Eye on Extremism
November 13, 2019
The
New York Times: ISIS Leader Al-Baghdadi May Have Had U.S. Hostage
Executed, Witness Says
“After the Islamic State declared that Kayla Mueller, a 26-year-old
humanitarian worker from Arizona it was holding hostage, was killed in
an airstrike in Syria in 2015, her parents became increasingly
frustrated with the government’s slow hunt for answers about her death
and turned to a former F.B.I. agent for help. Now, he has unearthed a
clue: Ms. Mueller may have been executed on the orders of Abu Bakr
al-Baghdadi, the slain Islamic State leader, not in a Jordanian
airstrike as the Islamic State long claimed. ISIS operatives killed
Ms. Mueller because she knew the identities of Mr. al-Baghdadi and of
Abu Muhammad al-Adnani, the group’s spokesman at the time who was
believed to be the second-in-command, and could be a security risk for
them, according to Umm Sayyaf, the wife of a close al-Baghdadi
associate. She was interviewed by the former F.B.I. agent working with
the Mueller family, Ali Soufan. Ms. Mueller, whom Mr. al-Baghdadi
raped repeatedly, was moved from location to location in the final
months of her life, Umm Sayyaf said. At one point, Ms. Mueller was
moved because the oldest of Mr. al-Baghdadi’s multiple wives assaulted
Ms. Mueller, breaking a watch that Mr. al-Baghdadi had given Ms.
Mueller as a Ramadan gift and kicking her out of the
home.”
The
Guardian: American Isis Suspect Stuck On Border 'Not Our Problem',
Says Erdoğan
“An alleged American member of Islamic State, stranded for a second
day on the border between Greece and Turkey after Turkey expelled him,
is “not our problem”, the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has
said. The man, named by the Turkish news agency Demiroren as Muhammed
Darwis B, is believed to be a US citizen of Jordanian descent. He was
deported on Monday as part of Turkey’s controversial new policy to
deport foreign jihadists in its custody. A Turkish official told AFP
that he had refused to be returned to the US and instead asked to be
sent to Greece. Athens said he was refused entry when he tried to
cross the no man’s land between the two countries to the Greek town of
Kastanies. He is reported to have spent the night outside and
witnesses said he has been trying to shout to reporters on the Turkish
side of the border. Asked to comment on the reports on Tuesday,
Erdoğan said: “Whether [the deported Isis fighters] are stuck there at
the border it doesn’t concern us. We will continue to send them.
Whether they take them or not, it is not our concern.” Speaking to
reporters in Ankara on Tuesday, Erdoğan threatened that Turkey could
release all of its jailed foreign militants and send them to
Europe.”
Associated
Press: Trump Says US On The Hunt For New Islamic State’s
Leader
“President Donald Trump said Tuesday that America now has its eye
on a new Islamic State leader, telling the Economic Club of New York
that “we know where he is.” Trump didn’t mention the name of the new
target, but he is likely referring to Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi
al-Qurayshi, the man who has been named to replace Abu Bakr
al-Baghdadi as head of the terror group. Al-Baghdadi took his own life
last month as U.S. commandoes closed in on him in northern Syria. In a
speech Tuesday, Trump said the U.S. got al-Baghdadi, then got “his
second” and now, “we have our eye on his third. His third has got a
lot of problems because we know where he is, too.” Little is publicly
known about al-Qurayshi, and the group typically identifies its
leaders using pseudonyms that refer to their tribal affiliation and
lineage. The group does not have a clear hierarchy and few details are
known about the remaining top leaders. U.S. Army special operations
forces chased al-Baghdadi into a dead-end tunnel on a compound where
he had been hiding, and he set off a suicide vest he was wearing. The
“second” that Trump mentioned was likely Abu Hassan al-Muhajir, a
close aide of al-Baghdadi and a spokesman for the group since
2016.”
POLITICO:
Israel Targets Islamic Jihad Leadership, Sending Message To
Iran
“Israel on Tuesday targeted two senior commanders from the
Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad, killing one in the Gaza
Strip and missing the second in Syria as it stepped up its battle
against Iran and its proxies across the region. The death of Bahaa Abu
el-Atta and his wife as they slept in their home in eastern Gaza set
off the heaviest fighting in months between Israel and Islamic Jihad,
an Iranian-backed militant group that is even more hard-line than
Gaza’s Hamas rulers. Gaza militants fired scores of rockets into
Israel throughout the day, some reaching as far as Tel Aviv, while
Israeli warplanes responded with a series of airstrikes on Islamic
Jihad targets. Eight others were killed, including at least seven
militants. “Whoever thinks that it is possible to hurt our citizens
and evade our long arm is mistaken,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
said at a meeting of top security officials at Israeli military
headquarters in Tel Aviv. He described Abu el-Atta as a “ticking time
bomb” and “the main instigator of terrorism” from Gaza, responsible
for many rocket attacks on Israel and planning more.”
The
Washington Post: Fear Spreads Among Iraqi Protesters As Government
Cracks Down, Keeps Death Toll Secret
“For more than a month, Iraq’s protesters have withstood bullets
and stun grenades, tear gas and water cannons, as they chanted, danced
and called for the ouster of the entire political system. The
political class scrambled, then it closed ranks, and with crowds now
shrinking and state violence undimmed, tendrils of fear are creeping
through the protest movement. Strange men appear in the demonstrators’
tents, take photographs and then leave. Police tell the activists they
manage to arrest that it is in their best interests to inform on
friends. More than 319 people have been killed and 15,000 wounded
since anti-government demonstrations began in Baghdad and southern
cities on Oct. 1, according to the country’s human rights commission.
As crowds start to thin, a broader crackdown is starting. Hundreds of
protesters have been arrested. Volunteer medics have disappeared on
their way to Baghdad’s Tahrir Square, not heard from since.”
The
Christian Science Monitor: Inside Hezbollah: How Lebanon Protests Are
Breaking ‘Fear Barrier’
“The veteran Hezbollah fighter can’t count how many times he has
been to Syria, and vivid and gruesome battle videos on his phone
testify both to his efficiency as a warrior and how effective his
units could be in producing corpses of Islamic State and other
jihadists. But the fighter now refuses to return to Syria, and he
curses the organization to which he has devoted his life. The Shiite
militia founded to fight Israel has, he says, diluted its brand as it
has expanded to battlefields as far away as Iraq and Yemen, lowered
recruiting standards, and now faces a cash crunch that has kept its
bedrock supporters poor. Indeed, by one count 1,250 Hezbollah fighters
have lost their lives in Syria, with some estimates more than double
that. If so, more have returned from Syria in coffins than lost their
lives battling Israel since the “Party of God” was founded in 1982.
“We drowned with their lies,” says the fighter, speaking on condition
of anonymity amid Hezbollah rules forbidding contact with the media,
his tired eyes set in a face thick with stubble. “The leaders are
getting richer with corruption. I am willing to fight Israel, but …
you die in Syria for nothing.”
United States
The
Philadelphia Inquirer: Ex-Drexel Student Charged With Hiding Past
Training With Anti-American Rebels In Yemen
“Federal terrorism investigators have charged a former Drexel
University student with hiding his ties to the anti-American
insurgency group that has embroiled Yemen in a protracted and
devastating civil war. Prosecutors said Gaafar Mohammed Ebrahim
al-Wazer — a 24-year-old Yemeni national who arrived in the United
States five years ago — lied on his application for a student visa and
later other immigration documents about his association with the
Houthi rebel movement, also known as Ansar Allah or “Supporters of
God.” Drexel officials first alerted the FBI in May 2016, after
discovering a photo posted to his Facebook page depicting him in
military fatigues and holding an AK-47-type rifle under the caption
“He hates all Americans, death to all Americans, especially Jews,”
according to court filings. Investigators would later discover other
social media posts, including ones they say depict him undergoing
military-style training with Houthi fighters in mountainous, barren
regions of the Middle East. One photo, released by the Houthi
movement’s official propaganda outlet, purportedly shows al-Wazer,
mouth open in a triumphant yell, brandishing a rocket-propelled
grenade launcher.”
Syria
Reuters:
Islamic State Detainees In Syria A 'Ticking Time-Bomb': State Dept
Official
“Some 10,000 Islamic State detainees held in prisons in
northeastern Syria present a major security risk, a senior State
Department official said on Tuesday, urging countries to take back
their citizens who joined the group and were detained. “It’s a ticking
time bomb to simply have the better part of 10,000 detainees, many of
them foreign fighters,” the official, told reporters in a conference
call. Islamic State has lost almost all of its territory in Iraq and
Syria. Its former leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed in a U.S.
raid last month but it remains security threat in Syria and beyond.
Allies have been worried that Islamic State militants could escape as
a result of Turkey’s assault against Syrian Kurdish militia fighters
who have been holding thousands of the group’s fighters and tens of
thousands of their family members. The official said little progress
was made on the repatriation of Islamic State detainees, with only
some taken back by some Middle Eastern and Central Asian countries.
“Given that there are hundreds of people being held from Europe, we
are very troubled by this and it’s a major issue of diplomatic
discussion,” the official said.”
Fox
News: Elite U.S. Military Panel's Warning About ISIS After Baghdadi:
'Let's Not Let Another One Emerge'
“A select panel of elite U.S. military special operators offered
their insights and warnings for American policymakers after the Delta
Force raid in northern Syria that killed ISIS leader Abu Bakr
al-Baghdadi in October. “Guys like you have been a part of missions,
just like the one that killed Baghdadi,” said Fox News co-host and
former reserve military officer, Pete Hegseth, in a special edition of
Fox Nation's “Modern Warriors.” “I'd be remiss if I didn't take the
opportunity to take our audience inside the team room as you're
planning for an operation like this.” “I was on one that went into
Pakistan where we thought the chances of dying were pretty high,” said
former Navy SEAL Rob O'Neill, who is credited with killing Al Qaeda
leader Usama bin Laden in a raid on his compound deep inside Pakistan
in 2011. “No one's panicking. If you say you're not scared, you're
lying,” he joked. “What an opportunity to go after this guy. To fly
with all your badass brothers into Syria after the head of ISIS. I'm
getting goosebumps right now.” “The word I'm getting is they did an
outstanding job,” he continued. “I can hear the heavy metal music
playing in the team room. A couple of hugs, a couple pats on the back
and then, 'Let's go boys.'"
Military
Times: American Troops At Syria Base Say They’ll Keep Pressure On
ISIS
“At a base in eastern Syria, a senior U.S. coalition commander said
Monday that American troops who remain in Syria are redeploying to
bases, including in some new locations, and working with the
Kurdish-led forces to keep up the pressure on the Islamic State
militants and prevent the extremists from resurging or breaking out of
prisons. The commander, Air Force Maj. Gen. Eric T. Hill, said even
though Bradley armored vehicles have arrived in eastern Syria, the
mission’s focus has not changed. He said the “force mix,” including
the mechanized armored vehicles deployed in Syria for the first time
since the war against IS, has an array of capabilities to deny IS the
chance to regroup. “The mission still continues. And Daesh is trying
to resurge wherever they can,” he said, using the Arabic acronym for
the group. He said the forces have captured 700 ISIS fighters since
its last territorial holding fell in March. “We’ve destroyed many and
war remnants, and we continue to do so as we find them.” Speaking at a
remote base in Syria where the Bradleys arrived last week, he said
“our primary way that we do that” is through working with the U.S.
partners, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.”
Iran
The
Hill: Discontent In Iraq And Lebanon Is A Way To Expose Iran's
Corruption
“The sanctions against Iran are obviously working as Iranian
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has again called for the United
States to return to the 2015 nuclear deal, the Joint Comprehensive
Plan of Action. Instead, the U.S. should continue the policy of “The
worse, the better” and use the recent protests in Iraq and Lebanon
against Iran’s “system” to create additional leverage against the
clerical regime. Highlighting how Iran’s meddling in their countries
has enriched Iran’s local placemen and the clerics, security
officials, and regime insiders will strike a chord with the young
crowds yearning for justice and economic opportunity. Iran has been
spending money on foreign adventures while ignoring urgent domestic
needs, such as a deteriorating medical system, rapidly depleting
ground water, and an environment “on the brink of crisis.” In Syria,
Iran has spent over $15 billion (and over Iranian 2,300 soldiers lost
their lives) propping up the Assad regime. Lebanon’s Hezbollah may get
over $830 million annually, and Hamas receives about $360 million each
year. Iran’s favorite militias in Iraq got as much as $1 billion a
year. In Yemen, Iran’s Houthi proxies may get $30 million per month in
Iranian fuel to fund their effort.”
Foreign
Affairs: The Ayatollah’s Den Of Espionage
“Forty years ago last week, a group called Muslim Students
Following the Line of the Imam stormed the American embassy in Tehran
and took its staff hostage. Iran’s new revolutionary government, under
the leadership of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, dubbed the embassy the
“den of espionage.” The ensuing hostage crisis cast a long shadow over
Iran’s relations with the United States—one still visible today.
Perhaps less remarked upon in Washington, however, is the lasting
influence of the event and its symbolism on the Iranian government’s
view of intelligence and counterintelligence. From the time of the
embassy takeover, the Islamic Republic would spend decades looking for
spies and infiltrators wherever there was a strong trace of the West.
The mentality, which revolutionary ideology served to bolster, was one
that ultimately directed the suspicions of the security apparatus
toward individuals and institutions associated with the elected
components of the postrevolutionary state—the “republic” part of the
Islamic Republic, which derived its power from mechanisms that looked
uncomfortably similar to those that prevailed in Western democratic
states.”
Al
Jazeera: Iran: Europeans Hypocrites For Condemning Steps Away From
Deal
“Iran accused European nations trying to salvage the moribund 2015
nuclear deal of hypocrisy for criticising and threatening to reimpose
sanctions after Tehran took a major step away from the historic
agreement. Iran's president and foreign minister on Tuesday said the
UK, France, Germany, and the European Union have failed to uphold
their end of the bargain to protect Tehran from "maximum pressure"
sanctions imposed by the United States in the wake of Washington's
withdrawal from the deal in 2018. On Tuesday, President Hassan Rouhani
said Iran only began scaling back its nuclear commitments a year after
the US withdrawal to give the other parties time to uphold their
pledges under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).”
The
Hill: New Signs Iran Is Creeping Closer To Making A Nuclear
Bomb
“Iran’s regime likes anniversaries. This month it celebrated 40
years since the U.S. embassy hostage crisis by unveiling new nuclear
centrifuges and redoing anti-American murals at the site of the former
embassy. In May, it marked one year since the United States left the
2015 nuclear deal by beginning its own steady departure from the
agreement. But the past week’s anniversary surprise is much more
momentous. On Nov. 5, Tehran announced it would reactivate its Fordow
enrichment facility, almost exactly a decade after United Nations
inspectors demanded Iran close the recently discovered, illegally
constructed site. Just as Fordow rang alarm bells back then, this
latest news must spur more concerted efforts to address Iran’s
accelerating approach to nuclear weapons. This is the fourth in Iran’s
unfolding series of ultimatums for Europe to offset the pain of U.S.
sanctions, otherwise Tehran increasingly violates the Joint
Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) every 60 days. The first
escalations in May and July upped its uranium stockpile and enrichment
level, initiating gradual reductions in the “breakout” time to produce
enough fissile material for a bomb.”
Iraq
Voice
Of America: Life Under Islamic State: Child Slaves
“As Islamic State militants lost their territorial holdings in Iraq
and Syria, VOA chronicled the events through the words of the victims,
in a 12-part series called “Life Under Islamic State.” Now, three
years later, we bring you voices of victims who were silenced until
recently. Officials estimate nearly 3,000 Yazidi people remain
missing after being captured and enslaved by IS. Maher was 6 years
old, Fadya was 5, and their mother, Basse, was pregnant when they were
all taken. In recent months, the children were rescued in Syria
individually and brought back to Iraq. The family tells their story in
their own words, translated into English and edited for clarity.
Basse: When my children were returned to me they didn't recognize
anyone in the family. They had been taught by Islamic State militants
that Yazidis are infidels. My daughter, Fadya, said, “You are not my
family. I don't know you.” But she did remember my name. Fadya: I also
remembered how to speak Kurdish. At first with IS, they would tell me
to come and pray in Arabic and I wouldn't understand. Then I learned.
Now me and my brother Maher speak Arabic to each other when we don't
want other people to understand us. We talk about what it was like
living with IS.”
Kurdistan
24: Iraqi Police Capture 4 Alleged ISIS Terrorists
“Iraqi police forces in Nineveh province on Tuesday arrested four
alleged Islamic State militants in the city of Mosul, local
authorities said. Mosul has been relatively stable since Iraqi forces
regained control of the city about two years ago—although some Islamic
State attacks have taken place amid worries by local authorities of
continued terrorist sleeper cell activity. The Iraqi Interior Ministry
said in a statement that among the four arrestees, one of them worked
for the Diwan Al-Hisba (administration) while the other three were
fighters in the Diwan al-Jund (armed units) during the Islamic State’s
takeover of Mosul from 2014 to 2017. “They were arrested in the
(Khazraj and Bab al-Baidh) area in eastern Mosul, based on accurate
information,” the statement said. Although nearly two years have
passed since Iraq declared a final victory over the terrorist
organization, the group continues to carry out insurgency-style
attacks in parts of the country. Such incidents, including attacks on
security forces by the terrorist organization, have been on an uptick
in recent weeks after months of relative quiet. On Sunday, a roadside
bomb exploded on a convoy as it was driving through a remote area in
Iraq’s disputed Kirkuk province, injuring two Peshmerga fighters and
five Coalition members.”
Turkey
The
Jerusalem Post: Turkey Hosts Iranian Tied To Jewish Center Bombing In
Argentina
“Just days before President Donald Trump’s slated meeting with
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday at the White
House, Ankara hosted an Iranian official linked to the 1994 bombing of
the AMIA Jewish center in Buenos Aires. Erdogan declined to enforce an
arrest warrant for the alleged terrorist Hadi Soleimanpour. The
Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) first reported on its
website in a detailed policy brief about Soleimanpour, who was Iran’s
ambassador to Argentina at the time of the AMIA bombing and has an
Argentine warrant out for his arrest. “Turkey’s activities
antithetical to US interests go beyond hosting Soleimanpour. Erdogan
provided refuge and hospitality to violent jihadists, including Saleh
al-Arouri, the West Bank commander of Hamas’s Izzedine al-Qassam
Brigades, who boasted about the kidnapping and slaying of three
Israeli teens,“ wrote Toby Dershowitz, senior vice president for
government relations and strategy at FDD.”
Voice
Of America: Turkey Faces Growing Regional Tensions Over
Syria
“Turkey's October military intervention into Syria is increasingly
straining relations with its regional allies and neighbors, but the
country is pushing back against mounting criticism of its Syrian
incursion. In a recent editorial headlined "A threat against the
Turkey-Qatar alliance," the Daily Sabah, which has close ties to the
Turkish government, condemned coverage of Turkey's Syrian military
operation by Qatari-owned news broadcaster Al-Jazeera English. The
editorial called for the firing of journalists, warning of long-term
consequences to Turkish-Qatar relations. "Although the two countries
see eye to eye on many issues, any sustainable partnership must be
firmly rooted in mutual interests. Without reciprocity, any
relationship is at risk of falling apart," read last week's editorial.
The Turkish military operation is on pause after agreements were
brokered by Washington and Moscow with Ankara.”
The
Wall Street Journal: Trump-Erdogan Rapport Tested By Tensions Over
Syria, Russia
“Since taking office, President Trump has frequently extolled
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, calling him “a hell of a
leader” despite Turkish policies that run counter to U.S. priorities
and alarm some of Mr. Trump’s own advisers. The close personal
relations between Messrs. Trump and Erdogan—one the Turkish president
has been careful to cultivate—will be on full display at a White House
meeting Wednesday. The meeting will occur despite strains between the
two NATO members over Turkey’s purchase of Russian defense missiles
and the country’s military assault on a key U.S. partner in Syria. The
two leaders’ bond has resisted opposition from advisers in the White
House, the Pentagon and the Department of State as well as from U.S.
lawmakers, who object to Mr. Erdogan’s Syrian and Russia policies.
Some U.S. officials have even privately described Turkey as “the new
Pakistan,” a reference to the rift between Washington and Islamabad in
the fight against al Qaeda.”
The
New York Times: Erdogan Warns That Turkey Will Keep Deporting Isis
Detainees
“President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey warned Western nations
that he would continue to release people who were thought to be
members of the Islamic State and send them back to their home
countries if governments continued to pressure Turkey with sanctions.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday shortly before leaving Ankara for a
visit to the United States, Mr. Erdogan was mostly aiming the remarks
at the European Union, which has proposed a system for imposing
sanctions on Turkey over its unauthorized gas drilling in the eastern
Mediterranean. The comments came a day after Turkey said it had begun
deporting Islamic State fighters it had captured, starting a program
to repatriate the detainees that has strained ties with European
countries. Mr. Erdogan also took a tough line toward an American
detainee who was deported by the Turkish authorities on Monday and
became stranded at the Greek-Turkish border after being turned back by
the Greek border police. Turkish officials said on Monday that the
American was an Islamic State fighter captured last month in
northeastern Syria.”
ABC
News: Turkey Says It Captured 'Important' IS Figure In
Syria
“The Turkish interior minister says Turkey has captured an
“important” figure within the Islamic State group in Syria. Suleyman
Soylu said on Wednesday that the suspect is still being interrogated
but did not name the figure or provide further details. Turkey has
said it captured and detained several members of the family of the
slain Islamic State group leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, including one
of his wives, his sister and a daughter. Al-Baghdadi blew himself up
during an Oct. 26 raid by U.S. special forces on his heavily fortified
safe house in the Syrian province of Idlib. Turkey has been
publicizing its efforts to catch IS members, following criticism that
its recent military offensive to drive Syrian Kurdish fighters from
northeast Syrian would lead to an IS resurgence.”
Reuters:
Turkey Removes Four More Kurdish Mayors Over Alleged Terror
Links
“Turkey removed four more mayors on Wednesday as part of a widening
government crackdown on the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party
(HDP), bringing to 20 the number of mayors who have been dismissed
after being elected earlier this year. President Tayyip Erdogan and
his government accuse the HDP of having links to the Kurdistan Workers
Party (PKK) militant group, leading to prosecutions of thousands of
its members and some leaders. The HDP denies such links. Turkey’s
interior ministry appointed local governors in place of the mayors in
the two districts of Diyarbakir, the largest city in the country’s
mainly Kurdish southeast. Two mayors from districts of Sirnak and
Tunceli provinces were also removed. The HDP governs many cities in
the southeast of Turkey and typically appoints one male and one female
co-mayor to promote gender equality. The former co-leaders of the HDP
have both been jailed since 2016 on terrorism charges, with several
other prominent members accused of supporting terrorism over what the
government says are links to the PKK. The moves against the HDP come
amid a Turkish military offensive in neighboring Syria against the YPG
Kurdish militia, which Ankara also accuses of ties to the PKK.”
Pakistan
The
Washington Post: Bomb Attack Kills 3 Soldiers On
Patrol In Northwest Pakistan
“Pakistan says a roadside bomb killed three soldiers and wounded
another in a northwestern district bordering Afghanistan. The military
statement Tuesday said the soldiers were on patrol in the North
Waziristan region when the explosion hit their vehicle. No one
immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. North Waziristan is
a former Taliban stronghold in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and has
been a sanctuary for Islamic militants. The army claimed to have
cleared the area of militants in recent years, but there have still
been occasional attacks on security forces. The military statement
says troops are conducting a search operation for the assailants.”
Yemen
Anadolu
Agency: Dozens Of Houthi Rebels Killed In Western Yemen
Clashes
“Scores of Houthi rebels were killed and a commander was injured in
clashes with government forces in western Yemen, the country’s army
said on Wednesday. "Houthi commander Abu Jaffar al-Talbi was injured
and tens of rebels were killed in a clash with the government forces
in Al-Hudaydah province," the Yemeni army said in a statement. The
Yemeni government accused Houthi rebels of "continuing their
escalation and daily breaches of the UN truce by attacking various
areas in Al-Hudaydah province." For its part, Houthis accused
government forces of bombing a civilian's farm in Al-Hudaydah
province, according to the Houthi-run Saba news agency. Yemen has been
beset by violence and chaos since 2014, when Houthi rebels overran
much of the country, including the capital Sanaa. The crisis escalated
in 2015 when a Saudi-led military coalition launched a devastating air
campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi territorial gains. Since then,
tens of thousands of Yemenis, including numerous civilians, are
believed to have been killed in the conflict, while another 14 million
are at risk of starvation, according to the UN.”
Lebanon
The
Daily Star: Hezbollah Supporters Turn On Party In
Demonstrations
“At a roadblock on the Beirut “Ring Bridge” in late October, Karim,
a 19-year-old physical education student from Beirut’s southern
suburbs, said the Lebanese uprising had made him realize that he had
to cut ties with Hezbollah.”
Middle East
International
Policy Digest: The ISIS Hydra: The Implications Of The Death Of Abu
Bakr Al-Baghdadi
“On October 26, after releasing the news on Twitter, President
Donald Trump announced to the world that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the
former leader of ISIS and “the most wanted criminal in the world,” had
been killed. The day before the announcement, U.S. Special Forces
raided a compound in northern Syria, chasing al-Baghdadi into a tunnel
underground before he took his own life with a suicide vest. The
current administration is trumpeting the death of the Islamic State
leader, but how much does al-Baghdadi’s death matter? Moreover, how
much of a threat to both U.S. national security and international
security is ISIS now?”
The
Washington Free Beacon: Hamas Claims It Has ‘Thousands Of Missiles,’
Miles Of Underground Terror Tunnels
“Top Hamas officials are claiming to have thousands of missiles
pointed at Israel and miles of underground tunnels running into the
Jewish state, offering these new disclosures amid a wave of renewed
violence by the Palestinian terror group. Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar
threatened to use many of the missiles the group has stockpiled to
destroy the city of Tel Aviv in a recent speech broadcast on Hamas-run
television and translated by the Middle East Media Research Institute.
“We now have hundreds of kilometers of underground tunnels,” Sinwar
was quoted as saying in his Nov. 4 remarks. “We have many hundreds of
control-and-command rooms, both underground and above ground.” Israel
was deluged Monday evening by at least 150 rockets fired from terror
outposts. A number of those rockets struck areas populated by Israeli
citizens, prompting schools to shutter for the first time since the
early 1990s. The major escalation hit after the Israeli Defense Forces
assassinated a top Palestinian terror leader. Sinwar claimed in his
remarks that the group, which is partially supported by Iran, has the
ability to launch surprise attacks on Israel from underground.”
The
Times Of Israel: Jordan Says It Thwarted Terror Plot Against US,
Israeli Diplomats
“Jordanian intelligence foiled a plot by two Islamic State suspects
to attack US and Israeli diplomats, as well as US troops at a base in
the south of the country, the state-owned al-Rai newspaper reported on
Tuesday. Two suspects, said to be in their 30s and 40s, allegedly
planned to ram vehicles into targets, as well as using firearms and
knives. They intended to attack Israeli and US diplomats, and American
troops stationed at a base in Jafr, in the south of the country, the
report said. According to indictments filed at the State Security
Court, the defendants became adherents of IS ideology and its radical
interpretation of Islam after following news reports about the terror
group and reading its press releases on the social network site
Telegram. The pair also allegedly tried to recruit family and friends
into IS. Over the past year they decided to follow former Islamic
State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s calls for attacks on targets
around the world, prosecutors say, according to the report. They then
allegedly obtained money to purchase the vehicles and weapons they
planned to use in the attacks.The trial opened Sunday with both
defendants pleading not guilty. Israel signed a peace treaty with
Jordan in 1994 and the two countries maintain embassies in Tel Aviv
and Amman.”
Egypt
Asharq
Al-Awsat: Egypt: Trial Of 12 ISIS-Linked Suspects
Adjourned
“Judicial authorities in Cairo on Monday adjourned the trial of 12
ISIS suspects who are involved in several terrorist cases, including
the targeting of public offices. The trial was postponed until
November 24th. The case at hand includes six arrested suspects, five
fugitives and a suspect who was released on parole. Three of the
suspects are accused of forming a terror group aimed at harming social
peace and harmony. The three, according to court orders, had been
radicalized by ISIS ideology and sought advancing their agenda through
violence against individuals and public institutions. On another note,
three people, including two Egyptian policemen, were shot dead on
Monday in an agricultural area in Qalyubia, north of the Egyptian
capital Cairo. A security source said that unknown gunmen opened fire
and escaped. Armed groups have been targeting Egyptian police as well
as the military, especially in northern Sinai, for years. The number
of attacks, however, has increased since the ouster of former Muslim
Brotherhood leader Mohamed Morsi in 2013.”
Asharq
Al-Awsat: Egypt Mediating To Ease Gaza Flare Up After Israeli Strike
Kills Jihad Commander
“Egyptian officials said Cairo is attempting to de-escalate
tensions between Israel and Palestinian factions in Gaza amid the
worst bout of fighting there in recent months. The officials said
Egypt's general intelligence agency has stepped up communications and
has “opened channels” with the US and the European Union, reported The
Associated Press. Egypt often acts as a mediator between Israel and
Gaza factions, and brokered a ceasefire deal in May. That deal
appeared threatened Tuesday after a pre-dawn Israeli airstrike in Gaza
killed senior Islamic Jihad commander Baha Abu al-Ata. Syrian state
media said a separate missile attack had hit the home of a Jihad
official in Damascus, killing two people including one of his sons.
Syria said Israel carried out the Damascus strike. Israel did not
comment. Factions in Gaza have responded with rockets fired into
Israel, reaching as far as Tel Aviv. The Israeli military has carried
out a number of airstrikes in Gaza. Jordan's foreign ministry
condemned the strike that killed Ata. In a statement Tuesday,
Daifallah al-Fayez, a spokesman for the Jordanian foreign ministry,
blamed Israel for the ensuing escalation in violence.”
Nigeria
Sahara
Reporters: Boko Haram Tried To Convert Me, Says Winners Pastor Held
Hostage For 7 Months
“Moses Oyeleke, a pastor with the Living Faith Church Worldwide,
known as Winners’ Chapel, has regained freedom seven months after he
was kidnapped by the Boko Haram insurgents. Oyeleke is a pastor in
Maiduguri, Borno state, where he was kidnapped, alongside a National
Youth Corps (NYSC) member last March. The two were released after
interventions by the state government and two non-governmental
organizations, the Kalthum Foundation for Peace, and Initiative for
Peace Building. Speaking on his release, Oyeleke said they were taken
to Sambisa after they were kidnapped on Chibok road in March. “We were
on our way to Chibok when they caught us and took us to Yale; from
there, they took a detour and finally took us to Sambisa.”
Somalia
Voice
Of America: UN: Al-Shabab Remains 'Potent Threat' In Somalia And
Region
“Al-Shabab extremists in Somalia remain "a potent threat" to
regional peace and are now manufacturing home-made explosives,
expanding their revenue sources and infiltrating government
institutions, U.N. experts say. The panel of experts' report to the
Security Council, circulated Tuesday, said a significant escalation of
U.S. airstrikes targeting al-Shabab militants and leaders has kept the
al-Qaida-linked group "off-balance" but has had "little effect on its
ability to launch regular asymmetric attacks throughout Somalia." The
report said al-Shabab's assault on Jan. 15 on a commercial business
complex in Nairobi, Kenya, containing the DusitD2 Hotel "illustrates
the danger the group continues to pose to regional peace and
security." That attack killed 21 people as well as four gunmen. The
experts also cited "an unprecedented number" of attacks across the
Kenya-Somalia border by al-Shabab in June and July, "possibly in an
effort to exploit strained relations between the two countries."
All
Africa: Somalia: Al-Shabaab Targets AU Troops' Convoy With IED Blast
In Somalia
“Reports from the Lower Shabelle in southern Somalia indicate that
Somali government forces are conducting operations in many parts of
the region on Tuesday morning. The operation came after Al-Shabaab
targeted AMISOM convoy with IED blast in Muuri area of Lower Shabelle
region on Monday night, according to the residents The explosion has
led to a direct confrontation between the AU troops and Al-Shabaab
militants, though the casualties were not confirmed. Al-Shabaab, which
claimed responsibility for the attack, said the bomb explosion damaged
one of AMISOM's armored vehicles. The situation is currently tense and
military activities are being felt in some areas of Lower Shabelle in
southwest Somalia.”
Africa
Times: AFRICOM Says Somalia Air Strike Targeted Al-Qaeda-Linked
Terrorist
“In Somalia, the United States says it conducted another air strike
near Jilib on Tuesday and successfully targeted one al-Shabaab
terrorist who, the U.S. Africa Command said, “had direct ties to the
al-Qaeda terror organization.” The strike “is an example of the
successful incursions our Somali partners are making into al-Shabaab
territory,” said U.S. Army Maj. Gen. William Gayler, director of
operations for U.S. Africa Command. “Together, with the Federal
Government of Somalia, we remain resolute to maintain pressure on
al-Shabaab’s network and levels of leadership while countering violent
extremist intentions and actions.” No civilians were injured or killed
as a result of this airstrike, the U.S. statement added. It comes just
weeks after the most recent human rights investigation from Amnesty
International on the issue, which has drawn attention to concerns that
the U.S. strikes are killing civilians in Somalia. The Amnesty
investigation focused on three deaths reported in March in the Lower
Shabelle region. The human rights NGO said it shared its information
on those deaths with AFRICOM in August but the U.S. authorities
continued to maintain that only terrorists were targeted.”
France
The
Wall Street Journal: France Can Lead Europe And Save Syria’s
Kurds
“Nothing remains to be said about the American abandonment of
Syrian Kurdistan. But what about Europe? Is not Europe also
responsible for the fate of our most dependable allies in the war
against Islamic State? Is it not at least as affected by the strategic
and moral disaster of leaving the field open for Turkey, Iran, Russia
and the thousands of jihadists the Kurds had been holding, who are now
in the hands of Bashar Assad and Recep Tayyip Erdogan? And does Europe
not possess the means, with its 500 million inhabitants and 28
national armies, to take up the gauntlet, to step in for the 2,000
Special Forces troops the U.S. is withdrawing, and, for the first
time, to begin to assure a share of its own defense while standing up
for its values? That is the proposal I made in January after President
Trump’s first withdrawal announcement. At the time, I floated the idea
of a European military unit made up of as many of the 28 European
Union members as were willing to recognize the geopolitical
significance of the event unfolding on the Turkey-Syria border.”
Asharq
Al-Awsat: France To Take Back 11 Suspected Extremists From
Turkey
“France will take back 11 suspected French extremists from Turkey,
Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said on Tuesday, a day after
Ankara said it was deporting foreign citizens linked to the group.
Turkey’s unilateral offensive has angered Washington and Turkey’s main
European NATO allies who fear a return of ISIS in the region. European
countries are especially concerned about foreign ISIS fighters and
adults returning to Europe. France, which has between 400-500
nationals held in Kurdish-controlled northern Syria, including about
60 fighters, has been adamant that it will not take back adults that
had joined ISIS in Syria. It wants to seal an agreement with Iraq on
taking and prosecuting its nationals from Syria. However, as part of a
2014 agreement with Turkey, French nationals arrested by Turkish
authorities have previously been deported back to France in
coordination with French authorities. “It is within this framework
that we are looking at repatriating 11 French nationals,” Castaner
told lawmakers in parliament. He declined to give details about the
individuals, but said that they were known by France and would be
handed over to judicial authorities when they arrive.”
Germany
Anadolu
Agency: Germany, Netherlands To Take Back Daesh/ISIS
Terrorists
“Germany and the Netherlands have agreed to take Daesh/ISIS
terrorists back into their home countries, Turkey’s interior minister
said on Wednesday. “I would like to thank two countries, Germany and
the Netherlands,” said Suleyman Soylu during a village guard training
meeting in Turkey’s eastern Van province. He said that the two
countries have shown a constructive attitude after several days of
talks with officials from both, confirming that as of last night that
they will allow the return of “Daesh terrorists with their spouses and
children.” Soylu said that he expects the same cooperation from other
countries in the fight against terrorism. “We're not a hotel or a
guest house for terrorists from any country,” Soylu added. “We
recently captured a very important Daesh man in Syria,” Soylu said,
adding that the suspect’s interrogation is still ongoing and “his
testimony tells what he has done” Soylu did not provide further
details on the suspect. The issue of the handling of Daesh/ISIS
members and their families detained in Syria -- including foreign
members of the terror group -- has been controversial, with Turkey
arguing foreign-born terrorists should be repatriated to their
countries of origin.”
Reuters:
Germany Detains Three Islamic State Suspects Over Attack
Plan
“German police detained three people in the western city of
Offenbach on Tuesday on suspicion of planning a bomb attack for the
Islamic State militant group, prosecutors said. The three suspects
wanted to kill as many “infidels” as possible in the planned attack in
the Rhine-Main region, Frankfurt prosecutor Nadja Niesen said. No
specific attack targets were yet known but evidence seized from raids
of three homes in Offenbach should shed some light, she added. German
intelligence agencies and police have been on high alert for potential
attacks by Islamist militants since a rejected asylum seeker from
Tunisia killed 12 people by ramming a truck into a Berlin Christmas
market almost three years ago. The main suspect arrested on Tuesday is
a 24-year-old German of Macedonian origin who wanted to manufacture
explosives and tried to buy a weapon online. His two suspected
accomplices are Turkish nationals aged 22 and 21. The suspects are
believed to have told people they were IS supporters, Niesen said,
adding she thought all three were known to police. Substances that
could be used to make explosives and equipment were found at the main
suspect’s home, she said. The authorities also secured written
documents and electronic data.”
Europe
The
Moscow Times: Russia Jails 6 Crimean Tatar Activists For Terrorism,
Sparking Condemnation
“A Russian court has jailed six Crimean Tatar activists to jail
terms between seven and 19 years on charges of terrorism Tuesday, a
move that has sparked condemnation from abroad. Some Crimean Tatars
have accused Russia of locking up its ideological opponents as
religious extremists in the wake of the 2014 annexation of Crimea from
Ukraine. Moscow says it is purely acting to prevent acts of terrorism
within the mainly Muslim ethnic minority that lives in Crimea. A
military court in southern Russia found activist Emir-Usein Kuku and
five other defendants guilty of organizing terrorist activities and
plotting a violent overthrow of the Russian government. It sentenced
Kuku to 12 years behind bars, drawing a strong rebuke from Amnesty
International. “This decision brings to a close what can only be
described as a sham trial,” said Marie Struthers, Amnesty
International’s head of Eastern Europe and Central Asia. “It is
devastating that [Kuku] has fallen victim to the overt repression of
the occupying power.” Kuku and his five co-defendants were arrested in
February 2016 and charged on suspicion of being members of Hizb
ut-Tahrir, an Islamist movement that is banned as a terrorist
organization in Russia but not in Ukraine.”
The
Washington Post: Danish Court Jails Repatriated
Islamic State Fighter
“A foreign fighter from Denmark has been jailed in pre-trial
custody for 27 days, a day after the man was deported from Turkey,
which has begun to send home people who fought for the Islamic State
group. Prosecutor Sidsel Klixbull told the Copenhagen City Court on
Tuesday that it was “a very serious case.” Ahmad Salem el-Haj was held
on preliminary charges of violating Danish terror laws. He denies the
charges. He was arrested upon arrival at the Copenhagen airport late
Monday. Copenhagen police say Denmark in 2017 had asked Turkey for his
extradition but in vain. Danish officials also said el-Haj had been
found guilty in Turkey and sentenced to four years in prison for
joining the Islamic State group. No date for his trial was immediately
announced.”
PRI:
Europe Is ‘Terrified’ ISIS Fighters Will Go Free If
Repatriated
“Turkish Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu said on Saturday that
Turkey would send captured ISIS members back to their home countries,
and he complained about European inaction on the matter. “That is not
acceptable to us. It's also irresponsible,” he said of Europe leaving
Turkey to deal with the prisoners alone. “We will send the captured
Daesh members to their countries,” he told reporters, using another
name for ISIS. Turkey has captured some escaped ISIS members in
northeastern Syria over the last month after it launched a military
incursion there. Anne Speckhard, director of the International Center
for the Study of Violent Extremism, spoke to Marco Werman about what
these deportations may mean for the receiving countries. Marco
Werman: Can you tell us a little bit about your work with ISIS
detainees and the governments involved? Anne Speckhard: I've
interviewed 211 ISIS fighters, most of them in prisons in Iraq and
Syria. Most have given their permission to have their interview shared
with their home government because they're hoping that their
government will take them home and they know they're going to face
prosecution. I've been working with a number of EU governments
directly, and Australia, as well, to try to get these people
repatriated.”
Express:
Terrorism Warning: FCO Warns Of Terrorist Threat At European Christmas
Markets
“Christmas is fast approaching and with that comes a flood of
themed markets popping up around Europe to welcome the festive season.
A popular haunt to help tourists and European residents get into the
spirit of the season, Christmas markets attack millions of visitors
every year. Data from ABTA shows that 4.7 million Britons jetted off
on holidays during the Christmas and New Year period alone last year.
Unfortunately, devastating incidents in the last few years have meant
that they also carry with them the risk of terrorism. In order to keep
everyone as safe as possible, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
(FCO) has issued their latest travel updates for the year. Markets are
a main feature in most UK cities and across the wider continent.
However, while the UK has been safe from terrorist attacks at its
festive offering, other countries in Europe have been targeted causing
fatalities and serious injuries. Today the FCO issued updates for
hotspots including France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Poland, Switzerland,
Sweden, Netherlands, Norway, Czech Republic, Denmark, Belgium and
Austria. The same warning was quoted for each of the destinations,
stating: “There is a general threat from terrorism.”
Southeast Asia
Reuters:
Indonesia Urges Public To Report Civil Servants Over 'Radical'
Content
“Indonesia launched a website on Tuesday that would allow the
public to report “radical” content posted by civil servants, as
authorities in the world’s biggest Muslim-majority country push to
combat hardline Islamist ideology permeating government. Indonesia is
officially secular but has seen a rise of conservatism with some
politicians demanding a larger role for Islam, and some groups calling
for an Islamic state. Indonesian Communications Minister Johnny G.
Plate told reporters the intention of the website was “to bring
together and improve the performance of our civil servants, as well as
to foster higher levels of nationalism.” According to a frequently
asked questions section, radical could refer to content containing
elements of hate, misleading information, intolerance or
anti-Indonesian sentiment. This could also include civil servants
liking or commenting positively on content deemed radical on social
media. Users can set up an account on the website - aduanasn.id - and
report contents by providing screenshots or links.”
Xinhua:
Indonesian Police Nab Five Alleged Terrorists Engaged In Militant
Training
“The Indonesian National Police's anti-terror squad has arrested
five alleged terrorists who have undergone a military-style training
at a forest area in Riau province on Sumatra Island. Four of the five
were captured in the forest and another one was nabbed in his house in
Kuapan village, Kampar district, eyewitness Syukri who is a local
villager said on Tuesday. Another alleged militant escaped the
operation carried out by the squad and local police over the weekend,
he said. The militants set up a military training camp three months
ago in the forest about 60 km from the provincial capital of
Pekanbaru, local media reported. One of the five militants was a
villager of Kuapan village with an initial of ED, according to the
eyewitness. “ED has frequently undergone training in the camp together
with his friends and he usually returns home at night,” said Syukri.
The police found facilities for training at the camp in the forest,
and in a raid at the house of one of the suspects, the police seized
scores of bows, pipes believed to be used in assembling bombs, big
knives, books outlining holy war or jihad and other materials. So far,
the police have yet to release any information about the arrest.”
Technology
The
Washington Post: The Key To Defeating The Far Right’s
Online Hate
“Recent shootings — from the attempted attack on congregants
observing Yom Kippur at a synagogue in Halle, Germany, in October, to
the killing of 51 worshipers at two mosques in Christchurch, New
Zealand, six months ago — have been tied to the promotion of
anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and hate-fueled violence on the Internet.
When far-right extremism goes viral online, the contagion infects
flesh-and-blood human beings capable of materializing their hate by
force. So what do we do? While restricting Internet hate speech is
important, we might also consider devising a counterattack. Almost a
century ago, when Jewish advocacy groups confronted the spread of
fascist propaganda in the United States, they cooperated with other
organizations and American mass media to produce counterpropaganda.
This history shows that when social activists and media industry
professionals join forces, they can mount a formidable challenge to
the toxic rhetoric of the far right. American anti-Semitism reached an
apogee in the 1930s, spurred by the radio diatribes of the known
anti-Semite Father Charles Coughlin and the scapegoating of Jews for
the Great Depression. In response, the American Jewish Committee (AJC)
established the Survey Committee, made up of professionals in fields
including advertising, Hollywood filmmaking, broadcasting and
academia.”
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