“Federal prosecutors indicted an Irvine man on Wednesday, after he was
allegedly found to have made multiple attempts in aiding terrorist organization

 

 


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Eye on Extremism


April 28, 2022

 

CBS News: Irvine Man Indicted For Attempts To Assist Multiple Terrorist
Organizations
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“Federal prosecutors indicted an Irvine man on Wednesday, after he was
allegedly found to have made multiple attempts in aiding terrorist
organizations. The 24-year-old man, Jason Fong, was formally accused of
attempting to assist two separate terrorist groups. Most recently, he was
accused of allegedly trying to send weapons and supplies to Hay'at Tahrir
al-Sham, or HTS, and Hamas. Prosecutors also further alleged that in 2020 Fong
attempted to send training material on tactical, combat and weapons to HTS,
which included information on how to make improvised explosive devices and
chemical weapons. Again in 2020, he was accused of seeking to raise funds for
Hamas. A press release states that Fong knew at the time of each of these
attempts that the groups had been designated as foreign terrorists
organizations by the United States government. Fong faces up to 20 years on
each of the four counts of indictment. The investigation was being conducted by
the FBI, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Homeland Security
Investigations, the Irvine Police Department and the New York Police
Department. Fong was previously arrested on weapons charges in 2020, after his
home was raided by FBI agents.”

 

Associated Press: Denmark Arrests Man Over Promotion Of IS On Social Media
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“A man was arrested in Denmark on Wednesday on suspicion of violating
anti-terrorism laws by allegedly promoting the Islamic State group on social
media. Police said domestic security agency PET took part in the operation, but
they did not give further details, including the suspect’s age. “We still have
a longer investigation ahead of us,” Copenhagen Police Inspector Dannie Rise
said. PET reported last month that Denmark’s “the biggest terrorist threat”
remains people who sympathize with Islamic militants, including the Islamic
State group and al-Qaida. The agency said “a significant number of terrorist
attacks have been averted in Denmark” and the threat against the country
“remains serious.”

 

United States

 

Fox News: Former Alabama Student Gets 7 Years For Hiding Terrorism Funds To Al
Qaeda
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“A former University of Alabama student was sentenced Wednesday to seven and a
half years in prison for concealing financing to the Islamic terrorist group,
al Qaeda. Alaa Mohd Abusaad, 26, was also ordered to spend 10 years on
supervised release following the prison term, prosecutors said in a statement.
Abusaad pleaded guilty in 2019 to a charge of concealing terrorism financing
after she told an undercover FBI employee how to send money to fighters engaged
in terrorism and that money “is always needed,” authorities said. She told the
agent to use fake names and addresses when sending electronic transfers to
avoid detection by police. Prosecutors said Abusaad also introduced the
undercover agent to a financial facilitator who route money to “brothers that
work with aq (al Qaeda).” The defense argued Abusaad's childhood and mental
health issues made her vulnerable to the dangers of the internet, WBMA-TV
reported. Court documents described a young girl ostracized by being the only
Muslim family in housing projects in Tuscaloosa, where she faced bullying from
other children and a teacher.”

 

Turkey

 

Al Monitor: Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham Hands Over Islamic State Jihadists To Turkey
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“Reports about Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) handing over foreign jihadis to
Turkey in exchange for being removed from international terrorist lists has
sparked anger from jihadis opposing the group in Syria’s northwestern province
of Idlib. Saleh al-Hamwi, a former jihadi leader, revealed in a tweet April 18,
“What it used to do in secret has become public today. Today, [HTS] handed over
50 foreign detainees to Turkey, and previously it submitted terrorist files to
Western intelligence services, which prompted the International Crisis Group
and the Syrian Dialogue Center to call for removing it from the terrorist lists
and make it a partner in the fight against terrorism.” While the International
Crisis Group has not directly called for de-listing HTS, in a February 2021
report they argued that Washington, in cooperation with Ankara and European
allies, should press the group to address “key local and international
concerns, and to define clear benchmarks which (if met) could enable HTS to
shed its 'terrorist' label.” Several media sources who are in the know on HTS’
activities in Idlib told Al-Monitor that HTS has recently handed over 50
militants of foreign nationalities to the Turkish authorities, which HTS
arrested over the years, as part of its many campaigns against rival jihadis in
Idlib, where it kept them in its prisons to decide their fate within the
framework of negotiations between the movement and the intelligence services of
the prisoners’ countries of origin.”

 

Afghanistan

 

Voice Of America: Afghan ‘Fighting Season’ Ushers In New Anti-Taliban Groups
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“With the onset of the “fighting season” in Afghanistan, small pockets of
anti-Taliban resistance appear to be forming across much of the country. The
development, coupled with a spike in deadly attacks by the Islamic State
terrorist group, could threaten the Taliban's hold on power eight months after
their takeover of Afghanistan. In recent weeks, about a half-dozen previously
unknown “resistance” groups have announced their existence, vowing to fight the
Taliban alongside the National Resistance Front, the only prominent
anti-Taliban group. The new groups have names such as the Afghanistan Freedom
Front and the Afghanistan Islamic National & Liberation Movement. But beyond
claims made on social media, little is known about their kinetic power.
Researchers who have studied the groups say while they all share the goal of
toppling the Taliban’s eight-month-old government, they are hobbled by a lack
of unity and coordination. “It will take some coordination and unity to be able
to have a more decisive effect in terms of contesting Taliban governance,” said
Peter Mills, Afghanistan researcher at the Institute for the Study of War, who
recently published a study of anti-Taliban groups.”

 

Pakistan

 

Arab News: Saudi Arabia Condemns Terrorist Bombing At Pakistan’s Karachi
University <[link removed]>

 

“Saudi Arabia strongly condemned the terrorist bombing that took place near a
Chinese institute at Pakistan's Karachi university killing a number of people.
The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs renewed in a statement the Kingdom’s
solidarity and stand with Pakistan against violence, extremism and terrorism.
It also stressed Saudi Arabia’s rejection of these criminal acts that are
incompatible with all religious principles and morals and human values, the
Saudi Press Agency said. The ministry offered condolences to the families of
the victims, and the Pakistani government and people. A Pakistan separatist
group warned Wednesday of more deadly attacks on Chinese targets, a day after a
woman suicide bomber killed four people — including three teachers posted from
Beijing. Three Chinese teachers and a Pakistani driver were killed near the
gate of the Confucius Institute at Karachi University, when the bomber
detonated explosives next to their minibus. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs
urged Pakistan to ensure the safety of all Chinese citizens and interests in
the country and to launch a full investigation. It also advised citizens to
“take strict precautions, and do not go out unless necessary.”

 

Middle East

 

Reuters: Israeli Soldiers Kill Palestinian In W. Bank Clash, Militant Group
Says
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“Israeli soldiers shot dead a Palestinian in the occupied West Bank on
Wednesday, medics and a militant group said, in clashes that erupted after an
arrest raid. It was the second time in two days that Israeli forces have killed
a Palestinian during a late-night incursion. The Israeli military said its
forces had apprehended two suspects in what it described as “counter-terrorism
activities” in the city of Jenin. Subsequently it said dozens of Palestinians
threw rocks and explosives devices and opened fire at the soldiers, who
responded with live ammunition. The Palestinian foreign ministry condemned the
raid, saying the slain man, Ahmad Massad, had been summarily executed. Video
circulated on social media appeared to show at least one Palestinian firing a
rifle in the street as more gunshots were heard. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad
militant group said in a statement that Massad was one of its members and that
he had been killed “as he confronted the occupying forces”. Israel has stepped
up incursions in the West Bank following a string of recent deadly Palestinian
and Arab attacks which killed 14 people in the country, including three police
officers. The subsequent raids into Palestinian towns have sparked deadly
clashes in which at least 17 Palestinians, including gunmen and civilians, have
been killed by Israeli forces.”

 

Egypt

 

The National: Egypt Has Lost More Than 3,000 In Fight Against Militants Since
2013, Says El Sisi
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“Egypt’s army and police have lost 3,277 men fighting militants since 2013,
President Abdel Fattah El Sisi has revealed. The Egyptian leader said the
police and army also saw 12,280 service members sustain injuries that prevented
them from returning to active service. This is the first time any Egyptian
government official has given a figure for the number of army and police
personnel killed or injured in the years-long battle against militants based in
the northern part of the Sinai Peninsula. The war against the militants in
northern Sinai has been waged with barely any media access to the rugged region
bordering Gaza and Israel, with the army the sole source of information on
operations there. The militants have for years fought against the Egyptian
government, but the number of attacks spiked after the 2013 ousting of an
Islamist president by the military, led by Mr El Sisi, who was defence minister
at the time. The removal of Mohammed Morsi of the now-banned Muslim Brotherhood
took place amid mass street protests against his divisive one-year rule. “I am
citing these (casualty) figures lest people forget now that things have
quietened down in Sinai,” Mr El Sisi said. “This country paid a very high price
to get to where it is now.”

 

Africa

 

Al Monitor: Over 20 Killed In Anti-Muslim Attack In Ethiopia: Islamic Group
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“More than 20 people have been killed in an attack on Muslims in the northern
Ethiopian city of Gondar during the funeral of a Muslim elder, a local Islamic
group said on Wednesday. The Islamic Affairs Council of Amhara, the region
where Gondar is located, described Tuesday's attack at a cemetery as a
“massacre” by heavily armed “extremist Christians.” The attackers “fired a
barrage of heavy machine guns and grenades... leaving many dead while others
who were injured have been taken to hospital,” the religious body said. “More
than 20 have died due to yesterday's attack which also saw the looting of
Muslim properties,” it added. The mayor of Gondar, Zewdu Malede, told Ethiopian
public broadcaster EBC that the “incident was carried out by a few extremist
individuals.” “There has been some destruction and loss of lives from all
sides,” he said, without offering further details about the identity of the
attackers or the victims. “The situation was (brought) under control by 7:00
pm.” The cemetery where the attack occurred neighbours a mosque and church and
has been the subject of an ongoing dispute between Muslims and Orthodox
Christians, who are the dominant group in Ethiopia.”

 

All Africa: Somalia: Ethiopia Arrests Four Over Hotel Bomb Attack
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“Ethiopian authorities have arrested four suspects in connection with the
Sunday bomb attack at a hotel in the historic city of Harar. In a statement on
Tuesday, Harari Regional State Police Commissioner, Nesri Zekerya, said that
the four suspects are being investigated. “Police are monitoring the situation
closely,” the statement added. Eight people were injured after a bomb exploded
inside the hotel in the capital of Harari Regional State, regional Police
Commissioner said. The explosion happened on Sunday night as Ethiopians across
the country were celebrating the Easter holiday. Four of the eight victims were
treated for minor injuries and returned home immediately, while the rest remain
in critical condition and are receiving treatment at nearby hospitals. No group
has claimed responsibility for the attack, the second in the region in less
than two weeks. Sunday night's attack comes one day after Ethiopian authorities
announced the arrest of 34 suspected members of Al-Shabaab terror group. In a
statement issued on Saturday, the Ethiopian National Intelligence and Security
Service (NISS) said the Shabaab suspects were planning to carry out terror
attacks in various parts of the country during the Easter holiday.”

 

United Kingdom

 

BBC News: 'Terror Threat' Boy Spared Custody Over Synagogue Bomb Twitter Post
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“A boy who downloaded manuals for explosives and tweeted that he was a
“domestic terror threat” who would “bomb a synagogue” has avoided custody. The
16-year-old was arrested in Bootle, Merseyside, in 2021 after authorities in
the US were alerted to his post. Liverpool Youth Court heard he had also been
pictured doing a Nazi salute and a “white power” symbol. However, chief
magistrate Paul Goldspring said he believed detaining the boy may undo his
rehabilitation. Handing the teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, a
12-month referral order, he said a “non-custodial sentence would be in the
public interest”. The court heard how the boy, who is autistic, was arrested on
28 May 2021 after taking to Twitter to post a message which read: “I am a
domestic terror threat. I will bomb a synagogue.” The hearing was also told he
had searched online for “nearest synagogue to me”. Prosecutor Diana Wilson said
on arrest, the boy told his mother the post “was a joke”, but a subsequent
search of his devices showed he had downloaded handbooks about weapons. Ms
Wilson said the documents were “lengthy, difficult to obtain, detailed
descriptions of how to make bombs”. She also said the boy had created numerous
posts which were anti-Semitic, racist, transphobic, homophobic and reflected an
incel ideology.”

 

New Zealand

 

NZ Herald: Violent Extremism: White Supremacism Biggest Source Of Illegal
Content Online - DIA Report
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“White identity-motivated extremism continues to be the leading driver of
online content investigated and shut down by Internal Affairs. The Department
of Internal Affairs (DIA) today released its first annual report into online
violent extremism content, covering 2021. The report is in part a result of the
Christchurch Call - efforts by governments to eliminate such content online led
by New Zealand and France after the March 15 attacks on Christchurch mosques in
2019 - and aims to produce a yearly snapshot of the volume of content
investigated and removed. It shows white identity-motivated extremist ideology
accounts for the largest portion of investigated content by far. Nearly three
years after the mosques terror attack, the massacre livestream continued to be
shared and promoted, particularly by white-identity motivated extremists, it
found. The DIA said it highlighted the huge impact the attacks continued to
have on New Zealand's online violent extremist environment. Twitter was the
biggest source of content referred to the department, and the biggest source of
content deemed illegal which it then sought to have removed. However Twitter
did act on all cases of content flagged for removal by the DIA.”

 

Technology

 

Axios: Experts Warn About Rising Extremism In Gaming
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“Far-right extremists are a growing presence in gaming, researchers have
found, while the industry’s hidden metrics, lackluster content moderation and
head-in-the-sand attitudes get in the way of assessing and combatting the
problem. Why it matters: Gaming and game-adjacent platforms have grown into
some of the largest entertainment industries in the world, leading to massive
opportunities for recruitment and organizing by extremist groups. A December
2021 report from the Extremism and Gaming Research Network (EGRN) found that
innovative efforts to prevent and counter violent extremism in gaming spaces
are “nearly undetectable.” State of play: Extremism in games is “a growing
threat,” Alex Newhouse, the deputy director at the Center on Terrorism,
Extremism, and Counterterrorism, said in a Games Developers Conference talk
last month. “Games are becoming increasingly social ... those social hooks
provide the structures and the infrastructure for extremists to organize,
mobilize and spread their hateful and extreme ideologies,” Newhouse said.
What's happening: In games stretching from military shooters like Call of Duty
to open creative environments like Roblox, extremist groups spread abusive
messages and foster relationships.”

 

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