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Eye on Extremism
February 22, 2022
Associated Press: Saudi Arabia: 16 Hurt In Airport Drone Attack From Yemen
“Saudi Arabia's state-run news agency said 16 people of different nationalities were wounded Monday at an airport in the south as a result of the interception and destruction of a drone carrying explosives launched from Yemen. The Saudi-led coalition that’s battling Yemen’s Houthi rebels was quoted as saying that the bomb-laden drone was targeting King Abdullah Airport in the Saudi city of Jizan, near the border with Yemen. Saudi defense forces allege the drone was launched from Sanaa's airport in the Yemeni capital. Saudi state TV reported three travelers were in critical condition. It aired a short video clip of the aftermath that showed glass shattered across the floor inside the airport near a Baskin-Robbins ice cream store. The state-run Ekhbariya news channel later showed travelers moving about within Jizan’s airport and reported that flights were back to operating normally. Saudi Arabia has been involved in Yemen’s civil war since 2015, fighting against the Iranian-backed Houthis who overran the capital of Sanaa and ousted the internationally recognized government from power. Despite seven years of fighting and war, the Houthis remain in control of Sanaa and much of northern Yemen.”
Reuters: U.S. Begins Counter-Terrorism Training In Africa Amid Upheaval
“The United States' yearly counter-terrorism training program for African forces began on Sunday in Ivory Coast at a time of upheaval in which Islamist fighters control large areas, coups are on the rise and French forces are winding down. The training program, known as Flintlock, will bring together more than 400 soldiers from across West Africa to bolster the skills of forces, some of which are under regular attack by armed groups linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State. Those not present included forces from Guinea and two countries worst-hit by Islamist violence, Mali and Burkina Faso. Military juntas have snatched power in those three countries since 2020, raising concerns about a return to West Africa's post-colonial reputation as a "coup belt". Central to this year's training is coordination between different forces fighting the same enemy. "A main focus of Flintlock is information sharing. If we can't communicate, we can't work together," said Admiral Jamie Sands, Commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command Africa, at the opening ceremony.”
Iran
The Times Of Israel: Lapid Calls On White House Not To Delist Iran’s Guards As Terror Group
“Foreign Minister Yair Lapid indicated on Monday that the Biden administration may be open to delisting the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps as a terrorist organization, and called on international actors to convince the White House to reject this Iranian demand. “Everyone in his right mind should talk to the administration about this and tell them, ‘This is just wrong, don’t do that,’” said Israel’s top diplomat, speaking in Jerusalem at the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. In front of the same forum the night before, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett also warned that Tehran was demanding the IRGC be delisted. “They are now asking to let the biggest terror organization on earth off the hook,” Bennett said. In July, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said in a report to parliament that the US would delist the IRGC and remove sanctions on senior Iranian officials if a nuclear deal were reached in Vienna. In 2019, Trump administration secretary of state Mike Pompeo announced that the IRGC would be designated a foreign terrorist organization, the first time the US blacklisted an entire entity of a foreign government in this way.”
Turkey
Daily Sabah: Turkey, Iraq Agree To Dispel Terrorism: Defense Minister Akar
“Turkey and Iraq have agreed to eliminate terrorism as soon as possible, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said Sunday following his recent meetings with central and regional Iraqi government officials. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, Akar said: “We all agree on the fight against terrorism and getting rid of it as soon as possible.” “I have expressed to them very clearly: 'We have been fighting (terrorism) for 40 years. Now we need to get rid of it as soon as possible,” Akar said. “For this reason, we reminded them of our principle 'wherever there is a terrorist, that is our target.'” Turkey has carried out a series of offensives, known as the called “Claw” operations, since 2019 against terrorist groups in northern Iraq, particularly the PKK. Operations Claw-Tiger and Claw-Eagle were initiated in June 2020 in the Sinjar, Qandil, Haftanin and Zap regions, while operations Claw-Lightning and Claw-Bolt were launched last April in Metina and Avashin-Basyan regions. No matter what anyone says, Turkey is determined to root out terrorist organizations that threaten the security, peace and stability of the country and the region, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said earlier this week regarding the ongoing operations.”
Afghanistan
AFP: Taliban Aiming To Create 'Grand Army' For Afghanistan
“The Taliban are creating a “grand army” for Afghanistan that will include officers and troops who served the old regime, the official tasked with overseeing the military's transformation said Monday. Latifullah Hakimi, head of the Taliban's Ranks Clearance Commission, also told a news conference they had repaired half the 81 helicopters and planes supposedly rendered unserviceable by US-led forces during last year's chaotic withdrawal. He said Taliban forces took control of more than 300,000 light arms, 26,000 heavy weapons and around 61,000 military vehicles during their lightning takeover of the country. Afghanistan's armed forces disintegrated last summer in the face of a Taliban onslaught ahead of the August 31 US-led force withdrawal -- often abandoning their bases and leaving behind all their weapons and vehicles. The Taliban have promised a general amnesty for everyone linked to the old regime, but almost all senior government and military officials were among the more than 120,000 people who evacuated by air in the final days. Many of the rank and file remained, however, melting back into civilian life and keeping a low profile for fear of reprisals. The United Nations said in January more than 100 people linked to the old armed forces have been killed since August.”
The National: MI5 Chief Ken McCallum: British Extremists Are Travelling To Afghanistan
“The head of Britain's domestic intelligence service said that Afghanistan is becoming a hotbed for terrorism. A British man was one of two suspected ISIS recruits caught while trying to enter Afghanistan this month. Ken McCallum, the director general of MI5, said the service has evidence of terrorist groups regrouping in Afghanistan and recruits are travelling to join them. In September Mr McCallum said that the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan would give a “morale boost” to extremists in the UK and that terrorist groups would begin “reconstituting themselves within Afghanistan and projecting the threat back at the West including the UK”. “We have seen versions of both of those risks beginning to materialise,” he told the Daily Mail in an interview. “Clearly we have seen some people interested in travelling to Afghanistan in pursuit of some of those goals. “We have seen the beginnings of some travel attempts, and so with our partners we remain very vigilant.” After the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in August there were fears that the country would again become a safe haven for terrorist groups despite Taliban leaders vowing not to shelter such people. ISIS’s affiliate in Afghanistan, known as ISIS-K, is the most extreme and violent militant group in the landlocked country.”
Lebanon
Associated Press: Israel Fires Missiles At Hezbollah Drone Flown From Lebanon
“The Israeli military on Friday said it fired interceptor missiles and protectively scrambled warplanes after what it described as a drone launched from Lebanon crossed its tense northern border. Hours later, investigations concluded the drone managed to return to Lebanon, the Israeli military said in a statement, stopping short of blaming Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group on launching the drone. In Lebanon, Hezbollah issued a statement saying it had it sent the “Hassan” drone inside Israel. It claimed the drone toured the targeted area for 40 minutes on a “reconnaissance mission that extended along seventy kilometers” inside the occupied territories. “Despite the enemy’s multiple and successive attempts to shoot it down, the ‘Hassan’ plane returned from the occupied territories safely after it successfully carried out the required mission,” it said. Minutes after the Hezbollah announcement, Israeli fighter jet flying at very low altitude buzzed the Lebanese capital Beirut, jolting residents, rattling windows and setting off some car alarms. The incident comes just a day after Israel shot down what it said was another drone, allegedly from Hezbollah. The military said in its statement that the incursion set off air raid sirens in northern Israel, and that Iron Dome interceptors were deployed and fighter jets were patrolling the skies.”
Foreign Policy: The Islamic State Is Capitalizing On Lebanon’s Economic Collapse
“Lebanon’s deepening economic crisis and long political stagnation have recently persuaded dozens of the country’s Sunnis that their most hopeful future involves joining the Islamic State. Over the last several months, young and unemployed Sunni men from the poorest parts of the country have been lured with the promise of handsome salaries by Islamic State handlers to join the group and multiply its forces. Some of the men who have fled Lebanon for Syria and Iraq to join the Islamic State had previously served time in Lebanese prisons or were suspected of having links with or sympathy for extremist outfits. Most, however, simply came from areas of Lebanon riven with poverty and sectarian rivalry between Shiites and Sunnis. At the peak of Syria’s civil war, hundreds of men from the Sunni-dominated Lebanese areas of Tripoli, Akkar, and Arsal joined Syrian rebels, including Islamist jihadi groups, affiliated with al Qaeda and the Islamic State. They carried out many lethal attacks inside the country, including using car bombs. Sometimes, they carried their violence back home. In 2015, the Islamic State’s suicide bombers killed more than 40 people and injured more than 200 in an attack in Burj al-Barajneh, a Shiite-dominated suburb of Beirut.”
Middle East
Asharq Al-Awsat: Hamas Calls On Australia To Reverse Decision Listing It As Terror Group
“The Palestinian Hamas movement rejected Australia’s intention to list both its military and political wings as terrorist. Senior Hamas official Ismail Radwan condemned the Australian decision as biased in favor of Israel, which hailed the decision as a further step in the fight against terrorism. Hamas stressed that the Australian government’s designation contradicts international law, which guarantees the right of peoples to resist the occupier, and ignores the oppressive practices of the occupation against the Palestinian people as documented by international human rights reports. It referred to the latest report by the Amnesty International, which called for accountability for the crime of apartheid against Palestinians. It called on the Australian government to reverse the decision, which “harms its reputation of respecting human rights and recognizing international laws and norms.” The Australian government announced its intention to list the entirety of Palestinian Hamas group as a terrorist organization under the country’s criminal code, Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews said on Thursday. A listing by Australia of the whole group, rather than just its military wing as at present, would bring Canberra’s stance in line with the United States, the European Union and Britain.”
Somalia
Voice Of America: Al-Shabab Collects Millions To Spend On Weapons, Report Finds
“Somalia’s al-Shabab militant group has an annual budget of $24 million to spend on purchasing weapons, a new report finds. The report by a Mogadishu-based research group, the Hiraal Institute, said the group uses various methods to procure weapons, including direct purchases from local black markets, and from arms traders contracted to buy and deliver weapons from abroad, mainly Yemen. Hiraal said the acquisition of firearms, ammunition, explosives and other lethal capacity weapons remains a priority for al-Shabab, with nearly a quarter of its budget going to such transactions. “Out of an annually planned expenditure of approximately USD 100 million, al-Shabab’s annual planned expenditure on arms procurement is assessed to be USD 24 million, budgeted monthly at USD 2 million,” the report said. Samira Gaid, the executive director of Hiraal Institute, told VOA Somali that during research they had access to al-Shabab's annual budget documentation. They have also interviewed former al-Shabab members, clan leaders, business owners, government officials and other sources who have knowledge of how the group functions. “Just like the FGS [Federal Government of Somalia], the biggest chunk of its resources is currently being spent on security-related expenses; these, of course, include wages and operational costs,” Gaid said.”
Mali
Voice Of America: Eight Malian Soldiers Killed, 14 Wounded In Clash With Militants
“The Malian defense ministry said late Friday in a statement that eight soldiers have been killed, 14 wounded, and five are missing, following clashes with militants Friday afternoon in northern Mali. The statement also says that during the clash, in which ground troops were supported by the air force, 57 terrorists were killed, and materials destroyed. The clash occurred near Tessit, Mali, in the northeastern part of the country. Since 2012, violence and instability have increased in northern and central Mali, and both Malian and French military members have been frequently targeted by militants. France announced Thursday that it would withdraw troops from Mali after a nine-year presence, following months of deteriorating relations between Mali and France. French troops first arrived as part of Operation Serval in 2013, which was aimed at taking back northern Mali from Islamist militants. Operation Serval was replaced by anti-insurgent Operation Barkhane. The Malian government asked on Friday for French troops to leave Mali “without delay”, after French President Emmanuel Macron had said the withdrawal would take between four and six months.”
Africa
“While the eyes of the world are on Ukraine, the U.S. is also keeping focused on hidden conflicts against jihadists in Africa, where at least 18 different terrorist organizations are operating. Thousands of Americans are stationed at Camp Lemonnier in the Horn of Africa nation of Djibouti. CBS News correspondent Debora Patta visited the sprawling camp, which is the only permanent U.S. military base in all of Africa and as she reports, it's close to some of the continent's most dangerous trouble spots. As troops dropped one by one out of U.S. military transport plane, Patta said while it was just a routine training exercise, the Special Operations air combat forces know they have to stay fighting fit. Their job is to rescue American troops that get trapped behind enemy lines. U.S. Special Operations forces jump from a plane over the Horn of Africa during training exercises at Camp Lemmonier, the American military base in the East African nation of Djibouti. In the air, on land or at sea, the 4,500-strong American contingent at Camp Lemonnier is tasked with combatting the deadliest al Qaeda and ISIS-affiliated groups in the world. Standing on the deck of a U.S. Navy patrol vessel just off Djibouti's coast, Patta said it was clear to see why the location is of such strategic importance: Yemen, where a grueling civil war has allowed al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula to flourish, is only about 70 miles to the north.”
Southeast Asia
Reuters: Myanmar Junta Urges ASEAN Envoy Not To Engage With 'Terrorist' Groups
“Myanmar's military government has criticised calls for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations' special envoy to the conflict-torn country to meet bodies that oppose last year's coup, which the junta has declared as “terrorist” groups. With little sign of the junta implementing a five-point peace plan agreed upon with ASEAN last year, which included an immediate end to hostilities and letting a special envoy facilitate dialogue, growing divisions have emerged in the 10-member bloc over how to restore stability. After last Thursday's ASEAN foreign ministers meeting, Indonesia said it was crucial for the envoy to meet all parties in the conflict, with Malaysia calling for talks with the National Unity Government (NUG), a group made up of members of the ousted administration and other junta opponents. “The ministry notes that while some deliberations were constructive on the implementation of the five-point consensus, two members have suggested special envoy to engage with unlawful associations and terrorist groups,” Myanmar's ministry of foreign affairs said in a statement. In its first public response to last week's ASEAN meeting, the ministry said suggesting the envoy engage with such groups was “not only contrary to the principles of the ASEAN charter but also undermine ASEAN's counter-terrorism efforts.”
Yahoo News: Bangladeshi Jailed In Singapore For Financing Syria-Based Terrorist Group's Campaigns
“A Bangladeshi construction worker in Singapore who donated to campaigns linked to a Syrian terrorist group and was detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) was jailed for two years and eight months on Monday (21 February). Ahmed Faysal, 27, donated $891.98 over 15 occasions to campaigns that he had reason to believe would benefit the militant group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS). HTS is a terrorist group in Syria that aims to overthrow Bashar al-Assad's regime and establish an Islamic caliphate in Syria. It was created by Al-Nusrah Front, an Al-Qaeda affiliate, in January 2017. HTS currently controls the last rebel-held enclave in Idlib, a city in northwestern Syria. HTS was listed as a terrorist entity on the United Nations Security Council’s ISIL (Da’esh) and Al- Qaida list on 5 June 2018. Ahmed pleaded guilty to five counts under the Terrorism (Suppression of Financing) Act, with 10 similar charges considered for his sentencing. Ahmed initially supported the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) after learning about jihad and the Syrian civil war through Facebook. He spread his pro-jihadist views on Facebook, creating multiple accounts to glorify the solders of jihad and their deaths. He knew that Facebook might delete his accounts due to the content he posted.”
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