghanistan's acting interior minister, a
job analogous to running the United States Department of Homeland Security,
with the FBI thrown in for good measure. The United Nations in a report issued
in June noted that Haqqani “is a member of the wider Al-Qaida leadership, but
not of the Al-Qaida core leadership.” (In 2011, Haqqani gave a rare interview
to the BBC and was asked whether he had links to al Qaeda. He dodged the
question and without elaboration referred the interviewer to the Taliban's
stated policy on the issue.) The appointment Tuesday makes Minister Haqqani the
first member of al Qaeda to be elevated to a cabinet position anywhere in the
world. He is also on the FBI's most-wanted list. The Bureau has a $5 million
reward for information leading to his arrest, while the US State Department is
offering up to $10 million. The only terrorist with a higher price on his head
is al Qaeda's current leader, Ayman al Zawahiri. Sirajuddin Haqqani's
appointment underlines just how hard-line the new Taliban government is going
to be.”

 

Foreign Policy: Islamic State-Khorasan’s Reach Extends Far Beyond Afghanistan
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“In a grim reminder of the threat posed by Islamic State-Khorasan, the Islamic
State’s Afghanistan affiliate, a lone suicide bomber detonated roughly 25
pounds of explosives at Kabul airport on Aug. 26, killing 13 U.S. troops and up
to 170 other people. The U.S. military responded less than 48 hours later with
an unmanned airstrike in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province, killing two
suspected Islamic State-Khorasan members. A second airstrike targeting a
suspected Islamic State-Khorasan suicide bomber followed in Kabul a day
later—killing as many as 10 civilians. Islamic State-Khorasan is a violent
extremist group familiar to terrorist watchers: It has carried out scores of
attacks in Afghanistan and Pakistan since first establishing itself in 2015.
Islamic State-Khorasan also maintains a lively presence on social media and
encrypted messaging platforms across South and Central Asia. Many media outlets
have highlighted the Taliban’s strategic use of the internet for social
control. But with internet use growing exponentially across the region, Islamic
State-Khorasan is potentially even more destabilizing than the Taliban, given
its potential to reaching an ever-widening audience.”

 

Nigeria

 

Reuters: Nigeria Says It Seizes 14 Tonnes Of Fertiliser Meant For Boko Haram
Bombs
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“Nigerian troops have seized 14 tonnes of fertiliser that the insurgent
Islamist group Boko Haram had planned to turn into roadside bombs, the army
said on Thursday. Boko Haram has killed hundreds of people in bombings during
its 12-year war against the armed forces in northeast Nigeria, a conflict that
has spilled over into neighbouring Niger, Chad and Cameroon and caused an
estimated 350,000 deaths. The army said it had broken up a urea fertiliser
syndicate that supplied the insurgents with materials to make IEDs, or
improvised explosive devices. Troops seized 281 bags of urea, each weighing
50kg, at two locations in northeastern Borno and Yobe states, military
spokesman Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu said in a statement. He said the
insurgents were “desperately acquiring IED materials to make explosive devices
with which to unleash terror on innocent civilians, in a bid to remain relevant
and present a posture of potency”. Boko Haram, whose leader Abubakar Shekau
died in May, has been in a conflict with splinter group-turned-rival, the
Islamic State's West Africa Province (ISWAP). The Nigerian army said last week
that close to 6,000 insurgents had surrendered in recent weeks.”

 

Africa

 

Long War Journal: Analysis: The Islamic State’s Expansion Into Congo’s Ituri
Province
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“Over the last few months, the Congolese branch of the Islamic State’s Central
African Province (ISCAP), known locally as the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF),
has sustained a large-scale offensive in southern Ituri Province. This marks a
significant shift from its normal areas of operation in the neighboring Beni
territory of North Kivu province. Based on numbers from the Kivu Security
Tracker (KST), the ADF has been responsible for 66 attacks in southern Ituri
which have left at least 207 people dead since June 1. Additionally, the group
kidnapped at least another 171 people during these raids. The strikes have
targeted both civilians and uniformed members of the Congolese security forces,
or FARDC. These numbers account for nearly 60% of all ADF operations in the
last three months. In contrast, ADF’s Ituri operations only accounted for just
33% of its overall activity between March (when the KST began tracking
incidents in Ituri) and May. These numbers represent an 82% increase in
Ituri-based activity since June 1. For its part, the Islamic State has claimed
20 operations in Ituri since June in addition to releasing 81 photos and 2
videos from the attacks. Ituri-based attacks have accounted for 72% of all
Islamic State claims in the DRC since June.”

 

France

 

The Independent: ‘You’ve Had Five Years To Speak!’: Isis ‘Soldier’ Silenced In
Paris Court During Bataclan Trial
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“A self-confessed Isis “soldier” was silenced in a Paris court during the
trial of suspects alleged to have carried out the 2015 Bataclan terror attack.
Salah Abdeslam began shouting during Thursday’s proceedings from behind a glass
partition in the specially built court in the centre of the French capital, but
then had his microphone switched off. “The victims from wars in Syria and Iraq
– will they be able to speak?” Abdeslam demanded. Claiming that he had been
judged guilty before the verdict, Abdeslam continued: “In principle, we should
be presumed innocent before being judged.” He also told Jean-Louis Peries, the
president of the court, that he did not “endorse your justice”. Abdeslam said
that three of those also accused – Mohammed Amri, Hamza Attou and Ali Oulkadi –
were not aware of the plot to shoot and blow up innocent people in Paris. “They
helped me, but they knew nothing at all,” he said. “They are in prison but did
nothing.” In turn, Judge Peries said: “Let’s leave this discussion.” Abdeslam
replied: “Sir – don’t be selfish. There are other people who want to hear me.”
It was at this point that Judge Peries switched off Abdeslam’s microphone,
meaning his ranting could not be heard in the vast courtroom. Judge Peries
said: “You’ve had five years to comment.”

 

New Zealand

 

Associated Press: New Zealand Feared An Extremist Inspired By Islamic State
But Found No Way To Stop Him
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“Immigration officers feared him. So, too, did prosecutors, prison officials
and police. They thought he could launch a terror attack at any moment. Even
the prime minister wanted him deported. Yet in the end, nobody in New Zealand
was able to stop an extremist inspired by the Islamic State group from walking
free from prison in July. Seven weeks later, he grabbed a knife at an Auckland
supermarket and began stabbing shoppers, injuring seven in a frenzied attack
last week. Court records, interviews and agency accounts explain how years of
red flags weren’t enough to stop him. Here’s a timeline: October 2011: Ahamed
Aathil Samsudeen, 22, arrives in New Zealand from Sri Lanka on a student visa.
The following month, he withdraws from his studies and makes a claim for
refugee status. April 2012: Immigration officials decline his refugee claim,
saying they found inconsistencies and an unreliable medical report. He appeals,
and an immigration tribunal takes a fresh look at the case. December 2012:
Samsudeen, a Tamil Muslim, tells the tribunal that, if he’s sent back home,
he’ll face persecution because of a falling-out between his father and a former
colonel from the Tamil Tigers insurgent group.”

 

Southeast Asia

 

The Straits Times: Laws Like Internal Security Act Have Helped Singapore
Prevent Terror Attacks
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“Singapore's laws have enabled the authorities to act quickly on cases of
suspected radicalisation and prevent terrorist attacks like the recent stabbing
in New Zealand, said Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam. The Internal
Security Act (ISA) allows law enforcement to detain people at an early stage as
they are thinking of or planning attacks, he noted, adding that it also gives
such suspected radicals better prospects for rehabilitation. Speaking to
reporters on Friday (Sept 10), he said there have been many serious terror
incidents in various regions in the 20 years since the terror attacks in the
United States on Sept 11, 2001.Every country handles the threat of terrorism
differently, and Singapore's approach is based on a few key fundamentals, he
added. The minister listed good intelligence, a zero-tolerance approach towards
violent extremism and strong inter-communal relations, as well as the ISA, as
factors that help Singapore deal with the limited number of radicalised cases
that emerge. He brought up the terror attack in the city of Auckland last
Friday (Sept 3), where police shot and killed a violent extremist after he
stabbed and wounded at least six people in a supermarket. The attacker, who
lived in New Zealand for 10 years, had been a “person of interest” to the
authorities there for about five years and was arrested multiple times.”



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