Eye on Extremism
July 15, 2022
The Times: Tens Of Thousands Flee Fighting Between Taliban And Rebels
“It was a three-day walk through barren mountains to reach safety for tens of thousands of Afghans who fled the Taliban’s battle against a renegade commander and his followers in the district of Balkhab. When fighting erupted three weeks ago, civilians were shot as they fled the Taliban’s battle against a rebellion led by Mawlawi Mehdi, once the only ethnic Hazara to rise to the rank of commander in the militant group. He is now in hiding. Subject to a persecution under the Taliban’s last rule that was described as “genocidal in its ferocity”, the Hazaras — the majority of whom are Shia Muslims — historically the ethnic group that faces the most discrimination in Afghanistan.”
United States
Fox News: DHS Won't Provide Info On Terror Plots Until Congress Gets Waivers From Accused Non-Citizens, Republicans Say
“Republicans on the House Homeland Security Committee want answers about a new Department of Homeland Security policy that lawmakers say requires them to get privacy release waivers from criminal non-citizens accused of terror and assassination plots, in order for DHS to give them information about the threats. In a letter to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, obtained by Fox News Digital, Republicans on the committee say the agency “has implemented a new policy requiring Members of Congress to obtain signed privacy release waivers from criminal non-U.S. citizens, including those illegally in the United States, and submit that waiver to the Department before the Department will provide the Committee with general information about the threats posed by such individuals.” They say the policy was communicated to them after they requested briefings about two alleged plots. The first was an alleged ISIS-inspired plot to assassinate former President George W. Bush, and the second an alleged July 4 mass shooting plot by two illegal immigrants. “It is unconscionable that DHS would implement or maintain any policy or practice to directly or indirectly inhibit Congress’s ability to conduct timely, highly relevant oversight that may require legislative action,” the letter by Reps. John Katko, R-NY, August Pfluger, R-Texas, and Mayra Flores, R-Texas, says.”
Axios: Buffalo Shooter Indicted On Federal Hate Crimes Charges
“The gunman accused of killing 10 Black people at a Buffalo supermarket in May was indicted Thursday of dozens of charges, including 10 counts of hate crimes resulting in death, the Justice Department said in a statement. The big picture: Payton Gendron, 19, is accused of killing 10 people and injuring three at a Tops supermarket in Buffalo, New York on May 14. In what the FBI called “an act of racially motivated violent extremism,” Gendron, who is white, drove more than 200 miles from Conklin, New York to allegedly commit the attack in a predominantly Black neighborhood. Eleven of the 13 people shot were Black. Driving the news: Gendron was indicted on 27 total charges — 14 hate crimes charges and 13 firearms charges, according to the Justice Department. The indictment alleges that Gendron, who was 18 years old at the time, “committed the offense after substantial planning and premeditation to commit an act of terrorism.” What they're saying: “The Justice Department fully recognizes the threat that white supremacist violence poses to the safety of the American people and American democracy,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. “We will continue to be relentless in our efforts to combat hate crimes, to support the communities terrorized by them, and to hold accountable those who perpetrate them.”
Nigeria
Daily Post Nigeria: Terrorists: Wipe Them Off The Earth – Buhari Tells Nigerian Army Officers
“President Muhammadu Buhari has urged Nigerian military officers to confront terrorists and wipe them off the face of the earth. Buhari said this in Kaduna State while celebrating the sacrifices and successes of the Nigerian military in defending Nigeria courageously, urging them to bring peace to the country. Speaking at the graduation ceremony of 247 students of the Senior Course 44 of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, on Thursday, Buhari promised that his government would continue to provide the needed support required to wipe out terrorists from Nigeria. Buhari told the graduating students: “The response of the Armed Forces of Nigeria to the Boko Haram insurgency, banditry, militancy, kidnapping as well as the activities of separatists and armed militias amongst others have been commendable. “We have witnessed recent terrorist attacks in Nigeria bearing the hallmark of national and trans-border insurgents trying to cause havoc in Nigeria as well as in neighbouring countries. “It’ll be part of your duty to confront these terrorists and insurgents and wipe them off the face of the earth and bring peace to our countries.”
Somalia
All Africa: Somalia: Military Repel Al-Shabaab Attack In Janale
“A battle ensued between Somali troops and Al-Shabaab in Janale, a small town in the Lower Shabelle region last night, local residents confirmed. The fighting came after Al-Shabaab fighters attacked the SNA military in the area. The ambush prompted a heavy and direct gunfight between the two sides. Details of the casualties are still murky. The government troops had the upper hand and managed to repel the overnight attack that Al-Shabaab aimed to take over the control of the base. The situation returned to normalcy on Thursday morning with businesses up and running.”
Africa
AFP: Rebels Kill Nine In Eastern DR Congo
“Suspected rebels have killed at least nine people in twin attacks in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, officials said Wednesday, in the latest violence to hit the turbulent region. Fighters from the feared Armed Democratic Forces (ADF) group killed six civilians in an attack on the town of Beni in North Kivu province on Tuesday night, according to local civil-society leader Pepin Paluku Kavota. He told reporters on Wednesday the militants targeted a district just a kilometer from army headquarters in the city of 400,000. The dead included a 15-year-old boy and a 90-year-old woman, said Kavota, who urged security forces “to redouble their efforts.” The same night, militants also killed at least three people in an attack on a village in neighboring Ituri province. “This is a provisional number,” local civil-society figure Gaston Kandole told AFP. The village also lies near a Congolese military base. The ADF — which the Islamic State group claims as its Central African offshoot — is active in both North Kivu and Ituri. The group is among the most violent of the more than 120 militias that roam eastern Congo, and has been accused of massacring Congolese civilians and carrying out terrorist attacks in neighboring Uganda. The DRC and Uganda launched a joint offensive against the ADF in November 2021 to crush the rebels, but violence against civilians continues.”
Reuters: Southern African Bloc Further Extends Mozambique Troop Deployment
“Southern African countries agreed on Thursday to extend their troop deployment in Mozambique for another month to help it fight an Islamic State-linked insurgency. The countries, linked in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), agreed last year to send troops to Mozambique. The mission's mandate was set to end on Friday but has been extended on an interim basis until an SADC heads of state summit in mid-August, when a more detailed report on the mission's progress will be considered. The insurgency is concentrated in Mozambique's northern province of Cabo Delgado. It has claimed thousands of lives since it broke out in 2017 and disrupted multibillion-dollar natural gas projects. Closing Thursday's virtual summit, SADC chairperson and Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera said the extension of the troop deployment prevented the mission from being compromised. Separately, the European Union's diplomatic mission to Mozambique said the EU would provide the country's army with an additional 45 million euros ($45 million) of financial support. Mozambique's military had been losing ground to the insurgency until it accepted help from SADC and Rwanda, which has also sent soldiers.”
United Kingdom
Reuters: Right Wing Terror Threat Rising, Groups Recruiting From Military - UK Committee
“Britain’s parliamentary intelligence committee said on Wednesday that the threat from extreme right-wing terrorism was on the rise, with individuals often seeking to join the military and groups looking to recruit from within the military. “Individuals often seek to join the military, groups seek to recruit within the military, and military experience is a source of legitimacy among ERWT (Extreme Right-Wing Terrorism) groups,” parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee said in a statement.”
Daily Mail: Fugitive Brother Of Manchester Arena Bomber Is Convicted In His Absence Of Failing To Appear At Public Inquiry Into 2017 Terror Attack After Fleeing UK Before Hearing
“The elder brother of the Manchester Arena bomber was today convicted in his absence of failing to give evidence at the public inquiry into the attack after fleeing the UK. Ismail Abedi, whose whereabouts are currently unknown, had refused to cooperate with the inquiry into the attack, which killed 22 people at an Ariana Grande concert in 2017. The 28-year-old was stopped by police at Manchester Airport on August 28 last year and told them he was planning to return to the country the following month. He managed to depart on an aeroplane the following day. Ismail was ordered by the chairman, Sir John Saunders, to attend to give evidence and his case was listed for trial at Manchester Magistrates' Court today under another name he has used, Ishmale Ben Romdhan. But he did not attend and was subsequently found guilty by District Judge Jack McGarva of failing without reasonable excuse to do something required by a Section 21 notice. The judge adjourned the case to August 2 and said if Abedi does not attend that hearing a warrant will be issued for his arrest. As a statutory inquiry, witnesses can be compelled to appear to give evidence on pain of punishment. 'The court is bound to consider passing a custodial sentence,' the judge said.”
France
The National: Convicted Paris Terrorist Faces Trial For Attack In Belgium
“Convicted Paris attacker Salah Abdeslam, the only surviving member of the cell that killed 130 people, has been transferred to Belgium to face new charges connected to a different attack. Abdeslam, 32, a Frenchman of Moroccan origin, was given a whole-life sentence after a trial in France for his involvement in the Paris attacks. He will be tried in Belgium for his alleged involvement in the March 2016 attacks, which were carried out by the same cell responsible for the Paris attacks. The attacks in Belgium, which killed 32 people at the national airport and in a Brussels metro station, were also claimed by ISIS and occurred four days after Abdeslam was arrested. Abdeslam, who was born in Belgium and used to live in Brussels, was flown from Fleury-Merogis prison south of Paris to Ittre prison in Belgium, between the Belgian capital and Charleroi. He will be held in prison in Belgium until his trial, which is scheduled to start on October 10. He was handed over to France to face trial there over the 2015 attacks at the Bataclan concert hall and other venues. On June 30, he was sentenced to life in prison with only a tiny chance of parole after 30 years, the toughest possible punishment under French law. He did not appeal against the sentence after the trial, which was the biggest in modern French history.”
The National: Terror Expert Claims Extremists Exploit Luxury Markets To Generate Funds For Atrocities
“From art and antiquities to cryptocurrency or crowdfunding, one of France’s leading security experts has written a book that calls for action against the financing tools exploited by terrorists. Senator Nathalie Goulet has spent the past decade working on the terror threat in France, gaining insight into the extent of terrorist infiltration of lucrative markets. “You have art, arms and drugs but you also have things that are not often known, like counterfeiting, crowdfunding and cryptocurrency,” she told The National. “Terrorism financing is something everyone needs to be aware of, money laundering especially. It opens the door to financing terrorism. It is a reality and we need to work on it. Ms Goulet spent years studying the Muslim Brotherhood and its European links and has used her experience to write a book dedicated to the funding mechanisms used by terrorists. The Alphabet of Terrorism Financing is an A-Z analysing the various strategies used by extremists. “It’s a dictionary of the tools used by terrorists to finance terrorism,” she said. “It is from the work I have done over the years on terrorism. I wanted to write a book on the subject. I chose to shape it as a dictionary so it is clear and academic. “It is a major subject for the international community. What’s important for me is for governments and heads of state to understand the links between money laundering and the financing of terrorism. It’s like a big sponge.”
Europe
The National: More Than 400 Terrorists Convicted In Europe Last Year And 15 Attacks Reported
“More than 400 terrorists were convicted in Europe last year, as Europe's crime agency reveals 15 attacks were planned or took place, including a bomb attack. In its latest terrorism report, Europol said 432 people were convicted of terrorism offences and a further 388 were arrested on suspicion of terrorism-related offences in 2021. Two thirds of those arrested were linked to investigations into Islamist terrorism offences in Austria, France and Spain. Three of four completed terrorist attacks last year were by Islamist militants, with one by a left-wing group, and they included stabbings, arson and using a vehicle to ram into a crowd. Europol’s Executive Director Catherine De Bolle said terrorism was still a key threat to security in the EU. “The findings of the report confirm that terrorism still poses a real and present danger to the EU,” she said. “While our joint work to disrupt and prevent attacks seems to be having a positive effect, lone actors associated with jihadist and right-wing violent extremism are still a concern for EU Member States and Europol. “In a time of geopolitical shifts, the EU needs to continue more than ever its counter-terrorist measures. Europol will continue to work closely with its partners to meet the challenges ahead.”
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