“The Taliban will officially recruit suicide bombers to become part of the army
as the militant group tries to contain its biggest security threat fro

 

 


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


January 6, 2022

  

Bloomberg: Taliban Adding Suicide Bombers To Army Ranks To Bolster Defenses
<[link removed]>

 

“The Taliban will officially recruit suicide bombers to become part of the
army as the militant group tries to contain its biggest security threat from
rival Islamic State since forming government in Afghanistan four months ago.
Before sweeping into power last year, the Taliban used suicide bombers as a key
weapon to attack and defeat U.S. and Afghan troops in the 20-year war. Now the
group wants to reform and organize the scattered squads of suicide bombers
across the country to operate under a single unit and protect Afghanistan, said
the Taliban’s deputy spokesman Bilal Karimi. Their main target now would be the
local offshoot of the Islamic State, which has carried out at least five major
attacks as the Taliban looked to consolidate power after the U.S. withdrew from
Afghanistan in August. Several of those attacks were carried out by suicide
bombers. “The special forces that include martyrdom seekers will be used for
more sophisticated and special operations,” Karimi said by phone, without
providing details. The militant group is building a “strong and organized army
to bolster defense” nationwide and at the borders with the suicide bombers
becoming a integral part of the strategy, Karimi added. Some 150,000 fighters
will be invited to join the military, Al Jazeera reported in November, citing
the Taliban’s chief of staff Qari Fasihuddin.”

 

The New York Times: How Many Americans Support Political Violence?
<[link removed]>

 

“As the anniversary of the storming of the U.S. Capitol arrives, we’re hearing
a lot about the number of Americans in general, and Republicans in particular,
who have embraced the use of violence to achieve their political goals. And, at
first blush, those numbers seem alarming: In February, a poll by the American
Enterprise Institute’s Survey Center on American Life found that nearly 40
percent of Republicans agreed that “if elected leaders will not protect
America, the people must do it themselves, even if it requires violent
actions.” In September, the Public Religion Research Institute found that 30
percent of Republicans agreed that, “Because things have gotten so far
off-track, true American patriots may have to resort to violence in order to
save our country.” In December, an AP-NORC poll found that majorities of
Democrats and independents called the events of Jan. 6 either “extremely” or
“very” violent. A plurality of Republicans surveyed — nearly 40 percent —
described the events as either “extremely” or “very” violent, while 29 percent
of Republicans rated the events of Jan. 6 either “not very violent” or “not
violent at all.” Few have explored this issue more deeply than Nathan Kalmoe
and Lilliana Mason, co-authors of the forthcoming book, “Radical American
Partisanship.”

 

United States

 

ABC News: On Jan. 6 Anniversary, Homeland Security Focused On Domestic Violent
Extremism
<[link removed]>

 

“Just days before the anniversary of the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6
attack at the United States Capitol, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro
Mayorkas said domestic violent extremism remains one of “the greatest terrorism
related threats” the country faces. A look at the days, events and
conversations leading up to Jan. 6, 2021, from the eyes of anti-government
groups, extremism experts and several ABC News correspondents who were at the
Capitol that day. “Over the past year, we in the Department of Homeland
Security have improved and strengthened our approach to combating this dynamic,
evolving threat,” Mayorkas told reporters at a briefing on Tuesday. He detailed
some of the steps the department has taken, such as convening conference calls
to discuss emerging threats and sharing intelligence bulletins of which he said
DHS has sent more than 80 on domestic violent extremists alone. At the same
time, he said there are no credible threats ahead of the Jan. 6 anniversary.
Those who attacked the Capitol last year included groups that align with the
department's definition of domestic violent extremism. Mayorkas said DHS is
“very focused” on the “lone-wolf actor,” something proving hard to stop, or a
“loose affiliation” of people to one group. “We are operating at a heightened
level of vigilance because we are at a heightened level of threat,” the
secretary said. “The threat of domestic violent extremists is a very grave one.”

 

NBC News: Far-Right Forums Thrive After Capitol Attack, But Stumble Over Trump
And Riot's Legacy
<[link removed]>

 

“One year after members of far-right groups rioted at the U.S. Capitol, the
online extremist forums that telegraphed the brutality of Jan. 6 are still home
to violent rhetoric.  But they also indicate a different reality: Disparate
groups that once united around a shared goal are now struggling to agree on
many issues, including what happened on Jan. 6 and how to interpret former
President Donald Trump’s support for Covid vaccines.  Calls for violence in
these online forums have become less specific, though experts warn they are
still cause for concern. A report to be released Thursday from Advance
Democracy, a nonpartisan nonprofit group that conducts public-interest research
and investigations, found that “while explicit calls for violence are no longer
as prolific, misinformation about election fraud and conspiracy theories about
the 2020 presidential election continue to be prominent” and that “a number of
users continue to use violent rhetoric.” It is a distinct shift from the days
leading up to Jan. 6, 2021, when users of TheDonald.Win, an extremist forum
that was relocated to an independent website after being banned from Reddit,
posted pictures of ammunition in their hotel rooms and maps of the tunnels
underneath the Capitol.”

 

Iran

 

The Washington Post: Iran-Backed Militants Probably Behind Attacks Targeting
U.S. Troops In Iraq And Syria, Pentagon Says
<[link removed]>

 

“A spate of attacks this week on bases housing U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria
were probably conducted by Iran-backed militias, the Pentagon said Wednesday,
stopping short of directly implicating Tehran. There is a “working level
assumption” that incidents every day this week, including rocket attacks and
incursions from explosives-laden drones, were coordinated by groups trained and
supplied by Iran, said Pentagon spokesman John Kirby. “The threat is growing,”
he told reporters, adding that the drone attacks in particular have become more
precise, though so far no Americans have been wounded this week. It’s unclear
what prompted the attacks, although commanders have been mindful, Kirby said,
that Monday marked the anniversary of a U.S. strike that killed a revered
Iranian general, Qasem Soleimani. A militant drone shot down in Baghdad the
same day had “Soleimani’s revenge” written on its wing, the Associated Press
reported, and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi demanded that former president
Donald Trump be “prosecuted and killed” for authorizing the attack. A rocket
barrage launched Wednesday in Baghdad and western Iraq targeted bases housing
U.S. troops but did not result in any casualties, defense officials said.”

 

Iraq

 

The National: Iraqi President Praises Suleimani For Fighting ISIS But Urges
National Unity
<[link removed]>

 

“Iraqi President Barham Salih on Wednesday praised assassinated Iranian
general Qassem Suleimani and Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi Al Muhandis for
their role in defeating ISIS but called for national unity to avoid repeating
the mistakes that allowed the terror group to overrun large areas of the
country. The two men played a vital role in the more than three-year gruelling
fight against ISIS between 2014 and late 2017 when the terror group overran
about a third of Iraq. They rallied thousands of volunteers into the
government-approved Popular Mobilisation Forces, an umbrella group that is made
up mainly of pro-Tehran influential Shiite militias. The militias played a
vital role in defending Baghdad and defeating ISIS. But they have strengthened
their hand in the years since the victory and still control large areas with
heavy weapons. Suleimani, who led the Quds Force, the foreign operations arm of
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and Al Muhandis, the founder of the
influential Iran-allied Kataib Hezbollah in Iraq, were killed in a US drone
attack near Baghdad international airport in January 2020. President Donald
Trump said at the time that Suleimani had planned imminent action against US
personnel in Iraq.”

 

Libya

 

Asharq Al-Awsat: France Says 300 Mercenaries Have Left Eastern Libya
<[link removed]>

 

“Some 300 foreign mercenaries have left eastern Libya, France's foreign
ministry said on Tuesday, hailing the start of a phased withdrawal of thousands
of foreign forces that have fought on both sides of the conflict in the North
African country. The move, initially announced in November by Libya's
eastern-backed forces, was intended to stimulate a UN-backed agreement struck
between the warring sides in the conflict through a joint military commission.
“This first withdrawal has taken place, which constitutes a positive first
signal after the Nov. 12 conference,” Foreign ministry spokeswoman Anne-Claire
Legendre said, referring to a Paris meeting that was aimed at breaking the
deadlock in Libya. “It must now be followed up with the implementation as
quickly as possible of a complete process for the withdrawal of mercenaries,
foreign fighters and foreign forces.” She did not say when the mercenaries had
left or where they were from. Diplomats have said the departing mercenaries
were from neighboring Chad. The withdrawal comes after efforts to lead Libya
into elections at the end of December were thrown into disarray when the
country's electoral commission said a vote could not take place, citing what it
called inadequacies in the electoral legislation and the judicial appeals
process.”

 

Nigeria

 

Voice Of America: Nigeria Brands Bandit Gangs 'Terrorists' In Bid To Curb
Violence
<[link removed]>

 

“Nigeria's government on Wednesday labeled heavily armed gangs blamed for mass
kidnappings as terrorists in a bid to deter violence in the country's
northwest. So-called criminal bandit gangs have long plagued Nigeria's
northwest and north-central states, raiding villages to loot and kidnap for
ransom, but violence has become more widespread. President Muhammadu Buhari's
government, battling jihadists in the northeast for more than a decade, had
been under pressure to do more to halt attacks from the criminal gangs. In the
official gazette published on Wednesday, the federal government labeled
activities of Yan Bindiga and Yan Ta'adda — references in the Hausa language to
bandit gunmen — “as acts of terrorism and illegality.” It referred to criminal
gangs who carry out mass kidnappings of schoolchildren, abduction for ransom,
cattle rustling and destruction of property, among other crimes. The definition
will mean tougher sanctions under Nigeria's Terrorism Prevention Act for
suspected bandit gunmen, their informants and supporters, such as those caught
supplying them with fuel and food. Nigerian daily newspapers often carry
stories about bandit raids on villages and communities, where they steal
cattle, kidnap families and terrorize residents. Security forces have announced
a crackdown, including air raids and a telecom shutdown in parts of the
country's northwest, as part of an attempt to flush criminal gangs from their
forest hideouts.”

 

Sahara Reporters: Breaking: Many Feared Killed As Boko Haram Fighters Ambush
Civilian JTF, Hunters In Yobe
<[link removed]>

 

“Many members of the Civilian Joint Task Force and hunters have been feared
killed after militants from the Islamic State-backed faction of Boko Haram, the
Islamic State West Africa Province, attacked Gujba Local Government Area of
Yobe State. SaharaReporters gathered that the terrorists, who came in no fewer
than 10 gun trucks, stormed the area on Wednesday morning. “ISWAP terrorists
earlier today ambushed some members of the Civilian JTF and hunters. I can’t
confirm the number of casualties now,” a military source said. Since the death
of Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, ISWAP has been consolidating its grip in
locations around Lake Chad. Just recently, it appointed Wali Sani Shuwaram, a
45-year-old man, as new Leader of ISWAP in Lake Chad. The sect’s membership has
swollen with the defection of hundreds of Boko Haram fighters under Shekau. The
Nigerian Army has repeatedly claimed that insurgency had been largely defeated
and frequently underplays any losses. The terror group has caused over 100,000
deaths and displaced millions of individuals mainly in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe
states.”

 

United Kingdom

 

The National: British MP Stephen Timms Open To Meeting Extremist Who Stabbed
Him
<[link removed]>

 

“An Islamist extremist who stabbed a former UK government minister more than
11 years ago has written to him to apologise. Roshonara Choudhry stabbed and
wounded opposition Labour politician Stephen Timms during a meeting in 2010,
saying it was in retaliation for him voting for war in Iraq. She is currently
serving a life sentence in prison. Since the attack, two British MPs have been
killed in their constituencies. Labour MP Jo Cox was shot and stabbed in 2016
by a right-wing extremist, while a ruling party MP, David Amess, was stabbed to
death last year. Mr Timms said that police had handed him three letters written
by Choudhry, with the last one containing an apology. “I've recently had three
letters from her which the police have given to me. I wasn't aware of their
existence until the police gave me all three of them,” Mr Timms told television
network GB News. “They were written over a period, I think. And in the third of
them she says she's sorry about what happened. So we're in a restorative
justice process at the moment which may lead to me meeting her at some point
before she's released from prison. “And I'd welcome that if that opportunity
does arise. We'll have to see whether it does or not.”

 

To Build Back Better, Build A Police Station | CAPX
<[link removed]>

 

“Events in the US following the murder of George Floyd are an object lesson in
what happens when policing is ripped out of communities. From Minnesota to
Seattle via San Francisco, the progressive fetish of slashing police numbers in
reprisal for bad law enforcement – both real and politically expedient – has
been disastrous for poor communities and businesses in particular. A quiet
reversal is in progress. Local legislators drunk on retribution have sobered up
in the face of near anarchy. Reality has dawned – public safety is an
inequality issue too, one on which all other prosperity (not to mention
political survival) rests. What’s this ideological volte-face got to do with
the Government’s long awaited White Paper on Levelling Up? Plenty. Five minutes
of research on the huge amount of open-source data available shows that in the
UK areas with the highest levels of social deprivation, in metrics ranging from
life expectancy to benefit take up, map onto areas with high levels of violent
crime and antisocial behaviour.”

 

Europe

 

Newsweek: A Year After 1/6, Ukraine's War Draws U.S. Far-Right To Fight
Russia, Train For Violence At Home
<[link removed]>

 

“A year after the deadly riot that ensued when mostly far-right protestors
descended on the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to overturn the presidential
election, white supremacists and other like-minded radicals see fertile ground
to recruit and train abroad in war-torn Ukraine. And with the Eastern European
country teetering on the brink of conflict with neighboring Russia, journalists
and researchers are concerned about the kind of combat experience that could
potentially be obtained by a strain of extremists branded by the FBI as the
most serious threat to the U.S. homeland. One journalist who tracked this
phenomenon in the lead-up to the events of 1/6 is Mariana van Zeller. In the
final months of 2020, she spoke with one of the leading neo-Nazi groups in the
U.S. and traveled to Ukraine to sit down with far-right figures there as part
of an upcoming episode seen exclusively ahead of time by Newsweek for the
National Geographic original series Trafficked, airing Wednesdays at 9 p.m.
ET/PT. Asked if she had identified a trend in which U.S. extremists were
joining counterparts in Ukraine to obtain battlefield experience, van Zeller
told Newsweek, “Yes, this was very much what we found in our investigation.”

 

Southeast Asia

 

Associated Press: Indonesian Prosecutors Seek Life For Bali Bombing Suspect
<[link removed]>

 

“Indonesian prosecutors on Wednesday demanded a life sentence for a top terror
suspect who eluded capture for 18 years and accused him of masterminding a
series of deadly attacks in the world’s most populous Muslim nation. Aris
Sumarsono, 58, whose real name is Arif Sunarso but is better known as
Zulkarnaen, sat impassively as the prosecution announced the sentencing demand
before a panel of three judges in East Jakarta District Court in a session that
was held remotely due to the coronavirus pandemic. Police and prosecutors say
Zulkarnaen is the former military commander of Jemaah Islamiyah, a Southeast
Asian militant group with ties to al-Qaida. The group is widely blamed for
attacks including the 2002 bombings on the Indonesian resort island of Bali
that killed 202 people, mostly foreign tourists, as well as attacks in the
Philippines. Zulkarnaen had eluded capture for 18 years after being named a
suspect in the October 2002 suicide bombings of Paddy’s Pub and the Sari Club
in Bali. He was arrested last year in Lampung, a province on the southern tip
of Sumatra. Police were tipped off to his hideout after interrogating several
suspected militants arrested in earlier raids. Zulkarnaen argued that he was a
leader of the network’s military wing but was not involved in the operation of
the Bali bombings, as he was focused on organizing his squad for sectarian
conflicts in Ambon and Poso and in the southern Philippines.”

 

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]>