“A US airstrike killed two members of an al-Qaeda-affiliated group in Somalia
in the first major action by American forces in the East African nation











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Eye on Extremism


July 19, 2022



Bloomberg: US Strike Kills Two Al-Shabaab Militants After Attack In Somalia
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“A US airstrike killed two members of an al-Qaeda-affiliated group in Somalia
in the first major action by American forces in the East African nation since
President Joe Biden sent Special Operations troops back there in May. US Africa
Command said it conducted the strike in coordination with the government of
Somalia on Sunday after the al-Shabaab terrorist organization “attacked partner
forces in a remote location near Libikus, Somalia,” according to a statement.
“Violent extremist organizations like al-Shabaab present long-term threats to
Somali, regional and US interests.” Biden ordered several hundred Special
Forces troops back to the war-ravaged country on a “persistent” basis in May,
with officials at the Pentagon and White House saying the Islamist al-Shabaab
group presented an increasing threat. The move came after Donald Trump ordered
troops out of the country near the end of his term. The latest strike and
broader US assessment of al-Shabaab show how the US sees terrorist groups as a
potent threat in some parts of the world, despite the war in Ukraine and the
increasing focus on “great power” competition with China and Russia. Trump’s
withdrawal, with took place against the recommendation of military leaders,
wasn’t meant to signal a complete US retreat from Somalia. Rather, forces were
expected to be able to strike from a distance or do short-term engagements in
the country when needed.”



Reuters: Macron Decries Anti-Semitism On 80th Anniversary Of Jewish
Deportations
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“French President Emmanuel Macron warned against anti-Semitism and historical
revisionism on Sunday as he commemorated victims of the Holocaust on the 80th
anniversary of the Vel d'Hiv roundup of Jewish families. On July 16-17, 1942,
around 13,000 people were taken to the Winter Velodrome, the Vel d'Hiv, in
Paris before being sent on to concentration camps across Europe. It was the
largest mass detention of Jewish people by French police in collaboration with
the Nazi German occupiers. Macron spoke at the inauguration of a memorial in
the central town of Pithiviers, about 100 km (60 miles) south of Paris.
Pithiviers was the second largest transit camp and deportation point in France
for Jews, after Drancy. "We have not finished with anti-Semitism, it is still
there - stronger and more rampant," said Macron, citing examples of
anti-Semitism in acts of terrorism, in graffiti on walls, on social media and
as something that crops up in debates on some TV channels.”



United States



The Washington Post: Homeland Security Advisers Say ‘No Need’ For
Disinformation Board
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“Department of Homeland Security advisers urged the agency Monday to scrap
the Disinformation Governance Board the Biden administration created this year
only to watch it implode amid confusion and partisan quarreling over its role.
A Homeland Security Advisory Council subcommittee concluded in a one-sentence
draft recommendation that there was “no need” for the disinformation board and
the council endorsed the recommendation at its meeting. Officials said they
created the board in April to fight disinformation-fueled extremism that might
endanger national security, but Republicans and conservative media portrayed it
as an Orwellian tool that could infringe on privacy and free speech. The
board’s director resigned after a few weeks amid a wave of online criticism,
and Homeland Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas asked the advisory council to study
the issue. Michael Chertoff, co-chair of the council subcommittee that drafted
the recommendation and a former DHS secretary, did not explain the panel’s
reasoning before the broader council voted to approve the recommendation
Monday. He said the subcommittee is working on a full report on disinformation
due Aug. 3. “There is no room for a separate disinformation governance board,”
Chertoff, who served in the George W. Bush administration, said at the meeting.”



Associated Press: 6 Members Of White Supremacist Group Appear In Idaho Court
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“Six of the 31 members of a white supremacist group who were arrested near a
northern Idaho pride event last month pleaded not guilty Monday to misdemeanor
charges of conspiracy to riot. The Patriot Front members were arrested June 11
with riot gear after a tipster reported seeing people loading up into a U-Haul
at a hotel parking lot in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, police said. Appearing for
Monday’s brief court proceeding were Josiah Buster and his brother Mishael
Buster and Connor Moran, all of Watauga, Texas; Derek Smith of Sioux Falls,
South Dakota; Dakota Tabler of West Valley City, Utah; and Justin O’Leary, of
Des Moines, Washington. Each had posted $300 bail and been released after their
arrest. Among those arrested was Thomas Ryan Rousseau of Grapevine, Texas, who
has been identified by the Southern Poverty Law Center as the 23-year-old who
founded the group after the deadly “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville,
Virginia, in 2017. Also among the arrestees was Mitchell F. Wagner, 24, of
Florissant, Missouri, who was previously charged with defacing a mural of
famous Black Americans on a college campus in St. Louis last year. Michael
Kielty, Wagner’s attorney, has said Patriot Front did not have a reputation for
violence and that the case could be a First Amendment issue.” “Even if you
don’t like the speech, they have the right to make it,” Kielty said after the
arrests.”



Syria



Syria Direct: Islamic State Moves Out Of The Shadows East Of The Euphrates,
Swears In New Recruits
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“…IS carried out at least 10 confirmed attacks in June in Deir e-Zor, Raqqa,
Hama and Homs provinces. The attacks killed at least 25 Syrian regime forces
and three civilians, and wounded 26 others. This is the highest number of
deaths attributed to IS since September 2021, according to the Counter
Extremism Project (CEP), an international organization formed to combat the
growing threat of extremist ideologies. Deir e-Zor 24, a local opposition
network covering northeastern Syria, documented the killing of 17 people in
Deir e-Zor in June, including seven killed by IS and five by other parties.
Three people were killed by the Syrian regime and two by the SDF, according to
the network. Civilian and media sources Syria Direct spoke to noted an
escalation of IS operations against the SDF in SDF-controlled areas of Deir
e-Zor, Hasakah, Raqqa and Manbij. Some of the operations also affected local
residents. On June 12, IS cells killed a young man in the eastern Deir e-Zor
village of Huwayij, Alaa al-Harti, during a soccer match. The day before, two
SDF members were killed by unidentified gunfire near a military checkpoint. In
the latest period, IS has adjusted the way it carries out its operations, using
a new strategy based on “miniature divisions” consisting of two fighters and a
third in command, while previously groups ranged from seven to 10 members.”



Afghanistan



Washington Examiner: Taliban Brutality A Continued Concern For Afghan Allies
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“As the Taliban seek to bolster their international legitimacy, they continue
to impose starvation, oppression, and violence on Afghans. To shed light on the
group's campaign of brutality, three Special Immigrant Visa applicants spoke
with me about the beatings, torture, and threats they face. Each spoke on
condition of anonymity to protect themselves against further retribution. As
the owner of a construction company that performed major projects at NATO
military bases for over a decade, Faridullah is a known supporter of the United
States. Though Faridullah has moved multiple times over 11 months to evade
capture, the Taliban located and imprisoned him several weeks ago. While in
captivity, Faridullah was beaten over the head with a rifle butt until he lost
consciousness. Believing him close to death, Taliban members brought Faridullah
to a local hospital. After several days, he managed to escape. Faridullah is
once again on the run with his wife and 1-year-old. Unfortunately, departure
flights are occurring very slowly for U.S. allies further along in the SIV
process than Faridullah. He still has not cleared the program's first hurdle of
achieving chief of mission approval.”



Middle East



Reuters: Israel Military Intercepts Drone That Came From Lebanon
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“Israel's military said on Monday it had intercepted a small drone that
crossed into the country from Lebanon, adding that it had likely been sent by
the Iranian-backed group Hezbollah. The drone had been tracked by Israel
throughout its flight, the military said. "The Israel Defense Forces will
continue to operate in order to prevent any attempt to violate Israeli
sovereignty," it said. Hezbollah has occasionally sent drones into Israeli
airspace before, calling them reconnaissance missions.”



Nigeria



All Africa: Nigeria: DHQ Allays Fears Of Impending Terror Attacks On Abuja
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“Following the attack on Kuje Correctional Centre by terrorists, the Defence
Headquarters (DHQ) yesterday allayed fears of alleged impending attacks on
Abuja. This is coming as the Brigade of Guards has also set up a board of
inquiry to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the Kuje incident and the
involvement or otherwise of soldiers posted to the correctional facility on the
day of the attack. The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command of the Nigerian
Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) had issued a security alert on planned
terror attacks on churches, schools and public infrastructure in Abuja. Another
anonymous alert, patterned after standard security alerts which had trended on
social media indicated that there was an influx of unknown persons around
Karshi Hills and Orozo, in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC). According
to the alert, some persons were seen regularly and clandestinely going up the
hills around Navy Town Estate thus raising high suspicion that the invaders
were building camps within the hills which also connect to other adjoining
forests within the FCT and Nasarawa State. The alert said the terrorists
planned to attack educational institutions located in the area.”



Premium Times Nigeria: Inside Story Of How Zamfara Emir Turbaned Notorious
Terrorist Aleru
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“On Saturday the Emir of Yandoton Daji, Aliyu Marafa, made a wanted
terrorist, Adamu Yankuzo, who is also known as Ada Aleru, the Sarkin Fulani of
the emirate. The well-attended ceremony confirms PREMIUM TIMES’ exclusive
report about the decision to make Mr Aleru, who is notorious for his
ruthlessness and was once declared wanted by the police, a chief. Mr Aleru is
the leader of a terrorist militia that operates in parts of Zamfara and Katsina
states. Thousands of people have been killed in the two states and other
neighbouring states by terrorists. During the ceremony, the emir said he was
making Mr Aleru a chief to ensure a lasting peace in the area. After his
inauguration as a chief, Mr Aleru told the crowd of people that gathered to
witness the ceremony that he would do whatever it takes to prevent attacks on
communities in the emirate. While he accused some unnamed persons of enriching
themselves from the attacks in the area, he said he and his militiamen were not
criminals but freedom fighters. Sources told this newspaper that the ceremony
billed to take place at 11 a.m. was postponed following the public outcry after
PREMIUM TIMES’ story was published on Friday. He was later turbaned at 2:45
p.m. the same day. The ceremony was attended by the Zamfara State Commissioner
for Security and Home Affairs, Mamman Tsafe; security advisor to the governor,
Abubakar Dauran; Tsafe Local Government Chairman, Aminu Mudi, and
representatives of the information commissioner, district heads and other
traditional title holders and government officials.”



Somalia



AFP: Car Bomb Kills Five At Somalia Hotel: Police
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“A powerful car bomb killed at least five people on Sunday outside a popular
hotel in central Somalia, police and witnesses said, in an attack claimed by
militants aligned with Al-Qaeda. The blast injured 14 others and destroyed not
just the hotel but adjacent buildings in Jowhar about 90 kilometers (56 miles)
north of Somalia’s capital Mogadishu. Police said the attackers rammed a
vehicle packed with explosives into the outer wall of the Nur-doob hotel,
popular with state lawmakers and other local officials. “They have killed five
civilians, among them women working in the hotel and security guards,” said
Mohamed Ali, a police officer in Jowhar, told AFP. “Fourteen other people were
wounded, some of them inside buildings not even close to the hotel.”
Al-Shabaab, a Somalia-based group tied to Al-Qaeda, claimed responsibility for
the attack in a statement posted on a pro-militant website. Prime Minister
Hamza Abdi Barre, who was endorsed by Somalia’s parliament in June after a
recent change of government, sent condolences to the victims and offered to
assist those injured. Ali, the police officer, said the blast “was the biggest
ever seen in Jowhar” and caused significant damage to buildings in the city.
Mahad Ibrahim, a Jowhar resident, said the explosion sent shrapnel flying and
clouds of smoke and dust into the air.”



All Africa: Somalia: Danab Forces 'Neutralized' Al-Shabaab Members - Official
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“At least five Al-Shabaab members were killed and one captured alive by the
Somali military during an operation outside the port city of Kismayo, an
official said. The troops from Danab brigade swept into a tax base manned by
Al-Shabaab in an area named Labakus, where they engaged in a heavy gunfight
with the militants. The state media reported, citing an unnamed SNA officer
that the government forces seized a large cage of weapons during the covert
operation in the Jubaland state of Somalia. Jubaland state has been the scene
of frequent operations by the American military-trained and funded Danab forces
within the Somali national army [SNA] in the past months.”



Africa



Associated Press: Tunisia Opposition Leader Investigated On Terrorism Charges
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“The leader of Tunisia’s main opposition party is due to be questioned by the
country’s anti-terrorism unit on Tuesday on suspicion of money laundering and
terrorist financing through an association charity. The accused, Rached
Ghannouchi, was among a dozen top Ennahdha party officials whose bank accounts
the north African country’s central bank froze earlier this month. Ennahdha
vehemently disputes the accusations of money laundering and terrorism
financing. President Kais Saied suspended parliament last year and seized broad
powers in a move that he said was necessary to “save the country” from a
political and economic crisis. This prompted criticism from the opposition,
which accuses him of a slide toward totalitarianism. Ennahdha has said that
these accusations are aimed at distracting attention from a July 25 referendum
planned by Saied to change the constitution to augment presidential powers and
reduce the role of the parliament and prime minister. The president’s critics
say he is trying to legitimize a “coup.” Opposition figure Nejib Chebbi said he
feared for Ghannouchi’s arrest after the hearing, denouncing what he called a
“harassment campaign” unleashed by the government against “leading political
figures.” Saied and some others blamed Ennahdha in part for Tunisia’s political
crisis last year.”



AFP: Jihadist Attack In Burkina Faso Leaves At Least Eight Dead
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“At least eight people were killed when suspected jihadists attacked a
village in northern Burkina Faso at the weekend, security sources and locals
said on Monday, giving provisional figures. A village called Guissingori “was
targeted on Sunday. The attack claimed the lives of around 10 people,” a source
in the security forces said. A local source said eight bodies had been found
but the toll was expected to rise. The source gave no further details. The
assailants looted the village and made off with cattle, the security source
said. Guissingori lies in Yagha, a province which borders Niger and has
suffered some of the bloodiest attacks in a long-running security crisis. Armed
Islamists based in neighbouring Mali began mounting cross-border raids on
Burkina Faso and Niger in 2015. In Burkina, one of the poorest countries of the
world, thousands of civilians, troops and police have been killed and an
estimated 1.9 million people have fled their homes. More than 40 percent of the
country is out of the government's control, according to official figures. In
January, soldiers disgruntled at failures to stem the insurgency staged a coup,
forcing out elected president Roch Marc Christian Kabore. The new strongman,
Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, was sworn in as president in
March.”



Australia



Daily Mail: Accounting Student Who Ditched University To Join Islamic State Is
Now BEGGING To Return To Australia After Being Captured In Syria
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“A former Melbourne accounting student who fled Australia eight years ago to
reportedly join the terrorist group Islamic State wants to return home and
insists he poses no danger. Mahir Absar Alam, 29, has spent the last three
years behind bars when Kurdish forces captured him just outside Baghouz in
eastern Syria, the last piece of territory held by the terrorist group. He was
the first Australian caught during ISIS' final military stand and is one of
about a dozen Australian men who have been detained without charge. Meghan
Markle is all smiles as she is spotted with Gloria Steinem at Soho's swanky
Crosby Hotel for lunch - two weeks after both appeared in Vogue to blast Roe v
Wade decision: Duchess described Prince Harry's reaction to the news as
'guttural', and other top stories from July 19, 2022. Alam says he's had no
contact with the outside world since a visit from ASIO officers shortly after
he was captured in 2019. He refused to confirm whether he was or had been an
ISIS member, citing legal and intelligence reasons but denied he'd ever been a
fighter for the terrorist group. He also insists he posed no threat and
wouldn't do anything to hurt his birthplace Australia. 'I don't have any
problem with the Australian government or my country. I love Australia, and I
didn't do anything wrong in Australia. I want to come back,' Alam told The
Australian.”



Europe



Reuters: Erdogan Says Turkey Will Freeze Finland, Sweden's NATO Bids If
Promises Not Kept
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“Turkey will freeze Finland and Sweden's NATO membership bids if the Nordic
countries do not keep promises on counter-terrorism made last month, President
Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday, adding he believed Sweden was "not showing a
good image" for now. Finland and Sweden applied for membership of the defence
alliance in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but were met with
opposition from Turkey, which accused the Nordic countries of supporting groups
it deems terrorists. The three countries signed an accord at the NATO summit in
Madrid last month to lift Ankara's veto in exchange for pledges on
counter-terrorism and arms exports. Turkey has said it will closely monitor the
implementation of the accord to ratify their membership bids.”



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