Eye on Extremism
November 26, 2019
The
Washington Post: Helicopter Crash Kills 13 French Soldiers During
Operation In Mali
“A collision of two helicopters killed 13 French
soldiers during a night operation in Mali, French authorities
announced Tuesday. The deaths, which happened Monday night, took place
during a broader military effort against Islamist radicals in the
Sahel region, according to a statement from the Élysée Palace, the
official seat of the French presidency. The two helicopters involved
in the collision, a Tiger and a Cougar, were providing overhead
assistance to ground forces engaged in the counterterrorism operation,
France’s Defense Ministry said in a statement. President Emmanuel
Macron expressed his “greatest respect” for the fallen soldiers and
his “total support” for the French military. “These 13 heroes had only
one aim: to protect us,” Macron said in a separate statement, posted
on Twitter. “I bow my head before the sadness of their loved ones and
their comrades.” Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, Mali’s President, expressed
his condolences in a statement. He said that if the soldiers died for
France, they also “died for Mali, for the Sahel, for liberty, and for
man.” Operation Barkhane, France’s ongoing counterinsurgent operation
in the Sahel, officially began in 2014.”
The
New York Times: Florida Man Sought ISIS Attack On Deans At 2 Colleges,
Prosecutors Say
“A 23-year-old man was charged with trying to get the Islamic State
to launch attacks on deans at two colleges in southern Florida after
he was suspended by one and then expelled by the other, according to
court documents made public on Monday. The man, Salman Rashid, 23, of
North Miami Beach, Fla., was arrested Friday and charged with
solicitation to commit a crime of violence, according to the
documents. Prosecutors said in a news release on Monday that Mr.
Rashid had asked a confidential F.B.I. source, who was assisting the
federal bureau, to contact members of ISIS to conduct the attacks. If
convicted, Mr. Rashid would face up to 20 years in prison, prosecutors
said. It was not immediately clear if Mr. Rashid had a lawyer. The
United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida,
which is prosecuting the case, declined on Monday night to comment
beyond the publicly available court documents.”
Associated
Press: Iran’s Guard Threatens US, Allies Over
Protests
“The head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard threatened the U.S. and its
allies Monday as he addressed a pro-government demonstration attended
by tens of thousands of people denouncing last week’s violent protests
over a fuel price hike. Gen. Hossein Salami, echoing other Iranian
officials, accused the U.S., Britain, Israel and Saudi Arabia of
stoking the unrest. He said the rise in gasoline prices was a “mere
pretext” for an attack on the nation. “If you cross our red line, we
will destroy you,” he said. “We will not leave any move unanswered.”
He said if Iran decides to respond, “the enemy will not have security
anywhere,” adding that “our patience has a limit.” Amnesty
International said late Monday that at least 143 people have been
killed in the protests since Nov. 15, updating an earlier toll. The
London-based rights group said it had “clear evidence” that Iranian
security forces used firearms against unarmed protesters. “The rising
death toll is an alarming indication of just how ruthless the
treatment of unarmed protesters has been by the Iranian authorities
and reveals their appalling assault on human life,” said Philip
Luther, Amnesty’s research and advocacy director for the Middle East
and North Africa.”
The
New York Times: Turkey Not Resuming Military Operation In Northeast
Syria: Security Source
“Turkey is fully abiding by the agreements it reached with Russia
and the United States regarding northeast Syria and is not resuming
its military offensive, a security source said on Monday. Ankara
reached separate agreements with Moscow and Washington last month to
remove the Kurdish YPG militia from a swathe of land in northeast
Syria bordering Turkey, which in return stopped its military offensive
against the militia. But Ankara has previously said neither Russia nor
the United States had kept up their side of the deal, and threatened
to launch a new operation. The security source said on Monday that
Turkey was responding to attacks by the YPG in the region within the
scope of self defense.”
NBC
News: A Prominent Neo-Nazi Lives In An Apartment Not Far From Downtown
Denver
“James Nolan Mason, 67, lives a seemingly quiet life around his
Section 8 apartment building, yet online, the life-long neo-Nazi has
recently found his name, image and writings held to high esteem by a
violent group called Atomwaffen, which means “atomic weapon” in
German. A book called "Siege," which is a compilation of Mason’s
newsletters from the 1980s, has become required reading for members of
Atomwaffen. Online images and videos show Mason posing with men in
fatigues and skull masks at Red Rocks and in his apartment adorned
with swastika flags and other Nazi memorabilia. Mason has also been
actively spreading Atomwaffen’s message from his Denver apartment to
the world, through websites and podcasts. According to the Counter
Extremism Project, a nonprofit that tracks hate groups, Siege Culture
and Atomwaffen can be tied to five murders.”
Reuters:
European Police Attack Islamic State's Online
Presence
“European police agencies have knocked out several internet servers
used by Islamic State in a significant blow to the armed group’s
ability to spread propaganda online, the Europol police agency said on
Monday. The move shut down a large number of accounts and websites run
by the group’s news arm, Europol said. “They have disappeared from an
important part of the internet”, Belgian prosecutors’ spokesman Eric
Van Der Sypt said at a news conference at Europol headquarters in The
Hague. “I cannot say at this time it is 100%, we will see how they
recuperate from this. It will take a huge effort for them to come
back.” Police officers involved in the joint action by Europol and
police agencies in 11 countries said around 26,000 items were taken
offline last week, including a high number of communication channels.
Europol earlier said in a statement it had been working with nine of
the largest Internet platforms to counter Islamic State propaganda
operations, including with Google, Twitter, Instagram and Telegram.
Europol said on its website it had examined “propaganda videos,
publications and social media accounts supporting terrorism and
violent extremism” over the course of two days last week.”
United States
Associated
Press: Man Charged In Synagogue Bomb Plot Pleads Not
Guilty
“An alleged white supremacist accused of planning to bomb a
Colorado synagogue pleaded not guilty to a hate crime and other
charges on Monday as members of the congregation he is suspected of
targeting watched from the back of the courtroom. Federal public
defender Mary Butterton entered not guilty pleas to each of the
charges on behalf of Richard Holzer, 27, who sat in the nearby jury
box with other defendants appearing before a judge magistrate, dressed
in a yellow jail jumpsuit. Holzer was charged last week with
attempting to obstruct the exercise of religion by force by using
explosives and fire against Temple Emanuel in Pueblo, attempted arson
and using fire or an explosive device to commit a felony. He would
face a maximum of 50 years in prison if convicted of all three.
Butterton declined comment after the hearing because her office does
not comment on allegations against their clients. Holzer was arrested
Nov. 1 after the FBI said he accepted what turned out to be phony pipe
bombs and dynamite from undercover agents to bomb Temple Emanuel, the
second oldest synagogue in Colorado. In court documents, an FBI
investigator claims that Holzer repeatedly said he was ready to go
ahead with the attack the following day.”
NBC
News: Florida Man Tried To Enlist ISIS To Attack Colleges That
Suspended, Expelled Him
“A Florida man was arrested for trying to enlist ISIS to carry out
attacks against the deans of two schools where he’d been suspended or
expelled from, authorities said Monday. Salman Rashid, 23, of North
Miami Beach, faces charges of soliciting someone to bomb Miami-Dade
and Broward colleges, court documents say. The documents, filed in
United States District Court of Southern Florida, say that Rashid
allegedly stalked a fellow student at Miami-Dade College and was
suspended last December after he sent her threatening text messages.
In one, Rashid allegedly told her that “the creator” had “decided our
destiny and chosen separate paths for us.” In the “hereafter, will
meet once again,” he allegedly wrote. “But things will be a little
different :). You will not have excuses, will not be given a choice
and will have to come closer to me.” Earlier this year, Rashid was
expelled from Broward College for not telling the school about what
had happened at Miami-Dade, the documents say. The Federal Bureau of
Investigation began monitoring Rashid’s Facebook posts in April 2018,
after he displayed a “growing hatred for America, non-Muslims” and
others, and professed a belief in the “violent overthrow” of the
“democratic system,” the documents say.”
U.S.
News & World Report: Trump Welcomes Dog Who Helped Catch Islamic
State Leader To White House
“U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed an unusual guest to the White
House on Monday - Conan, the military service dog who helped hunt down
Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. “This is Conan, right now
probably the world's most famous dog,” said Trump, flanked by his wife
Melania, Vice President Mike Pence, Conan and a handler. “We're very
honored to have had Conan here and to have given Conan a certificate
and an award that we're going to put up in the White House,” Trump
told reporters on the steps facing the White House garden. Baghdadi,
an Iraqi who rose from obscurity to declare himself “caliph” of all
Muslims as the leader of Islamic State, died last month by detonating
a suicide vest after he fled into a dead-end tunnel as elite U.S.
special forces closed in. Marine General Kenneth McKenzie, the
commander of U.S. Central Command which oversees American forces in
the Middle East, said previously that Baghdadi brought two young
children into the tunnel with him. Both children were believed to be
under the age of 12 and both were killed, he said. “Conan is really a
hero,” Pence said of the dog who was injured in the operation.”
Chicago
Tribune: ISIS Wife Elhassani Pleads Guilty To Financing ISIS; Avoids
January Trial
“Samantha Elhassani pleaded guilty to one count of financing
terrorism Monday afternoon in U.S. federal court in Hammond Elhassani,
previously of Elkhart, appeared before U.S. District Court Judge
Philip P. Simon with her attorneys, Thomas Durkin and Josh Herman.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Abizer Zanzi and Nathaniel Whalen represented
the government. Elhassani, 33, has been in federal custody since July
2018, when a military cargo transport plane brought her and her
children to Gary from Syria. The children were placed with the
Department of Child Services. She was scheduled to go on trial in
Simon’s courtroom on Jan. 6, charged with aiding ISIS. On Monday,
Elhassani affirmed that when her husband, Moussa Elhassani, and his
brother intended to join ISIS, she made three trips to Hong Kong
between November 2014 and August 2015 transporting more than $30,000
in cash, gold and precious stones. Those assets were intended to be
used by ISIS, she said. When asked if she disclosed the cash and gold
to customs officials, Elhassani replied, “No.” Elhassani previously
pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to provide material support to the
Islamic State group, and aiding and abetting individuals in providing
material support to the Islamic State group.”
Syria
The
Wall Street Journal: The Fighting Continues In Northern
Syria
“The sound of Turkish artillery breaks the silence of the morning
in the village of Umm Kaif, less than 2 miles from Tal Tamr near the
Syrian-Turkish border. Despite the proclamation of a cease fire last
month, the Turkish army and its Syrian rebel allies are still clashing
with the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces, and lately also
the regime of Bashar al-Assad. Kurdish mortars return fire a minute or
so after the shelling starts. Umm Kaif’s defenders burn tires and oil,
creating a cloud of black smoke intended to obscure the vision of the
Turkish drones. It doesn’t work. The drones extract a steep price from
the defending forces. The road rapidly fills with vehicles as the
remaining civilians in these front-line villages make for the relative
safety of Tal Tamr and towns farther south. Cars and trucks overflow
with whatever a family can carry—mattresses, bedding, tables,
blankets. The Turkish assault that began on Oct. 9 has carved out a
75-mile-long, 20-mile-deep zone of control between the towns of Tel
Abyad and Ras al-Ain. The traditionally Christian (but now largely
deserted) town of Tal Tamr stands in the way of further Turkish
advances.”
Reuters:
Chemical Weapons Body Defends Syria Attack Conclusions After
Leaks
“The head of the global chemical weapons organization on Monday
defended the agency’s conclusion that poison was used in a high
profile attack in Syria last year, after leaked documents suggested
two former employees doubted some of its findings. More than 40 people
were killed in the April 7 attack in Douma, a town on the outskirts of
Damascus that was then held by rebels. The United States, Britain and
France retaliated a week later by firing missiles at Syrian government
targets, the biggest Western military action against the Damascus
authorities of the eight year war. Inspectors from the Organization
for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons concluded in a report released
on March 1 that a toxic chemical containing chlorine was used in an
attack. The team was not mandated to assign blame for who used the
toxic chemical. However, the Syrian government and its Russian allies
have rejected the findings, saying they believe the incident was
staged by rebels and no attack had taken place. On Saturday,
anti-secrecy group Wikileaks published an internal email to the former
chief of staff at the OPCW in which an unidentified inspector
described a report as having been edited to appear more conclusive
than the inspectors’ findings.”
Voice
Of America: 3 Women Repatriated From Syria Face Terror Charges In
Kosovo
“Kosovo prosecutors have filed terrorism charges against three
women repatriated from Syria for allegedly joining terror groups
there. Prosecutors said Monday that the three women had left Kosovo in
2013, 2014 and 2015 to join the Islamic State group in Syria and
Al-Nusra in Iraq. Spouses of two of them had died, apparently in
fighting there. The three women were among 110 Kosovo citizens
repatriated from Syria in April. If convicted, they could face a
prison sentence of up to 15 years. Kosovo authorities say 30 of the
country's citizens are still actively supporting terror groups in
Syria.”
Iran
CBS
News: Iran Rejects Court Order To Pay Freed U.S. Journalist Jason
Rezaian $180 Million
“Iran on Monday rejected a U.S. court order for a Washington Post
reporter to be paid $180 million in damages for Tehran jailing him on
espionage charges. Jason Rezaian spent 544 days in an Iranian prison
before he was released in January 2016 in exchange for seven Iranians
held in the United States. On Friday, a U.S. district court judge
ordered damages be paid to Rezaian and his family in compensation for
pain and suffering as well as economic losses. The order, from U.S.
District Judge Richard J. Leon in Washington, did not lay out
specifically how the money should be paid to Rezaian — be it from Iran
or possibly from a fund established by the U.S. government to
compensate victims of state sponsored terrorism. That fund has
previously been used to distribute money to victims of Iran's 1979
student takeover of the U.S. Embassy in the Iranian
capital.”
The
Wall Street Journal: Iranians Hold Pro-Establishment Rallies, Blaming
U.S. For Unrest
“Thousands of Iranians staged pro-establishment rallies in Tehran
and other cities in a show of support after the country’s leaders
suppressed nationwide protests that erupted this month over a sudden
hike in gasoline prices. Monday’s marches followed a week of violence
against protesters and an internet blackout aimed at halting
demonstrations. Authorities began to ease internet restrictions this
weekend as protests subsided. At least 143 protesters were killed in
clashes with security forces, according to Amnesty International.
Iranian authorities blamed the unrest on Iranian opposition groups
based abroad and foreign powers, including Israel and the U.S., which
has severely damaged the country’s economy with sanctions, and called
on Iranians to unite against foreign pressure. The commander of Iran’s
Revolutionary Guard warned the U.S., Israel and other rivals not to
foment unrest. “We have shown self-restraint, we compromised, but be
careful. Our patience has an end. Respect the Iranian people and
behave,” Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami told the crowd at Tehran’s
Revolution Square. He accused Iran’s enemies of using the gas-price
rise to stir unrest. “The enemy was waiting for months but wasn’t able
to create an incident,” he said.”
Voice
Of America: Iran's Guard Threatens US, Allies Over
Protests
“The head of Iran's Revolutionary Guard threatened the U.S. and its
allies Monday as he addressed a pro-government demonstration attended
by tens of thousands of people denouncing last week's violent protests
over a fuel price hike. Gen. Hossein Salami, echoing other Iranian
officials, accused the U.S., Britain, Israel and Saudi Arabia of
stoking the unrest. He said the rise in gasoline prices was a "mere
pretext" for an attack on the nation. "If you cross our red line, we
will destroy you," he said. "We will not leave any move unanswered."
He said if Iran decides to respond, "the enemy will not have security
anywhere," adding that "our patience has a limit." Amnesty
International says more than 100 people were killed in the protests.
Iran has not released a death toll and cut off internet for several
days, making it difficult to ascertain the extent and severity of the
demonstrations. At the pro-government rally, which state TV referred
to as the "Rise of the people of Tehran against riots," protesters
carried signs bearing traditional anti-U.S. slogans.”
Iraq
Xinhua:
Iraqi Forces Kill 5 IS Militants In Northern Iraq
“The Iraqi forces, backed by U.S.-led coalition, killed on Monday
five Islamic State (IS) militants, including a group leader, in Iraq's
northern province of Kirkuk, the Iraqi military said. A statement by
the Iraqi Interior Ministry's intelligence force, named al-Suqour
Cell, said that the force conducted a joint operation with the
international coalition forces in Hawijah area, in the southwestern
part of Kirkuk province. It said the troops destroyed three IS
hideouts, leaving five IS militants killed inside. One of the killed
was a local group leader named Abu Bara. The operations also resulted
in the capturing a wounded IS militants in one of the hideouts, in
addition to finding an explosive belt, explosive devices and hand
grenades, as well as assault rifles inside the hideouts, according to
the statement. The security situation in Iraq was dramatically
improved after Iraqi security forces fully defeated the extremist IS
militants across the country late in 2017. IS remnants, however, have
since melted in urban areas or resorted to deserts and rugged areas as
safe havens, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against security
forces and civilians.”
Turkey
Associated
Press: Report: Turkey To Start Testing Russian S-400 Defense
System
“Turkish media say Turkey is poised to begin testing Russian-made
S-400 air defense systems, despite threats of sanctions from the
United States. The Milliyet newspaper, which has close links to the
government, said Monday that the military is planning to test the
S-400s that are currently deployed at an airbase in the outskirts of
the Ankara. Turkey took delivery of two Russian S-400 batteries this
year, dismissing warnings from the United States that they pose a
threat to NATO security. As a result, Washington suspended Turkish
participation in the multinational F-35 fighter jet program. U.S.
legislators have warned of sanctions if Turkey activates the
system.”
U.S.
News And World Report: Erdogan Says Qatar Backs Turkey's Plans To
Settle Syrian Refugees: NTV
“Qatar could support Turkey's plans to settle more than a million
Syrian refugees in northeast Syria after its offensive against Kurdish
militia in the region, broadcaster NTV quoted President Tayyip Erdogan
as saying on Tuesday. Turkey launched a military incursion against the
Syrian Kurdish YPG militia last month, seizing a 120-km strip of land
along its southeastern border. Since launching its offensive, Turkey
has urged Western allies to back its plans to build new towns in
northeast Syria, where it says up to half of the 3.6 million Syrian
refugees it currently hosts could be settled. It has called for an
international donors summit to back the plan. Western officials say
they would be reluctant to fund any project which involved involuntary
returns or changes to Syria's demographics - something Ankara denies
it is planning. Speaking to reporters on his return flight from a
visit to Doha, Erdogan said he presented his plans to Qatar's Emir
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, adding that "Mr Tamim liked our
projects", according to NTV. Asked whether Qatar will help fund the
plans, Erdogan said: "They are at the point of: 'We can carry out
these efforts together'. There really isn't another way."
Afghanistan
The
Telegraph: UN Development Worker Killed In Afghan
Blast
“An American working for the United Nations has been killed when
his car was attacked with a grenade in the Afghan capital. The United
Nations was placed in lockdown after the attack, which also wounded at
least five others, including two other UN workers travelling alongside
the victim. The dead man working with the UN's development programme
died when a specialist armour-piercing grenade or bomb was placed on,
or thrown at, the top of his vehicle and split the roof open, sources
said. White armoured UN vehicles emblazoned with the body's name are a
common site in the Afghan capital, where the organisation maintains a
heavy presence despite a parlous security situation. The specialised
type of bomb and the deliberate targeting of the UN were “foreboding”,
one source said and the UN had confined staff to their compounds.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, which
was the latest in a growing trend of assaults on aid and humanitarian
workers in Afghanistan. Aid agencies and medical groups have reported
increasing cases of workers being killed, kidnapped, robbed and
harassed as humanitarians have tried to negotiate a worsening
conflict.”
Xinhua:
Over 40 Militants Killed As Afghan Troops Combat Taliban In Restive
Provinces
“More than 40 Taliban militants have been killed within past 24
hours as the Afghan army, backed by air force and NATO-led coalition's
aircraft, continued to pound militants by conducting daily operations,
the Afghan Defense Ministry said Tuesday. The latest wave of
airstrikes and military operations on the group were conducted in 11
of the country's 34 provinces since early Monday, the ministry said in
a statement. In southern provinces, six Taliban militants were killed
and a militants' vehicle and a motorcycle was destroyed in Marja
district of Helmand province during a cleanup operation, according to
the statement. The Afghan army also distributed blankets and carpets
as winter assistance package to 200 families in restive Marja district
during the operation. A total of 11 Taliban hideouts were destroyed
and 11 landmines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were defused
during a raid in neighboring Nahri Sarraj district of Helmand. Two
militants were killed in Afghan army's responsive shelling in Uruzgan
province. In eastern provinces, nine Taliban were killed in two
separate airstrikes in Alishing and Alinagar districts of Laghman
province, as the Afghan troops clashed with militants during
operations in Ghazni province, killing five militants.”
India
India
Today: 3 ISIS Men Planning To Strike Delhi Held, One Has A 'Love
Jihad' Past
“One of the three ISIS-inspired terror operatives arrested by Delhi
Police in Assam was involved in a love jihad controversy seven months
back. The Delhi Police Special Cell and Assam Police in a joint
operation on Monday busted an ISIS-inspired terror module and
apprehended three operatives planning an attack in the Capital.
Explosives and raw materials used to manufacture bombs were recovered
from them. Ranjeet Islam, Mukadir Islam and Luit Zameel Zaman were
arrested from Goalpara in Assam while on way to plant an IED at Raas
Mela, a local fair, in Dudhnoi village of the district. Police believe
the three, all residents of Goalpara district, are inspired from the
Bangladesh module of ISIS. Police sources told India Today that Zameel
had an affair with a Hindu girl in his hometown Krishnai in Goalpara
district. After the affair came to light, some locals called it love
jihad and circulated the couple’s photos on social media. As word
spread about the affair in the town, the couple had to call it off. So
much so that police had to be involved. Zameel then came in contact
with module leader Ranjeet. He became radicalised and learnt making
bombs through videos posted by ISIS on Telegram, a cloud-based instant
messaging and voice-over service.”
Xinhua:
Government Forces Kill 2 Militants In Indian-Controlled Kashmir
Gunfight
“At least two militants were killed Tuesday in an overnight fierce
gunfight with government forces in restive Indian-controlled Kashmir,
police said. The gunfight erupted at village Patchhara in Pulwama
district, about 42 km south of Srinagar city, the summer capital of
Indian-controlled Kashmir. “Last evening a gunfight triggered here
between militants and army, which continued throughout the night. So
far two militants have been killed in the stand-off,” a police
official posted in Pulwama said. “The gunfight began after an army
contingent cordoned off the area on specific intelligence information
suggesting the presence of militants.” According to police, while the
cordon was underway in the area, the army came under fire, which they
retaliated and the exchange between two sides went on for several
hours. “No sooner the gunfight triggered additional reinforcement of
police was rushed to the spot,” the police official said. “The
searches in the area are underway.” Indian army or police have not
suffered any damage in the gunfight, police said. Preliminary
investigations suggest both the slain militants are local cadres of
Hizbul Mujahideen, the region's indigenous militant outfit.”
Lebanon
Al
Jazeera: Lebanon Protesters Defiant Despite Hezbollah
Confrontation
“Protesters remained defiant on Monday after supporters of main
Shia groups Hezbollah and Amal attacked demonstrators overnight,
sparking a UN call to keep protests peaceful. Demonstrators demanding
a complete government overhaul have been mobilised since protests
began on October 17, but a bitterly divided political class has yet to
find a way forward. Lebanon has faced five weeks of anti-government
protests fuelled by anger at corruption among the sectarian
politicians who have governed Lebanon for decades. Frustrated by the
stalemate protesters called for roadblocks and a general strike on
Monday, but an attack by supporters of allied parties Hezbollah and
Amal on Sunday night weakened the turnout. Political parties “are
trying to instil fear in us as a people so we don't progress and stay
at home”, said Dany Ayyash, 21, who was blocking a key road in
Beirut's Hamra district. But “the attack gave us all - at least the
ones here right now - a sense of determination,” Ayyash said. At
around midnight on Sunday, backers of Hezbollah and Amal attacked
demonstrators at a flyover near the capital's main protest camp.
Brandishing party flags, they hurled stones at peaceful demonstrators
and taunted them as riot police deployed to contain the violence.”
Middle East
The
Jerusalem Post: Israel’s Battle Against Iran
“The recent attack by Israel Air Force (IAF) warplanes against
Iranian and Syrian sites in Syria was very massive, one of the largest
strikes in the last three years. The wide-scale strikes occurred in
the early hours of Wednesday, November 19. Israeli security officials
said that 16 targets of the al-Quds Force and its affiliated Shi’ite
militia were hit, including warehouses and missiles near Damascus
International Airport, as well as in southern Syria and in other parts
of the country. Several anti-aircraft batteries were also damaged
after Syrian forces failed to fire missiles to intercept the Israel
planes. Yet it is worth noting that the IAF was very cautious and
refrained from targeting the advanced Syrian S-300 ground- to-air
aircraft batteries which are still manned by Russian personnel. In the
past, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel would not
have hesitated to attack even the S-300 batteries, which were
delivered to Syria six months ago. But it’s clear that Israel doesn’t
want to upset the delicate choreography of the dance in Syria between
Syria, Iran and Russia.”
War
On The Rocks: When Does Terrorism Have A Strategic
Effect?
“One of the worst terrorist attacks in the post-9/11 era killed no
one. When Al Qaeda in Iraq bombed the Askari shrine in Samarra in
2006, only the mosque itself was damaged. However, by striking at one
of the most important Shiite shrines in the world, it enraged Iraq’s
Shiite majority, inflaming sectarian tension and exacerbating that
country’s civil war. Tens of thousands of Iraqis would die in the
resulting violence. In contrast, a far bloodier jihadist attack a
decade later, and one closer to home for most Americans, had little
long-term impact beyond the deaths of innocent people. In 2016, Omar
Mateen shot 49 people at the Pulse night club in Orlando in the name
of the Islamic State. This attack soon faded from the headlines, and
U.S. foreign policy did not change. Not all terrorism is created
equal. Some attacks are merely blips on the terrorism radar screen,
grabbing headlines for a few days before life resumes as before. Other
attacks, however, shake the world. The strategic effects of such an
attack go far beyond whether it helps a terrorist group win, and they
can be divided into two areas.”
Egypt
Asharq
Al-Awsat: Egypt Hands Down 7 Death Sentences On Terror
Charges
“The Cairo Criminal Court has handed down death sentences to seven
people convicted of carrying out attacks that killed 11 policemen in
2016. The Court on Monday also sentenced 18 others to 10-15 years in
prison for the same charges, the Associated Press (AP) reported. Those
include attacking security forces, joining a terrorist group and
possession of weapons and explosives. The charges stem from multiple
attacks in Cairo, including one that killed eight police in a microbus
in the suburb of Helwan. That attack was claimed by ISIS. The court
acquitted seven others. According to AP, the verdicts can be appealed.
In response to terror attacks, Egypt has granted police forces and
courts sweeping powers. Rights observers said the crackdown has
resulted in an abandonment of due process and violations of
international law.”
Xinhua:
Egyptian Coptic Rights Activist Faces 'Terror'
Charges
“An Egyptian Coptic rights activist is facing charges of joining a
“terror” group and spreading misinformation, his lawyer confirmed
Monday, amid a renewed crackdown on dissidents in the country. Ramy
Kamel was arrested from his Cairo home early Saturday by seven
plainclothes police officers, a member of his defence team, Atef
Nazmy, told AFP. He said Kamel was questioned by state security
prosecution until 10 pm (2000 GMT) and that his lawyers only managed
to see him for the first time on Sunday. The prosecution has alleged
Kamel joined a “terror” group, received foreign funding and broadcast
false information. Kamel was set to be kept in temporary custody at
Tora prison in southeast Cairo for 15 days, with further questioning
scheduled for later this month. The vocal activist is a leading member
of the Maspero Youth Union, a Coptic human rights organisation born in
the wake of the January 2011 protests that toppled longtime ruler
Hosni Mubarak. Coptic Christians, the largest non-Muslim religious
minority in the Middle East, make up about 10-15 percent of Egypt's
predominantly Sunni Muslim population of 100 million and have long
faced sectarian discrimination. In recent years, the community has
been targeted by a series of militant attacks, including by the
Islamic State group.”
Libya
The
New York Times: Libyan Officials Say US Drone Shot Down By
Mistake
“Libyan forces trying to seize Tripoli shot down a U.S. military
drone over the capital by mistake last week, officials said Monday.
The U.S. military said it lost the drone Thursday while it was
assessing the security situation and monitoring extremist activity.
U.S. Africa Command declined to elaborate Monday, saying only that the
incident was under investigation. The self-styled Libyan National
Army, led by Gen. Khalifa Hifter, launched an offensive to capture
Tripoli in April after seizing much of eastern Libya from Islamic
militants and other rivals in recent years. The country was plunged
into chaos when a NATO-backed uprising toppled longtime dictator
Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. The country is now split between a government
in the east allied with Hifter and one in Tripoli, in the West, that
is supported by the United Nations. The LNA is backed by Egypt and
UAE, while the Tripoli-allied militias receive aid from Turkey and
Qatar. The fighting has stalled in recent weeks, with both sides dug
in and shelling one another along Tripoli's southern reaches. They
have also carried out airstrikes and drone
attacks.”
Nigeria
All
Africa: Nigeria: 95% Of Terrorists, Kidnappers' Weapons Pass Through
Land Borders - Govt
“The federal government has justified the closure of its land
borders with its West African neighbours by insisting that terrorists
and kidnappers were capitalising on the porous borders to smuggle in
arms and illicit drugs into the country. The Minister of Information
and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, disclosed this on Monday, while
addressing a press conference at the Nigeria- Benin Republic border
outpost of Seme. He said that 95 percent of the illicit drugs and
weapons that were being used for acts of terrorism and kidnapping in
Nigeria arrived through its porous borders. He said the ongoing
Operation Swift Exercise and border closure effected by government had
led to arrests and seizure of goods, which value is worth N4billion
and that would have had grave security consequences. Mohammed put the
number of illegal immigrants that had been arrested at 296. He also
revealed some items seized included; 38,743-50kg bags of parboiled
foreign rice; 514 vehicles; 1,012 drums filled with PMS; 5,400
Jerricans of vegetable oil; 346 motorcycles; 10, 553 Jerricans of PMS
and 136 bags of NPK fertilizer used for making explosives. He,
however, said that since this partial closure, the acts had
drastically subsided.”
Africa
Al
Jazeera: Angry Demonstrators Storm UN Camp In DRC After Deadly
Attack
“Protesters stormed UN facilities in the Democratic Republic of the
Congo (DRC) town of Beni on Monday, angered by the failure to stop an
armed group that killed eight civilians. Dozens of people broke into
the UN headquarters in the city despite gunshots fired by Congolese
security forces seeking to disperse the angry crowd. Eight people were
killed on Sunday night in an attack by armed fighters in the
northeastern city of Beni. At least two more were killed and several
wounded after angry residents took to the streets and clashed with
security forces. Police said protesters also torched the mayor's
office in response to the overnight attack. A tweet by the police
force showed flames shooting from the window and thick black smoke
billowing above. Demonstrators then marched to the offices of the UN
peacekeeping mission in Congo (MONUSCO), said Teddy Kataliko, a civil
society leader in Beni. “Several offices at the MONUSCO headquarters
were set on fire and looted,” Kataliko said. “Residents are demanding
the withdrawal of MONUSCO from Beni because of the inaction of UN
forces.” Gunfire could be heard outside the UN offices as police and
peacekeepers tried to disperse the crowd that burned UN vehicles.”
France
Reuters:
Thirteen French Helicopter Troops Killed In Mali Combat
Operation
“Thirteen French soldiers fighting jihadists in Mali were killed in
an accident between two helicopters, the French presidency said on
Tuesday, the single biggest loss of French troops in combat in the
region since intervening there in 2013. France has a 4,500-strong
Barkhane force countering Islamist insurgencies in the Sahel region,
where violence by militants linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State in
the sparely-populated area has proliferated in recent years. “The
president announces with deep sadness the death of 13 French troops in
Mali on the evening of Nov. 25, in an accident between their two
helicopters during a combat mission against jihadists,” the statement
from the president’s office said. The circumstances surrounding the
accident were not immediately clear. France’s Armed Forces Minister
Florence Parly said the incident occurred while the helicopters were
in flight. The Defence Ministry said the helicopters involved were a
Tiger and Cougar and the operation took place in central Mali. “They
were supporting commandos from the Barkhane force who were engaged
with armed terrorists,” the ministry said in a statement.”
Germany
Daily
Sabah: Berlin Mosque Receives Bomb Threats From Right-Extremist
Group
“Suspected far-right extremists emailed a bomb threat to Berlin's
prominent Şehitlik Mosque on Monday. Mosque officials told Anadolu
Agency (AA) that they immediately informed the police after receiving
an email from the far-right terrorist group Combat 18 that claimed
that the group had planted plastic explosives in the mosque complex.
“Today some bombs will explode in the mosque,” the mail read, sent
by [email protected]. Rıfkı Olgun
Yücekök, the Turkish consul general in Berlin, urged German
authorities to take stronger measures to protect the mosques. “This
may turn out to be a hoax but still it's an attempt to disrupt peace
and social cohesion,” he stressed, adding that they expect German
authorities to identify those behind such threats and bring them to
justice. “We don't have the luxury to ignore this.” The Şehitlik
Mosque, which belongs to the Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious
Affairs (DITIB), is a well-known Muslim place of worship in the
capital. Two days before this incident the Yeşil Mosque in the German
city Menden received a threat as well. A criminal complaint was
filed.”
Europe
NBC
News: Russia Is Winning The Electronic Warfare Fight Against Ukraine —
And The United States
“There’s an invisible battle that the U.S. is losing to Russia
right now, and like so much of our current domestic political turmoil,
it both centers on and transcends Ukraine. The U.S. has mostly focused
on fighting non-state actors like the Taliban and Al Qaeda that lacked
the technology to engage in electronic warfare, lulling the Pentagon
into complacency. Russia is currently dominating the arena of
ground-based electronic warfare, the discipline dedicated to detecting
and interfering with enemy radar and communication signals while
protecting friendly forces from similar effects. This realm is
essential to the modern battleground because militaries increasingly
rely on radar, radio signals and satellites to track and relay the
position of friendly and enemy forces, coordinate attacks between
headquarters and those in the field across long distances, operate
drone systems and guide weapons to targets. Perhaps Russia’s most
successful deployment of this capability is in its ongoing conflict
with Ukraine, where a 2017 Army study detailed the devastating
effectiveness of its electronic warfare capabilities in shutting down
Ukrainian FM radio and cellular networks. Jammers, which disrupt
command signals, brought down over 100 Ukrainian drones, while signals
intelligence was used to target deadly artillery strikes.”
Voice
Of America: Denmark Repatriates 11-Month-Old Boy Reportedly Orphaned
In Syria
“The Danish government has repatriated an 11-month-old boy after
his mother, who was linked to the Islamic State terrorist group, was
killed in the Syria conflict. The child arrived in Copenhagen on Nov.
21 from Irbil in northern Iraq after a nearly nine-month effort by
relatives and the Danish government, authorities say. They also say
the child, identified as Bay T, was being held at the Al-Hol refugee
camp in northern Syria since March of this year, when his mother died.
Baby T's grandfather, who could not be named, told VOA Somali that the
child was now being treated at a hospital for vomiting and diarrhea.
“The boy has gone through a lot; he is a child without a mother,
without a father, he needs a lot of assistance, and he is in a
difficult condition.” “He is the son of my late daughter,” said the
grandfather during a telephone interview. The boy's mother left
Denmark in October 2015 to join Islamic State. While in Syria, she met
the father of her child, who also joined the terror group. The mother
was killed in an airstrike, according to her father. Kurdish fighters
rescued the child and brought him to the Al-Hol camp. It is not clear
what happened to the boy's father, who had also joined Islamic State.
According to the boy's grandfather, the family was given conflicting
accounts of the child's father.”
Southeast Asia
The
Strait Times: Sultan Mosque Holds Anti-Terrorism Exercise; First Time
Such A Drill Is Held In Place Of Worship
“The iconic Sultan Mosque in Kampong Glam came under a "terror
attack" on Sunday (Nov 24) as part of an exercise to test its
readiness to deal with terrorism. It was the first time such an
exercise was held at a place of worship in Singapore, the Singapore
Police Force (SPF), Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and the
mosque said in a joint statement on Monday. Codenamed Exercise
Heartbeat, the drill on Sunday was part of a series of anti-terrorism
exercises held at various locations. It was also held at the lobby of
Crowne Plaza Changi Airport on May 17, and at Republic Polytechnic on
July 23 this year. Given the recent attacks on places of worship and
religious institutions around the world, Exercise Heartbeat was aimed
at validating and enhancing the mosque's contingency plans to better
respond to a terror attack, the statement said. In March this year,
there were two mosque shootings in Christchurch, New Zealand, where at
least 49 people were killed and dozens injured, causing the government
to place the country on its highest security threat
level.”
Technology
MarketWatch:
Sacha Baron Cohen Doubles Down On His Sharp Rebuke Of Top Tech
Companies, Even After Facebook Calls Him Out
“Sacha Baron Cohen — the British comedian who gave the world such
controversial hits as “Borat” and “Who is America?” — was in no mood
for laughs last week. In a Thursday speech hosted by the
Anti-Defamation League, Cohen claimed Facebook, if it existed in the
1930s, would have allowed Adolf Hitler to post ads for his “solution”
to the “Jewish problem” because the social-media giant cares “more
about boosting their share price than about protecting democracy.”
It’s not only Facebook that’s helped racism and extremism run rampant,
either, according to Cohen. He also called out Alphabet unit Google
and Twitter for complicity: “All this hate and violence is being
facilitated by a handful of internet companies that amount to the
greatest propaganda machine in history,” he said. “The algorithms
these platforms depend on deliberately amplify the type of content
that keeps users engaged — stories that appeal to our baser instincts
and that trigger outrage and fear.”
NPR:
Islamic State 'Not Present On The Internet Anymore' Following European
Operation
“In a major blow to terrorist radicalization efforts, European law
enforcement agencies have stripped Islamic State propaganda from
popular online services such as Google and Twitter. Over 26,000 items,
which included videos, publications, social media accounts and
communication channels, were flagged by authorities as being terrorist
propaganda. Europol, the European Union's law enforcement agency, sent
those items to several online service providers for removal. “For the
time being, for as far as we know, IS is not present on the internet
anymore and we will see how fast, if ever, they will regain service,”
Belgian Federal Prosecutor Eric Van Der Sypt said at a press
conference Monday. Authorities said that services such as Google,
Twitter, Instagram and Telegram cooperated with the European-wide
efforts to disrupt terrorist activities. Telegram, an online messaging
platform used by about 200 million users, contained the most offending
material, which resulted in a “significant portion of key actors
within the IS network” being removed from the service. As part of the
operation, an individual suspected of distributing terrorist
propaganda was arrested in the Canary Islands by Spanish police.”
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