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Eye on Extremism
November 8, 2021
Associated Press: Tension Rises In Iraq After Failed Bid To Assassinate PM
“The failed assassination attempt against Iraq’s prime minister at his residence on Sunday has ratcheted up tensions following last month’s parliamentary elections, in which the Iran-backed militias were the biggest losers. Helicopters circled in the Baghdad skies throughout the day, while troops and patrols deployed around Baghdad and near the capital’s fortified Green Zone, where the overnight attack occurred. Supporters of the Iran-backed militias held their ground in a protest camp outside the Green Zone to demand a vote recount. Leaders of the Iran-backed factions converged for the second day on a funeral tent to mourn a protester killed Friday in clashes with security. Many of the faction leaders blame the prime minister for the violence. Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi suffered a light cut and appeared in a televised speech soon after the attack by armed drones on his residence. He appeared calm and composed, seated behind a desk in a white shirt and what appeared to be a bandage around his left wrist. Seven of his security guards were wounded in the attack by at least two armed drones, according to two Iraqi officials. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to give official statements.”
The Independent: A Massacre In Mali: More Than 50 Villagers Killed By Jihadis
“The first sound of approaching danger was the roar of dozens of motorcycles of the killers at dusk. Then came cries for help and screams of panic as the shooting started. Ibrahim, shaking with fear, despaired that he was not going to live through what lay ahead. The first bursts from the Kalashnikovs cut down men out on the streets. The gunmen then began kicking down doors of buildings, dragging out the people inside before forcing them down on the ground and executing them in batches. Ibrahim, a 32-year-old farmer, knew it was only a matter of time before the jihadis came into the house where he was drinking tea with his friend Yaya. His instinct was to hide. Yaya thought the only hope was to run: that was the last time he was seen alive. More than 54 people died that evening in Outtagouna and three nearby villages in eastern Mali. It was one of the worst massacres of the bloody eight-year-long jihadi conflict in the country which claimed thousands of lives and drew in the United Nations and international forces, including from Britain. Mali and neighbouring countries in the Sahel are experiencing the fastest growing Islamist insurgency in the world. The Outtagouna massacre has been blamed on an Isis affiliate, ISGS (Islamist State in Greater Sahara) which has established a strong presence along with the al-Qaeda linked Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Musimlim (JNIM).”
United States
NPR: Active-Duty Police In Major U.S. Cities Appear On Purported Oath Keepers Rosters
“Leaked records purportedly from a far-right organization suggest that its effort to recruit law enforcement officers has found some success in America's largest cities. Investigations by NPR and WNYC/Gothamist show active officers in New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago on the Oath Keepers membership roster, with Chicago showing the greatest representation of the three. Extremism and policing experts say the findings are reason for concern, as the far-right paramilitary organization encourages members to uphold the law only as they interpret it. But defining a clear standard on officers' affiliation with groups such as the Oath Keepers is tricky, as it could run afoul of officers' free speech and free assembly rights. The Oath Keepers have been on the radar of extremism researchers and federal law enforcement for about as long as the group has existed. But the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol dramatically intensified scrutiny of the group. Founded in 2009 by Stewart Rhodes, a former Army paratrooper, the Oath Keepers target law enforcement and military personnel for recruitment. The paramilitary organization claims to defend the Constitution and reaffirms the oath of service to “support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.”
Syria
Voice Of America: IS Shows Signs Of Strengthening In Syria, Iraq
“As much of the Western world focuses on the growing threat from the Islamic State group's affiliate in Afghanistan, new intelligence suggests that there is reason again to worry about the terror group's core in Syria and Iraq. Down to an estimated 10,000 fighters, a small fraction of what it boasted at its peak, and working in small, clandestine cells across the two countries, the terror group, also known as IS or ISIS, has been trying to maintain what intelligence and military officials describe as a low-level insurgency, with varying degrees of success. But U.S. military and intelligence officials caution that the group's fortunes may be starting to change, which may allow it to retake territory in Syria and Iraq and its leaders to assert greater influence over affiliates and followers worldwide. In Syria, in particular, IS appears “poised to increase activity … after a period of recuperation and recovery,” the Defense Intelligence Agency told the Defense Department's inspector general in its just-released quarterly report on U.S. operations in the region. The DIA said IS activity began to pick up in September, with a growing number of attacks in Syria's central desert against forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Other targets have included fuel infrastructure and supply routes, and even Iranian-backed militias, the DIA said.”
Iraq
Military Times: Iraqi Military Still Dependent On US, Coalition Military In ISIS Fight: Watchdog
“Iraqi forces remain incapable of operating without U.S. support while Iranian-backed militias who have targeted coalition forces are in a strategic pause, according to a report released by Lead Inspector General for Operation Inherent Resolve. Meanwhile, ISIS remains “entrenched as a low-level insurgency” as the U.S. military ends its combat role in Iraq by Dec. 31 of this year. Released to the public Thursday, the 27th quarterly Lead IG report on OIR notes that although ISIS activity is down significantly from the same time last year, Iraqi Security Forces demonstrate poor operational security, a lack of reliable information on operations, and complacency. This lack of planning and operational control, in turn, leads to large-scale Iraqi Security operations being “forecast in advance.” When conducting operations, ISF “consistently requested Coalition support for airstrikes,” leading the report to determine that “Iraqi Partner Forces remain dependent on Coalition support.” According to the report, the dependence on U.S. and coalition support is not limited to ISF. Combined Joint Task Force-OIR partner forces throughout the region continue to rely on U.S.-led coalition support for intelligence gathering, surveillance and reconnaissance, intelligence integration, and airstrikes. In Syria, the Syrian Democratic Forces can only conduct human intelligence gathering independently while relying on coalition assistance for all other intelligence activities.”
Afghanistan
“It's been nearly three months since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, and the country is in economic and humanitarian freefall. Our Jane Ferguson was there in August. And, with the support of the Pulitzer Center, she's now returned to report on the increasingly dire situation. And Jane joins me now. Jane, it's so good to see you. Tell us. You have been in Afghanistan now for over a week. Give us a sense of just how serious this humanitarian crisis is. Jane Ferguson: A number of factors, Judy, have come together to make it an absolute economic freefall here. We just returned from Herat, where the drought has meant wheat has reduced by about a third in the country. Most people here rely on bread as a staple. As a result, hospitals across the country, those that have managed to remain open, are finding malnutrition wards filled with tiny, sick babies, with mothers who can't feed their babies, with many families that are struggling to feed their families at all. Also, the aid community largely left. I mean, many of the aid organizations are still here, but in a much smaller capacity. People who worked with organizations that were being funded by the international aid community have had their salaries stopped.”
Vice: 'A Slow Death': How The Taliban Crushed Afghanistan's Flourishing Media
“During the 20-year break from Taliban rule after the US invasion, the growth of journalism and creative media was one of Afghanistan’s only success stories. After the years of Taliban rule in the 1990s – when TV was banned completely – the country saw the birth on an independent media, as well a rise in education levels, in particular for girls. The sector boomed in the years that Kabul was run by a US-backed government. Despite constant security concerns and other setbacks, the arts, private media and entertainment businesses managed to grow considerably over the years, creating vibrant cultural circles in Kabul and other major cities. Musicians and singers put out new releases and videos in a race for a share of the growing audience among the 38 million Afghans. For many young people, this meant the opportunity to forge a career in the tens of publicly and privately-owned television and radio stations and media outlets that gathered momentum over the past decade, with more than 96 TV channels, and hundreds of more radio stations operating by 2020. A wide range of cultural shows were broadcast on TV screens, captivating millions in the country. Afghan Star – the local version of American Idol – aired on Tolo TV, while Hollywood and Bollywood movies, as well as Korean and Turkish soap operas, were shown round the clock. Since August and the return of the Taliban, there is no more music on TV, and the majority of shows have been stopped.”
Yemen
“A British-born Islamic State commander who boasted of involvement in killing an anti-Muslim figure in the UK has been shot dead while leading an assault in Yemen, the jihadi group has claimed. Abu Rayana al-Britani, who was said to have recruited and trained other UK terrorists, was reportedly shot while leading an assault on the village of al-Hamidah. Intelligence experts are now attempting to establish whether the details in Abu Rayana's tribute link him to a killing carried out on British soil, The Sun reports. He reportedly travelled to Yemen for 'terror training'. According to the group's newsletter al-Naba, Abu Rayana was in his 30s and was born into a 'conservative family' in the UK where he was known as Yunus. He was involved in gangs in his younger years and 'was thrown in prison many times'. The group said he became radicalised in the UK after 'the invasion of Iraq', and travelled to Yemen for terror training and to learn Arabic. After returning to the UK he worked to radicalise 'Christians' and convert several to Islam, including one 'disciple' who 'became hostile to the Christians' and 'killed one of the main guys harming Muslims' in Britain, the jihadi group claimed. Anti-terror officers are understood to be working to identify if this crime took place, and who the victim may have been if it did.”
Middle East
The Times Of Israel: Finnish Charity Ends Ties With Palestinian Group After Terror Designation
“A Christian charity organization in Finland has decided to end ties with a Palestinian rights group after it was blacklisted by Israel for alleged terror links. The executive director of the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Mission, or Felm, said Friday the group hasn’t seen evidence that the 30,000 euros ($34,650) it has provided annually since 2015 to Defense for Children International-Palestine (DCIP) was used improperly. “We have actively monitored the use of the money and it has been used for work advancing children’s rights,” Rolf Steffansson told Reuters. He said, however, that Felm could no longer work with DCIP after Israel designated it and five other rights groups as terror organizations, citing potential banking sanctions. “It could have impacted the work we do in 30 countries through banking services for example,” he said. DCIP, which denies the Israeli allegations, has asked Felm to reconsider the move. “We have been subject to escalating delegitimization and disinformation campaigns advanced by an international network of extremist groups with the support of Israeli government ministries,” Khaled Quzmarm DCIP’s director-general, told Reuters via a lawyer. DCIP also said none of its other donors have indicated they will cut off funding.”
Nigeria
“Militants under the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria are planning to attack three communities in Borno State, a report has said. According to Eons Intelligence, over 200 terrorists have already arrived in Nigeria from Libya and Syria and are currently in the Sabon Tumbu axis of the state. The sources confirmed their arrival at Sabon Tumbu, saying the mercenaries were seen observing Jumaat prayers on Friday at Sabon Tumbu. They will be providing logistic support to the Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP) militants to attack Baga, Malam Fatori and Marte communities in Borno State anytime soon, the report noted. Their arrival coincided with the installation of Sani Shuwaram as the new ISWAP leader (Wali). He succeeds Malam Bako. Bako was killed while leading the sect in acting capacity after the death of Abu Musab Al-Barnawi. Al-Barnawi, son of the late Boko Haram founder Mohammed Yusuf, was eliminated during a battle with security forces. The planned offensives are said to be part of a grand plan by ISIS to take over some identified strong holds in the region. Islamic State is ISWAP's local affiliate, to further its expansionist agenda in the region. As part of counter-terrorism efforts, the Nigerian government has since approved extra assets to boost North East Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK).”
Africa
Reuters: Gunmen Kill 11 Soldiers In Southwest Niger
“Unidentified gunmen killed 11 soldiers defending a village in a remote part of southwest Niger where Islamist militants operate, the defence ministry said on Friday. The heavily armed attackers approached in a convoy of cars and motorbikes on Thursday afternoon, clashing with soldiers stationed outside the village of Dagne near the border with Mali, it said in a statement. The attack was repulsed, but 11 soldiers were killed and nine are missing. No group has claimed responsibility for the assault. A local affiliate of Islamic State has killed hundreds of civilians in a series of attacks in the same area this year despite government efforts to regain control. Thursday's raid came two days after 69 people were killed in another area near the Malian border about 100 miles (160 km) away. Armed groups have stepped up attacks in a poverty-stricken, arid zone of West Africa encompassing the borderlands of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso in recent years. Some linked with al Qaeda and Islamic State have sought to seize control of communities and drive out local and international military forces. Thousands of civilians have died and millions have fled.”
United Kingdom
BBC News: Westminster Bridge Terror Attack: Survivor Launches Counter Radicalisation Plan
“A survivor of the 2017 Westminster Bridge attack is using voice recordings of terror victims as a way of trying to prevent people from being radicalised. Travis Frain, of Darwen in Lancashire, set up the Resilience in Unity Project while working at home during lockdown. The 23-year-old's website includes the testimony of more than 30 people who survived attacks in 15 countries. The PhD student said his project would be “worthwhile” if it stops even only one person from becoming radicalised. His website will also contain an interactive mapping tool, exhibiting survivors' stories for use in schools, colleges and universities. “Even just stopping one person from being radicalised, stopping one attack from happening, will make a massive difference to hundreds of lives,” said Mr Frain. “We too often forget the community impact that terrorism has, in dividing and reaching out along generations and networks of family members, in addition to the geographical spread.” Mr Frain was on a trip to London with Edge Hill University, visiting the Houses of Parliament, when he was struck by a car driven by Khalid Masood. He suffered multiple fractures in the attack on 22 March 2017 but has since recovered. Masood, 52, was shot dead by police after he killed four people and injured 50 more when he ploughed into crowds on the bridge before stabbing PC Keith Palmer.”
BBC News: Rainhill Man Admits Possessing Terrorist Document
“A man has pleaded guilty to having a copy of a document which includes instructions on bomb-making and preparing for acts of terrorism. Scott Gary Mason, 35, of Rainhill in Merseyside, appeared at the Old Bailey from HMP Forest Bank in Salford. He was charged with possession of a document for terrorist purposes on or before 6 October, relating to an electronic copy of the Anarchy Cookbook. Mason will be sentenced on 14 January. Mr Justice Sweeney ordered a pre-sentence report to look into the issue of dangerousness. The defendant was further remanded into custody.”
Germany
Deutsche Welle: Germany: Police Rule Out Terrorism In Bavaria Train Attack
“The man who stabbed four people on a train in the southern state of Bavaria on Saturday did so “indiscriminately,” police said during a press conference Sunday presenting the first results of their investigation into the attack. Prosecutor Gerhard Neuhof said the suspect had been suffering from delusions and a preliminary mental health evaluation has indicated he likely suffers from a psychiatric disorder. Police have said there is no basis for a terrorist motive for the stabbing. The suspect was arrested without resisting and had pleaded for “help” during the incident, he added. He was taken into psychiatric care on Sunday. “There are no indications of an Islamist background” to the attack, said Sabine Nagel, the criminal director of Oberpfalz in Bavaria. She stressed that the investigation was still in its early stages. Three men aged between 26 and 60 were injured in the stabbing that took place on the high-speed ICE train traveling from the Bavarian city Passau to Hamburg. Two of the injured are still being treated at a hospital. What do we know about the suspect? The 27-year-old suspect has been living in Germany since 2014 as a refugee, having come from war-torn Syria. He has been living in Passau and had recently lost his job, police said. Neuhof said that preliminary assessments had concluded the suspect suffers from a form of schizophrenia and that he believed people were following him.”
New Zealand
“The Christchurch mosque terrorist says he pleaded guilty to the murder of 51 people last year because of the inhumane and degrading treatment he experienced while awaiting his trial. Brenton Tarrant's lawyer, Dr Tony Ellis, has made the claim on his behalf in a memo to Chief Coroner Judge Deborah Marshall ahead of the Coronial Inquiry into the mass killing. The attacker was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in August last year. Ellis has only recently become the gunman's lawyer, ahead of a coroner's inquiry. In the memo, Ellis said the terrorist was having important documents withheld from him by the Department of Corrections, and the mosque shooter also believed his right to a fair trial was compromised. Under Tarrant's instructions, Ellis said the shooter said his guilty pleas were obtained by “duress” and the conditions under which he pleaded needed to be taken into consideration. Ellis said that it could be a breach of the Bill of Rights because he was “subject to inhumane or degrading treatment whilst on remand, which prevented a fair trial”. “He sent me about 15 pages of narrative of how he had been treated since he'd been in prison,” Ellis said. “He said because of how he was treated while he was awaiting trial and afterwards, [that affected] his will to carry on and he decided that the simplest way out was to plead guilty.”
Europe
The Times Of Israel: Cyprus Charges Six With Terror For Alleged Plot To Kill Five Israelis
“Cypriot authorities filed charges Friday against six suspects for allegedly planning to attack Israeli targets on the eastern Mediterranean island. Among those charged was the main suspect, Orkhan Asadov, a 38-year-old Azerbaijani national. He and three Pakistanis indicted in the case are accused of plotting to visit Cyprus to commit acts of terror. All but one of the suspects allegedly planned to kill five Israelis who live in Cyprus, according to the Politis daily. The vast majority of the charges in the indictment are against Asadov, including for using forged passports and money laundering. The indictment alleged he received $40,000 earlier this year to carry out terrorism. According to Politis, in an interview with police before he received legal representation, Asadov reportedly told investigators that he received the money from a man named only as “Mohammed,” who told him to go to Cyprus and intimidate Israeli businesspeople who owed him large sums of money. However, Asadov also was allegedly found to have images on his phone relating to the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah. One of the Pakistani suspects, who allegedly helped recruit the others, was accused of having links to an Iran-backed militia of Shiite Pakistanis fighting on behalf of the Assad regime in the Syrian civil war. Both Iran and its proxy Hezbollah are closely aligned with Syrian President Bashar Assad.”
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