Eye on Extremism
November 18, 2019
Associated
Press: American Held In Turkey As IS Suspect Returns To
US
“An American citizen alleged by Turkey to be an Islamic State
member has returned to the United States. According to a government
report obtained by The Associated Press, federal authorities
questioned the man when he arrived Friday night at Dulles
International Airport in Virginia and inspected his electronic
devices. The report says he was allowed to enter the country en route
to visit relatives in Texas. Media in Turkey have identified the man
as 39-year-old Muhammad Darwis B. Turkey deported him after he spent
five days in no man’s land between Turkey and Greece, where he had
asked to be sent. Repatriation began after the U.S. agreed to accept
him and provided travel documents. Turkey captured suspected IS
members during its offensive in Syria and is returning foreigners to
their countries of origin.”
CBS
News: Russian Troops Take Command Of U.S. Airbase In Northern
Syria
“Russian troops have taken command of a U.S. airbase in northern
Syria — and without firing a shot. Russian state media showed
commandos staging what looked like a military invasion. Choppers
descending onto the dusty runway, troops taking up combat positions.
The Russians are playing up the takeover of the Kobani airfield as a
victory. The former U.S. airbase that served as the main logistical
hub for America's fight against ISIS, now with the Russian flag flying
above it. The Russians moved in just a day after U.S. forces moved
out, leaving behind barracks, beds, abandoned medical supplies and the
skeleton of a gym with weights removed, to render it useless.”
The
Daily Beast: Lebanon’s Protests Divide Hezbollah. Will It Strike
Back?
“He has fought Israel since the 1990s and killed many fighters in
Syria’s civil war, but the increasing difficulty of working-class life
in Lebanon and a popular revolt against the country’s leaders has
forced Abu Hussein to reevaluate his decades-long service to
Hezbollah. The group whose name translates as “the Party of God” has
been branded a terrorist organization by the United States since the
1980s. Backed by Iran, it is more powerful than Lebanon’s military and
holds a political veto on state policies. The Trump White House has
made Hezbollah a prime target in its “Maximum Pressure” campaign
against Iran, which seeks to squeeze the Islamic Republic economically
until it signs a new, Trump-approved deal covering not only nukes, but
ending Iran’s support for militias like Hezbollah. Sanctions have
targeted the party’s members in Lebanon’s parliament and a Lebanese
bank accused of involvement managing Hezbollah accounts. But the U.S.
efforts have only added pressure to Lebanon’s economic crisis. And
Iran has many ways to fight back. “Iran sees Lebanon as an important
arena in the duel with Washington and will not sacrifice its prize
horse Hezbollah no matter the cost,” says Raghida Dergham, founder of
the Beirut Institute, an independent think tank.”
Associated
Press: Protests Grip Major Iran Cities Over Gas Prices; 1
Killed
“Protesters angered by Iran raising government-set gasoline prices
by 50% blocked traffic in major cities and occasionally clashed with
police Saturday after a night of demonstrations punctuated by gunfire,
in violence that reportedly killed at least one person. The protests
put renewed pressure on Iran’s government as it struggles to overcome
the U.S. sanctions strangling the country after President Donald Trump
unilaterally withdrew America from Tehran’s nuclear deal with world
powers. Though largely peaceful, demonstrations devolved into violence
in several instances, with online videos purporting to show police
officers firing tear gas at protesters and mobs setting fires. While
representing a political risk for President Hassan Rouhani ahead of
February parliamentary elections, it also shows the widespread anger
among Iran’s 80 million people who have seen their savings evaporate
amid scarce jobs and the national rial currency’s collapse.”
France
24: Burkina Faso Army Says 32 'Terrorists' Killed After Deadly Convoy
Attack
“The army said 24 people were killed in the first operation on
Friday and a further eight in a second on Saturday. The first
operation in Yorsala in Loroum province saw a number of women who "had
been held and used by the terrorists as sex slaves" freed. Arms,
ammunition and other materials were also recovered in the second
operation on the outskirts of Bourzanga in Bam province, the army
statement added. The impoverished and politically fragile Sahel
country has been struggling to quell a rising jihadist revolt that has
claimed hundreds of lives since early 2015. Earlier this month, an
attack on a convoy transporting local employees of Canadian mining
company Semafo left 37 people dead and 60 wounded. Such attacks –
typically hit-and-run raids on villages, road mines and suicide
bombings – have claimed nearly 700 lives across the country since
early 2015, according to an AFP toll. Almost 500,000 people have also
been forced to flee their homes.”
Valiant
News: Google Hasn’t Passed Its Biggest Test Yet: Hunting
Hate
“Some of the world’s biggest marketers halted YouTube spending this
month after ads from large brands were found running alongside hateful
and extremist videos. Google parent Alphabet Inc. risks losing $750
million in revenue this year from the debacle, analysts at Nomura
Instinet estimated this week. A potential solution lies in machine
learning, a powerful AI technique for automatically recognizing
patterns across reams of data — a Google specialty. Computer
scientists doubt technology alone can expunge offensive videos.”We’re
not there yet where we can, say, find all extremist content,” said
Hany Farid, a Dartmouth professor and senior adviser to the Counter
Extremism Project, which has repeatedly called on YouTube to tackle
this problem. He recommends companies like Google and Facebook Inc.
deploy more human editors to filter content. “Machine learning, AI is
nowhere near that yet,” he said. “Don’t believe the hype.”
United States
Fox
News: Chicago Gang Leader Accused Of Supporting ISIS
“The leader of a street gang in a Chicago suburb was arrested for
allegedly attempting to aid ISIS, the Justice Department announced
Friday. Jason Brown, also known as “Abdul Ja’Me,” allegedly provided
$500 to an individual three separate times in 2019, believing that the
recipient would then wire that money to an Islamic State (ISIS)
soldier in Syria, according to the federal complaint. In a recorded
conversation obtained by the Justice Department, Brown can be heard
saying, “it [jihad] cannot be done like it is in Syria. In the U.S.,
jihad is done by spreading the word of Islam.” What Brown, 37, did not
know was that the individual with whom he was dealing was working with
law enforcement; the supposed ISIS fighter was an undercover officer.
Brown is the leader of the AHK street gang in the Chicago suburb of
Bellwood, according to the complaint. AHK consists of former members
of the Black P Stones, the Gangster Disciples and the Four Corner
Hustlers, who converted to Islam -- an AHK requirement. Brown
allegedly recruited and radicalized members to support ISIS. Brown is
believed to have become radicalized during a stint in a Georgia prison
over a firearms offense in 2016. During that time he became familiar
with the work of Sheikh Abdullah el-Faisal.”
CNN:
I Work To Fight Terrorism. This Is The Threat That Keeps Me Up At
Night
“I have traveled the world trying to stop people from radicalizing,
and through those experiences I have seen the best and the worst of
humanity. I've interviewed numerous terrorists in prison cells, bound
by shackles - and sat down to hear the experiences of countless former
extremists of all kinds. Most recently, I spoke with a man who was
actually convicted of participating in and supporting al-Qaeda plots
in Afghanistan and the US. I have passionately worked to counter
radicalization and extremist ideology issues worldwide because the
range of threats that our nation faces is very real — from the rise in
lone wolf and homegrown attacks to the persistent existence of the
ideology behind ISIS. Yet those aren't the only security risks that
are keeping me up at night. Right now, what concerns me most is the
widening polarization in our country, because this is the kind of
division that feeds the seeds of hate at the root of every kind of
terror attack. We can all agree that keeping our citizens safe has to
be our top priority, and traditional counterterrorism work is critical
in preserving national security here and abroad. True counterterrorism
efforts identify urgent needs, devise solutions and mobilize
resources, and we still need our intelligence and military
capabilities to thwart and prevent future tragedies.”
The
San Diego Union-Tribune: San Diego FBI Sharpens Focus On Fight Against
Domestic Terror
“Invoking the name of the alleged Poway synagogue shooter, police
say a 23-year-old Concord man threatened to carry out an even deadlier
attack. He would wear a Nazi uniform, livestream the massacre to Nazi
music and take down more than 30 “subhumans” plus police officers with
an “unregistered and illegally converted ‘machine gun,’” according to
online gaming posts detailed in court records. In Kent, Wash., another
man, 27, was also apparently a fan, lionizing the Poway suspect on a
social media feed filled with anti-Semitic vitriol. It’s the kind of
copycat and glorification mentality that has come to be expected
following domestic terror attacks, and law enforcement around the
country has been scrambling in the face of rising violence to decipher
true threats from First Amendment-protected speech. Both young men
were ultimately arrested, along with dozens of others who are accused
of threatening, plotting or actually carrying out mass attacks in the
past year — some of them apparently ideologically motivated, others
not. “For law enforcement as a whole, the posture has been more
aggressive across the board because of what we are seeing,” said Jason
Beachy, an assistant special agent in charge at the FBI in San
Diego.”
WCJB
ABC: St. Augustine Man Accused Of Aiding ISIS
“A St. Augustine man is accused of trying to help ISIS by creating
"how-to" videos on making a bomb. The FBI has been tracking his social
media since 2014. Photos reading "seeking to kill and be killed," or
photos of explosives in a city are what Romeo Langhorne openly
displays for the public on his Facebook page. Langhorne believed
existing online videos were inadequate to arm fellow ISIS followers
with the knowledge of how to create explosives. That's when the
complaint says he began directing an undercover FBI agent to produce a
"how-to" video since February of this year. The criminal complaint
narrates just how Langhorne would distribute his messages over
different social media platforms for all to see.”
WSLS
10 News: Rocky Mount Man Charged With Supporting ISIS, Making Video
Detailing How To Make Explosives
“A man suspected to support the Islamic State has been arrested and
charged with making a video to help ISIS. A federal criminal complaint
claims 30-year-old Romeo Langhorne of Rocky Mount attempted to teach
ISIS supporters how to make an explosive often used in suicide
bombings through an instructional video. The complaint said Langhorne
attempted to post the video online November 11. Langhorne is being
held in the Western Virginia Regional Jail in Salem. The Federal
Bureau of Investigation had monitored Langhorne since February through
an undercover agent who talked with him through online messages.
Langhorne lived near Jacksonville, Florida when the investigation
started, but the criminal complaint said surveillance agents saw
Langhorne arrive at the Roanoke Amtrak station in April and go to his
mother’s house.”
Lawfare:
Trinidad’s Islamic State Problem
“In November 2013 Shane Crawford and two other men pulled off a
double murder in a busy town in central Trinidad. Less than a month
later all three were in Syria fighting for the Islamic State—the first
Trinidadians, or Trinis (to use the local idiom), to do so. By the
time the U.S. State Department added Crawford to its list of “Global
Terrorists” in 2017, more than 240 Trini nationals had migrated to the
so-called caliphate in Syria and Iraq. This makes Trinidad and Tobago
(T&T), a small twin-island republic in the Caribbean, one of the
world’s biggest recruiting grounds, per capita, of the Islamic State.
Trinidad has still yet to come to terms with this unenviable record,
and there remains a widespread sense of incomprehension in the county
that any of its nationals could have traded the paradise on their
shores for a world of sectarian slaughter and chaos in Syria and Iraq.
Now, more than six months after the fall of the territorial caliphate,
the country faces the mother of all returnee problems: what to do
about the scores of its nationals who are currently in detention in
Syria and Iraq. This problem is all the more urgent given the
uncertainty in northeastern Syria following President Trump’s decision
to withdraw U.S. troops and support from the Syrian Democratic Forces
(SDF).”
Syria
Financial
Times: Syria Incursion Delivers Limited Boost To Turkey’s
Erdogan
“Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan enjoyed strong domestic
backing for last month’s contentious military incursion into Syria but
already that patriotic bounce has begun to fade. For a leader who had
been under pressure, grappling with a troubled economy and setbacks in
recent local elections, the assault brought a welcome shift in the
public discourse as the country was engulfed by a wave of nationalist
fervour. While foreign nations condemned Mr Erdogan, at home the
operation against the Syrian Kurdish militias that Ankara views as
terrorists was overwhelmingly popular. “During the operation —
especially in the first two or three weeks — everyone was talking
about it,” said Seren Selvin Korkmaz, director of Istanbulpol, a
think-tank. “Erdogan gained space and time to manoeuvre.” Now, with
the military operation largely over, political analysts say it is
striking how little political support Mr Erdogan has gained.”
Al
Jazeera: Baghdadi's Death Did Not Bring His Victims Any Closer To
Justice
“Last night, the United States brought the world's number one
terrorist leader to justice," US President Donald Trump announced at
the White House on October 27. "Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is dead." Trump
appeared jubilant as he shared with the American public the details of
the operation that led to the killing of the infamous leader of the
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS). He used the news
of al-Baghdadi's demise, which came only a few weeks after his
controversial decision to pull US troops out of Syria, to prove to the
world that his administration's policies in the country are working
and the war against ISIL has been won. Al-Baghdadi's death, however,
is unlikely to help Syrians like me, whose loved ones have been
abducted and imprisoned by the group. Since its establishment in April
2013, ISIL detained at least 8,143 individuals across Syria.”
Voice
Of America: Turkish-Backed Syrian Fighters Seek Control Of Major
Highway In NE Syria
“Fighting reportedly intensified between Turkish-backed Syrian
fighters and U.S.-backed Kurdish forces Sunday over a major highway
and a strategic town in northeastern Syria. Local news reported that
Turkish military and allied Syrian militias continued shelling
positions belonging to the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)
in a bid to control the town of Tal Tamr and the nearby M4 highway. In
an effort to prevent Turkish-backed forces from advancing into the
town, the SDF has reportedly reached a cease-fire deal with Russia,
the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Sunday. The deal,
according to the war monitor, would allow Russian and Syrian
government troops to be deployed near the Christian-majority Tal Tamr
and parts of the M4 highway, locally known as the "International
Road."
Iran
The
New York Times: The Iran Cables: Secret Documents Show How Tehran
Wields Power In Iraq
“In mid-October, with unrest swirling in Baghdad, a familiar
visitor slipped quietly into the Iraqi capital. The city had been
under siege for weeks, as protesters marched in the streets, demanding
an end to corruption and calling for the ouster of the prime minister,
Adil Abdul Mahdi. In particular, they denounced the outsize influence
of their neighbor Iran in Iraqi politics, burning Iranian flags and
attacking an Iranian consulate. The visitor was there to restore
order, but his presence highlighted the protesters’ biggest grievance:
he was Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani, head of Iran’s powerful Quds Force,
and he had come to persuade an ally in the Iraqi Parliament to help
the prime minister hold onto his job. It was not the first time
General Suleimani had been dispatched to Baghdad to do damage control.
Tehran’s efforts to prop up Mr. Mahdi are part of its long campaign to
maintain Iraq as a pliable client state.”
The
New York Times: Iran Blocks Nearly All Internet
Access
“Iran imposed an almost complete nationwide internet blackout on
Sunday one of its most draconian attempts to cut off Iranians from
each other and the rest of the world as widespread anti-government
unrest roiled the streets of Tehran and other cities for a third day.
The death toll for the three days of protests rose to at least 12;
hundreds were injured; and more than 1,000 people have been arrested,
according to semiofficial news agencies like Fars News. Supreme Leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the last word on all state matters,
called the demonstrators “thugs” and endorsed the government’s
decision to raise prices it sets for rationed gasoline by 50 percent
as of Friday and by 300 percent for gasoline that exceeds ration
limits. Even after the price hike, gasoline in Iran is still cheaper
than in most of the rest of the world — now the equivalent of about 50
cents a gallon. In a speech on Sunday, Mr. Khamenei said he would
support rationing and increasing gas prices because heads of three
branches of government — the presidency, judiciary and parliament —
had made the decision.”
Foreign
Affairs: A Better Iran Deal Is Within Reach
“When the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump ratcheted
up its “maximum pressure” campaign last May, with the professed aim of
driving Iran’s oil exports to zero, it didn’t take long for Tehran to
respond with escalation of its own. In the months since, Iran has
reportedly attacked pipelines, tankers, and one of the world’s largest
oil processing facilities in Saudi Arabia—prompting a spike not just
in oil prices but also in worries about a new war in the Middle East.
It has also repeatedly breached the original terms of the 2015 nuclear
accord—known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA—which
sought to limit the country’s nuclear activities and from which the
Trump administration withdrew in 2018. Tehran likely intended these
moves to persuade the United States to reconsider its sanctions
campaign, and to spur other parties to the JCPOA to urge Washington to
relent. For a while, Iran may have felt its approach was working:
French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Boris
Johnson both tried to engineer a deal in which Iran would return to
compliance with the JCPOA in exchange for sanctions relief. Such a
bargain was reportedly derailed at the last minute in September, when
Iran demanded that sanctions relief precede a proposed meeting between
Trump and Iranian president Hassan Rouhani at the U.N. General
Assembly.”
Fox
News: Qatar Had Prior Knowledge Of Iran Attack On Vessels, Failed To
Tell Allies: Report
“Qatar had advance knowledge on an Iranian attack on four
commercial vessels in the Gulf of Oman in May and may have failed to
warn its U.S., French and British allies, a western intelligence
report alleges. The report, obtained exclusively by Fox News, claims
that Qatar had prior knowledge of the May 12 attack of two Saudi
tankers, a Norwegian tanker and a UAE bunkering ship near the port of
Fujairah in the vital waterway, which connects the Strait of Hormuz to
the Indian Ocean, near the United Arab Emirates. “Credible
intelligence reports indicate that the IRGC-Quds Forces Naval unit is
responsible for the Fujairah Port attacks, and the elements of
civilian government of Iran, as well as the State of Qatar, were aware
of the IRGC’s activities,” the report said.”
The
Wall Street Journal: Uprisings Against The Mullahs
“The latest anti-regime protests in Iran look like a major
political event, and judging by its vigorous and violent response the
regime agrees. Now is a moment for the political left and right in the
U.S. and Europe to unite in support of the Iranian people. The
protests erupted in several cities across the country in response to
government increases of 50% in fuel prices. The increase raises the
price of a liter of gasoline to only about 35 cents, or 50 cents a
gallon. But the reaction to the increase reveals the desperation and
anger of Iranians as the economy falters under the pressure of U.S.
sanctions. With parliamentary elections scheduled for February, the
regime would only have reduced its fuel subsidies if it felt it had no
choice. The mullahs must be short on cash as their oil sales abroad
have been sharply reduced by Trump Administration sanctions. Oil sales
are the regime’s main source of revenue.”
France
24: Iran Condemns US Show Of Support For 'Rioters'
“Iran condemned the United States' support for "rioters" in a
statement issued late Sunday, after two days of violent protests in
the Islamic republic against a petrol price hike. The foreign ministry
said that it was reacting to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's
"expression of support... for a group of rioters in some cities of
Iran and condemned such support and interventionist remarks". Protests
erupted in Iran on Friday, hours after it was announced the price of
petrol would rise to 15,000 rials a litre (12 US cents) from 10,000
for the first 60 litres and to 30,000 rials for any extra fuel bought
after that each month. In a tweet on Saturday, Pompeo said in response
to the demonstrations that "the United States is with you". Iran's
foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi slammed his comments in
Sunday night's statement. "The dignified people of Iran know well that
such hypocritical remarks do not carry any honest sympathy," Mousavi
was quoted as saying. "The acts of a rioter and saboteur group
supported by the likes of (Pompeo) have no congruity with the conduct
of the wise Iranian people." The statement blasted Washington's
"ill-intent" over its decision to reimpose sanctions on Tehran after
the US withdrawal in May last year from the landmark 2015 Iran nuclear
deal.”
Iraq
CNN:
Iraqi Spy Chief Warns ISIS Is Rebuilding
“Senior members of ISIS are plotting mass prison breaks and a
resurgence of terror after taking refuge in Turkey, according to the
head of Iraqi Military Intelligence. Lt. Gen. Saad al-Allaq told CNN
in an exclusive interview that Iraq had handed dossiers on nine
alleged terror leaders to Turkey. The subjects included top financiers
with access to "huge" amounts of money to fund operations around the
world, he said. And recent communications from ISIS point to plans to
try to break prisoners out of camps and jails across Syria and Iraq,
al-Allaq said. "Huge international efforts should be taken to deal
with this issue because these criminals ... are able to leave these
camps and go back to their countries and thus they pose great danger
in countries like Europe, Asia and northwest Africa," al-Allaq said.
There are an estimated 10,000 alleged ISIS fighters including many
foreign nationals in custody under the Kurdish-dominated Syrian
Democratic Forces in northern Syria. A nearby camp holds 70,000 women
and children. Each has been described by the US as a "ticking time
bomb," even after the killing of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and
some of his deputies.”
CNN:
How Iraq Helped To Flush Out ISIS Chief Abu Bakr
Al-Baghdadi
“Iraq intelligence agents tracked ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
for years before getting the break they say was critical to cornering
him. That break was the arrest in May of one of al-Baghdadi's
brothers-in-law, Mohammed Ali Sajet al-Zubaaei, who joined ISIS in
2015 and had become one of the leader's trusted guides. It was a
culmination of Iraq's tactic of following al-Baghdadi by looking for
those closest to him, said Lt. Gen. Saad al Allaq, the head of Iraq's
military intelligence directorate. “We were observing the movements of
al-Baghdadi in indirect ways through his family,” al Allaq said in a
rare interview. “By doing that, it gives us some sort of secrecy and
we gave al-Baghdadi an impression that we were not monitoring his
movements.” Al-Zubaaei had helped al-Baghdadi avoid the authorities
when he traveled. After he himself was captured by the Iraqis on the
outskirts of Baghdad in May 2019, he provided crucial information,
Iraqi intelligence officers told CNN. He led security forces to a
tunnel in the desert near Qaim in western Iraq close to the Syrian
border, where they discovered personal belongings of al-Baghdadi, as
well as maps and handwritten notes of locations. Al-Zubaaei also
suggested that the ISIS chief could be in Idlib, Syria, the agents
said.”
Asharq
Al-Awsat: Iraq Welcomes Continued International Efforts To Combat
ISIS
“Iraq welcomed on Thursday the continued international efforts to
combat ISIS, said Foreign Minister Mohammed Ali al-Hakim. He expressed
Iraq’s appreciation for the member states of the US-led Global
Coalition to Defeat ISIS. He was speaking at a meeting for the
Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS
Small Group. The event was held less than a month after ISIS leader
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed in a US raid in Syria. Hakim praised
coalition efforts to restore stability, offer basic services to
liberated Iraqi cities, return refugees back to their homes and back
reconstruction. He also thanked the NATO mission for its role in
boosting security capacities and training. He further commended
intelligence efforts exerted by the Iraqi National Intelligence
Service and its key role in the operation that lead to Baghdadi’s
death. “Cooperation, intelligence sharing and high-level coordination
among coalition countries have resulted in locating and eliminating
the ISIS leader,” he said. The minister stressed “the importance of
bolstering the work and unifying international efforts to reach a
political solution to the crisis in Syria that ensures its unity and
sovereignty,” highlighting its direct impact on regional security and
stability.”
Kurdistan
24: Iraqi Police Kill 2 ISIS 'Leaders' In Kirkuk, Arrest 'Islamic
Police' Member In Mosul
“Iraqi police announced the death of two Islamic State “leaders” in
the disputed province of Kirkuk on Saturday and the arrest of a former
member of the group's feared “Islamic Police” in Mosul. Security
forces continue to hunt down remnants of the extremist organization
across the country in attempts to prevent those loyal to it from
regrouping and making a resurgence. Iraq’s Ministry of Interior
announced in a statement that “during operations following up and
tracing the movement of the ISIS fighters in a village in the
subdistrict of Riyaz in Kirkuk, the police force was able to kill two
ISIS leaders and destroy their hideout, along with confiscating
weapons and explosives inside.” The ministry gave no additional
details regarding the individuals' ranking or responsibilities as
“leaders” in the militant group. On the same day, police to the north
in the embattled city of Mosul claimed their forces were able to
arrest an Islamic State militant who had been a member of the “Islamic
police,” which violently enforced strict codes of conduct on the
population during the organization's brutal reign over the city that
began in 2014 and lasted for roughly three years. The statement added
that the suspect was arrested in the al-Quds neighborhood, located on
Mosul's eastern side.”
Military
Times: Partnership With Kurds Against ISIS Still Strong, Says US
Coalition General
“A senior U.S. coalition commander said Friday the partnership with
Syrian Kurdish forces remains strong and focused on fighting the
Islamic State group, despite an expanding Turkish incursion into areas
under Kurdish control. The U.S.-Syrian Kurdish relationship, which
dates back to 2014, was strained after President Donald Trump last
month ordered American troops out of northern Syria, making way for a
Turkish invasion of Kurdish-held towns and villages along a stretch of
the border. On Friday, reports said U.S. forces completed their
withdrawal from Kobani, a border region where the partnership against
ISIS was cemented in 2014, and that Russians moved into to replace
them. The commander’s comments to The Associated Press reflect how
troops on the ground are trying to stick to the original aims of the
Syria mission despite a reduced and changed footprint. They say they
are staying to fight alongside Kurdish forces against the Islamic
State group, as well as deny ISIS the oil fields as a source of
revenue while showing support for the Kurdish fighters who have lost a
sizable part of the 30 percent of syria they once controlled. Their
words however come as Trump says the mission now is focused on
securing oil fields and infrastructure.”
Turkey
The
New York Times: Turkey’s Deportations Force Europe To Face Its ISIS
Militants
“As Turkey followed through on its threat to release more Islamic
State detainees last week, Western European nations were confronted
with a problem they had long sought to avoid: what to do about the
potential return of radicalized, often battle-hardened Europeans to
countries that absolutely do not want them back. Faced with fierce
popular opposition to the repatriation of such detainees and fears
over the long-term threat they could pose back home, European leaders
have sought alternative ways to prosecute them — in an international
tribunal, on Iraqi soil, anywhere but on the Continent. But President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, made more powerful by a sudden shift
in American policy, is determined to foist the problem of the captured
European Islamic State fighters back on the countries they came from.
Last week, Turkey sent a dozen former Islamic State members and
relatives to Britain, Denmark, Germany and the United States, and Mr.
Erdogan says hundreds more are right behind them. “All of the European
countries, especially those with most of the foreign fighters, have
desperately been looking for the past year for a way to deal with them
without bringing them back,” said Rik Coolsaet, an expert on
radicalization at the Egmont Institute, a Brussels-based research
group.”
The
New York Times: Turkey Replaces Four More Kurdish Mayors Over Alleged
Terror Links
“Turkey removed four more mayors from their posts on Saturday as
part of a widening government crackdown against the pro-Kurdish
Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), and replaced them with state
appointees. President Tayyip Erdogan and his government accuse the HDP
of having links to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group,
leading to prosecutions of thousands of its members and some leaders.
The HDP denies such links. On Saturday, the mayors of Mazidag, Savur
and Derik in the southeastern province of Mardin were replaced with
appointees, while the mayor of the Suruc district in the Sanliurfa
province was also removed, bringing to 24 the number of mayors who
have been dismissed after being elected earlier this year. The HDP
governs many cities in the largely Kurdish southeast of Turkey, and
says it is the target of a systematic government plot to deplete its
ranks. The former co-leaders of the HDP have both been jailed since
2016 on terrorism charges, with several other prominent members
accused of supporting terrorism over what the government says are
links to the PKK.”
Afghanistan
The
Washington Post: Afghanistan Prisoner Swap Delayed, Complicating
Efforts To Restart Talks With Taliban
“A planned prisoner swap between the Afghan government and the
Taliban that was intended to restart peace talks between the insurgent
group and the United States has been delayed, according to Afghan and
Taliban officials. The emergence of significant snags early on
highlights the difficulty of getting the two sides back to the
negotiating table. The Taliban has long refused to negotiate directly
with the Afghan government. The swap would have freed two university
professors in exchange for three high-profile militants linked to the
Taliban. President Ashraf Ghani announced the deal on live television
last week, saying it would help bring “peace and stability” to
Afghanistan. The professors, Kevin King, a U.S. citizen, and Timothy
Weeks, an Australian, have been held by the Taliban since August 2016,
when gunmen ambushed their vehicle in central Kabul and abducted them.
The militants who were set for release are Mali Khan, Hafiz Rashid and
Anas Haqqani, a younger brother of the Taliban’s deputy leader and son
of the Haqqani network’s founder. They are being held in a government
detention center at Bagram air base. (The Haqqani network is an
insurgent group closely allied with the Taliban.)”
Radio
Free Europe: Afghanistan Blames Taliban For Delay In High-Profile
Prisoner Swap
“Kabul has blamed the Taliban for a delay in the exchange of three
extremist prisoners held in Afghanistan for two Western hostages that
the militant group has been holding. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's
office on November 16 said the Taliban prisoners “are still being held
by the Afghan government.” “The inability of the Taliban to meet the
conditions has delayed the exchange process,” spokesman Sediq Sediqqi
wrote on Twitter, adding that the Afghan government will review the
situation and make decisions based “on the country's best interests.”
The Western-backed Afghan government did not immediately give
specifics on what conditions it believes the Taliban had not met.
Ghani had announced the deal on November 12, saying the Taliban
prisoners held at Bagram prison would be “conditionally” released. The
deal was seen by the Afghan government as a key move in securing
direct talks with the Taliban, which has so far refused to engage with
what it calls a “puppet” regime in Kabul. The United States has been
holding a series of negotiations with Taliban representatives in Qatar
over recent years in an attempt to end the 18-year war.”
Xinhua:
4 IS Members Arrested In E. Afghanistan: Gov't
“Afghan security forces have arrested two key Islamic State (IS)
members and two militants loyal to the IS outfit following a search
operation in eastern Laghman province, Afghan Interior Ministry said
Sunday. The operation was launched Saturday night in Qarghayi district
of Laghman, where two key members of the IS network were arrested and
some arms and ammunition including a rocket launcher and
PK-Machineguns have been confiscated, the ministry said in a
statement. Two IS affiliated insurgents have also been arrested
following the overnight search operation from the same area, the
statement added. The security forces also found and defused an
improvised explosive device (IED) during the raid. The IS militant
group, which emerged in eastern Afghan region in early 2015, has not
made a comment on the report so far.”
Lebanon
San
Francisco Chronicle: Lebanese Protests Test Hezbollah’s Role As
Shiites’ Champion
“Young men chanting the "people want to bring down the regime"
gathered outside the office of Lebanese legislator Mohammed Raad, the
powerful head of Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc. One shirtless man
grabbed a metal rod and swung it at the sign bearing Raad’s name,
knocking it out of place as others cheered. It was a rare scene in the
southern market town of Nabatiyeh, a Hezbollah stronghold. The
protests engulfing Lebanon have united many across sectarian lines and
shattered taboos, with some taking aim at leaders from their own
sects, illustrating a new, unfamiliar challenge posed to the militant
group. Iranian-backed Hezbollah built a reputation among supporters as
a champion of the poor and a defender of Lebanon against Israel's much
more powerful military. It and its Shiite ally, the Amal party, have
enjoyed overwhelming backing among the Shiite community since the end
of the 1975-1990 civil war, making them a political powerhouse that,
along with allies, has dominated recent governments.”
Egypt
The
Washington Post: Egypt Officials: 3 Security Forces Killed In Sinai
Blast
“A roadside bomb killed at least three members of Egypt’s security
forces in the restive northern Sinai province, security and medical
officials said Sunday. The explosion hit the forces’ armored vehicle
in the town of Sheikh Zuweid. Four other security force members were
wounded, including an officer. The officials spoke on condition of
anonymity because they weren’t authorized to talk to reporters. No
group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. Egypt has for
years been battling an insurgency in the northern Sinai Peninsula
that’s now led by an Islamic State group affiliate. The fighting
intensified in 2013 after the military overthrew the country’s elected
but divisive Islamist president. Authorities heavily restrict access
to northern Sinai, making it difficult to verify claims related to the
fighting. Separately, a military court on Sunday sentenced a Libyan
national to death on terror-related charges for carrying out an ambush
on police forces southwest of Cairo two years ago. Five Egyptians were
given life sentences. The charges stem from one of the deadliest
attacks on security forces in recent years. In October 2017, while
raiding a militant hideout in the al-Wahat al-Bahriya area in Giza
province, about 84 miles southwest of Cairo, an exchange of fire
between militants and police ended with dozens dead.”
Libya
The
Libya Observer: ISIS Militants In Libya Pledge Allegiance To New
Leader
“ISIS Libya pledged Friday allegiance to the new leader of the
terrorist group Abu Ibrahim Al-Hashemi Al-Qurashi after the killing of
the ringleader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi. ISIS media outlets posted photos
of about 32 militants in different areas in what they called “Wilayat
Barqa” - Cyrenaica Region - saying it took place this month. ISIS
confirmed the killing of its leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi in the US
operation in Idlib in northern Syria as well as the killing of its
spokesman Abu Al-Hassan Al-Muhajr. The terrorist group later announced
Al-Hashemi as the new leader and Abu Hamza Al-Qurashi as the new
spokesman. ISIS has almost vanished from Libya after Al-Bunyan
Al-Marsous operation forces terminated their presence in Sirte in
2016, thus keeping some sleeper cells and “lone wolves” in some
southern region areas under the control of Khalifa Haftar's forces. US
Africa Command (AFRICOM) said earlier that its airstrikes that were
coordinated with the Presidential Council's government killed a third
of the remaining ISIS militants in Libya.”
Nigeria
Pulse
Nigeria: Nigerian Army Troops Dislodge Boko Haram Terrorists In
Borno
“The Nigerian Army says its troops have again successfully
dislodged Boka Haram/Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP)
terrorists at Malam Fatori in Abadam Local Government Area of Borno.
The Nigerian Army Operations Media Coordinator, Col. Aminu Iliyasu,
disclosed this in a statement on Saturday. Iliyasu said that the
terrorists attempted to launch an attack on the location of the troops
of 64 and 98 Task Force Battalions and elements of the Armed Forces
Special Forces Battalion on Friday. He said that the terrorists who
were in a revenge mission had on Wednesday been humiliated by the
troops in their attempt to infiltrate the troops’ location by
launching an unsuccessful attack. “Within less than 24 hours of their
devastating defeat however, the outgunned criminal insurgents launched
another desperate attack on the highly spirited troops of Mallam
Fatori in the wee hours of Friday. “In a swift and highly coordinated
response, the gallant and relentless troops at the location once again
handed them another crushing defeat. “At the end of this particular
encounter, one Boko Haram Gun Truck was completely burnt along with 3
of the criminal insurgents that were trapped in it.”
Sahara
Reporters: 3 Women, 4 Children Kidnapped By Boko Haram Rescued, Says
Nigerian Army
“Troops of the Nigerian Army deployed at Gwoza Local Government
Area of Borno say they have subdued Boko Haram terrorists and rescued
an octogenarian, three women and four children kidnapped by the
insurgents. The Nigerian Army Operations Media Coordinator, Col. Aminu
Iliyasu, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja. Iliyasu
said, “The troops’ resilience and doggedness are unwavering as further
exploitation to complete the annihilation of the insurgents isbeing
sustained in the mountainous environment. “The Chief of Army Staff
(COAS), Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, wishes to reassure the public of the
resolve of the Nigerian Army to continue to execute our
constitutional mandate professionally and responsively for a better
secured Nigeria. “He also thanked all well-meaning Nigerians for their
continued support, goodwill, and understanding towards officers and
men of the Nigerian Army as they sustain the conduct of various
operations and routine exercises nationwide.”
Somalia
Xinhua:
Somali Army Kills 3 Militants In Northern Somalia
“Somali forces on Friday killed three al-Shabab militants in a
fierce gun battle on the outskirts of Bosaso town in northern Somalia,
an official said on Saturday. Mohamed Gedi Salah, district
commissioner of Af-Urur told journalists that the militants attacked
an army base in Af-Urur village but the forces repulsed them. “There
was an intense gunfight between the army and the militants in front of
our base in the town, but we finally held them back and killed three
of them during the gun battle,” Salah said. He added that they lost
two of their soldiers in the stiff confrontation.”
Africa
The
Washington Post: Mali’s Military Abandons Isolated Outposts Amid
Attacks
“Dozens of soldiers posted to Mali’s remote northern town of
Labezanga served as the last line of defense against extremists
roaming the surrounding desert. Then one evening earlier this month
the military pulled up stakes and left, part of a reorganization
following a wave of attacks on other far-flung outposts. The 60
soldiers have been assigned to more central bases, the closest some
100 kilometers (60 miles) away. “There is no military ... no police
left in our village,” one concerned resident told local radio. “People
are calm but we have been left at the mercy of this insecurity.”
Mali’s military reorganization comes amid devastating extremist
attacks that have left more than 100 soldiers dead in just six weeks’
time. Soldiers also have left the community of Andraboukane in the
Menaka region, where no mobile phone service even exists. Their
departure created panic among residents who fear the return of
extremists who controlled major towns, including theirs, in 2012 and
implemented a harsh version of Islamic law. A French-led military
intervention forced them back into the desert, where they have
regrouped. President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has faced a decline in
military morale after the recent attacks, a sentiment that helped
spark a coup against his predecessor in 2012 amid an uprising that saw
separatists and Islamic fighters take over large swaths of the
north.”
Al
Jazeera: Several Civilians Killed In Eastern DRC By Rebel
Fighters
“Suspected rebel fighters killed at least 15 people overnight in
eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, local officials said on
Saturday, in the latest massacre since the country's army launched a
major offensive in the region last month. DRC's army initiated its
latest campaign, with support from United Nations peacekeepers, on
October 30 to root out fighters from the Allied Democratic Forces
(ADF) from the dense forests near the Ugandan border. As was the case
during previous military operations against the ADF, its fighters have
retaliated by attacking civilians, killing more than 40 since last
week, according to the local civil society activists. Attacks blamed
by the government on the ADF have killed hundreds of civilians since
2014. The attacks on Friday in and around the village of Mbau were
carried out with bladed weapons, local officials said. Among the eight
victims in Mbau were six members of a single family. Seven members of
a Pygmy ethnic group living in the nearby forest were also killed,
officials said. Their bodies were found tied up and their throats had
been slit. “The rebels are attacking civilians in order to spread
confusion and panic among the population,” said Donat Kibwana, the
regional administrator in the nearby city of Beni.”
Deutsche
Welle: Burkina Faso: A Terrorist Gold Mine
“There is a gold rush in Africa's Sahel region. A number of new
mines have been opened there since a vein of gold was discovered in
2012. The Boungou mine in northeastern Burkina Faso, for instance, was
opened between 2017 and mid-2018. But the region is also increasingly
under threat from Islamists. Last week, at least 39 people were killed
in attacks on buses carrying workers to Boungou; another 60 were
injured. Guiro Abdoul Kader was asleep when the attack occurred: “I
was sleeping when I heard one of the windows shatter, at the same time
I got a bullet in my back and I fell down. My colleague was next to me
and he also lay down and he was on top of me. I told him he didn't
have any cover and that he should come further down. He said he was
hit. He told me to do what I could and that he would stay a little
higher up and that we were going to pray to God,” as Kader told
Reuters news agency. The Boungou mine is operated by SEMAFO, a
Canadian mining company. Speaking during a visit to Burkina Faso early
last week, CEO Benoit Desormeaux said: “We have been with the
Burkinabe people for many years. We want to see, together, how we can
continue to collaborate whilst ensuring that we do so in a secure
manner.”
Washington
Examiner: Sen. Marsha Blackburn: To Fight Terror, Africa Needs Our
Help
“Flying into Mogadishu, you get the sense that life in the world’s
most notoriously dangerous city has returned to normal. The rubble of
the 1990s has been replaced by a respectable skyline. There is
evidence of urban bustle. That impression changes once you hit the
ground. Technically, I can say I spent time in the Somali capital last
weekend — but only in the ultra-secure diplomatic zone, which is as
close as I’ll likely ever get to “experiencing Mogadishu.” There’s a
reason why our recollection of Somali history is dominated by Black
Hawk Down, the Battle of Mogadishu, and President Bill Clinton’s
decision to evacuate American troops from the Horn of Africa.
Somalia’s legacy is rooted in gratuitous bloodshed that, from the
1990s on, left the country very much alone in the world. That
isolation came to an end on Sept. 11, 2001. The wave of Islamic
insurgency swelled beyond Iraq and Afghanistan and into Africa,
prompting western powers to focus on yet another front in the war on
terror. The U.S. government formed the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn
of Africa and planted Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti. I was also fortunate
enough to pay a visit to Camp Lemonnier and get a taste of our forces’
influence in the region.”
North Korea
The
Wall Street Journal: North Korea Rebuffs Latest Trump
Advance
“North Korea’s response to President Trump’s
latest invitation: not interested. Adding a further hurdle to reviving
stalled denuclearization talks, Pyongyang on Monday rejected the idea
of another nuclear summit that “gives us nothing,” a day after
President Trump had urged North Korean leader Kim Jong Un by tweet to
“act quickly, get the deal done”—and closed with, “See you soon!”
North Korea has escalated threats in recent weeks to cut off
negotiations with the U.S., protesting scheduled U.S.-South Korea
military exercises and attacking Washington’s “hostile” policy against
the isolated regime. Mr. Kim and other senior officials had already
set a year-end deadline for the U.S. to propose a disarmament deal
that is suitable to Pyongyang. A senior North Korean diplomat, in a
Monday statement carried by state media, said he interpreted Mr.
Trump’s tweet as suggesting the two countries meet for a third
summit.”
United Kingdom
Reuters:
Britain Charges Man Arrested At Heathrow Airport With Terrorism
Offence
“A man who was arrested at London’s Heathrow Airport after he
arrived on a flight from Turkey has been charged with a terrorism
offence, British police said on Sunday. Mamun Rashid, 26, will appear
in court on Monday on charges of preparation of terrorist acts, police
said in a statement. He was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of
offences related to the conflict in Syria. Turkish authorities have
begun to send Islamic State detainees back to their home
countries.”
Financial
Times: UK Faces Uphill Challenge In Resettling Isis
Jihadis
“British jihadis returning home from Syria and Iraq will have their
movements restricted and be enrolled in mandatory deradicalisation
programmes if they cannot be prosecuted for terrorism offences, say
Whitehall officials. Arrangements by police and security services to
manage Isis fighters are under new scrutiny since Turkey this week
announced it would begin repatriating foreign terror suspects to their
countries of origin. The first British national arrived at Heathrow on
Thursday. Minimising the threat posed by the returnees will not be
easy. The UK, along with European allies including France, Sweden and
the Netherlands, is now set on a steep learning curve in resettling
potentially dangerous extremists, some of whom may have been
repatriated against their will. Of the 900 Britons estimated to have
travelled to fight with Isis, around 40 per cent have already
returned, 20 per cent are thought to have died and the remainder,
around 360, are still in the Middle East. Security officials say they
are confident they will be able to identify any fighters attempting to
re-enter the country, even if they come without the assistance of a
country such as Turkey. Alongside the fighters themselves are an
unknown number of spouses and children who are likely to have been
traumatised by their experiences in the so-called Caliphate.”
The
Guardian: Priti Patel Blocks Rescue Of British Isis
Children
“Home secretary Priti Patel intervened to block a recent rescue
operation to bring British orphans and unaccompanied minors home from
Syria, sources have revealed. During National Security Council
meetings last month and internal discussions, Patel, backed by several
other ministers including defence secretary Ben Wallace, objected to
the extraction of British children from the war-ravaged country,
sources say. Their opposition meant that a discussed late October
rescue operation was abandoned at the last minute because Patel,
Wallace and chancellor Sajid Javid felt the children posed “security
concerns”. More than 60 British minors, including at least three
orphans, had been identified, and a quick and safe route identified to
take them out of north-east Syria and then to Erbil, Iraq, where they
would be flown home direct to the UK. It has also emerged that not
only had the extraction plan been prepared but that a number of
councils in the UK had offered the care package and reintegration
programme necessary for the children following their arrival in the
UK. The charity Save the Children, which has officials working in
north-east Syria, described the resistance from ministers such as
Patel as “grievous irresponsibility” and said that “playing politics”
with children’s lives was unacceptable.”
The
Independent: British Volunteers Who Fought Against Isis ‘Harassed By
Security Services’ For Years
“Volunteers who fought against Isis in Syria have accused British
authorities of treating them like terrorists as part of a
“hypocritical” campaign of harassment. The Independent understands
that at least one person has left the UK because of alleged
interference by the security services. Dozens of Brits joined the
Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) from 2014 onwards, as they
were supported by a US-led military coalition to push Isis out of its
self-declared caliphate. Eight British volunteers with the group –
seven men and one woman – were killed in Syria. The vast majority of
those who survived the fighting have returned to Britain but found
themselves repeatedly stopped and questioned, and in some cases
arrested for terror offences. After several failed attempts to
prosecute people who fought for the YPG, Aidan James became the first
volunteer to be convicted this month. The 28-year-old was jailed for a
year for attending a training camp operated by the banned Kurdistan
Workers’ Party (PKK) in Iraq, although he did not fight for the group.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) initially charged him with
preparing acts of terrorism by travelling to Syria to join the YPG but
a judge found that he had “no case to answer.”
Germany
The
New York Times: Germany Arrests Woman, Accused Of Joining IS, On
Return Home
“A German woman accused of joining the Islamic State group in Syria
and marrying an IS fighter has been arrested on arrival in Germany.
Federal prosecutors said the woman, identified only as Nasim A., was
arrested Friday evening. They said Saturday she had been detained by
Kurdish forces early this year and held at the al-Hawl camp in
northeastern Syria. Prosecutors say she traveled to Syria in late 2014
and married an IS fighter. The couple allegedly moved to Tal Afar,
Iraq, where they lived in an IS-seized house. The woman ran the
household, receiving $100 per month from IS and leaving her husband
free to fight for IS. Prosecutors didn’t detail the circumstances of
her return to Germany. Turkey is currently engaged in a push to deport
IS members.”
The
Independent: ‘It Gives Us Hope’: European Prosecutors Piece Together
Cases Against Syrian Regime War Criminals
“Patrick Kroker was on a train with two Syrian colleagues when they
first made the connection. One of the Syrians mentioned to the other
that he had seen a familiar-looking man walking along the streets of
the German capital, and he had been struggling for weeks to place him,
before realising that it was Anwar Raslan. His fellow Syrian train
passenger was mortified. Anwar Raslan, he said, was the man who had
overseen the detention and torture of him and thousands of other
political prisoners inside the notorious Khatib branch of the General
Intelligence Directorate in Damascus. Among the hundreds of thousands
of Syrians living in exile in Europe, unfounded rumours and baseless
conspiracy theories swirl. But the confirmation that both the
perpetrator and victim of torture were now residing in the same city
moved Kroker and the Syrians to action. Kroker, a human rights lawyer
focused on Syria at the European Centre for Constitutional and Human
Rights, recalls the 2015 train journey during a meeting in his Berlin
office. “We were talking about their experiences and I was like, ‘Wow,
what are we going to do about this?’” Thanks in part to testimony
collected by the ECCHR and other organisations, Raslan has been held
in pre-trial detention since February inside Berlin’s Moabit
prison.”
Europe
Euronews:
Denmark To Strip Suspected ISIS Fighters Of Consular
Assistance
“Denmark is planning on withholding consular assistance to its
citizens who travelled abroad to fight for extremist groups, Foreign
Minister Jeppe Kofod announced on Saturday. Kofod's Twitter
announcement comes just days after Turkey began deporting foreign
fighters — including EU nationals — with so-called Islamist State who
had been detained by Kurdish authorities in northern Syria. “We owe
absolutely nothing to foreign fighters who went to Syria and Iraq to
fight for ISIS,” Kofod wrote on Twitter. “This is why we are now
taking measures against the access of foreign fighters to consular
assistance by the foreign ministry and Danish representations abroad,”
he added. Consular assistance typically includes visitation contact
with incarcerated nationals. The measure needs to be approved by
parliament. Last month the government also revealed plans to strip
dual nationals of their citizenship if they've travelled abroad to
fight with militant groups. A report from the nonprofit Soufan Center
estimated that some 40,000 foreign fighters from 110 countries joined
IS's ranks between 2014 and 2017, including 5,000 EU nationals. With
more than 1,900 citizens gone abroad to fight for IS, France was the
most heavily burdened EU country.”
Southeast Asia
Reuters:
Indonesia Police Link Suicide Bombing To Islamic State-Inspired
Group
“Indonesian anti-terrorism officers shot dead two suspected bomb
makers during a raid on the weekend and arrested more than a dozen as
authorities linked a suicide bombing last week to an Islamic
State-inspired network, police said on Monday. A 24-year-old student
blew himself up outside a police station in the city of Medan in North
Sumatra province last Wednesday, killing himself and wounding six
people. Police had initially declared the attacker to be a “lone
wolf”, but a national police spokesman said on Monday the student
along with 22 other suspects in the area had links to the Islamic
State-inspired Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD). JAD has been blamed for a
series of attacks in recent years and was banned in Indonesia last
year for “conducting terrorism” and being affiliated with foreign
militants. “(The network in) North Sumatra has direct links to JAD,”
police spokesman Dedi Prasetyo said in a statement, adding that a
leader of the group had been arrested. “Their main target is the
police,” Prasetyo said in comments broadcast on television. Of the 23
suspects, two suspected bomb-makers were shot dead on Saturday while
resisting arrest, while one officer was wounded during the raid, said
Prasetyo.”
Technology
The
Wall Street Journal: How Google Interferes With Its Search Algorithms
And Changes Your Results
“Every minute, an estimated 3.8 million queries are typed into
Google, prompting its algorithms to spit out results for hotel rates
or breast-cancer treatments or the latest news about President Trump.
They are arguably the most powerful lines of computer code in the
global economy, controlling how much of the world accesses information
found on the internet, and the starting point for billions of dollars
of commerce. Twenty years ago, Google founders began building a
goliath on the premise that its search algorithms could do a better
job combing the web for useful information than humans. Google
executives have said repeatedly—in private meetings with outside
groups and in congressional testimony—that the algorithms are
objective and essentially autonomous, unsullied by human biases or
business considerations. The company states in a Google blog, “We do
not use human curation to collect or arrange the results on a page.”
It says it can’t divulge details about how the algorithms work because
the company is involved in a long-running and high-stakes battle with
those who want to profit by gaming the system. But that message often
clashes with what happens behind the scenes.”
The
Wall Street Journal: Notorious 8chan Forum Is An Internet
Nomad
“Three months after being cut off from the internet, the operators
of 8chan—the website associated with shootings at New Zealand mosques,
a Texas Walmart and a synagogue in California—got it back online this
week. But only briefly. Reborn under the new name 8kun, the site
popped up on the internet on Monday, carrying a warning from its
operators that some of the content might be of an “adult, mature or
offensive nature.” By week’s end, the site had again gone dark,
returned online and then gone dark again after web service providers
twice pulled the plug. According to law-enforcement officials, the
shooters in El Paso, the California synagogue and Christchurch mosques
all made racists posts on 8chan ahead of their assaults. Critics say
the site has served as a breeding ground for violence. At the center
of the campaign to keep the site offline permanently is an unlikely
adversary: 8chan’s creator, Fredrick Brennan. He handed over control
of the site to internet entrepreneur Jim Watkins and his son Ron in
2015, and they had a falling out over the past year. This week’s
actions represent the latest attempts by the Watkinses to revive the
site, an effort that goes back three months.”
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