“Yemen’s Houthi rebels seized an Emirati-flagged ship, explosive-laden drones
targeted the Iraqi capital’s airport and hackers hit two Israeli newspap

 

 


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Eye on Extremism


January  4, 2022

  

The Wall Street Journal: Attacks On U.S. Allies Raise Tensions On Anniversary
Of Killing Of Iran’s Soleimani
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“Yemen’s Houthi rebels seized an Emirati-flagged ship, explosive-laden drones
targeted the Iraqi capital’s airport and hackers hit two Israeli newspapers on
Monday, raising tensions in the Middle East as Iran-aligned militias attacked
U.S. allies on the second anniversary of America’s killing of one of Tehran’s
top generals. Meanwhile, Iran held a massive memorial for Maj. Gen. Qassem
Soleimani in the country’s capital to mark the anniversary of the American
drone strike in Iraq that killed the military leader and an Iraqi militia
commander on Jan. 3, 2020. It wasn’t immediately clear if Monday’s attacks were
coordinated or backed by Iran. They came a day after Iranian Supreme Leader Ali
Khamenei tweeted: “Martyr Soleimani is more dangerous for his enemies than
General Soleimani.” They also followed protests by Iran-allied paramilitary
groups in Iraq over the weekend. Crowds in Baghdad chanted “death to America”
and vowed to avenge Gen. Soleimani’s killing. “Iran is trying to show that they
are taking revenge and that they are strong,” said Hamdi Malik, an associate
fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and an expert on Iraq’s
Shiite militias. “But at the same time they don’t really want to start a war
because they desperately need the sanctions to be lifted,” Mr. Malik said.”

 

Associated Press: 21 Abducted Schoolchildren Rescued In Northwestern Nigeria
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“At least 21 schoolchildren in Nigeria have been rescued hours after they were
abducted by armed groups in the West African country’s troubled northwestern
region, police said. The schoolchildren were abducted on Friday while they were
traveling with their teacher from the Bakura area to an Islamic school in
neighboring Katsina state, police spokesman Mohammed Shehu said in a statement
over the weekend. Security forces responded and rescued the 21 students and are
“currently working to rescue the remaining victims and apprehend the
perpetrators,” Shehu said. He did not say how many hostages are still being
held but said the assailants seized travelers from as many as five vehicles,
suggesting there are many more still in captivity. Children have often been
targeted in northwestern Nigeria in attacks by armed groups on rural
communities far from the protection of security forces who are often outgunned
and outnumbered. A day after the attack on the schoolchildren, the Nigeria Air
Force launched “successful” airstrikes targeting the camps of the gunmen in
Zamfara state, senior official Edward Gabkwet told The Associated Press on
Monday. He said the number of those killed in the airstrikes has not been
confirmed.”

 

Syria

 

Al Jazeera: 5 Syrian Soldiers Killed, 20 Injured In ISIL Attack: State Media
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“Five Syrian soldiers have been killed and 20 injured in a rocket attack on a
military transport bus in the east of the country. Sunday’s attack took place
at approximately 7pm (17:00 GMT), Syrian state media reported on Monday, adding
that a military vehicle in the Badia area came under a rocket attack followed
by artillery shelling by ISIL (ISIS) fighters. ISIL, which declared a caliphate
straddling parts of Syria and Iraq in 2014, has lost all the territory that was
under its control in 2019. However, the group continues to wage a low-level
fight in both countries, launching frequent hit-and-run raids from desert
hideouts on either side of the border with Iraq. In mid-December, Kurdish
forces in the north of the country said, backed by the US military, they killed
five suspected fighters in an airborne operation in the Deir Az Zor province.
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a US-backed alliance of Kurdish and Arab
fighters, which controls the semi-autonomous Kurdish region of northeastern
Syria, conducted the raid near the village of al-Busaira.”

 

Pakistan

 

Voice Of America: Pakistan Vows To Continue Fencing Afghan Border, Downplays
Taliban Disruptive Acts
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“Pakistan said Monday it was engaging with Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers
through diplomatic channels to resolve “some confusions” stemming from the
installation of a security fence on the porous border separating the two
countries. Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi told a news conference in
Islamabad that his country was determined to protect its “interests” and
continue unilateral fencing Pakistan’s nearly 2,600-kilometer border with
Afghanistan. The Pakistani chief diplomat was responding to recent attempts by
Taliban border forces aimed at preventing Pakistan from building the barrier.
The latest such incident apparently happened over the weekend when the Afghan
side dismantled a portion of the fence. “We are not silent. We have installed
the fence and, God willing, this effort will continue,” Qureshi stressed.
“Afghanistan is our friendly neighbor. We are engaged with them, as some
confusions have emerged, and we shall be able to resolve them through
diplomatic channels.” A Taliban Defense Ministry spokesman on Sunday criticized
the fencing project, saying Pakistan had “no right to erect barbed wire along
the Durand Line and separate the tribes on both sides of the line.”

 

Saudi Arabia

 

Al Jazeera: Hezbollah’s Hassan Nasrallah Accuses Saudi Arabia Of ‘Terrorism’
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“Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah has accused Saudi Arabia of
exporting ISIL (ISIS) ideology and transporting cars rigged with explosives for
suicide attacks to Iraq. In a televised speech on Monday, he addressed Saudi
Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdul Aziz. “Your Majesty, the terrorist is who
exported the Daesh ideology to the world,” Nasrallah said, using the Arabic
acronym for ISIL. “The terrorist is the one who sent thousands of Saudis to
conduct suicide operations in Iraq and Syria, and it’s you.” Nasrallah also
slammed the kingdom for its close ties with the United States and for the
military campaign it is leading in Yemen. Nasrallah’s comments came in response
to political opponents and critics in Lebanon who criticised the Iran-backed
party for damaging ties between the cash-strapped country and Saudi Arabia. “We
didn’t attack Saudi Arabia. They were involved in the greater conspiracy that
was destroying the region,” the Hezbollah leader said. Lebanon is struggling to
resolve a diplomatic dispute with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab
Emirates and Kuwait, which have been critical of Hezbollah for their role in
Yemen and other regional conflicts. In October, the Gulf states withdrew their
ambassadors, and Saudi Arabia banned all Lebanese exports, after a video
surfaced of the then-Information Minister George Kordahi criticising the
Saudi-led coalition’s war in Yemen.”

 

Arab News: Egypt Condemns Continued Houthi Attacks On Saudi Arabia
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“Egypt has condemned the Iran-backed Houthis for targeting southern parts of
Saudi Arabia with three armed drones. In a statement, the Egyptian Ministry of
Foreign Affairs said the latest launches represented a “flagrant violation of
the rules of international law” and were a threat to the security and stability
of the Kingdom. “Egypt strongly condemns the Houthi militia’s continuation of
its cowardly terrorist attacks toward the lands of the sisterly Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia,” the statement added. Cairo also pledged its full support for
Saudi measures to combat the Houthi attacks, while the Arab Parliament joined
in slamming the group for its actions. On Saturday evening, the Saudi-led Arab
coalition said in a statement that it had intercepted and destroyed three
Houthi drones launched toward the southern region of Saudi Arabia and that
intelligence monitoring and operational preparations for air strikes were
underway.”

 

Middle East

 

The Jerusalem Post: IDF Issues Demolition Order For Home Of Jerusalem Terrorist
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“The IDF on Monday issued a demolition order for the home of the Palestinian
terrorist who murdered Israeli civilian Eli Kay on November 22 in Jerusalem’s
Old City. The order was signed by OC Home Front Command Maj.-Gen. Ori Gordin
for the home of Fadi Abu Shkhaydam, who lived in east Jerusalem’s Shuafat
refugee camp. His family had appealed the decision, but their requests were
rejected. Abu Shkhaydam opened fire at several Israeli men near the entrance to
the Western Wall, killing Kay, 26, and wounding four others. Border Police
officers shot and killed the terrorist. Gordin’s area of command includes east
Jerusalem and the Shuafat refugee camp. OC Central Command Maj.-Gen. Yehuda
Fuchs is authorized to issue demolition orders in the West Bank. Abu Shkhaydam
was a known Hamas member, and the terrorist group quickly took responsibility
for the attack. Hamas called it a “heroic operation” and warned “the criminal
enemy and its government to stop the attacks on our land and our holy sites.
[Israel] will pay a price for the iniquities it commits against al-Aqsa Mosque,
Silwan, Sheikh Jarrah and elsewhere.”

 

Egypt

 

Al Monitor: Sinai Tribes Participate In Military Action Against Jihadi
Organizations
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“Military confrontations against extremist groups in Sinai have expanded to
include Sinai tribes as well as the Egyptian army. On Dec. 18, the Sinai Tribes
Union website published pictures of an operation carried out by tribesmen in
El-Ajra area, in the south of Rafah, against members of extremist groups. And
on Dec. 19, the union's official website published video clips of a clash
between tribesmen and two members of jihadi groups in the village of El-Ajra in
North Sinai. Both operations resulted in the killing of the jihadi members. The
Sinai Tribes Union operations are running in coordination with the Egyptian
army, as the union issued a statement Dec. 1 regarding an operation against
what they described as the “dangerous terrorist jihadi leaders … with air and
field cover from the Egyptian armed forces.” The statement added that “dozens
of explosive devices prepared for detonation were found along with around a ton
of explosive materials, weapons, equipment, wireless communication devices and
wires used in terrorist acts.” According to the Sinai Tribes Union’s Facebook
page, the union brings together the vast majority of the Sinai tribes to
confront extremist organizations and provide logistical support to the Egyptian
Armed Forces in Sinai.”

 

Africa

 

Voice Of America: Kenyan Authorities Suspect Al-Shabab Militants Kill 6 In
Coastal County
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“Kenyan authorities say they are pursuing suspected al-Shabab terrorists who
killed six people early Monday in Lamu County, on the border with Somalia.
Kenya’s Lamu County Commissioner Irungu Macharia says suspected al-Shabab
militants attacked and killed the villagers early Monday in the county’s Widhu
area. However, there was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.
Macharia says they are pursuing the suspects into the forest. They might also
be hiding among the population. Macharia added they are seeking the public’s
help to trace the criminals. Kenya’s Citizen TV reported at least one victim
was shot, one hacked to death with a machete, and others were burned alive. VOA
could not independently verify the accounts. Widhu area residents said the
attackers also torched several houses, though some residents speaking to local
media questioned if the violence was the work of the Islamist militants or
related to local politics. The Nation Media group quoted some locals saying
most of the attackers were carrying machetes, whereas al-Shabab militants are
commonly armed with guns. Macharia says they have deployed more security forces
to the area.  He says they have beefed up security in the county to make sure
that Kenyans and their properties are safe.”

 

AFP: Detained Tunisia Ex-Minister Suspected Of 'Terrorism'
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“Detained Tunisian ex-justice minister Noureddine Bhiri of the
Islamist-inspired Ennahdha party, who is refusing food or medication after his
transfer to hospital, is suspected of “terrorism”, the interior minister said
Monday. Bhiri, deputy president of Ennahdha -- viewed by President Kais Saied
as an enemy -- was arrested by plainclothes officers Friday and his whereabouts
were initially unknown. Ennahdha had played a central role in Tunisian politics
until a power grab by President Kais Saied last year. Tunisia was the only
democracy to emerge from the Arab Spring revolts of a decade ago, but civil
society groups and Saied's opponents have expressed fear of a slide back to
authoritarianism a decade after the revolution that toppled longtime dictator
Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. “There were fears of acts of terrorism targeting the
country's security and we had to act,” Interior Minister Taoufik Charfeddine
said late Monday of the arrest. A member of a delegation that visited Bhiri in
hospital told AFP on Monday that he was refusing food or medication. On Sunday
activists and a former Ennahdha legislator said Bhiri was in a critical
condition and facing death. But the source told AFP that Bhiri, 63, is “not in
critical condition for the time being.”

 

Germany

 

Deutsche Welle: Germany: Prosecutors Investigate Soldier Over Video Threat
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“Bavaria's Central Office for Combating Extremism and Terrorism (ZET) is
taking over proceedings after a Bundeswehr soldier posted a video which
contained “threats against the rule of law.” The ZET on Monday confirmed that
it was assuming the case as it recognized that “extremism” could not be ruled
out, while it continued its investigations into the production of the video
which was widely shared on social media. The soldier, who was briefly arrested
at the end of December and has since been released, expressed his vehement
opposition to a vaccine mandate for care workers and those in the Bundeswehr.
What did the soldier allegedly threaten? The man is being investigated for
possibly inciting the public to commit a crime. “A video of a supposed soldier,
which has been shared here a lot, is currently circulating online,” the German
Defense Ministry wrote on Twitter last week. “It contains threats against the
rule of law that are unacceptable. The consequences are already being
examined.”  In the one-minute clip, the man appears to be dressed in a
Bundeswehr uniform and gives what he claims to be his surname and rank. His
message targets the vaccine mandate for both healthcare workers and soldiers.”

 

Canada

 

CBC: Winnipeg Professor Developing Tool Kit To Help Teachers Spot Burgeoning
Extremism In Students
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“A Winnipeg professor is developing a tool kit to help teachers in the
province identify the early stages of extremism in their students so it can be
addressed before thoughts and musings turn to violent actions. Kawser Ahmed, an
adjunct professor at the University of Winnipeg who studies extremism, hate and
radicalization, received $400,000 from Public Safety Canada and the university
to develop the tool kit over the next two years. Youth are more vulnerable than
ever to being radicalized because of connectivity and the presence of digitally
savvy people who produce hate-filled conspiracy materials, he said. “This
connectivity, in one side, is a great advantage to connect with others, but on
the other, it is very easy to motivate people in these really problematic
causes,” Ahmed told CBC News. “Google will produce 1.8 million results in five
seconds, but the top five, 10 or 20 results, how do you know that these are
authentic and legitimate? There is no way, and in the world of fake news and
conspiracy theories, it is even [more] difficult.” In 2019, police reported
1,946 criminal incidents in Canada that were motivated by hate, according to
data from Statistics Canada. From 2010 to 2019, 23 per cent of people accused
of hate crimes were between the ages of 12 and 17, and 86 per cent were male.”

 

Technology

 

The Philadelphia Inquirer: Hate Crimes Are Soaring. White Supremacists Have A
New Recruitment Tool: Video Games.
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“They arrived in yellow rental trucks, unfurled their flags, and readied
shields and smoke bombs. The hour was late, and the symbolism was unsettling:
As the clock inched close to midnight on July 3, about 200 members of the white
nationalist group Patriot Front marched through downtown Philadelphia, past
Independence Hall and other historic landmarks, while chanting, “Take America
back!” If the demonstration was meant to be a show of strength for the
organization, it ended meekly. After scuffling with a handful of
counterprotesters, the Patriot Front members retreated into their Penske trucks
and then were stopped by Philadelphia police on Delaware Avenue, where some
marchers sat dejectedly, their heads bowed. But the episode served a dual
purpose. Social media has proven to be fertile ground for white supremacist and
conspiracy-theory movements trying to attract new members. Patriot Front turned
footage of its parade through the city into a hype video; on its website, its
members likened themselves to Revolutionary War heroes, and insisted,
“Americans must dictate America.” A month before the Philadelphia
demonstration, more than 300 researchers and scholars had volunteered to be
part of a new effort to curb the spread of extremism: the Collaboratory Against
Hate, a center created by the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon
University.”

 

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