Eye on Extremism
May 24, 2022
Reuters: In Niger, Scholz Vows To Support Fight Against Islamist Militants
“German Chancellor Olaf Scholz promised Niger long-term military and financial support to fight Islamist insurgents across West Africa, during a visit on Monday on his inaugural Africa tour. Niger has taken on a bigger role hosting European special forces since the deterioration of relations between Western powers and the military junta ruling neighbouring Mali. Scholz visited 180 soldiers from the German Bundeswehr army training Nigerien special forces at a military camp in Tillia about 80 km (50 miles) from the Malian border. The mission, which started in 2018, is due to end this year. “Now it will be a matter for us to identify a good follow-up project,” Scholz said later in the day during a press conference with Niger President Mohamed Bazoum. Officials say Germany has been expanding its cooperation with Niger since 2015, partly because of the militant threat and partly because of the routes that take migrants across the West African country's territory towards Europe. The Bundeswehr remains part of the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali, and the Bundestag lower house of parliament voted on Friday to increase the maximum number of troops there to 14,000 from 1,100 following France's withdrawal. Scholz visited Senegal on Sunday and was due to fly to South Africa on Monday evening for the final leg of his tour.”
Associated Press: Security Concerns, Lack Of Support Stall Africa’s Green Wall
“A series of complex challenges, including a lack of funding and political will as well as rising insecurity linked to extremist groups al-Qaida and the Islamic State in Burkina Faso, are obstructing progress on Africa’s Great Green Wall, according to experts involved in the initiative. There have been some modest gains for the project, which plans to build an 8000-kilometer (4970-mile) long forest through 11 nations across the width of Africa to hold back the ever-growing Sahara Desert and fend off climate change impacts, but many involved with the plan are calling for renewed momentum to combat both insecurity and environmental decline. Just 4 million hectares (9.9 million acres) of land has been afforested since work on the Green Wall began 15 years ago — a mere 4 percent of the program’s ultimate goal. Adama Doulkom, the coordinator for the Great Green Wall for the Sahara and the Sahel Initiative in Burkina Faso, said political instability and security issues are significantly stalling progress in nearly 4,000 villages across the country. “Terrorist attacks in the affected regions have forced populations to disperse. This limits people’s movements, making it hard for us to directly monitor field actions which could lead to difficulty in creating improvements in certain areas,” Doulkom said.”
Iran
The Jerusalem Post: Assassinated IRGC Officer Led Terror Attacks On Israelis In India, Thailand - Report
“Colonel Hassan Sayad Khodayari from the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps' Quds Force who assassinated in Tehran on Sunday, was linked to several high-profile assassination attempts on Israeli diplomats and figures across the world, Saudi-sponsored news outlet Iran International reported on Monday. Khodayari was reported to be responsible for planning and executing strikes on Israeli citizens in Europe, Africa and mainly in eastern Asia, the report stated citing European security sources. He was also in charge of recruiting civilians in several countries to commit the attacks against Israelis. The assassinated Iranian terrorist was reportedly in charge of the 2012 Bangkok bombings, in which five people were injured in a failed attempt by the IRGC to kill Israeli diplomats in Thailand. Thai authorities confirmed at the time that Iran is behind the bombings of the Thai capital. As per London-based Iran International, Khodayari also headed a series of failed bombings in 2012 which occurred a day before the Bangkok bombings. He was in charge of an operation targeting Tal Yehoshua-Koren, the wife of an Israeli diplomat based in New Delhi, India. As part of the operation, a sticky bomb was attached to Yehoshua-Koren as she was picking her children up from school.”
Iraq
Associated Press: Iraqi Officials: Attacks By IS Militants Kill 12 Civilians
“Militants from the Islamic State group killed 12 civilians and wounded at least six in two separate attacks in Iraq, apparently taking advantage of a sandstorm that sharply reduced visibility across the country, security officials said Tuesday. The attacks occurred on Monday evening in Kirkuk and Diyala provinces, where farmers came under fire while harvesting their crops. The Iraqi Security Media Cell said in a statement that six civilians were killed in the attack in the village of Sami Asi, south of the city of Kirkuk. The Kurdish news network Rudaw said after the killings, an Iraqi federal police force that arrived on the scene was ambushed and three policemen were killed. Earlier, IS launched an attack in Diyala’s town of Gulala, killing six residents, two Iraqi security officials said. The Sunni extremist group claimed responsibility late Monday for the Kirkuk attack, claiming it killed five Shiites in their agricultural fields in al-Rashad area in Kirkuk and set fire to five vehicles. It said its fighters clashed with a supporting unit from the federal police and destroyed one of their vehicles.”
Turkey
Reuters: Erdogan Says Turkey To Launch Military Operations On Its Southern Borders
“Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday Ankara would soon launch new military operations along its southern borders to create 30-km deep safe zones to combat terrorist threats from these regions. “The main target of these operations will be areas which are centers of attacks to our country and safe zones,” Erdogan said, without elaborating. Erdogan said the operations would be launched as soon as military, intelligence and security forces have completed their preparations. The operation will likely target north of Syria, where Turkey has launched several military operations since 2016 to undermine the Kurdish People’s Defense Units (YPG), an armed Syrian offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). The YPG also helped form the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the Kurdish-led coalition that the United States has greatly relied on to fight the Islamic State since 2014. Erdogan's statement came amid Turkey's objections on Finland and Sweden becoming NATO members, accusing them of harbouring individuals linked to the PKK group and followers of a cleric Turkey accuses of orchestrating a coup attempt in 2016.”
Egypt
Asharq Al-Awsat: Cairo Hosts Int’l Conference On Confronting ‘Emerging Terrorist Organizations’
“Egypt’s Interior Ministry, in collaboration with Interpol, is hosting Monday a workshop on confronting emerging terrorist organizations and phenomena in the Middle East and Africa. The workshop is hosted by the Egyptian Police Academy until May 25. The participating countries include Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Somalia, Djibouti, Nigeria, Cameroon, Benin, Ivory Coast, Democratic Republish of Congo, Senegal, Germany, Belgium, and the United States. Also, experts from six international and regional organizations will take part in the event, including Interpol, the European Union, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, the UN Counter-Terrorism Office, and secretaries of G5 Sahel countries. The workshop will discuss the latest developments pertaining to terrorist activities in the regional and international arenas in addition to terrorist threats, with a focus on emerging terrorist phenomena and the best means for confronting them, according to a statement released by the Egyptian Interior Ministry. Also, participants will exchange information and expertise on the latest strategies to face terrorist activities and deter the movement of terrorist groups, the statement said.”
Nigeria
Reuters: Militants Kill At Least 50 In Nigeria's Northeastern State Of Borno
“At least 50 people were killed by militants on Sunday around the town of Rann in Nigeria's Borno state, in the country's northeastern tip near the border with Cameroon, witnesses told Reuters by phone on Monday. Since 2009, Nigeria's northeast and Borno state in particular have been the centre of an insurgency led by the militant Islamist group Boko Haram. Millions have been displaced and some 350,000 people have died from attacks and the subsequent humanitarian crisis, according to the United Nations. Over time, Boko Haram has split with an active offshoot called Islamic State West Africa Province also claiming responsibility for attacks in the west African country. Local residents blamed the latest attack on Boko Haram. Army spokesman Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu did not immediately respond to a request for comment. “We are all in pain over the killing of our innocent people who were working on their farmland. ... We buried 50 people today in Rann. They were clearing their farmlands ahead of the rainy season, while others went for firewood,” Harun Tom, a local farmer, said.”
Sahara Reporters: Boko Haram Terrorists Ambush Convoy Of Ruling APC Presidential Aspirant, Kill Three Policemen, Injure Four Others
“Fighters of the Islamic State-backed faction of Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), formerly known as Jamā'at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da'wah wa'l-Jihād have opened fire on the convoy carrying policemen attached to a yet-to-be-identified presidential aspirant of the ruling All Progressives Congress. Security sources told SaharaReporters that the insurgents attacked the convoy along Maiduguri-Damaturu Road while it was travelling from Abuja for a presidential campaign in Maiduguri. The incident reportedly happened at Goni Matari village, Kaga Local Government Area of Borno State on Sunday. Former Governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu; Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi and Tein T.S. Jack-Rich, all presidential aspirants of the APC were in Borno during the weekend. “The officers were from Abuja, not Borno command. They were attached to one of the presidential aspirants visiting Borno on Sunday but I can’t confirm which of the aspirants (was involved) currently. “The insurgents also burnt two patrol vehicles they were travelling in. Two of the policemen died on the spot while one died later at the hospital. Four others are currently hospitalised,” a police source told SaharaReporters.”
Africa
Reuters: At Least 11 Civilians Killed In Burkina Faso Village Attacks, Says Governor
“At least 11 civilians were killed in attacks on two villages in northern Burkina Faso on Sunday, a regional governor said in a statement. Unidentified armed assailants targeted the two communities in Seno province, which is among those hit by rising insecurity as jihadist groups with links to al Qaeda and Islamic State seek to gain control over once peaceful parts of West Africa's Central Sahel region. In a statement on Monday, Governor Rodolphe Sorgho did not provide further details on the attacks but called on locals to be vigilant. A local official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said a further 14 civilians, who were recorded as missing after the raids, had been found dead. Reuters could not independently verify the information. In recent years, Islamist violence has killed thousands of people and forced more than 2 million to flee their homes in the Sahel. On Saturday, the Burkinabe army said five soldiers had been killed repelling a large-scale militant attack in the Central-North region earlier that day. It said its forces killed some thirty militants in the encounter. Public frustration with the authorities' handling of the security situation led to protests in Burkina Faso that culminated in a military coup in January.”
Europe
The Irish Times: Renewal Of Law Used To Prosecute Terrorism Expected To Be Approved
“The renewal of the law providing for the non-jury Special Criminal Court (SCC) which handles terrorism is expected to be approved by the Cabinet on Tuesday. Minister for Justice Helen McEntee will seek the extension of the Offences Against the State Act for another year amid an ongoing independent review of the law. The SCC handles terrorism and organised crime cases. It was previously used during the Troubles to prosecute members of the Provisional IRA, with a significant number jailed. It is understood that Ms McEntee believes the law needs to be renewed due to the “real and persistent threat” from dissident republican paramilitary groups. There is also considered to be a “substantial threat” from organised crime groups. Any extension of the Act will require votes in the Dáil and the Seanad, and the intention is for dates to be scheduled to move resolutions in both Houses of the Oireachtas in the coming weeks. Sinn Féin has traditionally opposed the annual renewal of the legislation that underpins the court, though it abstained in the Dáil vote for the first time in 2020 and did so again in 2021. The party dropped its long-standing policy of outright opposition to the SCC following a motion passed by its ard fheis last year.”
Technology
Axios: New Jersey Launches Probe Into Twitch, Discord After Buffalo Shooting
“New Jersey's Acting Attorney General Matthew Platkin said Monday that the state has launched an investigation into the social media platforms Discord and Twitch in connection to the Buffalo mass shooting. Why it matters: The alleged shooter killed 10 people, all of whom were Black, and posted footage from the attack in real-time to Twitch, a platform owned by Amazon that often features live videos of gaming. The probe will determine whether lax content moderation and policy enforcement allowed the platforms to serve as a hub for violent extremism. Details: The suspect in the Buffalo mass shootings allegedly used both Discord and Twitch to plan and publicize the shooting, according to Platkin's office. The investigation will examine whether the platforms are “violating state consumer protection laws by failing to moderate harmful content and enforce policies prohibiting violent extremism and hateful conduct.” It will also focus on how moderation policies are applied to minors and children who use the sites. What they're saying: “These social media platforms have enormous reach, especially with young people, and have shown themselves to be staging grounds for hateful and extremist content that may radicalize children and others,” Platkin said in a statement.”
Associated Press: Albanian Arrested For Inciting Terror Via Social Media
“An Albanian man has been arrested for allegedly using social media to call for terror attacks against state institutions, police said Tuesday. A statement said a 56-year old man identified only as I.S. (L.) used fake profiles to post “inciting photos and writings, public calls and propaganda to commit terror attacks against some important state institutions.” The suspect, considered to have “religious extremist inclinations,” posted support for the Islamic State group and called for support for the war in Syria. The man was charged with terrorism offenses. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison. No Albanians have joined extremist groups in Syria and Iraq in the past six to seven years, according to the authorities. Before that, scores of Albanians joined radical groups in Syria and Iraq, although mainstream religious leaders urged believers not to become members. About two-thirds of Albania’s 2.8 million inhabitants are Muslims.”
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