Eye on Extremism
August 22, 2022
CBS: Hotel Siege In Somalia Ends After 30 Hours With 21 Dead, 117 Hurt
“Somali authorities on Sunday ended an attack by Islamic extremists that left 21 people dead and over 110 wounded when gunmen stormed a hotel in the capital. It took Somali forces more than 30 hours to contain the fighters who had stormed Mogadishu's Hayat Hotel on Friday evening in an assault that started with loud explosions. The attack is the first major terror attack in Mogadishu since Somalia's new leader, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, took over in May. The siege ended around midnight, police commissioner Abdi Hassan Hijar told reporters. "During the attack, the security forces rescued many civilians trapped in the hotel, including women and children," he said. Health Minister Dr. Ali Haji Adam reported 21 deaths and 117 people wounded, with at least 15 in critical condition. He noted that some victims may not have been brought to hospitals, and the death toll could rise. The Islamic extremist group al-Shabab, which has ties with al Qaeda, claimed responsibility for the attack, the latest of its frequent attempts to strike places visited by government officials.”
ABC News: ISIS 'Beatle' Given 8 Life Sentences As Families Call For Biden To Help Americans Held Hostage
“A member of a group of British Islamic State terrorists dubbed “the Beatles” by their hostages was sentenced Friday in a U.S. district court to 8 concurrent life terms for kidnapping and murdering freelance journalist James Foley and participating in the detention and murders of three other Americans. The sentencing of El Shafee Elsheikh, 34, comes on the eighth anniversary of Foley's murder which was broadcast across the world in a chilling beheading video by ISIS. Elsheikh was also convicted and sentenced for the kidnapping and murder of journalist Steven Sotloff, human rights activist Kayla Mueller and aid worker Peter Kassig. Elsheikj, who was captured in Syria in 2018 alongside fellow “Beatle” Alexanda Kotey, was described by prosecutors at his sentencing hearing in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia as the most notorious, highest-ranking member of ISIS to face trial in the U.S. The foursome had held hostage 26 Westerners and murdered four Americans and several British and Japanese nationals in Syria. Journalist James Foley responds to questions during an interview with The Associated Press in Boston, May 2011. Judge T.S. Ellis on Friday described the crimes as horrendous, noting Elsheikh's involvement in the sexual abuse of Mueller, his decision to provide false testimony to law enforcement and his role as a leader of the group.”
United States
USA Today: Threats Spike; Pence Urges Calm; Jan. 6 Turns Profits: The Week In Extremism
“Extremism news continued to be dominated this week by the fallout from the search of former President Donald Trump’s home and club Mar-a-Lago by federal agents. Threats to law enforcement, particularly the FBI, were already spiking before the now-infamous search, but they have now reached levels not seen since the 1990s, experts told USA TODAY. That led former Vice President Mike Pence to implore his fellow Republicans to stop criticizing the FBI. Pence also announced this week that he will consider testifying in front of the January 6 Congressional Committee. An Associated Press story this week outlined how Jan. 6 defendants have been profiteering from their involvement in the insurrection, often raising the ire of the judges overseeing their cases. Several experts told USA TODAY the level of threats, and general animosity, being directed at the FBI and the federal government more generally has reached levels not seen since the 1990s. “This is really disturbing,” a former top official at the FBI said. The FBI office in Cincinnati where an armed man attempted to mount an attack last week. Last week, an attacker incensed by the Mar-a-Lago search tried to attack the FBI office in Cincinnati.”
UPI: Biden To Host 'United We Stand' Summit To Address Rising Hate, Extremism In U.S.
“President Joe Biden will host a cultural summit at the White House next month to address the rise of violence and extremism in the United States and lay out a vision “for a more united America,” officials said Friday. The United We Stand Summit, which is scheduled for Sept. 15, seeks to “counter the corrosive effects of hate-fueled violence on our democracy and public safety,” the White House said in a statement. National civil rights advocates have been urging Biden to hold such an event since he took office 19 months ago. Following a recent spate of hate-motivated crimes -- which included the mass shooting deaths of 19 children at an elementary school in Texas -- the president is recommitted to delivering on one of his biggest campaign pledges, to “heal the soul of the nation.” The summit will follow other deadly mass shooting attacks in recent months -- at a July 4 parade near Chicago and a hate-motivated attack at a supermarket in Buffalo, N.Y. “As President Biden said in Buffalo after the horrific mass shooting earlier this year, in the battle for the should of our nation 'we must enlist in this great cause of America,'” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement. “The United We Stand Summit will present an important opportunity for Americans of all races, religions, regions, political affiliations, and walks of life to take up that cause together.”
Mass Live: How Patriot Front And White Supremacist Groups Are Hijacking American Symbols To Recruit In Massachusetts
“One hundred masked white nationalists carried flags and riot shields adorned with red, white, and blue color schemes and wore blue and khaki outfits as they marched through downtown Boston over the Fourth of July weekend. The color scheme and iconic American imagery is not accidental. It is part of a branding and recruiting effort that draws upon symbols and themes of the United States. Experts who study groups like Patriot Front, Nationalist Socialist Club and others say it helps attract people who would otherwise be turned away by more direct displays of hateful imagery while sanitizing their bigotry by wrapping it up in history. Jeff Tischauser, a senior research analyst at the Southern Poverty Law Center who focuses on Patriot Front, said the group draws upon symbols, icons and figures from the United States history, particularly the years around the Revolutionary War, to moderate their presentation. The group, he said, believes that at some point in U.S. history, the state “became an instrument of Jewish power that is wielded against the white nation.” And the images and symbols they use are intended to represent a “pure” country without overtly displaying known symbols of white supremacy.”
Iran
Asharq Al-Awsat: Iran Drops Demand To Remove IRGC From US Terror List
“Iran has officially dropped a key red line demand that had been a major sticking point in efforts to revive the nuclear deal, a senior US administration official told CNN. In its response to a draft nuclear deal agreement proposed by the European Union -- which the EU has described as a “final” draft -- Iran did not demand that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) be removed from the State Department's list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations, the official said. “The current version of the text, and what they are demanding, drops it,” the official said, noting that the US had repeatedly and consistently rejected the demand. “So if we are closer to a deal, that’s why.” The Iranians also dropped demands related to delisting several companies tied to the IRGC, the official said. US President Joe Biden has been “firm and consistent that he will not lift the terrorism designation of IRGC,” the official added. He said that while a deal is now “closer than it was two weeks ago, the outcome remains uncertain as some gaps remain. Biden will only approve a deal that meets our national security interests. Progress from this point forward could be slow, another senior administration official said. But there does seem to be more momentum now than there has been in the past year.”
Turkey
The Times Of Israel: Iranian Opposition Outlet Names IRGC Officer Ostensibly Behind Turkey Terror Plot
“A London-based Iranian opposition news outlet on Friday published the name and details of an Iranian commander who it said was in charge of plans to kill Israelis in Turkey in recent months. According to the Iran International report, Javad Ghafari, a commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ elite Quds Force, was appointed to head the operations after being expelled from Syria in November. The report cited an unidentified former senior IRGC official. It could not be independently verified. In June and July, Israel’s Mossad spy agency and its local counterparts managed to thwart several Iranian attacks targeting Israeli civilians in Istanbul, security officials said at the time. Iranian agents were said to be ready to kidnap or kill Israelis there as Tehran sought revenge for the killings of several senior officers blamed on Israel. According to Iran International, Ghafari began his military career in Syria as one of the commanders at Iranian forces’ headquarters in Damascus. He was later appointed as the commander of Iranian forces in Aleppo, where he was known as “the Butcher of Aleppo,” according to Iran International. According to the Israel Defense Forces, Ghafari was in charge of a cell in Syria that planned to fly explosives-laden drones at Israeli territory in 2019.”
Afghanistan
Reuters: Exclusive: U.S. Commits To Afghan Asset Talks Despite Frustration With Taliban
“U.S. President Joe Biden's administration will press ahead with talks on releasing billions of dollars in Afghanistan's foreign-held assets despite late al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri's presence in Kabul and foot-dragging by the Taliban and Afghan central bank, according to three sources with knowledge of the situation. The decision to pursue the initiative to help stabilize Afghanistan's collapsed economy underscores growing concern in Washington over a humanitarian crisis as the United Nations warns that nearly half the country's 40 million people face "acute hunger" as winter approaches. At the core of the U.S.-led effort, as Reuters reported last month, is a plan to transfer billions in foreign-held Afghan central bank assets into a proposed Swiss-based trust fund. Disbursements would be made with the help of an international board and bypass the Taliban, many of whose leaders are under U.S. and U.N. sanctions.”
Pakistan
Associated Press: Roadside Bombing Kills 2 Policemen In Northwestern Pakistan
“A roadside bombing on Friday killed two policemen in a former militant stronghold in northwestern Pakistan, police said. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack in Bajur, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that borders Afghanistan. The district's police chief, Abdus Samad Khan, said the bomb was remotely detonated. A search for perpetrators was underway, he added. Bajur has long served as a sanctuary for the Pakistani Taliban militant group — known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP — until the military declared the region was cleared of local and foreign militants following a series of military operations in 2010. However, isolated militant attacks have continued in the region, though the Pakistani Taliban have not claimed responsibility for any of the attacks since May, when talks started between the TTP and Pakistani government officials in Kabul. A cease-fire has also been in place since then. The talks in Kabul are hosted by the Afghan Taliban, a separate group but allied with the Pakistani Taliban. The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan a year ago as the U.S. and NATO troops were in the final stages of their pullout from the country. That takeover has emboldened the Pakistani Taliban, whose fighters and leaders, officials say, have been hiding in Afghanistan.”
Lebanon
The Jerusalem Post: Israel Is Ready For Escalation With Hezbollah But Doubts Nasrallah's Threats
“Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah threatened an escalation of hostilities with Israel if the maritime border negotiations between Israel and Lebanon do not meet Lebanese demands. “Whether a nuclear deal with Iran is signed or not, if the US mediator does not give Lebanon what it asked for in terms of its rights, we are heading toward an escalation — we are heading toward a problem,” Nasrallah said in a televised address on Friday, adding that the US State Department mediating team led by Amos Hochstein is “still wasting time” which is “running out.” “Whether a nuclear deal with Iran is signed or not, if the US mediator does not give Lebanon what it asked for in terms of its rights, we are heading toward an escalation — we are heading toward a problem.” However, Israeli and Lebanese analysts are unconvinced that an escalation by Hezbollah is a real possibility right now. Israel and Lebanon have had a years-long, ongoing dispute on who has the rights to the maritime territories that contain natural gas fields in which the two sides have yet to agree on a border. The latest round of indirect negotiations has been held with the mediation of a US delegation led by US Special Envoy and Coordinator for International Energy Affairs Amos Hochstein, with no results yet.”
The Times: Saddam Hussein’s Great-Nephew Arrested In Lebanon For Isis Atrocity
“Saddam Hussein’s great-nephew has been arrested in Lebanon on charges of participating in the worst massacre carried out by Islamic State. Abdullah Yasser Sabawi, 27, was reported to be living in the resort town of Byblos on the coast north of Beirut. The head of Lebanese general security, Major General Abbas Ibrahim, confirmed to Iraqi media that Sabawi had been arrested on a warrant issued by Baghdad via Interpol. “We are working according to international law and repatriation agreements between nations,” Ibrahim said. “He is accused of carrying out criminal operations that resulted in the death of thousands of innocents, based on an Interpol warrant that has been enforced by the relevant Lebanese security agencies.”
Nigeria
All Africa: Nigeria: Armed Forces Have Increased Strength Against Terrorists, Bandits - Defence Minister
“Minister of Defence, Bashir Magashi, says the armed forces have increased their strength, reviewed training and order of battle to curtail security threats across the country. Mr Magashi, a retired major general, said this at the 15th International Security Conference and Award (ISCA), organised by the International Institute of Professional Security (IIPS) on Saturday in Abuja. “In the armed forces, we have increased our strength as much as possible, reviewed our training tactics and procedures and reviewed our order of battle,” he said. The minister was represented by the Chief of Defence Training and Operations, Adeyemi Yekini, a major general, at the event with the theme: “Intelligence of Things: Working against Kidnapping and Terrorism.” Mr Magashi said the renewed onslaught had started yielding results with the recent arrest of the terrorists behind the 5 June attack at St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo in Ondo State. He said there was also an enhanced synergy between the services and other security agencies which had led to the smoking out of criminals from their hideouts. He said more than 70,000 terrorists and their families had surrendered to troops in the North-east while hundreds of thousands of displaced persons had returned to their ancestral homes.”
The Christian Post: Suspected ISWAP Terrorists Kill Over 20 Christians, Abduct Priest After Shooting Their Way Into Church
“After more than 20 Christians lost their lives to terrorist attacks in two areas of Taraba state, Nigeria, in the first half of August, a Catholic teacher was kidnapped from a church site, sources said. Suspected members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) shot their way onto the site of St. Agnes Catholic Church in Dinya village, in Taraba state’s Gassol County, at about 10 p.m. on Aug. 14 and abducted the catechist, Gideon Tsehemba, said the Rev. Lawrence Awua, the parish priest. “The ISWAP terrorists broke into the premises of our church on Sunday, as we were already in our bedrooms,” Awua told Morning Star News in a text message. “They were shooting indiscriminately in the premises of the church. Our catechist, Mr. Gideon Tsehemba, was forcefully dragged out of the church with a gun pointed at him. I was already in my bedroom, but they thought there was no one around except the catechist.” The kidnappers have not made contact with anyone from the church, he said: “We hope and pray they do not harm the catechist.” More than 20 Christians were killed in Gassol and Bali counties by Fulani herdsmen and other terrorists during the first two weeks of the month, said Bali area resident Ayuba Matthew.”
United Kingdom
BBC News: York: Anti-Terror Bollards To Be Installed In 'Vulnerable' City In April
“Anti-terror bollards costing £3.5m will be installed in York after councillors were told its narrow streets make it particularly vulnerable to attack. The barriers, to be installed in April, are designed to stop vehicles driving in some parts of the city centre. York had an “obvious vulnerability”, with many pavement cafes as “ideal targets”, counter terrorism advisor Shaun Tunstall told councillors. The permanent barriers were approved by the council despite spiralling costs. Councillors previously blamed inflation and the increased price of steel and concrete for the cost of their installation rising to £3.5m since the plans were first agreed in 2018. Initially with a price tag of half that amount, the barriers will be paid for from future highways budgets. Mr Tunstall told councillors that installing the devices would be a “good move” against possible terror attacks. “The terrorist threat is becoming more unpredictable. Before we know it, something will happen,” he warned. “It's something that is needed in York, more so than I've seen in most other cities I've dealt with.” Supt Mark Khan, from North Yorkshire Police, told the meeting that the city's narrow streets made it difficult for people to “jump out of the way or escape from a vehicle.”
Express: ISIS Terrorist El Shafee Elsheikh Jailed For LIFE: From West London QPR Fanatic To Syria
“…Elsheikh was 21 when he married an Ethiopian woman he met in Canada while visiting family in Toronto. But the authorities refused to allow her to settle in Britain with her husband - leaving Elsheikh seething with anger at the UK government. Two years later, he met a man from Eritrea whose father Islamist propaganda, according to the Counter-Extremism Project. Elsheikh’s mother reportedly warned the two men to stay away from her son. But he was soon engrossed in recordings by a London-based Islamist preacher. In just three weeks, he changed his behaviour. He stopped wearing Western-style clothes and adopted long robes to conform with the teachings of the extremist, says the CEP. Elsheikh’s mother was so shocked by his sudden radicalisation, she traveled to Sudan to seek advice from family members. He was supposed to pick her up from the airport when she flew back. Instead, she was met by younger son Mahmoud who told her he had gone to Syria. Elsheikh first joined an Al Qaeda affiliate in the region before being recruited into Islamic State. He went to fight for radical Islam but made his reputation as a torturer rather than a soldier.”
Southeast Asia
The Sydney Morning Herald: Bali Bomb Maker ‘Wants To Change 100% ... Can Fight Terrorism’ If Released
“The former Jemaah Islamiyah member who claims to have reformed Umar Patek says he can guarantee the Bali bomb maker won’t return to extremism and wants Australia to know Patek can be a key player in fighting the “seduction” of terrorism when he is released. Patek was jailed a decade ago for his part in assembling the explosives that were detonated at Bali nightclubs in 2002, leaving 202 people dead including 88 Australians. He is now eligible for parole after reductions in his 20-year sentence and could walk free from an Indonesian prison this month, having served only 11 years behind bars. As the 20th anniversary of the terror bombings on October 12 nears, the news has upset family members and friends of victims and the Albanese government has conveyed to Indonesia its displeasure at the latest trimming of his jail term by five months. A spokeswoman for Indonesia’s Directorate General of Corrections in Jakarta said on Sunday Patek’s parole application was still being processed. Former militant Ali Fauzi, a long-time friend of Patek’s who runs a program aimed at deradicalising terrorists, said he could appreciate pain caused by the reduced sentence but hopes “Australian friends can understand it.”
Technology
Bloomberg: States Are Bracing For Social Media-Enabled Election Violence
“State elections officials say they’re seeing an uptick in a new kind of social media-fueled danger to US midterms: online anger that threatens to spill over into real-world violence. In Arizona, online conspiracy theories resulted in so many harassing phone calls to the secretary of state’s office, employees had to take a break from answering. In Michigan, officials have seen such a flood of violent rhetoric online that this week they sent letters to tech company CEOs pleading with them to do more to control their platforms. In Maine, a state where Election Day is associated with patriotic pie-eating, a poll worker last year received a credible death threat on Facebook. Bloomberg reached out to all 50 secretaries of state and spoke with representatives of 12 offices, from Texas to Hawaii. All of those who commented said they’ve seen an increase in online suspicion about the electoral process, which in many states has led to threats for staff or poll workers and resignations of these crucial employees. Narratives that drove the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the US Capitol, such as false claims of voter fraud, have lingered online. The chatter escalated most during primaries in states that had close contests in 2020 or where former US President Donald Trump backed candidates for office. Social media platforms have ramped up their election-related security measures, adding channels for state governments to report posts more directly.”
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