Eye on Extremism
December 18, 2019
The
New York Times: Roadside Bomb Kills 10 Members Of Afghan
Family
“A roadside bomb killed 10 members of one family, including three
women and two children, in southeastern Afghanistan on Tuesday,
officials said. Halim Fidai, governor of Khost province where the
incident took place, said the family was on their way to a neighboring
province when their vehicle struck the device planted on the main
road. Some 18 civilians were wounded in a similar incident in northern
Balkh province, said Adil Shah Adil, provincial police chief
spokesman. Although there is a winter lull in fighting due to heavy
snowfall in the mountains, when militants use colder months to rest
and regroup ahead of annual spring offensive, roadside bombs continue
to be deployed across parts of the country. Republican Senator Lindsey
Graham visited Kabul on Monday after U.S. negotiator Zalmay Khalilzad
renewed talks with the Taliban this month on steps that could lead to
a ceasefire and a settlement of the 18-year-long war. Graham said that
U.S. troops abandoning Afghanistan would be a "strategic mistake",
despite the recognition that numbers could be cut. "To reduce our
forces this coming year is possible. The Afghan security forces are
getting more capable and as they achieve capability, the number of
U.S. forces necessary can go down," Graham told a news conference in
Kabul.”
The
Hill: Congress Set To Pass Bill To Help Terrorism Victims Win
Compensation From Palestinian Authority
“Congress appears set to approve legislation intended to help
American victims of terrorism win compensation from the Palestinian
Authority. The Promoting Security and Justice for Victims of Terrorism
Act of 2019 would call on the State Department to facilitate
negotiations on behalf of American victims and their families to
settle multimillion-dollar claims with the Palestinian Authority. It
also clarifies language on how U.S. courts can establish “personal
jurisdiction” over the Palestinian Authority by providing guidelines
for saying when the Palestinian governing body is subject to the
American justice system. The final text was negotiated between Sens.
James Lankford (R-Okla.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and is
expected to pass the House and Senate this week as part of the
1,800-page appropriations package meant to fund the government through
the end of next year. The text was added to the appropriations package
on Monday night. Lawmakers in both the House and Senate have worked
for over a year to craft the language, which is an amendment to the
Anti-Terrorism Clarification Act (ATCA). That law passed last year and
was meant to close loopholes that allowed the Palestinian Authority to
avoid paying a $655 million verdict to American victims of Palestinian
terrorist attacks.”
Global
News: Protest Camps In Lebanon Attacked By Hezbollah
Supporters
“Assailants attacked several protest camps in north and south
Lebanon early on Tuesday, according to state-run media, demolishing
tents and burning down others as anger boiled over in the capital
following a video deemed offensive to the country’s Shiites. The
violence — some of it apparently carried out by Hezbollah supporters
and their allies — threatened to plunge Lebanon further into chaos
amid two months of anti-government protests and a spiralling financial
crisis. In Beirut, charred remains of several torched cars were
scattered on a main highway while faint smoke smoldered from a fire
set in a building overlooking the epicentre of two-month-old protests
after a night of rage by supporters of Lebanon’s two main Shiite
groups, Hezbollah and Amal. It was the third consecutive night of
violence in Lebanon, coming after the Lebanese president on Monday
postponed talks on naming a new prime minister, further prolonging the
unrest in the Mediterranean country.”
Deutsche
Welle: Right-Wing Extremists In Germany To Face Amped Up
Intelligence
“Germany has announced sweeping plans to restructure domestic
intelligence and law enforcement agencies in 2020 to step up the fight
against right-wing extremism. Measures include 600 new intelligence
positions for weeding out potentially violent right-wing extremists
and their networks, more targeted cyber investigations and increased
coordination between state and federal intelligence services, German
Interior Minister Horst Seehofer announced on Tuesday. The
restructuring follows two high-profile cases of right-wing terror over
the past six months: The killing of Walter Lübcke, the president of
the district council for the central German city of Kassel, who was
shot in his home in June; and two deaths in the eastern city of Halle
at the hand of a white supremacist who failed to enter a synagogue on
Yom Kippur, a major Jewish holiday. "I'll never forget a young citizen
in Halle calling through the silence that 'you all can't protect us,'"
Seehofer recalled on Tuesday. "As a consequence of Halle, we want to
confirm to the public: Many steps are being taken." Seehofer described
those deaths as part of a slew of "terrible isolated incidents" and
said they were casting shadows over Germany's sinking crime rates over
the past two years.”
The
New York Times: How Iran Justifies Its
Violence
“Historians will record the blood-soaked days of November as some
of the worst mass killings of protesters in modern Iranian history. A
sudden increase in fuel prices led to protests across the country; the
regime responded with brute violence. Amnesty International has
verified “at least” 304 deaths between Nov. 15 and 18. Credible
Iranian opposition sources have cited a preliminary figure of 366
while The New York Times reported that “180 to 450 people, and
possibly more, were killed,” with “at least 2,000 wounded and 7,000
detained.” A statement from the Iranian Writers’ Association observed:
“Every corner of Iran is mourning the atrocities.” Iranian artists,
physicians, trade unionists and teachers have condemned the
repression. The Islamic Republic is in damage control mode as it seeks
to manage growing public anger and international demands for
accountability. Reversing the regime’s early narrative that these
protests were a foreign plot, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme
leader of Iran, has admitted the loss of innocent life. He said these
citizens were “martyrs” who deserved financial
compensation.”
CBS
News: World Of Worship: Ancient Monastery In Iraq Survives Centuries
Of Upheaval, But ISIS Threat Is Still Felt
“In recent years, Iraq has suffered terrible violence, often
inflamed by religious differences. But in a country where worship can
come at a heavy cost, CBS News correspondent Charlie D'Agata
discovered an unlikely oasis hidden in the mountains: an ancient
Christian monastery. The Rabban Hormizd Monastery, one of the oldest
of its kind in the world, was founded almost 1,400 years ago. Carved
into and out of the very rock on which it rests, the temple overlooks
the vast plains of northern Iraq. Its namesake, Rabban Hormizd,
traveled from Persia. He lived as a hermit for almost 30 years, living
an austere life of isolation in the network of caves that push deep
into the mountainside. Over time, more monks made the pilgrimage,
settling in its labyrinth. "Christians are an important part of the
community here in Iraqi Kurdistan," said 21-year-old Miriam Salih, who
traveled to the monastery with other Iraqi history students. "They've
been here for thousands of years." Over the centuries, the monastery
has been more than a house of worship. It's been a sanctuary, a safe
place in a region that has had more than its fair share of upheaval.
The Mongols, the Kurds, the Ottomans and the Turks all overran the
territory at one point or another, yet it somehow survived. But the
biggest threat came in modern times.”
United States
The
Wall Street Journal: Making ‘Maximum Pressure’ Multilateral
Again
“Iran has violated the 2015 nuclear deal by exceeding its allotted
stockpiles of plutonium and enriched uranium, the International Atomic
Energy Agency confirmed earlier this month. The United Nations nuclear
watchdog also found that Iran has purified uranium to a higher level
than was agreed in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. In
response, European diplomats reportedly threatened to reapply
sanctions that were lifted when the nuclear deal was signed. “There is
no question the Europeans are getting tired of the Iranian regime’s
tactics and lies,” a senior U.S. official told me. The threats are
serious, he said, but Britain, France and Germany “are not there yet.”
Asked about reimposing sanctions, European diplomats at the U.N. often
retort, “Why don’t you ask the Americans?” The expectation that the
U.S. must lead raises immediate legal confusion. Hasn’t America left
the deal already? Not so fast. Remember, the JCPOA is a nonbinding
road map or, as its name indicates, a mere plan of action. It isn’t a
treaty ratified by Congress or the Majlis, Iran’s parliament.
President Obama knew he couldn’t muster enough political support for
the deal at home, so he turned to the U.N. Security Council.
Resolution 2231 thus became the legal authority governing the nuclear
deal.”
Al
Jazeera: US Congress Takes Aim At Syrian War Crimes, Russian
Aggression
“The United States Congress on Tuesday ratcheted up pressure on
Syria, Russia and China while making it more difficult for the Trump
administration to reduce commitments to allies from Europe to Asia. As
part of a defence policy bill that passed the Senate on Tuesday, the
legislation would impose sanctions on Syrian troops and others
responsible for atrocities committed during Syria's civil war and fund
war crimes investigations and prosecutions. The bill now goes to the
White House, where President Donald Trump has said he will sign it.
The bill also registered strong congressional concern about Russia
and China, will bind the US to support Ukraine militarily and bar the
Trump administration from any move to recognise Russia's annexation of
Crimea. In addition, it restricts Trump's ability to extract the US
from NATO or draw down its troop presence in South Korea. It
establishes funding for long-term emergency medical care for more than
40 American diplomats, other government workers and their dependents
who were injured in mysterious circumstances in Cuba and China.”
Syria
The
New York Times: Russian, Syrian Air Strikes Kill 17 In Rebel-Held
Northwest: Rescuers
“Syrian government and Russian air strikes killed at least 17
people on Tuesday in rebel-held northwestern Syria in a spike in
casualties from relentless daily strikes in recent months, witnesses
and rescuers said. The northwest corner of the country, including the
Idlib region, is the last significant swathe of Syrian territory still
in insurgent hands after eight and a half years of war. Russia, which
has backed President Bashar al-Assad against rebels and Islamist
militants, and Turkey, long a supporter of rebels, co-sponsored a
conflict "de-escalation" deal for the area earlier this year that has
since faltered. Two members of local rescue services said at least
four people were killed and scores hurt when aerial bombs fell on a
major market in the rural town of Maasran. Another six civilians lost
their lives when the town of Bdama was hit, they said. Videos posted
on social media and confirmed by residents showed emergency crews
pulling charred bodies along the debris-strewn streets of Maasran as
ambulances were arriving. A further five people were killed in the
nearby town of Telmanas in the southeastern part of Idlib province,
according to Abdullah al-Halabi of the local rescue service. Air
strikes on several villages in the area had killed another two dead
two people and injured scores, he added.”
USA
Today: I've Met The Children Of ISIS Fighters. Their Home Countries
Can't Abandon Them Forever.
“The Islamic State terrorist organization drew men and women from
all over the world, many bringing their children along, and many more
giving birth to children and building families. Now that the caliphate
has collapsed, and many of the male fighters were killed, what happens
to the remaining children and mothers? An estimated 49,000 children
remain in dreadful conditions in the al-Hol refugee camp in Syria
because their home communities or countries refuse to take them back.
Additionally, about 1,300 children from European countries remain in
Syria and Iraq. These countries are afraid that the children cannot be
rehabilitated and pose too great of a risk to public safety. The
recent stabbing in London by a convicted Islamist terrorist released
after serving six years in prison underlines those fears. A relatively
small number of children and mothers have been repatriated to their
countries. The United States has accepted only about a dozen
returnees. Kazakhstan, a Central Asian country and former Soviet
republic, is an example to other countries, having repatriated
hundreds of children and women. Kazakh officials told me they have
returned more than 400 children and 100 mothers, along with 30 adult
male fighters.”
BBC
News: Syria War: Air Strikes And Shelling Kill 24 Civilians In
Idlib
“Nine people, including three children, died when warplanes bombed
the town of Talmenes, the White Helmets reported. Meanwhile the wife
and three children of one of the group's volunteers were among six
members of the same family killed when shells hit Badama village. An
air strike on the town of Maasaran reportedly killed another six
people. Idlib is the last major region still held by rebel fighters
and jihadists opposed to President Bashar al-Assad. The United Nations
estimates the region is home to three million people, including a
million children. More than 40% of them come from other previously
opposition-held areas. A ceasefire negotiated by Russia, whose
military campaign in support of Mr Assad has turned the tide of the
eight-year civil war in his favour, and Turkey, which backs the
opposition, halted a government assault on Idlib in August. However,
skirmishes and bombardments are still an almost daily occurrence. On 7
December, air strikes on opposition-held areas reportedly killed 20
people. Nine of the deaths were in the village of Balyoun, where a
market was hit.”
Al
Jazeera: Women Under ISIL: The
Nurse
“My name is Yasmine. I was a maternity nurse during the time of
ISIL. They said they were now in charge of the public hospital and
told us that we had to show up for work. They had a list of our
addresses so they forced us to come - whether we liked it or not. They
handicapped us with their restrictions on clothing. I could not work
properly. We could not move normally. I could not administer an IV to
a baby. Imagine, putting an IV into a baby's vein with fully-covered
eyes. I could not see a thing. Their instructions had to be followed
to the letter. Makeup was forbidden. Our handbags had to be black. Our
shoes had to be black, our socks black. Everything black. To be
honest, we looked like rubbish bags. Black on black. One day, when I
was nine months pregnant with my daughter, I went out to shop. They
arrested me. They told me to get on the bus so they could take me to
the religious police. They charged me 3,500 Syrian pounds ($7) for an
abaya. Even though I was already wearing a long and wide one. They did
not like the material. They were the exclusive suppliers. We were
supposed to buy only from them. They even banned the sale of niqabs
(veils) in regular shops so that they could only be bought from
them.”
Iran
Haaretz:
Head Of Iran’s Quds Force In Yemen Who's Behind Saudi Oil Attack
‘Identified’
“Iran’s take on domestic security is increasingly reminiscent of
the approach in China or North Korea, Norman Roule, a retired 34-year
veteran of the CIA, told Haaretz in a conversation that echoed the
fascinating analysis he recently published in the United States. As
Roule puts it, despite the U.S.-led sanctions on Iran that are badly
damaging its economy, the regime of the Islamic Republic is willing to
invest huge sums to stay in power, even at the cost of severely
repressing dissent. The sagging economy, which is one reason for the
violent riots last month, hasn’t deterred the leaders. Iran’s
government and private sector have invested about $400 million in
technology for cutting the Iranian people off from the internet, Roule
said. During the recent demonstrations, the regime did just that; the
leaders have discussed setting up a separate Iranian internet like the
one in China. The efforts at repression also include major investments
to jam foreign television broadcasts, all in an attempt to isolate the
country. Roule retired in September 2017 after serving in a number of
key positions at the CIA.”
Quartz:
Smuggling In Plain Sight: How Foreign Businesses Help Iran Violate US
Sanctions
“The skies above Iran are looking pretty unfriendly right now. As
of this summer, about half of the Islamic Republic’s civilian aircraft
fleet, which is operated by 23 separate airlines, is grounded. That’s
primarily because US sanctions prevent the carriers from purchasing
spare parts. As a result, the state of Iran’s increasingly dilapidated
commercial aviation industry has fallen behind Afghanistan’s. Iran has
been under sanctions of one form or another since the country’s 1979
Islamic Revolution. These days the United States sanctions Iran as
punishment for its pursuit of nuclear weapons and support of terrorist
organizations. The “nuclear deal” brokered by the Obama administration
in 2015 briefly relieved Iran from the crippling sanctions. But last
year, US president Donald Trump reinstated the sanctions, violating
the agreement, and launched what he calls a “maximum pressure”
campaign against the country. The Trump administration has so far
blacklisted hundreds of banks, people, and companies working with
Iran. Because of this, Iran has once again been forced to get what it
needs on the black market. Airplane parts are high on its shopping
list.”
Radio
Farda: Iran's Paramilitary Basij Force Plans To Boost Presence In
Every 'Neighborhood'
“The Basij paramilitary force under the command of Iran’s
Revolutionary Guards plans to increase its presence in every
“neighborhood”, in the wake of widespread protests in November when
hundreds of protesters were killed and thousands arrested. The Basij
plays a major role in suppressing demonstrations and its larger
presence in urban areas will help it gather intelligence and deter
would-be protesters. Fars news agency quoted head of Basij
Organization, Gholamreza Soleimani December 17, who said there are
also plans to expand women’s Basij, establish a “Basij University” and
other new projects. In recent days there have been clear signs of a
stronger Basij presence in urban areas. This follows an order by
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei last month for the Basij to adopt
the model of Revolutionary Committees, of the years immediately
following the establishment of the Islamic Republic in the 1980s.
These committees were loyal followers of the regime, paid by the
state, who intimidated and arrested citizens suspected of disloyalty
to the new political system. Meanwhile, Tehran’s deputy Governor
announced that the government has designated nine venues for groups
and individuals to hold protests, “after they obtain a
permit”.”
Iraq
Kurdistan
24: Nearly 100 Displaced By ISIS Return Home To Iraq's Disputed
Kirkuk
“The Iraqi Ministry of Migration and Displacement (MoMD) announced
on Tuesday the return of dozens of people to their areas of origin in
Kirkuk province, years after they were forced to flee from the Islamic
State. The internally displaced persons (IDPs) are originally from the
southwestern part of Kirkuk and had settled in displacement camps in
the eastern part of the same province. According to a ministry
statement, 91 IDPs who lived in the camps of Leylan I and Leylan II
have returned to their original residences. Kirkuk is among the areas
disputed by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the federal
Iraqi government. Iraq declared victory over the Islamic State two
years ago, but many who were displaced by the terrorist organization’s
onslaught remain in various camps throughout different parts of the
country, with a significant portion of them located in the Kurdistan
Region. The statement quoted the director of the displacement
ministry’s Kirkuk office, Ammar Sabah, who said that the displaced
people wanted to return to their homes and that they were taken there
by government buses. The Iraqi government has repeatedly stated that
its various return and repatriation schemes are voluntary, with the
displaced people willing to go back to their homes.”
Turkey
The
Jerusalem Post: Turkey And Qatar Give Warm Embrace To Hamas
Leaders
“The Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani smiled widely as
he met Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh on Monday. Their meeting came days
after Hamas got a warm welcome in Turkey, where its delegation met
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Turkey and Qatar are key
allies, both of which host Iranian delegations and are involved in
supporting Hamas in Gaza and working on regional collaboration
including supporting the Tripoli-based Libyan government. The Hamas
visit to Turkey and Qatar appear more like a victory lap for the group
than a random trip. The high-level reception the delegation received
illustrates Ankara and Doha see Hamas as if it is a state, as opposed
to a terror group based in Gaza. Qatar has hosted Hamas chief Khaled
Meshaal in the past. No other non-state actors in the world appear to
receive the reception Hamas gets in Turkey and Qatar. The trip is part
of a major Hamas delegation that is traveling the globe. According to
reports it includes not only Haniyeh, but also wanted terrorist Saleh
al-Arouri and Maher Saleh, Mousa Abu Marzouq, Nizar Awadallah and
Izzat al-Risheq.”
Afghanistan
Yahoo
News: Captured Militants Displayed As Afghan Authorities Say Islamic
State Cleared From Nangarhar
“The Afghan government says it has cleared Nangarhar province of
Islamic State fighters, allowing displaced villagers to return home.
However, video by Radio Free Europe shows how villagers were met with
ruined buildings and destroyed crops. Afghan officials paraded
captured militants before the media in November, RFE said, in a report
released on December 17 that carried images of the captives. The
province’s governor, Shah Mahmood Miakhel, told RFE that captured
fighters came from a multitude of countries. “First, we will gather
information from them to find out more about their links, how they
came here, and what they’ve done,” he said. “Eventually, our judicial
system will decide their fate, and if it’s necessary, we will
prosecute them.” Islamic State militants declared the province to be
part of their caliphate in early 2015. One captured fighter who spoke
to RFE said that “religious scholars asked us to join the Islamic
caliphate. They taught us enough [words of the prophet Muhammad and
words from the Koran] that we believed it was our duty to obey
orders.”
Xinhua:
Over 80 Militants Killed In 24 Hours As Afghan Forces Step Up
Operations
“More than 80 militants have been killed in the western, eastern
and southern region of the conflict-battered Afghanistan over the past
24 hours as the government forces have stepped up operations amid
peace efforts to gain more grounds ahead of winter, officials said
Wednesday. In the latest crackdown, the security forces backed by
fighting aircrafts stormed Taliban hideouts in Shahbaz, Qara Baghi,
Asfandeh and Noghi areas outside Ghazni city the capital of the
eastern Ghazni province early Wednesday killing 11 armed militants and
wounding six others, provincial government's Spokesman Aref Nuri said.
According to the spokesman, only two security personnel wounded during
the operations. Similarly, Units of Special Forces launched operations
against Taliban hideout in Samak village of Dawlat Yar district in the
western Ghor province Tuesday killing 53 insurgents and destroying
their trenches, Special Forces' Spokesman Abdul Ghafar Nuristani said.
The security forces have also claimed killing 25 militants in Shah
Walikot district of the southern Kandahar province over the past 24
hours. However, Afghan observers predict more crackdowns on the armed
opposition groups to secure more grounds ahead of winter in the
mountainous country.”
Xinhua:
3 Killed As Afghan Air Force Strikes Taliban Hideout In Restive
Province: Military
“Three Taliban militants were killed and two others wounded after
Afghan Air Force launched an airstrike on a Taliban position in
southern Zabul province, the military said Wednesday. "The strike was
launched in Arghandab district, Zabul province on late Tuesday, and an
enemy's hideout was destroyed by the sortie," army's Corps 205 Attal
said in a statement. The Afghan security forces have recently beefed
up security operations against the Taliban militants who have been
attempting to take territory and consolidate their positions in the
countryside ahead of winter. In addition, a total of 46 different
types of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) had been found and
defused by the engineering teams of corps within the past 24 hours in
Zabul and neighboring Uruzgan and Kandahar province, the corps based
in the region said. Taliban militants have been using home-made IEDs
to make roadside bombs and landmines to target security forces, but
the lethal weapons also inflict casualties on civilians. On Tuesday,
10 civilians, including two women and three children, were killed in
an IED explosion in eastern Khost province.”
Pakistan
France
24: Two Killed In Attack On Pakistan Polio Vaccination Security
Team
“Gunmen killed at least two policemen in an attack on a polio
vaccination security team in northwest Pakistan on Wednesday, the
latest setback in the nation's campaign to eradicate the disease. The
personnel were part of a nationwide anti-polio drive launched this
week, aiming to inoculate tens of millions of children in Pakistan --
one of only two countries where the crippling disease remains endemic.
Two gunmen on a motorcycle carried out the attack in the Lal Qila area
of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, near the border with Afghanistan, as
police were gathering at a health centre before heading out with polio
vaccinators, said police official Arif Shahbaz. "The vaccinators were
unhurt," added Shahbaz. Another police officer confirmed the incident
and the toll. The attack comes during a devastating year in Pakistan's
long fight against the disease, with at least 104 cases reported in
2019 so far. Last year, just 12 cases were reported. There was no
immediate claim of responsibility for Wednesday's killings, but the
Pakistani Taliban and other militants have targeted polio vaccinators
in the past. Vaccination campaigns have faced stubborn resistance for
years in Pakistan, with many refusing to have their children
inoculated because of misinformation and conspiracy theories.”
Lebanon
Xinhua:
Lebanon Arrests 2 Palestinians For Allegedly Joining Terror
Group
“Lebanon's state security arrested on Tuesday two Palestinians in
the southern city of Sidon for allegedly joining a terrorist group, a
local media outlet reported. The two Palestinians were arrested over
the charges of possessing explosive materials and transporting
unlicensed weapons, said Elnashra, an online independent newspaper. In
the past few months, Lebanon arrested a number of terrorists who were
behind attacks in the country. The latest terrorist attack in Lebanon
was carried out by Abdel Rahman Mabsout, an Islamic State militant who
blew himself up in Tripoli in August, killing four members of the
Lebanese army and internal security forces.”
Middle East
Arutz
Sheva: 50 Terrorists Arrested As Massive Terror Cell
Uncovered
“Israeli security forces operating in Samaria have uncovered a
massive terrorist cell responsible for a string of terror attacks in
the area, the Shin Bet internal security agency revealed Wednesday
morning. Some 50 terrorists linked to a cell operated by the Popular
Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) have been arrested in the
Ramallah area of Samaria, the Shin Bet said. The PFLP terror cell was
discovered during operations carried out by the Shin Bet, IDF, and
Israel Police. The terror cell’s members include the three terrorists
responsible for the August bombing attack near Dolev, in western
Samaria, which killed 17-year-old Rina Shnerb and injured her father
and brother. Investigators also found that the terror cell was
involved in the two shooting attacks near Beit El, north of Jerusalem,
a year and a half ago. Security officials say the terror cell was
planning major attacks, set to be carried out in the near
future.”
Al
Monitor: Israel To Further Tighten The Noose On Hamas
“Israel continues its attempts to tighten the noose on the
Palestinians, mainly on Hamas, financially and economically by
pursuing money smuggling networks and funders. Israeli Minister of
Defense Naftali Bennett issued Dec. 3 a decision to economically
pursue Palestinian and foreign figures whom Israel accuses of funding
terrorism. The decision includes imposing restrictions on the accused
to limit their ability to use their financial assets inside Israel and
abroad to fund and support terrorist organizations. Mohammed Jamil
Hersh, president of the Arab Organization for Human Rights (AOHR) in
the United Kingdom, was the first target out of hundreds, whom Israel
said would be added to an online database that anyone could access.
Israel accused Hersh of being a member of Hamas. Israel expelled
Hersh, who hails from Nablus city, to Marj Ez-Zouhour locality in
south Lebanon in 1992, along with hundreds of Hamas and Islamic Jihad
leaders. Subsequently, Hersh moved around several countries in the
world and finally settled in the United Kingdom in the early
2000s.”
Egypt
Egypt
Independent: Egypt Drops Out Of List Of Top 10 Countries Affected By
Terrorists
“Egypt has departed the list of top 10 countries affected by
terrorism this year in the 2019 Global Terrorism Index (GTI) – which
measures the impact of terrorism and is devised by the Institute for
Economics and Peace (IEP). Last year, Egypt ranked among the top 10 in
the report. Egypt had the third largest total fall in deaths and one
of the largest percentage decreases, with deaths from terrorism
falling 90 percent in a single year. This fall in deaths came as the
result of reduced activity from the Islamic State’s Sinai Province
group, following extensive military operations by the Egyptian
government. Egypt saw the number of terror attacks fall from 169 to
45, as a result of increased counter-terrorism activities directed at
the Sinai Province group, the report added. The Middle East and North
Africa (MENA) region also recorded a substantial advancement last year
with 17 countries improving, while only Iran and Morocco deteriorated.
Lebanon, Bahrain, Kuwait, Egypt and Iraq had the largest improvements
in score in the region. Terror attacks in Lebanon have fallen
consistently since peaking in 2014, with only two deaths from five
incidents recorded in 2018. In 2018, Lebanon did not record a single
attack by ISIS, the first year since 2013.”
Africa
South
China Morning Post: ‘Poor Man’s Bomb’ Reaps Bloody Toll In African
Jihadist Hotspot
“They are cheap, made from components that are easily obtained –
and murderously effective. Security experts say that in the arsenal of
jihadist groups whose insurgency is shaking the Sahel state of Burkina
Faso, the improvised explosive device (IED) is one of the deadliest
weapons. “With 15,000-20,000 CFA francs (US$25), you’ve got an IED
that can destroy something worth a thousand times more,” a security
source said. “It’s a poor man’s weapon in an asymmetrical war.”
Thousands of civilians and soldiers have died in violence across the
Sahel which began when armed Islamists revolted in northern Mali in
2012. The conflict has since spread to neighbouring Burkina Faso as
well as Niger, two of the world’s poorest and most fragile countries.
“IEDs appeared in (Burkina Faso) in mid-2018. Since then, we have
recorded 33 attacks with IEDs, claiming hidden in plastic to thwart
metal detectors, packed with nails for a shrapnel effect, the IED is
increasingly used in roadside ambushes. On November 6, an attack on a
convoy of Canadian mining company Semafo killed 38 people. The IED
blew up a military escort vehicle before jihadist forces emerged from
behind cover to machine-gun the buses.”
United Kingdom
Express:
Police Ramp Up Security Around Christmas As Fears Rise Of 'Copycat'
Terrorism Attacks
“Police are ramping up their presence and tactics, and planning
extra armed patrols in potential target areas. Football fans should
also expect to see extra barriers and checks at matches with the
measures also being put in place at other key events. Counter terror
teams will also be using sniffer dogs to sniff out any explosives and
guns as they watch for any unusual activity. London Bridge terror:
Jack Merritt’s father speaks out on attack. Amid these measures police
have also been looking for any indication from past cases and have 700
inquiries underway. Speaking to the Daily Star Online security expert
Will Geddes said: “Attacks at Christmas are symbolic, but it's also
due to the open crowded public spaces. “They can target people who are
distracted, who are preoccupied with Christmas shopping, and where it
may be dark. “And we have to remember the one thing about any
terrorist or criminal, they will always want it to be easy and
simple.” At the end of November, members of the public were killed in
a terror attack on London Bridge. The attacker Usman Khan, who was
revealed to be wearing a hoax suicide vest was shot dead by police on
the scene. He was attending an offender rehabilitation conference when
he attacked armed with knives.”
Southeast Asia
Xinhua:
Indonesian Police Nab 8 IS-Affiliated Militants In Papua, Probe
Plots
“The Indonesian anti-terror squad of the National Police's
Detachment 88 have arrested eight IS-linked militants in the country's
easternmost province of Papua and are investigating their terrorist
plots, a police officer said here on Tuesday. The militants have
escaped from the chase of the squad in the country's western parts of
North Sumatra province and Lampung province, National Police's
spokesman Senior Commissioner Asep Adi Saputra said. Papua province is
home to the separatist Free Papua Movement and has been hit by a
series of unrests in recent months. The police are deepening their
investigation on the terrorist plots set up by the militants grouped
in an outlawed Jemaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD) which has been affiliated
with the IS group in Iraq and Syria, according to Saputra. Authorities
will beef up security during Christmas and New Year to prevent
possible terrorist strikes, according to the police. Over 117,000
police personnel and soldiers will be dispatched during the events.
Militants had made the events their targets in 2000 that killed dozens
of people, they said.”
Australia
New
York Post: Brothers Jailed In Australia For ISIS-Inspired Plot To Blow
Up Plane
“Two brothers were sentenced Tuesday to a combined 76 years in
prison by an Australian court for plotting to blow up an Etihad
Airways flight from Sydney to Abu Dhabi with a bomb carried in a meat
grinder by their unwitting brother. Australian-Lebanese brothers
Khaled and Mahmoud Khayat were convicted of terrorism offenses for
trying to bring down the plane in July 2017 under instructions from
ISIS, according to Reuters. Khaled, 51, was sentenced in New South
Wales Supreme Court to 40 years with no possibility parole until 2047,
while Mahmoud, 34, received 36 years with no possibility of parole
until 2044. The two men, who were arrested after police raids in
Sydney, were convicted of planning two terrorist attacks: the bomb and
a chemical gas attack on the flight. Khaled was found guilty in May,
but the jury was unable to reach a verdict against Mahmoud, whose
retrial also ended with a guilty verdict in September. Authorities had
said that high-grade explosives used to make the bomb were flown from
Turkey as part of a plot “inspired and directed” by the terror group.
The plotters disapproved of their brother Amer “because he drank, went
clubbing, gambled and was gay, which they regarded as bringing shame
on the family,” Judge Christine Adamson said, according to Agence
France-Presse.”
Technology
CNBC:
Facebook Fails To Convince Lawmakers It Needs To Track Your Location
At All Times
“Facebook told two senators why it tracks users’ locations even
when their tracking services are turned off. The lawmakers now say
Facebook should give users more control over their data. Facebook was
responding to an inquiry from Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Sen. Chris
Coons, D-Del., who asked Facebook last month to “respect” users’
decisions to keep their locations private. In a letter dated December
12 that was released Tuesday, Facebook explained how it is able to
estimate users’ locations used to target ads even when they’ve chosen
to reject location tracking through their smartphone’s operating
system. Facebook said that even when location tracking is turned off,
it can deduce users’ general locations from context clues like
locations they tag in photos as well as their devices’ IP addresses.
While this data is not as precise as Facebook would collect with
location tracking enabled, the company said it uses the information
for several purposes, including alerting users when their accounts
have been accessed in an unusual place and clamping down on the spread
of false information.”
The
Wall Street Journal: The Imperial Powers Of The Tech
Universe
“Over the past decade, five big technology companies morphed into
five great technology empires. The stock market values this group—
Apple Inc., Microsoft Corp., Amazon.com Inc., Google parent Alphabet
Inc., and Facebook Inc.—at more than $4 trillion, while the six
surviving men behind four of those companies are together worth nearly
$450 billion, according to Forbes. Both valuations have quintupled
since “Avatar” was in theaters. Such an accumulation of wealth is
unparalleled perhaps since Standard Oil. And the impact these
companies have had on society may be just as revolutionary. It starts
with the billions of smartphones packed in pockets world-wide. We have
outsourced so much of our daily lives to these mini-supercomputers,
equipped with GPS chips, fast 4G connections and powerful cameras,
they have become appendages, a third hemisphere of the brain. Social
media, internet search and online shopping were old news as the aughts
rolled into the teens, but the mobile revolution was just starting,
making our hand-held devices increasingly powerful. Witness the birth
of the “gig economy,” whose wildly popular services, from ride- and
home-sharing to food and grocery delivery, barely existed 10 years ago
but now employ millions.”
ABC
News Australia: Licence To Hack: Using A Keyboard To Fight Islamic
State
“Her life at work is so secret, not even her family knows what it
involves. So when Sarah sat down with the ABC for an exclusive
interview she couldn't use her real name. "My family doesn't know what
I do, so I would not let adversaries or terrorists know what I do,"
she said. For the first time, the 30-something hacker has revealed her
role in infiltrating — and then tearing down — Islamic State's
propaganda unit. It was seen as a critical assignment. Islamic State's
ability to recruit online through its sophisticated videos and glossy
magazines written in several languages allowed the group's hateful
messaging to metastasise across the world. It was turning susceptible
citizens into menacing warriors of a demented ideology. In this
battle, Sarah's computer skills were as powerful and as consequential
as an SAS soldier who eliminates enemies with lethal force on the
ground. Her staging post was a windowless room in Canberra at an
undisclosed location. She led the Australian team on a top-secret
operation alongside American operatives in 2016. Operation Glowing
Symphony was established to hack into Islamic State's online system.
The mission was to isolate its network, lock out users and then
obliterate its contents.”
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