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Eye on Extremism
March 16, 2022
Associated Press: Germany To Disarm Far-Right Extremists And Restrict Gun Access
“Germany’s top security officials announced a 10-point plan Tuesday to combat far-right extremism in the country that includes disarming about 1,500 suspected extremists and tightening background checks for those wanting to acquire guns. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said the far right poses the biggest extremist threat to democracy in Germany and said authorities would seek to tackle the issue through prevention and tough measures. “We want to destroy far-right extremist networks,” Faeser told reporters in Berlin, saying this included targeting financial flows that benefit such groups, including merchandising businesses, music festivals and martial arts events. Authorities will work to remove gun licenses from suspected extremists, crack down on incitement spread online through social networks and combat conspiracy theories online. Faeser said an emphasis will also be put on rooting out extremists who work in government agencies, including security forces. Reports about far-right extremists among the police and military in Germany have raised particular concerns because of fears that they could use privileged information to target political enemies.”
“U.S. troops’ exit from Afghanistan and Somalia has limited the United States’ ability to conduct counterterrorism operations against groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, the American generals in charge of the Middle East and Africa told senators Tuesday. “In my view, we are marching in place at best,” Army Gen. Steven Townsend, who leads U.S. Africa Command, told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee of the security picture in Somalia. “We may be backsliding.” For years, the United States has been trying to weaken the terrorist organization al-Shabab, which Townsend has called “the most lethal arm of al-Qaeda.” Those efforts were complicated in the last year, following the full exit of U.S. troops from Somalia, a departure ordered by President Donald Trump near the end of his tenure in the White House. Townsend said that counterterrorism efforts have experienced reduced efficacy due in part to the fact U.S. troops have been “commuting to work” from neighboring Djibouti, where the U.S. military maintains a permanent base. Monitoring al-Shabab from “over the horizon,” as the Pentagon characterizes the dynamic, means U.S. forces are unable to apply “sufficient pressure,” Townsend said, adding: “We really can’t get at the al-Shabab problems.”
United States
The Washington Post: Proud Boys Leader Enrique Tarrio Jailed Pending Trial In Jan. 6 Capitol Attack
“A federal judge Tuesday ordered Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, a longtime leader of the Proud Boys far-right group, to remain jailed pending trial on charges that he conspired with followers who planned in advance to threaten Congress and battle police at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. U.S. Magistrate Judge Lauren F. Louis of Miami ordered Tarrio to be held after federal prosecutors argued that he and co-defendants “directed and encouraged” the actions of Proud Boys members who formed “the tip of the spear” in the breach of the U.S. Capitol. Tarrio poses a risk of flight and danger to the community, prosecutors said, citing his purported efforts to evade law enforcement and discourage witnesses from cooperating. “There is overwhelming evidence that Tarrio organized a plot to corruptly obstruct, influence, and impede the certification of the electoral college vote, an offense that strikes at the heart of our democracy,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason McCullough argued in court filings. Even as Congress’s proceedings were still suspended Jan. 6, Tarrio posted to other members, “They’ll fear us doing it again,” prosecutors said. When a member asked, “So what do we do now?” he allegedly answered at 4:14 p.m., “Do it again.”
Syria
Asharq Al-Awsat: SDF Transfers ISIS Detainees To Stricter Prison In Syria
“The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) transferred over 1,000 ISIS detainees from the prison it operates in the town of Al-Shadadi, located south of Syria’s Hasakah governorate, informed sources reported. ISIS inmates were taken to a maximum-security prison that was built with US and UK funding. The UK alone has spent $20 million to construct fortified jails in Syria. The operation came around 45 days after the transfer of ISIS terrorists who had declared an armed rebellion in Al-Sinaa prison, south of Hasakah, to other, safer prisons far from the Turkish border. A senior military official said that the forces had already transferred about 1,200 members of the terrorist organization amid strict security measures and in coordination with the US army forces and the International Coalition. They were taken from Al-Shadadi’s prison, where security gaps were discovered, to a facility east of Hasakah. However, the military official did not name the area to which the terrorists were taken. “Those transferred come from Syrian, Iraqi, and foreign nationalities,” the official pointed out under the conditions of anonymity. They also recalled how the bloody January attack on Hasakah prison had reminded world governments that ISIS loyalists are still capable of staging large-scale attacks to spread fear and terror.”
Afghanistan
Washington Examiner: Pentagon Revises Timeline For When Afghanistan Terror Groups Can Launch Attacks
“The Department of Defense has adjusted its timeline on when the Islamic State in Afghanistan, ISIS-K, is expected to regain its ability to attack internationally. Gen. Frank McKenzie, the head of U.S. Central Command, told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday the DOD believes the terror group will have “external attack capability” between “12 to 18 months,” which is a more delayed timeline than the six to 12 months Dr. Colin Kahl, the Undersecretary of Defense for Policy, presented to the committee back in October. “The Department of Defense assesses ISIS-K could establish an external attack capability against the United States and our allies in 12 to 18 months but possibly sooner if the group experiences unanticipated gains in Afghanistan,” the outgoing CENTCOM commander noted in his written testimony. He declined to go into specific details behind the altered timeline when pressed by the committee. “I’ll talk a little bit more about this in the closed session,” he added. “But the figure that the period I gave, which is 12 to 18 months, for ISIS-K represents our best whole of intelligence community thinking on this, and it does change over time as we see groups gather as we see groups fall apart. But I'll be able to give you a lot more detail on that in the closed session.”
Pakistan
“At least four Pakistani soldiers were killed, and 10 others were wounded on March 15 when an improvised explosive device detonated near a convoy of security forces in southwest Pakistan, officials said. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack in the Balochistan Province's Sibi district. Local officials told RFERL that security forces cordoned off the area and rescue services transported wounded and the dead to the hospital by helicopter. At least seven security personnel were killed, and 25 were wounded a week ago in a suicide attack in Sibi, just minutes after Pakistani President Arif Alvi attended a cultural event in town. The Islamic State extremist group claimed responsibility for the March 8 suicide attack. Resource-rich Balochistan, Pakistan's largest and most volatile province, borders Afghanistan and Iran. It has been plagued by sectarian violence, attacks by Islamist militants, and a long-running separatist insurgency that has led to thousands of casualties since 2004.”
Yemen
Associated Press: Car Bomb In Yemen Targets Security Commander; 4 Killed
“A car bombing in southern Yemen killed four people on Tuesday and wounded a dozen others, including a senior security commander, officials said. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing but such attacks are common in war-torn Yemen, where fighting between government forces and Iran-backed Houthi rebels has raged for over seven years. The al-Qaida and the Islamic State groups are also active in several regions of Yemen. Tuesday's bombing took place in the city of Zinjibar and targeted the convoy of Abdel-Latif al-Sayed, commander of the so-called Security Belt force in the southern province of Abyan, the officials said. Zinjibar is the Abyan provincial capital. The Security Belt militia is trained and funded by the United Arab Emirates and loyal to the secessionist Southern Transitional Council. However, it is also nominally an ally of the Saudi-led coalition that has waged war on the Houthi rebels since 2015 in an effort to restore Yemen's internationally recognized government to power. The casualties — al-Sayed's companions and guards — were taken to hospitals for treatment, they said.”
Middle East
Reuters: Israeli Forces Kill Two Palestinians In West Bank Violence
“Israeli forces shot dead two Palestinians in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, the Palestinian Health Ministry said, in what Israeli border police described as clashes that erupted during a raid to detain suspected militants. The Israeli border police said that during an operation in a refugee camp in the northern West Bank, a gunman fired at undercover officers who shot back, “neutralising” him. In a second refugee camp near Jerusalem, border police said forces on a separate arrest raid encountered hundreds of Palestinians who threw heavy objects from rooftops, endangering the troops. It was not immediately clear whether the Palestinian killed there had taken part in the clash. The Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed the fatalities. The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the incidents as extra-judicial killings. “These crimes amount to war crimes and crimes against the international law that must be punished by the international law,” it said in a statement. In Gaza, a spokesperson for the ruling Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, Hazem Qassem, said: “We are witnessing a new uprising, a new era of the struggle that aims to end the existence of the occupation on this land.”
Somalia
All Africa: Somalia: Nine KDF Soldiers Killed, Five Injured In IED Attack In Somalia
“At least nine Kenya Defence Forces troops were killed when a vehicle they were travelling in was hit by an explosive in Gherille in Gedo in Somalia. Officials said five others were injured in the incident that happened Monday afternoon. This was after the lorry carrying the troops ran over an Improvised Explosive Device that had been set on the roadside by al-Shabaab militants operating in the area. The lorry was in a convoy that had drawn water from a point inside Kenya and was crossing into Somalia for use when it happened at about 1 pm. Details of the incident were scanty and the military at the Department of Defence headquarters did not comment on the same immediately. Images of the affected lorry showed it had been badly damaged. Officials said the Kenya Army troops who were injured were flown to Nairobi for medical attention. This shows the threat of IEDs remains persistent in particular areas. Officials said the terrorists are exploiting the low-cost strategy and deploying them near operating bases or main supply routes to attack their targets. This is happening both locally especially in the northern part of the country and in Somalia. KDF troops are among those under Amisom that are operating in Somalia.”
Mali
Associated Press: More Than 100 Civilians Killed In Mali In Recent Months
“More than 107 civilians have been killed in recent months in Mali in attacks by Mali’s army and jihadist groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, Human Rights Watch said Tuesday. Among the civilians killed since December 2021, Mali’s soldiers have been responsible for at least 71 of the deaths, the international rights organization said in a report. Mali’s army has contested some of the report, while adding that it is investigating a number of the attacks and allegations. The army has been accused of abuses against civilians in southwest and central Mali as soldiers try to stem violence from jihadist fighters who have been staging attacks for nearly a decade. “The victims, mostly summarily executed, include traders, village chiefs, religious leaders and children,” the organization said in its report. Islamic extremists are responsible for killing at least 36 civilians since December, according to the report. “There has been a dramatic spike in the number of civilians, including suspects, killed by the Malian army and armed Islamist groups,” said Corinne Dufka, Sahel director at Human Rights Watch. “This complete disregard for human life, which includes apparent war crimes, should be investigated and those found to be implicated, appropriately punished.”
Africa
Reuters: Rebel Attacks In Eastern Congo Kill More Than 60
“Suspected Islamist militants have killed more than 60 people over five days of attacks on villages in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, local residents said on Tuesday. The assailants, believed to be rebels from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), have targeted at least five villages, and the offensive was still ongoing, the residents told Reuters. Overwhelmed by violence in its eastern regions, Congo's government appointed military officers to run North Kivu and neighbouring Ituri province in May. Uganda sent more than 1,000 troops in December to wage joint operations against the ADF. But the attacks have continued unabated as ADF fighters have lashed out at local civilians in retaliation for the military campaigns. read more “The fighting continues even at this hour and victims' bodies are being evacuated on motorbikes,” said Kinos Katuho, a civil society leader in the village of Mamove. He said 62 deaths had been recorded across the five villages and accused the army of doing nothing to protect villagers. “I returned (home) to find my whole family killed, my sisters, my children,” said another Mamove resident, Suzanne Mwassi, who hid in the surrounding bush for two days after militants attacked over the weekend.”
AFP: Seven Killed In New Burkina Attack
“At least seven people, including four volunteers in an anti-jihadist militia, have been killed in the fifth attack to strike northern Burkina Faso in under a week, security sources said Tuesday. “Armed men on Monday morning attacked a (water) drilling site at Tonri Oulo” in Soum province, one source told AFP. “While sabotaging the installation, they shot dead three civilians and wounded three others. Four members of the VDP (Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland) who tried to counter the attackers were also killed,” the source added. A local official confirmed the attack, putting the toll at about 10 casualties, seven of whom had died. “Two other drilling sites were sabotaged by the terrorists,” the source said. “A few weeks ago, they sabotaged mobile phone installations and now they are trying to choke the town by cutting off supplies.” Analysts say they have seen a shift in recent weeks by jihadist groups operating in Burkina's troubled north and east. “It consists of isolating strategic towns by cutting off access roads and communications,” Mahamoudou Sawadogo, a specialist on security in the Sahel, told AFP. Last week, 23 civilians and 13 gendarmes died in four attacks around Dori, one of the biggest towns in the northeast.”
Washington Examiner: Head Of Africa Command Says ‘Deadly Terrorism Has Metastasized’ On Continent
“The head of Africa Command warned members of Congress about the multitude of threats to the United States emanating from the continent in testimony on Tuesday. Gen. Stephen Townsend, the commander of AFRICOM, testified in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee, where he laid out the terrorism landscape and provided insight into Russia's and China’s investments in Africa. “Due to a lack of effective governance and counter-terrorism pressure,” the terror group al-Shabaab “has only grown stronger and bolder over the past year,” while “Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslmin, or JNIM, has metastasized into a powerful, sprawling terrorist network now threatening Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and littoral West Africa,” he said in his written testimony. Townsend also expressed concern about the Islamic State, which he said exploits “ungoverned spaces, including recognition and creation of new branches elsewhere in Sub-Saharan Africa,” which “has increased the groups’ ability to destabilize local governments, exploit fragility and instability factors, and drive radicalism.” The Army general warned lawmakers that violent extremist organizations have “shifted their weight of effort to Africa” and said the U.S. and partners “have not achieved the success we need” in “disrupt[ing] and degrad[ing] the most dangerous” groups, though he noted “al-Qaeda and ISIS in West Africa does not pose an immediate threat to the U.S. homeland.”
France
Reuters: Chief Paris Attacks Suspect Tells Court He Killed No One -Reporter
“Salah Abdeslam, believed to be the sole surviving member of the Islamist squad that struck Paris in November 2015, told a court on Tuesday that he did not know of the attack plot from the outset and that he bore no responsibility for the 130 deaths that night. Prosecutors allege that Abdeslam, a self-proclaimed Islamic State militant, made journeys across Europe in cars he hired to collect several of the would-be attackers who had returned from Syria and take them to Belgium in the months before the attack. They also argue that during the attack his suicide vest failed to detonate and that he fled the French capital. “The ones who killed, murdered people are not in the box. People must realise that,” Abdeslam told the court during a terse exchange with the judges, a reporter for France Inter radio present in the courtroom wrote on Twitter. “People want to believe that I killed 130 people, that I hired the cars, that I knew everything from the start, but it's not the case,” Abdeslam added, according to the France Inter reporter's live account of the proceedings on Twitter. A French national of Moroccan origin, Abdeslam told the court last month that he had backed out of detonating his explosive vest during the attack, in which the attackers carried out synchronised gun and bomb attacks on six restaurants and bars, the Bataclan concert hall and national soccer stadium.”
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