Eye on Extremism
November 21, 2019
The
Guardian: UN Warns Burkina Faso Could Become 'Another Syria' As
Violence Soars
“The UN food agency has warned of an “escalating humanitarian
crisis” in Burkina Faso, driven by growing extremist violence and the
long-term impact of climate crisis in the arid central Sahel region. A
sharp increase in attacks, the result of the west African country
becoming embroiled in the jihadist insurgency that began in the region
in early 2015, has forced almost half a million people from their
homes. Malnutrition is past emergency levels. One in five displaced
children is malnourished, UN staff said. “A dramatic human crisis is
unfolding in Burkina Faso that has disrupted the lives of millions,”
said the World Food Programme’s (WFP) executive director, David
Beasley. “Close to half a million people have been forced from their
homes and a third of the country is now a conflict zone. Our teams on
the ground are seeing malnutrition levels pushed well past emergency
thresholds – this means young children and new mothers are on the
brink. If the world is serious about saving lives, the time to act is
now.” The number of attacks in Burkina Faso in the first half of 2019
surpassed the total for 2018, with reported civilian deaths four times
the total for last year.”
CNN:
Attack On Syrian Camp For Displaced People Kills
Sixteen
“At least 16 civilians were killed when rockets struck an
internally displaced persons camp, in the village of Qah in Syria's
Idlib province on Wednesday, according to the volunteer rescue group
known as the White Helmets. The camp was targeted by a missile loaded
with cluster munitions, the White Helmets said. The attack also "led
to a huge fire that burned many tents and caused huge material
damage," the group said. "I saw a lot of dead bodies, mostly
children... I saw tents burning...most people, thousands, ran away of
the camp after the strike," said one Syrian eyewitness who asked to
remain anonymous due to safety reasons. Idlib, near the Turkish-Syrian
border, is the last opposition-held territory in Syria. It is home to
more than 3 million Syrians including a dense population of internally
displaced persons. The area is dominated by Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, the
once Al Qaida-affiliated Jabhat al Nusra. The Syrian government and
its Russian backers routinely target southern Idlib. However, the
latest rocket attacks near the Turkey-Syria border, where majority of
displaced people live, could signal a significant escalation. The
Syrian government in the past has said they are targeting terrorists
in Idlib.”
Reuters:
Islamic State Claims Responsibility For Killing 30 Malian
Soldiers
“Islamic State’s West African affiliate claimed responsibility on
Wednesday for an attack on an army patrol in northern Mali that killed
30 soldiers, according to a statement published by the SITE
Intelligence Group. Dozens of other soldiers were wounded in the
ambush on Monday in Tabankort, in Mali’s Gao region, the army said.
The attack was the third major strike against Malian forces in the
last two months by jihadist groups. The militants are mounting
increasingly sophisticated operations across the Sahel region, a
narrow band of scrubland below the Sahara. Islamic State claimed
responsibility for an attack on an army post in early November that
killed at least 53 soldiers, while an al Qaeda affiliate said it
carried out coordinated raids in late September that killed 38
soldiers.”
BBC
News: Durham Neo-Nazi Teenager Convicted Of Planning Terror
Attack
“A teenage neo-Nazi who wrote about an "inevitable race war" in his
diary and identified a series of possible targets has been convicted
of preparing terrorist acts. The 16-year-old boy listed the locations
from his home city of Durham in his "guerrilla warfare" manual. He
also described himself as a "natural sadist", Manchester Crown Court
heard. The boy is the youngest person to be convicted of planning a
terrorist attack in the UK. A jury found the boy, who cannot be named
for legal reasons, guilty of preparation of terrorist acts between
October 2017 and March this year. He was also convicted of
disseminating a terrorist publication, possessing an article for a
purpose connected to terrorism and three counts of possessing
documents useful to someone preparing acts of terrorism. He was
remanded in custody and will be sentenced on 7 January. The court
heard the boy began drafting a "manual for practical sensible
guerrilla warfare against the Jewish system in Durham City area". The
manual listed "means of attack" and "areas to attack", which listed
local venues "worth attacking" such as post offices, pubs and schools.
A "things to do" list from August 2018 included the words "shed
empathy" alongside a hand-drawn symbol of the Order of Nine Angles,
which the court heard was a "self-consciously, explicitly malevolent"
Satanic organisation.”
NPR:
'They Wish Me Dead.' Convict In ISIS Case Faces Backlash For Helping
Feds
“When 24-year-old Abdirizak Warsame came home from prison over the
summer, his family welcomed him with his favorite foods and long talks
with the siblings he hadn't seen in three years. They were reunited,
grateful for a fresh start. Outside of their house in Minneapolis,
however, Abdirizak's homecoming was a different story. Snitch. Liar.
FBI informant. Those are the labels attached to Abdirizak and his
family in the large Somali American community in the Twin Cities. Word
of his release added salt to a deep wound. Abdirizak was among nine
young men who planned to travel to Syria to join ISIS. They were
busted by the FBI, slapped with serious terrorism charges, and left
with a choice: To cooperate with the feds or not. "A lot of people in
the community, they are mad because he told the truth," Deqa Hussein,
Abdirizak's mother, told NPR in a two-hour interview this month. Her
son, Abdirizak, decided to help authorities in their landmark case –
the biggest ISIS recruiting prosecution in the nation. He also
appeared on 60 Minutes to denounce ISIS. Those steps paid off at
sentencing in 2016. Some of his co-defendants received more than 30
years in prison. Abdirizak got 30 months.”
The
Guardian: Facebook Banned White Nationalists Months Ago. But Prominent
Groups Are Still On The Platform
“On 7 November, Lana Lokteff, an American white nationalist,
introduced a “thought criminal and political prisoner and friend” as a
featured guest on her internet talk show, Red Ice TV. For about 90
minutes, Lokteff and her guest – Greg Johnson, a prominent white
nationalist and editor-in-chief of the white nationalist publisher
Counter-Currents – discussed Johnson’s recent arrest in Norway amid
authorities’ concerns about his past expression of “respect” for the
far-right mass murderer Anders Breivik.In 2012, Johnson wrote that he
was angered by Breivik’s crimes because he feared they would harm the
cause of white nationalism but had discovered a “strange new respect”
for him during his trial; Breivik’s murder of 77 people has been cited
as an inspiration by the suspected Christchurch killer, the man who
murdered the British MP Jo Cox, and a US coast guard officer accused
of plotting a white nationalist terror attack. Just a few weeks
earlier, Red Ice TV had suffered a serious setback when it was
permanently banned from YouTube for repeated violations of its policy
against hate speech. But Red Ice TV still had a home on Facebook,
allowing the channel’s 90,000 followers to stream the discussion on
Facebook Watch – the platform Mark Zuckerberg launched as a place “to
share an experience and bring people together who care about the same
things”. The conversation wasn’t a unique occurrence. Facebook
promised to ban white nationalist content from its platform in March
2019, reversing a years-long policy to tolerate the ideology. But Red
Ice TV is just one of several white nationalist outlets that remain
active on the platform today.”
United States
New
York Post: Would-Be Terrorist Fixated On ‘True Crime Community’
Sentenced To Prison
“The Ohio woman who was inspired by an online group known as the
“True Crime Community” to plot the bombing of a pipeline and another
terrorist attack at a local bar was sentenced to 15 years in prison on
Wednesday, authorities said. Elizabeth Lecron, 24, was also sentenced
to a lifetime of supervision for plotting the attack at a Toledo bar
and an interstate pipeline in Georgia in 2018, the FBI said. Lecron,
along with her boyfriend Vincent Armstrong, became obsessed with mass
shootings and other violent acts through the internet fetish group,
authorities alleged after her arrest. Lecron wrote letters to Dylann
Roof and the pair visited areas associated with the Columbine high
school massacre, the FBI said. They also bought guns and went to the
shooting range to practice ahead of their planned attack, which they
called “D-Day.”
ABC
News: Documents May Be Breakthrough In Case Of FBI Veteran Robert
Levinson, Who Vanished In Iran
“Documents obtained years ago by the family of retired FBI agent
Robert Levinson, who has been missing in Iran for more than a decade,
may provide the most convincing evidence yet that he was arrested and
held by Iranian intelligence agents after a new statement from the
country recently came to light. Levinson, a veteran agent and
specialist in Russian organized crime, vanished on March 9, 2007,
after arriving on the remote Kish Island while working on a murky CIA
contract for intelligence analysts at the agency. For the first seven
years he was missing, U.S. officials said Levinson was working as a
private investigator and was "not a U.S. government employee." The
purported Iranian files took on new significance after the U.N.
revealed Tehran had recently admitted to having an "ongoing" judicial
inquiry into Levinson, at the same time a more precise English
translation of the Farsi-language documents his family has had for
nine years appeared to reveal that his arrest in 2007 was from a
"judicial" order by the Iranian military. The word "judicial" had been
missing in an English translation by the FBI of the apparent 2007
arrest order given to the family years ago.”
Iran
CNN:
Iran Has Claimed 'Victory' After Protests. So Why Is The Internet
Still Off?
“Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has claimed victory over the
ongoing unrest in the country, state media reported Wednesday, six
days after nationwide protests erupted following an abrupt spike in
gas prices. Speaking at a government meeting in Tehran, Rouhani said
the country had been "victorious out of yet another test" and that
"despite the country's economic problems and existing grievances,"
Iran had demonstrated it "would never allow the balance to tilt in
favor of the enemy," according to state broadcaster Press TV. Iran's
government has blamed foreign enemies for the recent unrest -- the
severity of which remains unclear because a near-total internet
shutdown has halted the flow of information out of the country.”
The
Wall Street Journal: Iran Says It Has Contained Antigovernment
Protests, But Tensions Continue
“Tehran used arrests, deadly force and a prolonged internet
blackout to contain nationwide protests that pose the most serious
test in years for Iran’s leaders. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on
Wednesday said demonstrations over higher fuel prices had been
suppressed, but the government’s sweeping internet shutdown made it
difficult to assess the state of protests that Amnesty International
said left more than 100 people dead in five days. Tehran’s response
came as the Islamic Republic faces new problems around the region,
where demonstrators in Iraq and Lebanon are trying to dilute Iranian
influence, and Israel is stepping up airstrikes targeting Iranian
forces in Syria. The Trump administration, which has imposed punishing
economic sanctions that have undermined Iran’s economy in an effort to
blunt Tehran’s regional influence, has backed the demonstrations and
denounced the deadly government response. “The world is watching,”
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Monday.”
The
New York Times: UN Nuclear Watchdog: Iran Must Explain Undeclared
Site
“The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency says Iran has not
provided additional details about the discovery of uranium particles
of man-made origin at a location that had not been declared. Cornel
Feruta, the acting director of the International Atomic Energy Agency,
told its board of governors Thursday that a meeting in Tehran was
planned for next week to discuss the issue. Feruta reported to IAEA
member states two weeks ago that his inspectors had confirmed traces
of uranium "at a location in Iran not declared to the agency," which
appeared to confirm allegations made by the U.S. and Israel about a
secret nuclear warehouse. Feruta says “it is essential that Iran works
with the agency to resolve this matter
promptly.”
Foreign
Policy: Iran Grapples With Major Unrest
“Anti-government protesters are still in the streets across Iran,
though a nationwide internet shutdown and state control of the media
mean that the exact scale of the demonstrations is difficult to know.
Amnesty International said Tuesday that “credible reports” indicated
security forces had killed at least 106 protesters since last
week—though the real figure could be higher. The unrest presents a
significant challenge to Iran’s leadership, which is perhaps why the
crackdown has been swift—faster than the response to similar protests
that began two years ago. Authorities say that 1,000 people have been
arrested so far. The death toll reports have prompted the United
Nations to urge restraint as well as demand that Iran restore the
internet. What are people protesting? The protests began on Friday in
response to a minimum 50 percent rise in the price of gasoline, a
subsidized commodity that is still cheaper in Iran than in much of the
world. But Iran is also facing an growing economic crisis, and the
move ignited simmering anger over growing inequality, corruption, and
declining standards of living. How will Iran’s leaders respond? Iran’s
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has stood by the price hike and blamed the
protests on outside forces. On Monday, the government began quickly
dispensing direct payments to 60 million citizens—a sign that it is
unsettled by the unrest. (The payments were promised as part of a
change in government subsidies.) Still, Iran is not likely to reverse
the move, and its economy—burdened by heavy U.S. sanctions—isn’t
improving.”
The
Washington Post: An Iranian Official Thought The World Had Forgotten A
Massacre 31 Years Ago. He Was Wrong.
“On Nov. 9, a 58-year-old Iranian lawyer by the name of Hamid Nouri
arrived at Stockholm’s international airport. His papers were in
order; he was traveling on a visa issued by Italy, good for the entire
Schengen Area of the European Union. So he must have been startled
when Swedish officials took him into a room and began to interrogate
him about his past. Nouri is still in detention today, awaiting a
decision by Swedish prosecutors on whether he should face trial for
allegedly participating in crimes against humanity. He stands accused
of abetting the execution of thousands of political prisoners in Iran
in 1988 — a crime for which no senior official in that country has
ever faced official accountability. Iranian operatives have been
convicted in the past of crimes they’ve committed in France or
Germany. But this is the first time that a high-ranking Iranian will
face charges under the concept of universal jurisdiction — the same
principle underlying the prosecution of ex-Chilean dictator Augusto
Pinochet in Spain starting in 1998. “In this case, we’re talking about
the Swedish court asserting jurisdiction over crimes that took place
in Iran 31 years ago,” says Iranian-born British lawyer Kaveh
Moussavi. “If you commit crimes that are basically an outrage against
the conscience of humankind, then expect humankind anywhere on the
planet to assert jurisdiction.” That alone would already make this an
extraordinary case. Even more remarkable, though, is the fact that
Nouri’s arrest comes as the result of long years of painstaking
preparation by human rights activists.”
Iraq
The
Washington Times: ISIS Remains Threat Despite Losses, Iraqi Kurds
Warn
“Despite losing all the land from its once-extensive “caliphate” in
Iraq and Syria, the Islamic State remains a potent terrorist force
capable of wreaking havoc in the region, the top diplomat for the
Kurdish regional government in Iraq said Wednesday. Speaking at the
Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Safeen Dizayee warned that
ISIS has already regrouped after losing their last stronghold in Syria
in March following an offensive by Kurdish-led, U.S.-backed Syrian
Democratic Forces that included airstrikes, artillery bombardments and
special forces missions. “We’re not talking about a possibility — it’s
a fact,” Mr. Dizayee said. “The ‘sleeper cells’ have woken up and
they’re quite active — almost on a daily basis.” Mr. Dizayee became
the senior diplomat for the Kurdish Regional Government — known as the
KRG — following last year’s parliamentary elections in Iraq’s
semi-autonomous Kurdistan region. Areas of the border between Syria
and Iraq remain essentially no man’s land where anywhere from 15,000
to 20,000 armed ISIS militants are located. The Iraqi Kurdish leader
referred to the areas as “ungoverned spaces,” where Islamic State —
also known as ISIS — and other jihadist groups operate.”
Turkey
Xinhua:
Turkey Increases Anti-Terror Operations By 150 Pct In 3 Years:
Minister
“The number of operations against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers'
Party (PKK) by Turkey has increased by 150 percent in the last three
years, Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said on Wednesday. The
number of military operations against the PKK raised from 40,000 to
101,000, the minister said while addressing to the lawmakers at the
parliament's planning and budget commission. During this period, 1,144
terrorists were killed, Soylu added. The PKK, which has launched a
military campaign against Ankara for more than 30 years, is listed as
a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the EU. The
group often uses northern Iraq as a base to plan cross-border terror
attacks in Turkey. In the first 10 months of 2019, a total of 289 PKK
members surrendered to Turkish security forces by persuasion efforts,
the minister stated. A total of 121 PKK members were killed and nearly
229 caves, shelters, and warehouses were destroyed in anti terror
Operation Kiran which was launched on Aug. 17 in the southeastern part
of Turkey, according to the minister.”
Xinhua:
Turkey Repatriates 15 Foreign IS Suspects
“Turkey has repatriated 15 foreign Islamic State (IS) suspects to
their home countries between Nov. 11 and 19, semi-official Anadolu
Agency reported Wednesday. There are still 944 foreign IS suspects in
repatriation centers waiting to be sent back to their home countries,
according to Anadolu. Ankara will repatriate most of the IS detainees
by the end of 2019, Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said on
Tuesday. "Turkey was not a hotel for IS fighters," the Turkish
interior minister said earlier and criticized European countries for
their reluctance to take back citizens captured and prisoned by
Turkish authorities.”
Afghanistan
CNN:
Report Finds The Taliban Were Deadlier Than ISIS In
2018
“Attacks by the Taliban were deadlier than those committed by any
other group in 2018, according to a report released by an
international think tank on Wednesday. The 2019 Global Terrorism Index
found that the militant group took significantly more lives than ISIS
did last year. Although the overall number of deaths by terrorism
declined in 2018, according to the report, 71 countries recorded at
least one death by terrorism. Afghanistan was most affected, with more
than 7,000 deaths. The index also identified a sharp rise in far-right
terrorism globally, particularly in Europe and North America. The
report was produced by the Institute for Economics & Peace, a
nonpartisan think tank that develops metrics to study peace and its
economic impact. It pulls its data from the Global Terrorism Database
of the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to
Terrorism. The database includes the deaths of assailants in its
fatality numbers. According to Steve Killelea, the executive chairman
of the Institute for Economics & Peace, the Taliban "now account
for 38 per cent of all terrorist deaths globally," which he believes
"underscores the difficulty with the current conflict" in
Afghanistan.”
Xinhua:
5 Militants Killed During Night Raid Operation In S. Afghan
Province
“Five militants were killed and five others were arrested after
Afghan Special Operations Forces waged an operation in southern
Kandahar province during Tuesday night, local police said on
Wednesday. "The night raid operation was launched in Attali locality
of Khakrez district, in the northern side of Kandahar province. The
security forces received hostile fire from militants during the raid
and return fire for self defense," provincial police spokesman Jamal
Barakzai told Xinhua. The clashes left five enemy combatants killed
and five militants arrested but no security force member was hurt, he
said. The security forces also seized some amount of weapons and
ammunition and destroyed six militants' motorcycles during the raid,
the police official added. Security situation has been improving in
Kandahar, the former stronghold of Taliban, over the past months, as
security forces have conducted search and cordon operations across the
province. But the militants attack government interests in the
province from time to time. The Taliban militant group has not made a
comment on the report so far.”
Saudi Arabia
Al
Jazeera: Saudi King Blames Iran For 'Chaos', Calls For Global
Response
“Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud struck a defiant
note against the kingdom's enemies, saying missile and drone attacks
it blames on Iran failed to halt economic development and he
reiterated that Riyadh will not hesitate to defend itself. In an
annual address to the appointed Shura Council on Wednesday, King
Salman, in an eight-minute speech, said that the international
community must stop Tehran's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes
and its regional intervention. The king said it was time to stop the
"chaos and destruction" generated by Iran. "Though the kingdom has
been subjected to attacks by 286 ballistic missiles and 289 drones, in
a way that has not been seen in any other country, that has not
affected the kingdom's development process or the lives of its
citizens and residents," he told council members, royals and foreign
diplomats. "We hope the Iranian regime chooses the side of wisdom and
realises there is no way to overcome the international position that
rejects its practises without abandoning its expansionist and
destructive thinking that has harmed its own people." King Salman also
said the oil policy of the kingdom, the world's top oil exporter, is
aimed at promoting market stability.”
Reuters:
Saudi-Led Coalition Says Yemen Houthis Claim Of Shooting Down Warplane
Is Incorrect
“Spokesman Turki al-Malki for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said
on Wednesday that “Yemen Houthis claim of shooting down a coalition
F-15 warplane is incorrect”, according to the Saudi state news agency.
Yemen Houthis said on Wednesday that they had intercepted a coalition
warplane near the border with Saudi Arabia.”
Lebanon
Associated
Press: Fear, Turmoil In Lebanon As Its Financial Crisis
Worsens
“On one of Beirut’s main commercial streets, store owners are
cutting salaries by half or considering shutting down. Shops advertise
sales, but still can’t draw in customers. The only place doing a
thriving business: the store that sells safes, as Lebanese
increasingly stash their cash at home. It’s a sign Lebanese fear their
country’s financial crisis, which has been worsening for months, could
tip over into disaster. Banks have clamped limits on withdrawals of
U.S. dollars. The Central Bank’s sources for dollars are waning.
Politicians are paralyzed, struggling to form a new government in the
face of tens of thousands of protesters in the streets for the past
month in an unprecedented uprising demanding the entire leadership go.
“People are scared,” said Khalil Chehab, owner of Shehab Security, a
store selling safes on Beirut’s Hamra Street. “Since the middle of
last month, business rose about 30%.” As he spoke to The Associated
Press, three customers were in his shop. Clients of all economic
levels have been coming, he said — and the shop has safes for any
budget, with prices from $35 to $15,000.”
The
National: Lebanon Protests: Hezbollah Supporters Harass Journalists
Over Reporting
“Journalists are being harassed by Hezbollah supporters for their
positive coverage of Lebanon’s protests, according to television
station Al Jadeed. On Tuesday, dozens of the Iran-backed party’s
followers arrived outside the channel’s building on motorbikes to
protest against Al Jadeed calling out Hezbollah and allied party Amal
for failing to reprimand supporters who harass journalists. In an
editorial on Tuesday, anchor Dalia Ahmad said that “groups supporting
Hezbollah are running campaigns against the media”, exposing staff to
“slander, insults, pornographic images and the distribution of the
phone numbers of male and female colleagues”. Al Jadeed’s
vice-president, Karma Khayat, told The National that she believed the
TV channel became a target because of its positive coverage of
anti-government protests. “They are saying that people are continuing
to protest because of our live coverage. But we are proud to support
the revolution. People are fighting for issues Al Jadeed stands for,”
she said.”
Middle East
The
New York Times: Arab Thinkers Call To Abandon Boycotts And Engage With
Israel
“Boycotting Israel is a failure, and has only helped that country
while damaging Arab nations that have long shunned the Jewish state,
according to a small new group of liberal-minded Arab thinkers from
across the Middle East who are pushing to engage with Israel on the
theory that it would aid their societies and further the Palestinian
cause. The group has brought together Arab journalists, artists,
politicians, diplomats, Quranic scholars and others who share a view
that isolating and demonizing Israel has cost Arab nations billions in
trade. They say it has also undercut Palestinian efforts to build
institutions for a future state, and torn at the Arab social fabric,
as rival ethnic, religious and national leaders increasingly apply
tactics that were first tested against Israel. “Arabs are the
boycott’s first — and only — victims,” Eglal Gheita, an
Egyptian-British lawyer, declared at an inaugural gathering this week
in London. Calling itself the Arab Council for Regional Integration,
the group does not purport to be broadly representative of Arab public
opinion. Its members espouse a viewpoint that is, to put it mildly,
politically incorrect in their home countries: Some have already been
ostracized for advocating engagement with Israel and others said they
feared retribution when they return.”
Egypt
The
Washington Post: IS Claims Attack In Egypt’s Sinai That Killed
Officer
“The Islamic State group has claimed an attack this week in Egypt’s
restive Sinai Peninsula that killed an officer and wounded three
others. A statement by the extremist group released late on Wednesday
on a militant-linked website says its fighters had targeted an armored
vehicle carrying Egyptian forces with a roadside bombing the previous
day in the town of Sheikh Zuweid. Egyptian officials had said a
captain was killed and four members of the security forces were
wounded in a roadside bombing on Tuesday. Egypt has been battling an
Islamic insurgency in Sinai, led by the regional IS affiliate, that
intensified after the military overthrew the country’s Islamist
president, Mohammed Morsi, in 2013. The militants have carried out
scores of attacks, mainly targeting security forces and minority
Christians.”
Libya
Xinhua:
Libya's Eastern-Based Army Stresses Need To Eliminate
Terrorism
“Spokesman of Libyan eastern-based army Ahmad al-Mismari on
Wednesday said that no political process in Libya can succeed before
eliminating terrorism. "The general command of the Armed Forces has
already determined its position on international efforts, and stressed
that no political process can succeed unless terrorist groups are
eliminated and criminal militias are dismantled and disarmed,"
al-Mismari said in a statement. Al-Mismari pointed out that any
political or economic track will not succeed unless it is preceded by
determining the security and military path, according to bases and
rules that enable the restoration of the state and its sovereign
decision-making. The eastern-based army has been leading a military
campaign since early April in and around the capital Tripoli,
attempting to take over the city and topple the UN-backed government.
The fighting has killed and injured thousands of people, and forced
more than 120,000 civilians to flee their homes.”
Nigeria
Xinhua:
Nigerian Air Force Destroys Boko Haram's Meeting
Venue
“The Nigerian air force (NAF) said Wednesday that it has wiped out
one of terror group Boko Haram's meeting venues in the northeastern
Nigerian state of Borno. The operation by the NAF also led to the
death of several Boko Haram leaders, NAF spokesperson Ibikunle
Daramola said in a statement. The operation was conducted on Tuesday
following intelligence reports that some Boko Haram leaders had
gathered for a meeting within a settlement, in which they also stored
logistics supplies, according to the statement. The militants were
killed as they attempted to flee the location and the air strikes also
destroyed part of the settlement, Daramola said. The NAF, according to
Daramola, will continue to destroy the remnants of the Boko Haram
terrorists by cooperating with surface forces. The northeast region of
Nigeria has been destabilized for over a decade by Boko Haram, which
is known for its agenda to maintain a virtual caliphate in the most
populous African country. The group has launched attacks on military
targets in northeastern Nigeria, killing hundreds of people and
displacing thousands.”
Somalia
The
New York Times: Almaas Elman, Somali-Canadian Activist, Is Shot Dead
In Mogadishu
“A Somali-Canadian aid worker and activist was shot dead on
Wednesday in Mogadishu, a police official said, dealing a new blow to
efforts by the Somali diaspora to return home and help rebuild the
country after decades of war. The death of the aid worker, Almaas
Elman, was confirmed by Brig. Gen. Zakia Hussein, the deputy
commissioner of the Somali Police Force, who said investigations into
the killing were continuing. It was not immediately clear who killed
Ms. Elman or why, but General Hussein said Ms. Elman was hit by a
bullet while inside a car at the Halane complex, a heavily fortified
compound that flanks the international airport in Mogadishu and is
populated by African Union troops and representatives from United
Nations agencies and embassies. Said Fadhaye, a freelance videographer
in Mogadishu, the Somali capital, posted on Facebook that he was in
the car with Ms. Elman when she died. Describing the events as an
“attack,” Mr. Fadhaye said Ms. Elman had “died on my lap,” adding,
“May God have mercy on her.” Ms. Elman comes from a prominent family
of activists whose work has focused on social justice, women’s rights
and rehabilitating children impacted by Somalia’s decades-long war.
Ms. Elman was the daughter of Elman Ali Ahmed, a pioneering peace
activist who himself was gunned down in Mogadishu in 1996. Amnesty
International said at the time that his murder “sent a chilling
message to Somalis desirous of peace and normality — that no one is
safe.”
Africa
Reuters:
Algeria Army Arrests Militants Heading For Sahel Region
-Ministry
“Algeria’s army has arrested eight people planning to join Islamist
militants in the neighboring Sahel region, the defence ministry said
on Wednesday. The eight were arrested on Tuesday in the Ghardaia and
Relizane provinces, a ministry statement said without providing
details. Algeria has repeatedly expressed concerns about security
across its southern borders with Mali and Niger, where Islamist
militants have carried out deadly attacks on civilians and government
forces. The army has tightened security across the country’s frontiers
with the Sahel region and with Libya, and announced seizures of
weapons during patrols this year. Algeria emerged from decade-long
Islamist linked violence in the 1990s when an estimated 200,000 people
were killed following the cancellation of a legislative election an
Islamist party was poised to win.”
Reuters:
Suspected Islamist Militants Kill 19, Burn Church In Eastern DR
Congo
“Islamist militiamen killed at least 19 people overnight in eastern
Democratic Republic of Congo, stepping up attacks on civilians in
response to a military campaign against them in border areas with
Uganda, local officials said on Wednesday. The assailants, who the
officials said belong to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan
Islamist group, also kidnapped several people and torched a Catholic
church during two separate attacks about 35 km (22 miles) apart. The
Congolese army began an offensive three weeks ago near the Ugandan
border. The ADF has been operating there for more than two decades and
is one of dozens of rebel groups active in the mineral-rich areas
where civil wars resulted in millions of deaths around the turn of the
century. Several previous ADF attacks have been claimed by Islamic
State, but the extent of their relationship remains unclear. Army
spokesman Mak Hazukay said the ADF killed at least seven people on the
outskirts of the city of Beni, adding that two soldiers were wounded
and several people were missing. Donat Kibwana, the administrator of
Beni territory, said ADF fighters killed another 12 people in the
village of Mavete, where they also burned a church and a pharmacy and
kidnapped several others.”
Financial
Times: France Urges Europeans To Help Crush Islamist Threat In
Sahel
“France’s defence minister has issued a call to EU allies to join
the war against Islamist groups in the Sahel amid growing concern that
the six-year-old French military campaign is failing to eradicate the
threat of insurgencies in Africa. Speaking in her office in Paris,
Florence Parly said the 4,500-strong Operation Barkhane was facing the
“very difficult challenge” of asymmetric war in Mali and its
neighbours in the scrub and desert of the Sahel, despite help from US
intelligence and logistical and military contributions from the UK,
Spain, Estonia and Denmark. She said the Sahel operation was crucial
to EU security, by eliminating a haven for terrorist organisations. Ms
Parly said EU countries should help train national armies and send
special forces to help Mali in what she said would be “a long haul”.
“In this war nothing is obvious, it’s an asymmetric war,” Ms Parly
told the Financial Times in an interview. “It’s a war that combines
the struggle against terrorism with local situations of ancestral
conflicts or tensions between communities.” The French-led military
campaign in the Sahel has become bloodier in recent months, despite
periodic announcements of successful campaigns to eliminate jihadist
leaders and seizures of weapons.”
France
France
24: Sister Of French IS Brothers Jailed For Terrorist
Association
“A French court on Wednesday jailed Anne Diana Clain, whose two
brothers were notorious propagandists for Islamic State, for nine
years for terrorist association. Paris's criminal courts handed down
the sentence to Clain, 44, for having attempted between 2015 and 2016
to head to conflict-ravaged Syria with her husband and four children
to join her brothers Fabien and Jean-Michel Clain. Fabien Clain has
been identified as the voice in an audio recording claiming
responsibility for the 2015 Paris attacks which killed 130 people and
warning that they were just "the beginning of the storm". His brother
has also been accused of being an IS propagandist in Syria. The court
also found Clain's husband Mohamed Amri, a 58-year-old Tunisian,
guilty and handed him a ten-year sentence as presiding judge Isabelle
Prevost-Desprez highlighted the couple's determination to reach Syria.
"That project failed but not because you wanted it to -- you never
gave up on (the idea) of your own volition," she said, recalling how
Anne Clain's attempt to reach Syria failed when the convert to Islam
was arrested at the Turkish border in July 2016. "You took your
children off on a deadly trip as far as your arrest in Turkey on the
Syrian border," said Prevost-Despreznte, saying the scheme was
"extremely serious.”
Australia
The
Guardian: Australian Jihadis: Motivated By Status And Show No
Contrition For Crimes
“The archetypal Australian jihadist has no apparent mental health
issues, does not have a refugee background, and is more likely to have
gone to a state school than a private Islamic one, according to one of
the world’s largest databases of alleged and convicted terrorists.
Islamist extremists from Australia tend to be better educated, more
likely to be employed and have fewer and less serious criminal
convictions than a typical European jihadist, according to the Lowy
Institute study of 173 Australians alleged to have become foreign
fighters or who have been convicted of terrorism offences. But they
are still more likely to be on welfare or do blue-collar work than the
average Australian, suggesting that a desire for personal status may
be a greater motivator for joining or supporting a terrorist group
than religious devotion, poverty or mental health issues – causes that
are popularly cited as driving factors. The Typology of Terror working
paper, by the Lowy Institute fellow Rodger Shanahan, studied the
backgrounds and characteristics of 173 Australian citizens and
residents who are known to have joined radical Islamist terrorist
organisations or who have been charged with terrorism offences. It
challenges a number of the stereotypes ascribed to those attracted to
jihad.”
Europe
The
New York Times: Woman And Man Charged With Terror Offenses In
Kosovo
“Kosovo prosecutors have filed terrorism charges against two people
suspected of supporting or fighting with the Islamic State group in
Syria. A prosecutors’ statement Tuesday said they had accused a woman,
identified only as F.Z., as fighting with the Islamic State group in
Syria. She was among 110 Kosovo citizens repatriated from Syria in
April. A man identified as F.Ll. was accused Wednesday of using his
Facebook page to encourage people to join terror groups, downloading
hate speeches from IS and hailing a recent murderous attack in Sri
Lanka. If convicted, the woman could face a prison sentence of more
than 15 years and the man up to five years. Kosovo authorities say 30
of the country’s citizens are still actively supporting terror groups
in Syria.”
The
Week: The EU Countries Worst Affected By Terrorism
“The UK has been officially ranked as the country in the European
Union that is worst affected by terrorism. The Global Terrorism Index
(GTI) puts the UK in the top 30 of the world’s 168 nations, ahead of
fellow EU nations including France, Germany, Belgium and Spain. The
risk of terrorism is also higher in the UK than in Sri Lanka, Iran,
Russia and Israel, according to the annual ranking by the Institute
for Economics and Peace (IEP). The Sydney-based think-tank gave each
country a rating on a scale of zero to ten, according to the number of
deaths and incidents tapered over five years - with 2018-19 accounting
for 52% of the score, while the first of the five years accounts for
just 7%. Afghanistan topped the global ranking, with a score of 9.603.
The UK’s position in 28th place, with a score of 5.405, is in large
part due to four high-profile attacks in 2017, including the attack on
London Bridge that result in 11 deaths, and the Manchester Arena
attack, which claimed the lives of 22 people. The IEP also cites the
increased threat of the new IRA as a key contributor to Britain’s high
ranking, as well as Islamic terrorism. In addition, the think-tank
warns of a rise in right-wing terrorism and a growing threat from
women radicalised by Islamic State (Isis).”
The
Times Of Israel: Belgium Ends Funding For Palestinian Schools Over
Honoring Of Terrorist
“Belgium has broken its relations with the Palestinian Authority’s
education ministry over its honoring of terrorists and will no longer
fund the construction of its schools, a government spokesperson said.
The Belgian Education Ministry announced the move — the first of its
kind by any European country — this week, the Joods Actueel Jewish
newspaper reported Friday. “As long as school names are used to
glorify terrorism, Belgium can no longer cooperate with the
Palestinian Education Ministry and will not give out budgets for the
construction of schools,” a statement from the ministry said. Last
year, Belgium froze $3.8 million in funding for the construction of
two Palestinian schools after a West Bank school that it helped fund
was renamed for a terrorist who killed Jewish civilians. Numerous
appeals by the Belgian government to have the school renamed have gone
unheeded, leading to the end of cooperation, the statement said.
Sometime after 2013, a school built in Hebron with Belgian money was
renamed for Dalal Mughrabi, a Palestinian terrorist who was part of a
1978 attack that killed 38 civilians, including 13 children. The
school was inaugurated as the Beit Awwa Elementary School for Girls in
2013.”
Southeast Asia
Associated
Press: China Demands Trump Veto Bills On Hong Kong
“China on Thursday demanded President Donald Trump veto legislation
aimed at supporting human rights in Hong Kong and renewed a threat to
take “strong countermeasures” if the bills become law. Foreign
Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said the Hong Kong Human Rights and
Democracy Act undermined both China’s interests and those of the U.S.
in the semi-autonomous Chinese city. “We urge the U.S. to grasp the
situation, stop its wrongdoing before it’s too late, prevent this act
from becoming law (and) immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong
affairs and China’s internal affairs,” Geng said at a daily news
briefing. “If the U.S. continues to make the wrong moves, China will
be taking strong countermeasures for sure,” Geng said. Foreign
Minister Wang Yi joined in the criticism, telling visiting former U.S.
Defense Secretary William Cohen that the legislation constituted an
act of interference in China’s internal affairs and ignored violent
acts committed by protesters. “This bill sends the wrong signal to
those violent criminals and its substance seeks to throw Hong Kong
into chaos or even to destroy Hong Kong outright,” Wang said. The
human rights act mandates sanctions on Chinese and Hong Kong officials
who carry out human rights abuses and requires an annual review of the
favorable trade status that Washington grants Hong Kong.”
Daily
Mail: Why The Terrorist Who Helped Mastermind The 2002 Bali Bombings
That Killed 202 People - Including 88 Australians - Could Walk Free
From Jail Eight Years EARLY
“A terrorist who helped orchestrate the 2002 Bali nightclub
bombings could soon walk free, with authorities revealing they will
support his parole application. Umar Patek helped mastermind the
atrocity which killed 202 people, including 88 Australians, nearly one
year after the September 11 attacks on October 12. His Filipino wife
secured Indonesian citizenship on Wednesday as a 'thank you' to Patek
for denouncing terrorism while serving his 20-year sentence. Prison
authorities who attended the citizenship ceremony at Porong jail in
East Java said they will support Patek's application for parole when
the time comes. Police and onlookers view the site of the bomb blast
in Bali on October 13, 2002. Porong prison Governor Tonny Naniggolan
said Patek will first need to served two-thirds of his sentence, which
means he could be released in 2023. 'Not only me [will support the
application], but also the National Agency for Combating Terrorism...
and others,' he told 7 News, noting Petek had been a 'well-behaved'
prisoner. As officials watched on, Patek addressed the crowd at his
wife's citizenship ceremony and shared a message about terrorism. 'My
message is clear, don't do any terror acts because the Indonesian
Government maintains the safety and comfort of all regions to perform
worship,' he said.”
The
Straits Times: Malaysian Terrorist With Links To 9/11, Singapore Bomb
Plot Released
“Convicted Malaysian terrorist Yazid Sufaat, who acquired four
tonnes of ammonium nitrate in 2000 in preparation for a foiled bombing
plot in Singapore, was freed from prison yesterday, anti-terrorism
police told The Straits Times (ST). A former army captain, the
55-year-old US-trained biochemist, who once attempted to produce
weapons of mass destruction for Al-Qaeda, was released from Simpang
Renggam Prison after serving two years - the maximum period allowed -
under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. Malaysian police
counter-terrorism chief Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay told ST that Yazid was
freed after Malaysia's Prevention of Terrorism Board met earlier this
month to discuss the matter. "He will be under police surveillance for
two years and will need to wear an electronic monitoring device (EMD).
If he wishes to travel outside of Ampang, Yazid would need to alert
the Ampang police chief," Datuk Ayob said, referring to a district in
Selangor state where Yazid is residing. Mr Ayob added that although
Yazid is allowed to use a phone, he is barred from having any access
to the Internet. "He's also not allowed leave home between 8pm and 6am
but is free to accept visitors. "After two years, the authorities will
re-evaluate everything again before deciding," he said.”
Business
Insider: Malaysia Has Freed A Terrorist Notorious For Making
Biological Weapons – Here’s What We
Know
“After spending two years in a Johor jail, Yazid Sufaat is now a
free man – though authorities will continue to watch him closely given
his close links to militant groups Al-Qaeda, ISIS, and Jemaah
Islamiyah. The US-trained biochemist was detained under Malaysia’s
Prevention of Terrorism Act for two years – the maximum duration
allowable under the Act, which permits police to jail suspects without
trial. This is the 55-year-old’s third time being released, bringing
his total duration behind bars to 12 years. Yazid was freed from
Simpang Renggam Detention Centre on Wednesday (Nov 20), The Star
quoted Bukit Aman’s counter-terrorism division head Ayob Khan as
saying. He will have to wear an electronic monitoring device, remain
within Kuala Lumpur’s Ampang district, and report to the Ampang police
station twice a week, The Star’s report added. In addition, Yazid will
be under police surveillance and cannot access the Internet, The
Straits Times (ST) reported, adding that authorities would re-evaluate
his situation in two years’ time. Quoting an intelligence source, ST
added that Yazid’s release was secured in part because the Prison
Department indicated that he appeared to have repented for his
crimes.”
Technology
The
Verge: Facebook And Google Surveillance Is An ‘Assault On Privacy,’
Says Amnesty International
“Facebook and Google’s persistent surveillance of billions of
people around the world threatens human rights and free expression,
says Amnesty International. In a new report, the NGO argues the
companies need to change their business model and stop being reliant
on people’s data. The internet is a necessary part of daily life for
people all over the world. The “Big Five” tech companies — Apple,
Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Facebook — dominate almost all online
services. Facebook and Google are particularly powerful when it comes
to speech and free expression — two fundamental rights that Amnesty
International says are under assault. The report points out that
Google now controls 90 percent of search engine usage around the
world, while one third of the globe uses a Facebook-owned service
every day. “Billions of people have no meaningful choice but to access
this public space on terms dictated by Facebook and Google,” said Kumi
Naidoo, Secretary General of Amnesty International.”
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