Eye on Extremism
December 10, 2019
The
Independent: Tunnels, Knives And Riots: This Syrian Camp Holding
Thousands Of Isis Wives Is At Breaking Point
“The quiet of Al Hol camp in the afternoon belies the trouble that
lurks beneath the surface. In an annex of this sprawling facility
reserved for some 10,000 foreign wives and children of Isis fighters
from around the world, a mutiny is brewing. Over the past few months,
sharia courts have been set up by camp detainees still loyal to the
terror group. There has been a spate of killings targeting those who
do not abide by the laws set by those courts. Riots have broken out
and guards have been attacked with knives. Nearly nine months after
the defeat of the Isis caliphate, camp authorities believe the terror
state lives on in this barren settlement in the plains of northeast
Syria. The women detained here came from more than 50 countries to
join Isis. Most of those countries, including Britain, are refusing to
repatriate their citizens due to security fears. The ability of the
camp authorities to contain the thousands of radicalised Isis members
is waning. Guards here say they have foiled more than a hundred escape
attempts in recent months – they even found a tunnel inside one of the
tents, stretching towards the perimeter fence. Some managed to escape
the camp only to be recaptured.”
CNN:
US Suspects Iran Is Behind Increasingly Sophisticated Rocket Attacks
On US Bases In Iraq
“The US government believes that Iran is behind a series of
increasingly sophisticated rocket attacks on joint US-Iraq military
facilities in Iraq, several US officials tell CNN. The attacks have
taken place as the US has grown increasingly concerned that Iran may
be planning new provocations against US troops and interests in the
region. The US military strongly believes Iranian-backed groups inside
Iraq are responsible according to a US official with direct knowledge
of the recent incidents. There have been nine rocket attacks on or in
the vicinity of Iraqi facilities that host US troops in the last five
weeks with the most recent one taking place on Monday. “We take these
incidents seriously as do our Iraqi Security Forces partners, who are
investigating these events. We have made clear that attacks on US. and
Coalition personnel and facilities will not be tolerated and we retain
the right to defend ourselves. US forces operate in Iraq at the
invitation of the government of Iraq to support Iraqi forces against
ISIS,” Pentagon spokesperson Cdr. Sean Robertson told CNN in a
statement. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said Saturday that “there
have been reports in the public space about rockets being fired at
American forces on bases in Iraq.”
The
National: The ‘New Beginning’ Of ISIS: How The Militant Group Is Using
Iraq’s Blind Spot To Rise Again
“In late October, a US-led coalition jet bombed a small tarn once
used by fishermen near the northern Iraqi town of Makhmour, formed by
rainfall cradling at the foot of the Qara Chokh, a mountain whose rock
face climbs sharply out of the arid plains below. Staff Colonel Srud
Barzanji points out from a windswept Qara Chokh mountain outpost,
beyond the hanging mist, to the target of the strike called in by his
men in the 46th Brigade of the Peshmerga, Iraqi Kurdistan’s military
force. It hit a group who had appeared in sight for water — to drink
and to bathe. They were ISIS fighters who had emerged from caves. The
moustachioed Peshmerga commander, 48, had driven up the newly built,
winding mountain pass, swinging through checkpoints in his blue-plated
Toyota Hilux while joking that he named his dog “Trump” after the
death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi in a US commando raid in
northern Syria last month. To the naked eye, the only thing that
separates the green expanse that folds out of the Qara Chokh from any
other rural area of Iraqi Kurdistan are the absent gas flares from the
oilfields that burn across this region, known for its crude
production. No ISIS flags fly above buildings to avoid air strikes,
but the group is here.”
The
Wall Street Journal: U.S. Releases Documents Showing High-Level Doubts
About War In Afghanistan
“A newly disclosed cache of government documents has revealed that
U.S. and allied officials harbored doubts for years over the
management and direction of the conflict in Afghanistan, America’s
longest-running war. The documents, released by a government office
set up to monitor the U.S.-led effort to rebuild the country, includes
notes from previously unpublished interviews involving key decision
makers, including civilian and military leaders. Many of the documents
reflect views consistent with previously published accounts of the
conflict, including the regular reports by the Pentagon’s Special
Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction, which compiled them and
conducted the interviews. But the blunt assessments of important
decision makers are likely to lead to new scrutiny of the Afghan
conflict and provide ammunition to critics of the U.S. effort. “We
were devoid of a fundamental understanding of Afghanistan—we didn’t
know what we were doing,” said Douglas Lute, who as a three-star Army
general oversaw White House policy in Afghanistan between 2007 and
2013, speaking in one of the most hard-hitting interviews, conducted
in 2015.”
The
Washington Post: Gunman’s Behavior Changed After Trip To Native Saudi
Arabia, Friends Say
“The Saudi air force trainee who killed three classmates at a
Florida Navy base last week was a gifted student whose personality
appeared to change after a trip to his native country this year,
acquaintances and officials familiar with the case said Monday. Ahmed
Mohammed al-Shamrani was described as “strange” and “angry” in the
weeks leading up to Friday’s shooting rampage, but schoolmates and
other acquaintances said he showed no outward sign that he was
preparing to open fire inside a classroom building where he had been
training to become a military aviator. The shooting, which also left
eight people injured, is being treated by the FBI as a possible
terrorist attack. “He looked like he was angry at the world,” said the
owner of an Indian restaurant that Shamrani and several other Saudi
students regularly patronized between classes. The man, like several
other businesses owners, spoke on the condition that neither his name
nor the restaurant’s name be revealed, citing fears of a backlash from
customers. While the FBI has not yet determined a motive for the mass
shooting, investigators are building a profile of the gunman from
interviews with dozens of acquaintances, including fellow Saudi
students, as well as from a Twitter account that authorities say
belonged to Shamrani.”
The
Atlantic: The Cure For Ultraviolence
“In the past two weeks, the British Isles witnessed two important
developments in the annals of jihadist deradicalization. The first,
here in London, was a spectacular failure to deradicalize: Usman Khan,
28, feigned remorse for his participation in a 2012 terror plot and
was let out of prison early. He was attending a conference on prisoner
rehabilitation when he ducked into a lavatory, taped knives to his
hands, and emerged to murder two conference attendees before being
shot dead on London Bridge. The second development, in Dublin, was a
test of willingness to bring another radical back into our midst.
Ireland brought home Lisa Marie Smith, a 37-year-old mother and former
member of the Irish military who traveled to Syria to live under the
Islamic State, and charged her with membership in a terror group. Many
in Ireland opposed the government’s decision to bring this accused
terrorist home, rather than abandoning her to the miserable fate she
chose for herself when she traveled to Syria five years ago. There is
something strange about the concept of deradicalization. The term
implies a symmetrical relationship with radicalization, as if
authorities could just reverse the transformation. But in practice the
two processes are different, because deradicalization happens against
the subject’s will in many cases, at the insistence of the government,
and radicalization is organic and voluntary.”
United States
The
New York Times: On Military Bases, The Dangers Increasingly Come From
The Inside
“The deadliest mass shooting at an American military base came in
November 2009 at Fort Hood in Texas, where a military psychiatrist,
Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, killed 12 soldiers and one civilian in what he
described as an attempt to protect Taliban leaders in Afghanistan. And
then, after all the soul searching and examination of the tragedy, it
happened again four years later at the very same base, when an Army
specialist, Ivan A. Lopez, killed three soldiers and wounded 12 others
in a shooting in April 2014. The Army’s 105-page report on the second
Fort Hood attack offered a sobering analysis, hinting at the scope of
the military’s problems in identifying possible assailants and
preventing mass shootings on bases. It found that Specialist Lopez,
34, was struggling with a host of issues — including the death of
relatives, financial troubles, a spiritual crisis and a dispute with
his superiors over the handling of his request for leave.”
The
Wall Street Journal: Pensacola Hit By Cyberattack Days After Shooting
At Military Base
“The city of Pensacola, Fla., was hit with a cyberattack, shutting
down much of the city computer network, days after a Saudi air force
student opened fire at a military base there. “The city of Pensacola
is experiencing a cyberattack that began this weekend that is
impacting our city network, including phones and email at City Hall
and some of our other buildings,” Pensacola Mayor Grover Robinson said
at a Monday briefing. The mayor said he didn’t know if the attack was
connected to Friday’s shooting, when a Saudi flight student opened
fire in a classroom at Naval Air Station Pensacola before he was shot
to death by authorities. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is
investigating Friday’s shooting. It couldn’t be determined if the
cyberattack had any impact on the investigation. The FBI in
Jacksonville said it was aware “of a potential cyber related incident”
and “are providing resources to assist,” according to a tweet on
Monday afternoon. The FBI field office wasn’t immediately available
for comment.”
Voice
Of America: Cheney Warns Disengagement In Mideast Benefits Iran,
Russia
“Former Vice President Dick Cheney warned Monday that “American
disengagement” in the Middle East will benefit only Iran and Russia,
indirectly criticizing President Donald Trump's pledges to pull forces
out of the region. While stressing that he's no longer in government,
Cheney's comments in Dubai cut to the core of several policies taken
by Trump, including the sudden withdrawal of U.S. forces from Syria.
The former vice president mentioned Trump by name only once in
praising him for pulling out the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran. But
Cheney's backing of a muscular military response in the Mideast
starkly contrasts Trump's promises to pull America from what he calls
the Mideast's “blood-stained sands.” “Russia is always on standby to
fill power voids. That is how it happened that Russian troops swept in
when the U.S. left northern Syria,” Cheney told the Arab Strategy
Forum. “To sum up that still-unfolding story: nobody will remember it
as our finest hour.” Cheney said that, as well as other challenges
from extremist groups like al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, show
"inaction can carry even greater risk than
action.''
Syria
Haaretz:
Chemical Weapons Watchdog Faked Report On Attack Near Damascus, Assad
Says
“Syrian President Bashar Assad said in an interview aired Monday
that the global chemical weapons watchdog has faked and falsified a
report over an attack near the capital Damascus last year "just
because the Americans wanted them to do so." Assad's comments to
Italy's Rai News 24 came after the director-general of the
Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons expressed
confidence in the report into the deadly attack in Syria. OPCW's chief
Fernando Arias supported the report issued in March by a fact-finding
mission from the watchdog that found "reasonable grounds" that
chlorine was used in a deadly attack on the eastern Damascus suburb of
Douma. The mission wasn't mandated to attribute blame for the attack,
but the U.S., Britain and France blamed Syria and launched punitive
airstrikes. Syria denied responsibility. Assad spoke in the week of a
letter purportedly by a member of the OPCW team released by
secret-spilling website WikiLeaks called its conclusions biased.”
U.S.
News & World Report: Russian Forces Enter Former Islamic State
Stronghold In Syria After U.S. Pullback
“Russian forces have entered Raqqa, the former de facto capital of
the Islamic State caliphate, in one of the starkest examples yet of
how Moscow has filled the vacuum created by President Donald Trump's
decision to pull U.S. forces from northern Syria. Russian troops were
shown in footage on the defense ministry's Zvezda TV channel shaking
hands with Syrian children and unloading humanitarian aid bundles with
the slogan “Russia is with you” from the back of trucks. Raqqa was
captured two years ago by U.S. troops and their Kurdish-led Syrian
allies in the biggest victory of Washington's campaign against Islamic
State in Syria. But since Trump abruptly ordered a pull-out in
October, Moscow has swiftly advanced into territory where U.S. troops
had operated. Russia is a close battlefield ally of Syrian President
Bashar al-Assad's government, which was invited by the Kurds into
territory they controlled after Trump pulled his forces out of the way
of a Turkish assault against Kurdish-held areas. Russian troops in
Raqqa were handing out humanitarian aid and its military doctors were
offering residents medical attention, Vladimir Varnavsky, a defense
ministry officer, was quoted as saying by RIA news agency.”
Iran
The
Hill: Iraq's Riots Threaten Iran's Plan For Middle East
Dominance
“These are trying times for Iran’s ayatollahs. They continue to
confront the worst nationwide protests since they took power four
decades ago. The Trump administration’s sanctions are crippling the
Iranian economy, and are a major reason why the protests have yet to
be fully contained. And ongoing unrest in Lebanon and Iraq, especially
in the latter, is undermining Tehran’s efforts to establish its
hegemony throughout the Middle East. Iran’s involvement in Iraq
differs in kind from its activities elsewhere in the region, notably
Lebanon, Syria and Yemen. Iran long has sought to dominate its
neighbor, with whom it fought a bloody war including the use of
chemical weapons, throughout much of the 1980s. America’s overthrow of
Tehran’s arch enemy Saddam Hussein, and the civil war that followed in
its wake, created an unprecedented opportunity for Iran to meddle to
Iraqi affairs, especially when Nouri al-Maliki became prime minister
in 2006. Maliki’s efforts to suppress the country’s Sunni population
and establish Sh’ia dominance in all but the Kurdish areas enabled
Tehran to establish itself as the dominant force in Iraq, especially
once President Obama withdrew American troops at the end of 2010.”
NPR:
Iran Copes With Protests Amid Reports Of A Brutal
Crackdown
“NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to Ambassador Brian Hook, U.S. special
representative for Iran, on the protests in that country, and the
weekend prisoner exchange between the U.S. and
Iran."
Radio
Farda: Jailed Rights Defender Demands Full Investigation Of Iran
Protest Deaths
“Nasrin Sotoudeh, one of the most prominent Iranian human rights
defenders has published a statement from prison demanding a full
independent investigation of government’s bloody crackdown on November
protests that killed hundreds. Sotoudeh, a lawyer, is serving a
38-year sentence for defending women’s right to reject compulsory
hijab. She was arrested in 2018. More than one million people in the
world have signed a petition for her release. Protests in Iran broke
out on November 15 after gasoline prices were suddenly increased.
Government security forces almost immediately resorted to full use of
force against largely young demonstrators frustrated by lack of jobs
and freedoms. Numerous videos show security forces firing directly at
protesters, sometimes at close range. In her statement Sotoudeh
demands an “independent investigation with the participation of
lawyers trusted by the people, and civil activists, as well as
supervision by UN’s High Commissioner for Human Rights and its Special
Rapporteur”.”
Iraq
Asharq
Al-Awsat: Iraq Authorities Launch Military Operation Against ISIS In 4
Provinces
“Iraq launched the second phase of Will of Victory operation
against ISIS in four different governorates, including Salaheddine,
Kirkuk, Samarra and Diyala, announced spokesperson Joint Operations
Command spokesman Major General Tahsin al-Khafaji. Khafaji said the
operation will be completed within its specified time and achieve all
of its goals, warning that ISIS plans to target the ongoing
anti-government demonstrations in Iraq. He revealed that preliminary
investigations with ISIS’ second in command, Hamid Shaker, known as
Abu Khaldoun, uncovered that the organization plans to carry out
terrorist operations in Baghdad, taking advantage of the security
forces' preoccupation with the demonstrators. He added that on the
first day of the Will of Victory operation, security forces destroyed
11 hideouts and three tunnels in Salaheddine and seized 50 kilograms
of urea and 23 explosive devices. In Kirkuk, they searched 45 villages
and destroyed four tunnels and two terrorist hideouts and arrested two
terrorists. Security expert Fadel Abu Ragheef told Asharq Al-Awsat
that it is possible for ISIS to carry out attacks against protesters,
taking advantage of the conditions the country is going through.”
Asharq
Al-Awsat: 6 Injured As 4 Rockets Strike Military Complex In
Baghdad
“Four Katyusha rockets struck a military base next to Baghdad
International Airport on Monday wounding “six fighters”, a statement
from the military said. Security forces found launchers with rockets
that had not been fired properly, indicating a larger attack was
planned, it added. Security sources told AFP that the wounded in
Monday's attack belong to Iraq's Counter-Terrorism Service, an elite
unit that was created and trained by US forces. Two of them are in
critical condition, the sources said. There have been at least nine
attacks against US targets in Iraq in the span of six weeks. There
have been no claims of responsibility and no US forces have been
wounded. US defense officials have blamed several of the attacks on
Iran-backed factions in Iraq. On Thursday, two Katyusha rockets landed
inside Balad air base, but there were no casualties or damage reported
from the attack. Balad base hosts US forces and contractors and is
located about 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of Baghdad. On Tuesday,
five rockets landed on Ain Al-Asad air base, which hosts US forces in
Anbar province in western Iraq without causing any casualties.”
Xinhua:
Feature: Iraq's Mosul Shows Signs Of Recovering After 2 Years Of IS
Defeat
“After two years since Iraq announced full liberation from the
Islamic State (IS) militant group, Mosul, the second largest
metropolis of Iraq, is showing signs of recovering. The residents of
the city have strong hope for bringing normal life to their beloved
city, as many of them have returned to rebuild their houses and shops.
Life restoration is running faster these days, as teams of workers can
be seen almost everywhere rushing through piles of rubble in the
narrow alleys to rebuild the walls of some houses and shops of the old
city center in the western side of Mosul, which witnessed one of the
fiercest battles since World War II. IS extremists holed up in the
narrow alleys of Mosul's Old City center, where they booby-trapped
buildings and planted a large number of roadside bombs. The battles
killed thousands of innocent people, with dozens of thousands of
buildings damaged or destroyed, including the iconic al-Nuri Mosque
and its leaning minaret. The residents of Mosul are increasingly
taking part in building their houses and old markets, while the local
government is doing its best to reconstruct the city's infrastructure
and main public services. The reconstruction process is promising for
the people of the city, as the process is effectively supported by
some UN-funded organizations, NGOs and other private companies.”
Turkey
Asharq
Al-Awsat: 2 Turkish Soldiers Killed While Defusing
Bomb
“At least two Turkish soldiers were killed and seven others were
wounded on Monday while attempting to defuse an improvised explosive
device, officials said. The device exploded in a village near the town
of Idil, in the mainly-Kurdish populated Sirnak province, according to
a statement from the regional governor's office. The explosive device
was planted by the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, The Associated
Press quoted the governor's office as saying. The statement didn't
provide further details but said Turkey's operations to combat the PKK
were continuing with “determination.” There was no word on the wounded
soldiers' conditions. The PKK, which is considered a terror
organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, has
been waging an insurgency inside Turkey since 1984. The conflict has
killed tens of thousands of people since then. In October, Turkey
invaded areas of northeast Syria in a bid to drive Syrian Kurdish
fighters away from its border. Turkey says the Syrian Kurdish fighters
are linked to the PKK and has been infuriated by Western nations'
support to the group.”
Xinhua:
Erdogan Says Turkey Ready To Help Afghanistan To Eliminate
IS
“Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that Turkey
would give all the necessary support for the eradication of the
Islamic State (IS) from Afghanistan. “The outbreak of Daesh virus in
Afghanistan must be prevented,” Erdogan said at the eighth ministerial
conference of Heart of Asia Istanbul Process in Istanbul, using the
Arabic name of the IS. To prevent terrorist organizations from finding
a favorable environment in the region, the international community
needs to boost material and moral investments in Afghanistan, the
president said. “Neglecting Afghanistan by focusing on some of the
gains achieved in recent years will result in irreparable damage,” he
stressed. In his view, the private sector and regional projects should
play a major role in the economic and social development of
Afghanistan. Heart of Asia Istanbul Process began with the Istanbul
conference on Afghanistan in 2011 upon the initiative of Turkey.”
Afghanistan
NBC
News: U.S.-Taliban Talks Resume, Raising Prospect Of An End To The War
In Afghanistan
“Talks between the United States and the Taliban resumed this
weekend, three months after President Donald Trump abruptly canceled
the negotiations aimed at ending America’s longest war. News of the
talks came just before The Washington Post reported it had obtained
more than 2,000 pages of government documents that it says show how
U.S. officials have for years misled the public about the war in
Afghanistan. On Monday, the Post reported that senior U.S. officials
hid evidence that the war had become unwinnable. NBC News has not been
able to independently verify the documents, which the paper obtained
through a Freedom of Information Act request. NBC News has contacted
the White House, State Department and Pentagon for comment. The
U.S.-Taliban talks restarted in the Qatari capital, Doha, on Saturday
with the goal of reducing violence and laying the groundwork for peace
talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government, a State
Department spokesperson told NBC News. A separate Western official
with knowledge of the discussions said that the aim was to essentially
“pick up where they left off.”
Voice
Of America: Taliban Bomber Kills 9 Afghan Soldiers In
Helmand
“A Taliban suicide bomber Monday detonated his explosives-laden
vehicle near a military base in southern Afghanistan, killing at least
nine soldiers and injuring several others. Officials said the
insurgent bombing occurred near the center of Nad Ali district in
Helmand province, where most of the territory is controlled or
contested by the Taliban. The blast reportedly destroyed the Afghan
National Army (ANA) facility. Rescue workers were trying to retrieve
bodies from the rubles and the death toll could increase, Barali
Nazari, the district chief, told VOA. The Taliban took responsibility
for the attack, claiming it killed dozens of security forces and
destroyed several armored vehicles, though insurgent claims are often
inflated. Separately, a Taliban raid in the volatile eastern Ghazni
province late on Sunday killed at least six ANA soldiers, the
provincial police chief, Khalid Wardak, told VOA. The violence comes
as American and Taliban negotiators continued their meetings in Qatar
Monday. The two adversaries in the 18-year-old Afghan war returned to
the negotiating table last week, three months after President Donald
Trump had suspended the process. U.S. chief negotiator Zalmay
Khalilzad restarted the latest round of talks with a mission to
persuade the Taliban to reduce violence and enter into intra-Afghan
negotiations for permanently ending hostilities in
Afghanistan.”
Yemen
The
Jerusalem Post: Houthi Rebels Threaten Israel In Statements To Arab
Media
“Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have continued to issue
threats against Israel, after a senior commander of Ansar Allah,
General Mohammed Nasser al-Atifi, told the Arab media outlet Al-Medean
that they have “a bank of targets, both land and sea-based, at which
it can strike the Zionist enemy.” The senior Houthi commander added
that “[they] will not hesitate to attack them if the leadership
decides to do so. Our military forces are prepared for this kind of
attack.” The statements came amid the seizure of a ship that was
carrying missile components from Iran to Yemen, according to U.S.
forces stationed in the Persian Gulf. A press briefing given by U.S.
Special Representative for Iran, Brian Hook, revealed that American
forces had “interdicted a significant hoard of weapons and missile
parts evidently of Iranian origin.” He added that “the seizure
includes sophisticated weapons.”
The
National: Aden Security Plan Seeks To End A String Of ISIS
Assassinations
“Security forces and troops from the Saudi led-Coalition have
launched a major security operation in the wake of an ISIS
assassination, the most recent in a string of killings by the militant
group in the Yemeni city of Aden. Officers confiscated illegal
weapons, stopped motorcycle traffic and drivers with unregistered
vehicles all over the city after the killing of security official
Mohammed Saleh Al Radfani by ISIS militants on Saturday. Hundreds of
officers from Aden’s police, with support from the Security Belt
Forces with armoured vehicles, deployed across the city and manned new
checkpoints at key roundabouts and at junctions near state
institutions and public facilities. Cpt Abdulrahaman Al Naqeeb, the
spokesperson of the security forces in Aden, told The National that
the wide-ranging security campaign aimed to prevent terrorists from
infiltrating the city by imposing a strict ban on the illegal weapon
ownership, using the motor-cycles, and preventing the use of the
unregistered cars in the city. “We deployed heavy security forces in
every single street and in the openings of the streets, thousands of
our soldiers launched the security campaign since the early morning on
Sunday, they have cracked down on hundreds of unlicensed motorcycles
and unregistered cars and seized hundreds of unlicensed guns,” Cpt Al
Naqeeb said.”
Middle East
The
Jerusalem Post: Gulf Summit Could Chart New Direction Amid Qatar
Crisis
“It has been more than two and a half years since several Gulf
countries, led by Saudi Arabia, broke relations with Qatar. Now a thaw
is emerging that could mean Riyadh and Doha begin a new chapter in
relations. This would have far-reaching consequences, including in the
US where think tanks and media have been co-opted into Gulf politics.
But both Qatar and its adversaries are playing down a major
breakthrough. A summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council in Riyadh is
expected to pave the way to a possible thaw. Al-Arabiya reported that
the meeting on Tuesday is not expected to produce a breakthrough. But
the tone is different than in the past. “GCC foreign ministers held a
preparatory meeting in Riyadh on Monday ahead of Tuesday’s summit
which is expected to focus on regional issues, including maritime
security, Iran’s interference in the region, the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict, the Syrian crisis and the war in Yemen.” That’s a lot on the
plate for a one-day meeting. The Saudi King extended and invitation to
the Qataris, including Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani.
Al-Arabiya says Qatar is expected to be represented by Prime Minister
Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani. Asharq al-Awsat said
the meeting is the 40th of its kind under the GCC auspices. The Saudi
decision to host it “reflects its leadership,” a Saudi source told
reporters.”
Nigeria
The
Punch Nigeria: B’Haram Explosive Kills Major, Troops Rescue
31
“Troops of the Nigerian Army attached to Operation Lafiya Dole have
conducted clearance operations in three villages in the Bama Local
Government Area of Borno State, rescuing 31 women and children from
the Boko Haram insurgents after a gun battle. This is just as an
Improvised Explosive Device planted by the terrorists killed an
officer of the Nigerian Army in the Marte Local Government Area of
Borno State on Saturday. The army said on Monday that the 31 persons
abducted by the Boko Haram fighters were rescued in Mantari, Malam
Masari and Gabchari villages and comprised 14 women and 17 children.
Military sources, who confirmed the death of the army officer, a
Major, said he was attached to the 153 Task Force Battalion. The
officer was reportedly leading a patrol in the area when the explosive
went off. The Nigerian Army Operations Media Coordinator, Col Aminu
Iliyasu, said in a release that the troops recovered two AK-47 rifles,
magazines loaded with 30 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition each,
three unexploded mortar bombs, one IED battery, one camel bag and
three motorcycles. Iliyasu said, “In an ambush operation conducted by
the troops of 21 Special Armoured Brigade at Darel Jamel, Bama LGA of
Borno State, the troops neutralised one Boko Haram terrorist while
several others escaped with gunshot injuries.”
Somalia
The
Washington Post: US Airstrike Kills Extremist Rebel In Somalia, Say
Officials
“Intelligence officials in Somalia say an airstrike conducted by
the U.S. military in the country’s south killed a senior extremist of
the al-Shabab rebel group. The airstrike on Monday by an unmanned U.S.
drone targeted a vehicle outside Sakow, a town in Somalia’s Middle
Jubba region, killing the rebel and wounding another, said the
officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not
authorized to speak to the media. The strike was conducted in
coordination with Somali intelligence which assisted in tracking the
slain militant before the U.S. airstrike. The U.S. Africa Command
confirmed the strike. “We continue to work closely with our Somali
partners to take decisive action to weed out terrorists who wish to do
harm to the Somali people,” said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Miguel A.
Castellanos, deputy director of operations, U.S. Africa Command, in a
statement which said that no Somali no civilians were injured or
killed as a result of the airstrike. There was no immediate comment
from al-Shabab on the latest airstrike.”
The
Hill: Debt Forgiveness For Somalia Would Reward Corruption, Empower
Al-Shabaab
“When Somali Finance Minister Abdirahman Duale Beileh visited
Washington for the annual meeting of the World Bank and International
Monetary Fund earlier this fall, he was all smiles. “Things are
looking up … Everybody was positive,” he said, claiming progress in
Somalia’s goal to win nearly $5 billion in debt relief. That debt
includes $1 billion owed by Somalia to the U.S. Treasury. Whereas the
Trump administration initially took a skeptical approach to Somalia’s
request for debt forgiveness, it reportedly is beginning to change its
tune. Congress should be outraged. Between 1991 and 2011, Somalia
received more than $50 billion in aid, and the United States has since
provided it with hundreds of millions of dollars more annually in U.S.
aid. Rather than rebuild their country, some Somali authorities have
enriched themselves. Transparency International has ranked Somalia for
more than a decade as the world’s most corrupt country. At issue now
is not only forgiveness for the funds Somalia squandered, but also
Somalia’s ability to seek new loans, which the government in Mogadishu
signals it plans to do — with U.S. Embassy support. Rather than gear
new loans to any specific projects, Somali officials say they will
seek general budgetary support.”
Africa
Foreign
Policy: Sudan’s New Government Can’t Succeed If It Remains On The U.S.
Blacklist
“Although Sudan’s new prime minister visited Washington last week,
and the two countries have agreed to swap ambassadors for the first
time in 23 years, Sudan and the United States have a long road to
travel before normalizing relations. Since 1997, the United States has
kept Sudan and its former leader, Omar al-Bashir, who has been
indicted by the International Criminal Court, on its state sponsors of
terrorism list. Bashir did indeed harbor terrorists, including al
Qaeda’s Osama bin Laden. Bashir’s regime was also involved in dozens
of acts of terrorism, including bombing the U.S. embassies in Tanzania
and Kenya in 1998, and attacking the USS Cole in 2000. Earlier this
year, after months of heroic protests in Sudan, in many cases led by
women, the Bashir regime was toppled. A civilian administration led by
Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok has been put in place to oversee a
transition to democracy by 2022. But even though Bashir is gone, Sudan
remains on the U.S. state sponsors of terrorism list. This will not
help pave the way to a new Sudan. The new government is fragile, and
the forces ranged against it are powerful. The transition to a
democratic government will be difficult enough as it is and much more
difficult if Sudan remains on the U.S. terrorist sponsors list.”
Asharq
Al-Awsat: Tunisian Sentenced To Year In Prison For Pledging Allegiance
To ISIS
“A court in Tunis sentenced a Tunisian man to a one-year prison
after being accused of pledging allegiance to the terrorist
organization ISIS and planning attacks inside Tunisia. Investigations
confirmed that the defendant, who is in his 30s, intentionally
downloaded a video from the websites affiliated with terrorist
organizations. He urged Tunisian youths to travel to Libya and Syria,
join ISIS and carry out attacks around the world, notably Tunisia.
Upon his appearance before the judicial authorities, the defendant
confessed to the charges against him, but he denied adopting extremist
ideology and contacting ISIS leaders. A number of extremist groups
experts, including Alia al-Alani, Faisal al-Sherif and Badra Gaaloul,
confirmed that the security services are facing difficulties in
cracking down on terrorists because they are often acting on their
own. In this regard, Alani said that the counter-terrorism agencies
are required to update their records of suspects and add the names of
people suspected or proven to have pledged allegiance to terrorist
organizations. The agencies need to adopt more sophisticated
strategies in wake of the various terrorist attacks and stabbing
incidents that have taken place against security and military
personnel in Tunisia.”
United Kingdom
BBC
News: Man Arrested In Bristol Over Suspected Terror
Offences
“A man has been arrested in Bristol on suspicion of
Islamist-related terrorism offences, police have said. The 33-year-old
was detained at 23:00 GMT on Monday as part of a planned operation at
a flat in Tyndale Court, Imperial Road, in Clifton. The suspect is
being held in custody while searches are carried out at the address.
Police said there was no risk to the public and the arrest was not
linked to the London Bridge terror attack. Inquiries were made by
detectives from Counter Terrorism Policing South East (CTPSE), working
alongside Counter Terrorism Policing South West, prior to that attack
on 29 November, officers confirmed. The suspect is being held on
suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of
terrorism under section 41b of the Terrorism Act (2000). Head of CTPSE
Det Ch Supt Kath Barnes said: “At around 23:00, counter-terrorism
detectives arrested a man on suspicion of terrorism offences and are
currently carrying out searches at a residential property in Bristol.
“This was part of a pre-planned operation. “I would like to thank the
local community for their patience whilst we carry out searches and
continue our investigation.”
France
The
Telegraph: Isil 'Matchmaker' Who Lured British Teen Bride To Syria Is
Deported To France
“Turkey has deported to France the “Islamic State matchmaker” who
lured a British teen bride to Syria as part of a drive to send foreign
fighters back to their countries of origin. Tooba Gondal, 25, is among
11 French nationals that Turkey repatriated early on Monday, according
to France's Centre for Analysis of Terrorism, CAT, citing official
sources. A French judicial source confirmed that four women and their
seven children had arrived in France. Two of the women returned were
already targeted by arrest warrants and will soon face a judge, while
the other two were sought by police and have been placed in custody,
the French source said. The children have been taken into care. Ms
Gondal, from Walthamstow, east London, has been "detained for
questioning" and faces terror charges, said CAT. She will then likely
be detained while awaiting trial. She was born in France but moved to
UK capital as a child and had British residency. A source close to the
family told The Telegraph they were upset by the UK's decision to
refuse her return.”
Europe
The
Washington Post: Polish School Director Fired Over Terror Attack
Exercise
“Local authorities in northeast Poland say that a primary school
director has been fired and psychologists are working with traumatized
schoolchildren following a terrorist attack exercise the director
organized but that unprepared students took for real. The director of
primary and middle schools group in the town of Barczewo had a local
security firm organize the exercise for the students on how to act
during terrorist attack. But she failed to warn the students or the
teachers it would take place. Many students, who are between the ages
of 10 and 14, panicked and cried when men in camouflage dress, face
masks and fake guns in hands entered the school Nov. 14, throwing bang
grenades. Barczewo Mayor Andrzej Maciejewski says the director had
exposed the schoolchildren to unnecessary trauma even though he knew
some of them require special psychological care. In a letter to local
education authorities last month, Maciejewski said the director failed
to offer psychological counselling to traumatized children and asked
that she be fired, which was done Nov. 29. The mayor notified
prosecutors of the exercise last week. The firm that carried out the
exercise said the men who conducted it were not aware that the
children had not been warned ahead of time.”
The
New York Times: Kosovo Files IS Terror Charges Against Man, Wife And
Mother
“Kosovo prosecutors filed terrorism charges Monday against three
ethnic Albanians who returned to the small European country in May
after allegedly joining the Islamic State group in Syria. Prosecutors
said the three are a man, his wife and his mother. They alleged the
man fought with the extremist group before bringing his wife and
daughter through North Macedonia and Turkey to Syria in 2014. The
mother joined them in 2015, prosecutors said. The two women allegedly
earned a monthly salary while serving IS members, but the whole family
surrendered to Kurdish forces as the Islamic State lost ground in
Syria, Kosovo authorities said. The three adults have been charged
with organization and participation in a terror group. If convicted,
they could face prison sentences of up to 15 years. In April, 110
Kosovo citizens were repatriated from Syria. Kosovo authorities say 30
of the country's citizens are still actively supporting terror groups
in Syria.”
The
Brussels Times: Belgium Expands Terrorism Database To Beef Up Prisoner
Surveillance
“Belgium is reshuffling and expanding its terrorism database in
order to better equip law enforcement authorities to monitor and share
information about “potentially dangerous people,” particularly behind
bars. Justice Minister Koen Geens announced in a press release that
the common database of Terrorist Fighters would be updated with two
new categories: “potentially violent extremists” and “terrorism
convicts.” The changes ensure that “follow-ups on potentially
dangerous people” can be done more efficiently, and comes three years
after the database was first created after coordinated terrorist
bombings in Brussels left 32 civilians dead on 22 March 2016. “The
main purpose of the database extension is to ensure that all prisoners
who show significant signs of radicalisation are subject to
information sharing via the common database and that the evaluation of
this persons is coordinated,” Geens’ statement read. The expansion
follows the recommendations of a parliament judiciary committee set up
in the aftermath of the attacks, which recommended the additional
categories be created for more efficient and integrated follow-ups.
Prior to the changes, the database included three categories: foreign
terrorist fighters, homegrown terrorist or preachers of hate, witht he
first referring to Belgian nationals or residents who travelled abroad
to join a terror group.”
Southeast Asia
The
New York Times: In Myanmar Army’s Corner, Aung San Suu Kyi Will Defend
It In Rohingya Genocide Case
“She could have stayed home. Nobody is forcing Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
— she of the Nobel Peace Prize and fragrant flowers in her hair — to
stride into the International Court of Justice on Tuesday at The
Hague, where she will lead Myanmar’s defense against accusations of
genocide. After all, Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi spent decades battling the
same military generals accused of perpetrating mass atrocities against
Myanmar’s minority Rohingya Muslims. Just a few years ago, the onetime
democracy activist, who serves as Myanmar’s foreign minister and de
facto civilian leader, visited the halls of power in Western Europe to
preach the virtues of nonviolent resistance against a military
dictatorship. This time, her mission is very different. From Tuesday
to Thursday, Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi will shield Myanmar in public
hearings at the International Court of Justice, where the country is
being accused of trying to “destroy the Rohingya as a group, in whole
or in part, by the use of mass murder, rape and other forms of sexual
violence, as well as the systematic destruction by fire of their
villages, often with inhabitants locked inside burning houses.”
Australia
ABC
News: Australian Man Accused Of Engaging In 'Hostile Activities'
Appears In Court On Terror Charges
“Agim Ajazi, 30, briefly appeared in Brisbane Magistrates Court
this morning after being flown from Turkey to South Australia before
being extradited to Brisbane. He is facing five charges including
providing support to a terrorist organisation, incursions into foreign
countries, advocating terrorism, and membership of a terrorist
organisation. Australian Federal Police (AFP) Assistant Commissioner
in counter terrorism Ian McCartney said the arrest was "a long time
coming" and the man now faced "serious Commonwealth offences". "The
hostile activity offences carry a penalty of life imprisonment if
convicted," he said. The AFP will allege Mr Ajazi travelled to Syria
in 2013 and engaged in hostile offences as a member of Jabhat Fatah
al-Sham, also known as Jabhat al-Nusra. The man had previously resided
on the Gold Coast and was subject to investigations while living in
Australia, police said. "This group adheres to violent, extremist
ideology and maintains links to Al Qaeda," assistant commissioner
McCartney said. "We will allege that the person, whilst in Syria,
adopted the name Amad Shaheed and used social media to document his
activities with Jabhat al-Nusra." Police will also allege he was
engaging in hostile activities and advocated terrorist acts, not just
in the conflict zone in Syria but also in the West, including
Australia, the United Kingdom and the United
States.”
Technology
The
New York Times: This Man May Be Big Tech’s Biggest
Threat
“At a hearing this summer about the rising power of the country’s
biggest tech companies, Representative David Cicilline zeroed in on
Amazon. Unhappy with a response from one of the company’s top lawyers,
he delivered a biting retort. “I may remind you, sir: You are under
oath,” Mr. Cicilline said. Tech companies are under various antitrust
investigations, including by the Justice Department, the Federal Trade
Commission and state attorneys general. Those inquiries could lead to
lawsuits against the companies to enforce existing laws. But Mr.
Cicilline has a more ambitious goal — one that may be the greater
threat, in the long run, to Big Tech’s practices and profits. He’s
trying to build evidence, and a bipartisan consensus, for changing the
laws themselves. When his party took control of the House this year,
Mr. Cicilline, a five-term Rhode Island Democrat, became chairman of
the subcommittee that oversees antitrust law. In June, he opened an
investigation into possible anticompetitive practices by Google,
Facebook, Apple and Amazon.”
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