Eye on Extremism
October 30, 2019
The
Washington Post: Islamic State Defector Inside Baghdadi’s Hideout
Critical To Success Of Raid, Officials Say
“U.S. commandos zeroed in on Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s final hideout
with the help of an extraordinarily well-placed informant, an Islamic
State operative who facilitated the terrorist leader’s movements
around Syria and even helped oversee construction work on his Syrian
safe house, according to U.S. and Middle East-based officials
knowledgeable about the operation. The mole’s detailed knowledge of
Baghdadi’s whereabouts as well as the room-by-room layout of his
sanctuary proved to be critical in the Oct. 26 raid that ended with
the death of the world’s most-wanted terrorist, the officials said.
The informant was present during the assault on Baghdadi’s compound in
the Syrian province of Idlib, and he was exfiltrated from the region
two days later with his family. The man, whose nationality had not
been revealed, is expected to receive some or all of the $25 million
U.S. bounty that had been placed on Baghdadi’s head, according to the
officials. One official said he was a Sunni Arab who turned against
the Islamic State because one of his relatives had been killed by the
group. The Islamic State defector had been cultivated as an asset by
the Syrian Democratic Forces, the predominantly Kurdish militia that
became the ground troops for the U.S.-led campaign to destroy the
terrorist group’s self-proclaimed caliphate in eastern Syria.”
The
Wall Street Journal: Kurdish Fighters Withdraw From Syrian Border Area
as Cease-Fire Ends, Russia Says
“The last remaining Kurdish fighters exited Syria’s northern border
area as a cease-fire period ended on Tuesday, Moscow said, clearing
the way for Russia and Turkey to secure the area. Under an agreement
struck a week ago by Ankara and Moscow, Turkey agreed to suspend its
military offensive in Kurdish-held territories for 150 hours to allow
Kurdish fighters to withdraw, under Russian oversight. Light fighting
had persisted throughout the week and intensified as the deadline
approached on Tuesday evening. “The withdrawal of armed units from the
territory where the security corridor should be created has been
completed ahead of schedule,” said Russian Defense Minister Sergei
Shoigu, according to the official Russian news agency, TASS.”
The
National: Surge In Pro-ISIS Social Media Posts As Group Uses
Baghdadi's Death To Increase Support
“Security analysts have noted an surge in pro-ISIS social media
posts after the death of leader Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi and predict a
flow of new support for the group. The increased traffic comes despite
the terror group failing to officially acknowledge Al Baghdadi’s
demise. The Counter Extremism Project, which monitors posts by
radicals, says ISIS members have been using social media to reaffirm
their allegiance and pledge to continue fighting. David Ibsen, the
project’s executive director, told The National that the terrorist
group would use Al Baghdadi's death as an opportunity to expand its
online presence. “Official ISIS news channels have been posting
regular propaganda including stories of attacks by ISIS fighters
around the world and photos of captured weapons,” Mr Ibsen said.
“Individuals in pro-ISIS chats on Telegram have been urging patience
and warning users not to believe non-ISIS media or spread rumours.
“Some chatroom participants have discussed the concepts of martyrdom
and perseverance, and have repledged their support to ISIS. “It is
likely that there will be increased online activity, such as the
creation of new Telegram channels, prior to the release of an official
statement by the group.”
CNN:
Baghdadi's Successor Likely To Be Iraqi Religious
Scholar
“What remains of ISIS -- the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and
Syria -- is yet to acknowledge the death of its leader Abu Bakr
al-Baghdadi who died in a raid by US forces in northern Syria on
Saturday. At this early stage it's not clear who will succeed him.
President Donald Trump tweeted Tuesday that “Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's
number one replacement has been terminated by American troops.” Trump
added, “Most likely would have taken the top spot - Now he is also
Dead!” A US official told CNN “the President was referring to ISIS
spokesperson Abu Hasan al-Muhajir” -- who was described by a senior
State Department official on Monday as “kind of a number two” to
Baghdadi. He was killed in a different part of northern Syria than
where Baghdadi died, according to the Syrian Democratic Forces. While
al-Muhajir was an important figure in ISIS' propaganda effort, some
analysts believe another man -- who has at least three aliases -- is
Baghdadi's probable successor. Several internal ISIS documents refer
to him as al-Hajj Abdullah. The US State Department's Rewards for
Justice program names him as Amir Muhammad Sa'id Abdal Rahman
al-Mawla, while listing an alias as “Hajji Abdallah.”
ABC
News: ‘It Is Going To Become Worse’: ISIS Prisoner Predicts Attack On
Europe After Al-Baghdadi Death
“The leader of the Islamic State may be dead, but the world is not
a safer place according to one former ISIS member. Muhammed Hasik is
an Islamic State fighter in prison in northern Iraq. In an interview
with ABC News’ Senior Foreign Correspondent Ian Pannell, Hasik offered
a rare and chilling insight into the mind of an ISIS operative.
Offering no remorse for his actions, Hasik said that he believed an
attack on mainland Europe was forthcoming, and dismissed the
significance of the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. “When one dies
another pops up,” he warned. Hasik was born in 1994 Srebrenica,
Bosnia, where he said he lost 20 family members during the devastating
civil war in the 1990s. From the 1992 campaign of ethnic cleansing in
eastern Bosnia to the three-year siege of Sarajevo, this was the
theatre of some of the worst violence in mainland Europe since World
War II. He was imprisoned there as a child with his mother and escaped
to Germany at the age of 6 as a refugee. After spending a few years in
the United States, he returned to Germany, where he began abusing
drugs and was imprisoned for a petty crime at 19.”
Reuters:
PM Hariri Resigns As Lebanon Crisis Turns Violent
“Saad al-Hariri resigned as Lebanon’s prime minister on Tuesday,
declaring he had hit a “dead end” in trying to resolve a crisis
unleashed by huge protests against the ruling elite and plunging the
country deeper into turmoil. Hariri addressed the nation after a mob
loyal to the Shi’ite Muslim Hezbollah and Amal movements attacked and
destroyed a protest camp set up by anti-government demonstrators in
Beirut. It was the most serious strife on the streets of Beirut since
2008, when Hezbollah fighters seized control of the capital in a brief
eruption of armed conflict with Lebanese adversaries loyal to Hariri
and his allies at the time. Hariri’s resignation on Tuesday points to
rising political tensions that may complicate the formation of a new
government capable of tackling Lebanon’s worst economic crisis since
its 1975-90 civil war. The departure of Hariri, who has been
traditionally backed by the West and Sunni Gulf Arab allies, raises
the stakes and pushes Lebanon into an unpredictable cycle. Lebanon
could end up further under the sway of the Iranian-backed Hezbollah,
making it even harder to attract badly-needed foreign investment.”
United States
CBS
Minnesota: Feds: Brothers With Ties To Hezbollah Tried To Export Drone
Tech
“Federal prosecutors say two brothers charged with conspiring to
export drone parts and technology from the U.S. to Iranian-backed
Hezbollah militia in Lebanon are “dangerous” and should remain in
custody while they await trial, according to a court document filed
Monday. Usama and Issam Hamade are charged with conspiracy to violate
U.S. export laws. Usama Hamade is also charged with smuggling.
Prosecutors say that from 2009 to 2013, the Lebanese brothers
repeatedly acquired sophisticated technology for drones then illegally
exported them to Hezbollah, which the U.S. considers a terrorist
organization. The Hamades were arrested in February 2018 in South
Africa and were recently extradited to the U.S. They will appear in a
federal court in Minnesota on Tuesday for a hearing to determine
whether they will be released pending trial. A third defendant, Samir
Ahmed Berro, remains at large.”
The
New York Times: No, President Trump, It’s Not ‘Importing The
Terrorism.’ It’s The Right Thing To Do.
“The abrupt withdrawal of American forces from northeastern Syria
generated a rare moment of bipartisanship in Washington, though not
the kind the Trump administration wanted. Reactions ranged from
confusion to outrage. But agreeing on the disastrous consequences of
the pullout is easier than figuring out how to manage them. That’s one
reason that the House of Representatives’ broad rebuke of the
president’s decision, which passed 354-60, had so many “whereas”
clauses (12) explaining why the decision was alarming and so few
demands for action (5), all of them relatively vague. But members of
Congress have an option that would at least mitigate the damage, both
to Syrian Kurds and to America’s reputation as a reliable partner:
compel the Trump administration to resettle a significant number of
Syrian Kurdish refugees in the United States on an expedited basis. To
briefly recap why Americans should feel some responsibility: A few
years ago the Islamic State was regularly using Syrian territory to
direct terrorist attacks in Europe and the United States. To address
that threat without deploying many thousands of American troops, and
with alternatives exhausted, Washington established the Syrian
Democratic Forces, a Kurdish-led coalition that includes a range of
groups, to do the bulk of the fighting on our behalf.”
Syria
Reuters:
Iran, Russia Take Aim At U.S. Military Presence Near Syrian
Oilfields
“Iran and Russia on Tuesday condemned U.S. President Donald Trump’s
decision to maintain a military presence near oil fields in
northeastern Syria, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov saying
any exploitation of resources would be illegal. Trump’s suggestion on
Sunday that Exxon Mobil Corp or another U.S. oil company operate
Syrian oil fields drew rebukes from legal and energy experts. The
United States will strengthen its military presence in Syria with
“mechanized forces” to prevent Islamic State fighters seizing oil
fields and revenue, U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said on Friday.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif addressed the issue at a
news conference in Geneva on Tuesday evening after meeting with his
counterparts, Russia’s Lavrov and Turkey’s Mevlut Cavusoglu.”
The
Washington Post: Dread In Northern Syria As U.S. Troops Withdraw And
Cease-Fire Ends
“As the final hours of a cease-fire in northeastern Syria wound
down on Tuesday, dread descended on a region once shielded by the
United States. In towns and cities, families debated, and sometimes
fought, over whether, and where, to run. Selling their houses to pay
for the help of unpredictable smugglers was one option. Moving closer
to the Iraqi border, where thousands of refugees had already crossed,
and then praying the violence wouldn’t follow, was another. “How do
you decide what to do? Do we wait, do we leave?” asked a young
student, Marwa, in the Syrian border town of Derik. “There are no good
options. None.” The end of the 150-hour cease-fire brokered by Russia
threatened to reignite fighting that erupted after President Trump
decided earlier this month to withdraw U.S. troops from the area and
leave their Kurdish allies to fend for themselves in the face of a
Turkish military offensive.”
CNN:
Trump Says Likely Successor To ISIS Leader Baghdadi Killed By US
Forces
“President Donald Trump tweeted Tuesday that “American troops” have
“terminated” ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's “likely” replacement.
“Just confirmed that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's number one replacement has
been terminated by American troops. Most likely would have taken the
top spot - Now he is also Dead!” Trump tweeted. A US official told CNN
that “the President was referring to ISIS spokesperson Abu Hasan
al-Muhajir.” A senior State Department official told reporters Monday
that al-Muhajir was killed by US forces in Aleppo province near
Jarablus. “He was killed very close to the northeast, very close to
the Euphrates River, near Jarablus,” the official said. “He was killed
by US forces.” The official described al-Muhajir as both a
spokesperson and “kind of a number two” to Baghdadi. Mazloum Abdi, the
general commander of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), also said Monday
that al-Muhajir was killed in a coordinated operation between the US
military and SDF intelligence officers near Jarablus in northern
Syria. The White House and the national security council did not say
whether it is accurate that “American troops” were responsible for the
death. The Pentagon said it had nothing to provide beyond the
President's tweet.”
Reuters:
Islamic State Silent On Baghdadi Death As It Searches For
Successor
“Islamic State supporters have responded with silence and disbelief
days after the death of their leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, suggesting
a breakdown in the command structure of the Sunni militant group
trying to agree on a successor. There has been no official statement
or mourning on Baghdadi on Islamic State’s (IS) official Telegram
channel since U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Sunday his
killing at the hands of special operations forces in northwestern
Syria. Its Amaq news agency Telegram has been continuing business as
usual, posting since Sunday more than 30 claims of attacks in Syria,
Egypt, Afghanistan and Iraq praising its fighters. There has also been
less chatter among jihadist supporters on social media compared to the
killing of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in 2011 and other militant
leaders. Analysts said the remains of Islamic State’s leadership were
in a state of shock probably trying to keep the group together and
agree on a successor before confirming Baghdadi’s killing. “There is
probably right now chaos inside what is left of the leadership. Key
aides have been killed and documents destroyed,” said Hisham
al-Hashimi, an Iraqi expert on militant groups.”
The
Washington Post: Worried About An Islamic State Comeback? Here’s Why
That’s Unlikely.
“When President Trump withdrew U.S. forces from northern Syria,
enabling Turkey to invade, many observers were outraged that in doing
so he abandoned the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) —
a key ally in the fight against the Islamic State (often referred to
as ISIS), and in the chaos some ISIS prisoners escaped. Many
Americans, including leaders not normally critical of the president,
worried that a U.S. withdrawal would give the Islamic State a chance
to rise again. For instance, former secretary of defense Jim Mattis
warned, “If we don’t keep the pressure on, then ISIS will resurge.”
Trump tried to placate some critics by allowing a remnant of U.S.
forces to remain in Syria, ostensibly to protect Kurdish-held oil.
Then the United States struck a blow against ISIS when Special
Operations forces killed its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi —
eliminating a key leader at a critical time. The Islamic State may
make modest gains with the United States gone — but as the Baghdadi
raid reveals, the U.S.-led counterterrorism campaign will not end and
a full comeback is unlikely. I’ll explain below. Al-Qaeda in Iraq,
which went through a series of names before proclaiming itself the
Islamic State, emerged to fill the void after the 2003 U.S. invasion
of Iraq toppled Saddam Hussein without planning for the
aftermath.”
New
York Post: Bursting At The Seams: Inside An Overcrowded ISIS Lockup In
Syria
“Days after ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi blew himself up in the
face of storming US special forces, these suspected jihadists held by
Kurdish forces filled a detention facility housing 5,000 prisoners in
northeastern Syria. A team from Agence France-Presse were granted
access to the lockup in the city of Hasakeh, where the prisoners in
orange jumpsuits were crammed into the foul-smelling room that was
bursting at the seams. “They have absolutely no contact with the
outside world,” said the prison warden, who gave his name as Serhat
and asked that the exact location of the jail be withheld. As a
Turkish offensive launched against the Kurds wreaked chaos in the
area, just how solid the doors of the poorly fortified jails will be
is a question that keeps the world on edge. Kurdish sources say about
12,000 ISIS extremists from 54 countries, including Syria, Iraq, the
UK and Germany, are being held in Kurdish-run prisons in northern
Syria. Some of the prisoners were wounded during the fighting that led
to the defeat of the so-called ISIS caliphate at the hands of the
Kurdish-led fighters of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces earlier
this year.”
Fox
News: Inside The ISIS Prison Camp 'Little Caliphate' Breeding The Next
Generation Of Jihadis
“It is a country unto itself, and nobody knows what to do with it.
In a barren prison camp in northern Syria – tens of thousands of ISIS
members are running what feels like a mini caliphate – abiding by the
rules of the extremist terror group, and abiding by a brutal system of
Islamic justice, which goes largely unchecked, and keeps the ISIS
ideology alive. Held captive by the Kurdish SDF, they are angry,
desperate to escape and, the guards say, a ticking time bomb. These
people, mainly women and children, were mostly caught after the fall
of the caliphate – fleeing from the final bastion in the town of
Baghouz. The camp commander tells us they are the most fervent, the
ones who were there till the end, and who still believe that the
terror empire will rise again. There are 71,000 people inside the Al
Hawl camp including around 10,000 foreigners. English, French,
Belgium, Russian, Chinese and more – their countries have refused to
take them back, saying they are dangerous and would carry out attacks
– the camp commander agrees, saying they’re beyond reform. One of the
controversial issues is what to do with the children of ISIS. They
attend religious schools inside the camp so are being brainwashed, but
others argue they are innocent.”
Politico:
5 Reasons ISIS Is Hanging On
“Perhaps one of the last thoughts to occur to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi,
before he ignited the suicide vest he’d strapped to his frail but
portly frame, was that surely someone in his own organization had
betrayed him. How else to explain how Delta Force commandos, and one
enterprising Belgian Malinois, were now on the ground chasing after
him in his unlikely hideaway in Idlib province? He’d have been right
to sniff treachery in the ranks. As it happens, he wasn’t just done in
by one ISIS turncoat; he was done in by several. One, according to the
Guardian, was a Syrian smuggler who’d transported Baghdadi’s children
and in-laws across the border from Iraq, sometimes via Turkey. Another
was that smuggler’s wife. Still another was one of Baghdadi’s own
nephews. But the most important defector, as Reuters reported, was
Baghdadi’s aide de camp, Ismael al-Ethawi, a veteran of ISIS who
joined back when it was still known as al Qaeda in Iraq. All told, the
most notorious terrorist in the world was, by the end of his days,
running an incredibly leaky ship. That might give the impression that
the state of the Islamic State, as of October 2019, is in mortal
decline.”
Iran
Associated
Press: Protests In Iraq And Lebanon Pose A Challenge To
Iran
“The day after anti-government protests erupted in Iraq, Iranian
Gen. Qassim Soleimani flew into Baghdad late at night and took a
helicopter to the heavily fortified Green Zone, where he surprised a
group of top security officials by chairing a meeting in place of the
prime minister. The arrival of Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite
Quds Force and the architect of its regional security apparatus,
signaled Tehran’s concern over the protests, which had erupted across
the capital and in Iraq’s Shiite heartland, and included calls for
Iran to stop meddling in the country.”
FP:
Iran’s IRGC Has Long Kept Khamenei In Power
“In an Oct. 2 speech to the top commanders of the Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei, asked them to be ready for “big events.” In
characteristically vague language, Khamenei was issuing a warning to
his domestic opponents, President Hassan Rouhani, and the country’s
foreign foes. His choice of speaking to the IRGC bosses was anything
but coincidental. This year marks the 30th anniversary of Khamenei
ascending to the top job. His reign began on slippery ground. But he
was quick to reach a bargain with the IRGC, which had up to that point
looked at him suspiciously. The 80-year-old Khamenei is now looking
for the second generation of the IRGC to safeguard the regime after he
is gone. But giving a carte blanche to the generals—risk-taking by
nature and these days more concerned with proxy wars in the region
than the fate of ordinary Iranians—has a big chance of
backfiring.”
VOA:
US Decision Imminent On Renewing Waivers For International Work On
Iran's Nuclear Sites
“The Trump administration faces a self-imposed Tuesday deadline to
decide whether to extend waivers allowing other world powers to work
with Iran on civilian nuclear projects without facing U.S. sanctions.
Speaking at an Oct. 16 Senate hearing, U.S. Special Envoy for Iran,
Brian Hook, said the Iran nuclear waivers renewed by the State
Department for 90 days on July 30 expire on Oct. 29. He said Secretary
of State Mike Pompeo would have to make a decision by then on
canceling the five waivers or renewing any of them for an additional
period. The five waivers enable European powers, Russia and China to
deploy personnel to four Iranian nuclear sites to work with their
Iranian counterparts in ensuring that the sites do not engage in
activities that could be diverted to making nuclear weapons.
Washington and its allies long have accused Iran of seeking a nuclear
weapons capability, while Tehran has said its nuclear program is
civilian and peaceful.”
Express:
Iran Furious With Trump As US Blamed For ISIS Rise: 'Get Out Of Middle
East!'
“Iranian politician and former intelligence officer Ali Rabiei
wrote an article on Sunday that claimed al-Baghdadi's death at the
hands of US troops does not mean the fight against ISIS is over, just
as killing former al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden didn't bring
terrorism to an end. He said: “Baghdadi's death is the end of a symbol
of injective-destructive terrorism: injecting a lethal ideology into
the hearts of human societies and destroying the image of Islam in the
eyes of the public. “However, just as bin Laden's death didn't root
out terror, Baghdadi's death won't be the end of Daeshism (ISIS)
either.” His reasoning for this argument however, will have sparked
outrage from Trump who has boasted this week of Washington's
successful raid in Syria. Rabiei said that the Islamist extremism bred
by ISIS is thriving “through American policies and regional
petrodollars...it is the terror nurturing swamps that need to be
drained”. The Iranian official argued that the US has depicted
“invasion and cruel sanctions” as part of its struggle against
terrorism, while in fact terrorism in the Middle East and Northern
Africa is caused by “military-intelligence policies, plundering oil
and supporting tyranny.”
Iraq
NBC
News: 18 Killed In Attack On Protesters In Iraq's
Karbala
“Iraqi security forces wearing masks and black plainclothes opened
fire at protesters in the Shiite holy city of Karbala on Tuesday,
killing 18 people and wounding hundreds, security officials said, in
one of the deadliest single attacks since the country was engulfed by
protests this month. The attack, which happened overnight, came as
Iraqis took to the streets for a fifth consecutive day, protesting
their government's corruption, lack of services and other grievances.
The protests, leaderless and largely spontaneous, have been met with
bullets and tear gas from the first day. At least 72 protesters — not
including the latest fatalities in Karbala — have been killed since
anti-government protests resumed across Iraq on Friday, after 149 were
killed during an earlier wave of protests this month. Security
officials said Tuesday's attack happened in Karbala's Education
Square, about 1.2 miles from the Imam Hussein Shrine, where protesters
had set up tents for their sit-in. All the officials spoke on
condition of anonymity in line with regulations.”
Bloomberg:
Al-Baghdadi’s Death Will Bring Iraq No Deliverance
“By rights, the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi should have been met
with celebrations in the land of his birth. After all, Iraq has
endured more suffering than any other nation — and bears more scars —
from the depredations of Islamic State. Prime Minister Adil
Abdul-Mahdi should have been the one to share with his countrymen the
news from Barisha, Syria, that the monster of their worst nightmares
is no more. Instead, at al-Baghdadi’s death, Abdul-Mahdi was hunkered
down in his palace while his countrymen called, in ever larger
numbers, for his ouster. The city from which Islamic State’s leader
took his nom du guerre was convulsed in yet another night of violence,
as security forces and Iran-backed militias cracked down on Iraqis
protesting against corruption and misrule. When Baghdad should have
been celebrating the ignominious end of the false caliph, authorities
were announcing a curfew. Al-Baghdadi would have derived some comfort
in the last few days among the living from the turmoil engulfing his
homeland. After the calm that briefly followed the extirpation of
Islamic State at the end of 2017, Iraq was once again experiencing
conditions most propitious for the terrorist organization’s
regeneration under his successor.”
Afghanistan
The
New York Times: Afghan Government Demands Cease-Fire Before Any
Taliban Talks
“The Afghan government said on Tuesday that it would not take part
in negotiations with Taliban unless a cease-fire had first held for at
least a month, a demand that is likely to face resistance from the
insurgents and complicate the revival of peace efforts that were
upended by President Trump. Hamdullah Mohib, the Afghan president’s
national security adviser, told a news conference in the capital,
Kabul, that the government saw a cease-fire as a test of whether the
leaders negotiating on behalf of the Taliban still had the power to
order an end to fighting, something that rising levels of violence
during the group’s talks with the United States had led it to doubt.
“In our previous peace plan, we had no preconditions,” Mr. Mohib said.
“But in the past year a lot has happened, and we have come to the
conclusion that the Taliban are not united and they don’t have control
of the fighting. If we are going to give the Taliban the privilege of
peace negotiations, they need to prove how much control they have over
their commanders and fighters.” The Taliban have long refused to meet
the Afghan government for direct negotiations even without
preconditions, saying they would agree only to government
representation in broader Afghan negotiations after the United States
has announced the withdrawal of its troops from the country.”
Xinhua:
Drone Strikes Kill 5, Injures 4 IS Insurgents In Afghanistan Eastern
Nangarhar Province
“Five militants affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) group have
been confirmed dead as unmanned planes target the hardliner outfit's
hideouts in Haska Mina and Mohmandara districts of the eastern
Nangarhar province on Tuesday, said a provincial government statement
released here Wednesday. Four more militants, according to the
statement sustained injuries. Without providing more details, the
statement added that the security forces would continue to target the
insurgents elsewhere in the country. The hardliner IS group that is
active in parts of Nangarhar and the neighboring Kunar and Nuristan
provinces have yet to make comment.”
Pakistan
France
24: Gunmen Kill Five Migrant Workers In Kashmir As EU Lawmakers
Visit
“Unidentified gunmen shot dead five migrant labourers in
Indian-administered Kashmir on Tuesday, police said, in the bloodiest
incident since New Delhi moved to strip the region of its autonomy.
The killings in southern Kulgam district, some 70 kilometres (43
miles) south of the main city Srinagar, came as India allowed a group
of mostly far-right European Union parliamentarians to visit the
region where tensions have soared since New Delhi began a clampdown on
August 5. A police official told AFP an unknown number of gunmen,
believed to be rebels, barged into an accommodation rented by the six
labourers late Tuesday and shot one of them dead on the spot. They
later took five others out of the residence and shot them with
automatic rifles some distance from the building, killing four and
wounding one. “He is critical and undergoing treatment at a hospital,”
a local police official said of the wounded labourer, speaking on
condition of anonymity. Another top police official said the victims
were from the eastern Indian state of West Bengal, and that additional
government forces were rushed to the area to track the attackers.”
Yemen
Asharq
Al-Awsat: Yemen’s Defense Minister Survives Houthi Attack In Marib, 2
Soldiers Killed
“Yemeni Defense Minister Mohammed al-Maqdashi survived on Tuesday
an attack by Houthi militias on his convoy in Marib province that left
two soldiers, including his personal driver, dead. Yemeni official
military sources said that Maqdashi’s convoy was attacked following a
meeting he held with military commanders at a complex of buildings
used as the ministry's interim headquarters in Marib. The sources said
the minister’s adviser, General Mansour Thawabah, was injured and
transferred to a local hospital for treatment. On Tuesday, there were
conflicting reports on the source of the explosion that targeted
Maqdashi’s convoy. Local sources said the attack was caused by a
Houthi rocket or an explosive device.”
Saudi Arabia
Asharq
Al-Awsat: Saudi Arabia Renews Praise For US Counter-Terrorism
Efforts
“The Saudi cabinet reiterated on Tuesday the Kingdom’s praise for
the United States’ counter-terrorism efforts in wake of its raid that
led to the killing of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Custodian of
the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz chaired the cabinet
meeting that was held in Riyadh. The ministers underlined the ongoing
efforts by the government and its allies, starting with the US, in
combating terrorism and extremist ideology. King Salman briefed the
gatherers on the discussions he held with visiting Swiss President
Ueli Maurer. He also briefed them on the talks he held in Riyadh on
Tuesday with King Abdullah II of Jordan. King Salman also briefed them
on the message he received from Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed
al-Jaber al-Sabah. The ministers hailed King Salman for sponsoring the
third edition of the Future Investment Initiative, which kicked off in
Riyadh on Tuesday. The three-day event, organized by the Public
Investment Fund, is attracting the world’s leading businessmen,
investors and policy-makers who will explore future economic
opportunities.”
Lebanon
VOA:
Hezbollah Supporters Break Up Lebanon Protest Camp
“Hundreds of Lebanese supporters of the militant Hezbollah group,
some wielding sticks, attacked a protest camp set up by
anti-government demonstrators in central Beirut, burning some of its
tents and dismantling others Tuesday. The violence came shortly after
dozens of other Hezbollah supporters, also wielding sticks, attacked a
roadblock set up by the protesters on a main thoroughfare in the
capital. The violence comes on the 13th day of Lebanon's
anti-government protests, which have been an unprecedented expression
of anger that's united millions of Lebanese against what demonstrators
say is a corrupt and inefficient political class in power for decades
since the 1975-1990 civil war. But in recent days, Hezbollah leader
Hassan Nasrallah grew critical of the protests, claiming they have
been backed and financed by foreign powers and rival political groups.
He called on his supporters to leave the rallies, and urged the
protesters on Friday to remove the roadblocks. The mass rallies have
paralyzed a country already grappling with a severe fiscal
crisis.”
The
National: Amal And Hezbollah Supporters Overrun Beirut
Protesters
“A group of men shouting Hezbollah and Amal Movement slogans
attacked protesters and overrun a sit-in blocking a major highway
before chasing the demonstrators down the hill to Martyrs' Square and
destroying the 13 day-old sit-in. The group of a few hundred men
charged and attacked protesters on the ring-road that connects east
and west Beirut before breaking through and running down towards
Martyrs' Square where they pulled down tents, smashed chairs and tore
down stages at the centre of the national protest against the
government. As their numbers swelled, the army was deployed to push
them out of downtown but hundreds headed down the road towards the
prime minister's office at Riad Al Solh where a few hundred protesters
were still gathered. “It’s like a war zone,” Mohammed Serhan, a
political activist with the National Bloc, a small secular party, said
minutes before hundreds of Hezbollah and Amal supporters charged at
protestors on a highway that connects the city centre to the rest of
the capital. Police tried to keep the men back, firing teargas and
engaging with batons. Most of the protesters appeared to have fled.
The army chased the men up the road from Downtown to Riad al
Solh.”
Middle East
Daily
Beast: What Baghdadi’s Death Means For Al Qaeda—And Why It
Matters
“With ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi killed one day and the
group’s official spokesman Abu Hassan al-Muhajir the next, there’s a
giant hole in the pseudo-Caliphate structure of the so-called Islamic
State. The group must now, by its strict religious tenets, find a new
(supposed) descendant of the Prophet Muhammed to fill the role of
Caliph. But the deaths of those two are equally consequential for
al-Qaeda, the bitter rival of ISIS for leadership of global
jihad.”
Egypt
Asharq
Al-Awsat: Egypt Says 13 Militants Killed In Arish
“Thirteen suspected militants were killed in a raid on Tuesday in
the Egyptian Mediterranean coastal city of el-Arish' el-Obour
neighborhood, officials announced. They said police found weapons and
explosives in the hideout, and forensic teams are now identifying the
bodies. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they weren't
authorized to talk to reporters. Egypt has battled an insurgency led
by an ISIS affiliate for years in Sinai, which occasionally spills
over to the mainland. Separately, officials said a police conscript
has been killed in a militant attack in the restive northern part of
the Sinai Peninsula. They said the attack, which took place late on
Monday in the town Sheikh Zuweid, also wounded three other policemen
who were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.”
Nigeria
TRT
World: Boko Haram Displaced Suffer After Nigeria Closes Aid
Groups
“Falmata Ibrahim is at a loss on how to feed her family as she sits
by the makeshift shelter they have called home since fleeing Boko
Haram five years ago. Like hundreds of thousands of others displaced
by the decade-long insurgency, she has relied on monthly support worth
around $50 dollars from international aid groups to get by. But that
lifeline was cut when the Nigerian army shuttered the offices of
humanitarian organisation Action Against Hunger (ACF) in the region
some six weeks ago. "I don't know how I will survive with my
children," she said at the camp in which she lives in the city of
Maiduguri. Without warning in September the military moved in and
closed down the offices of ACF and a second NGO Mercy Corps in
northeast Nigeria. Soldiers surrounded their compounds in trucks and
demanded staff leave the premises.”
Africa
CGTN:
Al-Shabaab Militants Raid Kenyan Police Station
“Al-Shabaab militia attacked a police station in Kenya’s
northeastern region of Wajir on Tuesday night killing two of their
members who were in custody at the facility. According to National
Police Spokesman Charles Owino, the terrorists attacked the station
located 13 kilometers from Somalia border with heavy artillery
including rocket-propelled grenades (RGPs). An unidentified civilian,
a woman, was also wounded in the attack. Police say her condition was
unknown by Wednesday morning. It is not yet confirmed whether the
militants suffered fatalities or injuries. Kenya Defense Forces
soldiers who had camped nearby were deployed in the area in a bid to
restore calm.”
United Kingdom
CNBC:
Facebook Reaches Agreement With UK Regulator Over Cambridge Analytica
Data Scandal
“Facebook reached an agreement with the U.K. data regulator on
Wednesday over an investigation into the misuse of Facebook users’
personal data in political campaigns. As part of the agreement,
Facebook agreed to pay a fine of £500,000 ($643,000) and made no
admission of liability. The U.K. Information Commissioner’s Office
issued the fine in October 2018, accusing Facebook of “serious
breaches” of data protection law related to the Cambridge Analytica
data scandal. The U.K. said Facebook enabled third-party developers to
harvest the data of 87 million people worldwide without their
knowledge, including 1 million users in the U.K. Cambridge Analytica
improperly accessed the data and used it, in part, to target ads for
Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election.”
France
Daily
Sabah: France Mosque Attack Fuels Safety Concerns Among
Muslims
“Monday's mosque attack by an 84-year-old man with links to
France's main far-right party fueled safety concerns in Europe's
largest Muslim community while underscoring the growing far-right
threat in the country. Local authorities said the attack in the
southwestern city of Bayonne started when a man tried to set the door
of the mosque on fire. He was surprised by the two elderly victims who
were preparing for afternoon prayers and shot them. He then set a
vehicle alight while leaving the scene. The attack in Bayonne in a
neighborhood described by its residents as peaceful, shocked Muslims,
prompting firm condemnation. Abdallah Zekri of the French Council of
the Muslim Faith (CFCM) said Monday there was “a great deal of
concern” among France's Muslims. He said attacks such as the one in
Bayonne were “not surprising given the climate of stigmatization of
Islam and Muslims.” The suspect, identified as Claude Sinke, was a
candidate in the 2015 departmental elections for France's far-right
National Rally party, then known as the National Front. Interior
Ministry election results from 2015 show that a Claude Sinke ran
unsuccessfully in his community of Seignanx.”
Germany
BBC
News: Germany: 'President Assad Officials' Charged With Torture In
Syria
“One of them, Anwar R., is suspected of being involved in the
torture of at least 4,000 people in 2011-12. This resulted in the
deaths of 58 people. The other suspect, Eyad A, is charged with
torture in at least 30 cases. Key evidence was gathered after a UN
exhibition in 2015, which depicted the corpses of torture victims in
Syria under President Bashar al-Assad. The trial of the two men, who
were arrested in Berlin and Rhineland-Palatinate state in February, is
expected to start in the western city of Koblenz early next year.
German federal prosecutors say the two men had been members of Syria's
General Intelligence Directorate (GID) in the Damascus area.”
Europe
CNBC:
EU Tells Facebook, Google And Twitter To Take More Action On Fake
News
“One year ago, Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Twitter signed on to
the EU’s “code of practice on disinformation,” a voluntary agreement
that lays out steps to fight fake news on their platforms. In a joint
statement published Tuesday alongside progress reports from the
companies, the EU said the impact of the “self-regulatory measures”
remains unclear. “Large-scale automated propaganda and disinformation
persist and there is more work to be done under all areas of the
Code,” EU Commissioners Vera Jourova, Julian King and Mariya Gabriel
said the joint statement. “We cannot accept this as a new normal.”
Associated
Press: Argentina’s Grossi Chosen To Head UN Nuclear
Agency
“Argentine diplomat Rafael Mariano Grossi was chosen Tuesday to
head the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, succeeding the late Yukiya
Amano. The International Atomic Energy Agency’s board of governors
selected Grossi as its new director general. The appointment still
requires the formal approval of the IAEA’s general conference, in
which all of the nuclear watchdog’s 171 member countries are
represented. Grossi, 58, became Argentina’s ambassador to the
Vienna-based agency in 2013 and was previously the IAEA’s chief of
cabinet under Amano. He said after his election that “the work of the
agency is of the essence for international peace and security.”
Argentine Foreign Minister Jorge Faurie has described him as “a career
diplomat with more than 35 years of professional experience in the
field of nonproliferation and disarmament.” The IAEA said that Grossi
beat Cornel Feruta of Romania by a 24-10 margin in Tuesday’s vote at a
closed session of the board of governors.”
El
País: Prosecutors Harden Position On Bringing Spanish ISIS Women
Home
“Spain’s High Court, the Audencia Nacional, is hardening its
position on what to do about the women who traveled to Syria to join
the so-called Islamic State (ISIS), as the government delays its
decision on whether to repatriate them to Spain. Speaking last
Thursday at the Elcano Forum on Global Terrorism, Miguel Ángel
Carballo, deputy chief public prosecutor at the High Court, said that
“these women have a great ability to indoctrinate others, especially
minors,” irrespective of whether they traveled to Syria as the wives
of ISIS fighters or to join ISIS ranks. The four women – Spaniards
Lubna Miludi, Yolanda Martínez Cobos, Luna Fernández Grande and
Moroccan-born Loubna Fares – left Spain for Syria, and are now being
held in the Al Hol and Al Roj camps in northeastern Syria, along with
a total of 17 biological and adopted children. All of the women claim
they followed their husbands to the conflict zone without realizing
what they were getting into. A further 248 people – including 30 women
– are estimated to have left Spain for Syria to fight for ISIS."
The
Local: Swiss Police Target Islamist Extremists In Raids Across The
Country
“Swiss police carried out raids in several regions of the country
Tuesday targeting people suspected of ties to Islamist extremists,
prosecutors said. Around 100 police officers took part in the raids in
the cantons of Zurich, Bern and Schaffhausen, conducting a total of 11
house searches, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) said in a
statement. The operation targeted 11 individuals, including five
juveniles who will face proceedings headed by a special office for
juvenile prosecutions, the statement said. OAG meanwhile said it had
launched criminal proceedings against the six adults over suspicions
that they violated Swiss law banning support of and membership in
Islamic terrorist groups like Al Qaeda and the Islamic State group.
One of the six was a returned foreign fighter who had been convicted
previously of violating Switzerland's anti-terror legislation. The OAG
said it had requested that he and one other individual be held in
pre-trial detention and remain in custody until a final verdict is
issued. It was not clear how many of the 11 targetted suspects had
been detained. Tuesday's operation comes less than a week after the
OAG filed criminal indictments against two other men accused of
supporting and participating in the Islamic State group, including
recruiting fighters to the terror organisation.”
The
Jerusalem Post: Europe Still Doing Nothing To Deal With Its Isis
Members In Syria
“The Syrian Democratic Forces hold up to 10,000 ISIS fighters. More
than 1,000 of these are foreign fighters and hundreds of them are
from Europe. However European countries don’t want their ISIS citizens
back. They hope Syria will continue to be a dumping ground for
extremists, and that the SDF will continue to serve as Europe’s Middle
Eastern jailor. The SDF was never trained or expected to be a
long-term jailor, or manager of detention facilities. But since the
US-led Coalition of 70 countries never coordinated what to do with the
ISIS prisoners that fell into its hands, the prisoners were sent to
be held by the SDF. As US President Donald Trump has indicated, the US
doesn’t want to waste more money on more Guantanamo-style facilities.
Europe doesn’t want its citizens either. With a few exceptions, such
as Kosovo, most wealthy European countries don’t want responsibility.
Trump was livid in his press conference on Sunday, taking to task
European countries for the “tremendous disappointment” they have been.
Unlike Russia, Syria’s regime, Iraq, the SDF and other countries who
actually did things to help fight ISIS, the countries in Europe where
5,000 ISIS fighters came from, have done little to address the problem
their citizens present in Syria.”
Southeast Asia
The
Straits Times: Southeast Asia Expects Long Fight Against ISIS
Influence
“South-east Asian countries fighting the influence of the Islamic
State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in the region have lauded the killing
of its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, but said security forces were
preparing for a long battle to thwart the militant group's ideology.
The Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia, home to some of Asia's most
organised Islamist militants, said on Monday that they were prepared
for retaliation by ISIS loyalists, including “lone wolf” attacks by
locals radicalised by the group's powerful online propaganda. Baghdadi
killed himself in a tunnel in north-west Syria by detonating a suicide
vest as United States forces closed in, according to US President
Donald Trump. Though his death will unsettle ISIS, it remains capable
and dangerous, said Mr Delfin Lorenzana, Defence Secretary of the
Philippines, where the group's influence has taken a hold among
unschooled Muslim youth in its troubled Mindanao region. “This is a
blow to the organisation, considering Baghdadi's stature as a leader.
But this is just a momentary setback, considering the depth and reach
of the organisation worldwide,” he said. “Somebody will take his
place.”
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