Eye on Extremism
August 29, 2022
The New York Times: Judge Recommends Rejecting Bid By Sept. 11 Families To Seize Frozen Afghan Funds
“A federal magistrate judge has recommended rejecting the effort by relatives of victims of the Sept. 11 attacks to seize $3.5 billion in frozen Afghan central bank funds to pay off judgment debts owed by the Taliban — in part because doing so, she said, would effectively recognize the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan. “The Taliban’s victims have fought for years for justice, accountability and compensation,” the judge, Sarah Netburn, wrote. “They are entitled to no less. But the law limits what compensation the court may authorize.” Those limits, she added, placed the Afghanistan central bank’s assets beyond the court’s reach. The 43-page report and recommendation by Judge Netburn, issued on Friday, is the latest twist in a case arising from the extraordinary circumstance of a country seized by a terrorist organization that is not recognized as its legitimate government. The case has raised novel legal issues that touch on matters of foreign policy, international finance, counterterrorism and domestic politics. The $3.5 billion in question is part of about $7 billion in Afghan central bank funds that had been deposited at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York before the Taliban took control of the country last year.”
CNN: Forty Years On, Hezbollah Is Isolated But More Powerful Than Ever
“Hezbollah capped off the 40th anniversary of its founding on Monday with large-scale celebrations on a stage in southern Beirut that featured holograms of fighters killed in battle, and videos showing off the group's historic confrontation with Israel. An interpretive dance, depicting how the group freed prisoners from ISIS in Syria, was a notable addition. Over the years, the Lebanese Shiite group has tried to rebrand itself from a paramilitary organization backed by Iran to a serious political and regional player. Forty years on, Hezbollah is militarily more powerful than ever, but also more globally isolated than it has ever been. Many countries including the United States, United Kingdom and Germany as well as Gulf Arab states and the Arab League, have labeled the entire group a terrorist organization, while the European Union and France consider only Hezbollah's military wing as such. Hassan Nasrallah, the group's leader, is considered a specially designated global terrorist by the United States and subject to American sanctions as a result. The movement first emerged in 1982 as a response to Israel's invasion of Beirut during Lebanon's bloody civil war. The Israelis met their objective of expelling Palestinian fighters from the country, but catalyzed a more formidable enemy in Hezbollah as a result.”
United States
Reuters: New Mexico Man Accused Of Planning Islamic State Training Center
“A New Mexico man was charged with attempting to set up a training center for people wishing to fight for Islamic State, the Department of Justice said on Friday. A federal grand jury on Aug. 23 charged Herman Leyvoune Wilson, 45, of Albuquerque, with trying to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization by setting up an “Islamic State Center” in New Mexico, according to a DOJ statement. The center aimed to teach Islamic State ideology, provide training in “tactical maneuvers and martial arts,” and serve as a safe haven for individuals preparing to travel and fight on behalf of the group in the United States and abroad, the statement said. Wilson, also known as Bilal Mu’Min Abdullah, helped run an online platform that promoted Islamic State recruitment and discussed attacks in the United States and overseas, the statement said. Devon Fooks, a federal public defender representing Wilson, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Two men sentenced in July for providing support to Islamic State said Wilson brought them into the group, prosecutors said. Kristopher Matthews, 36, of South Carolina and Jaylyn Molina, 24, of Texas said Wilson radicalized them to “ISIS ideology,” the statement said.”
Fox News: New York Man Pleads Guilty To Plotting ISIS-Inspired Attack In Queens
“A New York City man who plotted a terrorist attack with a knife on behalf of the Islamic State terror group pleaded guilty in federal court Friday. Awais Chudhary, 22, admitted to attempting to provide material support to ISIS in a Brooklyn courtroom, the Justice Department said. He faces up to 20 years in prison. Federal prosecutors said Chudhary, who was born in Pakistan, pledged his loyalty to the terror group in August 2019 after watching terrorist propaganda videos online. He began planning a knife or bomb attack on targets in Queens and sought guidance from ISIS supporters, authorities said. He surveilled his intended targets and video recorded areas he wanted to attack, prosecutors said. In addition, he also sent a screenshot of a document from an ISIS propaganda magazine that included a diagram of the human body depicting where to stab victims with a knife. To commit the attacks, Chudhary ordered a number of items online, including tactical knife, a mask, gloves, and a cellphone chest and head strap to record the attack in an effort to inspire other lone wolves. Chudhary allegedly told one undercover agent he wanted to use a knife for the attack “because that’s what he knows,” but would be open to learning how to build a bomb if the undercover agent could teach him.”
The Hill: Republican Senators Challenge Immigration Rule Change On Terrorist Support
“Ten Republican senators sent a letter to members of the Biden administration this week demanding an explanation for a rule change that will allow some individuals who have materially supported terrorist organizations to immigrate to the U.S. “We write because the American people deserve an explanation regarding the broad, open-ended nature of this authority for exempting individuals who would otherwise be barred from immigration to the United States for supporting a terrorist organization,” Sen. Bill Hagerty (Tenn.) and his colleagues wrote wrote in the letter addressed to Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The June 8 determination by the Departments of Homeland Security and State announced that people who have provided “insignificant” or “limited” material support to terrorist organizations in the past will no longer be barred from immigration. The Secretaries of the two departments have authority to exempt some from federal prohibitions on the immigration of people linked to terrorist activity. However, according to the letter, “Usually, such an exemption is limited to specific groups or conflicts for obvious reasons.”
Syria
The Washington Post: Fighting Between U.S. Troops And Militias Draws Scrutiny To Syria Role
“Clashes between U.S. troops and Iran-backed militias in Syria this month have prompted new scrutiny of the Pentagon’s mission in Syria, as tit-for-tat strikes threaten to escalate tensions in the region. The U.S. decision to target facilities in eastern Syria on Tuesday — which officials say had been used to launch attacks against U.S. forces by groups affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps — threatens to heighten tensions with Iran as the two countries try to reach a deal to revive the 2015 nuclear deal. “Iran’s malign activities are increasing on a number of fronts right now,” said William Wechsler, director of Middle East programs at the Atlantic Council and a former high-ranking Pentagon official. “And to the degree that there’s anyone in the IRGC that thinks that as they increase the amount of malign activities that they’re doing in the region, that an appropriate thing on the list is to also target Americans, they need to be dissuaded.” The United States has long maintained an unofficial policy that when provocations put American lives at risk, they demand a response. In recent months, as the attacks escalated however, the Biden administration has wrestled with when to respond and how to avoid sparking a wider conflict, according to officials and analysts.”
Voice Of America: Syria Kurds Hunt Jihadists In Sweep Of Al-Hol Camp
“Kurdish forces said they had arrested dozens of suspects at a camp in Syria housing relatives of Islamic State group members as part of a crackdown on the jihadists this week. Al-Hol is the largest camp for displaced people who fled after IS was dislodged from its last scrap of Syrian territory in 2019 by Kurdish-led forces backed by a U.S.-led coalition. It is still home to more than 56,000 people, mostly Syrians and Iraqis but also including other foreigners linked to the Sunni Muslim extremists. The camp located in northeastern Syria has grown increasingly volatile this year, with at least 26 people murdered, according to the United Nations. The sweep launched on Thursday “aims to arrest IS operatives in the camp who are behind terrorist attacks,” said Siyemend Ali of the People's Protection Units (YPG), a Kurdish militia. So far at least 27 suspects have been detained, he said from Al-Hol. “Our forces began to dismantle empty tents used by IS during attacks and started registering the names of residents... and collecting their fingerprints,” Ali said. Kurdish security forces were heavily deployed in the camp on Friday, AFP correspondents said.”
Iraq
Kurdistan 24: Iraqi Forces Launch A Fresh Operation Against ISIS In Kirkuk
“The Iraqi forces launched a new sweeping operation against the remnants of ISIS in the remote areas between Kirkuk and Nineveh on early Saturday, according to the military’s media. This is the sixth phase of the military campaign, dubbed Solid Will, according to Security Media Cell. The Czechia-made L-159 fighter jets took part in the campaign along with infantry forces and Federal Police, the statement added. The forces began their operation in the areas between Nineveh Plains and Kirkuk province, aiming to secure the Mount Mama ranges and valleys in the southwest of Kirkuk, it added. The ISIS militants use these areas as “land corridors”. At least 12 explosive devices have been confiscated so far along with stockpiles of weapons, per the statement. The Iraqi forces have previously launched similar campaigns within the framework of the Solid Operation. The fifth phase of the military activity was held jointly by the Iraqi army and Peshmerga forces in a wide range of areas between the Saladin and Diyala provinces. The Kurdish and Iraqi forces have launched similar operations in the areas previously. They are intended to fill the “security vacuum” widened in the area due to lack of coordination.”
Afghanistan
NPR: Afghans From Minority Groups Face New Threats — This Time From ISIS
“In Afghanistan, ISIS has been targeting minority groups in a wave of attacks in recent months. It's undermining the Taliban's promise of greater security. RACHEL MARTIN, HOST: Many Afghans say their cities and villages feel safer under the Taliban. Now in power, the assaults that the Taliban once waged are no more. But a wave of targeted attacks by ISIS is undermining that security, especially among minority groups. NPR's Arezou Rezvani reports from Kabul.AREZOU REZVANI, BYLINE: It's just before the start of Friday prayers, and a group of men are running wheelbarrows of wet cement into a mosque here in western Kabul. They're repairing a room that was blown out a couple of months ago in a suicide attack. Worshippers were inside reciting Sufi prayers when the bomb exploded. It killed more than 50 people. HASIBULLAH NEGAZAD-FAWNI: (Through interpreter) I'm unable to explain the image to you. I lost many relatives of mine in the attack - my nephews, my cousin, many of my other relatives. REZVANI: That's 29-year-old Hasibullah Negazad-Fawni. He's long been a committed follower of this Sufi mosque. Now, with a rifle slung around his shoulder, he helps guard it.”
Middle East
NPR: Palestinians Grow Frustrated With Militants In Gaza, And A Rift Could Be Forming
“When fighting erupted between Israel and the hard-line Palestinian militant group, Islamic Jihad, here earlier this month, the battle lasted just three days but it took a heavy toll: Gaza's Health Ministry said 49 Palestinians were killed, including 17 children. The Israeli military said it was targeting Islamic Jihad members for allegedly planning or executing attacks on Israelis. Israel says it killed 20 militants and acknowledges killing several civilians. Islamic Jihad responded to the attacks by firing more than 1,100 rockets, according to Israel, which said some of the rockets killed Gazan civilians when the projectiles fell short and landed in Gaza. People in Gaza say they believe the violence, and duration, would have been even worse had the larger, ruling militant group, Hamas, gotten involved. But in a change of tack, Hamas sat this one out. Since the fighting — the deadliest in Gaza since last year's 11-day war — residents are having difficult discussions about the roles of the militant groups. Most Gazans support resistance against Israel for its treatment of Palestinians, and the militants do have active supporters. But many residents are frustrated at the groups over problems like unemployment and deep poverty. And some analysts see a rift forming between Hamas and Islamic Jihad, even though they project unity.”
The Jerusalem Post: Four Terror Suspects Arrested In West Bank Overnight, Illegal Weapons Seized
“IDF troops, along with the Shin Bet and Israel Border Police forces, operated in multiple locations throughout the West Bank overnight on Saturday and arrested four people wanted on suspicion of involvement in terrorist activities, as well as confiscated illegal weapons. During a raid in the Palestinian village of Bayt Awa near Hebron, one person wanted on suspicion of terrorist activities was arrested by security forces, and an illegally acquired M16 weapon and ammunition were seized. In addition, IDF soldiers operated in the city of Nablus, arresting two wanted individuals suspected of terrorist activities. Gunfire could be heard in the surrounding areas throughout the operation in Nablus and in other locations throughout the night. In the Jenin area, security forces encountered gunmen and exchanged fire, with no casualties reported to Israeli troops. In the Palestinian town of A-Ram, located just outside of Jerusalem, a fourth person was arrested on suspicion of terror. All four suspects have been transferred for further questioning, along with the confiscated weapons.”
Nigeria
Reuters: Former Nigerian Militants Get Contracts To Combat Oil Theft
“Nigeria's state oil company has hired a company owned by former militant Tompolo, whose movement's attacks on facilities in the early 2000s crippled oil production, to protect installations and tackle rampant theft, his spokesman said. It was one of five security contracts awarded as theft and pipeline sabotage have cut Nigeria's oil exports by nearly half a million barrels per day to 1.4 million bpd. Tompolo, whose real name is Government Ekpemupolo, once lead the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), which made frequent attacks until a government amnesty programme gave some militants contracts to protect oil installations. Attacks resumed in 2016, not long after the government issued an arrest warrant for Tompolo on corruption charges. Paul Ebbenimibo, a spokesman for Tompolo, said the companies would protect pipelines Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Ondo and Imo states. Ebbenimibo said that Tompolo told others in the region to stop stealing from the pipelines and accept security jobs to enable the economy in the region to bounce back. An NNPC source confirmed the contracts but the state oil company did not comment when reached by Reuters. Spokesmen for Bayelsa, Delta and Imo state said they were aware of the contracts but did not know details. Spokesmen for Edo and Ondo did not comment.”
Somalia
Voice Of America: Al-Shabab Militants Issue New Threats Against Kenya
“Somali-based, al-Qaida-affiliated Islamist militant group al-Shabab has issued a new threat against neighboring Kenya. The group said it will continue its attacks in that country as long as Kenyan troops are in Somalia. Al-Shabab said in an English-language statement Saturday it will continue to target Kenyan towns and cities until Kenyan troops are out of Somalia. It said that if the Kenyan government continues to maintain its “invasion” of Muslim lands it will continue to strike inside Kenya. “Know that we will continue to defend our lands and our people from the aggressive Kenyan invasion. We will continue to concentrate our attacks on Kenyan towns and cities as long as Kenyan forces continue to occupy our Muslim lands,” the group said. Omar Mahmood, an International Crisis Group senior analyst for Eastern Africa discussed the situation with VOA via WhatsApp. “Generally, al-Shabab remains a threat to Kenya, both from infiltration across the border and terrorist attacks in other parts of the country. So, they will continue trying to target Kenya if they don't get what they want, which at its core is the end of a Kenyan military operation in Somalia,” he said.”
Africa
Bloomberg: Six Killed In Mining Convoy Attack In Eastern Burkina Faso
“Unidentified armed men killed six civilians and injured two others in an attack on a convoy returning from a gold mine operated by Endeavour Mining in eastern Burkina Faso, according to a statement from the army. The vehicles left the Boungou mine on Thursday to assist a supply convoy that had been stuck on the road for several days, according to Burkina Faso’s army chief of staff. At one point, the vehicles were left without an armed escort, which is when the attack took place. Burkina Faso is battling a sprawling Islamist insurgency that placed the country fourth on the Institute of Economics and Peace’s Global Terrorism Index, behind Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia. Attacks have been increasingly targeting the country’s gold mining industry, leading to a plunge in production in the first half of 2022. Endeavour took over operations at Boungou from Quebec-based Semafo in March 2020. At the time, Boungou had been shut for five months after 39 people were killed in an attack on a convoy carrying employees from the mine in November 2019. An Endeavour official didn’t immediately respond to a text message seeking comment.”
United Kingdom
Bloomberg: Two Charged With Terrorist Offences After Probe Into Right-Wing Extremism
“A man and woman will appear in court on Saturday charged with terrorist offences following an investigation into right-wing extremism, police said. Darren Reynolds and Christine Grayson, both 59, have been remanded into custody ahead of the hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court. Reynolds, of Newbould Crescent, Sheffield, is accused of six counts of possessing material containing information likely to be useful to a person committing a terrorist act. He is further charged with one count of encouraging terrorism, three offences of disseminating a terrorist publication, and one count of conspiracy to commit criminal damage. Grayson, of Boothwood Road, York, faces one count of conspiracy to commit criminal damage and one charge under Section 1 of the Terrorism Act 2006. They were detained after pre-planned and intelligence-led arrests at their home addresses on Monday following an investigation by Counter Terrorism Policing North East (CTPNE). Warrants of further detention were granted on Tuesday, CTPNE said. They will appear via video-link before magistrates in London on Saturday.”
BBC News: New IRA: Two Men In Court On Terrorism Charges
“Two men have appeared in court on terrorism charges linked to a major investigation into the New IRA. Joseph Donnelly, 51, from Westrock Drive, Belfast, and Gary Gerard MacNally, 62, from Barnfield Grange, Lisburn, were arrested in west Belfast on Wednesday. Both are accused of three offences, including directing terrorism. They were detained as part of an ongoing operation against the New IRA involving MI5. As well as directing terrorism, they are accused of membership of a proscribed group and preparing acts of terrorism, which allegedly involved meetings “in the vicinity of” Whiterock Leisure Centre in Belfast. All the offences are alleged to have occurred between December 2019 and August 2022. The two men appeared briefly at Belfast Magistrates Court via video-link. They spoke only to confirm that they understood the charges against them. A police officer told the court that part of the evidence in the case involves audio material dating from August 2020. No application was made for bail and the pair were remanded in custody.”
The National: British Man Found Guilty Of Sharing ISIS Propaganda On Facebook
“A 29-year-old man has been found guilty of sharing a video on Facebook that glorified ISIS fighters after the propaganda was posted in a private group in June last year. Jurors at the Old Bailey took 10 hours and two minutes to find Sabbir Miah, of Newham in London, guilty of a single charge of disseminating a terrorist publication. Before deliberating over the verdict, the jury was told Miah had five previous convictions for similar offences committed in 2016 and 2017. Judge Anuja Dhir QC called for pre-sentence reports and adjourned sentencing to October 4. The judge said the previous convictions were “highly relevant” for the pre-sentence reports. The court also heard that the accused had a Home Office mentor. The judge said it is important to know about the mentoring and support the accused was given when he was released from prison. “The very same day Mr Miah joined the group, he posted a video which could be viewed by anyone in the private group,” prosecutor Diana Wilson told the trial. “The video includes a black flag that has been adopted by ISIS and is produced by Al Hayat media, who produce ISIS propaganda.” It clearly is an [ISIS] publication which glorifies ISIS fighters and is intended to do so.”
Germany
Deutsche Welle: German Court Sentences Former Teacher Over Far-Right Video Blogs
“The Berlin-Tiergarten district court on Friday sentenced far-right video blogger Nikolai Nerling to a nine-month probation sentence. The 42-year-old, who calls himself “The People's Teacher,” was convicted, among other things, of insult and incitement in two cases and the use of signs of either organizations either deemed terrorist or otherwise outlawed in Germany. What did Nerling actually do? In one example from March 2018, Nerling was accused of uploading an interview he conducted with notorious Holcaust denier Ursula Haverbeck to YouTube. In the video, the 93-year-old denied the Holocaust, as she had done many times before. For that and other acts, the Berlin regional court sentenced her to a one-year prison term back in January. The prosecution accused Nerling of having known that Haverbeck's statements were contrary to established historical facts. He was also charged with publishing another video in which he “deliberately wanted to attack and ridicule a man in his Jewish identity.” According to the indictment, in 2019 he also published images on his channel showing someone giving the Hitler salute. The Hitler salute, and various other Nazi symbols or gestures, remain outlawed to this day in Germany. Another video shows Nerling visiting the city of Lüneburg. During this visit, he commented on and defaced an information board on the crimes of the 110th Infantry Division of the Wehrmacht.”
Technology
Fortune: A Proud Boys Network Was Trying To Stealthily Mobilize On Facebook And Instagram. Meta’s Counterterrorism Team Snuffed It Out
“Four years after first banning the Proud Boys, Facebook parent company Meta had to snuff out nearly 500 new accounts linked to the far-right group trying to organize on its platforms. Meta removed accounts linked to people, groups, and events affiliated with the Proud Boys, a group with ties to political violence and white supremacist organizations in the U.S., confirmed Meta counterterrorism policy lead Dina Hussein in a Twitter post Thursday. Hussein’s team had identified and uprooted the accounts after evidence emerged of hate speech and other “adversarial behavior.” “Our team recently uncovered and took down a network of about 480 Proud Boys accounts,” Hussein announced, adding that her team has removed around 750 accounts and groups linked to the organization so far this year on Meta platforms including Facebook and Instagram. Hussein said that her team had employed a strategy known as “strategic network disruptions,” which blacked out the entire online Proud Boys network Meta had identified at the same time. Strategic network disruptions are a relatively new addition to Meta’s security and moderation arsenal, as the company has in recent years become increasingly focused on countering online terrorism and extremist groups.”
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