Eye on Extremism
October 22, 2019
The
Washington Post: Afghan Official: Taliban Storm Checkpoint, Kill 15
Policemen
“The Taliban stormed a checkpoint in northern Afghanistan, killing
at least 15 policemen in the latest attack by insurgents, an Afghan
provincial official said Tuesday. The multi-pronged attack on the
checkpoint in the Ali Abad district of northern Kunduz province began
late on Monday night and set off an hours-long gunbattle, according to
Ghulam Rabani Rabani, a provincial council member. Along with the 15
policemen killed, two other officers were wounded in the assault, he
said. The attack came as Afghan troops have been battling the Taliban
for the past few weeks in Kunduz’s Dashti Archi and Imam Sahib
districts, Rabani added. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed
responsibility for the checkpoint attack. The Taliban have a strong
presence in Kunduz and are in control in several of the province’s
districts. The provincial capital, the city of Kunduz, briefly fell to
the Taliban in 2015, before the insurgents withdrew in the face of a
NATO-backed Afghan offensive. The city is a strategic crossroads with
easy access to much of northern Afghanistan as well as the country’s
capital, Kabul, about 200 miles (335 kilometers) away. The Taliban
pushed back into the city center again a year later, briefly raising
their flag before gradually being driven out
again.”
The
New York Times: ISIS Reaps Gains Of U.S. Pullout From
Syria
“American forces and their Kurdish-led partners in Syria had been
conducting as many as a dozen counterterrorism missions a day against
Islamic State militants, officials said. That has stopped. Those same
partners, the Syrian Democratic Forces, had also been quietly
releasing some Islamic State prisoners and incorporating them into
their ranks, in part as a way to keep them under watch. That, too, is
now in jeopardy. And across Syria’s porous border with Iraq, Islamic
State fighters are conducting a campaign of assassination against
local village headmen, in part to intimidate government informants.
When President Trump announced this month that he would pull American
troops out of northern Syria and make way for a Turkish attack on the
Kurds, Washington’s onetime allies, many warned that he was removing
the spearhead of the campaign to defeat the Islamic State, also known
as ISIS. Now, analysts say that Mr. Trump’s pullout has handed the
Islamic State its biggest win in more than four years and greatly
improved its prospects. With American forces rushing for the exits, in
fact, American officials said last week that they were already losing
their ability to collect critical intelligence about the group’s
operations on the ground.”
The
Washington Post: Britain Now Considers Prosecuting ISIS Militants
Known As The Beatles
“British prosecutors are reconsidering their opposition to trying a
pair of Islamic State members linked to a cell suspected of
involvement in the killing of American and British hostages in Syria.
The Crown Prosecution Service, an independent public authority in
England and Wales, has agreed to review its previous decision not to
prosecute the men. The move came after the United States military took
custody of the two British men, Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh,
almost two weeks ago. “Due to the change in circumstances the CPS are
reviewing the evidence in accordance with the Code for Crown
Prosecutors,” a CPS spokesperson told The Washington Post on Monday.
The decision has not been previously reported. Kotey and Elsheikh,
part of a cell of four British militants dubbed the “Beatles” by their
hostages because of their accents, were handed over to the Americans
by Kurdish allies in Syria and taken to a detention facility in Iraq —
removing an obstacle to a British prosecution, said several people
familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to
discuss a sensitive case. Kotey and Elsheikh were captured in early
2018.”
Middle
East Eye: Protests Erupt In Hezbollah's Heartland Of South Lebanon,
Despite Intimidation
“Under the bright sun and facing the sea, over 2,000 protesters
gathered on Sunday in Sour, a coastal city in south Lebanon known in
English as Tyre. The mood was cheerful, people came with friends and
family, all carrying a Lebanese flag. “The people want the fall of the
regime,” they chanted to music. Protesters are here for the fourth day
in a row. Like in the rest of the country, the mobilisation started on
Thursday night after the government announced it would impose a $0.20
daily tax on internet calls from apps such as WhatsApp. Although the
government rapidly cancelled the tax, the popular outburst has grown
bigger and bigger every day. Other cities in the south have joined the
movement, including Nabatieh and Sidon (Saida in Arabic). “It warms my
heart. There are Christians, Muslims… Behind me you can see Shia and
Sunnis. We are all together, we are united,” said Rami, a 54-year-old
restaurant owner.”
The
Times: Russia Hid Behind Iran To Spy On 35 Countries
“Russian hackers masqueraded as an Iranian cybergang to mount a
huge espionage campaign against 35 countries, GCHQ has revealed. The
UK intelligence agency worked on a two-year investigation with the
National Security Agency, its American equivalent, to uncover the
origins of the Russia-based hacking group, which stole documents from
an array of institutions worldwide. A security chief last night
described how the Russian group had hijacked Iranian cybertools and
infrastructure, which served to obscure its identity as well as
facilitate its espionage, as a new and significant development in the
hostile cyber-realm.”
The
Wall Street Journal: Islamic State Turns To Teen-Friendly TikTok,
Adorning Posts With Pink Hearts
“Islamic State militants have been posting short propaganda videos
to TikTok, the social network known for lighthearted content popular
with teenagers. The videos—since removed, in line with the app’s
policy—featured corpses paraded through streets, Islamic State
fighters with guns, and women who call themselves “jihadist and
proud.” Many were set to Islamic State songs. Some included TikTok
filters, or images, of stars and hearts that stream across the screen
in an apparent attempt to resonate with young people. “We pledge
allegiance ’til death,” voices sang in Arabic in one of the videos,
which appear to have been posted in recent weeks. The posts from
approximately two dozen accounts, identified by social-media
intelligence company Storyful, appeared to target TikTok’s users as
part of a new show of strength—and possible enlistment tool—as U.S.
troops withdraw from Syria. Islamic State has focused on online
propaganda since its inception, including using social media to spread
its message, setting it apart from other jihadist groups. The postings
followed the release last month by the extremist group of a purported
message from leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in which he called on his
followers to redouble their efforts to further the cause after losing
control over the last of its self-proclaimed caliphate in parts of
Syria and Iraq earlier this year.”
United States
The
Daily Beast: The Terror Gap: U.S. Laws Let White Supremacists Operate
Like ISIS
“The recent arrests of Jarrett William Smith, a former U.S. Army
soldier who discussed plans to “bomb a major U.S. news network,” and
Conor Climo, a Las Vegas man who plotted attacks on a synagogue and
LGBT bar, give an inkling of the growing threat posed by far-right
terrorists in the United States. The problem of white supremacist
violence is international. From the horrific attack on a mosque in
Christ Church, New Zealand, to the assault on a synagogue in the
German city of Halle, the movement often follows the same horrific
script—live-streaming the carnage, disseminating a manifesto, comments
full of tongue-in-cheek internet references—and governments are
scrambling to counter this threat. But U.S. laws have a special
problem, what might be called a “terror gap” between “foreign” and
“domestic” terror organizations. While the arrests of Smith and Climo
mark a new level of initiative by the federal government, there is
still much more to be done. What allows far-right terrorist groups to
thrive in the U.S. is a legal double standard that binds the hands of
even the most proactive members of law enforcement. This double
standard is exemplified by groups like Atomwaffen, a neo-Nazi
paramilitary group with major influence in the far-right online
community.”
Syria
The
Wall Street Journal: America’s Syria Exit Improves Iran’s
Fortunes
“In the tortured history of U.S.-Iranian relations, no American
leader has been as intent on making life difficult for Iran as has
President Trump. He has exerted economic pressure, diplomatic
pressure, even indirect military pressure. The great paradox of the
moment, then, is that Mr. Trump’s decision to pull back U.S. troops in
Syria actually is making life easier for Iran in a host of ways. As
has often been the case in dealing with Iran, American impulses have
collided with the Middle East’s harsh law of unintended consequences.
President Trump now is considering leaving a few American forces in
northeastern Syria, largely to keep an eye on the region’s oil fields.
He initially ordered them to all leave, clearing the way for Turkish
troops to move in and eliminate the Kurdish fighters who had been
America’s best allies in the fight against Islamic State
extremists.”
The
New York Times: U.S. Withdrawal From Syria Gathers Speed, Amid
Accusations Of Betrayal
“Heckled by Kurds who feel betrayed, a long convoy of United States
troops crossed into Iraq early Monday, accelerating a withdrawal of
American forces from northern Syria that set the stage for the Turkish
invasion of Kurdish-controlled land. More than 100 American military
vehicles left Syrian Kurdish territory in the early morning, according
to a cameraman for the Reuters news agency who was at the border
crossing. Residents threw rocks and potatoes at the convoy as it drove
through Qamishli, a major city in Kurdish-held territory. In video
posted online by a local Kurdish news outlet, ANHA Hawar, men hurling
potatoes at an armored vehicle shouted “No America” and “America
liar,” in English.”
The
Wall Street Journal: Erdogan Seeks Putin’s Support To Carve Out Syrian
Buffer Zone
“Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with his Russian
counterpart to discuss dividing influence in Syria as U.S. troops pull
out and a five-day halt to a Turkish offensive comes to an end, with
both Ankara and Moscow seeking to capitalize on a rebalancing of power
in the region. Ahead of Tuesday’s meeting in the Black Sea resort town
of Sochi, Mr. Erdogan said he would seek Russian President Vladimir
Putin’s support to create a safe zone in northeastern Syria that is
free of Kurdish fighters whom Ankara views as a terrorist threat.”
The
New York Times: For Trump The Dealmaker, Troop Pullouts Without Much
In Return
“The Taliban have wanted the United States to pull troops out of
Afghanistan, Turkey has wanted the Americans out of northern Syria and
North Korea has wanted them to at least stop military exercises with
South Korea. President Trump has now to some extent at least obliged
all three — but without getting much of anything in return. The
self-styled dealmaker has given up the leverage of the United States’
military presence in multiple places around the world without
negotiating concessions from those cheering for American forces to
leave.”
The
Wall Street Journal: Trump Calls For Defense, Use Of Syrian Oil
Fields
“President Trump said that he is planning to keep a small number of
troops in northeast Syria to protect the oil fields there and
suggested that an American company might help the Syrian Kurds develop
the oil for export. “I always said if you’re going in, keep the oil,”
Mr. Trump said at a cabinet meeting Monday. “We’ll work something out
with the Kurds so that they have some money, so that they have some
cash flow. Maybe we’ll get one of our big oil companies to go in and
do it properly.” Former administration officials said Mr. Trump’s plan
raises a host of legal, technical and diplomatic issues. And industry
analysts say it is unlikely to draw any interest from the oil
companies it would need to succeed.”
The
New York Times: A Reporter Walked Into A Prison Full
Of ISIS Detainees
“The prison guards undid a giant padlock, swung open a heavy metal
door and gestured for us to enter the cell. Inside were 22 prisoners
who had been captured in battles with the Islamic State. I peeked in,
looked at the two unarmed guards, and hesitated. I’m not going in
there, I thought. “It’s fine,” a guard said. “Go ahead.” I took a deep
breath and went in. We were in the basement of one of a network of
prisons run by Kurdish-led forces holding more than 10,000 men who
once belonged to the world’s most fearsome terrorist organization. A
good portion of the detainees are foreigners — from Arab countries,
Africa, Europe and the United States — but most of their countries
have refused to bring them home, fearing that they could spread
extremism or prove hard to keep behind bars. That has left them stuck
here, watched over by a Kurdish-led militia that allied with the
United States to fight the Islamic State, and won. Now, their status
has been thrown into further uncertainty by the Turkish invasion of
northeastern Syria, which has set off new violence and a scramble for
influence. In the end, will the Kurds maintain control of the prisons?
Will determining these men’s fate fall to Turkey or the government of
President Bashar al-Assad? Might they escape to fight another day? No
one knows.”
New
York Post: Defense Secretary Mark Esper Says Small US Force May Remain
In Syria To Curb ISIS Activity
“Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Monday the administration is
weighing keeping a small US force in Syria to act as a check on the
Islamic State as US troops began crossing the border into Iraq as part
of President Trump’s withdrawal. “We have troops in towns in northeast
Syria that are located next to the oil fields, the troops in those
towns are not in the present phase of withdrawal,” Esper told
reporters during a visit to Kabul, Afghanistan. “The purpose is to
deny access, specifically revenue to ISIS and any other groups that
may want to seek that revenue to enable their own malign activities,”
he said. The defense secretary said while there have been discussions
about keeping some troops in Syria, “there has been no decision with
regard to numbers or anything like that.” A convoy of armored vehicles
carrying US troops into Iraq from northern Syria on Monday was met by
angry Kurds tossing potatoes and shouting “America liar,” according to
video posted by the Kurdish news agency. “Like rats, America is
running away,” one man shouted in Arabic, the Associated Press
reported. The Kurds, who fought alongside US troops against ISIS
terrorists since 2014, have called Trump’s decision to pull American
forces from Syria a betrayal.”
Asharq
Al-Awsat: 12,000 ISIS Militants In 7 Prisons In Northeastern
Syria
“The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced that about 12,000
suspected ISIS militants are being held in seven prisons in
northeastern Syria. Apart from Syrians, the number of imprisoned
Iraqis is estimated at 4,000, and there are about 2,000 fighters from
50 different countries, including about 800 from Western and European
origins, with about 1,200 from Arab, Middle Eastern, and North African
countries. The SDF fears that if the rest of the areas under its
control are attacked by Turkey, extremists in detention centers might
flee. The United States and Turkey agreed to reduce security concerns
about the fate of thousands of ISIS prisoners held in SDF prisons.
Extremists' families are in displacement and asylum camps in
northeastern Syria, most notably al-Hol camp which houses thousands of
ISIS families. Over the past two days, several riots and incidents
erupted after Turkey launched a large-scale attack on areas east of
the Euphrates and declared a fragile truce. In an interview with the
Kurdish channel Ronahi earlier this week, commander of SDF, Mazloum
Abdi, announced that so far, the US has not ended their alliance
against ISIS, adding that the issue of extremists concerns the entire
world.”
The
Hill: The Children Of ISIS Need Our Help To Grow Up As Peaceful
Citizens
“Over the past year I have sat with, talked with, and played with
several children of ISIS fighters. Innocently, these children drew
pictures, told stories, shared dreams and played imaginatively like
other children. Some were guarded at first, then spoke of crimes or
cruelties that the grown-ups in their lives had brought upon them or
made them do. Some openly struggled to understand why those who loved
and raised them had made decisions that led them and others to be hurt
or killed. After being with them, it was easy for me to conclude that
these children are victims, even though some may have done terrible
things at the request of their parents or other adults. The children I
saw were being repatriated to their countries and helped on a path
towards recovery, rehabilitation and reintegration. Kazakhstan and
Kosovo are among a small group of countries that is welcoming back the
children of their citizens who became foreign terrorist fighters.
Although several European countries and Australia have thus far chosen
to disown the children of their citizen fighters, the U.S. has taken
back a small number and Canada is preparing to receive some.”
Iran
Reuters:
Senior Israeli Official Attends Bahrain Security Meeting Focusing On
Iran
“A senior Israeli official attended a maritime security conference
in Bahrain on Monday in another sign of Gulf Arab nations and Israel
transcending longtime enmities to focus on a perceived common threat
from Iran. Israel, which regards Sunni Muslim Gulf states as natural
allies against Shi’ite Muslim Iran, has formal diplomatic relations
with only two Arab states, neighboring Egypt and Jordan, established
in 1979 and 1994 respectively. The maritime workshop being held in
Manama stems from a Middle East conference held in Warsaw in February
that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the time called a
“historical turning point” for an alliance against Tehran. The United
States is trying to build a global maritime coalition to secure vital
trade channels following attacks on tankers in Gulf waters in May and
June that Washington has blamed on Iran, a charge Tehran denies.
Tensions have risen since President Donald Trump last year withdrew
the United States from a 2015 deal between world powers and Iran under
which it agreed to curbs on its disputed nuclear program in return for
the lifting of sanctions.”
Iraq
Voice
Of America: Islamic State Attack Kills 2 Security Forces Near Northern
Iraqi Oil Fields
“Two members of Iraq's security forces were killed and three
wounded when Islamic State militants attacked checkpoints in the Allas
oil fields area of the northern Salahuddin province on Monday, the
military said in a statement. The Allas oil field, 35 km (20 miles)
south of Hawija, was one of the main sources of revenue for Islamic
State, which in 2014 declared a caliphate in parts of Iraq and Syria.
Iraq declared victory over the hardline Sunni militants in late 2017
after pushing them out of all territory it held in the country. They
have since reverted to hit-and-run insurgency tactics aimed at
destabilizing the government in Baghdad. "Elements of the terrorist
Daesh gangs attacked two security checkpoints in the Alas oil fields
area of Salahuddin province, and an improvised explosive device blew
up a vehicle belonging to security forces stationed there, leading to
the martyrdom of two of them," the statement said. Militants also
opened fire on the security forces who attempted to evacuate the
bodies, injuring three more. A joint force consisting of regular
troops and mostly Iran-backed Shi'ite paramilitary groups known as the
Popular Mobilization Forces is pursuing the attackers, the statement
said.”
Asharq
Al-Awsat: Iraq Urges Europe To Support It In Confronting
Terrorism
“Iraqi President Barham Salih and Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi
called on Monday the European Union to take “more serious” stances in
combating terrorism. Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg was in Iraq
as part of a tour of the region aimed at garnering more support for
international efforts to fight terrorism in wake of the withdrawal of
US troops from Syria. The move has sparked fears of the reemergence of
the ISIS group. Salih held talks with Solberg on Monday, saying Iraq
looks forward to working with “brothers and friends to consolidate
security and stability in the region.” He stressed the need to resolve
the Syrian crisis away from foreign meddling and military operations.
He also underlined the need to present emergency support to refugees,
who have fled the Turkish incursion in northeastern Syria. In a joint
press conference with Solberg, Abdul Mahdi said Iraq needed
international support in its war against terrorism. “The victory
against terrorism prevented terror groups in the region from spreading
to the rest of the world,” he declared. Solberg, for her part,
stressed Norway’s commitment to the partnership with Iraq in fighting
terrorism.”
Afghanistan
Foreign
Affairs: What A Withdrawal From Afghanistan Would Look
Like
“Over the past two years, a bipartisan consensus has emerged that
the United States should leave Afghanistan. This summer, President
Donald Trump repeatedly claimed that he wanted out. So did the
Democratic presidential candidates. During a September debate,
Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren promised to bring troops home
without any deal with the Taliban, and former Vice President Joe Biden
was just as strident, declaring, “We don’t need those troops there. I
would bring them home.” But advocates of the mission argue that a full
withdrawal courts disaster, paving the way for terrorist groups to
reestablish a safe haven in Afghanistan. That distaste for remaining
in Afghanistan is widespread is unsurprising after 17 years of war.
And U.S. involvement in active military operations in Afghanistan has
greatly decreased since 2010 and 2011, when nearly 100,000 U.S. troops
were deployed. The remaining 14,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan support
local security forces with airstrikes, surveillance, and advising.
Afghan soldiers and police do the frontline work of defending cities
against the Taliban, while U.S. special operations devote significant
effort to battling al Qaeda and the Islamic State (or ISIS). The
United States has fought a relentless campaign against these groups,
and many opponents of the effort can endure it no longer.”
The
Hill: US Pulling Troops From Afghanistan Despite Lack Of Taliban Peace
Deal
“The U.S. has begun winding down its troop presence in Afghanistan
despite the lack of a working peace deal with Taliban forces, the top
American commander in the country said Monday. Gen. Scott Miller told
reporters that U.S. troop levels in the country were reduced by 2,000
to about 12,000 over the past year. Unidentified American and Afghan
officials told The New York Times that troop levels could eventually
be further reduced to 8,600, which is near the level agreed upon in
the initial draft agreement developed with the Taliban. President
Trump abruptly ended peace talks with the militant group last month,
citing their killing of a U.S. soldier in a Kabul attack. A senior
Afghan official told the newspaper that government officials in Kabul
have agreed to the U.S. troop level reduction but officials would not
discuss any other details. Trump has repeatedly emphasized his desire
to pull the U.S. out of the country after nearly two decades of
conflict there, the Times noted, adding that U.S. negotiators
initially attempted to convince the Taliban the U.S. was committed to
remaining in the nation and the extremist group would not be able to
wait U.S. forces out.”
Xinhua:
Afghan Airstrikes Kill 14 Militants In Northern
Afghanistan
“A total of 14 militants were confirmed dead as fighting planes
struck a Taliban hideout in the beleaguered Darqad district of
Afghanistan's northern Takahr province, according to an army statement
released here Tuesday. Three more militants sustained injuries due to
the air raids conducted on Monday afternoon, the statement said.
Taliban militants who are active in parts of the restive Darqad
district have not made comments on the report yet. Takhar province
with Taluqan as its capital, 245 km north of Kabul, has been the scene
of Taliban-led increasing insurgency over the past couple of
years.”
Pakistan
Xinhua:
Blast Injures At Least 5 In Pakistan's Quetta
“A blast hit a police vehicle in Pakistan's southwestern Quetta
city on Monday evening, leaving at least five people injured,
including four policemen, said local police. According to the police
in the area, unknown militants detonated explosive material near the
police vehicle when it was on its routine patrolling in the Aspani
Road area of Quetta, the provincial capital of the country's
southwestern Balochistan province. The explosive material was hidden
inside a motorbike parked at the roadside, which was triggered by a
remote control device, said the police. Rescue teams, police and
security forces had reached the site and shifted the injured to
hospital. No group has claimed the attack yet.”
Yemen
Asharq
Al-Awsat: Yemen’s Houthis Accused Of Randomly Planting
Landmines
“Yemeni military officials accused on Sunday Houthi militias of
randomly planting landmines and explosive devices along streets,
houses and farms from where the rebels have been expelled, adding to
the misery of people, including children, women and the elderly.
Landmines and explosives threaten the lives of millions of Yemenis and
have killed and injured hundreds of them. Reports of humanitarian
organizations suggest that Yemen has become one of the largest
landmine battlefields in the world since World War II. On Sunday, 13
rebels were killed and injured in battles with the National Army on
the eastern front of the Houthi-besieged city of Taiz, where the
legitimacy has made new advances by controlling several sites.”
Lebanon
The
National: Lebanese Army Stops Amal, Hezbollah Convoy Heading To Beirut
Protest Site
“The Lebanese army on Monday night moved in to break up a group of
hundreds of men on mopeds driving through central Beirut with flags of
Hezbollah and the Amal Movement chanting slogans against the mass
demonstrations now in their sixth day. Videos shared online show about
30 officers moving in with sticks and batons to turn back the moped
riders, several of whom were detained. At least one officer with his
weapon raised running towards the convoy as it quickly scattered up
side streets. The video shows the convoy heading down Beshara Khoury
Street in central Beirut and heading towards Martyrs’ Square, the
epicentre of the week-long protests. Both Hezbollah and the Amal
Movement quickly released statements denying that they had sent the
convoy to the streets.”
Associated
Press: Protesters Remain Despite Lebanese PM’s Reform
Package
“Facing escalating mass protests, the government of Lebanese Prime
Minister Saad Hariri approved Monday a package of economic reforms and
a 2020 budget without new taxes, hoping to appease people in the
streets. Protests swelled in the hours after the announcement,
however, as many demonstrators scorned the package as “empty
promises.” Hundreds of thousands of people have flooded public squares
across the country in the largest protests in over 15 years, unifying
an often-divided public in their revolt against status-quo leaders who
have ruled for three decades and brought the economy to the brink of
disaster. Sparked by proposed new taxes, the protests have shaken the
country and top leaders, who are scrambling to come up with
concessions to appease the public.”
The
New York Times: ‘Baby Shark’ And The Sounds Of Protest In
Lebanon
“In a video shot in Lebanon over the weekend, a woman whose car is
trapped among a sea of protesters, tells them that her toddler in the
car is frightened. The protesters then launch into a song and dance of
“Baby Shark” to calm the child. The video is both sweet and uplifting.
It’s also surprising, because a Lebanese crowd acting in unison is
such a rarity. On Thursday, Lebanese from all walks of life took to
the streets to protest corruption, and as of this writing the crowds
keep getting bigger, louder, and more united. The crowds on Sunday
were estimated to be 1.3 million people, 20 percent of the population.
What seems to have set off the protests was the government’s
announcement of a tax on calls made using WhatsApp and other free
online applications, supposedly to raise revenue during a fiscal
crisis.”
Middle East
The
Jerusalem Post: Jordan Nabs Isis Cell Plotting Terror Attacks -
Report
“The Jordanian authorities have foiled a plot by ISIS to carry out
terrorist attacks in the kingdom, the Jordanian newspaper Al-Ra’i
reported on Monday. Five members of the terrorist cell were arrested
last July, according to a charge sheet presented to the State Security
Court in Amman, the newspaper said. According to the report, the
suspects were planning to attack the guards stationed outside the home
of a former Jordanian prime minister and seize their weapons. At the
beginning of their trial on Sunday, the suspects pleaded not guilty,
the newspaper said. The suspects are accused of conspiring to carry
out terrorist attacks, including shooting at security patrols and
kidnapping a Jordanian intelligence officer. One of the suspects,
according to the charge sheet, is a Syrian national living in Jordan
known as an ISIS supporter. At the beginning of this year, three of
the other suspects, also known as ISIS supporters, attempted to
infiltrate the border from Jordan into Syria to fight alongside the
terrorist group. The attempt, however, failed due to the large
presence of the Jordanian army along the border, the charge sheet
said, according to the newspaper. During meetings in Jordan, the
suspects reportedly pledged allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr
al-Baghdadi and formed a cell with the purpose of purchasing weapons
to launch terrorist attacks in the kingdom.”
Nigeria
Sahara
Reporters: Nigeria Now Fighting Global Terrorists, Boko Haram
Technically Defeated -Lai Mohammed
“Lai Mohammed, Nigeria's Minister of Information and Culture,
believes Boko Haram have been technically defeated despite continued
onslaughts by the terrorist group. The minister stated this on Monday
when he paid a working visit to the new corporate headquarters of The
Sun in Lagos. Fielding questions from the editorial board of the
newspaper led be the Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief, Onuoha
Ukeh, the minister said Nigeria was currently facing global terrorism.
He stated, “I stand by what I said that Boko Haram is technically
defeated. “What we are having today is global terrorism where you have
ISIS, ISWAP, Al-Qaeda all working together.”
Pulse
Nigeria: U.S. Donates Equipment To Nigeria To Fight
Terrorism
“The US Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security
Administration, Office of Nuclear Smuggling Detection and Deterrence
(US-DOE/NNSA/NSDD) has donated two Mobile Radiation Detection Systems
to help combat terrorism in Nigeria. CP Maikudi Shehu, Commissioner of
Police in charge of Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), disclosed this
on Monday during the one-week training and unveiling of the Mobile
Radiation Detection Systems in Lagos. News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
reports that the training had 10 EOD and Chemical, Biological,
Radiological Nuclear (CBRN) police officers in attendance. Shehu said
that the training came at the right time in efforts to curtail the
menace of terrorism, security threat and other dastardly acts
bedeviling the country.“The menace of insecurity calls for a new
approach that will be founded on credible intelligence gathering,
acquisition of modern technology, capacity building and inter-agency
collaboration. “This will enable law enforcement agencies to be
pro-active and able to predict potential crimes rather than being
reactive. “Therefore, I urge all participants to ensure effective use
of these equipment and utilise the knowledge that will be acquired
from this important training to enhance our national nuclear
security,” Shehu said.”
Africa
Asharq
Al-Awsat: Tunisia: Qaeda’s Slain Algerian Leader Was Mastermind Of
Major Terror Attacks
“A senior Algerian commander in al-Qaeda’s Uqba bin Nafi Battalion
(KUBN) was killed in a joint military operation on Monday, Tunisia’s
Ministry of Interior said. Murad al-Shayeb, 36, was killed by Tunisian
security and military forces in Kasserine governorate near the border
with Algeria. Murad is the brother of Algerian terrorist Khaled
Shayeb, aka Luqman Abu Sakhr who was killed in Tunisia in 2015. They
both belong to al-Qaeda in the Maghreb. The Ministry said Shayeb was
responsible for a series of attacks since 2013, including an assault
on former Interior Minister Lotfi Ben Jeddou in 2014 and various
ambushes in the Chaambi, Ouargha, Mghila, and Sammama mountains. The
joint operation was one of the most successful given the significance
and danger of the killed terrorist.”
United Kingdom
The
Guardian: Supporters Of Banned Groups In UK Face Tougher
Sentences
“Tougher punishments for those convicted of expressing support for
banned organisations or viewing terrorist material online are being
proposed by the Sentencing Council. Following changes to legislation
brought in by the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019, the
official body, which publishes guidelines for judges, has circulated a
fresh consultation on raising sentences for the most serious offences.
The act increased maximum prison sentences for a range of terrorism
offences. Consequently the Sentencing Council is recommending raising
“sentence levels for the most serious examples of offending, where
there was no headroom [previously] … due to the statutory
maximum”.”
The
Telegraph: Extremists Convicted Of Encouraging Terrorism Face Doubling
In Minimum Jail Terms To 10 Years Under Tough New Sentencing
Rules
“Hate preachers convicted of encouraging terrorism face big
increases in their jail sentences under tough new guidelines for
judges. The sentencing council is recommending that those found guilty
of encouraging terrorism would see their minimum time behind bars
double from five to ten years. Longer sentences are also proposed for
those caught in possession material such as bomb-making manuals that
could inspire terrorist attacks and for those who fail to disclose
information of imminent atrocities. Their minimum terms would rise
from four to seven years. The move follows increases in the maximum
sentences under new terror laws…”
France
ABC
News: Judges Close Investigations Into 2015 Paris And Bataclan Terror
Attacks That Killed 130
“France's anti-terrorism prosecutor's office announced Monday
morning that investigations into the terror attacks on Nov. 13, 2015
that killed 130 people in Paris have ended. The attacks at cafes, a
Bataclan concert hall, and outside a stadium in Saint-Denis -- which
also wounded more than 350 -- were the deadliest committed on French
soil since the Second World War. Four years after ISIS claimed
responsibility, the investigations revealed a much larger jihadist
cell behind these attacks with ramifications throughout Europe but
mainly in Belgium, according to AFP. A man is seen posting a French
flag on the monument of the 'Place de la Republique' where people
continue to pay tribute to the Paris Attacks victims one month after
they occurred, Dec. 13, 2015, in Paris. On March 22, 2016, the cell
also hit the Brussels airport and metro, killing 32 people. The five
magistrates who investigated the attacks indicted 14 people, 11 of
whom were placed in pre-trial detention. The other three were placed
under court supervision, according to the prosecutor's office's press
release. Among them is Salah Abdeslam, the only member still alive of
the three jihadist commandos who perpetrated the attacks, who is
currently being held in France after his arrest in Belgium in
2016.”
Asharq
Al-Awsat: 2 Belgians, 7 French Suspects Accused Of Terror
Funding
“Judicial authorities in Belgium and France have charged nine
people with funding terrorism and partaking in terror activities.
Security investigations followed by raids and arrests took place in
Belgian and French cities within the framework of security and
judicial coordination between Brussels and Paris. Belgian
investigators seized large amounts of money ranging from 8,000 to
10,000 euros during searches. According to the Belgian federal
prosecutor's office, the money raised in France and Belgium was
intended for ISIS wives, whose number was not specified, to pay
smugglers to flee their detention in Syria. Mid last week, Belgian
police raided sites and arrested a number of suspects for sending
money to northeastern Syria to facilitate the smuggling of women from
ISIS families from Kurdish camps there, media reports said. Paul Van
Tigchelt, head of OCAD, told a parliamentary committee that two men
and three women, either Belgian or with links to Belgium, were no
longer in prison in a camp where they had been held under Kurdish
control since the defeat of ISIS by US-backed coalition forces in
2017.”
Express:
Families Of French Isis Killers Demand Macron Let Them Home As
Violence Erupts In Syria
“In an open letter sent to the 41-year-old leader, the relatives of
Isis fighters currently being held in Kurdish-run camps and prisons in
the country’s northeast asked the Macron government to “embody French
values” by being “a nation that never abandons its children, no matter
the circumstances”. The families called on M Macron to “proceed with
the repatriation of all innocent French children and their parents,”
adding that the Isis children were “exhausted, sick and deeply
traumatised”. “All have fallen prey to Turkish and Syrian forces. If
[Turkish and Syrian fighters] reach the overcrowded detention camps,
our children and grand-children will die at their hands,” the ISIS
relatives continued. Around 300 French jihadi brides and their
children are being held in detention camps in northeastern Syria,
according to Kurdish authorities. France, like other European nations,
has been wrestling with how to handle suspected terrorists and their
families seeking to return from combat zones in Iraq and Syria, as
well as those in detention, after Isis lost huge swathes of territory.
Government policy until now has been to refuse to take back fighters.
Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has branded them as “enemies” of
the state who should face justice either in Syria or Iraq.”
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