“The Justice Department is creating a unit to fight domestic terrorism at a
time when the threat of violent extremism has increased, a top official sa

 

 


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Eye on Extremism


January 12, 2022

  

The New York Times: Justice Dept. Forms Domestic Terrorism Unit
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“The Justice Department is creating a unit to fight domestic terrorism at a
time when the threat of violent extremism has increased, a top official said on
Tuesday. The number of F.B.I. investigations of suspects accused of domestic
extremism has more than doubled since the spring of 2020, the head of the
department’s national security division, Matthew G. Olsen, said in testimony
before the Senate Judiciary Committee. The national security division has a
counterterrorism team, Mr. Olsen added, but a group of lawyers will now be
dedicated to the domestic threat and ensure that cases will be “handled
properly and effectively coordinated” across the agency and federal law
enforcement. The move is in keeping with Attorney General Merrick B. Garland’s
vow to prioritize combating domestic extremism. It comes as the Justice
Department investigates the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, an assault that
underscores the resurgence of domestic extremism driven in part by the baseless
perception that the 2020 election was marred by election fraud. Last year, the
Biden administration unveiled a national strategy to tackle domestic extremism,
which called for preventing recruitment by extremist groups and bolstering
information sharing across law enforcement.”

 

Reuters: Eight Soldiers In Burkina Faso Arrested For Alleged Plot
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“Eight soldiers in Burkina Faso were arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of
conspiring against the government, the military prosecutor's office said. One
of the alleged plotters tipped off the authorities on Saturday to an alleged
“plan to destabilise the institutions of the republic”, the prosecutor's office
said in a statement. An investigation is under way and the soldiers have been
questioned, it said. Governments in West and Central Africa are on high alert
for coups after successful putsches over the past 18 months in Mali and Guinea.
The military also took over in Chad last year after president Idriss Deby died
on the battlefield. Neighbouring governments have imposed heavy sanctions on
the military rulers in Guinea and Mali in an effort to head off any contagion
effect in a region once known as Africa's “coup belt”. Burkina Faso appears to
be especially vulnerable. Rising violence by Islamist militants linked to al
Qaeda and Islamic State killed hundreds of soldiers and civilians last year,
prompting violent street protests in November calling for President Roch Kabore
to step down. The Burkinabe government at the time suspended mobile internet
service for over a week, and the tense situation led the United Nations'
special envoy to West Africa to warn against any military takeover.”

 

United States

 

Associated Press: Supreme Court Denies Appeal Of Regretful Islamic State Bride
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“The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to hear the appeal of a woman who left
home in Alabama to join the Islamic State terror group, but then decided she
wanted to return to the United States. The justices declined without comment on
Monday to consider the appeal of Hoda Muthana, who was born in New Jersey in
October 1994 to a diplomat from Yemen and grew up in Alabama near Birmingham.
Muthana left the U.S. to join the Islamic State in 2014, apparently after
becoming radicalized online. While she was overseas the government determined
she was not a U.S. citizen and revoked her passport, citing her father's status
as a diplomat at the time of her birth. Her family sued to enable her return to
the United States. A federal judge ruled in 2019 that the U.S. government
correctly determined Muthana wasn't a U.S. citizen despite her birth in the
country. Children of diplomats aren't entitled to birthright citizenship. The
family’s lawyers appealed, arguing that her father’s status as a diplomat
assigned to the U.N. had ended before her birth, making her automatically a
citizen. Muthana surrendered to U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces as Islamic
State fighters were losing the last of their self-declared caliphate in Iraq
and Syria and going to refugee camps.”

 

The New York Times: Biden Administration Approves 5 More Guantánamo Releases
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“A U.S. government review panel has approved the release of five men who have
been held for years without charge at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, according to a
flurry of decisions released by the Pentagon on Tuesday, but they are unlikely
to be freed soon as the Biden administration works to find nations to take
them. The disclosure came on the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the
wartime prison, and President Barack Obama’s last special envoy on the task,
Lee Wolosky, used the occasion to urge the White House to shut down the
operation. “Our longest war has ended, yet Guantánamo endures,” Mr. Wolosky
wrote in a guest column in Politico. “If these detainees had been white and not
brown or Black, is there any realistic chance the United States — a country
committed to the rule of law — would imprison them without charge for decades?
I don’t think so.” Those recommended for transfer included three Yemenis, Moath
al-Alwi, Zuhail al-Sharabi and Omar al-Rammah, and a Kenyan, Mohammed Abdul
Malik Bajabu. All are in their 40s. None of them were ever charged with war
crimes and instead were held as “law of war” detainees, the U.S. term for
prisoners of the war on terrorism.”

 

Afghanistan

 

BBC News: Afghanistan Crisis: Taliban Expands 'Food For Work' Programme
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“The Taliban has said it is expanding its “food for work” programme, in which
donated wheat is used to pay tens of thousands of public sector workers. It
comes as the United Nations (UN) has appealed for $4.4bn (£3.2bn) in
humanitarian aid for Afghanistan. The UN says the funds are needed this year as
more than half the country's population is in need. Afghanistan's economic and
humanitarian crisis has deepened since the Taliban took control in August. The
Taliban's latest announcement underlined the financial crisis engulfing the
country. It could also raise questions among donors over the Taliban using
humanitarian aid to fund their government, even as strict rules remain in place
over money going into Afghanistan. Still, some humanitarian aid has continued
after the Taliban takeover as foreign governments attempt to prevent millions
of people from starving. However, the aid is meant to bypass the Afghan
government and is mostly distributed by international organisations. Now, wheat
which was mostly donated by India to the previous US-backed Afghan government
is being used by the Taliban to pay around 40,000 workers 10kg of wheat a day,
the country's agriculture officials said.”

 

Foreign Policy: ‘You’re Very Vulnerable’: Afghan Diplomats Fear Violent
Taliban Reprisals
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“The Taliban have begun more aggressively to replace Afghanistan’s exiled
diplomats who have resisted the militant group’s rule, current and former
Afghan officials told Foreign Policy, using surprise diplomatic appointments
and the threat of violence as a first step toward seeking wider political
recognition. In the past several weeks, the Taliban have named new acting
diplomats to lead Afghanistan’s embassies in Iran and China. While it’s not
clear whether either host country approved the moves, they represent a possible
warming of relations between the Taliban and countries outside of America’s
orbit. The moves also shed light on the Taliban’s strategy of trying to quietly
replace Afghan diplomats abroad with loyalists, even if foreign countries
refuse to formally recognize Taliban rule in Afghanistan. On Monday,
Afghanistan’s top diplomat in China, Javid Ahmad Qaem, announced his
resignation with a detailed note that hinted at deep-seated personal and
professional frustrations. The Taliban had sought to undermine Qaem by tapping
their own replacement, another former Afghan diplomat, Mahyuddin Sadat, as the
embassy’s first secretary. Just a few weeks earlier, the Taliban engineered a
power grab over the embassy in Iran, reappointing Abdul Qayyum Sulaimani, a
former diplomat, as charges d’affaires, making him acting ambassador in Tehran
in December 2021.”

 

Pakistan

 

Al Jazeera: Senior Pakistani Taliban Leader Killed In Afghanistan: Official
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“A senior leader of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (Pakistan Taliban or TTP)
has been killed in eastern Afghanistan, Pakistani security officials say, as a
peace talks process between the armed group and the government remain stalled.
Khalid Balti, also known by the nom de guerre Muhammad Khorasani when he served
as the spokesperson of the group, was killed in Nangarhar province, a security
source told Al Jazeera on Tuesday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity
because he was not authorised to speak to the media on the issue. “It is clear
that the person who was killed is Khalid Balti,” said the official, while also
confirming the killing took place in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province, along
the border with Pakistan. When asked about the circumstances of the killing, he
said, “We are trying to get that information.” Local media in Pakistan reported
that Balti had been shot dead by unidentified gunmen, but the source was unable
to confirm those reports. In a statement, the Pakistani Taliban, said that
“investigations were ongoing” into the reports that Balti had been killed. “It
should be remembered that Mufti Khalid Balti did not currently have any
responsibilities in [the Pakistan Taliban],” the statement said.”

 

Mali

 

The National: Terrorism A ‘Critical’ Threat To Mali, Says UAE Envoy
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“The UAE envoy to the UN on Tuesday said terrorism was a “critical” threat to
Mali and called for a comprehensive approach to tackling armed extremists in
the turbulent West African country. Addressing the Security Council, Lana
Nusseibeh lauded the work of the G5 Sahel force, an anti-extremist alliance
that includes units from the armies of Chad, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and
Mauritania. “Terrorist groups in the country continue to expand their presence
and operations despite efforts to counter them,” Ms Nusseibeh told the
15-nation body in New York. “We highlight the importance of a comprehensive and
integrated approach to counter-terrorism that addresses its root causes and
builds the resilience of Malians.” Ms Nusseibeh also stressed the importance of
bolstering law and order, economic development and tackling climate change in
the region, which has been struck by drought and desertification. “The UAE
attaches great importance to addressing climate change, and its impact on
international peace and security,” said Ms Nusseibeh. She also called for more
aid programmes offering “food and water security”. Mali has struggled to quell
a brutal extremist insurgency that first emerged in the north of the country in
2012, before spreading to central regions and to nearby Burkina Faso and Niger.”

 

Africa

 

The Defense Post: Four Soldiers Killed In Burkina Faso Attack
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“At least four soldiers were killed Tuesday in an attack blamed on jihadists
in northern Burkina Faso, security sources said. The “terrorists” targeted a
military detachment between Markoye and Tokabangou, near the border with Niger,
one of the sources told AFP, using the army’s term for jihadists. Another said
the army counter-attacked, repelling the assailants and killing “some” of them.
He added that more soldiers may have died in the clash. He said a “search and
sweep operation” was under way to “hunt down the assailants and search for
(soldiers) who are still missing.” Markoye, in Oudalan province, is in the
heart of the so-called tri-border area — a flashpoint zone where the frontiers
of Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali converge that is a hotbed of groups linked to
Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group. Last week at least 13 civilians including
two volunteers working for the army’s anti-jihadist campaign were killed in
northern Burkina Faso, a poor, landlocked former French colony. Such attacks
have claimed more than 2,000 lives and forced more than 1.5 million people to
flee their homes since 2015.”

 

Al Jazeera: South Africa Parliament Fire Suspect Charged With ‘Terrorism’
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“A South African court has charged a man suspected of starting a devastating
fire that gutted South Africa’s parliament with “terrorism”, adding to robbery
and arson accusations, as he made his second appearance in court on Tuesday.
Zandile Christmas Mafe, 49, was arrested near the parliament complex after the
fire broke out on January 2 and appeared in court three days later. He was
initially charged with breaking into parliament, arson and intention to steal
property, including laptops, crockery and documents, before the new terrorism
charge was added on Tuesday. A new charge said the “accused is guilty of the
offence of contravening the provisions of … the protection of constitutional
democracy against terrorist and related activities”, according to a court
document. The prosecution spokesman Eric Ntabazalila told reporters during a
court recess that “we have added a sixth charge … the accused detonated a
device inside parliament”. The blaze broke out in the Cape Town complex before
dawn on January 2, spreading to the National Assembly, the roof of which
collapsed. Protesters outside the court building demanded his release saying he
was a scapegoat. Defence lawyer Dali Mpofu said that Mafe was last week “taken
for mental observation on January 3” and diagnosed with “paranoid
schizophrenia.”

 

United Kingdom

 

BBC: Fishmongers' Hall: University Of Cambridge Project Halted After Attack
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“…But a senior adviser for the Counter Extremism Project, Prof Ian Acheson,
said the "total failure" of Cambridge University and its subsidiary to put in
place any system of risk assessment and to discharge its duty of care to its
volunteers was "the plainest case of negligence". Prof Acheson, a former prison
officer, also criticised the lack of positive rehabilitation outcomes of the
programme, which was awarded £250,000 of public funds as well as funding from
Cambridge University. "This was a totally reckless programme that didn't
achieve anything, as far as I can see, for the people who were on the
programme," he said. "Part of the problem here was a mixture of incompetence,
naivety and hubris." He described the Learning Together programme as a "vanity
project that went disastrously wrong, resulting in the completely preventable
deaths of two students".”

 

The National: ‘Extremist Encouraged Terrorism’ With Sword Speech At UK Mosque
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“A man made a stabbing gesture as he called for death “by sword” when
addressing people at a busy mosque in an English coastal city, a court in
London heard. The trial opened on Tuesday of Abubaker Deghayes, 53, who is
accused of encouraging terrorism at the Brighton Mosque and Muslim Community
Centre. The case against Mr Deghayes was outlined by prosecutor Ben Lloyd. He
told London’s Central Criminal Court that about 50 people, including children
and young adults, were present when Mr Deghayes stood up after evening prayers
on Sunday, November 1, 2020. In a video of the speech played to the jury, Mr
Deghayes said: “Whose power is more powerful than us? Allah is more powerful
than you. You, idiots. You kuffar [non-believers]. The non-believer is an
idiot. He’s stupid.” Mr Deghayes said attacks would remain compulsory “until
the Day of Resurrection”. Mr Lloyd said the speech was not delivered
“innocently or naively”. “The prosecution case is clear. By the defendant's
words and gestures he was encouraging people to undertake violent jihad,” he
said. “The defendant’s speech demonstrates him to be an Islamic extremist. He
is someone who believes in the use of violence in the cause of Islam.”

 

Daily Mail: Female Irish Soldier 'Who Joined ISIS And Financed Terror' Fights
To Get Terrorism Charges Against Her Thrown Out
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“A former member of the Defence Forces is seeking to have charges of being a
member of Islamic State and financing terrorism dropped at the Special Criminal
Court. Lawyers for Louth woman Lisa Smith, 39, have made an application for the
case against her to be dismissed. It is expected that they will argue there is
not sufficient evidence to convict their client on any of the charges. The case
received widespread attention in 2019 when it emerged that Smith, a former Air
Corps soldier who had worked on the Government jet, had been detained in Syria
over alleged links to IS. Smith was arrested at Dublin Airport in 2019 on
suspicion of terrorist offences after returning from Turkey in November with
her young daughter. She had travelled to Syria a number of years ago after she
converted to Islam. Smith is charged under Section Six of the Criminal Justice
(Terrorist Offences) Act 2005 which makes it an offence to join a foreign
unlawful organisation. It is alleged that between October 28, 2015 and December
1 2019 at a location outside the State, she was a member of a terrorist group
styling itself as the Islamic State. She has also been accused of financing
terrorism, by sending 800 euro in assistance by Western Union money transfer to
a named individual in 2015.”

 

Europe

 

Daily Mail: Italian Far-Right Extremist's Funeral With Nazi Flag Coffin And
Fascist-Saluting Mourners Sparks Fury Among Catholic And Jewish Leaders In Rome
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“Italian Catholic and Jewish leaders today condemned outrageous scenes in
which people gave Nazi salutes and draped a swastika on the coffin at a
right-wing extremist's funeral in Rome. The Italian capital's Catholic
archdiocese said in a statement that priests at the parish of St. Lucia in a
central Rome neighbourhood, including the one who presided at the funeral rite,
had no warning of yesterday's antics at the church. Pictures which first
emerged on the Italian news portal Open showed the coffin bearing the body of
Alessia Augello, a former member of the right-wing extremist group Forza Nuova,
covered by the infamous swastika symbol as it was carried out of the church.
The 44-year-old former militant of Forza Nuova, who was also known as
'Tungsty', died over the weekend of a blood clot according to Italian media. 
Forza Nuova is an ultra-right neo-fascist party created in 1997, whose
manifesto includes banning abortion, halting immigration, and repealing laws
punishing incitement to hatred.”

 

Southeast Asia

 

Al Jazeera: One Child Killed, Six Wounded In Philippines Bus Bombing
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“A child has been killed and six others wounded after a bomb exploded on a
public bus in the rebellion-plagued southern Philippines. Police said the
explosion took place on Tuesday as the bus was travelling along a highway near
Cotabato City on Mindanao island, a haven for multiple armed groups ranging
from communist rebels to religious fighters. The bomb was “inside the bus, at
the end part … where there were a lot of people sitting”, according to Randy
Hampac, police spokesman in Aleosan town. A five-year-old boy died in the blast
that shattered the back windows, Hampac said. The wounded included a
five-month-old baby and a three-year-old child. A police report said one of the
victims saw a male passenger leave “baggage” on the bus when he disembarked and
it later exploded. Regional military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel John Baldomar
said no group had admitted carrying out the “presumed attack”. Attacks on
buses, Catholic churches and public markets have been a feature of decades-long
unrest in the region. Manila signed a peace pact with the nation’s largest
rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, in 2014, ending their deadly
armed rebellion. But smaller bands of fighters opposed to the peace deal
remain, including fighters professing allegiance to the ISIL (ISIS) group.
Communist rebels also operate in the region.”

 

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