Eye on Extremism
October 28, 2019
The
Wall Street Journal: Islamic State Leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi Died In
U.S. Raid, Trump Says
“The ideological leader of Islamic State died in a U.S.-led raid in
northwestern Syria, President Trump said Sunday, fulfilling a
long-held U.S. goal and marking the most significant setback for the
militant group since losing the last of its territorial caliphate
earlier this year. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who was 48 years old, killed
himself and three children, detonating a suicide vest in a tunnel
while being pursued by U.S. troops, Mr. Trump said. Considered Islamic
State’s founder and inspirational leader, Baghdadi was responsible for
its reign of terror as it amassed territory across Iraq and Syria in
recent years. The group has displaced tens of thousands of people and
perpetrated widespread barbarism, including rapes and video-recorded
beheadings.”
CBS
News: A “Victory:” Families Of Americans Killed By ISIS Respond To
Al-Baghdadi's Death
“The families of U.S. citizens who were murdered by Islamic State
of Iraq and Syria chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi on Sunday called his
death a “victory.” Mr. Trump said in his address Sunday morning that
ISIS “murder of innocent Americans Jim Foley, Steven Sotloff, Peter
Kassig, and Kayla Mueller were especially heinous.” President Trump
announced al-Baghdadi's death at a press conference Sunday morning.
During a special operation that resulted in U.S. forces pursuing
al-Baghdadi and three of his children in a “dead-end tunnel,” the ISIS
leader detonated a suicide vest. Al-Baghdadi has been accused of
taking at least three U.S. civilians hostage and murdering them.
According to the White House, the ISIS leader is responsible for more
than 300 public beheadings and for killing thousands of captured
prisoners of war. White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said
in a statement that Mr. Trump called family members of those killed by
ISIS, but said they are keeping the details of the conversations
private. The operation that resulted in al-Baghdadi's death was named
in Kayla Mueller's honor.”
The
New York Times: Likely Successor To Dead ISIS Leader Also Reported
Killed
“A day after an American raid killed Islamic State leader Abu Bakr
al-Baghdadi, a separate attack killed the man who was considered his
likely successor, according to the leader of a Syrian Kurdish militia
and a Syrian activist. The spokesman, known by his nom de guerre Abu
Hassan al-Muhajir, was being smuggled across northern Syria in the
back of an oil tanker truck when it was hit by what witnesses said
they believed to be an American airstrike, according to Hussein
Nasser, an activist who said he had spoken to people at the scene.
Mazlum Abdi, the head of a Kurdish-led militia that fought the Islamic
State with the United States, wrote on Twitter that Mr. al-Muhajir had
been killed on Sunday in an operation coordinated between his forces
and the United States.”
CBS
News: ISIS Leader Killed: CEP President Fran Townsend Discusses The
Impact Of Of The Death Of ISIS Leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi On CBS This
Morning
“CBS News senior national security analyst Fran Townsend, who was a
homeland security and counterterrorism adviser for President George W.
Bush, joins "CBS This Morning" to discuss the significance of ISIS
leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's death.”
NBC
News: The Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting's Anniversary Shows What's
Needed To Defeat White Terrorism
“In Judaism, the anniversary of the death of a loved one is called
a yahrzeit, and the first yahrzeit is a particularly important time to
both mourn and reflect. A year ago Sunday, a white supremacist
obsessed with an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory gunned down 11
worshippers at the Tree of Life, a Pittsburgh synagogue. On these
victims’ yahrzeit, it behooves us to not only mourn their loss but
also to ask whether we’ve ensured that their deaths weren’t in vain.
In other words, in the 12 months since the largest anti-Semitic attack
in U.S. history, what has America done to combat the scourge of white
terrorism? The unpalatable answer is almost nothing. There are
multiple parallels between modern white supremacists and Islamist
terrorists. The difference is that, after 9/11, the U.S. government
enacted a wholesale overhaul of our national security apparatus. As a
reminder, the Pittsburgh terrorist was motivated by more than mere
anti-Semitism. The killer’s statements make it clear he was driven by
white genocide theory: The notion that white-majority nations in
Europe, America and Australasia are being turned into white-minority
states via immigration. Many white genocide theory adherents,
including the Pittsburgh terrorist, believe the immigration is being
orchestrated by Jews.”
WTOP:
ANALYSIS: Baghdadi’s Death Leaves Looming Questions About The Future
Of ISIS
“Fleeing from U.S. military canines in a dark subterranean tunnel
in the northwestern Syrian village of Barisha, ISIS leader Abu Bakr al
Baghdadi dragged young children with him — using them as human
shields. Sensing his end was approaching, he detonated a suicide vest,
killing himself and the children. Because he was so concerned about
his security, he had little or no contact with the outside world. His
end started well before he realized it. “We had him under surveillance
for a couple of weeks,” said President Donald Trump during a Sunday
morning news conference announcing the death. WTOP has learned that
Iraqi authorities arrested two of Baghdadi’s wives in September, one
of whom sometimes acted as a courier. A source told WTOP the courier
gave up details about his location, which triggered the surveillance
activity.”
The
Wall Street Journal: Is 3-D Printing The Future Of
Terrorism?
“On Oct. 9, a gunman tried to massacre worshipers on Yom Kippur at
a synagogue in Halle, Germany, and crossed a new threshold: It was the
first time a terrorist perpetrated a deadly attack with homemade
weapons using 3-D-printed components—including a 3-D-printed gun.
Instead of the slaughter the gunman had hoped for, he killed two
people—in part because he couldn’t get past a locked synagogue door,
in part because what he called his “improvised guns” jammed or failed
to fire. But the Halle attack shouldn’t be dismissed as a macabre
flop. The killer was interested not just in murder but in inspiration.
In an online manifesto that German authorities have confirmed he
wrote, the gunman styled himself a pioneer on a trial run: He wanted
to use emerging technologies to encourage subsequent terrorists to
follow in his footsteps and perfect his tactics. His goal was what
security experts call “proof of concept.”
United States
The
Wall Street Journal: Tech Firms Ramp Up Lobbying As Antitrust Scrutiny
Grows
“Big Tech is hard to miss these days in Washington. So is its
money. Lobbying expenditures by Facebook Inc., FB 0.81% Amazon.com
Inc. AMZN -1.09% and Apple Inc. AAPL 1.23% are on pace to hit record
highs this year. Facebook increased spending by nearly 25%, to $12.3
million, through the first nine months of the year over the same
period in 2018, according to disclosures of lobbyists’ compensation
filed with the federal government. Amazon notched a 16% jump in
lobbying outlays, to $12.4 million, making it the top spender so far
in 2019 among all companies, according to quarterly reports released
last week. Apple boosted spending by 8% so far this year, and
Microsoft Corp. by 9%.”
Associated
Press: Trump Says US Forces Cornered IS Leader In Dead-End
Tunnel
“Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi , the shadowy leader of the Islamic State
group who presided over its global jihad and became arguably the
world’s most wanted man, died after U.S. special operators cornered
him during a raid in Syria, President Donald Trump said Sunday. “Last
night, the United States brought the world’s No. 1 terrorist leader to
justice,” Trump announced at the White House, providing graphic
details of al-Baghdadi’s final moments at the helm of the militant
organization. “Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is dead.” In a national address,
Trump described the nighttime airborne raid in Syria’s northwestern
Idlib province, with American special operations forces flying over
heavily militarized territory controlled by multiple nations and
forces. No U.S. troops were killed in the operation, Trump said.”
CNN:
'Ideology Does Not Die With Baghdadi': For US Law Enforcement, ISIS
Threat Remains
“While the announcement on Sunday of the death of ISIS leader Abu
Bakr al-Baghdadi has been praised among a bipartisan group of elected
US leaders, current and former law enforcement officials say the
possible threat to the US homeland by ISIS sympathizers persists. Two
senior US law enforcement officials tell CNN that agencies and police
departments around the country remain on guard for any potential
coordinated or lone-wolf attacks that could occur by individuals
seeking to retaliate against the death of Baghdadi, who died Saturday
evening during a raid in Syria by US special operations forces. The
officials noted that although authorities remain on alert, there is
currently no known specific or credible threat to public safety. Since
the major rise of ISIS in 2014, federal law enforcement has dedicated
significant resources to investigating sympathizers of the group and
stopping plots inside the United States. Earlier this month, an FBI
spokesperson told CNN that of the approximately 5,000 open
international terrorism cases being investigated by the bureau, about
1,000 are on individuals associated with ISIS. Recent cases of
thwarted plots include the arrest of Everitt Jameson, a 27-year-old
former US Marine who was sentenced to 15 years in prison for providing
material support to ISIS and attempting to conduct a Christmas holiday
terrorist attack in San Francisco in 2017.”
CNN:
One Year After Pittsburgh, Too Little Has Changed
“One year ago, 11 Jewish Americans were massacred in a synagogue in
Pittsburgh at the hands of a white supremacist. While the attack
raised a national alarm about the rising danger of white supremacist
extremism in the United States, it should have done more: It should
have been a call to action. A year later, while some progress has been
made to address the threat of white supremacist extremism, in too many
places that call to action has been met with deafening silence. Just
as we developed robust mechanisms to track and hinder foreign
terrorists in the aftermath of 9/11, we need the same type of response
today to address white-supremacist extremists and neo-Nazis. Since
September 11, 2001, far more attacks have been undertaken by white
supremacist extremists in the United States than foreign terrorists:
Of the 85 violent extremist incidents that resulted in death between
2001 and 2017, domestic, white extremist groups were responsible for
73% of them. From Pittsburgh to Poway, California, where another
synagogue was attacked this April, to Christchurch, New Zealand, where
51 Muslims were murdered at two mosques this March, to August's
massacre at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, which claimed 22 lives,
white-supremacist extremists appear to be increasingly emboldened,
violent and connected -- in their online forums, their thinking and
their tactics.”
The
Independent: Texas Mass Shooting: Two Killed In Attack At University
Homecoming Party In Greenville
“Two people have been killed and at least a dozen injured in a mass
shooting at a university homecoming party in Texas. Hundreds of
students were gathered at The Party Venue in Greenville, near Dallas,
to celebrate the start of a new term at Texas A&M Commerce
College. With 750 people in the building, someone with a
semi-automatic rifle opened fire. Graphic footage of the aftermath
posted on social media showed several injured people on the ground
inside the venue and dozens running away from the building. “We’ve got
a bunch of walking wounded,” a Hunt County deputy said on the scanner,
according to a WFAA reporter. The shooter was still at large several
hours later. Deputies were already at the scene due to a parking
complaint when they heard gunshots coming from the back of the
building, chief deputy of Hunt County Sheriff’s Department, Buddy
Oxford, told reporters. Three air ambulances took some victims to a
trauma hospital, while others were taken to hospitals in Greenville,
and neighbouring Quinlan and Commerce, officials told reporters at
CBS‘ Dallas branch. No official information has been offered about the
identity or whereabouts of the shooter. The FBI were also at the scene
on Sunday morning, Mr Oxford said.”
Syria
Bloomberg:
U.S. Strike On Al-Baghdadi Built On Weeks Of Syria
Surveillance
“Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was under surveillance
for weeks and evaded “two or three” American strikes before blowing
himself up as U.S. special forces stormed his northern Syrian hideout.
As described in unusual detail by President Donald Trump on Sunday,
the final moves to eliminate a man he described as the world’s
most-wanted terrorist took shape while the president was at the Camp
David presidential retreat Saturday morning, and ended with him and
top officials following the raid via live video at the White
House.”
Reuters:
Syrian Kurdish Forces Say Leaving Turkish Border Area, Damascus
Welcomes Move
“The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said on Sunday it
had agreed to withdraw more than 30 km (19 miles) from the Turkish
border, an announcement welcomed by Damascus which said Turkey should
now end its “aggression” in northeast Syria. Turkey launched its
cross-border offensive on Oct. 9 targeting Kurdish YPG forces in
northeast Syria after President Donald Trump pulled U.S. troops out of
the area. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and Russia’s Vladimir Putin
then agreed on Oct. 22 that Syrian border guards and Russian military
police would clear the border area up to 30 km into Syria of YPG
fighters over a six-day period that ends Tuesday. The YPG is the main
component of the SDF and is viewed by Ankara as terrorists due to
their links to Kurdish insurgents in southeast Turkey. But the SDF has
been a key ally of the United States in the fight against Islamic
State militants.”
The
New York Times: ISIS Leader Al-Baghdadi Is Dead, Trump
Says
“President Trump announced on Sunday that a daring American
commando raid in Syria this weekend culminated in the death of Abu
Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State, after a five-year
international manhunt, claiming a significant victory even as American
forces are pulling out of the area. “Last night, the United States
brought the world’s No. 1 terrorist leader to justice,” Mr. Trump said
in an unusual morning nationally televised address from the White
House. “Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is dead.” Mr. Trump said Mr. al-Baghdadi
was chased to the end of an underground tunnel, “whimpering and crying
and screaming all the way” as he was pursued by American military
dogs. Accompanied by three children, Mr. al-Baghdadi then detonated a
suicide vest, blowing up himself and the children, Mr. Trump said. The
death of Mr. al-Baghdadi may be a signal moment in the generation-long
war against terrorists as well as in Mr. Trump’s presidency,
eliminating a ruthless enemy who beheaded American captives and at one
time controlled a swath of the Middle East roughly the size of
Britain. But terrorist leaders have been killed before without ending
the war, and it remained unclear what effect his death would have on
the Islamic State at a time it has already lost its territorial
holdings.”
The
Washington Post: The U.S. Kills An ISIS Leader. But Trump Is Giving
The Group A New Lease On Life.
“Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was, as President Trump said, “a sick and
depraved man,” so his removal from this earth is good news. The
operation to kill him attests to the superlative skills of the U.S.
Joint Special Operations Command and, yes, the U.S. intelligence
community. Our intelligence officers are, as Trump said Sunday,
“great” professionals, not part of a deep state out to undermine him,
as he so often suggests. This operation was no more Trump’s doing than
the death of Osama bin Laden was President Barack Obama’s. (Trump
tweet from 2012: “Stop congratulating Obama for killing Bin Laden. The
Navy Seals killed Bin Laden.”) But both men approved the risky
operations and can bask in their reflected glory. However, I have sat
in too many U.S. military headquarters in Iraq and Afghanistan over
the past two decades listening to Special Operations officers announce
“jackpots” — the killing or capture of “high value targets” — to
imagine that any such success will translate into final victory over
their organizations. To be sure, some terrorist and guerrilla groups
that were already on the wane have suffered severe blows from the loss
of their leaders. This was the case with the Philippine insurrectos
fighting U.S. rule when the rebel leader Emilio Aguinaldo was captured
in 1901 and with the Shining Path in Peru when its leader Abimael
Guzman was captured in 1992.”
CNN:
Analysis: Death Of Baghdadi Leaves ISIS With No Obvious
Successor
“The killing of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in a US raid in
northwestern Syria Saturday night is a blow against the terrorist
organization. While ISIS may have a succession plan in place it is
likely only known to a very small number of the organization's senior
leadership. The group has not publicly signaled who will take over.
This means that whoever succeeds Baghdadi may have very little name
recognition amongst jihadis worldwide. This may challenge ISIS'
ability to inspire global terror. In removing Baghdadi from the
battlefield, the United States has neutralized the threat from a man
who was both ruthless and highly adept in running a clandestine
terrorist organization. After he took over the leadership in 2010 of
what was then-called the Islamic State of Iraq, Baghdadi rebuilt the
group into a force that just a few years later took control of vast
swathes of Syria and Iraq. In announcing the death of Baghdadi,
President Donald Trump declared he was the “world's number one
terrorist leader.” But for ISIS and its tens of thousands of followers
globally, he was much more than that. Ever since Baghdadi was publicly
presented as “caliph” by the group in the Great Mosque of al-Nuri in
Mosul in July 2014, his followers have held him to be the supreme
political and spiritual leader of all Muslims worldwide.”
Reuters:
Factbox: Islamic State Still Dangerous Despite Baghdadi's
Death
“The killing of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in a U.S.
raid is a further blow to a jihadist group that once held a swathe of
territory in Iraq and Syria, experts said, but the organization and
its ideology remain dangerous. Where once they confronted armies, the
extremist Islamist group’s adherents have in recent years staged
hit-and-run and suicide attacks. In some cases, the group has claimed
responsibility for atrocities such as bombings in Sri Lanka in April
that killed more than 250 people. Islamic State’s involvement is not
always proven, but even if the link is ideological rather than
operational, it is still seen as a security threat in many countries:
After defeat by U.S.-backed forces, Islamic State has reverted to the
guerrilla tactics it was once known for. Iraqi Security Forces
routinely carry out operations against remnants of the Jihadist group,
more than two years after its defeat. Sleeper cells have regrouped in
provinces including Diyala, Salahuddin, Anbar, Kirkuk and Nineveh,
where they have carried out frequent attacks, including kidnappings
and bombings aimed at undermining the Baghdad government.”
Reuters:
Bodies Of Three Men, Three Women Found At Scene Of Attack Targeting
Baghdadi: Jihadist Source
“The bodies of three men and three women were found at the scene of
an attack targeting Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, whose
body was taken away by attacking U.S. forces, a commander with a
jihadist group in the area said. The commander said a second body,
believed to be that Baghdadi’s deputy, was also removed by the
attacking forces in the northwestern Idlib region of Syria. (This
story corrects to show commander saying purported body of Baghdadi not
found with others but believed to be taken away by attacking
forces)”
Fox
News: Imprisoned ISIS Fighters Want Forgiveness, But Is Anyone Willing
To Give It?
“Northern Syria has become a geopolitical cauldron -- Syrians,
Russians, Kurds, Iranians, Turks and now the U.S. back in to compete
for influence. Amid this, the cease-fire is hanging by a thread, with
violations taking place up and down the border, and all sides trying
to cement their gains or contain their losses. Stuck in the middle are
the Islamic State (ISIS) prisons and camps – holding 14,000 ISIS
fighters and more than 70,000 ISIS family members – women and children
who can be equally dangerous. Fox News was granted exclusive access to
a prison holding foreign fighters. What we found was a facility
desperately understaffed – with its 5,000 fighters but hardly any
guards. The camp authorities told us half of them had been sent to try
and hold back the Turkish invasion. They’ve asked for Western help,
but many European countries, won’t take their prisoners back --
instead they’ve stripped them of citizenship and left the Kurds to
deal with them. It’s a dire situation and one which could easily allow
ISIS to re-form. Already there are sleeper cells in the region, which
keep trying to break them out using vehicle-borne improvised explosive
devices to blow holes in the prison walls. 100 are thought to still be
at large, after a series of jailbreaks.”
Foreign
Policy: In Syria, The Women And Children Of ISIS Have Been
Forgotten
“This month, President Donald Trump unexpectedly announced his
decision to withdraw U.S. troops from northern Syria and, in doing so,
gave the green light to a Turkish incursion. In the chaos that ensued,
the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)—which had until that moment been
the United States’ chief ally in degrading and destroying the Islamic
State in Syria—warned that its ability to protect the prisons and
camps into which it had funneled tens of thousands of individuals in
recent months—many of them Islamic State fighters, families, and
supporters—had been critically undermined. The consecutive breakouts
from a detention center near Qamishli, the departure of almost 800
women and minors from an internally displaced persons (IDP) camp just
outside Ain Issa, and the most recent escape of more than 100 Islamic
State prisoners during the Turkish incursion indicate that this was
not just rhetoric. When considered in the context of the call by
Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi to free the men, women, and
children of the group’s so-called caliphate in September, the urgency
of this situation becomes all the more apparent.”
The
Hill: Thornberry Says There Were Signs Of Al Qaeda And ISIS
Cooperation In Syria
“The top GOP representative on the House Armed Services Committee
said the location of the raid that resulted in the death of ISIS
leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi could indicate some cooperation between
ISIS and al Qaeda. Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) said on CNN’s “State
of the Union” Sunday that some people expressed surprise that
al-Baghdadi was found near the town of Barisha in Syria because al
Qaeda was known to be present in that area. He said it’s possible the
two terrorist organizations worked together. “What happens in some
places is terrorist organizations that you think are rivals can
actually cooperate in certain situations,” he said. “Is that what
happened here or you suspect it?” host Jake Tapper asked Thornberry.
“In that area, there were signs of al Qaeda and ISIS cooperating in a
way we have not seen before,” the Republican representative responded.
Thornberry said he brought up that the area was known for being
friendly to al Qaeda “to highlight the danger of terrorism” and
caution that the U.S. is not done dealing with threats from these
groups. “We’re not done with this threat,” he said. “This is a big
deal,” he added referring to al-Baghdadi ‘s death. “But we’ve got to
keep the pressure on.”
Iran
The
Wall Street Journal: Iran Looms Over Race To Lead U.N. Nuclear
Agency
“The United Nations’ atomic agency is seeking a new leader in an
increasingly tight competition overshadowed by Iran’s nuclear
activities. On Monday, members of the International Atomic Energy
Agency’s board will try to pick a new director general from a field
recently narrowed to two candidates. They are unlikely to succeed,
diplomats say, in part because of disagreements over the agency’s
approach to Iran. One contender, Romanian Cornel Feruta, appears to
represent a continuation of the deliberate, careful approach of former
director general Yukiya Amano, who died in July. The other,
Argentina’s Rafael Grossi, also a former top IAEA official, wants to
shake up the agency a bit, including through a “firm but fair”
approach to Iran, he said.”
Arab
News: No Let-Up In Iran’s Foreign Terror Operations
“In spite of the Trump administration’s maximum pressure policy on
the Iranian regime, it is showing no signs of backing off from its
belligerent policies and destructive behavior. One of the core pillars
of the Islamic Republic’s foreign policy is developing terror cells in
foreign nations in order to wield influence and silence oppositional
figures and groups. Most recently, the Albanian General Police
Director Ardi Veliu last week revealedthat an active cell of the
foreign operations unit linked to the Iranian Quds Force had been
detected by Albania’s security institutions. He said: “The Albanian
authorities have identified these individuals and, thanks to
intelligence from informants inside the criminal organizations, have
prevented the planned (attack) of March 2018 and the eventual planning
of attacks by organized crime members... on behalf of Iran.” The Quds
Force is an elite branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
(IRGC) and is in chargeof extraterritorial operations, such as
organizing, supporting, training, arming and financing Iran’s militia
groups; launching wars directly or indirectly via these proxies;
fomenting unrest in other nations to advance Iran’s ideological and
hegemonic interests; attacking and invading cities and countries; and
assassinating foreign political figures and powerful Iranian
dissidents worldwide.”
Iraq
Daily
Sabah: Protests In Iraq Turn Into Anti-Iranian
Demonstrations
“The protests in Iraq, which started at the beginning of this
month, have moved into a new direction. Starting as a protest against
high unemployment rates, energy shortages and corruption, now, the
protesters are chanting slogans against Iran and its proxies in the
country. Several videos circulating on social media show that people
are waiving Iraqi flags in front of Iranian Embassies and consulates
not only in Baghdad but also in cities like Karbala, which is accepted
as a holy site because the murdered grandson of the Prophet Muhammad,
Hussein, is buried there. Hundreds of people were killed in Iraq,
mainly in Baghdad by security forces. Despite the promises of the
Iraqi government to ameliorate the standard of living, the fight
against corruption and increase job opportunities, people are
unsatisfied and find the government unreliable.”
Reuters:
Iraq Deploys Counter-Terrorism Forces To Protect Baghdad
Buildings
“Iraq’s elite Counter-Terrorism Service said on Sunday it had
deployed in the streets of Baghdad upon Prime Minister Adel Abdul
Mahdi’s orders to protect important state buildings while security
forces were busy with protests. “Counter-Terrorism Service forces have
been deployed in some areas of Baghdad to protect state buildings from
undisciplined elements taking advantage of security forces being busy
with protecting protests and protesters,” it said in a statement. Two
security sources had told Reuters on Saturday that the elite
counter-terrorism forces had been deployed in Baghdad and had been
told to “use all necessary measures” to end ongoing protests against
Abdul Mahdi’s government.”
The
Guardian: Iraq Clashes: At Least 15 Die As Counter-Terror Police Quell
Protests
“At least 15 more Iraqi protesters were killed on Saturday in
clashes with security forces, as thousands took part in nationwide
anti-government protests. Seeking to contain the spiralling violence
on Saturday night, the prime minister, Adil Abdul-Mahdi, ordered
members of the country’s elite counter-terrorism service (CTS) onto
the streets of Baghdad and the southern city of Nasiriya. They were
told to “use all necessary measures” to end the protests, security
sources told Reuters. Around midnight, CTS troops took over
checkpoints in neighbourhoods surrounding Baghdad’s central Tahrir
Square and began driving protesters out. Security forces firing tear
gas had earlier failed to clear the square of demonstrators. In
Nasiriya, CTS soldiers broke up demonstrations by beating and
arresting dozens, police and security sources said. The two cities,
where thousands had turned out for a second day of protests, saw the
bulk of Saturday’s violence as protesters continued to vent their
frustration at political elites they say have failed to improve their
lives after years of conflict and economic hardship. Four people were
killed after being struck directly in the head by tear gas canisters
fired by security forces in Baghdad, with dozens more wounded.”
The
Hill: Iraqi Intelligence Shared ISIS Leader's Location With US-Led
Coalition: Report
“Iraqi intelligence gave ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's
location to the U.S.-led coalition fighting the terror group ahead of
a raid in which he is believed to have died, an official told Reuters.
An Iraqi intelligence official told the news service that agents
discovered documents at a secret location in the western deserts of
Iraq that identified Baghdadi’s location after arresting an Iraqi man
and woman believed to be close to the ISIS leader. “We have been
constantly coordinating with the CIA, providing valuable information
that the Iraqi National Intelligence Service has on Baghdadi’s
movements and place of hiding,” the official said. “This cooperation
was successful and achieved the ultimate goal of killing Baghdadi.”
Baghdadi’s death in Syria has yet to be officially confirmed, but
President Trump is scheduled to make a “major statement” Sunday
morning. His death has been reported by Syrian, Iraqi and Iranian
sources. A militant commander in Idlib Province on the Turkish border
in Syria said the ISIS leader was believed killed in the raid in the
village of Barisha, according to Reuters.”
Afghanistan
Al
Jazeera: Afghan, US Forces Kill Over 80 Taliban Fighters, Officials
Say
“More than 80 Taliban fighters have been killed in air raids by
Afghan and US forces in Afghanistan's Kandahar and Faryab provinces in
the past 24 hours, officials said. Abdul Kareem, the police chief in
the northern Faryab province, said on Sunday that a group of Taliban
fighters carried out an assault on security checkpoints in the
Pashtunkot district on Saturday night and were targeted by air raids
by the Afghan Air Force. He told Anadolu Agency that at least 53
Taliban fighters were killed and 11 wounded. In the southern Kandahar
province, US forces conducted air raids in Maruf and Shah Wali Kot
districts, killin 33 Taliban fighters and injuring eight others, a
statement by the provincial police headquarters said. The Taliban.
meanwhile, claimed to have hit a US convoy in Kandahar in an
improvised explosive device attack. Qari Yosuf, the group's spokesman,
said an armoured vehicle was completely destroyed and all on board
were killed. The US forces in Afghanistan have not commented on the
incident. The Taliban now controls nearly half of Afghanistan and have
been relentless in their near-daily attacks targeting Afghan security
forces, attacks that often inflict heavy casualties.”
Voice
Of America: US Peace Envoy Makes First Afghan Visit After Trump Ended
Taliban Talks
“The U.S. chief peace negotiator for Afghanistan met leaders in
Kabul Sunday after arriving in the country on an unannounced visit,
his first since President Donald Trump halted talks with Taliban
insurgents on ending the Afghan war. Officials said Zalmay Khalilzad
was accompanied among others by Lisa Curtis, senior director for South
and Central Asia at the U.S. National Security Council. The visit came
on a day when the Afghan Independent Election Commission (IEC) set
November 14 as the new day for releasing preliminary results from the
September 28 controversy-marred presidential polls. The commission was
originally scheduled to announce the first results on October 19 but
missed the deadline, citing technical problems and efforts to protect
the transparency of the process. Officials said Khalilzad held
separate meetings with incumbent President Ashraf Ghani and Afghan
Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, the two front-runners in the last
month's presidential election. An Afghan presidential spokesman Sediq
Sediqqi told reporters “U.S. peace envoy Khalilzad met with President
Ghani and briefed him about recent developments.” He did not
elaborate further. Renewed international diplomatic efforts in recent
days have raised hopes the stalled U.S.-Taliban talks may resume
soon.”
Xinhua:
Terrorist Attack Planer Killed In Eastern Afghan Province:
Military
“The Afghan security forces launched a spate of airstrikes in
eastern Logar province, killing one of the key elements behind
numerous deadly attacks, the Afghan Defense Ministry said Saturday.
“Qari Burhan, one of the most dangerous and key Haqqani Network
commanders and scores of his colleagues, including foreign affiliates
were killed, following an Afghan warplanes' bombing in Mohammad Agha
district's Zarghun Shahr village of Logar on Friday,” the ministry
said in a statement. Qari Burhan had been leading one of the most
dangerous terrorist networks that curried out a plenty of deadly
attacks in the capital Kabul and Logar, the statement added. Qari
Burhan was also behind a deadly car-bomb attack that killed as many as
103 people and wounded over 235 others near Jamhuriat Hospital in
2017, according to the statement. “The man was also blamed for using a
high-rise building at Abdul Haq Square in 2011, launching a vehicle
born improvised explosive attack in Shah Shaheed area of Kabul city in
2015 that injured nearly 400 people as well as attack on Alburz
Township and tens of similar large and deadly incidents, resulting in
the death and injury of hundreds of civilians in the capital,” said
the statement.”
Xinhua:
Taliban Key Commander Among 5 Killed In Afghan
District
“A Taliban key commander Mullah Yasin was among five militants who
have been killed in Khan Abad district of northern Afghanistan's
Kunduz province, said an army spokesman Abdul Ghafar Nuristani on
Sunday. Units of special forces, according to the official, launched
operations in parts of the restive district late on Saturday, killing
the five armed insurgents. Death of notorious Mullah Yasin, said the
official, was a major blow to the Taliban militants in Kunduz
province. According to Nuristani, security forces have also liberated
several villages from the clutches of militants in the wake of Mullah
Yasin's elimination in the troubled district. Taliban militants who
are active in parts of Kunduz province haven't commented.”
Yemen
Xinhua:
Gunmen Blow Up Oil Pipeline In Southeastern Yemen
“Unidentified gunmen early on Sunday blew up a pipeline for
transporting crude oil to an exporting port in Yemen's southeastern
province of Shabwa, a government official told Xinhua. The explosion,
which occurred for the second time in less than a month, targeted the
crude oil pipeline in Rawdah district in the east of Shabwa, the local
government official said on condition of anonymity. Earlier this
month, a similar attack targeted the same pipeline which is
occasionally detonated by gunmen linked to the al-Qaida terrorist
group or anti-government tribesmen. Late last year, the Saudi-backed
Yemeni government resumed exporting operations of oil from fields in
Shabwa following years of unrest that forced oil companies in the
province to stop their operations. No groups have so far claimed
responsibility for the pipeline blast, but previous similar attacks in
the region were claimed by al-Qaida militants. Shabwa boasts five
sectors of crude oil production, which produce about 15,000 barrels
per day. The Yemen-based al-Qaida branch and the Islamic State
militants are active in the mountainous areas in the provinces of
Shabwa and neighboring Abyan, carrying out sporadic attacks against
government forces.”
Lebanon
CNN:
Protesters In Lebanon Formed A Human Chain Across The Entire
Country
“Protesters across Lebanon joined hands on Sunday to form a human
chain that connected the country's north and south, a symbolic display
of national unity during a period of political turmoil. Nearly 170,000
people joined the chain, which ran from Akkar to Sidon, said Dr. Sally
Hammoud, an event organizer. "It was a symbol to show the world that
we all are united and nothing can break us, and most importantly, we
are peaceful," she told CNN. The chain spanned 105 miles (170 km),
cutting through Beirut, Tripoli, Dbayeh and other cities along the
Lebanese coast. Many participants draped themselves in the Lebanese
flag and sang the national anthem.”
Al
Jazeera: Lebanon Protests: 'Difficult, Delicate' Situation For
Hezbollah
“The Lebanese armed group Hezbollah is in a “difficult and
delicate” situation as protests continue to paralyse Lebanon for the
second week, analysts say. The rising cost of living, alleged
corruption by officials and high unemployment have reached a peak,
Lebanese protesters say, demanding the resignation of all political
leaders and an end to the sectarian system of governance. Protests
began on October 17, following the government's plans to impose new
taxes on tobacco, petrol and WhatsApp calls, as public anger spilled
on to the streets. The government hurriedly reversed its tax proposals
but it was too late to stop the protesters from coming out on the
streets in opposition to new taxes being imposed while Lebanon was in
the midst of economic crisis. Chants of “all of them means all” and
“the people demand the fall of the regime,” were heard on the streets.
Analysts remarked on the fact that these protests were seen across the
country for the first time - spreading to the Hezbollah stronghold of
southern Lebanon, seen as the most powerful force in the country.
While protesters voiced their anger against the government, Amal
Saad, political science professor at the Lebanese University, told Al
Jazeera the Lebanese in Shia-majority areas have also been criticising
Hezbollah for not doing enough to confront the government.”
Middle East
The
New York Times: The World Is Fighting More Than ISIS
“The death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic
State, is profoundly important. He was a powerfully inspirational
figure, more formidable and perhaps more evil than Osama bin Laden. He
was an Islamic scholar who claimed to be a descendant of the Prophet
Muhammad. He built on the apocalyptic ideology and extraordinary
cruelty of his mentor, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of Al Qaeda in
Iraq (the predecessor organization to ISIS). Importantly, Mr.
al-Baghdadi managed to recruit former Iraqi Baathist military and
intelligence personnel, hugely strengthening his capacity for
insurgency. And he took advantage of Syria’s civil war to create a
first in the history of modern terrorism: a proto-state able to seize
and control territory, amass possibly billions of dollars and organize
a major military force.”
The
Wall Street Journal: The Lessons Of Baghdadi
“The death on the weekend of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr
al-Baghdadi at the hands of American special forces won’t end the
danger from radical Islam. But it is an important victory for
America’s antiterror strategy with lessons for the future. “He was a
sick and depraved man, and now he’s gone,” President Trump said at the
White House Sunday morning. Mr. Trump said U.S. forces had monitored
Baghdadi for “a couple of weeks” and planned the nighttime raid that
chased the terrorist into a tunnel near Idlib in northwestern Syria,
where the jihadist detonated a suicide vest. No Americans were killed
in what Mr. Trump called a “dangerous and daring” operation. He
deserves credit for approving a raid that inevitably carries risks of
failure and casualties. The death of Baghdadi is important as a matter
of simple justice given his murderous history. And it informs other
jihadists that they can achieve no victory and are likewise doomed to
die in a tunnel or bomb blast.”
The
New York Times: Leader’s Death Will Damage ISIS, But Not Destroy
It
“He had been hunted for more than a decade, and the organization he
had built was designed partly on the assumption this day would come.
The violent death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic
State, in a raid by United States forces announced Sunday by President
Trump, is a significant blow to the world’s most fearsome terrorist
group. But analysts said it was unlikely to freeze attempts by Islamic
State franchises and sympathizers around the world to sow mayhem and
fear in the name of their extremist ideology.”
The
Jerusalem Post: Gaza Terrorist Groups Raise Alert Level Amid Fears Of
Israeli Operations
“Terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip have raised their alert level
due to fears of Israeli operations against them, said a source in the
groups to the Lebanese, Hezbollah-affiliated Al Akhbar newspaper. One
of the reasons for raising the alert level was an increase in the
intensity of reconnaissance flights over Gaza and the presence of
manned spy planes at high altitudes over the area.The terrorist groups
fear that Israel may break the calm by carrying out indirect
assassinations of terrorist leaders or by destroying military
facilities. On Thursday, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi
warned that “on both the northern and southern fronts, the situation
is tense and fragile, and could deteriorate into a confrontation.”
Egypt
Asharq
Al-Awsat: Egypt Condemns Turkish Aggression On Syria, Qatar Defends
It
“Egypt on Sunday reiterated its condemnation of the Turkish
aggression in northeast Syria, a position it expressed during the
preparatory meetings of the 18th summit of Non-Aligned Movement in
Azerbaijan's capital Baku held from October 25-26. Citing the Egyptian
delegation, the state’s MENA agency said that Cairo also voiced its
rejection to give Turkey the opportunity to speak at the summit of the
120-member group. In light of the recent offensive in northeastern
Syria and other relevant attacks, the Egyptian delegation called the
Turkish aggression a "violation of the sovereignty of a member state
of the Non-Aligned Movement, and a violation of the Charter of the
United Nations and the rules of international law.” It added that such
crimes require strong condemnation by the movement and international
community.”
The
Arab Weekly: Egypt Looks To Strengthen Anti-Terrorism Laws, Speed Up
Trials
“The Egyptian parliament has formed a new counterterrorism
committee to revise national legislation and allow for a more
effective strategy to deal with terrorists. The committee, legislators
said, would propose amendments to current laws to give law-enforcement
agencies additional powers in the fight against terrorism and speed up
trials of suspects charged with terrorist attacks. “We are badly in
need of a revision of our legislation so it can be up to the
challenges we are facing and expect to face in the coming period,”
said Kamal Amer, a former military intelligence general who is
chairman of parliament’s Defence and National Security Committee.
“Massive funding is being made to terrorist organisations and this
needs effective mechanisms to fight it.” Egypt has seen a wave of
extremism and terrorist attacks spearheaded by militias affiliated to
the Muslim Brotherhood. A branch of the Islamic State (ISIS) is
present in Sinai. Terrorist attacks since 2011 have claimed the lives
of hundreds of policemen and army troops and have affected the
Egyptian economy, especially the tourism sector, which collapsed in
2015 after the bombing of a Russian passenger plane over Sinai.”
Libya
The
Libya Observer: US AFRICOM Says It Eliminated 25% Of ISIS Militants In
Libya
“US Africa Command Director of Public Affairs Colonel Chris Karns
said four airstrikes this year had killed 25% of the ISIS terrorists
remaining in Libya, “where ISIS forces had been gathering in camps and
recruiting new fighters.” In an interview with Voice of America, Karns
said the US wanted to make sure that threat did not grow, adding that
the US would continue to monitor the situation to prevent Libya from
becoming a safe haven for terrorists. “Since US forces were relocated
in April, we’ve continued to watch and monitor the situation in Libya.
Our concern was that with the civil war, these terrorist groups, in
particular ISIS, would look to leverage this opportunity to grow, to
recruit, to train and create additional chaos in a situation that is
already chaotic.” Karns explained. He indicated that when the
opportunity presented itself — and this was through careful
observation by US forces — there were instances where US forces saw a
regeneration of the ISIS capability as they were gathering in camps,
where they were doing some of the basic training and starting to do
some of the recruiting. “So we wanted to make sure that threat did not
grow. And consequently, airstrikes were conducted. Four this year.” He
remarked.”
France
24: Migrant Rescue Ship 'Threatened' By Libya Militants:
NGO
“A German NGO said one of its vessels was threatened Saturday by a
boat carrying Libyan militants who fired warning shots as it rescued
90 migrants in the Mediterranean. “We are in shock: we have never been
threatened in this way!” Sea-Eye spokesman Gorden Isler told AFP,
charging that European Union countries were allowing this “brutal
behaviour.” “We were able to get 90 people on board, including two
women,” Isler said. After receiving a distress call off the coast of
Libya, the crew on the NGO's Alan Kurdi ship located their boat and
rescued the migrants. “While we had already been able to recover 10
people on board, our boat was surrounded by three speedboats with
masked and heavily armed people aboard,” Isler said. The militants
fired shots into the air and water, where several migrants had fallen
in, Sea-Eye said. The boats with the armed men was flying a Libyan
flag. The NGO said it believed its vessel was not in Libyan waters,
adding that it was now headed to the Italian island of Lampedusa with
the migrants on board. Saturday's incident comes a week after 104
people were rescued just off the coast of Libya by the Ocean Viking
Ship, run by NGOs SOS Mediterranee and Doctors Without Borders.”
Nigeria
Premium
Times Nigeria: Renewed Boko Haram Attacks Displaced 140,000 Persons In
2019 – UN
“At least 140,000 persons have been displaced by the resurgence of
Boko Haram activity this year in Borno State, the United Nations
Undersecretary-General, Mark Lowcock, has said. Mr Lowcock, who
coordinates UN’s Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief, visited
Nigeria this week on an official visit that took him to Maiduguri, the
base of Boko Haram insurgency, from where he carried out an assessment
of the situation in the North-east. He spoke via a statement issued by
the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
(UN-OCHA). Mr Lowcock recognised the efforts Nigerian authorities and
other bodies have made “between 2016 and 2018″, to regain control of
areas previously ravaged by the insurgents,” that assisted more than
two million displaced people to return home. “But renewed violence,
most of it perpetrated by Boko Haram insurgents, has sparked an
upsurge in forced displacement in Borno, with more than 140,000 people
forced to move this year alone,” he said. “Many farmers have missed
multiple planting seasons and more than three million people are food
insecure.” He said he had “over the past year” have “watched with
growing concern the deteriorating humanitarian situation in
Borno.”
Long
War Journal: Al Qaeda-Linked Group Reappears In
Nigeria
“Following several years of inactivity, the al Qaeda-linked Jamaat
al Ansar al Muslimeen fi Bilad al Sudan, better known as Ansaru, has
reappeared online. A new photo of the group was released today by the
Global Islamic Media Front (GIMF), a clearinghouse for propaganda of
al Qaeda’s global network. GIMF also announced a new media outlet for
Ansaru, Al Yaqut Media Center. A Telegram channel ostensibly ran by
members of Ansaru also reposted the photo, giving further credence to
the veracity of the picture. The photo details three members of
Ansaru, presumably in northern Nigeria, and features a famous Hadith
[saying of the Prophet Muhammad] about the importance of ribat
[frontline fortifications in the defense of Islam]. The same photo
above was also released in Arabic and Hausa. While the photo itself
offers little information, the release and creation of a new media
outlet is meant to demonstrate Ansaru’s continued existence and
presence inside Nigeria. This attempted resurgence has been hinted at
in al Qaeda’s propaganda in the past. For instance, in 2017, Al
Risalah Magazine, a former publication released by al Qaeda-linked
jihadists in Syria, released an article penned by Usama al
Ansari.”
Somalia
Standard
Digital: Somalia Authorities Hand Over Two Al-Shabaab Suspects To
Kenyan Police
“Kenya police are holding two men believed to be members of the
Al-Shabaab terror group after they were handed over by Somalia police.
According to police, they are believed to have fled to Somalia after
committing a crime in the region and especially near Liboi border.
They have been linked to the deadly October 12 attack in Liboi where
11 General Service Unit personnel were killed. When they were handed
over to Kenya on Wednesday, one of them had an AK47 rifle belonging to
Kenya police. North Eastern Police Commander Mr Paul Soi said the
suspects are under interrogation before further action is taken on
them. “We will tell you more,” he said. Those handed over were
identified as Farah Ahmed Sanbul alias Faragon and Mihat Daar Khalif
and they had an AK47 rifle belonging to Kenya Police which had 30
bullets, another AK47 rifle belonging to Somalia with five magazines
and 117 bullets, another AK47 rifle with four bullets and a pistol
which had five magazines with 40 bullets. This comes days after police
identified Abdullahi Banati, as the man who led the team that planted
the Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) leading to the death of the
officers stationed at the Harhar GSU camp on October 12, 2019.”
United Kingdom
Daily
Mail: Kenyan Terrorist Who Was Jailed Over Jihad Manual And Admitted
He Has 'Extremist Mindset' Wins Asylum Bid To Stay In UK As A
Refugee
“A foreign criminal convicted of a terrorism offence in Britain has
used refugee laws to overturn the Government’s bid to deport him, it
can be revealed. The Kenyan man is now free to apply to permanently
stay in Britain despite admitting to having ‘an extremist mindset’,
court papers show. In one of the first cases of its kind, he
successfully argued his rights as a refugee outweighed the risk he
poses to the UK in a judgment that has just been made public. The man,
who can only be identified by the initials NF, claimed he would be
subject to ‘ill treatment’ if sent to Kenya. He was caught at Heathrow
in 2011 returning from the east African nation with a huge haul of
terrorist material stored on an iPod. Court papers reveal this
included audio files said to be made by Al Qaeda and images of armed
persons with flags associated with Al Shabaab, a linked terror group.
Detectives later found more materials at his home. In 2013, NF was
given a nine-month jail sentence for ‘possessing information useful to
terrorism’. In one of the first cases of its kind, he successfully
argued his rights as a refugee outweighed the risk he poses to the UK
in a judgment that has just been made public.”
Germany
The
New York Times: Election In Germany Helps Far Right Tighten Its Grip
In The East
“The far-right Alternative for Germany party on Sunday celebrated a
strong showing in the former Communist East, more than doubling its
support in a state election held two weeks after an attack on a
synagogue that some tied to the party’s use of hateful language. The
party won 23.5 percent of the vote in Thuringia, according to
preliminary returns, up from 10.6 percent in 2014. That left it in
second place, behind the Left Party but ahead of Chancellor Angela
Merkel’s conservatives. The party, known by its German initials AfD,
has no hope of governing, since all the other parties have ruled out
cooperating with it. But its strong showing is likely to reverberate
in other ways. The election outcome could further strengthen the power
of Björn Höcke, the party’s leader in Thuringia and its most notorious
figure.”
The
New York Times: ‘Hitler Or Höcke?’ Germany’s Far-Right Party
Radicalizes
“It was a stunt but it was revealing. Lawmakers of the far-right
Alternative for Germany were read quotations and then asked: Were
these penned by Björn Höcke, the party’s most notorious far-right
firebrand — or by Hitler? “I can’t tell,” one said. “I really don’t
know,” another replied. “More likely ‘Mein Kampf,’” a third guessed.
All extracts were, in fact, from Mr. Höcke’s book, describing, for
example, a “longing of the German people for a historical figure who
will heal the wounds in the Volk, overcome division and bring back
order.” Mr. Höcke, a history teacher turned far-right ideologue, runs
the Alternative for Germany in the state of Thuringia, where the party
is set to double its share of the vote to more than 20 percent in
elections on Sunday, further cementing its position as a leading
political force in the former Communist East. Thuringia may be one of
the smallest states in Germany, but Mr. Höcke’s national notoriety and
unapologetically provocative language, packed with echoes from the
1930s, have given the poll an outsize importance. How the Alternative
for Germany, known by its German abbreviation AfD, fares in Thuringia
will also help determine the sway that Mr. Höcke and his ideology will
hold in the party — and its future direction, analysts say.”
Europe
The
Times: Isis Martyrs ‘Radicalised As Medical Students In
Galway’
“Two Galway-based medical students died after joining Islamic
militants in Iraq and Syria, it has emerged. Both studied at National
University of Ireland Galway (NUIG) and are believed to have become
radicalised while in the city. Mustapha al-Hayani, a graduate of
NUIG’s medical programme, and Tariq Mohainuteen, a visiting Malaysian
student, travelled on the same bus from Galway to Dublin on their way
to join the jihadist group Isis in September 2013. However, the
students, who were both members of NUIG’s Muslim Youth Society, fought
on different fronts for the jihadists. Mohainuteen, who arrived in
Ireland in 2011 and was in his second year of medical studies at the
time of his departure, travelled from Dublin to Turkey, where he
crossed the border into Syria.…”
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