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Eye on Extremism
February 9, 2022
Reuters: Islamic State Likely To Pick Battle-Hardened Iraqi As Next Leader - Officials, Analysts
“The next leader of Islamic State is likely to be from a close circle of battle-hardened Iraqi jihadists who emerged in the aftermath of the 2003 U.S. invasion, two Iraqi security officials and three independent analysts said. The group of potential successors to Abu Ibrahim al-Quraishi, who blew himself up during a U.S. operation to capture him in Syria last week, includes one commander whom Washington and Baghdad declared killed last year, the Iraqi officials said. The death of Quraishi, 45, was another crushing blow to IS two years after the violent Sunni Muslim group lost longtime leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in a similar raid in 2019. Quraishi, an Iraqi, never publicly addressed his fighters or followers, avoided electronic communications and oversaw a move to fighting in small devolved units in response to intense pressure from Iraqi and U.S.-led forces. But those following Islamic State closely expect it to name a successor in coming weeks, as the group which imposed brutal rule over vast swathes of Iraq and Syria from 2014 to 2017 continues a stubborn and deadly insurgency in the Middle East.”
Associated Press: Grenade Attack At Bus Station In Pakistan Kills 1, Wounds 2
“Assailants threw a hand grenade at a bus station in volatile southwest Pakistan on Tuesday, killing a passerby and wounding two others, police said, in a sign of increasing violence in the region. The attack happened in Dera Murad Jamali, a town in Baluchistan province, said Aziz Baloch, an area police official. No group claimed responsibility for the attack. It came hours after Prime Minister Imran Khan visited another region in the province to assure his support for troops who came under attack in the Naushki and Panjgur districts last Wednesday. Nine soldiers and 20 assailants were killed in those twin attacks and subsequent clearing operations. The Baluchistan Liberation Army, a group designated terrorist by the U.S. in 2019, claimed responsibility. Baluchistan has witnessed a low-level insurgency by small groups who demand independence from the central government in Islamabad. Although authorities say they have quelled the insurgency, violence in province has persisted.”
United States
“The records were posted online by Unicorn Riot, a media collective known for reporting on extremist groups. Applicants with military backgrounds said they could offer skills like “Marine martial arts” and the ability to “clear rooms.” Leaked chat records and membership applications show roughly one in five people who applied to join the white supremacist group Patriot Front claimed to have current or former ties to the US military, according to documents published by Unicorn Riot and analyzed by the Southern Poverty Law Center. SPLC, a civil rights nonprofit that tracks hate groups, found that 18 of the 87 people who applied said they were either in the military or veterans, with a number highlighting skills picked up through the military. Applicants reportedly included a 21-year-old man claiming to be a former Marine and a current employee of the Department of Homeland Security, a man claiming to be a current Army reservist, and a veteran who said that he became a national socialist after listening to Alex Jones' 9/11 conspiracy theories. In January, activists from Unicorn Riot, a left-leaning media collective known for reporting on extremist groups, published more than 55,000 messages and files from the Patriot Front group.”
Iraq
Al Monitor: Iraq Keeps Wary Eye On Prison Security After Islamic State Jailbreak In Syria
“Iraq has stepped up monitoring of several of its prisons after hundreds of alleged Islamic State (IS) fighters escaped detention facilities in northeastern Syria in an attack on Jan. 20. The spokesman for the Iraqi commander-in-chief stated on Jan. 30 that units from the country’s Counterterrorism Services (CTS) had between Jan. 22 and Jan. 30 engaged in a “major campaign to inspect” prisons in several Iraq provinces. The prisons, he said, included ones in the cities of Baghdad, Nasiriyah, Basra, and Taji, as well as ones in the Babil and Nineveh provinces. Iraq holds tens of thousands of prisoners either convicted or accused of involvement in IS. It has been repeatedly been criticized for extreme overcrowding and poor conditions in many of its detention facilities. A few hours after the attack on the prison in northeastern Syria — which continued for about ten days and left hundreds dead and hundreds missing — an IS attack north of Baghdad in the Diyala province overran an outpost and killed the entire garrison: ten soldiers and an officer. The top leader of the international terrorist organization has always been an Iraqi national, including Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Quraishi, who reportedly blew himself up early Feb. 3 during a US Special Forces raid on his hideout in northwestern Syria. His successor has not yet been named.”
Afghanistan
The Guardian: Two Suspected British Islamic State Recruits Seized By Taliban At Border
“Two suspected Islamic State recruits, one of them carrying a British passport, were seized by the Taliban when they tried to slip into Afghanistan last autumn through its northern border, the Guardian can reveal. The men, who were carrying more than £10,000 in cash, military fatigues and night-vision goggles in their bags, were arrested after a tipoff from Uzbekistan, according to a Taliban source with knowledge of the operation. “There was one passport from England and one from another country in Europe,” said the source. He discussed the men’s capture at the border crossing of Hairatan on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to journalists. An Uzbek source said both men were using British passports when they flew into the Uzbek capital, Tashkent – it is not clear whether one also had a European passport that he used at the Afghan border, or whether the Taliban source was confused – and both had Afghan heritage. Their interception was a stark reminder that while the west was able to end its war in Afghanistan by withdrawing troops, there is no such simple resolution to the security threat posed by international terror groups that shelter inside its borders. Hundreds of Britons went to live under Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, but this is the first time UK citizens have been intercepted allegedly trying to join the group in Afghanistan, and the first reported case of attempted international recruitment to IS since the Taliban took power in the country.”
The National: US Centcom Nominee Urges 'Pragmatic' Co-Operation With Taliban In Anti-ISIS Fight
“President Joe Biden’s nominee to oversee US forces in the Middle East and Central Asia is floating the possibility of co-operating with the Taliban in certain instances to take out ISIS targets in Afghanistan. Lt Gen Erik Kurilla — who is the Biden administration's pick to head US Central Command, or Centcom — raised the idea during his nomination hearing before the Senate on Tuesday. “In my personal opinion, there are pragmatic instances where we could come together going after [ISIS-Khorasan] based on the threat to the homeland,” Lt Gen Kurilla said in response to a question from Angus King, an independent senator who votes with the Democrats. ISIS-K has stepped up attacks against Taliban targets in the months following the US withdrawal. Lt Gen Kurilla assessed that “over-the-horizon” counter-terrorism operations — strikes launched from another country or an aircraft carrier — in Afghanistan against ISIS and Al Qaeda targets are “difficult, but not impossible” after the US drawdown. Mr King noted that the US has not conducted a single strike in Afghanistan since the full US military withdrawal in August. The Biden administration has repeatedly assured Congress it will retain strike capabilities against ISIS and Al Qaeda targets using US assets based in the Gulf.”
Yemen
AFP: Dozens Killed As Fighting Rages Around Yemen City
“Dozens of Yemeni pro-government fighters have been killed in a new offensive to take a rebel-held city, loyalist sources said on Tuesday, following a surge in violence including missile attacks on the United Arab Emirates. Thirty-two soldiers have died and at least 100 have been wounded in three days of fighting to drive the Iran-backed rebels from Haradh, north of the capital Sanaa and near the Saudi border, the sources said. Yemen has been embroiled in a civil war between the government -- supported by a Saudi-led military coalition -- and the Iran-backed Huthis, who control much of the north, since 2014. The latest clashes come after the Huthi rebels, after suffering territorial defeats to UAE-trained troops, killed three oil workers in a series of drone and missile attacks on Abu Dhabi. Fighting was still raging around Haradh on Tuesday, the pro-government sources said, adding that the loyalists have besieged the area but are yet to seize the city.”
The National: US Plans To Target Houthi Launchers Before Attempted Strikes On UAE
“The US military commander in the Middle East is planning to target Houthi missiles and drones on the ground before they are fired towards the UAE. Lt Gen Kenneth McKenzie said the plan is part of a range of measures designed to protect the Emirates from the rebel group in Yemen. Speaking in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, the head of US Central Command (Centcom) said a squadron of F-22 Raptor fighter jets will arrive in the next week. “We're going to bring in a squadron of F-22 fighter jets, the best air superiority fighters in the world,” he told UAE state news agency Wam. “They will also work with their UAE partners to help defend the nation. We think this is just one friend helping another in a time of crisis.” Lt Gen McKenzie said the UAE's Terminal High Altitude Area Defence system (Thaad) had successfully intercepted two attempted strikes, and that the US is working to strengthen Emirati defences further. “I know that it sends a strong message of reassurance to everyone in UAE. We will continue to work with UAE to make that system even better in the future,” he said. Lt Gen McKenzie met Lt Gen Hamad Al Rumaithi, Chief of Staff of the UAE Armed Forces, on Tuesday. Last week, the Pentagon said it would send fighter jets and a guided missile warship after the recent attacks on the Emirates by the Houthi rebels in Yemen.”
Saudi Arabia
Asharq Al-Awsat: Saudi Govt Reiterates Kingdom's Firm Commitment To Combating Terrorism
“The Saudi government reiterated on Tuesday the Kingdom's firm commitment to combating terrorism. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz chaired the cabinet meeting that was held in person in Riyadh. The government highlighted the Kingdom's speech before the annual briefing of ambassadors of member states of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Office and during which it stressed its commitment to working with the agency in fighting terror. The ministers were briefed on the various talks and meetings Saudi officials held with their counterparts from around the world in the past week. Acting Media Minister Dr. Majed al-Qasabi said the cabinet reviewed various developments and international efforts exerted towards them for the sake of preserving regional security and peace. It highlighted the inaugural LEAP 2022 conference that was held in Riyadh last week. It reviewed the various initiatives and investments that were launched and that topped 6.4 billion dollars in value. The conference is the embodiment of the Kingdom's constant efforts to push forward the digital economy and bolster prosperity in the Middle East and North Africa.”
Middle East
Associated Press: Israeli Forces Kill 3 Suspected Militants In West Bank City
“Israel says security forces killed three Palestinian militants in the occupied West Bank city of Nablus on Tuesday who had been responsible for recent shooting attacks. The Shin Bet internal security agency initially said they were killed in a “clash,” but police later acknowledged that while the men had two assault rifles on them they did not fire them. “During the arrest, they tried to open fire and were neutralized,” the police said. Thousands marched through the street at their funeral, waving Palestinian and factional flags. Some fired guns into the air. The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, an armed group loosely tied to President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah Party, said the three are “heroic martyrs” and vowed revenge. In a statement, it identified them as Ashraf al-Mubaslat, Adham Mabrouk and Mohammed al-Dakhil, without giving their ages. Photos of the three men circulating online show them posing with assault rifles. The Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the occupied West Bank, condemned the shooting of the three men and called for an international investigation. Palestinians and rights groups often accuse Israel of using excessive force and of killing attackers who could have been safely detained. Israel says its forces strive to avoid unnecessary casualties but must make split-second decisions in dangerous situations.”
United Kingdom
The Irish Times: Lisa Smith Watched ‘Barbaric’ Isis Drowning Video Before Going To Syria
“Former soldier Lisa Smith watched a video of men being drowned in a cage by the Islamic State (Isis) and posted a message to a WhatsApp group saying: “Now I understand why they were drowned. I didn’t know the other half of the story,” the Special Criminal Court has heard. Ms Smith said during garda interviews that she meant she understood why the men were drowned but not that she agreed with it. She described the killings as “barbaric” and said the video made her feel “disgusted”. The 39-year-old from Dundalk, Co Louth has pleaded not guilty to membership of an unlawful terrorist group, Isis, between October 28th, 2015 and December 1st, 2019. She has also pleaded not guilty to financing terrorism by sending €800, via a Western Union transfer, to a named man on May 6th, 2015. Det Sgt Carrie O’Connor told prosecution counsel Seán Gillane SC that she interviewed Ms Smith at Kevin Street station on December 3rd, 2019. Ms Smith had been arrested on suspicion of Isis membership two days earlier at Dublin Airport after flying to Ireland from Syria, where she had travelled to join the Muslim caliphate about four years earlier. Det Sgt O’Connor agreed that gardaí put to Ms Smith a series of exchanges from June 24th, 2015 between the accused and others on a WhatsApp group.”
Europe
Politico: Belgian Anti-Terror Police Make 13 Arrests In Antwerp
“Belgian police arrested 13 suspected members of an Islamist terror group in an operation in Antwerp on Tuesday. The suspects were detained for spreading jihadist propaganda on social media, though police said it was unclear whether they had made concrete plans to launch an attack. Around 100 police officers were deployed at 13 different addresses during the raid. “These are people who are suspected of belonging to a Salafist movement. And so, in effect, this is an open case for terrorism,” a spokesperson for Belgium’s federal public prosecutor said. The investigation has been ongoing for “several months,” the spokesperson added. The 13 will appear before a judge in Antwerp within 48 hours, when a decision will be made on whether to proceed with the charges. “We do not place people under arrest without reason. If they are placed under arrest, it is because there are already elements in the file that deserve to be verified or further investigated,” the spokesperson said.”
Australia
“The threat of far-right extremism in Victoria will be examined by a parliamentary inquiry. The Greens motion was introduced at the end of last year and on Wednesday the Legal and Social Issues Committee formally approved the inquiry to go ahead. The inquiry will report by May 31 and its terms of reference include exploring the rise of far-right extremist movements in Victoria, their methods of recruitment and communication, how the pandemic has affected the growth of far-right extremism and the risks posed to Victorians. The links between far-right extremist groups, other forms of extremism, radical populist right and anti-vaccine misinformation groups will also be examined, along with steps needed to counter such groups. Victorian Greens leader Samantha Ratnam said her party has been worried about the rise of far-right extremist groups for years and that she herself has been a victim of their harassment and abuse. 'At the beginning of last year, we saw white supremacists openly gathering in regional Victoria,' she said in a statement. 'Throughout the pandemic, we've seen these groups play into the genuine fears and anxieties of Victorians in an attempt to mobilise and grow their movement.”
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