“Appeals judges at an international tribunal sentenced two members of the
militant Hezbollah group to life imprisonment Thursday for their roles in th











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Eye on Extremism


June 17, 2022



***NOTE: CEP’s Eye On Extremism will be suspended on Monday, June 20 in
observance of Juneteenth. It will resume Tuesday, June 21.***



Associated Press: Hezbollah Members Get Life Terms For Lebanese Leader's Death
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“Appeals judges at an international tribunal sentenced two members of the
militant Hezbollah group to life imprisonment Thursday for their roles in the
assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and the deaths of
21 other people in 2005. Neither of the convicted men, Hassan Habib Merhi and
Hussein Hassan Oneissi, has been arrested and sent to the Special Tribunal for
Lebanon in the Netherlands. They were tried in their absence and remain at
large. Merhi and Oneissi were convicted on appeal in March of five crimes,
including being accomplices to the intentional homicide of Hariri and the 21
others. They all were killed when plotters detonated a huge truck bomb outside
a hotel on Beirut's seafront as Hariri's motorcade drove past. The blast
wounded another 226 people and plunged Lebanon deeper into political turmoil.
During a hearing Thursday, the tribunal’s president, Czech judge Ivana
Hrdličková, said Merhi and Oneissi were receiving life sentences for each of
their five convictions. If they are ever captured and imprisoned, the sentences
would be served concurrently. Prosecutors appealed after the two men were
acquitted nearly two years ago following a lengthy trial that found another
Hezbollah member, Salim Ayyash, guilty of involvement in the Feb. 14, 2005,
blast. Ayyash, who also was tried in absentia, received a life prison sentence.”



Reuters: Uganda's Army Says It Discovers Training Facility For Islamist Militia

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“Uganda's military said on Thursday it had discovered bomb making material at
a training facility for an Islamic State-allied rebel group around 60
kilometres west of the capital Kampala, and that three people had been
detained. Authorities blamed the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a militia
based in the dense forests in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo, for a
series of bombings in Kampala and elsewhere late last year which left at least
nine people dead. In one of the worst attacks, a suicide bomber blew himself up
at the entrance of a police station in the centre of Kampala. Three minutes
later two other suicide bombers detonated along a road that leads to the
parliament. The training facility was found at the home of a local man, army
spokesman Felix Kulayigye said during a media tour of the village of
Kikubajinja in Luwero district. A tunnel used for training had been dug in one
of the rooms, he said. Security personnel had become suspicious after reports
emerged from neighbours that “nobody was allowed to enter, nobody would be seen
getting out,” Kulayigye said. Authorities recovered bomb making materials
including metal, nails and wires as well as bullets and a pistol fitted with a
silencer, he said. In November the Ugandan army began a joint operation with
the Congolese army to root out the ADF, which started as an uprising in Uganda
but has been based in Congo since the late 1990s and pledged allegiance to the
Islamic State in mid-2019.”



United States



NBC News: Buffalo Shooting Suspect Said He Carried Out Attack 'For The Future
Of The White Race,' Federal Complaint Says
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“The white man accused of fatally shooting 10 Black people in a racist attack
at a Buffalo, New York, grocery store wrote an apology note to his family and
said he carried out the attack “for the future of the White race,” according to
a federal criminal complaint. The handwritten note was discovered in the
bedroom of Payton Gendron a day after the May 14 shooting at Tops Friendly
Market left 10 people dead and three wounded — 11 of whom are Black and two
white. Gendron, 18, was arrested at the store and faces 26 federal counts of
hate crimes and firearms offenses, the Department of Justice announced
Wednesday. He has already been indicted on 25 state criminal counts that
include murder and attempted murder as a hate crime and weapons possession. In
his note, he “apologized to his family for committing ‘this attack’ and stated
that he ‘had to commit this attack’ because he cares ‘for the future of the
White race,’” according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in
the Western District of New York. The FBI found the note after executing a
federal search warrant at his Conklin, New York, home. Also discovered during
the search was a receipt for a candy bar purchased at Tops on March 8 as well
as what appears to be handwritten sketches of the interior layout of the store,
according to the complaint.”



The Hill: GOP To DOJ: Investigate Vandalism At Anti-Abortion Centers As
Domestic Terrorism
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“More than 100 House Republicans signed on to a letter to Attorney General
Merrick Garland asking the Department of Justice to investigate vandalism and
attacks at anti-abortion pregnancy centers as domestic terrorism. Incidents of
vandalism and suspected arson ticked up after the publication of a leaked
Supreme Court draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark case
that recognized abortion rights. “The department has a clear duty to pursue
these recent attacks as instances of domestic terrorism, and it is the
responsibility of the National Security Division to protect the United States
from threats to our national security by seeking justice through law,” the
group said in the letter, signed by 126 House Republicans and led by Reps.
Scott Franklin (Fla.), Claudia Tenney (N.Y.) and Mike Johnson (La.). The letter
listed a number of reports of attacks on pregnancy centers, which aim to steer
pregnant women away from obtaining abortions. One such center in Madison, Wis.,
last month was set ablaze in a suspected arson. Local reports said that a
pro-abortion rights group called Jane’s Revenge took responsibility for the
arson but could not verify the authenticity of the group’s statement.”



The Washington Times: 15 People On Terror Watch List Were Captured Sneaking
Across The Southern Border In May
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“Border Patrol agents nabbed 15 people at the southern border in May who were
on the FBI’s terrorist screening database, showing the free-for-all along the
U.S.-Mexico boundary is unabated. The number of people on the terrorist watch
list caught crossing the border is a record for any month, equaling all of 2021
and more than the Border Patrol found from 2017 to 2020 combined. They were
among nearly 240,000 total border jumpers Customs and Border Protection nabbed
in May, marking the worst month on record for the Biden administration. Beneath
those numbers is something worse. CBP had nearly 12,000 people in custody on
any given day but ousted less than half of the illegal immigrants it
encountered. The rest were either released outright at the border or
transferred to other agencies, most of which would release them. The most
worrying categories of migrants — unaccompanied juveniles and people traveling
as families — also showed significant increases. The number of seizures, like
the arrests of migrants, is considered a rough yardstick of the overall flow.
So the drop in drug seizures likely means fewer drugs are getting through the
border undetected. The rise in the number of migrants, including suspected
terrorists, means more are probably getting through.”



Iran



The Jerusalem Post: Iranian Terror Attacks Against Israelis In Turkey Foiled
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“Israel and Turkey have foiled multiple Iranian attempts on the lives of
Israelis in Turkey in the last few days, N12 reported on Thursday. The joint
operation revealed an extensive Iranian terror cell in Turkey that planned
large attacks. Israelis who are in Turkey have been instructed to be extra
careful, hide the fact that they are Israeli as much as possible and stay in
constant contact with people at home. The threat level for traveling to Turkey
was raised to the highest level on Monday, and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid
warned Israelis not to travel to Turkey. Following Lapid's announcement, a
number of stories arose in which the Mossad intervened in Turkey, contacting
Israelis who were being targeted and picking them up to take them to safety.
Turkey reported on Monday that the authorities had detained a number of
Iranians suspected of having ties to the IRGC.”



Turkey



Arab News: Turkey Remands 16 Journalists On ‘Terror’ Charges
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“Sixteen Turkish journalists linked to pro-Kurdish media outlets were
remanded into custody on Thursday, pending trial and accused of belonging to a
“terrorist organization,” a lawyer said. The journalists worked for media
aligned with the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), which risks being
banned in Turkey over alleged links to outlawed militants waging a decades-long
insurgency against the Turkish state. The 16 were detained, along with four
other journalists, on June 8 in Diyarbakir in southeast Turkey, accused of
belonging to the press services of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK),
classed as a “terrorist” group by Ankara, the EU and the United States. The HDP
denies formal ties to the PKK. On Thursday, the 16 were accused of “belonging
to a terrorist organization,” according to the arrest document. A defense
lawyer confirmed they had been jailed pending trial. They include Serdar Altan,
co-president of a journalists’ association. The other four were released under
judicial supervision. A representative from the Turkish arm of Reporters
Without Borders (RSF), Erol Onderoglu, denounced the detentions as an attempt
to weaken the “Kurdish political class... and deprive them of a voice” ahead of
Turkey’s presidential election next year. Turkey says it is planning to launch
an offensive in northern Syria against Kurdish militants.”



Yemen



Reuters: Yemeni Journalist Killed In Car Blast In Aden
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“A Yemeni journalist was killed in a car explosion in Aden late on Wednesday,
police said, in the latest incident of violence in Yemen's southern port city.
Initial investigations indicated that an explosive device had been planted on
the car driven by Saber al-Haidari, according to a police statement published
by the southern armed forces in Aden. The statement did not specify which media
outlet Haidari, 40, worked for. Firefighters doused the charred wreckage of the
car on a main street in Aden, which has seen an increase in violence in recent
months. A car bombing in March killed a senior Yemeni military leader and three
of his entourage in what authorities described as an attack by “terrorist
elements”. Last November, a pregnant Yemeni journalist was killed in a car
explosion. Her husband, also a journalist, was injured. Yemen has been mired in
a seven-year conflict between a Saudi Arabian-led military coalition and the
Iran-aligned Houthi movement that largely holds North Yemen. Among Yemen's many
destabilising forces are Islamist military groups like Al Qaeda and Islamic
State that have, in the past, carried out attacks, including in the south.”



Middle East



Associated Press: Palestinians Say 3 Killed During Israeli Raid In West Bank
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“Israeli forces shot dead three Palestinians and wounded eight others early
Friday during a military operation in the occupied West Bank town of Jenin, the
Palestinian Health Ministry said. The military said the troops traded fire with
militants. The Israeli military has been carrying out near-daily raids in the
occupied West Bank since a string of attacks earlier this year killed 19 people
in Israel. Many of the arrest raids have been launched in and around Jenin, the
hometown of several of the attackers. The military said it raided two locations
in search of weapons. At the first, it says soldiers fired back after
Palestinians opened fire and hurled explosive devices at them. On their way to
the second location, they exchanged fire with Palestinian gunmen in a vehicle,
the army said. The military did not say whether any of the militants were
killed. It said the troops confiscated rifles, a submachine gun and other
equipment from inside the vehicle. Heavy exchanges of gunfire could be heard in
videos circulated on social media. Later, footage on social media showed a
bullet-riddled vehicle with bloodstains and residents inspecting it. Hundreds
of angry residents gathered outside a Jenin hospital after the overnight raid,
chanting “God is Greatest” and calling for revenge, before carrying the three
bodies on stretchers through the town in a spontaneous funeral procession. The
three were to be buried later Friday.”



Africa



The Washington Post: Burkina Faso Massacre Highlights A Strengthening
Insurgency
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“When Amadou Dicko heard the first shots, he knew he had to flee. The
30-year-old told his family to leave their belongings and run as insurgents
descended Saturday on Seytenga, a village in northern Burkina Faso. Gunmen
killed at least 79 people in the attack that followed, government officials
said, making it one of the deadliest since Islamist extremists gained a
foothold in the West African nation seven years ago. Dicko, whose best friend
was fatally shot, described it as “total carnage.” The massacre in Seytenga
underscored the increasingly perilous security situation in Burkina Faso, where
military leaders ousted the president in a coup in January. At the time,
officers promised to restore peace to the country, where militants linked to
the Islamic State and al-Qaeda have killed thousands and displaced more than
1.5 million. But violence has only intensified under military rule. Attacks by
insurgents have increased by 23 percent in the five months since Lt. Col.
Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba took power, compared with the five months before the
coup, said Héni Nsaibia, a senior researcher at the Armed Conflict Location and
Event Data Project (ACLED). Fatalities — including civilians, militants and
security forces — increased by 15 percent during the same time period,
according to Nsaibia’s data.”



Al Jazeera: Forty Fighters ‘Neutralised’ In Drone Strikes In Niger
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“French drone strikes have killed nearly 40 fighters earlier travelling on
motorcycles near Niger’s border with Burkina Faso, France’s military said on
Thursday. In a statement, the French military called the strikes a “new
tactical success” for France’s counterterrorism efforts in Africa’s Sahel
region, named Operation Barkhane. “Intelligence obtained from Nigerien units in
contact with the column confirmed that the motorcycles belonged to an armed
terrorist group moving between Burkina Faso and Niger,” Barkhane said in the
statement. “In close coordination with Niger’s Armed Forces, the Barkhane force
conducted several strikes against the column. Nearly 40 terrorists were
neutralised.” Niger’s government also issued a statement saying the fighters
were killed after an attack earlier this week killed eight security forces in
southwestern Niger. The drone strikes in Niger come as France reorganises its
military efforts in the broader Sahel region, the vast area south of the Sahara
Desert where it was once a colonial power and still maintains strong economic
ties. Niger has become a more reliable ally after military coups overthrew the
democratically elected presidents of neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso over
the last two years.”



Europe



Associated Press: Swiss Indict Turkish-Swiss Man Over Alleged Jihadist Murder
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“Swiss federal prosecutors said Thursday they have issued an indictment for
murder and other charges against a 28-year-old Swiss-Turkish man in connection
with the “jihadist-motivated homicide” of a Portuguese man in western
Switzerland two years ago. If the motive is confirmed, it would be a rare
occurrence in Switzerland amid a wave of violent attacks by Islamic extremists
in Europe and beyond since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the United States.
The attorney general’s office says the man, who was not identified, carried out
the Sept. 12, 2020, attack in the town of Morges, near Lausanne, “with the aim
of exacting revenge for the victims of the war between the coalition states and
the ‘Islamic State’.” That referred to a conflict linked to the armed extremist
group’s takeover of swaths of territory in Iraq and Syria in the mid-2010s. The
suspect, a resident of the French-speaking Vaud region of western Switzerland,
was taken into custody the day after the attack and has been held in pre-trial
detention ever since. In November that year, the suspect attacked and attempted
to kill a guard, and attacked an officer of the federal police, the
prosecutor’s office said.”



Southeast Asia



Associated Press: Philippine Officials Designate 11 Insurgents ‘Terrorists’
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“The Philippine government has designated a former peace negotiator and five
other suspected communist rebel leaders as “terrorists” in a move that allowed
the freezing of their financial assets, which officials said could be used to
finance attacks. The Anti-Terrorism Council separately designated as terrorists
five commanders of the Abu Sayyaf, a small but violent Muslim militant group in
the country’s south. They have been linked to the Islamic State group in an
announcement made public Wednesday. Long-running communist and Muslim
insurgencies are among key security problems President-elect Ferdinand Marcos
Jr. stands to inherit when he takes office on June 30. Although considerably
weakened by decades of offensives, infighting and factionalism, the communist
and Muslim insurgents remain national security threats. The six rebel leaders
accused of membership in the Communist Party of the Philippines, its armed wing
the New People’s Army and related organizations were led by Luis Jalandoni, a
former Roman Catholic priest who joined the communist rebellion, one of the
longest-raging in Asia. He gained national prominence as the chief rebel
negotiator for decades in peace talks with the Philippine government brokered
by Norway until he retired years ago.”



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