Eye on Extremism
July 23, 2019
Voice
Of America: Somalia Car Bombing Kills At Least 17
“At least 17 people were killed in a car bombing in Mogadishu on
Monday, medical sources tell VOA's Somali service. The director of
Mogadishu’s largest hospital, Dr. Mohamed Yusuf, said another 28
people were taken to the hospital with injuries. The explosion
occurred when a suspected suicide bomber detonated a vehicle near a
hotel close to the busy K-4 junction in Mogadishu. Witnesses told VOA
Somali that the vehicle was turned back from a security checkpoint
that leads to Mogadishu’s Aden Abdulle International Airport.
Al-Shabab militants claimed responsibility for the attack. The
explosion comes just four days after the killing of a senior al-Shabab
intelligence officer.”
ABC
News: Syrian Activists Say Airstrikes Kill 27 In Rebel-Held
Town
“Multiple airstrikes hit a busy market in a rebel-controlled town
in northwestern Syria on Monday, killing at least 27 people and
turning several buildings into piles of rubble, according to
opposition activists and a war monitor. Shortly afterward, state media
said rebels shelled a government-held village, killing seven. The high
death toll marked a sharp increase in the escalation between the two
sides amid intense fighting. Government troops, backed by Russian air
cover, have been trying since April to push their way into the enclave
in the northwestern corner of Syria, near the Turkish border.
Dominated by al-Qaida-linked militants and other jihadi groups, Idlib
province and northern parts of the nearby Hama region is the last
major rebel stronghold in the country outside the control of Syrian
President Bashar Assad. Despite the heavy bombardment, Assad's forces
have been unable to make any significant advances. Militant groups
have hit back hard, killing an average of more than a dozen soldiers
and allied militiamen per day in recent weeks. The fighting has killed
more than 2,000 people and displaced hundreds of thousands. The
struggling campaign also underscores the limits of Syria's and
Russia's airpower and inability to achieve a definitive victory in the
country's long-running civil war, now in its ninth year.”
Fox
News: Refugee Children Praise ISIS, Vow To 'Crush' Apostates, Videos
From Syrian Camps Show
“Children born to wives and fighters of the crumpled ISIS caliphate
who are now left to fend for themselves in wretched refugee camps
throughout Syria are being radicalized at increasingly younger ages,
an ominous trend that's emerged as the newest front in the ongoing
battle to stop terror from taking root in new generations. "Though
relief agencies are trying to get children into educational
environments and get them other necessary care, they remain surrounded
by ISIS members – both widows and fighters who have embedded
themselves among the refugees,” said David Ibsen, Director of the
Counter Extremism Project. “They still believe the ideology and are
dedicated to promulgating it, which means they are going to do
whatever they can to reinforce the ideology in the children.”
CBS
News: Nearly 1,000 U.S. Troops Still In Syria Months After Last
ISIS-Held Territory Was Liberated
“A desolate outpost in southeastern Syria used to belong to ISIS.
But now it's in the hands of American special forces. CBS News was
there with Gen. Frank McKenzie, commander of U.S. forces in the Middle
East. From a compound, still choked with rubble from the battles
here, special forces travel out to even more remote outposts to train
local tribes to hunt down the remnants of ISIS. “They try to get in
the desert up here, and our partners go out and get 'em and we help
'em do that,” McKenzie said. It's been four months since the last
piece of ISIS-held territory was liberated and there are still nearly
1,000 U.S. troops in Syria. The main American base is in northern
Syria, where a strip long enough to handle jet transports has been
carved out of the Syrian plain. It's industrial strength logistics
only the American military can do and there's no end in sight. “We
don't want to stay here any longer than we have to but there are still
some ripe targets out there and we are going after them,” McKenzie
said. Nothing here is easy. Fall rains turn this dust to ankle-deep
mud. The V-22 Ospreys that flew CBS News out of Syria had to refuel in
the air in order to make it. ISIS may be on the run in Syria, but it
is still alive and dangerous.”
Associated
Press: UK: Europe-Led Mission Will Protect Vital Shipping In
Gulf
“Britain announced plans Monday to develop and deploy a Europe-led
“maritime protection mission” to safeguard shipping in the vital
Strait of Hormuz in light of Iran’s seizure of a British-flagged
tanker in the waterway last week. Briefing Parliament on the budding
crisis, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt accused Iran of “an act of state
piracy” that must be met with a coordinated international reaction.
Iranian officials have suggested the Stena Impero was seized and taken
to an Iranian port in response to Britain’s role in seizing an Iranian
oil tanker two weeks earlier off the coast of Gibraltar, a British
overseas territory located on the southern tip of Spain. Hunt
announced precious few details of the proposed protection mission, but
said Britain’s European allies will play a major role in keeping
shipping lanes open. One-fifth of all global crude exports passes
through the narrow strait between Iran and Oman.”
Rio
Times: U.S., Argentina, Brazil And Paraguay Agree On Counter-Terrorism
Alliance
“The united States agreed on Friday to an alliance with Argentina,
Brazil, and Paraguay to counter “illicit activity” and terrorism in
the region. The coalition was agreed to at Buenos Aires summit where
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo singled out Iran and the Lebanese
Islamic organization Hezbollah as the main threats to South America.
The alliance will be implemented at twice yearly meetings between the
Ministries of Foreign Affairs, which will hold their first meeting in
Paraguay before the of the year.”
United States
Fox
News: Sen. Graham: 'A Matter Of Time' Before Terrorist Takes Advantage
Of The Border Crisis
“Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., delivered a dire warning Monday on
“The Ingraham Angle” and said it is ”only a matter of time” before
terrorists infiltrate an illegal immigrant group and hurt the United
States. “We're on track for a million illegal immigrants this year.
Fifty-two thousand released in the El Paso sector because we didn't
have room to hold them. It's just a matter of time until a terrorist
gets in this crowd and comes here and hurts us,” Graham told host
Laura Ingraham. Graham also touted his “Secure and Protect Act” which
would according to the senator fix loopholes that entice immigrants to
attempt to enter the U.S. illegally and limit family separation. “This
system is broken. It's not a crisis, it's a disaster,” Graham added.
Graham also weighed in on former Special Counsel Robert Mueller's
expected testimony Wednesday. “Most Americans were looking to Mueller
to tell them what happened, not Nadler. Do you think any fair-minded
American believes that Nadler is out to get the truth,” Graham said of
the House Judiciary Committee chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y. Nadler
along with House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff,
D-Calif., have continued to push for more investigations into whether
or not President Trump colluded with Russia.”
The
Wall Street Journal: NSA Forms Cybersecurity Directorate Under More
Assertive U.S. Effort
“The National Security Agency will create a cybersecurity
directorate later this year as part of a wider effort to align the
agency’s offensive and defensive operations more closely, U.S.
officials said. Anne Neuberger has been tapped to lead the new
directorate, slated to become operational Oct. 1. The creation of the
directorate and selection of Ms. Neuberger come during a broader
fusion of NSA’s offensive and defensive portfolios. The integration
has been under way for several years but has expanded under Gen. Paul
Nakasone, who has led the NSA and the U.S. Cyber Command since May
2018. The Trump administration has sought to be more aggressive and
the NSA has adopted a strategy of “persistent engagement” in
cyberspace against foreign adversaries including Russia, China and
Iran. Much of those efforts have focused on deterring election
interference after Moscow, according to former special counsel Robert
Mueller and the U.S. intelligence community, meddled in the 2016
presidential vote to boost the candidacy of Donald Trump. Russia has
denied the allegations.”
Iran
France
24: Trump Blasts Iran, Says Hard To Deal With Top 'Terror'
State
“US President Donald Trump said Monday that chances of negotiating
with Iran were dwindling, as he cited increasing tensions in the Gulf
and blasted the Islamic republic as the world's top “state of terror.”
The president cited a series of recent conflicts involving Tehran,
including the downing of US and Iranian drones and, most recently,
Tehran's announcement that it arrested 17 people in connection to a
CIA spy ring, a claim Trump rejected as “lies.” “Frankly it's getting
harder for me to want to make a deal with Iran, because they behave
very badly,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, as visiting
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan sat at his side. “I'll tell you it
could go either way, very easily,” Trump added. “And I'm OK either way
it goes.” Washington and Tehran have been at loggerheads since May
2018, when Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from a
landmark 2015 deal that put curbs on Iran's nuclear program in
exchange for sanctions relief. On Monday, Trump ramped up the
rhetoric, attacking Iran's government as “a religious regime that is
badly failing,” and saying the country has “tremendous problems
economically.” He also used menacing language, saying the United
States was “ready for the absolute worst.”
The
Wall Street Journal: Iranian Commandos Showed ‘No Niceties’ When
Seizing Ship In Strait Of Hormuz
“As masked Iranian gunmen descended from a helicopter onto a
British-flagged ship in the Strait of Hormuz, a crew member yelled to
his shipmates that it was time to give up. The Stena Impero’s crew had
put out distress calls to nearby U.S. and U.K. navy warships Friday
evening as they tried to evade four Iranian Navy boats, said a person
familiar with the events. But Iran’s boats ultimately swarmed the oil
tanker. In broken English, the Iranian commandos shouted to sail north
to Iran, as some crew members put their hands behind their heads.
“When masked, uniformed men with weapons come down from a helicopter,
there are no niceties,” the person said. The speed and ease with which
Iran seized the Stena Impero, and another tanker which was released
after several hours, demonstrates the wide latitude Tehran has to
disrupt global trade as it fights against U.S. economic pressure. The
threat of ship seizures has roiled markets, sparked new Western
security measures and capsized shipping-industry schedules.”
Forbes:
Iran 'Ready To Strike' In The West Using Sleeper Terror Cells: Report
Claims
“With tensions between Iran and Britain escalating over the seizure
of the Stena Impero tanker, the U.K.'s Daily Telegraph reported on
Monday (July 22) that British intelligence agencies “believe Iran has
organized and funded sleeper terror cells across Europe including the
U.K. and could greenlight attacks in response to a conflict in the
Gulf.” The claims refer to Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shi'a group that
has been designated as a terrorist organization—in whole or part—by
much of the West. In June, the same newspaper reported that a
devastating cache of explosives, linked to Hezbollah, had been
discovered in London by security agencies back in 2015. The three tons
of ammonium nitrate was “more than was used in the Oklahoma City
bombing that killed 168 people.” Hezbollah is sponsored by Iran, and
back in 2015, the U.K. had just signed on to the Iranian nuclear deal.
Nothing was made public at the time. Iran seizing a British oil tanker
was always going to test London's patience and restraint, but thus far
the primary response to the incident has been interplay in the media.
As I've written before, the media plays a part beyond reporting
events. Its anticipated response to events is part of the “enemy's”
planning process.”
The
New York Times: Europeans, China, Russia To Meet Iran In Vienna On
July 28
“Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China will meet Iran in
Vienna on July 28 to discuss how to save the 2015 nuclear deal, the
EU's foreign policy service said in a statement on Tuesday. "The
meeting has been convened at the request of France, Germany, the
United Kingdom, and Iran, and will examine issues linked to the
implementation of the JCPOA in all its aspects," the statement said.
The Joint Commission of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action
(JCPOA), the deal's formal name, will be chaired by the EU foreign
policy service's Secretary General Helga Schmid.”
Iraq
Iraqi
News: Iraq Arrests Islamic State Cell, Including Baghdadi Aide, In
Nineveh
“A group of Islamic State fighters, including an aide to IS chief
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, were arrested Monday in the northern Iraqi
province of Nineveh. Code-named as “Baghdadi’s Men,” the IS sleeper
cell confessed to carrying out several terrorist attacks against
foreign embassies and churches in Egypt and Syria, Alghad Press quoted
the Iraqi Military Intelligence Directorate as saying in a press
statement. The cell members also admitted that they plotted to carry
out similar terrorist attacks against Iraqi civilians and institutions
in Nineveh province. Among those arrested is a senior aide to IS
fugitive leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the statement read. Iraq
declared victory over Islamic State in December with the help of a
US-led alliance, having retaken all the territory captured by the
extremists in 2014 and 2015. Isolated cells believed to be linked to
the Islamic State group remain active in some parts of the country. In
recent weeks, suspected Islamic State insurgents have carried out
several attacks targeting security forces in Iraq.”
Iraqi
News: Iraqi Security Apprehend Two Terrorists In Kirkuk
Province
“The Iraqi Interior Ministry announced on Monday the capture of two
terrorists in the oil-rich province of Kirkuk. Acting upon a tip-off,
a security force arrested the pair after storming their hideout in
Kirkuk’s Hawija district, the ministry said in a press statement. The
two terrorists were handed over to the competent authorities for
interrogation as they are facing terror charges, the statement added.
Violence in the country has surged further with the emergence of
Islamic State extremist militants who proclaimed an “Islamic
Caliphate” in Iraq and Syria in 2014. The surge in violence between
armed groups and government forces has resulted in over five million
internally displaced persons across Iraq and left more than 11 million
in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the UN Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.”
Turkey
The
Hill: Turkey Threatens US-Backed Kurdish Forces In Syria Ahead Of
Talks
“Turkey on Monday threatened to launch an operation against
American-backed Kurdish fighters if it can't come to an agreement with
the United States to keep the group away from its border, Bloomberg
reported. “If the safe zone is not created, the threat emanating from
this area continues and terrorists are not cleared, then we would
start the operation,” Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu reportedly
said in an interview with Turkey’s TGRT television. “If the threat
continues then our soldiers are ready, we would launch the operation.
This is a matter of national security for us.” The threat from Turkey
comes ahead of a crucial round of talks in Ankara which top Trump
administration Syria envoy, James Jeffrey, is scheduled to attend.
Jeffrey's visit will reportedly revolve around a demand from Ankara to
set up a buffer zone in Syria that would be off-limits to the Kurdish
forces.”
Afghanistan
The
Washington Post: Afghan Officials: Airstrike Kills 6 In Eastern
Province
“A joint airstrike by NATO and Afghan forces killed at least six
civilians in eastern Logar province, officials said Monday. Two
children were among those killed in Sunday night’s attack, and a woman
and three children were wounded, said Mohammad Naser Ghairat, a
provincial councilman in Logar. He blamed the international forces in
Afghanistan, saying they carried out the airstrike in Baraki Barak
district. The alliance did not immediately comment on the reports.
Shah Poor Ahmadzai, the Logar provincial police chief’s spokesman,
said a delegation had been sent to the area and that an investigation
was underway. “I can confirm the airstrike and casualties among
civilians, including women and children,” Ahmadzai said. The Taliban,
who control roughly half of Afghanistan, said via their Twitter
account that five women and four children were killed by the airstrike
in Logar. In northeastern Afghanistan, Taliban insurgents overran the
district headquarters of Kuran wa Munjan in Badakhshan province,
according to Afghan security officials. A police official from the
province said the Taliban had intensified their attacks on Afghan
forces over the last nine days, culminating in the district
headquarters’ capture late Sunday.”
CNN:
Trump, Pakistani PM Talk Taliban, Afghan Peace Talks At White
House
“President Donald Trump said the US has made “a lot of progress”
toward ending the war in Afghanistan in negotiations with the Taliban
in recent weeks and made clear his disdain for the US' ongoing US
military presence in Afghanistan. Welcoming Pakistani Prime Minister
Imran Khan to the Oval Office on Monday, Trump diminished the US'
18-year war in Afghanistan as one where the US has “acted as
policemen, not soldiers” and suggested the US could swiftly end it
through brute military strength that would leave “10 million people”
dead. That option, he said, is not one he intends to pursue. “We've
been there for 19 years and we've acted as policemen, not soldiers,”
Trump said, mischaracterizing the length of the war. “Again, if we
wanted to be soldiers we could end it in one week, 10 days.” Trump at
several points suggested he had been presented with a plan that would
win the US war in Afghanistan in 10 days, but that would result in
massive casualties. “We're like policemen. We're not fighting a war.
If we wanted to fight a war in Afghanistan and win it, I could win it
in a week. I just don't want to kill 10 million people. Does that make
sense to you? I don't want to kill 10 million people,” Trump
said.”
Reuters:
Afghan Forces Kill Seven Civilians In Attack On
Militants
“Afghan government forces mistakenly killed seven civilians,
including children, in an attack on militants south of the capital, a
provincial official said on Monday, the latest victims of a war
undiminished by peace talks. Government forces, have been facing
Taliban attacks across much of the country, and have responded with
air strikes aimed at killing insurgent leaders, even as U.S. and
Afghan representatives have been negotiating with the militants in
Qatar. The seven civilians, including women and children, were killed
in Logar province, just south of Kabul, on Sunday night said Hasib
Stanekzai, a member of Logar’s provincial council. Six people were
wounded, he said. Provincial police confirmed the attack on militants
by government forces but said they were investigating the casualties.
“According to our initial information a number of militants were
killed or wounded, but local people gathered in the area, claiming
that a house belonging to a Kuchi family had been bombed, causing
civilian casualties,” said Shahpor Ahmadzai, a spokesman for Logar
police. Kuchi are nomadic herders, but some now live in permanent
settlements. Ahmadzai, who said police were investigating, also said
foreign force were involved in the attack on the militants.”
The
Long War Journal: Taliban Seizes Remote District In Afghan
North
“The Taliban overran a remote district in the northern province of
Badakhshan today after seizing a lapis lazuli mine there last week.
Security in Badakhshan has gradually worsened over the past five years
since the Afghan military and police took full control of security in
the province. Al Qaeda and other foreign terrorist groups have a
significant presence in the northern province. The district of Keran
wa Manjan was overrun today, Afghan officials and the Taliban
confirmed. The district center fell after the Taliban launched a “a
coordinated attack,” the chief of police for Badakhshan
said, according to Pajhwok Afghan News. Taliban spokesman Zahihullah
Mujahid noted that the district fell in a short statement on his
Twitter account. “Keran wa Manjan district HQ, police HQ along with
all defense CPs & buildings overrun by Mujahidin this morning
resulting in tens of gunmen killed/wounded & large amount
weapons/equipment/vehicles seized,” Mujahid tweeted. District
officials began warning about increasing insecurity in Keran wa Manjan
over the past week. On July 17, the Taliban seized control of a lapis
lazuli mine in the district. The mineral is used to fund the Taliban’s
insurgency. Today, before the district fell,
residents told TOLONews that “the security forces need reinforcement
and air support to improve the situation,” and warned that the
district was in danger of falling to the Taliban.”
Yemen
The
National: Hezbollah Takes Cash From Starving Yemenis
“Sam FM, a radio station affiliated with the Houthi rebels in
Yemen, has announced that it has managed to raise half a million
dollars since the launch of its crowdfunding efforts last year. The
campaign organisers said that more than half the total amount will be
donated to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which is regarded as
a terrorist organisation by the US, the UK, and Gulf countries. It is
no surprise that Hezbollah and the Houthis would support each other.
Both are Iran-backed proxies, which have caused chaos in their home
countries and beyond. This campaign was intended to raise funds for
the Houthis’ military spending while proving that the group could
still count on popular support for their cause. Instead, the
fundraising effort has highlighted just how desperate Hezbollah has
become. The organisation is starting to feel the pinch of increased
sanctions from the US and the UK. In February, the UK ceased to
differentiate between Hezbollah’s political and armed factions, and
classified the entire group as a terrorist organisation. Meanwhile,
the US has increased economic sanctions on Hezbollah and last year,
the US Department of Justice decided to designate the group as a
transnational crime organisation. US Sanctions against Tehran have
also choked off the Iranian funds the group relies on to survive.”
The
Times Of Israel: Yemeni Houthi Rebels’ Long-Range Arsenal Grows
Lethal
“From ballistic missiles to unmanned drones, Yemen’s Houthi rebels
appear to have bolstered their fighting capabilities, posing a serious
threat to mighty neighbor Saudi Arabia. In June alone, the
Iran-aligned Shiite Houthis launched at least 20 missile and drone
attacks on the oil-rich kingdom, Iran’s regional foe, some resulting
in casualties and damage. Saudi advanced air defenses successfully
intercepted most of the strikes but failed to deal with some,
including a drone attack on the vital airport of Abha, in the south,
that killed one person and injured 21 others. “We have witnessed a
massive increase in capability on the side of the Houthis in recent
years, particularly relating to ballistic missiles and drone
technology,” Andreas Kreig, a professor at King’s College London, told
AFP.”
Anadolu:
Yemen’s Houthis Claim Drone Attack On Saudi Airbase
“Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed a drone attack on the King Khalid
airbase in southern Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. In a statement, rebel
spokesman Yahya Sarei said the attack targeted radars and military
sites at the base in the city of Khamis Mushait. "The attack was in
response to Saudi-led coalition raids in the past 24 hours," he said.
The Saudi-led coalition, meanwhile, said it had shot down drones fired
from Yemen toward the southwestern Asir region. "Coalition forces
intercepted unmanned aircraft launched by the Iran-backed terrorist
Houthi militia," coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki said in a
statement. He described the Houthi attacks as “a brazen violation of
international humanitarian law". In recent months, Houthi rebels have
claimed several drone attacks on Saudi airports near the country’s
border with Yemen.”
Lebanon
The
Jerusalem Post: Syrian Opposition: Israel Killed Senior Hezbollah
Officer By Damascus
“A senior Hezbollah official and a supporter of Bashar Assad's
regime in Syria, Mashur Zidan, was killed on Sunday in a car explosion
on the outskirts of the al-Kaliya bridge in the southwest of the
Damascus suburbs, according to Syrian sources. Zidan was among those
close to Samir Kuntar, who was assassinated by Israel and the blame in
Syria is placed on the Mossad, who they claim was responsible for the
assassination of Zidan. Zidan was travelling with another person when
an Israeli drone fired a missile at him, according to a Syrian
opposition website. Hezbollah began to deploy forces in Lebanon and
Syria close to the Israeli border, according to reports on Saturday.
The Daily Beast posted an interview with a number of commanders in the
terror organization that claimed the organization was harmed directly
by the financial sanctions the US imposed on Iran and that therefore,
it intends to take hostile action against Israel if Iran decides it is
time to do so. One of the commanders noted that there is a chance that
a war will break out between Hezbollah and Israel, the kind “that
would not be like its predecessors,” stressing that “this time, we
will be the first to shoot.”
The
Jerusalem Post: Suspected Hezbollah Agent Arrested In Uganda With
Mossad's Help
“Lebanese citizen, suspected of being an undercover Hezbollah
agent, was arrested at Entebbe International Airport in Uganda by
Ugandan intelligence agencies with the cooperation of the Mossad. In a
report published by the Kampala Post, the Lebanese national, Hussein
Mahmoud Yassine, was arrested while about to board a flight to Lebanon
via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on July 7. He had arrived at Entebbe
International Airport from Tanzania earlier that day. According to the
report, the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad informed its Ugandan
counterparts about Yassine due to the close intelligence relationship
between the two countries. An anonymous intelligence source told
theKampala Post that Yassine was recruited to the terror group by a
senior Hezbollah official called Ali Wahib Hussein, known as Abu
Jihad. He is suspected of working for the Hezbollah foreign liaison
unit. Yassine, who has lived and worked in Uganda since 2010, was
reportedly tracked for months before his arrest at the beginning of
the month. According to the intelligence source, Hezbollah instructed
Yassine to identify potential US and Israeli targets for terror
attacks in Uganda, to recruit other Lebanese nationals for Hezbollah,
and to attempt to recruit Muslim Ugandans to act as Hezbollah
intelligence agents.”
Middle East
Bloomberg:
A Russian-American Deal Could Stabilize Syria And Weaken
Iran
“The Syrian war was largely over by the end of 2018, but the
country remains a bleeding hotspot that can threaten Israeli and
American interests. There is one way to minimize the risks of further
instability, give hope to war-weary Syrians and meet big-power
strategic objectives: forging an American-Russian deal. That’s not as
far-fetched as it sounds. By the end of 2018 when the worst of the
fighting ended, Syria had suffered more than 500,000 deaths and $400
billion in damage. Half of the population had been forced to flee
their homes; more than 5.5 million refugees left Syria and the rest
were displaced internally. And yet the risk factors that remain are
hard to overstate: No civilian and economic rehabilitation has begun
in the ruined state, weapons are still widely available, anger at an
oppressive regime simmers among the population, Sunni extremists are
ruling the Idlib area in northwest Syria and various foreign forces
are still deployed in the country.”
Egypt
The
Washington Post: Egypt Hands Out 11 Life Sentences For Joining Islamic
State
“An Egyptian court has sentenced 11 people to life in prison on
charges of joining the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq. Giza
criminal court on Monday says the defendants all traveled abroad to
fight for IS and receive military training. Two other defendants got
15-year sentences, and another was given three years for the same
charges. These include possessing weapons and plotting attacks against
security forces and state institutions. The verdicts can be appealed,
and the court has dropped the charges against another defendant. Egypt
is battling its own Islamic State-led insurgency in the Sinai
Peninsula. That fight intensified in 2013 after the military overthrew
an elected but divisive Islamist president. Militants in Egypt have
carried out scores of attacks, mainly targeting security forces and
minority Christians.”
Nigeria
Premium
Times: Army Hands Over 151 Repentant Boko Haram Insurgents To Borno
Govt
“The Nigerian Army on Monday handed over 151 repentant Boko Haram
insurgents to Borno Government for rehabilitation and reintegration
into the society. Bamidele Shafa, the Coordinator, Operation Safe
Corridor, made the disclosure during the handing over of the repentant
insurgents at the Bulunkutu Rehabilitation Center, Maiduguri. Mr Shafa
disclosed that the 151 male repentant insurgents comprised 132 adults
and 19 minors, who completed 52 weeks of de-radicalization process at
its centre in Gombe. He said that the clients were exposed to formal
literacy classes, skills acquisition and Islamic Religious Knowledge
(IRK) as well as drug and psycho-therapists during their training. Mr
Shafa explained that the Operation Safe Corridor was designed to
encourage Boko Haram insurgents to surrender, provide
de-radicalization and rehabilitation programme, to enable them to
rejoin the society. “The clients confessed their past misdeeds;
denounced membership of Boko Haram group, asked for forgiveness and
took an oath of allegiance to Nigeria. I believe they are now good
citizens to rejoin the society,” he said. Mr Shafa lauded the state
government for its support and efforts to assist the repentant
insurgents to reintegrate into the society.”
All
Africa: Nigeria: Anxiety Over Aid Workers Kidnapped By Boko
Haram
“The global humanitarian community is concerned at the safety of
six aid workers kidnapped by a rebel group northeast of Nigeria. They
were recently abducted during an attack that left their colleague dead
in the volatile Borno State. A staff member of the
French-headquartered Action Against Hunger, two drivers and three
health workers are missing. The humanitarian organisation expressed
sadness at the attack blamed on the Islamist Boko Haram group. Action
Against Hunger expressed worry of its colleagues dedicated to
providing life-saving assistance to individuals and families affected
by the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the northeast of Nigeria. “We
are very concerned and want to ensure that they are safe and can be
reunited with their families,” it stated. The organisation provides
assistance to millions distressed in the troubled region. Edward
Kallon, Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, also appealed for the
release of the aid workers. “I call on all who may have influence to
do everything they can to keep them unharmed and work towards their
safe return,” Kallon said. He noted the attack occurred some weeks
before the ongoing crisis affecting Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States
entered its tenth year.”
Somalia
The
New York Times: At Least 17 Killed In Bomb Attack In Somalia
Capital
“At least 17 people were killed and 28 others wounded when a bomb
went off outside a hotel near the international airport in Somalia's
capital Mogadishu on Monday, medical officials said. The Al
Qaeda-linked Islamist group al Shabaab, which is trying to topple
Somalia's weak U.N.-backed government, claimed responsibility for the
attack. The city's Madina hospital received 17 bodies and 28 people
with injuries, 12 of them in a critical condition, said Mohammed
Yusuf, the hospital's director. The blast went off at the first
checkpoint on the road that leads to Mogadishu airport, said Farah
Hussein, a shopkeeper who witnessed the attack. Somalia has been riven
by civil war since 1991, when clan warlords overthrew a dictator, then
turned on each other.”
The
New York Times: With Guns, Cash And Terrorism, Gulf States Vie For
Power In Somalia
“When a small car bomb exploded outside a courthouse in the
bustling port city of Bosaso in northern Somalia, local news reports
chalked it up to Islamist militants retaliating for American
airstrikes. At least eight people were wounded, and a local affiliate
of the Islamic State claimed responsibility. The attack, however, may
have also been part of a very different conflict: one among wealthy
Persian Gulf monarchies competing for power and profits across the
Horn of Africa. Over the last two years, war-torn Somalia has emerged
as a central battleground, with the United Arab Emirates and Qatar
each providing weapons or military training to favored factions,
exchanging allegations about bribing local officials, and competing
for contracts to manage ports or exploit natural resources. In an
audio recording obtained by The New York Times of a cellphone call
with the Qatari ambassador to Somalia, a businessman close to the emir
of Qatar said that the militants had carried out the bombing in Bosaso
to advance Qatar’s interests by driving out its rival, the United Arab
Emirates. “The bombings and killings, we know who are behind them,”
the businessman, Khalifa Kayed al-Muhanadi, said in the call on May
18, about a week after the bombing.”
Africa
The
Guardian: British Troops To Join Force Countering Mali
Militants
“British troops will be deployed in Mali next year to join in the
world’s deadliest peacekeeping operation, the Ministry of Defence has
announced. The 250-strong force will provide a long-range
reconnaissance capability for the United Nations deployment in the
troubled African country which has struggled to decisively counter
Islamic militants, armed separatists and traffickers. The deployment
is likely to place British troops in combat situations, facing risks
of ambushes and roadside bombs in remote and hostile environments. The
UN is operating alongside a French-led force that has been fighting
Islamic militants in Mali for six years. The mission is known as one
of the most dangerous undertaken by the organisation anywhere in the
world. More than 170 people deployed by the UN have been killed there
between 2013 and February. Penny Mordaunt, the defence minister, said
it was right that “in one of the world’s poorest and most fragile
regions we support some of world’s most vulnerable people … UK service
personnel will work with our partners in the region to help promote
peace by combating the threat of violent extremism and protecting
human rights in Mali”. Mali, which occupies a key location in the
centre of the restive Sahel, was plunged into chaos in 2012 when
Tuareg separatists and Islamic extremists joined forces to take
control of much of the north of the country.”
The
Defense Post: Suicide Car Bomb Targets French Military Base In Gao,
Mali
“An apparent suicide car bomb exploded at the entrance to a French
military base in the central Mali town of Gao, injuring at least three
French and Estonian troops on Monday, July 22. “There was an attack …
at the entrance to the French part of the camp in Gao,” AFP reported
French military spokesperson Colonel Frederic Barbry as saying. “There
was no incursion into the base.” He said the soldiers’ injuries were
not life-threatening but did not give a breakdown of the casualties. A
source in Gao told Nord Sud Journal that Malian soldiers fired on a
vehicle as it tried to force through the checkpoint they were manning
outside the base. The occupants of the car returned fire before the
vehicle exploded. RFI reported the bomb vehicle, which was carrying at
least three people, was painted in U.N. colours and struck at 15:45
local time. Five people including civilians were also injured on the
Malian side, the RFI report said. Images on social media purportedly
taken nearby showed a large plume of smoke and a helicopter in the
air. The France-led Operation Barkhane, which has a mandate for
counter-terrorism operations across the Sahel, has roughly 4,500
French troops deployed in the region, including 2,700 soldiers in
Mali.”
North Korea
The
New York Times: Kim Jong-Un Inspects New Submarine That Could Increase
Range Of Missiles
“Kim Jong-un, North Korea’s leader, has inspected a newly built
submarine, the state news media reported on Tuesday, a provocative
move as the United States struggles to resume dialogue on ending the
country’s nuclear and missile threats. The North’s official Korean
Central News Agency said the country planned to deploy the new
submarine soon in waters off its east coast. The report included three
photographs of Mr. Kim visiting a shipyard where the submarine was
built. The photos showed part of the submarine, but the article
revealed no technical details on the submarine. It also did not
specify when Mr. Kim made the visit. Along with its intercontinental
ballistic missiles, North Korea’s submarine and submarine-launched
ballistic missile programs pose one of the biggest military threats to
the United States and its regional allies because they can extend the
range of the North’s nuclear missiles. Submarine-launched missiles are
also harder to detect in advance.”
United Kingdom
BBC
News: Manchester Arena Attack: Bomber's Brother Remanded In
Custody
“Manchester Arena bomber Salman Abedi's younger brother has been
remanded in custody at a bail hearing. Hashem Abedi, who is charged
with murdering the 22 victims of the attack, was detained in Libya
shortly after the May 2017 suicide bombing. The 22-year-old was
extradited on Wednesday and arrested by British officers upon his
arrival in the UK. Mr Abedi, of no fixed address, appeared at Oxford
Crown Court on Monday via videolink. Judge Mr Justice Sweeney ordered
him to be remanded in custody ahead of a preliminary hearing at the
Old Bailey or in Oxford on 30 July. Mr Abedi, who was born and raised
in Manchester, is also charged with one count of attempted murder,
encompassing all the other victims, and one count of conspiring with
his brother to cause explosions. Prosecutors allege Hashem Abedi made
detonator tubes for the bomb, bought chemicals used to make an
explosive substance, and helped his brother buy a Nissan Micra car in
which materials were stored that became part of the device. The
inquests into the killings at the end of an Ariana Grande concert have
been delayed due to legal proceedings. Family members have been told
the full inquest hearings are not likely to begin until at least April
2020.”
Southeast Asia
World
Politics Review: Abu Sayyaf Is Bringing More Of ISIS’ Brutal Tactics
To The Philippines
“Midday on June 28, a suicide bomber struck a checkpoint outside a
military camp in the town of Indanan, on the restive southern
Philippine island of Sulu. Moments later, a second bomb exploded. The
attack killed three Philippine soldiers and three civilians, as well
as the two bombers. The local military commander quickly blamed an
ISIS-affiliated faction of Abu Sayyaf, the extremist group that has
been active in the southern Philippines for decades. Within hours, the
Islamic State released a statement claiming responsibility for the
attack, marking the second time this year it has linked itself to a
twin suicide bombing in Sulu. In January, double blasts tore through a
packed cathedral in the town of Jolo, not far from Indanan, killing 22
worshippers. Authorities hoped that attack was an outlier, but June’s
bloodshed has reignited fears over ties between the Islamic State and
an Abu Sayyaf splinter group led by Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan, a militant
described by the U.S. State Department as the Islamic State’s “acting
emir” in Southeast Asia and whom Philippine authorities also blamed
for the cathedral bombing.”
The
New York Times: South Korean Jets Fire Warning Shots Toward Russian
Military Plane
“South Korea said its air force jets fired hundreds of warning
shots on Tuesday to ward off a Russian military plane that intruded
upon what it considers its territorial airspace, the first such
encounter between the countries in decades. The incident came as
Russia and China conducted what Russia called a joint air patrol in
the Asia-Pacific. South Korea said that three Russian military planes,
as well as two Chinese warplanes, entered its air defense
identification zone off its east coast, where foreign military
aircraft are expected to identify themselves in advance to South
Korea. But South Korea said that one of the Russian planes, a Beriev
A-50 early warning and control aircraft, flew closer and intruded
twice into what the South regards as its territorial airspace, near a
cluster of disputed islands that South Korea controls but Japan also
claims.”
Technology
The
Wall Street Journal: Facebook Settlement Expected To Mandate Privacy
Committee
“Facebook Inc. FB 2.00% ’s expected settlement with U.S. regulators
will create a board committee to help ensure senior-level scrutiny of
the company’s privacy-related efforts. The Federal Trade Commission is
expected as soon as this week to announce a settlement with the tech
giant over its privacy practices, according to people familiar with
the matter. The settlement, which includes a roughly $5 billion fine
and other requirements of Facebook, would end a lengthy probe into
whether the company kept its promises to protect user data. As part of
the agreement, Facebook plans to form a new board committee focused on
privacy oversight, one of the people said. The timing of the
announcement was still being determined, this person said, but it is
expected before the stock market close on Wednesday, when Facebook is
set to report its quarterly earnings.”
The
Washington Post: Facebook Will Have To Pay A Record-Breaking Fine For
Violating Users’ Privacy. But The FTC Wanted More
“Almost as soon as Joe Simons took his seat at a Senate committee
hearing in November, he found himself under political siege. It had
been eight months since the agency he leads, the Federal Trade
Commission, had announced a sweeping privacy investigation into
Facebook, and lawmakers were growing wary that the government might
not stand up to the tech giant. “All too often the FTC has fallen
short,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal (Conn.), one of the panel’s top
Democrats, blasting regulators for a “lack of will.” “Our goal is to
vigorously enforce,” Simons pledged in response. Now, as federal
regulators finalize a settlement with Facebook, some critics say their
fears were justified. The package of penalties for Facebook’s past
privacy scandals includes a record-breaking $5 billion fine and
unprecedented government oversight of its business practices. But a
Washington Post review of the 16-month investigation — described by 10
people familiar with the matter — shows that the FTC stopped short of
some even tougher punishments it initially had in mind. Those included
fining Facebook not just $5 billion, but tens of billions of dollars,
and imposing more direct liability for the company’s chief executive,
Mark Zuckerberg.”
The
Verge: Facebook Design Flaw Let Thousands Of Kids Join Chats With
Unauthorized Users
“Facebook’s Messenger Kids app is built around a simple premise:
children shouldn’t be able to talk to users who haven’t been approved
by their parents. But a design flaw allowed users to sidestep that
protection through the group chat system, allowing children to enter
group chats with unapproved strangers. For the past week, Facebook has
been quietly closing down those group chats and alerting users, but
has not made any public statements disclosing the issue. The alert,
which was obtained by The Verge, reads as follows: Hi [PARENT], We
found a technical error that allowed [CHILD]’s friend [FRIEND] to
create a group chat with [CHILD] and one or more of [FRIEND]’s
parent-approved friends. We want you to know that we’ve turned off
this group chat and are making sure that group chats like this won’t
be allowed in the future. If you have questions about Messenger Kids
and online safety, please visit our Help Center and Messenger Kids
parental controls. We’d also appreciate your feedback.”
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