“The U.S. Treasury Department announced financial sanctions Tuesday against
four men in South Africa it accused of being recruiters and fundraisers fo

 

 


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Eye on Extremism


March 2, 2022

 

Associated Press: South Africa: US Sanctions Alleged Islamic State Fundraisers
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“The U.S. Treasury Department announced financial sanctions Tuesday against
four men in South Africa it accused of being recruiters and fundraisers for the
Islamic State group. Three of the men raised money for the extremist group in
Iraq and Syria, the Treasury Department said, and the fourth helped move money
and buy weapons for an IS branch in the southern African nation of Mozambique.
Attacks by Islamic extremists in Mozambique's far north Cabo Delgado province
caught the world's attention in 2020 because of mass beheadings, including of
children. The United States has since labeled the extremists operating in Cabo
Delgado as a branch of the Islamic State. IS and IS-linked groups have been
behind attacks in West and East Africa for years, but the attacks in Mozambique
has underlined the extremists' growing reach in Africa. IS “has recently
attempted to expand its influence in Africa through large-scale operations in
areas where government control is limited,” the Treasury Department said in a
statement. IS supporters in South Africa, which has rarely been connected to
the group previously, play an “increasingly central role” in facilitating the
transfer of money to branches across Africa, the department added. Treasury
Undersecretary Brian E. Nelson said the U.S. was working with African partners,
including South Africa, to “dismantle” IS financial-support networks.”

 

Reuters: Taliban Restrict Afghans Going Abroad, Raises Concern From U.S. And UK

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“The Taliban administration's announcement that it would restrict Afghans from
leaving the country under certain circumstances drew concern from the United
States and the United Kingdom this week amidst fears they could hamper ongoing
evacuation efforts. The Taliban administration's spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid
had said at a media conference on Sunday that Afghans would not be allowed to
leave the country unless they had a clear destination and that women could not
travel overseas for study without a male guardian. Hugo Shorter, the UK charge
d'affaires for Afghanistan, said in a Tweet on Monday they had seen the
Taliban's statements. “These would be unacceptable restrictions on freedom of
movement,” he said. “I call on the Taliban to clarify their remarks urgently.”
It was not immediately clear whether the plans would hamper the efforts by
international governments and organisations to evacuate thousands of Afghans
who had worked with foreign embassies, militaries and projects and were
eligible for asylum in Western countries but still in Afghanistan. A U.S. State
Department spokesperson said late on Monday they were engaging with the Taliban
over the issue. “We have seen the Taliban statements reported in the press and
have raised our concerns with the Taliban,” the spokesperson said.”

 

United States

 

Reuters: Michigan Judge Rejects Entrapment Motion To Allow Trial In Alleged
Plot Against Governor
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“A judge in Michigan on Tuesday denied an entrapment motion made by defense
lawyers for three men accused of conspiring to kidnap the state's governor,
according to local media reports, meaning their trials may proceed. Jackson
County Circuit Judge Thomas Wilson's ruling will allow terrorism, gang
affiliation and firearm charges to move forward against defendants Paul Bellar,
Joseph Morrison and Pete Musico, the Detroit Free Press reported. They are
among 13 men facing federal and criminal charges stemming from a plot to abduct
Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer, threaten law enforcement and attack the
state legislature. The alleged plot was motivated by opposition to state
coronavirus restrictions and the 2020 presidential election in 2020. The court
did not immediately respond to a request for more information from Reuters.
Defense attorneys filed the entrapment motion in an effort to get Wilson to
throw out the charges. Attorneys sought to weaken the state's case against the
defendants following testimony by an FBI informant on Monday, according to the
Free Press.”

 

Iraq

 

Kurdistan 24: Iraqi Airstrikes Kill 3 ISIS Suspects In Anbar
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“Iraqi Air Force F-16 jets killed three suspected ISIS members in airstrikes
on Anbar province on Tuesday.  The strikes targeted a group of militants in the
Shu’ayib al-Daye area in the west of the province, according to the Security
Media Cell, the military’s official media. The initial airstrike killed one of
the militants, while subsequent airstrikes in the same area killed the other
two. The military described the attacks as “pre-emptive operations” to deny the
militants from acquiring a “safe haven”. In late February, the military
launched similar airstrikes in Anbar that killed two high-ranking militants.
Iraq frequently uses its US-built F-16s for such targeted strikes against ISIS.
In addition to targeting ISIS remnants from the air, the Iraqi military
regularly carries out ground operations in remote parts of the country’s
eastern and northern provinces, where they believe ISIS still has hideouts and
fighters. Over the past five years, ISIS exploited the disputed territories
between Erbil and Baghdad to launch hit-and-run attacks against Iraqi and
Kurdish forces.”

 

Lebanon

 

Arab News: US Officials Target Corruption, Terror Funding In Beirut Talks
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“A US Treasury delegation on Tuesday held talks with officials in Beirut on
the Lebanese government’s cooperation in combating money laundering and
corruption, as well as the crisis in the Lebanese banking sector. The
delegation — headed by Paul Ahern, principal deputy assistant secretary at the
US Treasury; his deputy Eric Meyer; and a group of experts in financial crime —
was following up discussions the previous day on combating terror financing,
and illicit drug and smuggling operations, President Michel Aoun told US
officials that Lebanese laws “are applied firmly and accurately in this field,
and international financial institutions testify to that.” Aoun said: “Lebanon
actively participates in international efforts to combat money laundering, and
plays its role in the Financial Action Group for this purpose in the Middle
East region. It also established the National Coordination Committee for
Combating the Financing of Terrorism and the National Anti-Corruption
Commission.” The Lebanese leader pledged that the fight against corruption
“will continue unabated during the remainder of the presidential term,” and
cited the forensic audit of the central bank’s accounts as “one of its most
prominent manifestations.”

 

Middle East

 

The National: Middle East No Longer Region Most Affected By Terrorism, Global
Report Finds
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“The Middle East and North Africa is no longer the region most affected by
terrorism, a global report has found. The weakening of ISIS in the region has
played a key role in the improved performance in the Global Terrorism Index,
which measured the amount of terrorist-related incidents over the course of
2021. Sixteen countries in the region improved their score from the previous
year, with three showing no change in performance. Only Algeria recorded an
increase in the number of terrorist-related deaths. “Fatalities in the Mena
region accounted for 39 per cent of the total global deaths from terrorism
between 2007 and 2021,” the report said. “However, since the defeat of ISIS the
region’s share of the global total has dropped substantially. “It accounted for
only 16 per cent of global deaths, behind South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa in
2021.” The annual report is put together by the Institute for Economics and
Peace, a global think tank with headquarters in Sydney. The number of deaths
worldwide from terrorism in 2021 was 7,142, which represented an annual fall of
1.2 per cent. The 2021 figure was a third of the deaths recorded in 2015, the
report said. “Terrorist attacks are becoming less deadly in the region with
less than one person killed on average per terrorist attack in 2021,” authors
said.”

 

The Jerusalem Post: Islamic Jihad Vows To Avenge Killing Of Two Members In
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“The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) threatened to avenge the killing of two
of its men in the Jenin refugee camp. The two, Abdallah al-Husary, 22, and
Shadi Nijem, 18, were killed during clashes with IDF troops in the camp early
Tuesday. Husary was identified as a member of PIJ’s al-Quds Brigades, while
Nijem was described as a member of a PIJ-affiliated group called Belt of Fire.
The incident came as Palestinian factions called for a “day of rage” in
solidarity with Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. It also came amid
a significant increase in the number of shooting attacks against IDF soldiers
and installations in various parts of the West Bank. Husary was shot dead when
he opened fire at the soldiers who entered the camp, according to Palestinian
sources, who said that he had previously been summoned for interrogation by the
Palestinian Authority security forces in Jenin over his activities with PIJ.
According to the sources, during the raid the soldiers arrested Emad Abu
al-Haija, a camp resident believed to be a member of Hamas. Nijem was
critically injured during the clashes between the soldiers and gunmen in the
camp. He later died at a local hospital. The Jenin refugee camp has long been
home to various armed groups and unruly gunmen, especially those belonging to
PIJ and Fatah’s al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades.”

 

Nigeria

 

AFP: Nigeria's Jihadists Resume Attacks After Lull
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“A nurse in Nigeria's Maiduguri State Specialist Hospital reads out a
diagnosis for the latest victim brought into the operating theatre:
“25-year-old male. Bullet wound to the lower right limb.” “The bullet exploded
inside his leg,” surgeon Alberto Giudiceandrea told AFP as he prepared to
perform a procedure for the International Committee of the Red Cross team
working in the conflict-hit northeastern region. Outside the hospital, there is
little sign of violence on the well-kept streets of the state capital, giving
credence to a belief that jihadists who launched an insurgency more than 12
years ago are now on the back foot. But the continued arrivals of wounded men,
women and children seeking treatment are a bloody reminder of the ebb and flow
of a grinding war. As typical during the dry season, Nigeria's military is on
the offensive, launching deadly air strikes on hideouts of Islamic State
affiliated fighters. Government troops have been emboldened by the death last
year of Abubakar Shekau, leader of the Jama'tu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati
wal-Jihad known worldwide as Boko Haram, in a clash with rival group ISWAP.
Many hoped his death would mark a turning point in the conflict that has killed
at least 40,000 people since 2009 and displaced 2.2 million more in Africa's
most populous country.”

 

United Kingdom

 

BBC News: Bradford Man Mohammad Owais Sabir Charged With Terror Offences
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“A man from Bradford has appeared in court charged with terrorism offences.
Mohammad Owais Sabir, of Mansfield Road, spoke only to confirm his name and
address via videolink at Westminster Magistrates' Court. He is accused of
multiple crimes, including possessing articles for terrorist purposes. Mr Sabir
was arrested last week as part of what police described as a “pre-planned,
intelligence-led operation” involving counter terrorism officers. He has been
charged with nine offences under the Terrorism Act 2000, including entering
funding arrangements, fundraising and possession of articles for terrorist
purposes. Prosecution lawyer Warren Stanier told the court Mr Sabir was
arrested in September 2021 and again on 22 February this year after police
looked into his financial transactions. Shannon Revel, defending, said he was
the son of “elderly parents who are first generation immigrants from Pakistan”
and that his father worked in a takeaway. She added that Mr Sabir has a wife
and a daughter and had recently “been in education to become a Muslim community
leader”. District Judge Richard Griffiths sent the case to be tried by a jury
at the Central Criminal Court later this month due to the seriousness of the
alleged offences. Mr Sabir was remanded in custody until the hearing at the Old
Bailey on 14 March.”

 

Daily Mail: Prosecutors Drop Terror Charges Against Schoolgirl, 16, Accused Of
Far-Right Extremism After She 'Developed An Admiration For Hitler' And Was
Allegedly Caught With Bomb And Gun-Making Instructions
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“Prosecutors have dropped terror charges against schoolgirl accused of
far-right extremism after she 'developed an admiration for Hitler' and was
allegedly caught with bomb and gun-making instructions. The 16-year-old girl,
who cannot be identified due to her age, was allegedly caught with a
bomb-making video and instructions on how to build a homemade gun using a 3D
printer. The girl, from Derbyshire, was referred to the Government's Prevent
deradicalization programme by her mother, who said she had developed an
admiration for Adolf Hitler. She was also said to be a Holocaust denier who had
downloaded instructions on how to construct a pipe bomb and referenced a desire
to blow up a synagogue and slash people's throats. She was facing trial at
Westminster Magistrates' Court on Tuesday but the Crown Prosecution Service
(CPS) said the case had been dropped at the end of last year. “In light of
developments the CPS further reviewed the case and concluded that it no longer
met our legal test for prosecution and it was discontinued,” a spokesman said.
The teenager denied five counts of possessing information likely to be useful
to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism on dates in August and
September 2020.”

 

Europe

 

Reuters: Ukraine President Accuses Russia Of 'State Terrorism' In Kharkiv
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“Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday that Russian
artillery attacks on Ukraine's second-largest city of Kharkiv amounted to state
terrorism and called on the international community to recognise it as such.
"The terror aims to break us, to break our resistance," he said in a video
address shared on social media describing Kyiv and Kharkiv as Russia's main
targets.”

 

Southeast Asia

 

Associated Press: 3 Killed In Philippine Army Attack On Muslim Militant Camp
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“Philippine troops backed by fighter jets attacked a remote camp of Muslim
militants linked to the Islamic State group on Tuesday in a predawn assault in
the country’s south that left two insurgents and a soldier dead, military
officials said. Two soldiers were wounded in the assault on the camp of about
50 Dawlah Islamiya group fighters near the town of Maguing in Lanao del Sur
province. Air force fighter jets dropped a dozen bombs as army troops launched
a ground attack, said regional military commander Lt. Gen. Alfredo Rosario Jr.
The gunmen fled after the airstrikes and were being pursued, Rosario and other
military officials said. The assault was staged far from rural communities to
prevent civilians from being caught in the crossfire, they said. Military
officials said troops were continuing to clash sporadically with fleeing
militants led by a militant commander they identified as Abu Zacharia. Members
of Dawlah Islamiya were involved in a 2017 siege of southern Marawi city, where
hundreds of militants waving Islamic State group-style black flags occupied
commercial buildings and villages and took hostages. Filipino troops, backed by
U.S. and Australian surveillance aircraft, quelled the five-month siege, which
left about 1,200 people dead, mostly militants.”

 

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