“The U.N. Security Council voted Monday to impose an expanded arms embargo on
Yemen’s Houthi rebels, saying they have threatened the peace, security a

 

 


<[link removed]>
<[link removed]>
Eye on Extremism


March 1, 2022

 

Associated Press: UN Slaps Expanded Arms Embargo On Yemen’s Houthi Rebels
<[link removed]>

 

“The U.N. Security Council voted Monday to impose an expanded arms embargo on
Yemen’s Houthi rebels, saying they have threatened the peace, security and
stability of the war-torn country. Council members said the rebels are
responsible for attacking civilians, commercial shipping in the Red Sea, and
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The Security Council had already
imposed an asset freeze, travel ban and arms embargo against Houthi leaders and
top officials, but this resolution dramatically expands the arms embargo to
include all Houthis. The British-drafted resolution said the Iran-backed
Houthis “implemented a policy of sexual violence and repression against
politically active and professional women, engaged in the recruitment and use
of children,” indiscriminately used land mines and improvised explosive devices
and obstructed humanitarian aid to Yemenis.”

 

Reuters: Suspected Islamist Militants Kill 20 Civilians In Eastern Congo
<[link removed]>

 

“Suspected Islamist militants killed at least 20 civilians in northeastern
Democratic Republic of Congo overnight, according to a local resident and an
activist who criticised the failure of Congolese and Ugandan forces to stop the
repeated massacres. The attack late on Sunday evening in the village of Kikura
was blamed by the resident and the activist on the Allied Democratic Forces
(ADF), a Ugandan militia that has killed thousands of civilians in eastern
Congo since 2013. Congolese and Ugandan troops launched joint operations
against the ADF in late November but attacks by the group, which has pledged
allegiance to Islamic State, have continued to kill dozens of civilians each
month. The assailants struck at around 9 p.m. with machetes and also burned
down houses, said Odette Zawadi, the president of a local activist
organisation. She said 20 bodies had been recovered and that the death toll
could rise further. “We already didn't seem to have confidence in these
so-called joint operations. How can you explain that 20 people are killed in
the presence of these two forces?,” she told Reuters. Claude Kalinde, a local
resident, confirmed that 20 bodies had been recovered. “We thought that the
coalition of the Congolese and Ugandan armies would help us, but look at how
sad this is,” he said.”

 

United States

 

The New York Times: G.O.P. Leaders Condemn Lawmakers’ Appearance At White
Nationalist Conference
<[link removed]>

 

“Republican congressional leaders on Monday broke their silence about the
participation of two House Republicans at a far-right conference with ties to
white supremacy, denouncing the actions of Representative Marjorie Taylor
Greene of Georgia and Representative Paul Gosar of Arizona. Three days after
Ms. Greene appeared in person and Mr. Gosar by video at the America First
Political Action Conference, organized by a prominent white supremacist, Nick
Fuentes, the responses reflected mounting pressure on top Republicans to
denounce extremists in their ranks. They followed a sharp condemnation by the
Republican Jewish Coalition and a more oblique one by the Republican National
Committee, and marked a rare public rebuke by G.O.P. congressional leaders, who
have more often stayed mum in response to outrageous language and conduct by
their hard-right members. By Monday afternoon, Representative Kevin McCarthy of
California, the minority leader who aspires to be speaker, told reporters at
the Capitol that he found the pair’s behavior “appalling and wrong.” After
taking Republicans to Israel and the hallowed museum of the Holocaust, Yad
Vashem, Mr. McCarthy said, he had returned to Washington to find that two
colleagues “went and participated with a group that has a leader that many
times gives antisemitic views, and led a chant for Putin.”

 

Afghanistan

 

Newsweek: Taliban Tightens Its Grip On Afghanistan With Arrests, Targeted
Killings
<[link removed]>

 

“Despite the Taliban's assurances upon taking control of Afghanistan that it
would not target its perceived enemies in retaliation, evidence reveals that
the de facto authority is actively advancing its bloody record of atrocity
crimes with arbitrary arrests and detentions, torture and targeted killings. In
the months leading up to the Taliban takeover in August 2021, fighting between
the Afghan military and the Taliban led to a dramatic increase in civilian
casualties. The U.N. found that Taliban forces were responsible for nearly 40%
of civilian deaths and injuries in the first six months of 2021, according to a
Human Rights Watch (HRW) report. Women and children comprised nearly half of
all civilian casualties. Among those casualties for which the Taliban was
responsible, targeted killings were the third leading cause, the United Nations
Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) reported. “Listen to the
international news media, and it would seem that Afghanistan fell overnight,”
an Amnesty International report read. “The civilians caught in the fighting
knew differently.” “The Taliban is an actor that was involved in the conflict
of Afghanistan for the past 27 years,” Ibraheem Bahiss, a consultant with
Crisis Group's Asia Program, told Newsweek.”

 

Foreign Policy: Taliban Struggle To Maintain Unity Six Months Into Their Reign
<[link removed]>

 

“For years, Musa, a 28-year-old fighter who only goes by one name, built bombs
for the Taliban in Afghanistan’s southern Helmand province, regularly blowing
up cars and sometimes humvees, fighting both Afghan forces and “foreign
invaders.” He has worked hard and “killed many,” Musa said, the push for
victory keeping him motivated. When the Taliban took control of the country in
August 2021, Musa was thrilled. But his euphoria has since worn off, the
adrenaline rush ceasing. He had hoped to be recognized by his commanders for
his efforts; instead, he’s now unemployed and living in the former front-line
town of Sangin, Afghanistan, where barely a house is standing. “There’s no job
for me to do, and I’m bored. I’d like to keep fighting,” the 28-year-old said.
The reality of the Taliban’s rule isn’t quite what he had imagined. Six months
into their rule, the Taliban face numerous obstacles both internally and
externally.”

 

Middle East

 

Associated Press: Israeli Forces Kill Palestinian Militant In West Bank Clash
<[link removed]>

 

“A Palestinian militant was killed in clashes with Israeli forces in the
occupied West Bank early Tuesday, a few hours after Israeli police dispersed
Palestinian stone-throwers at a gate to Jerusalem’s Old City that has been a
frequent flashpoint for rapidly escalating tensions. The Islamic Jihad group
said Abdullah al-Hossari was shot dead in a confrontation that erupted when
Israeli special forces entered Jenin refugee camp in the northern West Bank.
The Health Ministry said another man was seriously wounded. There was no
immediate comment from the Israeli military, which often carries out nighttime
incursions into areas administered by the Palestinian Authority to arrested
wanted Palestinians or demolish homes of militants involved in attacks against
Israel. Local Palestinian media said the dead man was a member of the “Jenin
Brigade,” a newly formed group affiliated with Islamic Jihad. In August, Israel
released al-Hossari from detention after 26 months. Islamic Jihad is a pro-Iran
Palestinian group. Its top political leaders are based in Syria and Lebanon,
with some prominent officials in Gaza, where it is the second largest armed
group after Gaza’s ruling Hamas. In Jerusalem on Monday, Israeli police fired
stun grenades, rubber bullets and wastewater cannons to disperse
stone-throwers.”

 

The Jerusalem Post: Israel Seizes Cryptocurrency Destined For Hamas Terrorism
Funding
<[link removed]>

 

“A seizure order for Hamas-destined cryptocurrency worth tens of thousands of
shekels was signed by Defense Minister Benny Gantz on Monday morning This marks
the third time within a year that Israel has seized cryptocurrency accounts
funding terrorism. The 12 digital accounts and 30 digital wallets belonged to
businesses associated with the Al'matchadun currency exchange company, the
Defense Ministry said. The company, owned by the Shamlach family, is alleged to
be affiliated with terrorism networks. The Shamlach family has been accused by
the Defense Ministry of assisting Hamas with the transfer of tens of millions
of dollars per year. Some of the cryptocurrencies announced today as
confiscated by the ministry were owned by the Shamlach family. “We are taking
all the possible measures to cut off the economic ‘oxygen supply’ to terror
organizations,” said Gantz. “We continue to expand the tools to cope with
terror and the companies that support it. I commend the organizations involved
for their intelligence, operational, and legal cooperation. We will continue to
take all the measures necessary to fight terror.” The operation was jointly
conducted by the National Bureau for Counter Terror Financing in Israel
(NBCTF), the national cyber unit of Lahav 433, and the IDF’s Intelligence
Division.”

 

Nigeria

 

AFP: Nigeria Jihadists Kill 27 People In Four Attacks
<[link removed]>

 

“Jihadists in northeast Nigeria have since Friday killed 27 people in four
separate attacks, security sources and residents told AFP on Sunday. The
Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), who split from rival Boko Haram
jihadists in 2016, has escalated attacks in recent weeks, despite ongoing
military operations. Late on Saturday, ISWAP killed 24 civilians in three
villages in Borno state, an anti-jihadist militia leader and a resident told
AFP. They said the civilians were targeted for helping troops fighting the
militants. Military spokespeople and local officials have not yet confirmed the
attacks and did not respond to AFP's requests for comment. The villages are on
the fringes of Sambisa forest, a major jihadist hideout. Fighters drove into
Sabongarin Kimba, Mandara-Girau and Ngama villages in Biu district, targeting
residents, the sources said. “The terrorists killed 24 people in the three
villages last night,” an anti-jihadist militia leader Mustapha Karimbe said.
“They moved from village to village, selecting their targets and slaughtering
them,” said Karimbe, adding that nine residents were killed in Sabongarin
Kimba, seven in Mandara-Girau and eight in Ngama. He said soldiers had enlisted
the help of villagers to clear shrubs along the highway linking the villages,
which the militants use as cover for ambushes.”

 

United Kingdom

 

BBC News: Dunstable School Suspends Teacher Over Bin Laden Image
<[link removed]>

 

“A teacher has been suspended after using a picture of terrorist leader Osama
Bin Laden in an attempt to portray the Prophet Muhammad in a Religious Studies
lesson. All Saints Academy in Dunstable said it recognised the “deep hurt and
distress” caused to Muslims by the use of a “totally inappropriate” image. The
Church of England school issued an “unreserved and sincere apology”. It added
there would be a “detailed and swift investigation”. For most Muslims,
Muhammad, or any of the other prophets of Islam, should not be pictured in any
way. The image of Bin Laden, the former al-Qaeda leader who was killed by US
special forces in Pakistan in 2011, was used in a Year 10 class on Friday. A
statement on the academy's website said: “Not only was it offensive to attempt
to portray an image of the Prophet Muhammad, but the image that was used was
that of Osama Bin Laden, a terrorist leader, which further added to the deep
insult. “The Academy reiterates its unreserved and sincere apology for the
distress this episode has caused.” The school said that after it was alerted by
a “concerned student”, the member of staff was “immediately suspended by the
principal pending a detailed and swift investigation which will follow the
academy's disciplinary procedures.”

 

Germany

 

The New York Times: Threats Emerge In Germany As Far Right And Pandemic
Protesters Merge
<[link removed]>

 

“First vaccine opponents attacked the police. Then a group of them chatted
online about killing the governor. And one day an angry crowd beating drums and
carrying torches showed up outside the house of the health minister of the
eastern state of Saxony. The minister, Petra Köpping, had just gotten home when
her phone rang. It was a neighbor and he sounded afraid. When Ms. Köpping
peered out of her window into the dark, she saw several dozen faces across the
street, flickering in the torchlight. “They came to intimidate and threaten
me,” she recalled in an interview. “I had just come home and was alone. I’ve
been in politics for 30 years, but I have never seen anything like this. There
is a new quality to this.” The crowd was swiftly dispersed by the police, but
the incident in December represented a turning point in a country where the SA,
Hitler’s paramilitary organization, was notorious not just for showing up at
the homes of political rivals with torches and drums, but for attacking and
even murdering them. It was the clearest indication yet that a protest movement
against Covid measures that has mobilized tens of thousands in cities and
villages across the country was increasingly merging with the far right, each
finding new purpose and energy and further radicalizing the other.”

 

Europe

 

The Print: Five Pakistanis Arrested In Spain On Terrorism Charges
<[link removed]>

 

“Giving body blow to the already settled radical Islam in the country, the
National Police of Spain arrested five Pakistani citizens for encouraging their
compatriots through social networks to assassinate those who raise their voice
against them. Police arrested the Pakistani citizens on February 21 in
Barcelona, Gerona, Ubeda (Jaen) and Granada, according to a media report. The
detainees, all in their twenties, were sympathizers neither of the Islamic
State (ISIS) nor of Al Qaeda, the groups to which practically all of those
arrested in Spain are related, but of a radical Islamist group of Pakistan, the
Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), with parliamentary representation and which
advocates the implementation of Islamic law and execution of those who are
branded as blasphemers, said the report. The judge of the National High Court
Manuel Garcia-Castellon has ordered the admission to preventive detention of
all of the accused on charges of collaboration with a terrorist organization,
glorification and incitement to commit murders. The investigation that has led
to these arrests began after the attack in September 2020 on the former Paris
headquarters of Charlie Hebdo. The satirical magazine had already suffered a
jihadist attack in January 2015 in which eight persons had died.”

 

Southeast Asia

 

The Manila Times: Military Launches Land, Air Assault On IS Terror Groups In
Lanao Del Sur
<[link removed]>

 

“The Armed Forces of the Philippines confirmed on Tuesday that they launched a
land and air operation against the IS-inspired terrorist groups located in the
Lanao del Sur Province. In a statement, AFP spokesman Colonel Ramon Zagala
noted that troops from the 103rd Brigade, in coordination with the Philippine
National Police, made their way through the hinterlands of Maguing. “Upon
reaching near the target, close air support was given to protect troops from
enemy anti-personnel mines,” Zagala said in a statement. As of Tuesday morning,
Zagala said heavy fighting was ongoing. “Troops are still in the area still
engaged with the terrorists,” he added. Zagala issued the statement after
social media buzzed with “airstrikes” at Barangay Runggayan in Maguing. It
occurred at 2 a.m., which alarmed many residents, who were monitoring events
occurring in Ukraine with Russia conducting attacks and airstrikes. The Maguing
Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council had appealed to
residents to stay calm and not panic. This was echoed by Zagala as he noted the
importance of the operation.”

 

The Counter Extremism Project depends on the generosity of its supporters. If
you value what we do, please consider making a donation.
DONATE NOW
<[link removed]>


Click here to unsubscribe.
<[link removed]>