“The greatest threat to the U.S. from international terrorists comes from
nations such as Yemen, Somalia, Syria and Iraq, with Afghanistan further dow

 

 


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Eye on Extremism


September 14, 2021 

 

Bloomberg: U.S. Spy Chief Sees Top Terror Risks From Yemen, Iraq—Not
Afghanistan
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“The greatest threat to the U.S. from international terrorists comes from
nations such as Yemen, Somalia, Syria and Iraq, with Afghanistan further down
the priority list after the two-decade American troop presence ended, Director
of National Intelligence Avril Haines said. Although U.S. intelligence
officials are closely watching whether terrorist groups re-emerge inside
Afghanistan, the country is no longer the prime concern when it comes to
harboring terrorists who could carry out an attack inside America, Haines said
Monday at a national security conference in the Washington suburbs. “We don’t
prioritize -- at the top of the list -- Afghanistan,” Haines said. “What we’re
looking at is Yemen and Somalia, Syria and Iraq. That’s where we see the
greatest threat.” Nonetheless, a “big focus” for U.S. intelligence agencies is
monitoring the possible reconstruction of terrorist groups in Afghanistan,
Haines said, conceding that intelligence collection inside the country has been
diminished since the American withdrawal. Her comments came as the Biden
administration remains under criticism by both Republicans and Democrats for
the hasty U.S. withdrawal following the Taliban takeover last month.”

 

The Guardian: Tech Firms Not Doing Enough To Fight Terrorism, Says Met Police
Chief
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“The UK most senior police officer has accused technology firms of failing to
identify, monitor and report the activity of terrorists, in a plea for improved
access to social media platforms. Dame Cressida Dick, the Metropolitan police
commissioner, also questioned the push to expand end-to-end encryption in a
speech to law enforcement officials on Monday. Her comments follow calls last
week by the home secretary, Priti Patel, for social media companies to take the
protection of the public as seriously as their profit margins. Addressing the
International Institute for Counter-Terrorism’s 20th annual summit in Israel,
Dick said tech firms were not doing enough to stop the radicalisation of
vulnerable people. “The tech companies and social media platforms have become
much better at working alongside law enforcement and governments to help
protect people against a huge range of online threats, and I pay tribute to
them for that. “But there is still more they can and must do. They have the
power and resources to make a real difference … They are not doing enough to
protect people against the harm that takes place on their platforms.”

 

United States

 

NBC News: Ohio ISIS Supporter Who Plotted Synagogue Attack Sentenced To 20
Years
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“An Ohio man who expressed support for the Islamic State terror group and said
he wanted to attack a Toledo synagogue was sentenced to 20 years in prison
Monday. Damon Joseph, 23, was arrested in 2018 after picking up what he thought
were two semi-automatic rifles, the Justice Department said. Joseph, who went
by the name Abdullah Ali Yusuf, pleaded guilty in May to charges of attempting
to provide material support to a terrorist organization and attempting to
commit a hate crime. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison and will be under
supervised release for the rest of his life, the Justice Department said
Monday. Officials said he was planning the attack for the Sabbath when more
people would be present, and identified two synagogues as potential targets.
“In a matter of months, Damon Joseph progressed from a self-radicalized,
virtual jihadist to planning an actual attack on fellow Americans,” Eric Smith,
special agent in charge of the FBI's Cleveland office, said in a statement. He
called Joseph's actions “antithetical to a just and free society.” Attorneys
listed as representing Joseph did not immediately return requests for comment
Monday evening.”

 

Associated Press: Militia Leader Gets 53 Years In Minnesota Mosque Bombing
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“The leader of an Illinois anti-government militia group who authorities say
masterminded the 2017 bombing of a Minnesota mosque was sentenced Monday to 53
years in prison for an attack that terrified the mosque’s community. Emily
Claire Hari, who was previously known as Michael Hari and recently said she is
transgender, faced a mandatory minimum of 30 years for the attack on Dar
al-Farooq Islamic Center in Bloomington. Defense attorneys asked for the
minimum, but prosecutors sought life, saying Hari hasn’t taken responsibility
for the attack. No one was hurt in the bombing, but more than a dozen members
of the mosque community gave victim impact statements Monday about the trauma
it left behind. U.S. District Judge Donovan Frank said evidence clearly showed
Hari’s intent was to “scare, intimidate and terrorize individuals of Muslim
faith.” “Diversity is the strength of this country,” Frank said. “Anyone who
doesn’t understand that doesn’t understand the constitutional promise of this
country that brings a lot of people here.” “Anything less than 636 months would
(be) disrespect to the law,” the judge added.”

 

Syria

 

Kurdistan 24: SDF Special Forces Arrest Two ISIS Suspects In Hasakah Province
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“The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced on Monday that, backed by the
US-led coalition's support, a special forces unit arrested two ISIS suspects in
an operation on the outskirts of Hasakah province. “One of the arrested
terrorists leads a dangerous cell in al-Hasakah city and its countryside, which
is responsible for assassinations and was planning to target security and
military points,” the SDF press office said. The SDF unit confiscated weapons
and equipment in possession of the ISIS suspects. “The operation comes under
the joint efforts exerted by the SDF and the international coalition to track
down and eradicate Daesh (ISIS) cells in the region,” the SDF statement
concluded. Although the SDF and the coalition announced the territorial defeat
of ISIS in Syria in March 2019, sleeper cell attacks persist in what appears to
be a deliberate campaign to destabilize northeastern parts of the nation,
primarily in cities, towns, and rural tracts of land once under the terrorist
group’s control. The coalition and the SDF have had success reducing ISIS
sleeper cell activity in northeast Syria due to continued operation in the
area. Last week, SDF-backed internal security forces, also known as Asayish,
arrested four suspects with alleged links to the Islamic State (ISIS) near
al-Hol camp.”

 

Afghanistan

 

The Wall Street Journal: As Taliban Seek International Acceptance, Countries
Seek To Engage—But Stop Short Of Recognition
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“With a new government in place and uncontested control over the country,
Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers are clamoring for international recognition of
their reinstated Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. Nearly a month after the fall
of the Afghan republic, no nation has granted such recognition so far. Yet,
governments world-wide, as well as the United Nations, are eager to open
high-level contacts with the Taliban, especially as the country faces a
humanitarian crisis. Some Western governments say that such dialogue with the
Taliban is possible—and desirable—without de jure recognition of their
administration. “Before recognition they should have some sort of mandate by
the political will of the people,” a senior Western diplomat said. “But apart
from the question of recognition we can interact with them, we can engage with
them.” Before the reopening of Western embassies, all closed since the Aug. 15
fall of Kabul, that engagement can take the form of diplomats making short-term
visits to Kabul, security conditions on the ground permitting, the diplomat
added. Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani on
Sunday became the first foreign government minister to visit Kabul since the
Taliban takeover.”

 

The National: Afghan Terror Training Camps ‘Could Cause Wave Of Attacks In
Europe In Five Years’
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“…The director of the Counter Extremism Project, Hans-Jakob Schindler, has
worked in the UN Security Council unit that monitors ISIS and Al Qaeda. He
believes extremists from Europe may now travel to Afghanistan to train, and
that terrorist attacks could increase when they return to the continent.
“Tragically, it feels like we have come full circle. We are very much in a
situation where we run the risk that we are chasing our tail,” he told The
National. “Half of the Taliban’s new government are on the UN sanctions list
for a very good reason. The Taliban and Al Qaeda are not separate and have
never been separate.”

 

Middle East

 

SOFREP: Although Rumored Dead, Al-Qaeda’s Chief Al-Zawahiri Appears In Video
Released On 9/11
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“Ayman al-Zawahiri, who has been the head of al-Qaeda since the death of Osama
Bin Laden in 2011, and was rumored dead, appeared on a video that the terrorist
group released on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in New York, Washington
DC, and Pennsylvania. The SITE (Search International Terrorist Entities)
Intelligence Group, which tracks and monitors jihadist websites, said the video
was released on Saturday. On it, al-Zawahri spoke on several subjects also
mentioning that “Jerusalem will never be Judaized.” Further, he praised
al-Qaeda attacks including one that had targeted Russian troops in Syria
outside the city of Raqqa in January. The video of Al-Zawahri’s speech was
slightly more than an hour long. It was produced by al-Qaeda’s as-Sahab Media
Foundation. As-Sahab (The Cloud) is the official media wing of al-Qaeda’s core
leadership based in Pakistan and Afghanistan. “Amid rumors of his death,
al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri shown in a new 60-minute video, this time
offering some evidence that he is not dead – particularly, reference to events
after December when rumors of death surfaced,” SITE director Rita Katz posted
on Twitter. Rumors that al-Zawahiri had died from an illness have been
circulating since late 2020.”

 

The Jerusalem Post: Terror In Jerusalem: 2 Injured In Stabbing Attack At
Central Bus Station
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“Two Israeli men were moderately injured in a stabbing attack at a store next
to the Jerusalem Central Bus Station in Jerusalem on Monday. Two female Border
Police patrol officers at the scene shot and wounded the terrorist. The
attacker was identified as 17-year-old Basil Shawamra from the village of Deir
al-Asal al-Fauqa near Hebron in the southern West Bank. Two additional suspects
were detained. “We will continue to act resolutely against any attempt to harm
Israeli citizens,” said Defense Minister Benny Gantz after the attack. “The
vigilance and rapid and professional action of the forces on the ground
prevented a much more severe result.” The victims were evacuated to Shaare
Zedek Medical Center where doctors said they were conscious and stable. Israel
Police Jerusalem District Commander Doron Turgeman told journalists there was
“no doubt” that there is an escalation of violence taking place, stressing that
police are prepared for any situation. “The deployment and fast response [of
police] together with determination and exercises conducted in Jerusalem every
day led to the quick neutralization of the terrorist and the prevention of
additional lives being endangered,” said Turgeman. “An excellent response by
the officers.”

 

Nigeria

 

The Washington Post: Authorities: Nearly 70 Students Freed In Northern Nigeria
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“Nearly 70 students who were abducted from their school in northern Nigeria
have regained their freedom after two weeks in captivity, Zamfara state Gov.
Bello Matawalle said Monday. The students from the Government Day Secondary
School were rescued with the help of some of the gunmen who had repented, he
said. They were reunited with their families late Sunday. Heavily armed men had
descended on the school on Sept. 1, the latest attack in a wave of school
kidnappings in northern Nigeria that prompted the government to shut down all
primary and secondary schools in Zamfara state. Police have said that 73
students were abducted and that five were rescued a day later. According to
UNICEF, Nigeria has seen at least 10 abductions over the past year in which
1,436 students have been taken. About 200 students are still being held and 16
children have died in the attacks. School kidnappings have taken place in nine
different states, and targets have included everyone from preschoolers to
university students. Authorities have blamed the abductions on bandits who are
believed to be motivated by the ransoms paid for the children’s release.
However, some students held by the bandits have said they also have been
threatened to not return to school when they are freed.”

 

Africa

 

Al Jazeera: ‘Gross Abuses’: Armed Groups Killing, Recruiting In Niger
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“An increasing number of children are being killed and abducted in Niger as
the conflict in the country’s western Tillaberi region, bordering Mali and
Burkina Faso, has worsened significantly, a human rights group said on Monday.
“Niger is at a precipice. In parts of the country an entire generation is
growing up surrounded by death and destruction,” Amnesty International’s Matt
Wells said while highlighting the release of a 57-page report. “The Nigerien
government and its international partners must urgently take action to monitor
and prevent further abuses across Tillaberi region and protect the basic rights
of all those affected by this deadly conflict – especially children.” The
London-based human rights group pointed the finger at the Islamic State in the
Greater Sahara (ISGS) and al-Qaeda-affiliated Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam
wal-Muslimin (JNIM) for causing the “devastating impact on children” in the
region. According to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED),
cited by Amnesty, violence against civilians led to 544 conflict-related deaths
between January and August, up from 397 people killed in similar incidents in
2020. The report said armed groups have killed more than 60 children in Niger’s
tri-border area in 2021, adding ISGS appears responsible for most of the
killings.”

 

Southeast Asia

 

Los Angeles Times: Indonesia Arrests Key Leader In Al Qaeda-Linked Group
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“Indonesia’s elite counter-terrorism squad has arrested a convicted militant
and suspected leader of an Al Qaeda-linked group that has been blamed for a
string of past bombings in the country, police said Monday. Abu Rusdan was
seized late Friday in Bekasi, near the capital, Jakarta, along with three other
suspected members of Jemaah Islamiah, police spokesman Ahmad Ramadhan said. “He
is currently known to be active among the unlawful Jemaah Islamiah network’s
leadership,” Ramadhan told the Associated Press. Indonesian authorities
consider Rusdan to be a key figure in Jemaah Islamiah, which the U.S. has
designated a terrorist group. The shadowy Southeast Asian network is widely
blamed for attacks in the Philippines and Indonesia — including the 2002
bombings in the Indonesian resort island of Bali that killed 202 people, mostly
foreign tourists. Ramadhan described the arrests as part of a broader
nationwide crackdown on the group. Police are still searching for other
suspected members, followed tips that the group was recruiting and training new
members in Indonesia. Born in Central Java, Rusdan, 61, was sentenced to jail
in 2003 for sheltering Ali Ghufron, a militant who was later convicted and
executed for carrying out the Bali bombings.”

 

Technology

 

The Jerusalem Post: Corona Led To Largest Surface For Cyberterror Attacks Ever
- Cyber Chief
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“The coronavirus created the largest cyber-vulnerable surface for terrorists
to attack in history, Israel Cyber National Directorate Chief (INCD) Yigal Unna
said on Monday. Speaking at the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism
at Reichman University in Herzliya, Unna said that Israel and Western countries
are, “much more vulnerable” to cyber strikes because “the most developed
countries and societies are... connected and Internet-based societies.” He
continued stating that Israel and the West have “much more... single points of
failure than at any point in history” in a range of sectors from health to mass
transportation to energy to water. Next, the INCD chief said that with the
onset of the pandemic forcing Israel and the West to leap forward even more in
digitizing their societies, they now present “the largest attack-surface any
hacker or any terrorist could imagine ever.” Unna said that this “cyber mess”
combined with psychological warfare and influence campaigns could have massive
new unpredictable consequences. On the positive side, he discussed the hacking
into Iran’s “notorious prison, where dissidents are held” where hackers
“penetrated the system over there – and after capturing video for a couple of
weeks or months – took over the facility and then they published the ugly
videos coming out of the jail.”



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