Eye on Extremism
July 18, 2022
The National: Iraq And US To Boost Security Ties To Prevent ISIS Comeback
“The US and Iraq agreed on Saturday to increase security ties in order to eliminate a potential ISIS comeback. The agreement was announced in a joint statement issued after talks between US President Joe Biden and Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi in Jeddah, where Saudi Arabia is hosting a summit that brings together leaders of the US, GCC states, Iraq, Egypt and Jordan. “The two leaders reaffirmed their shared commitment to the strong bilateral partnership under the Strategic Framework Agreement and their determination to continue security coordination to ensure that ISIS can never resurge,” the statement said. The agreement signed in 2008 outlines the basis of relations between the US and Iraq, where there are currently about 2,500 American troops operating alongside several smaller contingents from other countries to train Iraqi forces in the continuing fight against the remnants of ISIS following the defeat of the extremist group in 2017. “The leaders agreed that the relationship between the US and Iraq is based on a shared interest in Iraq’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, security, and stability and committed to bolstering the bilateral partnership for the benefit of their two nations,” said the statement.”
The Washington Post: An Attack On A Military Base In Somalia Shows Al-Shabab’s Deadly Power
“In the predawn hours, the militants of al-Shabab attacked the peacekeepers’ base from every direction with lethal precision. Suicide bombers detonated three cars filled with explosives. Islamist fighters then pounded the facility with heavy gunfire and rocket-propelled grenades, killing several dozen African Union peacekeepers from Burundi. Footage posted on social media showed bodies in military uniforms scattered around the base. “The Burundians were caught unaware,” said Sadaq Mokhtar Abdulle, a Somali Parliament member representing the village of El Baraf, where the base was located. “They were killed in cold blood. And the others fled.” The May 2 assault claimed more than 50 lives, according to local officials and Western security personnel in Somalia, making it the deadliest strike on the U.S.-backed peacekeeping mission here in six years. Its success underscored the resurgence of al-Shabab and the challenges that African and American troops will face in containing the group. Two weeks later, President Biden approved the redeployment of some 450 American troops to Somalia — reversing a 2020 order by the Trump administration to end U.S. counterterrorism operations in the country after more than a decade. The militants now control roughly 70 percent of south and central Somalia, a country nearly the size of Texas.”
United States
The Washington Post: Citing Terrorism, U.S. Seeks 15-Year Prison Sentence In Jan. 6 Case
“U.S. prosecutors asked a judge Friday to sentence the first Capitol riot defendant convicted at trial to 15 years in prison, following through for the first time on threats to seek enhanced terrorism sentencing penalties for individuals who reject plea deals in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on Congress. The request for Guy W. Reffitt, a recruiter for the extremist Three Percenters movement who led rioters at the Capitol, is roughly one-third longer than the nine to 11 years recommended under advisory federal guidelines. Reffitt was convicted March 8 of five felony offenses, including obstruction of Congress’s meeting to certify the 2020 presidential election, interfering with police and carrying a firearm to a riot, and threatening his teenage son who turned him in to the FBI. The defense for Reffitt, a 49-year-old former oil industry rig manager, asked for a below-guidelines sentence of two years in prison. But Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey S. Nestler and Risa Berkower sought a punishment that would be about three times longer than any sentence handed down to date in a felony Jan. 6 case, calling his case exceptional. “Reffitt sought not just to stop Congress, but also to physically attack, remove, and replace the legislators who were serving in Congress,” prosecutors wrote. They called his conduct “a quintessential example of an intent to both influence and retaliate against government conduct through intimidation or coercion,” the statutory definition of terrorist violence subject to harsher punishment.”
The Washington Times: Six Terrorism Suspects Nabbed At Southern Border In June
“Homeland Security recorded more than 200,000 illegal border jumpers in June, marking the fourth straight month that the Biden administration has topped that elevated level of border chaos. Among those were six more arrests of terrorism suspects at the southern border, according to data released by Customs and Border Protection late Friday. The total arrests marked a decline compared to May. Of the 207,416 people encountered, 191,898 were nabbed by Border Patrol agents as they sneaked across the border between official crossings. The rest were encountered by CBP officers at the ports of entry. Fewer than half of the border jumpers were ousted under the pandemic health emergency, or Title 42 powers. More than 72,000 were processed and released directly at the border, while most of the rest were released after transfer to another federal agency in the interior. CBP Commissioner Chris Magnus celebrated the lower numbers. “While fluctuations are normal from month to month, we saw a 14 percent decrease in encounters compared to the previous month,” he said in announcing the new data. Digging into the numbers, there were some worrying trends. While the number of migrants traveling as family units — at least one parent and minor child — dropped, the number of illegal immigrant children traveling unaccompanied rose to more than 15,000.”
Syria
NBC News: ISIS Stands To Gain From Potential Turkish Offensive In Syria, Pentagon Warns
“Pentagon leaders are increasingly concerned about a possible Turkish military invasion in northern Syria and have begun planning for how it could impact the U.S. fight against the Islamic State terrorist group, according to two senior administration officials and two defense officials. The main concern is that any Turkish military movement into Syria would draw the U.S. partner, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), away from the battle against ISIS, the officials said. “We strongly oppose any Turkish operation into northern Syria and have made clear our objections to Turkey,” Dana Stroul, deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East, said Wednesday during a discussion at the Middle East Institute, a D.C.-based think tank. “Such an operation puts at risk U.S. forces’ coalition campaign against ISIS and will introduce more violence into Syria.” She warned that Turkish military operations could cause the SDF to focus on moving north to protect their communities from an air campaign or a ground campaign, leaving a vacuum that could allow ISIS to regroup. “There’s only so many SDF to go around,” Stroul said. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was briefed about the possible invasion earlier this week. He told staff to prepare a U.S. response to Turkish military action and to provide more information about how it could impact the U.S. mission in Syria, according to the officials.”
Kurdistan 24: Kurdish Security Forces Kill 3 ISIS Militants In Retaliation For December Makhmour Attack: KRSC
“The Kurdistan Region's security forces killed three members of ISIS who played a role in last December's attack in Makhmour that killed over 10 civilians and Peshmerga forces. In a video statement on Thursday, the Kurdistan Region Security Council (KRSC) said it “retaliated” for that attack by killing the three ISIS fighters. They also arrested a taxi driver that supplied the militants with basic commodities. Without specifying how the extremists were killed, the KRSC said they were “targeted” in collaboration with Iraqi and US-led coalition forces on the evening of July 5, according to the statement. One of those killed in the attack was Salih Mahmood' Atiya Al-Jaboori, known by his alias “Al-Nuseib”. He was in charge of an ISIS unit on Makhmour's Mount Qarachokh. Two other members of the group were killed. Having been arrested by the security forces, the 63-year-old man “confessed” in the video that he had provided the group with “logistics” for their operations. In early December, a group of ISIS fighters attacked Khidr Jija village in the Makhmour district. Villagers resisted the attack, and the ensuing firefight killed three members of one family, including a minor. While on its way to rescue the embattled villagers, a unit of Peshmerga forces, consisting of 10 fighters, were ambushed by ISIS and killed. ISIS later claimed responsibility for the attack.”
Iraq
Al Monitor: Islamic State Continues To Menace Iraqi-Syrian Border
“Both sides of the border between Iraq and Syria continue to experience attacks as concerns grow about tens of thousands of women and children in limbo, many of whom exposed to Islamic State indoctrination, and joblessness heightens desperation. There is also a generalized distrust from a lack of reliable information. In late June, IS claimed to have captured and executed a member of the Jughayfa tribe in Iraq’s northwestern Nineveh province and tribal fighters on the Syrian side of that border. A statement issued by Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) on July 13 said an operation carried out at dawn in the “Sheikh Ibrahim Mountains and the Al-Mahalbia district, southeast of Tal Afar” had “found dens of terrorist gangs” in Nineveh province. No IS fighters were reported killed or captured. Across the border in Syria, US Central Command Forces (CENTCOM) reported July 12 that it had conducted a drone strike targeting two top IS officials outside Jindayris in northwest Syria. The report stated that Maher al-Agal, who it called one of IS' top five leaders and the group's Syria head, “was killed in the strike,” adding, “Al-Agal was responsible for aggressively pursuing the development of [IS] networks outside of Iraq and Syria.”
Middle East
Modern Diplomacy: Analyzing Link Between Middle Eastern Politics And The Rise Of ISIS
“The vacuum in the politics of Middle East has always provided an opportunity for external actors to intervene. After the decomposition of Ottoman Empire, puppet governments were placed to rule the Middle East, in best interest of imperial powers. It was an indirect imperialism. The puppet politicians always depended on external forces to consolidate their authority rather than people. They kept the local population and their security at stake to serve the imperial powers, in order to maintain their rule. People were considered as a subject to secure interests of state and the ruling elite. External powers were given easy access to the resources specifically oil reserves. One of the major goals of Western interference in Middle East was to merge it in the global economy. Therefore, people felt endangered, and insecure. Further, it gave rise to two main social groups, one was ruling elite and the other was subordinate. Different forms of nationalism developed in both the social groups. The ruling class developed in it liberal nationalism, wanted independence from Western influence but keep healthy relations as well. And the other class which was marginalized with the introduction of capitalist economic system, resisted centralization of state power and economic integration. External forces backed the oppressive regimes to suppress the resistance movements.”
Mali
Associated Press: Attack Outside Mali's Capital Kills 6, Wounds Others
“Gunmen attacked a Malian army checkpoint outside Bamako, killing at least six people and wounding several others, officials said Friday, raising concerns as attacks by jihadist groups move closer to the capital. “Last night, the post of Zantiguila was the target of an attack by unidentified gunmen,” said Amadou Sangho, spokesman for Mali’s Ministry of Security and Civil Protection. The post is about 60 kilometers from Bamako. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but it bears the mark of the al-Qaida-linked group known as JNIM that has carried out several other attacks around Bamako. “The Zantiguila attack shows how the al-Qaida affiliate Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin continues to expand its operations outside its traditional strongholds in northern and central Mali,” said Héni Nsaibia, a senior researcher at The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project. “As in other Sahelian countries such as Burkina Faso and Niger, although to a lesser extent in the latter, major cities including the capitals themselves, are increasingly surrounded by a steady spread of Islamist militancy that poses an ever-increasing risk and challenge to the security environment.” Mali has struggled to contain an Islamic extremist insurgency since 2012. Extremist rebels were forced from power in Mali’s northern cities with the help of a French-led military operation, but they regrouped in the desert and began attacking the Malian army and its allies. Insecurity has worsened with attacks in the northern and central regions.”
Africa
The Washington Post: ‘Islamic State In Africa’ Explores Nine Militant Islamist Groups
“For many African countries, violence linked to militant Islamist groups is a pressing security threat. These armed extremist groups amplify grievances and intercommunal differences to recruit new members and foster anti-government sentiments. Civilian communities often bear the brunt of this violence, as virtually none of these groups enjoy widespread popular support. Militant Islamist violence in Africa reached new heights in 2021, sustaining a decade-long trend. But the pattern is not uniform across the continent. In North Africa, Mozambique and the Lake Chad basin — an area comprising parts of Nigeria, eastern Niger, Chad and Cameroon — violence declined in 2021. But militant Islamist violence in the Sahel — comprising parts of Mali, Burkina Faso and western Niger — nearly doubled. Where are Islamic State groups active? In “The Islamic State in Africa,” Jason Warner, Ryan O’Farrell, Héni Nsaibia and Ryan Cummings provide the first comprehensive account of nine African militant Islamist groups. Each group proclaims ties to the Islamic State. The authors ask why allegiance to the Islamic State has persisted in Africa despite the group’s decline in Iraq and Syria, particularly after the 2019 death of founding leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. To address this puzzle, the authors investigate the emergence and evolution of Islamic State groups in Africa.”
Eurasia Review: The Role Of Women In Terrorism In Africa – Analysis
“Africa has been an epicentre of violent extremist activities, for the past few decades. As per the Global Terrorism Index 2022, 48 per cent of the global terrorism deaths took place in Sub-Saharan Africa. The Sahel region is ‘home to the world’s fastest growing and most-deadly terrorist groups’.1 The poor socio-economic conditions, ideological trends, and weak governance have been causes for terrorist outfits laying inroads into African countries. Studies indicate that women play active roles in sustaining and facilitating extremist activities on the continent. There has also been an increase in the cases of women being arrested in terror-related incidents. Women play multiple active and passive roles in carrying out terrorist activities. They are strategic as well as tactical actors for a terrorist organisation. Each parental organisation, such as the ISIS, their affiliates, or independent terrorist organisations, have relied on women to varying capacities to attain their goals. Women have assumed the roles of propagandists, recruiters, and participated in combat operations. ISIS, in Kano, Nigeria, has created all-women morality police units, Hisbah, to ensure other women toe the line on issues like dress codes, among others.”
United Kingdom
The National: UN Experts Warn Of ‘Alarming’ Trend Of Terrorists Profiting From Natural Resources
“The UN Security Council's Counter-Terrorism Committee has raised concerns over the “alarming” trend of terror groups profiting from natural resources, from oil to diamonds. The committee held a special webinar highlighting the tools terror groups are using to finance their activities. Committee director David Scharia said groups are exploiting natural resources such as oil, timber, cocoa, fish and diamonds. “This is an important but often overlooked topic of terrorists benefiting from the trade and exploitation of natural resources,” he said. “Despite the challenges of ascertaining the amount of profit generated for terrorist financing, evidence indicates it is a sufficient provider of regular revenue to some terrorist groups. He gave the example of ISIS in Syria and Iraq, which worked to produce oil and natural gas, and said that cash reserves from these activities may still be available to the group. “Cattle rustling and livestock raiding is used by [western African terror group] Boko Haram, also timber, cocoa and wildlife trafficking,” he added. “Mining of gold is increasingly an important source of income for ISIS in Africa.” Mr Scharia called it “a truly global trend” that needs to be tackled as such. Svetlana Martynova, the committee's senior legal officer and co-ordinator on countering the financing of terrorism, has called for more investigations into crimes.”
BBC News: Isle Of Wight Boy, 15, Accused Of Planning Terrorist Attacks
“A 15-year-old boy from the Isle of Wight has been charged with a terrorism offence. The teenager, from Cowes, was arrested by officers from Counter Terrorism Policing South East with help from Hampshire Constabulary last week. Following questioning, he was charged with the preparation of terrorist acts under Section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006. The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has been remanded in custody. He is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Monday.”
UK Parliament: State Hostage Taking Experts To Give Evidence To Foreign Affairs Committee
“On Tuesday 19 July, at 2.30pm the Foreign Affairs Committee will continue its inquiry into state hostage taking, hearing from non-governmental organisations REDRESS and the Counter Extremism Project, as well as international human rights lawyer, Tatyana Eatwell. Rupert Skilbeck, the Director of REDRESS, and Tatyana Eatwell, Barrister at Doughty Street Chambers, were both involved in the case of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, amongst other high profile cases. The session will consider the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development office’s approach to consular support as well as looking at possible deterrent measures for those involved in state hostage taking and wrongful detentions. It will also examine an approach adopted by the German Government in negotiating the release of detainees in Iran. Questions are likely to focus on recent cases of state hostage taking and the effectiveness of the actions of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.”
Germany
Reuters: German Army Officer Sentenced To Jail For Attack Plan
“A German army officer who posed as a Syrian asylum seeker was sentenced to five and a half years in prison on Friday for planning to attack one or more politicians and multiple weapons offenses. The elaborate ploy, uncovered in 2017, shocked Germans and stirred a debate about the depth of right-wing radicalism in the country's military. The case is particularly sensitive for Germany, where since World War Two, governments have seen a commitment to human rights and opposition to extremism as key elements in atoning for the crimes of Nazi Germany and rebuilding allies' confidence. “The court found that the defendant had a right-wing extremist, nationalist and racist attitude that had solidified for years,” it said. Prosecutors said the man, identified as Franco A., posed under a false identity and planned an attack he hoped would be blamed on refugees and migrants. They also said Franco A. stole ammunition from the German military, with former justice minister Heiko Maas or the former parliament's vice-president Claudia Roth seen as possible targets of an attack.”
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