Eye on Extremism
December 16, 2019
The
New York Times: At Least 23 Soldiers Killed In Insider Attack In
Afghanistan
“At least 23 soldiers were killed while they were sleeping on
Saturday in an insider attack in eastern Afghanistan, officials said,
the latest episode of enemy infiltration that has raised concerns
about a new local military force billed as the hope for holding
territory recaptured from the Taliban. The Taliban infiltrator, who
was on duty at a military base in Ghazni Province, opened fire on his
colleagues, wiping out almost the whole unit, officials said. The
attacker then seized all weapons and equipment in the base and joined
the insurgency. The exact number of casualties was unclear. The Afghan
Ministry of Defense confirmed the death of nine soldiers, and the
Taliban said 32 had been killed, but their claims of casualties are
mostly exaggerated. The figure of 23 came from Esmatullah Jamuradwal,
a member of the provincial council, who said that only one soldier,
out of 24 in the Territorial Army unit, had survived. “The attacker
packed all weapons and ammunition in a Humvee and drove to the
Taliban,” he said. A spokesman for the Ministry of Defense said that
officials had begun an investigation into the attack.”
Bloomberg:
Niger Jihadist Raid Shows Speed Of Islamic State
Expansion
“The killing of 71 soldiers in Niger, which had been spared the
surge in major militant attacks that have destabilized Mali and
Burkina Faso, shows that Islamic State is expanding at breakneck speed
across West Africa. The raid on the Inates base, less than 200
kilometers (124 miles) from the capital, Niamey, is the deadliest-ever
on Niger’s army and follows a spate of attacks on military outposts in
neighboring Mali that left more than 100 troops dead last month. It
also came days before leaders of five West African nations were due to
convene in France on Dec. 16 to discuss security and the French
military deployment in the region as anti-French sentiment escalates.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday postponed the summit to
January because of the attack. “If we look at what’s been happening of
late, Islamic State has increased its mobility, its power and its
access to resources,” Former Malian Prime Minister Soumeylou Boubeye
Maiga told Radio France Internationale on Friday. Maiga and his
government resigned in April after about 160 people villagers in
Mali’s center died in inter-communal fighting, one of the country’s
worst massacres to date. Militant violence has engulfed the Sahel, an
arid area on the southern fringe of the Sahara, since the 2011 ousting
of Libyan strongman Moammar Qaddafi.”
The
Wall Street Journal: Pompeo Warns Iran Over Rocket Attacks At Iraqi
Bases
“Secretary of State Mike Pompeo blamed Iran for a spate of rocket
attacks against Iraqi bases where American troops are located and
warned the Trump administration would respond forcefully if U.S. or
allied forces were injured or killed. The warning Friday was a fresh
indication of rising tensions as the U.S. has sought to use economic
sanctions to compel Iran to curtail its military presence in the
region and accept stringent limits on its nuclear activities. “Iran’s
proxies have recently conducted several attacks against bases where
Iraqi Security Forces are co-located with U.S. and International
Coalition personnel,” Mr. Pompeo said in a statement.”
The
New York Times: How 2 Drifters Brought Anti-Semitic Terror To Jersey
City
“The first body was found stuffed inside the trunk of a Lincoln
Town Car. It was a brutal crime, a 34-year-old livery driver beaten in
the head and his body hidden in a sedan on a residential street in
Bayonne, N.J. But the discovery offered no hint of what was to come. A
bulletin with details about the man’s death circulated among local law
enforcement. It mentioned a moving van. On Tuesday, a police officer
named Joe Seals was on duty in nearby Jersey City. He grew up in the
area, and joining the force had fulfilled a dream. Two years ago, he
made detective. Detective Seals, 40, was apparently on his way to meet
a confidential informant at Bayview Cemetery, where weeds grow thick
among the graves. He had been exchanging texts with his mother about
Christmas presents for his five children.By noon, he stopped replying.
He had spotted a U-Haul van. Investigators on Tuesday combed the scene
at Bayview Cemetery in Jersey City, where Detective Joe Seals was
killed. Shortly afterward, Detective Seals was shot dead at the hands
of a couple who then carried out an anti-Semitic rampage at a Jersey
City kosher market in what officials later declared an act of domestic
terrorism.”
The
Jerusalem Post: Lebanon: 25 Injured In Clashes With Security Forces,
Hezbollah And Amal
“25 demonstrators were injured during clashes in Beirut with
security forces, with the aid of Hezbollah and Amal supporters.
Protests in Lebanon erupted as a result of alleged mismanagement of
the economy, couples with deep seated corruption throughout the
government.”
Euronews:
We Need To Stop Pretending That We Do Enough To Curtail Terrorists’
Online Influence ǀ View
“Halle. Christchurch. Paris. El Paso. London. We are living in
times of global terrorism, unlike any we have known before. This is a
terror that thrives through its enduring online presence. A terror
that is streamed for the world to witness. A terror that tech giants
continue to dismiss. The time has come and gone for relying on the
goodwill of the tech industry and their unfulfilled promises of
self-regulation. This year has repeatedly demonstrated the threat of
online terror content. We have borne witness to live-streamed attacks
across the globe and we have seen the onslaught continuously go viral.
No example is more devastating than the attacks in Christchurch, New
Zealand. Of the 1.5 million videos of the attack there that were
detected and eventually removed by Facebook, only 1.2 million were
screened and blocked by Facebook’s software before being uploaded.
This left 300,000 videos uploaded to the platform for users to
see.”
United States
ABC
News: Suspect In Pensacola Naval Base Shooting Wrote 'The Countdown
Has Started' 4 Months Before Attack:
Report
“New details have emerged in the deadly shooting at a Florida naval
base, including a cryptic message that the suspect wrote just months
before the attack, according to a federal report obtained by ABC News.
Mohammed Alshamrani, 21, a second lieutenant in the Saudi Air Force
who authorities say killed three people and injured eight others after
opening fire at the Naval Air Base Pensacola last week, wrote the
phrase “the countdown has started” on Sept. 11, 2019 with no further
explanation, according to a Joint Intelligence Bulletin released
Friday. The post was written about four months before the Dec. 6
shooting, according to the report. The bulletin, which was issued by
the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, National Counterterrorism
Center and the Defense Intelligence Agency, also stated that his
social media included references to non-Muslims as “infidels” and
defended jihad. Sources previously told ABC News that investigators
determined the shooting was likely a “terror” attack inspired by
radical Islamic ideology. One post contained writings that were
consistent with a 2010 statement from American-born cleric Anwar al
Awlaki, who was killed in 2011 in a CIA-led drone strike, according to
the report.”
International
Business Times: Terrorist In Federal Prison Convicted Of Attempting To
Provide Material Support For ISIS
“The Eastern District of Texas has convicted an international
terrorist incarcerated in the US Bureau of Prisons for additional
terrorism offences committed in prison. The 45-year-old Eretria-born
Ethiopian citizen, Mohamed Ibrahim Ahmed, was found guilty of seeking
to provide material assistance for the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria
(ISIS). He was also convicted for making a false statement to the FBI.
Ahmed was acquitted of two other charges and the verdict on another is
pending. He could face up to 25 years in federal prison for the
conviction. Under the USA Patriot Act, providing material support for
terrorism is a crime. Based on the evidence presented in 2013, Ahmed
was found guilty in the Southern District of New York, conspiring to
provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and
acquire military-style training from it. He had previously received
training in 1996 at an Al-Qaeda camp in Afghanistan. The Ethiopian
national was also a member of a network that provided logistic and
financial assistance to terrorist groups— the Brandbergen Mosque
network. A sentence of 111 months in federal prison was pronounced by
a federal judge in New York, and Ahmed was shifted to the Federal
Correctional Institute (FCI) in Beaumont, Texas, to serve his
sentence.”
NPR:
Encore: How One Group Sees Extremism As A Public Health
Emergency
“The nonprofit Parents For Peace wants Americans to see extremism
as a public health emergency — one that cuts across race, religion and
politics. The members are former extremists and their families.The
nonprofit Parents For Peace wants Americans to see extremism as a
public health emergency that cuts across race, religion and politics.
Members of the group include former extremists and their families.
NPR's Hannah Allam was granted rare access to their annual gathering
and has this report. It's a recent fall afternoon, day one of a
conference at a hotel in Washington. There are name tags, a coffee
station. But this isn't your usual D.C. meeting. Hi, everyone. You all
know me by now. I'm Tania. I'm a former Islamic fundamentalist. OK, I
am Melissa. I'm a wife of a former Klansman. And then there's this
guy. I'm Mubin Shaikh. I'm a former neo-Nazi. They're laughing because
he isn't a former neo-Nazi. He's actually a former Islamist extremist.
It might be the ultimate you-had-to-be-there joke. But that space to
laugh, to heal, to find solidarity, that's what draws this group
together. Tania Joya, Melissa Buckley, Mubin Shaikh - they're all
members of a nonprofit, Parents For Peace. Almost everyone in the room
is a former extremist or has a loved one who got involved with
extremism.”
The
Washington Post: Army, Navy Officials Investigate Possible ‘White
Power’ Gestures By Students
“Officials at the Army and Navy academies are investigating whether
hand signs flashed by students standing behind a reporter during a TV
interview were intended to convey a message of white supremacy. The
incident involved two U.S. Military Academy cadets and a Naval Academy
midshipman who were behind ESPN’s Rece Davis as he reported on the
sideline before the annual rivalry game Saturday in Philadelphia. “U.
S. Naval Academy officials have appointed a preliminary inquiry
officer to conduct an internal investigation into the hand gestures
made during the ESPN ‘College GameDay’ broadcast prior to [Saturday’s]
Army-Navy game,” Cmdr. Alana Garas, a spokesperson for the Naval
Academy, said in a statement to The Washington Post.”
The
New York Times: At Pulse Shooting Site, A Plan To Remember Renews Pain
For Some
“The struggle to heal has been palpable here in the years since
2016, when a gunman turned Pulse, a gay nightclub, into what was then
the site of the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history.
Each year, thousands attend wrenching services to honor the 49 people
who died. The crime scene has been transformed into a powerful shrine
that celebrates the idea that love is stronger than hate. And there
are plans to turn the shuttered club into the centerpiece of a
permanent memorial and build a soaring museum nearby that would mark
what happened here for generations to come. The county, the state and
multiple corporations have agreed to give millions toward the $45
million project.”
Syria
Business
Insider: The Prison Commander Says The Guards Are Trying To
Deradicalize The Former ISIS Fighters By Giving Them Painting
Exercises
“They sit, squat, lie, stand in their boilersuits, all huddled
together. Then they wait. What are they waiting for? No one is sure at
this precise moment. Somewhere in the east of Syria — where exactly,
it can't be said — is the largest prison for former ISIS soldiers. In
a small town near the Iraqi border, the remaining ISIS fighters fought
one final battle with the Kurdish YPG militia and their Western allies
in the spring. Higher-ranking ISIS members had already gone into
hiding, especially those who'd come from elsewhere and who didn't have
the connections or money to smuggle themselves out in time. The
prisoners have no idea of what's gone on in the outside world since
they were captured. They're only allowed to go to the courtyard for an
hour a day — otherwise, they're completely isolated from the outside
world by the walls of the former factory. Here's what it's like
inside. The prison is in a heavily secured area near the city of
Hasakah but the exact location of the prison has to be kept secret,
according to the Kurdish YPG militia. The Kurdish commander wears a
balaclava as many of the prison guards do too, to mask their
identities when dealing with the ISIS members — the fear of acts of
revenge should the fighters be released is far too great.”
Al
Jazeera: 'No War And No Peace' In Syria, Analysts Say
“More than eight years into devastating conflict, Syria appears to
be stuck in a situation of "no war and no peace", analysts have said.
The Syrian conflict erupted in 2011 after government forces cracked
down on civilian protesters demanding more freedom and economic
opportunities. Regional powers, including Turkey and Iran, along with
Russia, have played a critical role in backing opposing sides to the
conflict in recent years. However, with each of these external actors
facing domestic political pressures, they have let the Syrian conflict
drift into a stalemate, the analysts said on Saturday at the Doha
Forum, a two-day conference in the Qatari capital.”
Iran
CNBC:
The Aramco Attack Was An ‘Act Of War’ By Iran: Senior State Department
Official
“The September attack on Saudi Aramco’s facilities that temporarily
shut down half of the kingdom’s oil production represented an act of
war by the Iranian state, U.S. special representative for Iran Brian
Hook told CNBC on Saturday. “Because of the Iran nuclear deal we’ve
been accumulating risk of a regional conflict — and what Iran did to
Saudi Arabia on September 14 was an act of war,” Hook told CNBC’s
Hadley Gamble during the Doha forum in Qatar. Iran’s government has
stringently denied involvement in the drone and missile attack,
considered to be the most significant assault on oil infrastructure in
history.Riyadh, alongside Washington and several other Western allies,
has accused Iran of involvement in the attack. But it has not directly
accused the Islamic Republic of carrying out an act of war — something
seen as an attempt to avoid greater escalation. “To launch an attack
from your territory, if that is the case ... this would be considered
an act of war,” Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel
al-Jubeir said in late September. But the kingdom maintains it is
currently seeking a peaceful resolution.”
Independent:
Iranian Artists Speak Up Against Deadly Crackdown Of
Protests
“Prominent Iranian artists, inside and outside the country, have
reacted to the brutal crackdown of recent protests in Iran. Actors,
directors, and musicians have been speaking up in support of the
protesters and against the violent response by the state. Dozens of
artists living inside Iran published a statement in support of
protesters, saying they will not forget the young faces of the dead,
who were killed and then ignored by associating them with
“foreigners”. The statement condemned the violation of the people’s
“most basic human rights” and their “most apparent needs”, and warned
that people’s voices “will remain in history”.”
The
Jerusalem Post: Iran’s IRGC: The Persian Gulf Belongs To
Us
“The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps naval commander Admiral
Alireza Tangsiri said the Persian Gulf belongs to Iran. “We have the
right to question any vessels entering the Straits of Hormuz and
Iranian territorial waters.” The statement is the latest in a series
of Iranian threats to neighboring countries of the Persian Gulf after
six months of tensions in which Iran downed a US drone and attacked
six ships and seized one UK-flagged ship in the sensitive waterway.
Tangsiri’s statement is part of the IRGC’s increasing attempts to
harass or provoke the US and allies. “The IRGC navy controls and
monitors the foreign vessels which enter the Persian Gulf and
questions them about their nationality, type of vessel and their
destination,” said the Iranian commander. He claimed the US has always
responded to these requests. Iran has hosted Oman’s foreign minister
recently and sought to reduce tensions with the UAE, Saudi Arabia and
Bahrain. Iran wants to push its own initiative called Hormuz Peace
Endeavor (HOPE) in the Gulf. It also says that it wants a joint naval
drill with Russia and China.”
Amnesty
International: Iran: Thousands Arbitrarily Detained And At Risk Of
Torture In Chilling Post-Protest Crackdown
“Iran’s authorities are carrying out a vicious crackdown following
the outbreak of nationwide protests on 15 November, arresting
thousands of protesters as well as journalists, human rights defenders
and students to stop them from speaking out about Iran’s ruthless
repression, said Amnesty International today. The organization has
carried out interviews with dozens of people inside Iran who described
how, in the days and weeks during and following the protests, the
Iranian authorities have held detainees incommunicado and subjected
them to enforced disappearance, torture and other ill-treatment.”
Iraq
Xinhua:
6 Iraqi Soldiers Killed In IS Attack In Eastern Iraq
“Six Iraqi soldiers were killed and four others injured in an
overnight attack by Islamic State (IS) militants in Iraq's eastern
province of Diyala, a provincial police officer said on Monday. The
attack took place late on Sunday night when IS militants carried out
an attack on army bases at a rural area near the town of
al-Maqdadiyah, some 100 km northeast of the Iraqi capital Baghdad,
sparking a fierce clash between the two sides, Alaa al-Saadi from
Diyala's police told Xinhua. The clash continued for several hours and
only stopped after a reinforcement troops arrived at the scene,
al-Saadi said without giving further details about whether the
extremist attackers sustained any casualty. Despite repeated military
operations in the Diyala province, remnants of IS militants are still
hiding in some rugged areas near the border with Iran, and in the
sprawling areas extending from the western part of the province to the
Himreen mountainous area in north of the provincial capital Baquba,
which itself located some 65 km northeast of the Iraqi capital
Baghdad. The security situation in Iraq has been dramatically improved
after Iraqi security forces declared they had fully defeated the
extremist IS militants across the country late in 2017.”
Xinhua:
2 Policemen Killed In IS Attack In Northern Iraq
“Two policemen were killed on Sunday in an attack by Islamic State
(IS) militants in Iraq's northern province Kirkuk, the Iraqi military
said. In Kirkuk, IS militants opened fire with machine guns on a
vehicle of federal policemen in the southern part of the oil-rich
province, killing two aboard, the media office of Iraqi Joint
Operations Command said in a statement. In a separate incident, the
security forces acted on intelligence reports and raided a hideout at
a house on the border between Iraq's eastern province of Diyala and
Baghdad, Alaa al-Saadi, a local policeman in Diyala, said. The troops
captured six suspects at the hideout who were said to be responsible
of kidnapping dozens of civilians and military personnel, al-Saadi
said. The security situation in Iraq has been improved since Iraqi
security forces fully defeated the extremist IS militants across the
country late in 2017. However, IS remnants have since melted in urban
areas or resorted to deserts and rugged areas, carrying out frequent
guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians.”
Asharq
Al-Awsat: Pentagon Urges Iraq To Take Steps To Prevent Attacks On
Bases Housing US Forces
“US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper on Monday urged Iraqi Prime
Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi to take steps to prevent bases housing US
troops from being shelled, a statement from the premier’s office said.
Esper “expressed his concerns over the shelling of some installations
and the necessity to take procedures to stop it,” a statement from
Abdul Mahdi’s office quoted the Pentagon chief as saying during a
phone call.”
Independent:
Mass Grave Containing Remains Of 643 Civilians Discovered In
Iraq
“A mass grave containing the remains of 643 civilians has
reportedly been discovered near a former ISIS battleground in Iraq –
with those inside believed to have been members of a Sunni tribe
reportedly targeted by Iraqi militias. Saudi news outlet Al Arabiya
said official sources had confirmed the bodies, found along the side
of a road 5km north of Fallujah, belonged to the al-Muhamdah tribe – a
group who had disappeared in 2016 and hadn’t been seen since. The
territory is believed to have been under the control of Iraqi soldiers
under the banner of the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), also known
as Hashd al-Shaabi, a conglomerate of militias accused by the US and
Israel of being backed by Iran.”
Turkey
Financial
Times: Turkey Warned Over Lapses In Money Laundering And Terror
Financing
“Turkey has been warned by an international watchdog to improve
“serious shortcomings” in its approach to combating money laundering
and terrorist financing or face being added to an international “grey
list” — a step that could damage its ability to attract foreign
financing. The warning by the Financial Action Taskforce (FATF) comes
in a report by the body, published on Monday, that found the country
lacking in a series of standards. Ankara will be now subject to
special monitoring by the organisation, which was founded in 1989 to
combat to combat money laundering, terror financing and other similar
threats to the integrity of the international financial system. If it
fails to improve over the coming year, it risks being added to an FATF
“grey list” along with countries such as Pakistan, Mongolia and Yemen.
Elizabeth Rosenberg, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American
Security, a Washington-based think-tank, said that entering the
International Co-operation Review Group (ICRG) — as the monitoring
process is known — was “a big deal” for any nation. “There are not
many countries that go through the ICRG process,” she said. “It’s a
minority of countries that are flagged for egregious and systemic
failings in money-laundering and terrorist financing
regimes.”
Afghanistan
PBS
News Hour: Taliban Seeks To Share Power In Afghanistan’s Government,
But Will Ethnic Groups Approve?
“As the Trump administration considers withdrawing the last
remaining U.S. troops from Afghanistan, President Trump this month
restarted peace talks with the Taliban. But while the White House
tries to get the Taliban to share power in Afghanistan's government,
securing a peace deal's approval from the country's multitude of
ethnic groups will be another challenge. Jane Ferguson reports. An
insider attack in eastern Afghanistan overnight has left at least 23
Afghan soldiers dead. Officials said the attack took place at a
military base in Ghazni province. The soldiers had been sleeping when
a Taliban infiltrator, who was on duty at the base, shot and killed
them before taking weapons and equipment and returning to the Taliban
insurgency. This latest attack comes just after the United States took
what it's calling a “pause” in peace talks with the Taliban — and
after an earlier attack Wednesday that killed two Afghan civilians and
wounded dozens more near Bagram airfield. But if and when those talks
resume, they're still leaving major players out of the conversation:
the Afghan government itself, as well as other prominent
figures.”
Al
Jazeera: ISIL In Afghanistan 'Defeated', But Not
Eliminated
“Months of sustained aerial bombings by American and Afghan forces
is believed to have hit the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL
or ISIS) hard. Only around half of the group's 4,000 fighters are
thought to still be active across Afghanistan. This is a contrast to
just six months ago when ISIL was seen as a major threat and Afghan
authorities say it is only a matter of time before the group is
eliminated. Al Jazeera's Tony Birtley reports from Nangarhar
province.”
Xinhua:
Afghan Forces Storm Taliban Hideout In S. Afghanistan, Set Free 12
Detainees
“The security forces have stormed a Taliban militants' hideout in
Shahidi Hasas district of Afghanistan's southern Uruzgan province and
rescued 12 detainees, all civilians, said an army statement released
here Monday. According to the statement, the special operations were
launched early Monday and the security forces after killing three
insurgents and arresting five others, entered the hideout and set free
12 people who were held by the militants. Taliban militants have not
made comments on the report yet.”
The
New York Times: Afghan Warlord Escapes Arrest As Troops Turn City Into
War Zone
“For nearly 24 hours, the center of Mazar-i-Sharif, one of
Afghanistan’s economic hubs, became a front line for a battle that
included machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades and helicopter
gunships. And it didn’t even involve the Taliban. Elite Afghan forces
on Sunday surrounded the compound of Nizamuddin Qaisari, an abusive
militia commander, who was resisting arrest with about 150 of his
fighters, police officials said. Residents fled the neighborhood as
the two sides shelled each other in a city that has long been safe
from the broader war. Close to midnight on Sunday, a full 24 hours
after the battle had begun, the police commandos cleared their way
through a large garden and into the compound. The battle had led to
the death of at least eight of Mr. Qaisari’s men and the arrest of 30
others. Mr. Qaisari, however, was nowhere to be found, apparently
having sneaked to safety.”
Lebanon
The
Times Of Israel: Intense Clashes Rock Beirut As Hezbollah Backers
Attack Protest Camps
“Security forces fired rubber bullets and tear gas while clashing
with anti-government protesters and with men who tried to attack the
protest camp in Beirut on Saturday, setting off street confrontations
that lasted for hours. The violence was some of the worst in the
capital since demonstrations began two months ago. The violence
Saturday started when young men from a neighborhood known as a
stronghold for supporters of the Shiite Amal and Hezbollah groups
attacked the epicenter of anti-government protests, chanting “Shiite,
Shiite.” It was the second time this week that pro-Hezbollah and Amal
supporters tried to attack the protest camp, angered by demonstrators’
criticism of their leaders. Later, clashes erupted at the entrance to
the street leading to parliament, which was blocked by security
forces. Several people attacked the rally, prompting security forces
to fire tear gas to push them back. It wasn’t clear who the attackers
were but the parliament speaker is the head of the Shiite Amal group.
The attack took place only a few meters (yards) from the epicenter of
the protests, and the anti-government demonstrators were dispersed to
side streets as tear gas filled the area.”
France
24: Lebanon Counter-Protesters Clash With Police In
Beirut
“Dozens of young people opposed to Lebanon's anti-government
protest movement clashed with riot police in Beirut on Saturday,
throwing rocks and firecrackers against volleys of teargas. Late
Saturday afternoon, young counter-protesters from an area of Beirut
dominated by the powerful Shiite movement Hezbollah and fellow Shiite
movement Amal tried to raid a key anti-government protest camp in
Martyrs' Square. Anti-riot police intervened, firing teargas to
disperse them. The square, in central Beirut, has been at the
epicentre of protests which flared in mid-October over perceived
official corruption, poor services and economic woes. These large
anti-government rallies, which grew into calls for a root-and-branch
overhaul of the state, have mostly passed off peacefully. However,
clashes have become more frequent in recent weeks, with supporters of
Hezbollah and Amal attacking protest camps in several cities amid
counter-demonstrations. Both Amal and Hezbollah are partners in
Lebanon's cross-sectarian government. The counter-protests have taken
place in the capital and other Lebanese cities in recent weeks,
prompting the leader of Hezbollah on Friday to urge his supporters --
and those of Amal -- to stay calm.”
The
Wall Street Journal: U.S. Sanctions Two Lebanese Men As Top Donors To
Hezbollah
“The Trump administration levied sanctions against two Lebanese men
officials said are prime donors to the militant Hezbollah movement,
which the U.S. has designated as a terrorist organization. The
Treasury Department said the two men have channeled millions of
dollars directly to the group, including by using the African diamond
trade and high-value works of art to allegedly launder money used to
fund terrorism-related activity. Neither of the two businessmen
sanctioned on Friday, Nazem Said Ahmad and Saleh Assi, could be
reached for comment.”
Middle East
The
National: Jordan Authorities Reveal They Foiled ISIS Terrorist
Plot
“Jordanian authorities have revealed that they foiled a terrorist
plot by a cell of four members supporting ISIS, the Saudi press agency
reported on Sunday evening. The cell was planning to carry out
terrorist attacks across Jordan, Spa reported. Jordanian authorities
said the cell members, who were arrested last August, were about to
target the General Intelligence building in the Ma'an governorate in
southern Jordan. The terrorists also planned to attack Jordanian
police patrols and national guards in the same governorate. Last
month, the the country's General Intelligence Directorate said it had
foiled a plot by two people to attack American and Israeli diplomats,
and US troops at a military base in the south of Jordan.”
Egypt
Xinhua:
Egyptian President Calls For Joint Efforts To Fight
Terrorism
“Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi stressed on Sunday that
joint efforts are needed to fight terrorism. He made the remarks at
the 3rd World Youth Forum opened on Saturday in Egypt's Red Sea resort
city of Sharm El Sheikh. Speaking at a session discussing challenges
facing international peace and security, the president said terror
groups could cause harm to a big country as one or two terrorist
operations would stop tourism. He stressed that fight against
terrorism requires international efforts and cooperation, even if some
countries are not directly affected. The president also underlined
that a united and decisive stance must be taken against countries that
support and use terrorism to achieve their goals. Terrorism prevailed
in Egypt since the military ousted former President Mohamed Morsi in
early July 2013 in response to mass protests against his 12-month rule
and his currently outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group. Terror attacks
killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers in North Sinai province, and
they gradually extended to other provinces, where dozens of civilians,
mainly Christians, were killed. Most of the attacks were claimed by
Sinai State group, based in Egypt's North Sinai
province.”
Libya
Voice
Of America: Egypt's El-Sissi Says Militias Hold Libyan Government
'Hostage'
“Libya's U.N.-supported government is held hostage by “armed and
terrorist militias” in the capital, Tripoli, Egypt's leader said
Sunday. President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi said in televised comments
that the Government of National Accord “is not able to have a free and
real will because they have been taken hostage by armed and terrorist
militias there.” The GNA is backed by Egypt's regional rivals Turkey
and Qatar and Egypt's relations with the two countries have been
strained since 2013. That's when Sissi, as defense minister, led the
military overthrow of elected but divisive Islamist President Muhammad
Morsi amid mass protests against his brief rule. Morsi was a member of
the Muslim Brotherhood. The Tripoli-based government is supported by a
Libyan affiliate of the Muslim Brotherhood group, which Cairo
designated as a terrorist organization in 2013. Turkey and Qatar are
also staunch backers of the Brotherhood. Sissi said the Libyan
conflict has posed a threat to Egypt's national security because
militants and weapons spill over the border into Egypt. He said it had
been a priority for Egypt to directly interfere in Libya “but did not
take this step to maintain the relationship and brotherhood with the
Libyan people.”
The
Arab Weekly: UN Experts Point Out Extremist Threat In
Libya
“UN experts said the interference of Chadian and Sudanese fighters
in Libya is “a direct threat” to the security and stability of the
war-torn country, which a leader of the Islamic State has declared
“one of the main axes” of its future operations. The panel of experts
said in a 376-page report to the UN Security Council, released
December 10, that the presence of the Chadians and Sudanese “has
become more marked” in 2019 as a result of the intensification of the
conflict in Libya. It said their continued presence as organised
groups or as mercenaries “may lead to further instability.” Libya has
been in turmoil since a civil war in 2011 toppled Muammar Qaddafi. In
the chaos that followed, the country was divided, with a weak
UN-supported administration in Tripoli overseeing the country’s west
and a rival government in the east aligned with the Libyan National
Army (LAN) led by Field-Marshal Khalifa Haftar, each supported by an
array of militias and foreign governments. Haftar launched a surprise
military offensive April 4 aimed at capturing Tripoli and curbing the
influence of militants who are backing the Fayez al-Sarraj-led
government there.”
Nigeria
Voice
Of America: Sources: Boko Haram Kill 19 Nigeria Herders In
Clashes
“Boko Haram jihadists gunned down 19 cattle herders Saturday in
northeast Nigeria, civilian militia sources and residents told AFP on
Sunday. Ethnic Fulani herders, besieged by a spate of armed attacks
targeting their cattle, pursued Boko Haram, sparking a fierce gunfight
outside Fuhe village, near Ngala close to the border with Cameroon.
“The insurgents killed 19 of the herdsmen in the fight,” anti-jihadist
militia leader Umar Kachalla told AFP. Bodies of the slain herders
were brought to the police by militiamen, Kachalla said. The herders
had earlier repelled an attack by Boko Haram fighters who invaded the
village to steal livestock, killing one of the militants, Mada said.
The herders then decided to pursue the jihadists and fight them “once
and for all”, Mada said, but were overwhelmed. “The herdsmen were
subdued by the better armed Boko Haram gunmen,” he said. Jihadists
then returned to Fuhe village and burnt homes and food supplies while
herds fled, according to Ngala resident Abubakar Yusuf, who saw the
dead bodies at the police station. Boko Haram has increasingly
targeted farmers, herders and loggers, accusing them of spying and
passing information to the military and the local militia fighting
them.”
Bloomberg:
Militants Execute Four More Aid Workers In Nigeria, Group
Says
“Aid agency Action Against Hunger said Islamist militants claimed
they executed four humanitarian workers who were kidnapped in
Nigeria’s northeast in July, bringing the number of deaths to five.
Six workers including an employee of Action Against Hunger, two
drivers and three health ministry officials were kidnapped on July 18
while delivering aid supplies to Damasak in Borno State. One of the
hostages was executed at the end of September. Action Against Hunger
is “extremely concerned and calls for the immediate release of its
staff member, Grace, who remains in captivity,” the group said in a
statement on its website. Nigeria’s northeast has been ravaged by
Islamist militants belonging to Boko Haram since 2009 and more
recently by groups linked to Islamic State. The conflict has forced an
estimated two million people to flee their homes. Nigerian President
Muhammadu Buhari condemned the executions and said the government is
“resolved to beat evil in this land,” according to a statement emailed
by a spokesman.”
Daily
Post Nigeria: Boko Haram: UN Reacts To Execution Of Aid Workers In
Borno
“The United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr Edward
Kallon, has condemned the execution of four aid workers by Boko Haram
in Nigeria’s northeastern Borno. “I am deeply saddened and outraged by
the news of the tragic killing of four aid workers who were held
captive by armed groups for almost five months,” stated Mr Kallon. “My
thoughts go to their families, friends and colleagues who are enduring
unspeakable pain and hardship.” The four men were amongst the six aid
workers who were abducted on 26 July when their convoy came under
attack near Damasak, in the Mobbar LGA. They were working on a health
project implemented by the INGO Action Against Hunger. One of the
drivers was killed during the attack and another was reportedly
executed on 24 September 2019. “I plead for the immediate release of
Grace Taku, the only woman who was in the ACF team, and whose
whereabouts remain unknown,” said the Humanitarian Coordinator. “I
also call for the immediate release of Alice Loksha, a nurse and a
mother, who was abducted during an attack in Rann in March 2018. “This
is another sad day for the people of Nigeria and the humanitarian
community supporting them,” regreted Mr Kallon.”
Xinhua:
15 Killed In Boko Haram Attack In NE Nigeria
“At least 15 people were killed when terror group Boko Haram
launched an attack on a town in Nigeria's northeastern state of Borno,
an official said on Saturday. Usman Zannah, a lawmaker representing
Borno in the national parliament, told Xinhua that scores of the Boko
Haram militants in 11 vehicles stormed the town of Magumeri, about 40
km north of Maiduguri, capital of Borno, to wreak the havoc late
Thursday. According to Zannah, the dead victims included eight local
militia members, six residents, and a security officer. Their bodies
were recovered on Friday. The gunmen had hit the town with
anti-aircraft guns and various caliber of arms. Ba'ana Liman, a local
hunter, said the attack lasted several hours as hunters engaged the
attackers with their locally-made guns. The military has not confirmed
the attack."
Anadolu
Agency: Nigeria: UN Condemns Boko Haram Killing Aid
Workers
“The United Nations on Saturday condemned the murder of four aids
workers this week by the Boko Haram terrorist group in northeast
Nigeria. UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria Edward Kallon said the
international community was saddened by the killing of the aid workers
who were abducted by terrorists in July on their way to a remote
community in the northeast to provide humanitarian support to victims
of Boko Haram violence. He said the incident could jeopardize access
to humanitarian support in the region. "I am deeply saddened and
outrage by the news of the tragic killing of four aid workers who were
held captive by the Armed group for almost five months," said Kallon
in a statement.”
Africa
The
National: Militants Kill 22 In Eastern DR Congo Despite Claims Of
Security Progress
“Militants killed at least 22 people overnight in eastern
Democratic Republic of Congo, authorities said on Sunday, despite
government claims to have rebels on the defensive. Similar attacks
have killed at least 179 civilians since the Congolese army launched
an offensive on October 30 against the Allied Democratic Forces, a
Ugandan militant group. In his State of the Nation address on Friday,
DRC President Felix Tshisekedi said the campaign had “dismantled”
nearly all of the group's sanctuaries and that the rebels were turning
to guerrilla tactics out of desperation. But the government has blamed
the rebel group for similar attacks going back years, including dozens
of night-time massacres since 2014 that have killed hundreds of
civilians. Repeated military operations have failed to fully eradicate
it. Richard Kivanzanga, the deputy administrator of Beni territory,
told Reuters he counted 22 bodies on Sunday in the villages of Baoba
and Ntombi. “The assailants killed women, men and children,” he said.
“It wasn’t possible to evacuate all the bodies today because we had to
wait for an escort from the army.” The surge in violence has lead to
deadly protests against the army and UN peacekeepers for failing to
protect them.”
Arab
News: Morocco Says Arrests Extremist Who Planned ‘Suicide
Attack’
“Moroccan anti-terror police announced Sunday the arrest of an
alleged extremist who “planned a suicide attack.” The 41-year-old
extremist tried to “build expertise in the use of arms,” Morocco’s
central office for judicial investigations said in a statement. He was
imbued in the “ideological propaganda” of the Daesh group, it added.
“Electronic devices and documents... on the making of explosives” were
seized, the office said. Long spared extremist violence, Morocco was
last year hit by the gruesome murder of two Scandinavian tourists in
the High Atlas mountains, committed in the name of Daesh. The
perpetrators were sentenced to death, a penalty not carried out in
Morocco since 1993.”
The
Jerusalem Post: Sudan Will Close Office Of Terrorist Groups Hezbollah,
Hamas
“The Sudanese transitional government is slated to close the
offices of the foreign terrorist organizations, Hamas and Hezbollah,
according to a report in the Middle East Eye. The Qatar regime
financed Middle East Eye reported that “A reliable Sudanese source
close to [Prime Minister Abdallah] Hamdok's office disclosed to Middle
East Eye that the government will close the offices of foreign groups
designated as terrorists by the US, including Hamas and Hezbollah.”
According to the report, “The Sudanese source who spoke to MEE, who
asked for anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the
media, said: “The government will close the offices of Hamas and
Hezbollah and any other Islamic group designated as terrorist groups
that has presence in Sudan, because Sudan has nothing actually to do
with these groups and the interests of Sudan are above everything.”
The Sudanese source added “Actually they have hidden their presence in
the past few years but we won't tolerate any individual's presence in
the future.” The outlet said the action to evict Hamas and Hezbollah
from the north African country was meant to convince the United States
government to de-list Sudan as a state-sponsor of terrorism.”
Voice
Of America: Ex-Sudan Strongman Al-Bashir Gets 2 Years For
Corruption
“A Sudanese court convicted former President Omar al-Bashir on
Saturday of corruption and money laundering and sentenced him to two
years in a correctional facility. The conviction was the first verdict
for Bashir, 75, whom the military deposed in April after months of
mass street protests against his three decades of authoritarian rule.
The court also ordered the confiscation of millions of U.S. dollars,
euros and Sudanese pounds that were found at Bashir's home when he was
ousted. Bashir was dressed in traditional white robes and a turban
during Saturday's court proceeding, and he watched quietly from inside
a metal cage while the judge read the verdict.”
BBC
News: Niger Army Base Attack: West African Leaders Call For More
Help
“Niger's President Mahamadou Issoufou said the militants had become
"professionals in the art of war". The Islamic State (IS) group said
it killed the soldiers during an attack on a military base in western
Niger. The soldiers were buried on Friday inside a military base close
to the capital Niamey. The leaders held a short prayer service beside
the graves of the soldiers. They included President Issoufou, and the
leaders of Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali and Mauritania - the G5 Sahel
nations bearing the brunt of attacks by militants linked to IS and
al-Qaeda.”
North Korea
The
New York Times: Top U.S. Envoy Warns North Korea Against Weapons
Tests
“The top United States envoy on North Korea warned on Monday that
if Pyongyang conducted a major weapons test in the coming days as
feared, it would be “most unhelpful,” as Washington tried to
de-escalate tensions with the country. “We are fully aware of the
strong potential for North Korea to conduct a major provocation in the
days ahead,” Stephen E. Biegun, Washington’s top representative on
North Korea, said during a news conference in Seoul. “Such an action
will be most unhelpful in achieving a lasting peace on the Korean
Peninsula.” Mr. Biegun, who was recently also appointed the State
Department’s No. 2 official, met with senior South Korean officials in
Seoul on Monday amid signs that North Korea was preparing to launch a
satellite or flight-test an intercontinental ballistic missile."
Germany
The
Jerusalem Post: Four German Parties Call For Ban Of Hezbollah
Activities
“In a new initiative, the Bundestag political factions of four
parties on Friday urged Chancellor Angela Merkel’s administration to
ban Hezbollah’s activities. The German wire service DPA reported that
the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Party, the Christian Social Union
Party, the Social Democratic Party and the Free Democratic Party
support the ban of Hezbollah activities in the federal republic, and
that the initiative is slated to be discussed this week in the
Bundestag. Merkel is a member of the CDU.”
Europe
Al
Jazeera: Finland Minister Apologises For Instagram Poll On ISIL
Women
“Finland's finance minister has deleted an Instagram post and
issued an apology following criticism by a human rights group that
embarrassed the new, women-led government days after it took office.
Katri Kulmuni, who became finance minister only this week, had posted
an informal poll on whether the government should allow Finnish women
with links to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS)
group to return from Syria, or just their children. The poll posted on
Thursday asked her Instagram followers whether they backed
repatriating “children only” or “children and mothers” from the al-Hol
camp in a part of Syria held by Kurds. Kulmuni's Centre Party opposes
letting the mothers return to Finland. Kulmuni, 32, said she had been
expressing the views of the Centre Party which she leads, highlighting
divisions on the issue with other parties in the five-party governing
coalition. “My aim to have a discussion on social media about a
complicated topic failed. I apologise for the poll,” Kulmuni tweeted
on Friday. “My IG [Instagram] poll aroused condemnation, it has been
removed. The style was unsuccessful.”
The
Jerusalem Post: Mossad Helps Denmark Bust 20 Terrorists -
Report
“The Mossad was behind successful efforts by Denmark to nab a cell
of 20 terrorists planning a wave of attacks, Channel 12 reported
Saturday night. According to the report, Danish security officials
arrested the terrorists and seized a variety of weapons. While Israel
previously disclosed that it had provided the intelligence to obstruct
an ISIS plot to bomb a United Arab Emirates Etihad Airways flight from
Sydney to Abu Dhabi, Netanyahu revealed that the intelligence that
broke the case was obtained through cyber tools. He said that while he
could not give specifics, the audience could “multiply by about 50”
the Sydney airline terrorist plot, and that would be the number of
terrorist plots worldwide (mostly by ISIS) that Israel has helped to
prevent thanks to its cyber intelligence powers. “The plane from
Sydney to Abu Dhabi was not going to be hijacked, but exploded in
midair,” he said. “We used our cyber tools to discover that ISIS was
going to do this, and so we alerted the Australian police, and they
stopped it before it could happen. “This particular incident I can
talk about because it was leaked to the media,” Netanyahu said. “If
you multiply that by 50, it will give you an idea of the contribution
that Israel has made to prevent major terrorist operations, especially
from ISIS, in dozens of countries.”
The
Jerusalem Post: Austrian MP Starts Initiative To Outlaw Hezbollah As
Terrorist Entity
“The Austrian MP, Helmut Brandstätter, on Thursday jump started a
parliamentary initiative to consider a government ban of the entire
Lebanese terrorist organization Hezbollah in the central European
country. "The Federal Government, in particular the Foreign Minister,
is asked to examine whether it is appropriate and productive to
classify the whole of Hezbollah in Austria a terrorist organization
and implement the same on the EU level," wrote Brandstätter, who is a
member of the NEOS Party, along with other Austrian MPs in the
parliament.”
Southeast Asia
The
New York Times: Alleged Militants Kill Police Officer In Eastern
Indonesia
“Alleged members of an Islamic militant group shot a police officer
to death in eastern Indonesia in the latest assault targeting security
officials in the world's most populous Muslim country, police said
Saturday. Five gunmen ambushed and took hostage villagers and police
officers who had just returned from Friday prayers at a small mosque
near a police post in Central Sulawesi province's Salubanga village,
said National Police spokesman Argo Yuwono. He said the hostages
managed to escape when the gunmen, believed to be members of the East
Indonesia Mujahideen militant group, sneaked into the mosque's yard
and opened fire at the officers and villagers, killing a police
officer, and fled to a nearby forested area in Parigi Moutong
district. The attack occurred amid security operations that had been
intensified in the past months in Poso, a neighboring mountainous
district considered an extremist hotbed, to try to capture the rest of
the group's members. The group still has some nine members after more
than 30 were captured or killed in the past year. The group's leader,
Abu Wardah Santoso, was killed in a shootout with security forces in
2016.”
China
CNN:
New York Times: US 'Secretly Expelled' Chinese Officials Who Entered
'Sensitive' Military Base
“Two Chinese Embassy officials were "secretly expelled" by the US
earlier this year after they entered a "sensitive" military base in
Virginia, The New York Times reported Sunday, citing conversations
with people with knowledge of the episode. The Times said half a dozen
people with knowledge of the expulsions said US officials believe "at
least one of the Chinese officials, who were with their wives, was an
intelligence officer operating under diplomatic cover."Officials at
the Chinese Embassy "complained to State Department officials about
the expulsions," the Times reported, noting that the action comes amid
heightened tensions between the US and China, "the world's two largest
economies and biggest strategic rivals." Chinese Foreign Ministry
spokesman Geng Shuang said Monday that the US accusations against the
Chinese diplomatic personnel were "seriously contrary to the
facts."
Technology
Financial
Times: Far-Right Extremists Flock To Protest Messaging App
Telegram
“Far-right extremists are migrating to the encrypted messaging app
Telegram, known for its crucial role in organising recent resistance
movements from Hong Kong to Iran, as other mainstream platforms crack
down on hate speech. The app — which was created by Pavel Durov,
founder of Russian social network VKontakte has been used as a
rallying platform by protesters around the world in recent months. But
according to academics and experts, the same privacy features that
make Telegram an effective tool for resisting authoritarian regimes
also make it well suited to gathering support for hate groups. The
far-right has come under increasing scrutiny from major social
platforms in the wake of multiple US mass shootings. In March,
Facebook announced it would ban white nationalism and separatism,
having previously limited its restrictions to white supremacist
content. YouTube said in June that it would ban neo-Nazi
material."
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