“Uganda launched a military campaign against militants linked to Islamic State
operating from a base in neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo. The

 

 


<[link removed]>
<[link removed]>
Eye on Extremism


December 1, 2021  

 

Bloomberg: Uganda, Congo Launch Strikes On Islamic State-Linked Group
<[link removed]>

 

“Uganda launched a military campaign against militants linked to Islamic State
operating from a base in neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo. The East
African nation’s government blamed the Allied Democratic Forces for terror
attacks over the past five months, including two bombings in the capital,
Kampala, on Nov. 16. that left at least seven people dead. “We have launched
joint air and artillery strikes against ADF camps with our Congolese allies,”
Ugandan army spokeswoman Flavia Byekwaso said on Twitter. Islamic State,
through its self-proclaimed Central Africa Province, has claimed responsibility
for attacks in Uganda. The group’s leader, Musa Muhsin Baluku, said in
September 2020 the ADF was disbanded and is now a province of IS, according to
a study published this month by the International Centre for the Study of
Radicalisation at King’s College in London. Congolese government spokesman,
Patrick Muyaya, confirmed Tuesday’s strikes. “Targeted and concerted actions
with the Ugandan army were launched today with airstrikes and artillery fire
from Uganda on ADF terrorist positions in the DRC,” Muyaya said on Twitter.”

 

The New York Times: ISIS Fighter Convicted In Death Of Enslaved 5-Year-Old Girl

<[link removed]>

 

“A German court on Tuesday convicted an Islamic State fighter for crimes
against humanity and war crimes for tying up a 5-year-old Yazidi girl he had
bought as a slave in Iraq, and leaving her in scorching heat to die of thirst.
The 29-year-old man, identified only as Taha Al-J. under German privacy laws,
was sentenced to life in prison and ordered to pay 50,000 euros, or about
$57,000, in compensation to the girl’s mother, who was a co-plaintiff in the
case and was present when the verdict was read. It was the first genocide
conviction of a fighter for the Islamic State, which systematically persecuted
the Yazidi ethnic group in Iraq, according to Christoph Koller, the judge
overseeing the trial in Frankfurt. During its reign, the Islamic State killed
thousands of Yazidi men, and kidnapped and forced into slavery thousands of
Yazidi women and girls. “This is the moment Yazidis have been waiting for,”
Amal Clooney, a human rights lawyer and a member of the mother’s legal team,
said in a statement. “To finally hear a judge, after seven years, declare that
what they suffered was genocide.” Even though neither the victim nor the killer
were German, and the crime occurred in Falluja, Iraq, the trial was held in
Germany on the principle of universal jurisdiction, which German courts have
been using to try people accused of war crimes in countries like Iraq and
Syria.”

 

United States

 

The Wall Street Journal: U.S. Targets Colombian Guerrilla Splinter Groups With
Terrorist Listing
<[link removed]>

 

“The Biden administration added two new Colombian drug-trafficking gangs to
its list of foreign terrorist organizations, reflecting the U.S.’s
determination to support a peace agreement in Colombia threatened by the
groups’ mayhem. The U.S. on Tuesday declared that the New Marquetalia group and
the FARC-EP would join a blacklist of groups that include al Qaeda, Hamas and
Boko Haram. At the same time, the Biden administration said it is removing the
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, because the decades-old
guerrilla group “formally dissolved and disarmed” upon signing a peace
agreement with Colombia’s government in 2016. The Wall Street Journal reported
on the removal last week. FARC “no longer exists as a unified organization that
engages in terrorism or terrorist activity or has the capability or intent to
do so,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. However, Mr.
Blinken noted that revoking the designation for the FARC does nothing to shield
those ex-rebels from U.S. charges for crimes such as drug trafficking. The two
groups added to the list are made up of hundreds of former FARC fighters who
didn’t take part in the peace agreement, which demobilized some 13,000
guerrillas and ended a 52-year-old conflict between Colombia’s government and
the country’s largest insurgency.”

 

Iraq

 

The National: ISIS Attack Kills Kurdish Fighter In Eastern Iraq
<[link removed]>

 

“ISIS killed a member of the Kurdish security forces and injured three others
on Monday in an attack in eastern Iraq's Diyala province. The terrorist group
has stepped up its operations against Kurdish forces, known as the Peshmerga,
in recent days. The Kurdistan Regional Government's Ministry of Peshmerga
Affairs said its ninth Infantry Brigade was the target of Monday's attack in
Diyala's Kifri district. “As a result of our defence by our forces, the ISIS
attack was destroyed but unfortunately one Peshmerga was [killed] and three
others wounded,” it said. It added that its forces foiled another attack by the
militants in Diyala on Sunday night. No deaths or injuries were announced. ISIS
seized large areas of Iraq in a lightning offensive in 2014, before being
beaten back by a counter-insurgency campaign supported by a US-led military
coalition. Since 2014, the US has led an international coalition in Iraq to
fight the terrorist group. On Saturday night, ISIS attacked the southern
Kurdish city of Sulaymaniyah, killing five Peshmerga fighters and wounding four
others. Two days later, the militants claimed responsibility for Saturday's
attack. The move prompted Kurdish officials to talk about the “serious threat”
ISIS still poses to the region.”

 

Afghanistan

 

Voice Of America: Taliban Demand Unfreezing Afghan Assets In 'Positive' Talks
With US
<[link removed]>

 

“Afghanistan's ruling Taliban and the United States wrapped up two days of
meetings in Qatar on Tuesday, with the Islamist group saying its delegates
urged U.S. officials to unfreeze Afghan state assets and remove sanctions. The
discussions took place amid growing appeals by aid groups to international
donors to scale up financial aid to Afghanistan, where the United Nations says
more than half the population is suffering from acute hunger this winter. U.S.
Special Representative for Afghanistan Thomas West and Taliban Foreign Minister
Amir Khan Muttaqi led their respective delegations at the talks in Doha, the
Qatari capital. Taliban Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi said the
two sides discussed and exchanged views on political, economic, health,
education, security and humanitarian issues. “The Afghan side assured them
about security, urged immediate unconditional unfreezing of Afghan reserves,
ending of sanctions & blacklists, & disconnecting humanitarian issues from
political considerations,” Balkhi tweeted. “Overall the sessions were positive
and both sides agreed to continue such meetings moving forward.” U.S. State
Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement released Tuesday, “The
United States remains committed to ensuring that U.S. sanctions do not limit
the ability of Afghan civilians to receive humanitarian support from the U.S.
government and international community while denying assets to sanctioned
entities and individuals.”

 

Middle East

 

Business Insider: After 7 Years, A US-Led Task Force Fighting ISIS Is Getting
A New Name And Taking A New Approach To Its Mission
<[link removed]>

 

“The special-operations task force that led the way in the war against ISIS
has been renamed as major combat operations against the terrorist group wind
down. Since 2015, Special Operations Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent
Resolve, or SOJTF-OIR, has been the tip of the spear in the multinational
coalition that came together to fight ISIS. After almost seven years, the
Pentagon has renamed the unit. Special Operations Joint Task Force-Levant, or
SOJTF-Levant, now has expanded authority in the region. US special operators
have more or less focused their efforts against ISIS in Iraq and Syria while
conducting operations against its offshoots in Afghanistan, the Philippines,
and some African countries. SOJTF-OIR focused solely on the fight against ISIS
in Syria and Iraq. SOJTF-Levant will continue to support Iraqi and coalition
forces against the remnants of ISIS in Iraq and Syria and expand its operations
against the terrorist group into Egypt, Lebanon, and Jordan, according to US
Special Operations Command Central. The expanded role is a milestone. “We
operate in a region with numerous terrorist and violent extremist organizations
and share a common interest with partner nations in prevailing against these
regional security challenges,” Army Maj. Charles An, a spokesperson for US
Special Operations Command Central, told Defense News.”

 

Nigeria

 

Sahara Reporters: Why We Will Allow 'Repentant' Boko Haram Terrorists To Go
Scot-Free—Borno Governor, Zulum
<[link removed]>

 

“Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum has said the state government will
not prosecute 'repentant' Boko Haram insurgents. While presenting the 2022
budget at the State House Of Assembly on Tuesday, Zulum said terrorists will
not be encouraged to eschew violence if they see 'repentant' ones being
prosecuted. Addressing the House of Assembly, the governor said, “Mr. Speaker,
honourable members, we need Allah’s guidance and the utmost wisdom to work for
an end to the crisis facing our dear state. “Prosecuting all the criminals
(insurgents) would have been most appropriate but if we insist on it, we would
discourage others out there that are willing to lay down their arms. “The
terrorists’ ranks could swell and our innocent fellow citizens, particularly
those in local government areas, could become more vulnerable to attacks and
abductions. Noting that the exercise to de-radicalise terrorists is being
handled by security forces, Zulum said the initiative does not give terrorists
the freedom to kill and immediately seek pardon. He said none of the
'repentant' terrorists had been reintegrated into society yet, adding that
terrorists willing to surrender must immediately “stop further attacks on
civilians, security agents and facilities.”

 

Africa

 

Reuters: Four West African States Mount Operation Against Islamist Insurgents
<[link removed]>

 

“Burkina Faso, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Togo have carried out a joint military
operation to counter increased attacks by Islamist insurgent groups in parts of
West Africa, Burkinabe Security Minister Maxime Kone said on Tuesday. Over
5,700 troops were deployed in the borderlands between Burkina Faso and the
other three countries under a security cooperation deal the countries agreed in
2017 to prevent jihadist violence spreading from the Sahel region. The five-day
operation led to the arrest of over 300 suspects and the seizure of weapons,
ammunition, vehicles, drugs and a large amount of material to make improvised
bombs, Kone told a news conference. Groups linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State
have expanded their reach in the Sahel region in recent years, destabilising
Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso. They have made occasional incursions south,
including into Ivory Coast and Togo. The Burkina Faso government is facing a
public outcry over its perceived inability to stop the militants, who in
November carried out the most devastating attack on local security forces in
recent years.”

 

The National: ISIS Tightens Grip On Mozambique By Training New Generation Of
Suicide Attackers
<[link removed]>

 

“ISIS's global expansion into northern Mozambique includes training for a
terror offensive involving suicide bomb tactics among a new generation of
recruits, one of Africa’s leading intelligence analysts has said. The southern
Africa-based groupings have withstood counter offensives to regain territory
and with a bounce from developments in Afghanistan, are training in
sophisticated bombing techniques by foreign fighters. With input from Middle
East focused “ISIS central” the Mozambique commanders' strategic thinking has
changed from the idea of establishing a defacto state to hijacking local
insurgencies, indoctrinating the population and radicalising them, Jasmine
Opperman told The National. The insurgency in Mozambique has already shown its
resilience – just as the European Union training mission was launched this
month ISIS hit back with a string of attacks. In seven significant assaults it
has killed at least 14 Mozambique government forces and beheaded two alleged
spies, all in the northern Cabo Delgado region. The insurgency came to
international attention in March when a force of 200 fighters seized the town
of Palma and killed Westerners working at Total’s $20 billion liquid natural
gas development. In this image taken from militant video released by the
Islamic State group on Monday March 29, 2021, purporting to show fighters near
the strategic north eastern Mozambique town of Palma, as the militant group
claimed it had taken control of the area after five days of conflict.”

 

United Kingdom

 

The National: MI6 Recruiting From World's Most Dangerous Groups To Combat Al
Qaeda
<[link removed]>

 

“MI6 is recruiting agents in the “most dangerous organisations in the world”
to combat Al Qaeda’s ambition for mass-casualty terrorism, the service’s chief
has said. Richard Moore said the terrorist group responsible for the 9/11
attacks is seeking to rebuild bases in Afghanistan to launch international
strikes. In his first public speech, the Chief of the Security Intelligence
Service, highlighted the threat to world stability from Russia, China and Iran
as well as from artificial intelligence. Praising the bravery of his officers,
many of whom operate in foreign countries running special agents at great risk
to both, Mr Moore said he needed better technology and more people to tackle Al
Qaeda, ISIS and other terrorist groups. “We retain an intense focus … to
degrade existing terrorist groups, prevent their spread and identify unknown
threats. To do this, MI6 continues to recruit agents in the most dangerous
organisations in the world.” There was no doubt the Taliban takeover of Kabul
in August had emboldened international terrorists and that in Afghanistan both
Al Qaeda, he said, and ISIS were now seeking “to increase their foothold and to
rebuild their ability to strike Western targets”. “Their affiliates and
imitators retain an undiminished appetite for violence and the inflicting of
mass casualties,” he told the International Institute for Strategic Studies
think tank in London.”

 

The Independent: Man Arrested In Essex Over Suspected Far-Right Terror Plot
<[link removed]>

 

“A man has been arrested in Essex on suspicion of mounting a far-right terror
plot. Counter-terror police said the man was detained in the Harwich area in
the early hours of Tuesday morning. He was arrested on suspicion of the
preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism and remains in custody. A
spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said: “The arrest is linked to
suspected extreme right-wing terrorism, and there is not believed to be any
imminent threat to the public in relation to this. “The arrest is not connected
to the murder of Sir David Amess MP.” Officers were searching the suspect’s
home as the investigation continued on Tuesday evening. It comes after the
government raised the national terror threat level from substantial to severe,
meaning further attacks are considered highly likely. The decision was made
following the Liverpool bombing on Remembrance Sunday, which was the second
terror attack to strike Britain in a month, following the murder of Sir David
at a constituency surgery in Essex. Commander Richard Smith, head of Scotland
Yard’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: “I’d firstly like to reassure the local
community in Essex and beyond that we are not aware of any imminent threat to
the public in relation to this arrest today.”

 

BBC News: National Action: Ben Raymond Guilty Of Terror Charges
<[link removed]>

 

“The co-founder of a neo-Nazi group has been found guilty of being a member of
a banned terrorist organisation. Ben Raymond, 32, from Swindon, was part of
National Action, a group which wanted to wage a “white Jihad” and race war in
Britain. Raymond was also convicted of possessing a manifesto by the Norwegian
terrorist Andrews Breivik and a guide to homemade detonators. He was found not
guilty of four counts of possessing other documents. The graduate is the 17th
person to be convicted of membership of the white supremacist group after a
jury convicted him on Tuesday. Raymond helped create the organisation in 2013
and coined the term “white jihad”, Bristol Crown Court previously heard. He
produced much of its propaganda and was likened to the Third Reich's propaganda
chief Joseph Goebbels. It was later proscribed after its social media channels
glorified the murder of the MP Jo Cox by white supremacist terrorist Thomas
Mair in 2016. After the ban he remained involved in the group - joining group
chats, designing propaganda and continuing to associate with other leading
figures. His trial at Bristol Crown Court heard how he told an associate he
would “take it as a badge of honour” if National Action was declared illegal.”

 

Australia

 

The Sydney Morning Herald: Islamic State Flag Flown Over 300 Times In NSW In
Last Six Years
<[link removed]>

 

“The black and white flag of terrorist group Islamic State has been displayed
305 times in NSW since 2015, according to internal police data on incidents and
reports. The number of recorded displays of the flag peaked at 142 in 2015,
dropping to 45 in 2017, 22 in 2019, and persisting in smaller numbers this
year. Police recorded eight relevant reports or events in 2020 and the same
again so far this year. The vast majority were reported across Sydney,
especially the north-western and south-western metropolitan areas, although a
handful of incidents was recorded in other parts of NSW. The data also
indicated the flag of Hezbollah, the Shiite political and militant group based
in Lebanon, was displayed 49 times since 2015. The federal government
designated the entirety of Hezbollah, rather just its militant wing, as a
terrorist group earlier this month, along with neo-Nazi group The Base. Islamic
State, also known as ISIS, ISIL or Daesh, came to prominence in 2011 and
established control of large swathes of Iraq and Syria. While the group was
beaten back by US-led coalition forces and declared defeated by 2019, remnants
of the group survive in the Middle East and other regions. The NSW Police data
was provided to State Parliament in response to questions from Labor police and
counter-terrorism spokesman Walt Secord.”

 

The Counter Extremism Project depends on the generosity of its supporters. If
you value what we do, please consider making a donation.
DONATE NOW
<[link removed]>


Click here to unsubscribe.
<[link removed]>