“Two explosive-laden drones were shot down on Tuesday by Iraq's air defenses as
they approached the Ain al-Asad air base, which hosts U.S. forces, wes

 

 


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Eye on Extremism


January 5, 2022

  

Reuters: Drone Attack On U.S. Forces Foiled West Of Baghdad
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“Two explosive-laden drones were shot down on Tuesday by Iraq's air defenses
as they approached the Ain al-Asad air base, which hosts U.S. forces, west of
Baghdad, an official of the U.S.-led international military coalition said.
U.S. officials in recent weeks had warned that they expected an uptick in
attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria, in part because of the second
anniversary of the killing of top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani. A similar
attack was foiled on Monday, when Iraqi air defenses downed two drones as they
approached a base hosting U.S. forces near Baghdad's international airport.
Separately, another coalition official told Reuters that the coalition had
carried out strikes against an “imminent threat” after they saw several rocket
launch sites near the Green Village in Syria. While this official did not say
which country in the coalition carried out the strikes or who was responsible
for the launch sites, Iranian-backed militia forces have occasionally targeted
U.S. forces in both Iraq and Syria. In Washington, the Pentagon said the
coalition strikes in Syria were not carried out by aircraft, but did not
provide more details on the threat.”

 

The National: Sweden Charges Woman With Allowing Son To Fight For ISIS
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“Sweden has charged a woman for allegedly allowing her son to fight for ISIS
as a child soldier in Syria, prosecutors said Tuesday, in the first such case.
The Swedish woman reportedly travelled to Syria in 2013, Sweden's prosecution
authority said, a year before the group declared a “caliphate” in large parts
of the country and neighbouring Iraq. The 49-year-old stands accused of having
allowed her son to fight for armed groups, including ISIS, from the age of 12
to 15. “The woman is being charged for having made possible that he be
recruited and used as a child soldier” from August 2013 to May 2016, it said in
a statement. During that time, he allegedly took part “in hostilities performed
by armed groups, including the terrorist organisation ISIS”. The boy died in
2017, the statement added, without elaborating on the cause of his death. “This
is the first time charges are being brought in Sweden for the war crime of
using a child soldier,” the prosecution authority said. The woman, who returned
to Sweden in 2020 after the military defeat of the ISIS proto-state, has denied
all charges. But public prosecutor Reena Devgun said an investigation seemed to
indicate otherwise. It showed that “the son, during the time he lived at home,
was educated and trained to partake in the hostilities, and that he had been
equipped with military equipment in addition to military weapons and that he
was used in battle”, she said in a statement.”

 

United States

 

USA Today: DHS Chief Says Domestic Extremist Threat 'Very Grave,' But No
Specific Intel For Jan. 6 Anniversary
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“The nation's top homeland security official said Tuesday that violent
domestic extremists remain a “very grave” threat to the country, but there are
no specific warnings associated with the anniversary of the Jan. 6 Capitol
attack. “We are not aware of any specific, credible threats at this point
related to Jan. 6, 2022,” Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro
Mayorkas told reporters on a conference call. “But at the same time we are
operating at a heightened level of vigilance because we are at a heightened
level of threat. The threat of domestic violent extremists is a very grave.”
DHS came under fire in the wake of the Jan. 6 attack for failing to issue
warnings about the potential for violence, despite prolific online threats.
Mayorkas, who took office in February, acknowledged the criticism and said the
department had since enhanced its ability to prevent, detect and respond to
threats from domestic violent extremism. “Over the past year, we ... have
improved and strengthened our approach to combatting this dynamic, evolving
threat,” Mayorkas said. Mayorkas said individual extremists or loosely
organized groups using encrypted apps on social media is what makes the threat
difficult to combat.”

 

Politico: Why DOJ Is Avoiding Domestic Terrorism Sentences For Jan. 6
Defendants
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“The storming of the Capitol on Jan. 6 has been denounced by the White House,
the FBI and the Justice Department as an act of domestic terrorism, but one
year after the insurrection, prosecutors have yet to ask judges to impose the
harsher sentences federal law recommends for defendants motivated by politics.
Instead, even as some judges have publicly debated whether the charges against
Jan. 6 defendants qualify as “crimes of terrorism,” prosecutors have repeatedly
pulled back on tougher sentences, citing unspecified “facts and circumstances.”
The so-called sentencing enhancement for terrorism crimes was created as a
result of legislation Congress passed following the 1993 bombing in a parking
garage at the World Trade Center. The provision initially applied only to
crimes linked to international terrorism, but after the bombing of the Oklahoma
City federal building in 1995, Congress moved to expand the enhancement to
cover terrorism inspired purely by domestic causes. The terrorism-related
language now includes federal criminal offenses “calculated to influence or
affect the conduct of government by intimidation or coercion, or to retaliate
against government conduct.” In front of judges and in court filings, the
Justice Department is engaged in a delicate rhetorical dance on the domestic
terrorism issue.”

 

The Denver Post: Denver Gunman Showed “Concerning Indicators,” Participated In
Hate-Filled Online Space, Extremism Experts Say
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“The Colorado gunman who killed five people and injured two more in a planned
attack last week across several locations in metro Denver participated in
extremist circles online and expressed concerning beliefs before killing,
according to two extremism experts who’ve been studying his online presence.
The gunman’s writings are blatantly misogynistic and racist and often focus on
violence, the extremism experts said. His books and online writing glorify
violence, decry an alleged attack on white masculinity and advocate for a
return to unequal gender roles. On Twitter, he wrote that aggressive white men
are being made irrelevant and that “war is coming.” In another tweet, he wrote
that “a generation of defective men” had been programmed to be passive and
gentle — traits he said belonged to women — and that the feminine traits made
them “passive eunuch slaves.” He wrote angrily that laws, social norms and law
enforcement protected the weak from the strong. “I’m over it,” he wrote in
2020. “The weak better buckle up… (expletive) is about to get real.” “While we
can’t necessarily pinpoint any extremist ideology or groups he was with, he was
in a generally extreme, right-wing space,” said Jessica Reaves, editorial
director for the Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism.”

 

Syria

 

Voice Of America: Analysts: Islamic State Poised For More Attacks In Syria In
2022
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“Experts say that militants linked to the Islamic State terror group appear to
be planning more deadly attacks in Syria this year. The assessment comes after
an increase in IS activities in recent weeks, including two strikes claimed by
the group against its foes in the war-torn country's eastern and central
regions. Late Sunday, five Syrian government soldiers were killed, and 20
others wounded when IS militants attacked their military bus on a highway in
Syria’s desert region, the state-run SANA news agency reported on Monday. IS,
also known as ISIS or Daesh, reportedly used missile artillery in the strike
that targeted the Syrian military convoy. On the same day, the extremist group
claimed responsibility for an attack on a checkpoint controlled by the
U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces in the eastern province of Deir al-Zour.
An SDF official confirmed the attack to local media but said there were no
casualties on their side. “This could be a slow buildup” for the militant group
in the coming months, Colin Clarke, senior research fellow at the New
York-based Soufan Center, told VOA. IS “is a group that is highly
opportunistic. They're going to look to exploit the missteps and mistakes of
other governments in the region,” he said. Despite losing nearly all the land
they once controlled, IS militants continue to launch massive attacks against
their opponents in Syria and Iraq.”

 

Pakistan

 

BOL News: Terrorist Attacks In Pakistan Saw 42% Increase In 2021: Report
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“Pakistan witnessed 42 per cent increase in terrorist attacks in 2021 compared
to the previous year as the developments in Afghanistan had already started
influencing its militant landscape and security. A total of 207 reported
incursions in the year claimed 335 lives, an increase of 52 per cent from those
killed in such attacks in 2020, and left 555 people injured. These statistics
were revealed in ‘Pakistan Security Report 2021′ by Pak Institute for Peace
Studies (PIPS). The report provides comprehensive data on violent incidents,
comparative analysis of various security variables, the changing targets and
tactics of militants, and the nature of state responses. The report said 2021
was the first time since 2013 that the number of terrorist attacks posted an
upsurge or reversal, in a gradually declining trend. Those 335 killed in
terrorist attacks included 177 security personnel, 126 civilians, and 32
militants. Similarly, as many as 66 per cent of attacks targeted security
personnel, their vehicles, and checkpoints across Pakistan. The report also
noted that despite repeated promises of not allowing any element to use the
Afghan soil against Pakistan, the Afghan Taliban have yet not seriously
considered acting against or influencing the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in
support of Pakistani concerns, except having facilitated the talks between
Pakistani government and the banned organisation which have also not reaped any
results yet.”

 

Yemen

 

Arab News: Saudi Arabia Launches Forum For Confronting Houthi Terrorism And
Extremism In Yemen <[link removed]>

 

“Authorities in Saudi Arabia have unveiled a forum for Yemeni scholars and
advocates that aims to assist efforts to combat terrorism in the war-torn
country. At the launch of the “Yemen and the Kingdom in confronting Iranian
Houthi Terrorism and Extremism” forum in Riyadh, Minister of Islamic Affairs
Sheikh Abdullatif Al-Asheikh affirmed the support of his country, under the
leadership of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, for the Yemeni
people. He said Yemeni scholars play an important role to play in the
challenges facing the country and a responsibility to their countrymen and
women to help achieve security and stability. Yemen has been engulfed in a
civil war since 2014 between the internationally recognized Yemeni government,
backed by a Saudi-led Arab coalition, and the Iran-backed Houthi militia.
According to the UN, 24.1 million people in Yemen, 80 percent of the
population, are in need of humanitarian aid and protection amid “the largest
humanitarian crisis in the world.” Al-Asheikh said his ministry is keen to
support the efforts of Yemeni scholars to convey their advocacy, scientific and
intellectual messages, and the dangers of the Iranian-backed Houthi militia to
the Islamic faith and identity. He called for the coordination and redoubling
of efforts in Yemen to save the people of the country from losing their
identity.”

 

Somalia

 

The East African: Terror Groups In Somalia Scale Up Attacks, Keep Neighbouring
States On Edge
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“Splinter terror groups continue to pose a significant terrorist threat in the
region despite shared efforts by different partners to combat the group. From
al Shabaab to Islamic State and Allied Democratic Forces, all regional
countries have this year borne the brunt of terror organisations that have
managed to launch attacks, killing scores of civilians. Terror groups carry out
frequent attacks in Somalia with the aim of overthrowing the government. Kenya
has not been being spared, with its shared border with Somalia allowing the
militants and its local sympathisers a field day, attacking at will. According
to data from the Strategic Intelligence Services, there were more than 100
attacks in Somalia by al-Shabaab in 2021, with Kenya witnessing 23 mostly
targeting border counties of Wajir, Mandera and Lamu. A major one on June 15
left 10 people dead and 20 wounded in a Somali Army training camp run jointly
by Turkish and local forces. The year’s deadliest happened on June 26 where an
estimated 30 people died in a town in the country’s semi-autonomous state of
Galmudug. The insurgents used car bombs in the assault on a military base in
Wisil town, in central Somalia, triggering a fight with government troops and
armed locals.”

 

France

 

Reuters: France Opens Terrorism Probe Over Rally Team Blast In Saudi
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“French prosecutors said on Tuesday they had opened a terrorism investigation
into an explosion that went off under a French vehicle involved in the Dakar
rally in Saudi Arabia. The blast, which seriously injured one of the rally
competitors, hit a support vehicle belonging to the French team Sodicars soon
after it left its hotel in the Saudi city of Jeddah for the race route,
according to accounts from the team and race organisers. Five team members were
in the vehicle at the time and one of them - driver Philippe Boutron -
sustained serious leg injuries. French newspaper L'Equipe quoted a team-mate as
saying the blast ripped through the floor of the vehicle, which then caught
fire. Race director David Castera told L'Equipe that the two-week race will
continue, and that he had asked Saudi authorities to assign more police to
protect the rally. “There's a big police presence,” he was quoted as saying.
Boutron has now been med-evacced to France and is in a medically-induced coma
at the Percy Military Hospital, near Paris, with his family at his bedside, his
team said in a statement. News of the blast emerged at the weekend, but at the
time rally organisers and the sports governing body said there was no
explanation for what had happened.”

 

Europe

 

The New York Times: Changing Brussels Neighborhood Tries To Leave Stigma Of
Terrorism Behind
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“With children’s drawings and colorful posters now adorning the walls and
windows, it was easy to forget the notorious past of the red brick building,
whose history still haunts a working-class Brussels neighborhood. On a recent
morning, in a former bar converted into a community center, Assetou Elabo was
arranging tables for students who would soon join her for homework tutoring. A
few years earlier, the bar’s owner had let drug trafficking proliferate on the
site. With patrons, he would watch videos from the Islamic State. And in the
basement of the bar, Les Béguines, he would chat online with a friend who had
joined the terrorist group in Syria. Then in November 2015, he detonated his
explosive vest as part of a series of attacks in and around Paris. For many,
the bar epitomized all that had gone wrong in Molenbeek, the neighborhood of
nearly 100,000 people that was home to 7 of the 20 terrorists who killed 130
people in France that November and 32 more in Brussels four months later. But
if the bar symbolized what Molenbeek had been, the community center shows what
the neighborhood is trying to become. Since being opened by local residents in
2018, the center has been dedicated to helping children, students looking for
jobs and people with disabilities. Although the neighborhood remains
predominantly Muslim, it is more diverse than usually portrayed, with newcomers
changing its composition in recent years.”

 

Southeast Asia

 

Associated Press: Suspected Militant Accused Of Beheadings Killed In Indonesia
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“Indonesian security forces killed a suspected militant accused of beheadings
in a shootout Tuesday in a sweeping counterterrorism campaign against
extremists in remote mountain jungles, police said. Provincial police chief
Rudy Sufahriadi said Ahmad Gazali, 27, also known as Ahmad Panjang, a key
member of the East Indonesia Mujahideen network, was fatally shot by a joint
team of military and police officers near Uempasa hamlet in Central Sulawesi
province’s mountainous Parigi Moutong district. It borders Poso district, an
extremist hotbed in the province. The East Indonesia Mujahideen has claimed
responsibility for the killings of police officers and minority Christians,
some by beheading. It has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group. Police
have said Gazali conducted several of the group’s executions, including the
beheadings of four Christian farmers last May. The joint team was patrolling
the area when it came upon two militants in a camp, Sufahriadi said at a news
conference. He said the second militant escaped into the jungle. Tuesday’s
shootout occurred four months after security forces killed two militants in
another jungle shootout including Ali Kalora, the group’s leader, who was one
of the country’s most wanted militants.”

 

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