|
Eye on Extremism
March 2, 2022
Associated Press: South Africa: US Sanctions Alleged Islamic State Fundraisers
“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
“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
“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
“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
“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
“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 Jenin
“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
“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
“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.”
“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
“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
“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.”
The Counter Extremism Project depends on the generosity of its supporters. If you value what we do, please consider making a donation.
| |
Click here to unsubscribe.