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Eye on Extremism
December 16, 2021
Reuters: Somali Islamist Insurgents Make Gains As Government And Allies Fall Out
“Somali Islamists have captured a town in the semi-autonomous central state of Galmudug, residents said, part of a string of incursions underscoring the group’s gains amid divisions between the central government and its erstwhile allies in the region. The gains - in towns free of the al Shabaab insurgency for more than a decade - are evidence that the group with links to al Qaeda is capitalizing on deepening political divisions in Somalia ahead of long-delayed presidential elections scheduled for next year. The group on Tuesday captured the town of Eldheere, 30 km (18 miles) south of Galmudug’s capital Dhusamareb. Al Shabaab fighters bombed the police station before taking over the town, residents and an official from Galmudug state’s military told Reuters. “Last night the (Galmudug state) forces left and al Shabaab captured the town,” elder Nur Hussein said by phone from Eldheere town on Wednesday. The Islamists also kidnapped a trader and were threatening a key regional road. On Monday, al Shabaab fighters briefly took over the town of Mataban before it was reoccupied by troops from Galmudug state, resident Ahmed Abdullahi told Reuters by phone. “I saw masked al Shabaab fighters raising flags and addressing the people in the centre of town,” he said. Al Shabaab has been fighting in Somalia for years, seeking to topple the central government and rule based on its own strict interpretation of Islamic law.”
Politico: Germany Expels Russian Diplomats After Court Rules Moscow Ordered Murder Of Dissident
“Germany expelled two Russian diplomats Wednesday after a Berlin court ruled a man had murdered a Chechen dissident on behalf of the Moscow government in what the presiding judge declared was an act of “state terrorism.” In 2019, the court found that the Russian citizen, identified as 56-year-old Vadim K., shot a former Chechen rebel commander of Georgian origin named Tornike K. twice from behind with a pistol equipped with a silencer in Berlin’s Kleiner Tiergarten park before firing another “well-aimed shot at the back of the head of the victim, who was already lying motionless on the ground.” The court said Vadim K. “had received an order from a state agency within the government of the Russian Federation” to kill Tornike K., “because of his negative attitude toward the Russian central state and his role in the Second Chechen War.” The presiding judge called the incident an act of “state terrorism” when he announced the verdict, sentencing the man to life in prison.”
United States
CBS News: Over 80 Of Those Charged In The January 6 Investigation Have Ties To The Military
“More than 80 of the defendants charged in relation to the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol have ties to the U.S. military — most of those with a military background were veterans. A CBS News analysis of service records, attorney statements, and court documents has found that at least 81 current or former service members face charges and are accused of participating in the mob that led Congress to temporarily halt its counting of the 2020 presidential election's Electoral College votes. The Justice Department has so far charged more than 700 individuals in connection with the Capitol breach. While an overwhelming majority of those with military ties were veterans when they were charged, at least five were currently in the military when they participated in the attack. One was an active-duty Marine, and four were part-time troops, either in the Army Reserve or National Guard. Court documents assert another alleged rioter was “attending basic training for the United States Air Force” at the time of an August 2021 interview with the FBI following his alleged participation in the January 6 attack. In all, at least 36 have served in the Marine Corps, 28 in the Army, three in the Navy, and five in the Air Force.”
Afghanistan
Voice Of America: Amnesty Demands Probe Of Afghan War Crimes By All Parties
“A global human rights group is accusing all parties to the conflict in Afghanistan of inflicting “extensive” casualties on civilians before the U.S.-backed government in Kabul collapsed and the Islamist Taliban took power last August. The London-based Amnesty International said Wednesday in a new report that the months leading up to the fall of Kabul were marked by “repeated war crimes and relentless bloodshed” committed by the Taliban, Afghan security forces and the U.S. military. “Our new evidence shows that, far from the seamless transition of power that the Taliban claimed happened, the people of Afghanistan have once again paid with their lives,” said Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s secretary general. “Homes, hospitals, schools and shops were turned into crime scenes as people were repeatedly killed and injured. The people of Afghanistan have suffered for too long, and victims must have access to justice and receive reparations,” she said. Amnesty International noted in its report that during their military advances across Afghanistan in July and August, Taliban fighters tortured and killed ethnic and religious minorities, soldiers loyal to the deposed government, and people “perceived as ex-government sympathizers in reprisal attacks.”
Pakistan
Gulf News: Pakistan Drafts First Policy To Counter Violent Extremism After Si Lankan’s Lynching
“Pakistan has formulated its first policy to prevent and counter violent extremism. Pakistan’s National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) has drafted the national counter violent extremism policy (NCVEP 2021). The authority’s national coordinator Mehr Khaliq Dad Lak has submitted the policy draft to Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed for approval. NACTA officials described the draft as “a major national policy document that would keep on evolving and improving” in the days ahead. The policy to counter extremism has been formulated under the country’s counter-terrorism strategy called National Action Plan (NAP) that NACTA recently helped revise in consultation with stakeholders. The draft policy comprises two parts. The first part outlines the key elements of the policy while the second details the national implementation and institutionalisation plan of the policy defining the roles and responsibilities of various organisations and stake-holders. The policy will include a system to monitor the policy targets with key perfor-mance indicators. Before finalising the draft, the NACTA held provincial consultations with representatives of various segments of society including academics, journalists, other professionals, and civil society members during the last three months.”
Lebanon
The Jerusalem Post: Lebanese President Calls For Cabinet Meeting Despite Hezbollah Tensions
“Lebanese President Michel Aoun called on Tuesday for a meeting of the country's cabinet, even if it is boycotted by some parties, stressing that the government cannot be held idle as “there are matters that need to be decided on,” according to Lebanon's National News Agency. The statement comes as Lebanon's cabinet has not met for two months due to demands by Hezbollah for Judge Tarek Bitar to be removed from the Beirut Port blast case before they agree to a cabinet meeting. After being halted for a month, Bitar resumed his investigation into the Beirut port blast earlier this month after the Beirut Court of Appeals rejected an appeal by former Public Works Minister Youssef Fenianos, who had been charged and summoned for questioning by “I support the call to hold a cabinet session even if it is boycotted, and we are faced with the necessity of choosing between politics and the judiciary, so who will prevail? Representative or judicial? In Lebanon, there are 3 separate authorities: executive, legislative and judicial, and no authority can interfere in the work of the other,” said Aoun. Aoun stressed that he has called for the constitution to be respected and for judicial matters to be addressed by the relevant authority, saying “there are those who did not accept the judiciary’s statements in this regard.”
Nigeria
“Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information and Culture, has claimed that decisive actions taken by the President Muhammadu Buhari's administration stopped Boko Haram insurgents from declaring an Islamic State in Nigeria. The minister stated this while speaking during a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday. He, however, admitted that the current security situation, particularly characterised by banditry and kidnapping, posed a great challenge. He said, “The polity has recently been awash with heightened commentary on the security situation in the country. The commentary has been triggered by genuine concerns in some circles, and crass politicking or sheer absurdity in others. “Yes, the security situation has continued to pose a great challenge, but amidst the cacophony of voices – some genuinely concerned about the situation and others ready to exploit it for selfish ends – it is easy to forget where we are coming from. “Today, we only look at the current situation, without wondering what would have been had this President not taken the bull by the horns, as far as security is concerned. “With the way, the insurgents were going before this Administration came into office, with their control of a vast swath of land the size of Belgium, with their freewheeling attacks in almost a dozen states, including the Federal Capital Territory which was hit at least five times, perhaps they could have achieved their aim of declaring an Islamic State in Nigeria if President Buhari had not acted decisively.”
Africa
Foreign Policy: Violence Spreads In The Sahel
“Burkina Faso’s prime minister was fired on Thursday following violent anti-government protests over ongoing Islamist violence. This came just days after gunmen set fire to a bus, killing at least 30 passengers—including children—in Nigeria’s northwestern Sokoto state. Armed groups have multiplied across West Africa, and the violence in Mali and northern Nigeria has spread to bordering countries. In Burkina Faso, more than 1 million people have been displaced. Burkina Faso’s poorly managed military has been struggling to contain a conflict that began in Mali in 2012 and spread as jihadis reorganized elsewhere. The deadliest incident came in November when over 50 people, mostly military police officers, were killed by armed groups at a security post near the northern town of Inata. Burkinabes were angry over news that those officers had gone two weeks without food rations prior to the attack. Burkina Faso’s government falls. Burkina Faso Prime Minister Christophe Joseph Marie Dabiré resigned in a move that triggered the sacking of the entire government, as stipulated by law. President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré named Lassina Zerbo as the country’s new prime minister on Saturday, with a new cabinet announced Monday.”
Newsweek: AP Freelance Journalist Detained In Ethiopia After Interviewing Terrorist Group
“A freelance video journalist with the Associated Press was detained by police in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa after returning home from a reporting trip, the news organization announced Wednesday. Though Amir Aman Kiyaro has not been charged with anything, state media reported that he was accused of “serving the purposes” of a government-designated terrorist group by interviewing it. The African country has been locked in a civil war for a year as rivals from the northern Tigray region and the Oromo Liberation Army push toward the capital and against Ethiopian forces, The New York Times reported. The Tigray forces and OLA were designated as terrorist groups by the government earlier this year.”
All Africa: Somalia: 40 People Rescued After Al-Shabaab Raid Mosque In Wajir
“At least 40 Muslim faithful were rescued by Kenya police officers after suspected Al-Shabaab militants stormed a mosque in Konton area, Wajir County as they were just about to conduct the morning prayers. According to preliminary reports, about five armed militants stormed the mosque and forced faithful outside later forcing them to walk through a thicket heading towards the Kenya-Somalia border. Kenya police have revealed that it took the effort of national police reservists (NPR) personnel who spotted the faithful in distress and later devised a distraction as they fled to safety. The gunmen meanwhile were forced to escape after assuming that a contingent of officers were in the area. An operation to track them down has since been launched with police heightening security in the area. Similar incidents have been reported particularly in areas bordering the Kenya-Somalia border with locals being encouraged to work closely with security apparatus in combating the militants.”
France
“A Frenchwoman who joined the Islamic State and had been held in a detention camp in Syria since 2019 died of health complications on Tuesday — a first for a French national, according to her lawyer. The death was a stark reminder of the fate of the hundreds of European women and children who have been detained in camps for nearly three years, with no clear end in sight since many governments have handed over their care to Kurdish authorities in northeastern Syria. Marie Dosé, the woman’s lawyer, said she had repeatedly and unsuccessfully requested that French authorities allow her client to be brought back to France for treatment for severe diabetes. “I am shocked,” she said, as she announced the woman’s death on Wednesday. “Women are left to die in camps, in full knowledge of the facts.” Ms. Dosé said the woman was 28 and left behind a 6-year-old daughter, but she declined to give their names to protect the family’s privacy. The news was corroborated by a group of French families with relatives detained in Syria and by another Frenchwoman held in the camp through messages on WhatsApp. The French Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.”
Germany
“Extremist anti-vaxxers in Germany were arrested on Wednesday after plotting to assassinate a governor who supported vaccine mandates, according to local authorities. Police raided a handful of homes in Dresden after catching wind of a plot to murder pro-vaccine governor of Saxony Michael Kretschmer and other officials, CNN reported. The raids targeted individuals from a Telegram group who were reportedly discussing plans to assassinate Kretschmer with crossbows and other weapons, the report said. German police said that parts of crossbows were found unassembled, the report said. Kretschmer has been publicly supportive of vaccines and mandates. Since taking office on December 8, he's pushed for a national vaccine requirement and wants a law drafted in the near future, CNN reported. Meanwhile, politicians and journalists have received packages of meat from anti-vaxxers, along with threatening letters that vowed a “bloody resistance” to vaccination, German news site Der Spiegel reported on Wednesday. The letters claimed that the meat was infected with COVID-19 viruses and Zyklon B — a toxin used by the Nazis during the Holocaust — the report said.”
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