Eye on Extremism
October 25, 2019
USA
Today: A Year After Tree Of Life, America Is Confronting Domestic
Terror Threat Head-On
“Last month we observed the solemn 18th anniversary of the
terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. We have made significant strides
since then in securing our nation against large-scale terrorist
attacks from foreign groups like al-Qaida. We have established a
Department of Homeland Security, strengthened aviation and
infrastructure protections, constructed an integrated intelligence
apparatus and struck strong blows against terrorist enclaves overseas.
This work must continue as the Islamic State, al-Qaida and other
extreme violent Islamist organizations seek to regroup. But we must
recognize that in the past two decades, the threats of terrorism and
mass violence have metastasized. We have seen the emergence of new
strains of ideologically motivated terrorism and targeted mass
violence, much of which is launched by domestic actors. Dramatic
expansion of internet and social media platforms has magnified the
risk of online radicalization, leading to violent extremism. New
technologies amplify the ability of violent extremists to carry out
deadly attacks, and to publicize and glorify the carnage. In recent
years, domestic extreme ideologues have carried out more deadly
attacks than violent jihadists.”
The
Hill: House Homeland Security Committee Subpoenas Security Officials
For Testimony On Terrorism
“House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson
(D-Miss.) on Thursday issued subpoenas for the public testimony of two
senior Trump administration officials on terror threats facing the
country. Thompson on Wednesday subpoenaed acting Homeland Security
Secretary Kevin McAleenan and acting National Counterterrorism Center
(NCTC) Director Russell Travers, demanding that they testify in a
public Oct. 30 hearing. A statement from the committee on the
subpoenas said that it has been attempting to get McAleenan and
Travers to testify since July and that both agencies previously pulled
out of a hearing. “From the release of ISIS prisoners in Syria to the
rising number of domestic terrorism incidents here at home to the
continuing effort by Russia to meddle in our elections, there are
urgent security threats facing the nation. I am concerned that turmoil
within the White House and vacancies at the highest levels of the
Department of Homeland Security are undermining our ability to respond
to terrorist threats,” Thomson said in a statement. “It is inexcusable
that the people charged with keeping the country safe from terrorism
are refusing to show up to testify before Congress and speak to the
American people about what they are doing to secure the homeland.”
CNN:
CNN Poll: Most Americans Are Concerned About Syria And Think It's
Likely ISIS Will Reemerge
“Three-quarters of Americans are concerned about the situation in
Syria and many see a reemergence of ISIS as likely following recent
changes in US policy, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS.
But the country is divided over how to proceed. Just over half (51%)
think the US has a responsibility to remain involved in the ongoing
conflict in Syria, while 43% do not. The poll finds a sharp partisan
divide over whether America has a responsibility to remain involved in
the conflict there: 72% of Democrats say yes, while 65% of Republicans
say no. Overall, three-quarters of the country (75%) is concerned
about the situation in Syria, including 43% who are very concerned.
Concern, too, is highly divided along partisan lines -- 65% of
Democrats say they're very concerned. Less than half of independents
(40%) and about a quarter (24%) of Republicans feel the same.
President Donald Trump announced a withdrawal of all troops from Syria
last week, but he reversed course on Wednesday, saying a “small
number” will remain. The poll was conducted after the decision to
remove them, but before he said some could stay. Around two-in-five
(42%) Americans approved of Trump's decision to withdraw all US troops
from Syria, while half (50%) disapproved.”
United States
MSNBC:
Trump Admin Contradicts Trump On Escaped ISIS
Militants
“Despite the obvious failures of his policy in northern Syria,
Donald Trump delivered remarks yesterday celebrating what he perceived
as a success. Of particular interest were the president’s comments
about escaped ISIS militants. “I have just spoken to General Mazloum,
a wonderful man, the Commander-in-Chief of the SDF Kurds. And he was
extremely thankful for what the United States has done. Could not have
been more thankful. General Mazloum has assured me that ISIS is under
very, very strict lock and key, and the detention facilities are being
strongly maintained. There were a few that got out – a small number,
relatively speaking – and they’ve been largely recaptured.” To
clarify, Trump was apparently referring to a conversation with Ferhat
Abdi Şahin, commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces, which includes
Kurdish militias. Whether he was “extremely thankful” for the United
States abandoning our Kurdish allies is unclear. But of particular
interest was Trump’s rhetoric about escaped members of ISIS. The
terrorist network was already delighted by the Republican’s policy,
since it effectively ended the U.S.-backed offensive against ISIS.
Indeed, by any fair measure, ISIS was one of the biggest winners of
Trump’s decision.”
Syria
CBS
News: U.S. Plans To Send Additional Troops To Northeastern Syria To
Protect Oil Fields From ISIS, Pentagon Says
“A Pentagon official said Thursday that the U.S. is planning to
send additional troops into northeastern Syria to protect oil fields
from ISIS. The announcement comes as Russia, which has gained new
power in the region, ordered all U.S. troops out of the country and
called the remaining American troops an “occupying force.” The
announcement is a reversal of President Trump's decision to pull U.S.
forces from the area, which sparked a Turkish cross-border offensive
earlier this month. While most U.S. troops are withdrawing from Syria,
the Pentagon is planning a major increase in firepower to protect the
ones left behind. If approved, a combat unit armed with tanks would be
sent into an area along the Euphrates River to reinforce about 200
lightly armed troops who are staying in Syria to protect the oil
fields. “One of the most significant gains by the U.S. and our
partners in the fight against ISIS was gaining control of oil fields
in Eastern Syria — a crucial source of revenue for ISIS,” a defense
official said. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said he was briefed
on the situation Thursday by Joint Chiefs Chairman General Mark
Milley. “There's a plan coming together from the Joint Chiefs, that I
think may work, that may give us what we need to prevent ISIS from
coming back around,” he said.”
ABC
News: Over 100 ISIS Prisoners Are On The Loose, Security Officials
Must Act Now: Experts
“Over one hundred ISIS soldiers have reportedly escaped prisons in
Syria. Now security officials around the world need to work together
to protect their borders in order to stop the next possible terrorist
attack, experts say. Earlier this month, security at Syrian detention
camps in al-Hol -- where thousands of ISIS soldiers were held --
weakened as Turkey invaded. As the Turkish Kurds fought the Syrian
Kurds, who were guarding the jails, supporters of the Islamic State
leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi attacked the camps and set ISIS prisoners
free. “The concern is not with the thousands who were taken off the
battlefield and put into prison, it's with the ones they don't know
about that they are concerned about ... That threat has been
consistent and constant,” said Darrell M. Blocker, a former senior
Deputy Director of CIA’s Counterterrorist Center and an ABC News
contributor. On Wednesday, U.S. Syria Envoy James Jeffrey told
Congress that they “do not know” where the prisoners are. As President
Trump announced withdrawing thousands of U.S. troops from the region,
security experts said that leaving Syria -- a breeding ground for ISIS
-- makes the U.S. vulnerable to possible attacks.”
Tablet
Mag: Fighting The Wrong War On ISIS
“The war against the Islamic State ended in 2017 with the defeat of
the self-proclaimed caliphate. Now, two years on, the time has come
for a moral assessment of that war, in which a terrorist state lacking
an army was able to defy the international community for four years
before victory was won. Let’s take a close look at the strange waiting
game played by the West. “No boots on the ground!” That was the
watchword of Western governments and their militaries, including those
in the United States, the United Kingdom, and France. It was repeated
over and over to the Kurds as they stood up to ISIS in Iraq and Syria.
We Westerners wanted to be done with ISIS, which posed a twin threat
to the Middle East and our own cities, but we did not intend to put
our own boots on the ground. We were not going to repeat our
experience in Iraq and Afghanistan. Aside from a limited number of
Special Forces, the ground war against ISIS and its self-styled
caliphate would fall to Kurdish and Iraqi proxies. We would train
them, arm them, and supply them; we would provide air support and
long-range artillery for the retaking of cities. But we were not going
to send any soldiers in, for fear that one of them should fall into
ISIS’ hands and be tortured on YouTube, sending public opinion into a
tailspin.”
Iraq
Business
Insider: ISIS Is Staging Attacks In Symbolically Important Places To
Send A Message: We're Back
“An ISIS attack on an Iraqi oil field checkpoint that killed at
least two members of the Iraqi security forces sends a clear message:
ISIS sees itself making a comeback, and it wants the world to know.
Earlier this week, ISIS attacked security forces at a check point near
Allas oilfield, in Iraq's Salahuddin province — a site that was one of
the terror group's main sources of income during the territorial
caliphate. “The important thing to note here is that ISIS attacked a
checkpoint near the oil field,” said Brandon Wallace, a
counterterrorism researcher at the Institute for the Study of War, who
said it's an indication that ISIS is going after symbolic or
economically vital targets likely to be guarded by security forces.
The group is also trying to disrupt the social fabric in Iraq by going
after village leaders, Wallace told Insider. “If you take out the
right guy in a village in one area, that can have much longer-lasting
impact on the stability of the community,” he said, creating an
environment in which ISIS is actually a viable alternative. The group
seeks to do the same across the porous border in Syria. Over the past
month, ISIS has made or attempted attacks in Raqqa, the former capital
of its caliphate.”
Turkey
Reuters:
Erdogan Says Turkey Will Crush Kurdish Militants Remaining In Syria
'Safe Zone'
“Turkey will use its right to crush Kurdish militia fighters if
they have not withdrawn from a “safe zone” in northern Syria as per a
truce agreement with the United States, President Tayyip Erdogan said
on Thursday. Earlier on Thursday, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic
Forces (SDF) accused Turkey of launching an offensive targeting three
villages in northeast Syria despite a truce, but Russia said a peace
deal struck this week was going ahead smoothly. Erdogan said Turkey
would implement its plans for an offensive if the Syrian Kurdish YPG
militia did not withdraw from along its border as agreed upon with
Russia. He also criticized world leaders meeting with YPG commanders,
saying such moves hindered the fight against terrorism.”
Arab
News: Terror Suspects Being Deported To Turkey For
Trial
“Dozens of Daesh terror suspects were being deported to Turkey on
Thursday after being removed from prisons in northern Syria by Turkish
troops. The militants, all Turkish nationals, were seized during
Turkey’s military offensive to establish a 30-km buffer zone on its
border with Syria. Daesh family members held in detention facilities
and camps are also being brought to Turkey, where those who have not
been involved in war crimes will undergo rehabilitation. Militants
from other nations will be kept in prisons in the border town of Tal
Abyad under the control of Syrian National Army. Last week Turkey
urged European countries to take back Daesh fighters released by
People’s Protection Units (YPG) in Syria and put them on trial. “YPG
released around 650 Daesh terrorists in Syria, including 150 Turkish
citizens and 500 from countries such as France, Germany and the
Netherlands,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said. About 195
of the militants have been recaptured, he said. Many EU countries,
especially France, have refused to take back nationals who fought for
Daesh, preferring to extradite them to Iraq for trial. More than 300
people were killed and 1,500 injured in Daesh-linked terror attacks on
Turkish territory.”
Afghanistan
The
Diplomat: The Taliban’s Diplomatic Reemergence
“In a fresh move to reinvigorate the “dead” peace talks, China
announced it would host Taliban and Afghan delegates in a two-day
meeting slated to begin on October 28 in Beijing. Although there was
no official announcement from China, both Taliban and Afghan delegates
confirmed they received invitation from Beijing. This will be the
first such meeting since the abrupt ending of talks between U.S.
Special Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and the Doha-based Taliban leadership
last month. Separately, diplomats from the United States, Russia,
China and Pakistan are scheduled to meet in Moscow on October 25 to
discuss the Afghan peace process. Disregarding the Taliban’s past and
present violence, support for terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda or its
dreadful human rights record, the group’s once reclusive militant
leadership is gradually and rapidly strengthening and expanding their
diplomatic outreach. Long before the launch of the Qatar peace talks
in October 2018, the Taliban leadership received positive signals from
regional countries as well as some European capitals. Such signals
helped the group put forward a diplomatic front with a soft image
alongside continuing its fighting across Afghanistan.”
Pakistan
Reuters:
Suspected Militants Kill Two In Indian Kashmir, Set Apple Trucks
Ablaze
“Suspected militants shot and killed two drivers and set fire to
their apple trucks in Indian Kashmir on Thursday, a senior police
official said. The official said the attack took place in south
Kashmir’s Shopian district, which is a major apple-growing region and
a hotbed of militancy that has raged in Indian Kashmir for decades.
The state police tweeted that two civilians had been killed and a
third person injured in Shopian, but did not give details. There have
been signs that militant actions have picked up in Indian Kashmir in
last two months after New Delhi revoked the region’s decades-old
autonomy in August. Apple farming provides jobs for some 3.5 million
people and is a major part of Indian Kashmir’s economy, which went
into a tailspin after New Delhi imposed a lockdown on the region,
including cutting phone and internet links. Over the last two weeks,
suspected militants have killed one truck driver and a trader in
Shopian. However, trade has shown signs of recovery, as more than
10,000 trucks laden with apples left Indian-ruled Kashmir last week.
On an average, about 300-400 apple trucks have been moving out of
Shopian alone, over the last 10 days.”
Lebanon
The
National: Lebanon: Hezbollah Supporters Clash With Anti-Government
Protesters
“Several people were injured in clashes between Hezbollah
supporters and anti-government protesters in downtown Beirut on
Thursday afternoon, hours after President Michel Aoun addressed the
movement that has brought Lebanon to a standstill. Despite the heavy
rain, protesters were hampered only by pro-Hezbollah attendees
interrupting demands for the government’s resignation to shout slogans
like “Hassan Nasrallah (Hezbollah’s leader) is the most honourable of
them all”. The men also chanted “Hezbollah is not terrorist, it
protects my country” and “we worship you, Nasrallah”. A large Israeli
flag had been placed on the floor for people to walk on, signalling
their hatred for Hezbollah’s archenemy. However, protesters criticised
their “obscurantist” behaviour and drowned out the chants with music
and danced in their rain ponchos. “I told them that I wanted to chant
that all politicians must leave, including Nasrallah. They told me I
could not say that. They just came to cause trouble,” one young women
told The National. Another protester said she witnessed a Hezbollah
supporter hitting a woman who had chanted that Nasrallah should resign
too. “I was filming the scene and they tried to take my phone,” she
said.”
Egypt
Al
Monitor: Why Egypt Agreed To Release Islamic Jihad
Detainees
“An Islamic Jihad delegation, headed by its leader Ziad al-Nakhala,
concluded a four-day visit Oct. 17 to the Egyptian capital of Cairo,
which Nakhala described as fruitful, according to a statement issued
by the movement Oct. 18. During the visit, the delegation held
comprehensive talks with the Egyptian intelligence services on the
latest developments in the Palestinian situation. They also reached an
agreement to release around 40 young men stranded at Cairo airport and
detained in Egypt, who returned to the Gaza Strip with the delegation
through the Rafah crossing on the evening of Oct. 17. These men had
been detained on charges of supporting or planning the demonstrations
against Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Sept. 20. Ahead of
the visit, on Oct. 14, Islamic Jihad published a statement on its
website saying that a delegation will head to Egypt in response to an
Egyptian invitation to Nakhala to visit Cairo, in order to hold
meetings with Egyptian officials on the latest developments in the
Palestinian situation and strengthen ties. Tension had prevailed over
the Egyptian relations with Islamic Jihad after the Egyptian
authorities arrested members of the movement on charges of
participating in the Sept. 20 demonstrations or filming police
checkpoints in Tahrir Square.”
Nigeria
All
Africa: Nigerian Girl Takes Boko Haram Heads-On
“Pressure is mounting from across the globe on the Boko Haram to
release a brave Nigerian schoolgirl held captive for refusing to
renounce her Christian faith and convert to Islam. Leah Sharibu was
aged 14 when the Islamist terror group abducted 110 students from a
girls' boarding school in the northeastern state of Yobe in February
last year. Five students were killed while being held captive. Some
104 of the girls were released four weeks after the abduction. It is
believed Sharibu is still held captive because of her refusal to
renounce her Christian faith. This is in defiance of orders by the
Boko Haram. Her bravery in the face of a terror group feared as the
most lethal in the world has attracted international acclaim. In a
video released exactly a year ago, Boko Haram warned that Sharibu
would be a slave for life. “Based on our doctrines, it is now lawful
for us to do whatever we want to do with her,” the group stated. The
21 Wilberforce Alert is encouraging people to stand in solidarity with
the teenage girl by participating in a global prayer vigil on
Saturday.”
United Kingdom
The
Guardian: UK Man Who Fought Isis Found Guilty Of Terror Offence In
Retrial
“A British man who trained to fight with Kurdish units against
Islamic State has been found guilty of a terrorism offence in a
retrial at the Old Bailey. Aidan James, 28, from Formby in Merseyside,
was found guilty of training in weapons with the banned Kurdistan
Workers’ party (PKK) in Iraq. But he was cleared of a second charge of
attending a place of terror training with the Kurdish People’s
Protection Units (YPG) in Syria. James was remanded in custody to be
sentenced on 7 November. It is the first time a Briton has been put on
trial for travelling to Syria to oppose Isis, after similar charges
were dropped against former soldier James Matthews, 43, from east
London, in 2018. James, who had been repeatedly turned down by British
armed forces due to poor mental health, had no previous military
knowledge when he set out to join the war against Isis in 2017. The
court heard how he was in contact with the anti-terror Prevent
programme before he left Britain for Iraq in August 2017. According to
an officer’s notes of a meeting in April 2017, ruled inadmissible in
the trial by Mr Justice Edis, James had said he wanted to help the
“PKK YPG” in their battle against Isis. Days later, he was arrested on
suspicion of preparing terrorist acts after broadcasting his
intentions on Facebook.”
Germany
Deutsche
Welle: Germany To End Anti-'Islamic State' Mission In
March
“The German parliament on Thursday voted to end the Bundeswehr's
anti-”Islamic State” (IS) mission in Syria and Iraq after March 31,
2020. The Christian Democrats (CDU) and Social Democrats (SPD) have
been in a tussle over extending the mission's mandate, with the SPD
demanding the German military end its role in the international
coalition. The SPD has opposed extending the military mission, arguing
that former Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen had promised
parliament to terminate the anti-IS mandate. The mandate was set to
expire at the end of October and would normally have been extended by
a year. Germany has four Tornado reconnaissance jets, an AWAC aircraft
and an in-flight refueling tanker based in Jordan carrying out
missions as part of a US-led international coalition. Lawmakers also
voted to extend the Bundeswehr's military training mission in Iraq for
one year. The decision to end Germany's participation the anti-IS
mission comes as Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer has
suggested the creation of an international security zone in northeast
Syria. The United States has urged Germany to continue its
participation in the anti-IS mission.”
Europe
Al
Jazeera: Denmark Passes Legislation To Strip ISIL Fighters Of
Citizenship
“Denmark's parliament has passed a law that allows the government
to strip dual-national citizens, who fought with foreign armed groups,
of their citizenship to stop them from returning to the country. The
measure, which was approved on Thursday, is primarily designed to
target Danes who fought for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
(ISIL or ISIS) group in Syria and Iraq. It enables the immigration and
integration minister to revoke the citizenships of dual nationals,
while they are abroad, even without a court ruling, which was
previously a requirement. The bill was announced after Turkey began an
offensive into northeast Syria on October 9, a region where ISIL
captives are held in camps by Kurdish fighters. It was rushed to
Parliament last week amid reports that hundreds of family members
linked to ISIL escaped from a camp in the region. While the ruling
Social Democrats, the centre-right Liberal Party and the populist
Danish People's Party backed the bill in Parliament, the Social
Liberals, the leftist-green Unity List and the Alternative voted
against it. The Socialist People's Party abstained.”
Southeast Asia
Radio
Free Europe: Suspected Islamic State Recruiter Arrested In The
Maldives
“Police in the Indian Ocean archipelago of the Maldives have
detained a local man who the United States says is a recruiter for the
Islamic State (IS) militant group. Muhammad Ameen, 35, was arrested on
October 23 on suspicion of spreading an “extremist ideology,”
Maldivian police said the following day. He allegedly mobilized
fighters for IS in Syria and Afghanistan. No further details were
provided about the suspect although U.S. authorities last month
designated him as a foreign terrorist leader of IS-Khorasan, a group
that is reportedly active in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Citing local
media, AFP reported that Ameen first sent fighters to Syria, but was
now focused on recruiting Maldivians for combat in Afghanistan. He is
also suspected of involvement in an explosion at Sultan Park in the
capital of Male in September 2007 in which a dozen tourists were hurt
with minor injuries. Up to 160 Maldivian militants are believed to be
held in Syrian detention camps after IS was defeated in the country.
The country’s parliamentary speaker and former president, Muhammad
Nasheed, said in June that he wants to rehabilitate the imprisoned
Maldivians but not without an internationally supervised reintegration
program.”
Technology
Haaretz:
U.S. Lawmakers Call On Twitter To Remove Hamas And Hezbollah
Content
“Four Congress members have called out Twitter for allowing Hamas
and Hezbollah to maintain a presence on the social media platform.
Reps. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J.; Tom Reed, R-N.Y.; Max Rose, D-N.Y.; and
Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., wrote in a letter to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey
on Tuesday that they were alarmed to learn that Twitter “draws a
distinction between the political and military factions of these
organizations,” quoting from Twitter’s initial response to their
concerns. The congressmen said in their letter that the distinction
“is not meaningful nor is it widely shared,” noting that Hezbollah and
Hamas are designated as terrorist organizations by the U.S.
government. At a news conference Tuesday, Rose, Reed and Gottheimer
said they are pushing the company to take down the Hezbollah and Hamas
content by November 1. A Twitter official had written to the lawmakers
last month. “There is no place on Twitter for terrorist organizations,
violent extremist groups, or individuals who affiliate with and
promote their illicit activities,” Carlos Monje Jr., the director of
public policy and philanthropy for the United States and Canada, said
in a letter.”
MIT
Technology Review: Can You Really “Deradicalize” A
Terrorist?
“Malam Aminu is a slight, bespectacled man with a neat goatee and a
disconcerting droopy eyelid that by turns makes him look sinister and
then not quite all there. When I first met him, in 2015, he was an
inmate in Nigeria’s Kuje Prison, and one of the most senior members of
Boko Haram being held in custody. He was also one of 41 subjects in a
new experiment being conducted by the government. Faced with a
difficult war against insurgents in the remote northeast, Nigeria had
decided on a new strategy to tackle extremism: a mixture of amnesty,
demobilization, and reprogramming to whittle away jihadist recruits.
The idea was to undermine Boko Haram through bloodless attrition, not
just by slugging it out on the battlefield. The program was designed
and run by Fatima Akilu, a soft-spoken psychologist who had trained in
the UK and the US. She drew on prison-based schemes under way in Saudi
Arabia, Singapore, and Australia, adapting them to Nigeria. The new
approach involved changes across a range of policy areas: shifting the
school curriculum to promote “critical thinking,” overhauling a
sclerotic justice system, tinkering with the health services so that
psycho-social care could be expanded. “The solutions are as complex as
the reasons for radicalism,” Akilu told me.”
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