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Eye on Extremism
November 5, 2021
Reuters: Sixty Killed In Attack On Village In Southwest Niger -Local Officials
“About 60 people including the mayor have been killed in an attack on the village of Banibangou in southwest Niger, two local officials told Reuters. Details of Tuesday's raid on a remote area near the border with Mali were sparse and no group has claimed responsibility, said Zakari Karidjo, a senior official in Banibangou department (county). He said there was a clash and that there were losses on both sides. Karidjo and Marsadou Soumaila, prefect of the neighbouring department of Ouallam, said the mayor of Banibangou was killed. The attack occurred in an area overrun by militants associated with a local affiliate of Islamic State that has killed hundreds of civilians in attacks on rural communities this year. A poverty-stricken, arid zone of West Africa encompassing the borderlands of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso has been racked by violence in recent years as armed groups, some linked with al Qaeda, have sought to establish control over communities and rid the region of local and international military forces. Thousands of civilians have been killed and millions have been displaced. Not including Tuesday's violence, Islamist groups have killed more than 530 people in attacks on civilians in the frontier regions of southwest Niger this year, over five times more than in all of 2020, according to data provided by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), a consultancy which tracks political violence.”
“For a month, FBI agents listened in as two members of a white supremacist group discussed their sinister plans: a plot to use a pro-gun rights rally in Richmond, Virginia, to engage in mass murder and attacks on critical infrastructure, which they believed would mark the start of a racial civil war. Patrik Mathews, a former Canadian Army reservist illegally in the U.S., and Brian Lemley, a Maryland resident and self-described white nationalist, fantasized about the brutal murders they'd soon carry out against law enforcement and Black people, all with the goal of bringing about the “Boogaloo,” or the collapse of the U.S. government in order to prop up a white ethno-state, according to recordings of the pair's discussions. “We need to go back to the days of ... decimating Blacks and getting rid of them where they stand,” Mathews said in one recording. “If you see a bunch of Blacks sitting on some corner you f***ing shoot them.” “I need to claim my first victim,” Lemley said in another recording. “It's just that we can't live with ourselves if we don't get somebody's blood on our hands.” The two men were each sentenced in late October to nine years in prison, and ABC News has now obtained newly released audio from the FBI's secret recording of Mathews and Lemley at their Delaware residence in late 2019.”
Afghanistan
Al Jazeera: Afghanistan: Taliban Leader Warns Of Infiltrators
“The supreme leader of the Taliban, Haibatullah Akhunzada, has warned the group that there may be “unknown” entities among their ranks who are “working against the will of the government”. The warning came in a statement attributed to Akhunzada that was circulated widely on Taliban social media accounts on Thursday. The Taliban’s supreme leader has not been seen in public since the group seized power nearly three months ago, capturing the Afghan capital of Kabul on August 15 and declaring an Islamic emirate as US forces withdrew following a decades-long occupation. Since the Taliban took control of the country, its leadership has repeatedly warned of impostors and criminals joining the group in an effort to harm its image. In September, acting Defence Minister Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob raised concerns in an audio message. “There are some bad and corrupt people who want to join us … To fulfil their own interest or to defame us and make us look bad,” he said. Yaqoob, the son of Taliban founder Mullah Mohammad Omar, added that any rogue elements among the ranks would be dealt with. In recent months, the Taliban has expanded its recruitment as it seeks to fulfil a pledge to maintain security in the country. But the group has faced a series of deadly attacks from rivals, including the Islamic State in Khorasan Province, ISKP (ISIS-K) armed group, an ISIL-affiliate.”
The National: Afghanistan: Nine Family Members Killed In Explosion
“Nine members of one family, including four girls and two boys, were reportedly killed on Wednesday morning when a mortar round exploded in an Afghan home in Kunduz, Unicef and local officials said. Three young girls were injured in the blast, two of them critically, Afghanistan's Tolo news reported, citing the head of the Kunduz regional hospital. “Reportedly, one of the children unknowingly brought the unexploded device into the home after finding it in the field next to their house,” said Unicef’s acting representative in Afghanistan, Alice Akunga. “Children are especially vulnerable to explosive remnants of war ... children continue to pay the price of a conflict not of their making,” she said. Unicef estimates that more 460 children were killed in the first six months of 2021 in Afghanistan. “These are only the deaths that the UN has been able to verify,” Ms Akunga said. “All forms of violence against children must immediately come to an end.” A local ISIS branch known as the Islamic State Khorasan Province (IKSP) is known to carry out attacks in Kunduz. In early October, IKSP killed or injured at least 100 people in a suicide attack at a Shiite mosque, the UN said.”
Saudi Arabia
Associated Press: FBI Releases Declassified Documents On Sept. 11 Attacks
“The FBI released hundreds of pages of newly declassified documents Wednesday about its long effort to explore connections between the Saudi government and the Sept. 11 attacks, revealing the scope of a strenuous but ultimately fruitless investigation whose outcome many question to this day. Agents for years investigated support given to several of the hijackers upon their arrival in the U.S., focusing in particular on whether three Saudi nationals — including a Saudi Embassy official in Washington — had advance knowledge of the attacks. Ultimately, investigators found insufficient evidence to charge any of the three with illegally supporting the hijackers, according to an FBI memo from May that closed out the probe and was among the more than 700 pages released Wednesday. The FBI noted in the memo that al-Qaida compartmentalized the roles within its major attacks and “did not make the attack plans known in advance to others” for fear of word getting out.”
Lebanon
Arab News: Lebanon Cannot Be Saved While It Is Controlled By Hezbollah
“I have always been puzzled by Lebanese political talk shows. These shows go on for hours and hours, with the same guests — politicians and analysts — discussing the hot topic of the week. In reality, the hot topic is the same, as nothing really changes in the dynamic of Lebanon, and so they end up repeating the same analysis over and over again. They have talked for so long that they have stopped looking at the changes the world around them is going through. There is a mix of denial, narcissism and nostalgia in Lebanese political media content. Regardless of their political affiliation, all the guests still assume Lebanon is the No. 1 priority of regional, global and world leaders. They keep expecting a miraculous outside intervention to come and end the political deadlock and catastrophic humanitarian situation the country faces. And so, every time world or regional leaders meet, they assume they will be discussing Lebanon as a matter of urgency. It is as if Emmanuel Macron will rush off his plane after landing in Scotland for the COP26 climate change meetings and run to Joe Biden and tell him, out of breath, “we must find a solution for Lebanon.” Even worse is that the Lebanese political media still thinks that France and the US can bring about a solution for the country.”
Libya
Asharq Al-Awsat: Libyan, Turkish Officials Discuss Cooperation In ‘Fighting Terrorism’
“A meeting has been held at the office of the Libyan Ministry of Interior with a Turkish delegation to discuss security cooperation in “fighting terrorism” and organized crime in addition to addressing the issue of the coast guard. According to the Libyan News Agency, Wednesday’s meeting was attended by the Director of the General Department for Security Operations, Ali Al-Nuwaisri, head of Relations and Cooperation Salah al-Din bin Suleiman, General Directorate of Police Aviation chief Brigadier General Taher Al-Qerbai and Osama Dhaideh from the General Administration for Coastal Security (GACS). The meeting reviewed the security cooperation and the exchange of expertise and training in the fight against terrorism and organized crime, said the agency. The Libyan and Turkish officials also discussed topics related to the coast guard, police aviation, and forensic laboratories. They agreed on supporting the Libyan Ministry of Interior by putting security expertise and training at its disposal.”
Mali
“The deputy director general of the Algerian intelligence services met Wednesday evening in northern Mali with Iyad Ag Ghali, the leader of the terrorist GSIM group (Support Group for Islam and Muslims), the local branch of Al Qaeda. The official of the Algerian intelligence services reportedly flew Wednesday evening by helicopter to a spot located some 21 km east of Tinzawaten, in northern Mali, some news outlets have reported. The meeting with Iyad Ag Ghali was organized by emissaries of the Algerian secret services, dispatched last week to Tinzawaten, a Malian locality located on the border with Algeria. During the 4-hour meeting, held at the request of the Algerians, discussions tackled several topics, with focus on the occupation of all of northern Mali by the GSIM. The deputy director general of the Algerian intelligence services assured the terrorist leader that Algeria will put at his disposal all the financial means and military support he needs, according to the press reports. The meeting between the Algerian senior spy and the terrorist Iyad Ag Ghali also discussed how to consolidate the GSIM’s control over the Coordination of Azawad movements (CMA), an alliance of rebel groups created in 2014 during the war in Mali.”
United Kingdom
“A teenager has been charged with planning a far-right terror attack against potential targets including police stations, drag queens and “Muslim rape gangs”. Luke Skelton appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court charged with preparing acts of terrorism on Thursday. The court heard that the 18-year-old, from Washington near Sunderland, had written a draft manifesto and “final note”. He is also accused of researching explosive ingredients and identifying people and locations as potential targets. The alleged preparation started on 1 October 2020 and continued until his arrest last month. Mr Skelton was refused bail by Senior District Judge Paul Goldspring, the chief magistrate of England and Wales, and remanded into custody. He is due to appear at the Old Bailey for a preliminary hearing on 19 November. Counter Terrorism Policing North East said Mr Skelton was arrested on 28 October as part of an investigation into extreme right-wing terrorism and charged on Wednesday.”
France
AFP: Mother Of Bataclan Attacker Faces Trial In Paris For 'Financing Terrorism'
“The mother of one of the 2015 Bataclan concert hall attackers is facing trial in Paris, accused of “financing terrorism”. Fatima Hajji, 53, is charged with sending €13,000 to her son and his partner while they were in Iraq and Syria, between 2014 and 2015. She was due to appear before the Paris Criminal Court on Thursday but the case has now been adjourned to March 2022 to give her more time to prepare her defence. Hajji's son -- Foued Mohamed Aggad -- was one of three suicide bombers who stormed the Paris theatre during the November 2015 terror attacks. His partner Hajira Belkhir -- who is presumed dead -- is also being prosecuted for “terrorist criminal association”. 'The first to stand up, I'll shoot': Bataclan audio played in court at Paris attacks trial Prosecutors say that Aggad left France for left for Syria in December 2013 with other members of the so-called Strasbourg network. But he maintained regular contact with his mother and other family members in northeastern France, officials say. Six of his relatives, including his mother and aunt, were arrested in June as part of a preliminary investigation by the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office for “financing terrorism”. “In his exchanges with his mother, he indicated that, if he were to return to France, it would only be to commit an attack,” investigators said.”
Germany
Deutsche Welle: German President Praises Norway's Response To Terror Attacks
“Speaking on Thursday, the German president said that, while a brutal attack in the Norwegian town of Kongsberg had “deeply shocked us all,” Norway's response to terror incidents remained an inspiration.
Steinmeier also drew parallel with far-right murders that took place in Germany, as he was welcomed at a dinner in Oslo, hosted by Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store of the Labour Party. Why did Steinmeier praise Norway? The president, on a two-day visit to the Nordic country, said he admired the strength “with which Norwegians defy the hatred and violence that have shocked and saddened the entire country and the entire continent.” Steinmeier singled out the far-right extremist Anders Behring Breivik, whose bomb and shooting spree 10 years ago killed 77 people in Oslo and at a Labour Party youth camp on the island of Utoya. “They will not allow terror to wound our values of democracy, freedom, and solidarity,” German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said, speaking of the Norwegian people. An expression of the strength of democracy, he said, was the recent appointment of two survivors of the Utoya attack to posts in the new Norwegian prime minister's recently appointed Cabinet. Store's center-left minority government took power last month. Norway was shaken by further bloodshed in mid-October when a man murdered five people in an attack involving various weapons — including a bow and arrow — in Kongsberg.”
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