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Eye on Extremism
October 26, 2021
NPR: Hate On Trial In Virginia, Four Years After Deadly Extremist Rally
“The 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va., turned violent, left one counter-demonstrator dead and revealed how well-organized the far right had become. Four years afterward, jury selection is set for Monday in a case seen as the most sweeping attempt yet to hold to account those associated with the march. To do so, those behind the suit are taking a page from a decades-old playbook: they're turning to civil litigation in an attempt to put extremists out of business. “We know that we can really bankrupt, disrupt and dismantle hate groups and their leaders through civil litigation,” said Amy Spitalnick, executive director of Integrity First for America. IFA is a civil rights non-profit organization that is backing the lawsuit. Kathleen Belew, a historian at the University of Chicago and author of Bring the War Home: The White Power Movement and Paramilitary America, said civil litigation has historically been important because criminal prosecution of violent white power activity has often failed. “We have had a number of issues with effective returns in criminal trials for reasons ranging from ingrained problems in our legal system that have to do with long histories of white supremacy, to all kinds of procedural problems that have derailed justice in one way or another,” she said.”
Reuters: Gunmen Kill 18 At Mosque In Northern Nigeria's Niger State -Residents
“Armed men on motorbikes killed at least 18 people at a mosque in Niger state in northern Nigeria, two residents told Reuters on Monday. The attackers arrived in the Maza-Kuka community of Mashegu local government area at roughly 5 a.m., the residents said. “They came and went straight to the mosque and shot at worshippers without sparing anyone,” resident Abdulganiyu Hassan told Reuters. Hassan said they abducted more than 10 others. Bello Ayuba, another resident and witness, said at least 20 were wounded. A Niger state police spokesman did not immediately respond to calls or messages seeking comment. Armed bandits operating for cash have kidnapped or killed hundreds across northwest Nigeria this year, but Niger state and local government officials also recently said that Islamist militant group Boko Haram had taken over multiple communities in the state, offering villagers money and incorporating them in their ranks to fight the government.”
United States
Miami Herald: Miami Man Pleads Guilty To Trying To Aid ISIS With Pipe Bomb-Making Instructions
“A Miami man who posted pipe bomb instructions on the internet for people he believed to be followers of an Islamic terrorist group faces up to 15 years in prison, U.S. authorities said Monday. Samuel Baptiste, 29, pleaded guilty Friday to attempting to provide material support to terrorists, namely ISIS in the Middle East. Baptiste reached a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and avoided a potential sentence of up to 115 years if he had been convicted at trial of six terrorism-related changes, including distributing information on how to make explosives. According to court records, Baptiste attempted to provide material support to ISIS in late 2016 by posting information on the internet with links to information about explosive devices, including a bomb-making manual. Federal prosecutors say Baptiste posted and distributed online documents titled “Instructions: How to Make a Homemade Pipe Bomb,” “Pipe Bombs,” “Improvised Explosive Devices,” and “Improvised Munitions Black Book, Volume 1.” The FBI case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marc S. Anton and Michael Thakur.”
Syria
Kurdistan 24: Alleged US Drone Strike Kills Former ISIS Commander: SDF
“An alleged US drone strike killed former ISIS commander Subhi Ibrahim Muslih and two of his guards in Serekaniye (Ras al-Ain) on Monday, said Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) official Farhad Shami. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) war monitor reported that the strike's target was a member of the Turkish-backed Ahrar al-Sharqiya group. It said he was killed near the village of Al-Adwaniyah, west of Serekaniye. Subhi is originally from al-Shuhail in Deir al-Zor and was a former member of ISIS, the report added. This is the second drone strike in a short period against jihadist leaders in areas controlled by Turkey. A US airstrike in northeast Syria on Friday killed senior al-Qaeda leader Abdul Hamid al-Matar in the town of Suluk near the Turkish-controlled Tal Abyad area. Suluk is allegedly under the control of Ahrar al-Sharqiya, a group backed by Turkey. In October 2019, the Turkish army and the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) launched a military operation that pushed the Kurdish-led SDF from the border towns of Serekaniye and Tal Abyad. They have occupied these areas ever since.”
Afghanistan
The Wall Street Journal: Russian Military Drills Near Afghan Border Deliver Warning To Extremists
“Russia held a series of joint military exercises with its Central Asian neighbors near the border with Afghanistan last week, a reflection of the concern in Moscow that ethnic tension or terrorism could spill over from the country as extremists such as Islamic State challenge the Taliban’s rule there. The Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization, or CSTO, which also includes Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, conducted a weeklong series of exercises that ended Saturday on the Harb-Maidon training range, less than 20 miles north of Tajikistan’s border with Afghanistan. Involving more than 4,000 troops using artillery, tanks and assault aircraft, the drills sought to signal that any infiltration from Afghan territory into Tajikistan would be met by force, Russian military officials said. Since the Taliban took power in August, Russia has expressed concern over activities by terrorist organizations in Afghanistan that could enter former Soviet Central Asian states and cause instability across Moscow’s backyard. Moreover, some of Afghanistan’s neighbors worry that fighters from Afghanistan could fan ethnic tensions in their own countries.”
Arab News: Taliban To Form New Armed Forces Including Former Regime Troops
“Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government on Monday announced it is to form new armed forces for the country including soldiers from the previous regime’s military. The former Afghan military and Western-backed government collapsed on Aug. 15 when President Ashraf Ghani fled Afghanistan as the Taliban took control in a lightning offensive while the US and its allies were withdrawing troops after 20 years on the ground. In September, the Taliban appointed an interim government in Afghanistan, declaring the country an Islamic emirate. Defense Minister Mullah Mohammed Yaqoob, the son of Taliban founder Mullah Omar, announced the formation of new armed forces on Sunday, in an audio message released by the defense ministry. He said the ministry intended o create a national and independent army, with ground and airspace capabilities to “defend the country with high values,” and would try to equip it with modern weapons. Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, told Arab News: “Army is a priority and urgent need of the country. The Islamic emirate would work on forming an empowered army that would be responsible for protecting Afghans and would have the ability to defend the peace of Afghanistan at any cost.”
Yemen
Arab News: Houthis Abduct Dozens Of Civilians In Wake Of Deadly Marib Siege
“The Iran-backed Houthis have raided homes in Abedia district, south of Marib district, abducting dozens of civilians and transporting them to undisclosed locations, a Yemeni rights group said. The Mothers of Abductees Association, an umbrella organization for thousands of female relatives of war prisoners, documented the abduction of 47 civilians in Abedia as the Houthis broke into the houses of residents, searching for Yemeni army soldiers and tribesmen who resisted their occupation of the district. The militia abducted and questioned relatives of the fighters, including some children, and intimidated them into revealing information about the whereabouts of their relatives. They also abducted wounded civilians and turned public facilities such as schools into detention centers, the organization said. “We hold the Houthi armed group fully responsible for the lives and safety of all its captives, and demand that they immediately stop all abduction operations, and release all captives,” the organization said in the statement, urging international rights groups to exercise pressure on the militia.”
Lebanon
Foreign Policy: Hezbollah Has No Choice But Escalation
“After a week of violence and bloodshed on Beirut’s streets failed to disrupt the investigation into Beirut’s port blast, Hezbollah’s bellicose leader, Hassan Nasrallah, had little more than intimidation and absurd exaggerations to offer in his televised speech last Monday evening. But with the militia leader having played nearly all of his cards with no success at stopping an investigation that threatens the heart of Hezbollah’s power, an already badly battered Lebanon is entering a deeply dangerous crisis. Nasrallah, himself, dubbed the violence on Oct. 14 that left seven people dead, including multiple gunmen and a mother of five children who was shot dead in her own home, a “dangerous and critical new stage” for Lebanon. He should know, given his direct responsibility for this escalation. More than 200 people were killed and 6,500 wounded when hundreds of tons of ammonium nitrate stored in the port for years exploded following a warehouse fire on Aug. 4, 2020. The blast devastated large parts of Beirut, worsening an already brewing and catastrophic economic crisis. Over a year later, no officials have been convicted of any crimes related to the blast despite significant evidence of corruption and criminal negligence at play.”
Al Monitor: Lebanon Charges 68 In Relation To Shooting At Hezbollah Protest
“A Lebanese military court charged 68 people today in relation to the recent shooting at a Hezbollah-organized protest. Judge Fadi Akiki charged the individuals with murder, attempted murder, inciting sectarian divisions and possessing unlicensed weapons of war. A total of 18 have already been arrested, the official National News Agency reported. The shooting occurred on Oct. 14 at a protest in Beirut organized by Hezbollah and its fellow Shiite Islamist organization Amal. The demonstration was against the investigation into the 2020 Beirut port explosion. The probe’s judge had recently issued an arrest warrant for a Hezbollah-allied minister, leading to criticism from the paramilitary group. At least six people were killed in the attack. Hezbollah blamed the right-wing Christian group Lebanese Forces for the bloodshed, though its leader denied involvement. The shooting and its aftermath threatened to stoke sectarian tensions in Lebanon, which is also suffering from a horrific economic crisis. The protest shooting took place close to the site of the 1975 bus bombing that sparked the Lebanese civil war. Lebanon has a mixed population of Christians, Sunnis, Shiites and others. The charges followed the completion of the Lebanese military's investigation into the shooting, the military said in a statement.”
Nigeria
BBC News: 'Why I Returned To Boko Haram And How I Escaped'
“In 2017, Aisha Yerima shocked her family when she willingly returned to Boko Haram captivity after she had been freed by the military. Four years on and the 30-year-old has now escaped and returned to her parents' home in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state. She was kidnapped by Boko Haram at the age of 21 from a town south-east of Maiduguri and went on to marry one of the group's commanders, whom she said won her heart with romance and gifts. He had gone off to battle when the military attacked their camp in the Sambisa Forest, rescuing Aisha and dozens of other wives. The women were all put through a one-year de-radicalisation programme, but barely four months afterwards, Aisha decided that life with Boko Haram was better. “It was hard for me to make a living,” she told me. “Things were tough and I had to depend on my parents.” She also found it difficult to feed her two-year-old, rescued along with her, the son from her marriage to the commander. “I phoned my husband and he was very happy to hear from me,” said Aisha. “He told me when next he would be coming to Maiduguri to purchase some fuel and gas, and we agreed that I would join him,” she said. On the agreed day, she left her parents' home with her little son, telling no-one and taking just a few possessions.”
Africa
Reuters: Bus Blast In Uganda Kills Two, Days After Militant Attack- Military
“An explosion on a bus on Monday killed at least two people in the Ugandan town of Lungala, two days after a bombing in the capital Kampala, police said. The cause of the bus explosion on the main road between Kampala and Masaka was not immediately known, a military spokesman said. Earlier in the day, Ugandan police said they were investigating whether fighters allied with Islamic State had carried out the bombing in Kampala on Saturday night that killed one person and injured three others.”
United Kingdom
BBC News: Glenrothes Mosque Terror Plot Accused 'Started To Hate Muslims'
“A man who allegedly planned to attack a mosque started to “hate” Muslims after reading far right political posts on the internet, a court has heard. Sam Imrie, 24, denies charges including under the Terrorism Act. Mr Imrie, of Glenrothes, Fife, told the High Court in Edinburgh how he became interested in extremist politics. He said he turned to a website “8Chan” as he did not believe the mainstream media was properly discussing the reasons for Islamic terrorism attacks. He told defence counsel Jim Keegan he became interested in why there were so many attacks taking place as he grew up. The court heard he had left school at 14, and had developed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after being assaulted. He told the court that he was never serious about carrying out a terrorism attack on a mosque. “I wasn't really caring if I lived or died. I was just trying to offend people with my posts online,” he told the court. “I was at a point in my life really when everybody my age had jobs, had got their own houses, had got married and even had kids. I was living like a 12-year-old really just drinking every day.” He said he started researching Nazism. “I wanted to see what their perspective was so I started searching for information about their point of view,” he said.”
BBC News: Manchester Arena Inquiry: Error Not To Question Bomber On Return - MI5
“The decision not to question the Manchester Arena bomber after he returned to the UK from Libya four days before the attack was a mistake, a senior MI5 officer has conceded. The officer, referred to as Witness J, told the Manchester Arena Inquiry Salman Abedi was assessed in the months before the 22 May 2017 bombing. He said “no intelligence” indicating a threat to national security was found. But he conceded it was an error not to ask police to question Abedi on 18 May. The inquiry has begun looking at what was known about the 22-year-old before the attack, which saw 22 people die and hundreds more suffer injuries in a bombing at the venue on 22 May 2017. The hearing was told that from December 2013 to January 2017, Abedi was identified as being in direct contact with three “subjects of interest”, one who was suspected of planning travel to Syria, one who had links to al-Qaeda and a third who had links to extremists in Libya. Between April 2016 and April 2017, he was identified as a second-level contact with three more “subjects of interest”, all with suspected links to the Islamic State terror group.”
Evening Standard: Refusing Prevent Deradicalistion Course Should Be An Offence, Says Terror Expert
“A counter-terrorism expert who advised ministers on prison extremism has called for failing to co-operate with the Government’s Prevent deradicalistion programme to be made a criminal offence. Ian Acheson, a former prison governor who advised the Justice Secretary on controlling extremists behind bars, said the scheme had developed a “parish hall mentality” and become “blunted by layers of bureaucracy”. He said another flaw was a misplaced attempt to equate the far-Right threat with the much greater danger posed by Islamists — saying “the body count doesn’t lie” — and a similarly flawed focus on “safeguarding” those referred to the scheme. He said the result was that those who posed a serious threat were not being dealt with adequately and that wholesale reform was needed to give deradicalisation a “more muscular security response”. Mr Acheson said this should include giving national security specialists “driving decision making” about who to focus on and limiting the numbers referred to the scheme to stop it being overwhelmed by “trivial” cases instead of concentrating on committed extremists. He added that legal penalties for refusing to cooperate should be introduced, ending the current voluntary nature of the scheme.”
Germany
“A Munich court on Monday convicted a woman married to an Islamic State fighter for “crimes against humanity and attempted war crimes” in the aiding and abetting of the murder of a 5-year-old Yazidi girl, sentencing the woman to 10 years in prison. The court ruled that Jennifer Wenisch, a 30-year-old German citizen, did not intervene to stop the child’s dying of thirst in the desert heat of Iraq. The conviction is believed to be the first in the world related to the Islamic State’s persecution of the Yazidi community. In 2014, the Islamic State terrorist group took over a region in northern Iraq that was home to the small Yazidi religious group, massacring thousands of Yazidi men and enslaving an estimated 7,000 women and children. According to German prosecutors, Wenisch and her husband “purchased” the child and her mother as household “slaves” when they lived in the Islamic State-occupied Iraqi city of Fallujah in 2015. After the child became ill and wet her mattress, Wenisch’s husband chained her outside their home as punishment and let the child die of thirst in the desert heat. The child’s mother, who was forced to witness her death, was the trial’s main witness, testifying for over 11 days.”
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