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Eye on Extremism
February 16, 2022
Bloomberg: Pakistani Leader Altaf Hussain Acquitted In U.K. Terrorism Case
“Altaf Hussain, a once feared politician who controlled Karachi for decades from his home in north London, was acquitted by a jury of encouraging acts of terrorism after making fiery speeches to followers in Pakistan’s turbulent financial capital. The verdict was reached by a majority decision in London on Tuesday. Prosecution lawyers played jurors guttural over-the-phone broadcasts made by 68-year-old Hussain on Aug. 22, 2016, where he was accused of urging a crowd of hunger strikers in Karachi to ransack media houses and storm the local headquarters of a military unit. Two TV studios were soon after attacked and taken off air, while police officers were assaulted and injured, prosecutors said. One person was killed in the violence. But Rupert Bowers, a defense lawyer, sought to cast doubt over whether Hussain meant for his words to be taken literally that day. He urged jurors to judge the case “by the yardstick of Pakistan” and its “endemic violence.” “Mr. Hussain did nothing other than he has always done in trying to represent an oppressed part of the population while organizing what is axiomatically a peaceful protest by way of hunger strike,” Bowers said in his summing up. “If violence ensued in the latter part of that day he’s regretful of that -- he’s not a terrorist.”
Reuters: Gunfire, Explosions Rock Somalian Capital In Militant Attacks
“Gunfire and explosions went off in Somalia's capital Mogadishu in the early hours of Wednesday as al Shabaab militants attacked police stations and security check points, the internal security minister said. Al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab, which aims to topple the central government and impose its severe interpretation of Islamic law, carries out frequent attacks against the government, including attacking a minibus carrying election delegates last week. “The terrorists attacked the suburbs of Mogadishu and targeted our police stations and check points,” Abdullahi Nor, the minister, wrote on Twitter. “Our security defeated the enemy.” There were no immediate details on casualties. Police would provide more details on the attacks, the minister said. There was no immediate comment from al Shabaab.”
Syria
Associated Press: Bomb Blasts Military Bus In Syrian Capital, Killing 1
“A bomb attached to a bus carrying Syrian troops in Damascus exploded Tuesday morning, killing one soldier and wounding 11, state TV reported. The blast happened during rush hour at a customs roundabout near the capital's landmark Omayyad Square, according to the report. It gave no further details. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Such attacks have occurred in Damascus in recent months amid an otherwise calm period in the capital. Government forces captured rebel-held eastern neighborhoods of the city in 2018. Government forces now control much of Syria with the help of President Bashar Assad's allies Russia and Iran, while rebels are mostly cornered in the country’s northwestern province of Idlib. U.S. and Turkish troops, meanwhile, are deployed in parts of the country’s north and east. In October, two bombs attached to a bus carrying Syrian troops exploded in Damascus, killing 14. It was one of the deadliest bombings in the capital in years. A little-known group calling itself the Qasioun Brigades claimed responsibility for the attack at the time. In recent years, attacks in Damascus have been rare. One of the last major explosions to take place was in 2017 — when suicide bombers hit a judicial office building and a restaurant, killing nearly 60 people. The attacks were claimed by Islamic State group militants.”
Turkey
Al Monitor: Islamic State Collaborators Received Turkish Citizenship, Official Report Shows
“Shortly after the Islamic State’s (IS's) leader was killed in a Syrian hideout near the Turkish border, a leaked report by Turkey’s Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK) revealed details about how the jihadi group used the country to traffic money and obtain supplies, including drone parts. The March 8, 2021, report by the MASAK, a body attached to Turkey’s Treasury and Finance Ministry, indicates that IS members acquired equipment and parts to make drones and improvised explosive devices with the help of companies set up in Turkey, and used exchange offices, jewelry shops, post offices and banks to transfer money. Furthermore, it reveals that some IS-linked individuals investigated by the MASAK have acquired Turkish citizenship. The 279-page document, obtained by Al-Monitor, was first reported by journalist Bahadir Ozgur in the daily BirGun last week and has since made it to parliament’s agenda. The most striking details pertain to the activities of three companies set up by the Aleppo-born Ibrahim Hag Gneid in Turkey’s southern province of Mersin in 2014 and 2016. The companies — Altun Inci, Mavi Yelken and Elfarah — were registered as businesses dealing in construction materials, industrial supplies and hardware.”
Afghanistan
Voice Of America: Islamic State, Al-Qaida Building Support In Afghanistan, Report Says
“Despite lingering concerns among some officials in Washington that Afghanistan is on its way to once again becoming a terrorist haven, recent U.S. defense and intelligence assessments seem to indicate that at least for now, groups like Islamic State and al-Qaida are not ready to use the country as a launch pad for attacks against the West. The appraisal from U.S. Central Command, the Defense Intelligence Agency and others is part of a just-released report by the Defense Department Inspector General examining the potential threats emanating from Afghanistan following the U.S. withdrawal from the country six months ago. It runs contrary to concerns voiced since October by top Pentagon officials, who warned IS-Khorasan could be ready to strike at the West and at the U.S. in as little as six months, with al-Qaida regenerating the same capacity in as little as a year. “Both al-Qaida and ISIS-K have the intent to conduct external operations,” Colin Kahl, Defense Department undersecretary for policy, told the Senate Armed Services Committee at the time, using an acronym for Islamic State’s Afghan affiliate. IS-Khorasan Province, as the IS affiliate is also known, in particular seems more focused on solidifying its support within Afghanistan instead of preparing to strike at enemies further afield.”
Associated Press: Six Months Of Taliban: Afghans Safer, Poorer, Less Hopeful
“Afghanistan has undergone a dramatic transformation in half a year of Taliban rule. The country feels safer, less violent than it has in decades, but the once aid-fueled economy is barreling toward collapse. Tens of thousands of Afghans have fled or have been evacuated, including large numbers of the educated elites. They either fear for their economic future or lack of freedom under a group that ascribes to a strict interpretation of Islam and during its previous rule in the late 1990s barred girls from school and women from work. Tuesday marks six months since the Afghan capital of Kabul was ceded to the Taliban with the sudden and secret departure of the country's U.S.-backed president. The takeover of Kabul had been preceded by a months-long Taliban military campaign to take control of provincial areas, many of which fell with hardly a fight. Today, the sight of armed Taliban fighters roaming the street still jars and frightens residents. But women have returned to traditional shalwar kameez, the long shirt and baggy pants favored by the Taliban. Unlike in the 1990s, the Taliban are allowing some women to work.”
Yemen
The Times Of Israel: Israel Lobbying Biden For Houthi Terror Listing, At UAE’s Behest
“Israel has been pressing the Biden administration to designate Yemen’s Houthi rebels as a terror group, at the United Arab Emirates’ behest, two officials familiar with the matter told The Times of Israel. The Iran-backed Houthis have been blamed for a series of drone and missile attacks on the UAE and Saudi Arabia, which has ramped up in intensity over the last month. Amid the uptick in attacks, Abu Dhabi has stepped up its lobbying for the terror designation and has enlisted Israel in the effort. Jerusalem has agreed, telling Biden officials that reimposing the terror designation would curb Iran’s “reckless” influence in the region, an Israeli official said. “We’re not doing this only for the Emiratis. We believe such a step is in everyone’s interest,” the official added. The Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the matter. Former US president Donald Trump added the Houthis to the State Department’s list of foreign terrorist organizations during his final days in office. His successor Joe Biden reversed the decision roughly a month later, as his administration worked without success to jump-start peace talks and wind down the eight-year war in Yemen that has claimed 130,000 lives. But following the latest Houthi attacks, Biden told reporters in late January that a re-designation of the Houthis.”
Lebanon
Breaking Hezbollah's Golden Rule: Hezbollah Goes Global
In December 1983, six blasts shook Kuwait’s capital city. Two prominent Hezbollah operatives oversaw the attack. Soon, bombs were going off in Paris, Copenhagen, and Saudi Arabia, while other members of the group hijacked TWA Flight 847 and murdered U.S. Navy diver Robert Stethem. What did Hezbollah want? And why was a Lebanese-based militant group conducting attacks in Europe and the Gulf? Guests: Nader Uskowi, former journalist and author of Temperature Rising: Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and Wars in the Middle East, Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler, senior director at the Counter Extremism Project, Hans-Georg Engelke, State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community.
Middle East
“A range of moves by the government have led to the seizure of NIS 103 million of Hamas terrorism funds, National Bureau for Counter Terror Financing of Israel official Sagi Volkovitz said at a government conference on Tuesday. His agency is part of the Defense Ministry. Volkovitz gave complex examples of groups that would sell or deliver goods to Hamas in Gaza to get around banking regulations, while a seemingly disconnected Hamas office in a foreign country would pay for something in return that regulators would be hard-pressed to make a connection with. The conference primarily highlighted the 20th anniversary and work of the Israel Money Laundering and Terror Financing Prohibition Authority (IMPA) headed by Shlomit Wagman, but it also featured officials from other agencies, including the police, the prosecution and the courts. Wagman said the IMPA works with the police, the prosecution, tax agencies, but also “with the Mossad, the Shin Bet [Israel Security Agency] and other agencies in ways that I cannot specify,” to combat terrorist financing and money-laundering. She said the IMPA helps intelligence agencies and law enforcement to be able to arrive at declaring certain groups as terrorist organizations by helping them connect Israel’s adversaries’ complex schemes and financial dots.”
Nigeria
“A roadside bomb planted by militants from the Islamic State-backed faction of Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), formerly known as Jamā'at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da'wah wa'l-Jihād has killed two civilian in Dikwa Local Government Area of Borno. Sahara Reporters learnt that the terrorists planted the improvised explosive device (IED) on the road to ambush the convoy of Governor Babagana Zulum travelling to Gamboru. Zulum and some top government officials were on a working visit to the community to supervise the distribution of relief materials to Internally Displaced Persons (IDP). The deceased, both members of the Civilian JTF, loaded in an Izuzu van, were heading to Gamboru from Dikwa, when the incident happened. In 2020, Zulum’s convoy was attacked thrice by the terror group. Since the death of JAS leader, Abubakar Shekau, ISWAP has been consolidating its grip in locations around Lake Chad. In 2021, it appointed Wali Sani Shuwaram, a 45-year-old as the new Leader (Wali) of ISWAP in Lake Chad. The sect’s membership has swollen with the defection of hundreds of Boko Haram fighters under Shekau. The terror group has caused over 100,000 deaths and displaced millions of individuals mainly in Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe states.”
Somalia
Voice Of America: Terror Attacks Surge As Elections Drag In Somalia
“A senior African Union official said Tuesday that while al-Shabab continues to be the main security threat in Somalia, the AU is also monitoring a possible resurgence of Islamic State. Francisco Caetano Jose Madeira, special representative of the African Union Commission for Somalia and head of the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), said there has been an upsurge in terrorism-related violence in Somalia, where the electoral process has been dragging out. “The violence has mainly been perpetrated by al-Shabab, through the use of IEDs, mortar attacks, ambushes, and targeted assassinations of senior government officials, Somali security forces and civilians,” Madeira told the U.N. Security Council. “We have also been monitoring with concern what could be a resurgent Islamic State, as credible reports indicate that the group carried out two improvised explosive device attacks and detonated a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device in November 2021 and January 2022, respectively.” Madeira said as they monitor the activities of both terror groups, a clear picture is emerging. “Al-Shabab appears emboldened by its determination to disrupt the ongoing electoral process,” he said.”
Africa
All Africa: Kenya: Five Reasons Why Militants Are Targeting Kenya's Lamu County
“The frequency of terrorist attacks within Kenya's Lamu County on the border with Somalia has been alarming. Frequent kidnappings there were the ostensible reason Kenya invaded Somalia in 2011. Three years later, the seaside county was the scene of a deadly attack in which 48 were killed during an Al-Shabaab siege. Lamu is in the news again. In January this year, the government declared a dusk-to-dawn curfew amidst a wave of killings. Several terrorist attacks have also been carried out. Here are the five reasons why Lamu County is a constant target of Al-Shabaab militants: 1. Unique topography. The natural and physical features of Lamu county offer an ideal setting for political violence, including insurgency and terrorism. It is one of the counties that border Somalia. Its expansive Boni Forest comprises about 21.4% of the county's land area. Lamu's proximity to Somalia, and the Boni Forest, therefore makes it conducive for Al-Shabaab's infiltration. The forest provides a haven for military training and a staging point for hit and run tactics The short distance to Somalia also makes it easy for terrorists to move illicit weapons that can be used for such crimes. Hotspots of violent extremism and terrorism in Lamu include, Pandanguo Basuba, Boni Forest, Pangani, Gamba, Milihoi, Bargoni, Mpeketoni, Amu, Witu, Kiunga, Faza, Pate, Siu and Dar es salaam Point.”
Canada
Express UK: Justin Trudeau Slammed For Vowing To Freeze Anti-Mandate Protesters' Bank Accounts
“…Liam Duffy, adviser at the Counter Extremism Project, noted: “Alarmism and mislabelling protests, no matter how inconvenient, boisterous - or even how odious you might find them - as terrorists, insurrectionists, white supremacists has only served to manufacture consent for incredible state overreach like this.” Ottawa protest leader Tamara Lich dismissed Mr Trudeau's move to financially blackmail demonstrators. She said: “There are no threats that will frighten us. We will hold the line.”
Europe
“A report that aired on MSNBC featured an infamous Ukrainian neo-Nazi group training civilians for combat as tensions over a possible Russian invasion grow. On Monday's “Morning Joe,” NBC News chief foreign affairs correspondent Richard Engel led a report on the ground about some communities in Ukraine “are taking matters into their own hands,” showing militants in a training session in a room filled with civilians, calling it “basic training for the whole family.” Engel's report highlighted a 79-year-old “great grandmother” learning how to use a rifle. However, as pointed out by Aaron Maté of the Useful Idiot podcast, the militants belong to the Azov Battalion as indicated by the insignia on their uniforms. The Azov Battalion is a far-right volunteer force that was banned by Congress to receive any U.S. foreign aid over what the FBI determined was its ties to neo-Nazi ideologies. The group's logo features the Wolfsangel, one of the symbols used by the Nazi army during World War II. The same militants were featured on numerous MSNBC programs including “The Rachel Maddow Show” and “The 11th Hour” but Engel's reports no longer showcased the Azov Battalion insignia on the uniform like it did on “Morning Joe.”
Southeast Asia
The Diplomat: Rohingya Militancy: Myth Or Reality?
“…Even before the ARSA attacks in 2016 and 2017, organizations such as the International Crisis Group, Rand corporation, Counter Extremism Project, and individual scholars have expressed concerns about a forthcoming wave of Rohingya radicalization. Some scholars identify internal and external factors for the rise of Rohingya militancy. Internal factors include the trauma caused by torture in Myanmar, the denial of basic and fundamental rights, the dream of an independent Rakhine State, and the social structures of the refugee camps. External causes include ideas of Muslim brotherhood, jihadism provoked by transnational groups, prejudice against non-Muslims, and the convenient environment for the development of such organizations. As a result of these factors, the sentiment of ummah (Muslim community) could well grow among Rohingyas, given that they have “long suffered suppression and persecution by both the Myanmar government and extremist Buddhists.” Rohingyas’ contested identity has also been identified as a catalyst for radicalization. These academic prophecies became reality after the expulsions of 2017, when transnational militant organizations started exploiting the plight of the Rohingyas. In September 2017, al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri urged “all mujahidin brothers in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and the Philippines to set out for Burma to help their Muslim brothers.”
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