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Eye on Extremism
December 10, 2021
Associated Press: Pakistani Taliban Won't Extend Cease-Fire With Government
“The Pakistani Taliban said Thursday they will not extend a cease-fire agreed to last month, accusing the government in Islamabad of not honoring the truce and failing to release 102 of their fighters. The militant group, also known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, has been behind numerous attacks on Pakistani security forces and civilians over the last 14 years. TTP was also behind a 2014 attack on an army-run school in the northwestern city of Peshawar that killed 154 people, mostly schoolchildren. They are a separate group from the Taliban in Afghanistan, who took over that country in August. However, the two groups are close allies and TTP leaders and fighters have over the years sought sanctuary across the border in Afghanistan . A statement from TTP spokesman Mohammad Khurasani claimed that despite the agreement on the cease-fire — which went into effect on Nov. 9 and was meant to give time for peace talks between the two sides — government forces are continuing to carry out operations against the group. The truce expires at midnight. “It is not possible to carry on with the cease-fire in these circumstances,” Khurasani said. There was no immediate comment from the Pakistani authorities.”
Reuters: Philippines' Supreme Court Rules Parts Of Terrorism Law Unconstitutional
“The Philippines' Supreme Court declared two parts of a controversial anti-terrorism law unconstitutional on Thursday, dismaying activists and rights groups who sought the scrapping of the legislation over fears it threatened civil liberties. While the Philippines does have legitimate security threats, including Islamist extremism, lawyers and human rights groups challenging the legislation say it could be abused to target government opponents and suppress peaceful dissent. President Rodrigo Duterte has defended the legislation, saying law-abiding citizens have nothing to fear. The Supreme Court, which has yet to release a breakdown of ruling, said in a statement said it struck down a part of the law “for being overbroad and violative of freedom of expression.” It also declared as unconstitutional a provision that allows an anti-terrorism council appointed by the president to adopt requests by other entities, including international organisations, to designate individuals and groups as terrorists. Akbayan, a group of activists and legislators, said the ruling was a devastating blow for the country. “The Supreme Court missed the opportunity to defend the Filipino people's human rights and democracy,” it said.”
United States
Vice: The Michigan School Shooting Was Terrifying. But Was It Terrorism?
“There’s no doubt that what happened in the halls of Michigan’s Oxford High School last week was terrifying. Authorities allege Ethan Crumbley, 15, exited a bathroom in the school just before 1 p.m. on Nov. 30 and pulled out a handgun his parents reportedly got him as a Christmas present. He began firing methodically at students in a hallway. In the end, four were killed: Tate Myre, 16; Hana St. Juliana, 14; Madisyn Baldwin, 17; and Justin Shilling, 17. And several more were injured. Just hours before, his parents had been called in to the school after a teacher found a drawing Ethan had made of a figure shooting people with the words “the thoughts won't stop, help me” and “blood everywhere.” He was allowed to return to class after that meeting. The fifteen-year-old was later arrested at the shooting scene and has been charged as an adult with first-degree murder, attempted murder, and terrorism. That final charge is unusual: It’s the first time terror charges have been brought against an alleged school shooter, despite the hundreds of students shot and killed in the U.S. over the last few decades. During a news conference, Oakland County District Prosecutor Karen McDonald said that she filed the terrorism counts so that the suspect’s charges would represent not just those he allegedly wounded and killed but also those who were traumatized by his actions. She was fully aware this is not “a typical charge.”
Oakridger: ORHS Students Charged With Terrorism, Threats Of Mass Violence
“The three Oak Ridge High School students who allegedly posted shooting threats against the school on social media have been charged with terrorism, threats of mass violence on school property, and for filing false reports. Two of the three students have also been charged with conspiracy. All three were taken into custody Wednesday afternoon and the Anderson County Juvenile Court authorized that they be transported to the Richard L. Bean Detention Facility in Knox County, according to District Attorney General Dave Clark. In a news release issued late Wednesday afternoon, he explained the juveniles could have a detention hearing as early as Thursday afternoon. “The message should be loud and clear to adults and juveniles alike that making threats over social media or in any way that are directed at our schools, children or staff will not be tolerated,” Clark said in a news release. “This is a very serious matter and the law enforcement community and the judicial system in Anderson County will respond accordingly. We are concerned to see that two such incidents have occurred within the same week.” The district attorney general pointed out that educational time was lost and students, parents, teachers and staff were understandably upset about the threats. “The Oak Ridge Police Department directed staff to immediately provide security at multiple schools and for the Criminal Investigation Division to find those responsible.”
Iraq
Reuters: Three Turkish Soldiers Killed In Operations In Iraq -Ministry
“Three Turkish soldiers were killed in an attack by Kurdish militants during cross-border operations in northern Iraq on Thursday, the Turkish Defence Ministry said, adding six of the militants were “neutralised”. “Targets identified in the region were struck in an air operation and six terrorists were neutralised according to initial indications. Operations in the region are continuing,” the ministry said. “Neutralised” is commonly used to mean killed. Turkey's operations in Iraq target the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group, which has bases there and which is designated a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and European Union. The group launched an insurgency in southeast Turkey in 1984 in which more than 40,000 people have been killed.”
The Hill: US Ends Combat Mission Against ISIS In Iraq, But Troops Remain
“The U.S. military on Thursday ended its combat mission in Iraq, transferring instead to a training and advisory role, the Pentagon announced. Under the terms from a July agreement, the United States for months has wound down the mission against the Islamic State, with about 2,500 service members still in Iraq. Those troops will remain for now to advise and assist Iraqi security forces, a change finalized after technical talks wrapped up between Washington and Baghdad on Thursday. “This is the natural evolution. This is in keeping with our commitments to the Iraqi government,” Pentagon press secretary John Kirby told reporters. He added that there will not be “a dramatic shift” in the number of U.S. forces in the country. U.S. forces have been in Iraq since 2014 to lead a coalition to defeat the Islamic State after the extremist group took over large swaths of it and Syria. At the height of their power, the group controlled 110,000 square kilometers of territory with a height of 40,000 fighters. The military defeat of the group was declared in 2017, but its scattered fighters have continued a low-level insurgency. Following the group’s defeat, the Biden administration agreed to pull all combat forces in Iraq by Dec. 31, with a new mission to advise and assist Iraqi forces as they continue to fend off ISIS.”
Turkey
Al Monitor: Turkey Arrests Dozens Of Foreign Islamic State Suspects
“Turkish authorities arrested dozens of alleged Islamic State militants today. Police arrested 11 people in Istanbul and 22 in Ankara. There police are searching for eight other individuals in Ankara. The suspects, all foreign nationals, are alleged to have been planning to carry out attacks on behalf of the Islamic State, Turkey’s official Anadolu Agency reported. Turkey has a complicated history with the Islamic State. Turkish authorities have stepped up pursuit of IS suspects in the country this year and arrested 26 of them in June. Most of those detained had come from Iraq and Syria. At the same time, critics accuse Turkey of being soft on the group and say courts insufficiently punish IS members. In one case, an IS official who allegedly ordered the death by burning of two Turkish soldiers lived for years in the city of Gaziantep and ran a small business.”
Afghanistan
Associated Press: US Commander: Al-Qaida Numbers In Afghanistan Up 'Slightly'
“The al-Qaida extremist group has grown slightly inside Afghanistan since U.S. forces left in late August, and the country's new Taliban leaders are divided over whether to fulfill their 2020 pledge to break ties with the group, the top U.S. commander in the region said Thursday. Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie, head of U.S. Central Command, said in an interview with The Associated Press that the departure of U.S. military and intelligence assets from Afghanistan has made it much harder to track al-Qaida and other extremist groups inside Afghanistan. “We’re probably at about 1 or 2% of the capabilities we once had to look into Afghanistan,” he said, adding that this makes it “very hard, not impossible” to ensure that neither al-Qaida nor the Islamic State group's Afghanistan affiliate can pose a threat to the United States. Speaking at the Pentagon, McKenzie said it's clear that al-Qaida is attempting to rebuild its presence inside Afghanistan, which was the base from which it planned the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks against the United States. He said some militants are coming into the country through its porous borders, but it is hard for the U.S. to track numbers. The U.S. invasion that followed the Sept. 11 attacks led to a 20-year war that succeeded initially by removing the Taliban from power but ultimately failed.”
Yemen
Arab News: Yemen Army Kills Hezbollah Military Expert In Marib
“A Hezbollah military leader fighting for the Iran-backed Houthis has been killed in clashes with government forces in the central province of Marib, Yemen’s information minister revealed on Thursday. In a tweet, Moammar Al-Eryani said that expert adviser Akram Al-Sayed died when Yemeni army troops shelled Houthi positions south of Marib, inflicting a blow to a Houthi militia push to seize control of Marib city. The Houthis are being supported by thousands of fighters, including many from Iran, Lebanon, and Iraq. Al-Eryani called on the international community and UN Security Council permanent members, “to condemn this blatant interference, which undermines de-escalation efforts in Yemen, continues bloodshed, and exacerbates humanitarian suffering of Yemenis.” The minister urged an intensification of sanctions against Lebanese Hezbollah and demanded that the government in Lebanon curb the influx of Hezbollah fighters to Yemen. The Yemeni government has long accused Iran of deploying fighters from its proxy militias in the region to reinforce the Houthis. In August, the Yemeni government announced the death in a coalition airstrike in Serwah of an Iranian military officer who was providing the Houthis with frontline military advice in Marib.”
Nigeria
Punch Nigeria: Troops Ambush Boko Haram, ISWAP Terrorists, Neutralise Three In Borno
“Troops of Sector 1 Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) have neutralised three Boko Haram/Islamic State West Africa Province terrorists in Borno State on Wednesday. This was after the troops staged an ambush at one of the terrorists’ notorious crossing points along Kwadal-Agapalwa-Amuda axis. Director Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu disclosed this in a statement on Thursday. According to the statement, “The troops, who were on a Long range fighting Patrol towards Agapalwa and Amuda villages, got wind of the rampaging activities of the terrorists and laid in wait for them at the crossing point. “In the battle that ensued, troops rained heavy fire on the terrorists, inflicting maximum casualty on them. After gallantly eliminating the terrorists, the troops recovered one General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG), three Hand Grenades, 62 links of 7.62mm ammunition, one Motorcycle and three Bicycles from the terrorists. “Troops are currently exploiting further to clear the area of any escaping terrorist. “The Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Faruk Yahaya, has commended the vigilance and gallantry of the troops. He has also urged them to intensify their offensive operations to further decimate the terrorists.”
Somalia
All Africa: Somalia: Security Forces Arrest Al-Shabaab Members In Galkayo
“Somali security forces have on Thursday arrested several Shabab fighters in an operation in south Galkayo. According to the National Intelligence Security Agency (NISA) officials leading the operation, the members were arrested in different areas in Galkayo. They also stated that security forces carried out a well-planned operation in the town in the past days. They added that the operation was aimed at ensuring that the remaining militants are out of the city. Al-Shabab, which has been seeking to topple the government, has continued to restrict the movement of people and control supply routes to most of the recovered areas. The group still holds control of strongholds in the rural areas of southern and central regions, conducting ambushes and planting landmines.”
Mali
Reuters: France Condemns Attack That Killed Seven U.N. Peacekeepers In Mali
“France's Foreign Ministry on Thursday condemned an attack that killed seven United Nations peacekeepers and wounded several others in Mali on Wednesday, saying those responsible must be identified and held accountable. Seven United Nations peacekeepers in central Mali were killed and three others seriously wounded by an improvised explosive device, the U.N. mission said on Twitter.”
Africa
Reuters: Gunmen Kill At Least 14 Militiamen In Burkina Faso Ambush
“Unidentified gunmen ambushed and killed least 14 members of a government-backed civilian militia in Burkina Faso on Thursday, officials said, the latest in a wave of violence. The attack came a day after President Roch Kabore sacked his prime minister and replaced the head of the army as he faced street protests over his handling of a security crisis that has killed thousands and displaced more than a million. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the ambush. But attacks by insurgents linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State have been mounting in Burkina Faso and in neighbouring Mali and Niger. The gunmen attacked the militia about 10 km from the northern town of Titao where they were heading to reinforce other civilian fighters, the government said in a statement. The 14 killed were members of Burkina Faso's Homeland Defence Volunteers, which receives funds and training from the government to help contain an Islamist insurgency.”
Associated Press: Burkina Faso's Prime Minister Is Fired Amid Growing Violence
“Burkina Faso’s prime minister has been fired amid escalating jihadi violence that’s killed thousands and displaced more than 1 million people. President Roch Marc Christian Kabore sacked his prime minister amid weeks of anti-government protests in which demonstrators have criticized his government’s inability to stem extremist attacks by al-Qaida and the Islamic State across the West African nation. Last month saw the deadliest violence against the country’s security forces in recent memory, with more than 50 gendarmes killed in the Sahel region. Prime Minister Christophe Joseph Marie Dabire was removed as a result of the president’s commitment to setting up a “tighter and more cohesive government,” Communications Minister Ousseni Tamboura, told The Associated Press. He didn’t know when a new government would be formed, he said. According to Burkina Faso law, the prime minister's resignation requires the entire government to resign. The outgoing Cabinet ministers will remain in their positions until a new one is formed, said the president's statement. Dabire became prime minister in 2019 and was reappointed after Kabore won reelection to a second term in November, 2020. Kabore’s action to get rid of his prime minister is part of a last-ditch effort to regain political and military control in the face of plummeting popularity, said Alexandre Raymakers, senior Africa analyst at Verisk Maplecroft, a risk consultancy.”
The National: Terrorism Thrives In Climate Change Wastelands, UN Hears
“The UAE joined France, Niger and other countries on Thursday in a push to the UN Security Council to connect climate change to international security threats such as terrorism. Niger, which holds the council's rotating presidency in December, urged members to pass a draft resolution on climate change and terrorism, but faced opposition from Russia, China and others. The UN says armed extremist groups such as ISIS, Boko Haram and Al Shabab thrive in communities stricken by drought and other harsh climatic conditions, where joblessness and despair leave people vulnerable to hardliners. Mohamed Abushahab, the UAE’s deputy ambassador to the UN, told council members the “nexus between climate change and terrorism and extremism calls for action”. “Even if indirect, there is a connection between climate impacts from migration to unemployment, and the feelings of helplessness, resentment and loss of faith in governance systems that contribute to terrorist recruitment,” Mr Abushahab said. Some regions have already seen desertification and other harsh climatic conditions nudging people towards extremism, creating “pockets of unstable territory that are springboards for terrorist attacks”, he said.”
Germany
“Nancy Faesar is no stranger to dealing with enemies of an open, democratic and diverse society. The new German interior minister hails from the central German state of Hesse, which has repeatedly made the headlines because of right-wing extremist attacks. The most notorious took place in Hanau in February 2020, when a racist attacker shot nine people in a hookah bar. Even before that, Hesse hit international headlines in June 2019 when a neo-Nazi murdered the center-right Christian Democrat (CDU) local politician Walter Lübcke, because of his support for refugees. And back in 2006, Halit Yozgat was shot in an internet cafe in Kassel, the ninth of ten victims of the National Socialist Underground (NSU), a neo-Nazi terrorist group. Nancy Faeser has placed herself in the tradition of anti-fascists and women's rights activists. The mother of a six-year-old son is a trained lawyer and spent time studying in the United States before joining an international law firm in Frankfurt. In the negotiations to form the new coalition for Germany's new governemnt, she was a negotiator for her center-left Social Democrats (SPD) on the issues of migration and integration — key topics for the Interior Ministry.”
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