Eye on Extremism
July 26, 2019
Reuters:
U.N. Says Syria Air Strikes Killed At Least 100 Civilians In Past 10
Days
“Air strikes by the Syrian government and its allies on schools,
hospitals, markets and bakeries have killed at least 103 civilians in
the past 10 days, including 26 children, U.N. human rights chief
Michelle Bachelet said in a statement on Friday. “These are civilian
objects, and it seems highly unlikely, given the persistent pattern of
such attacks, that they are all being hit by accident,” Bachelet said,
adding that the rising toll had been met with “apparent international
indifference”. The government began its offensive against the rebel
enclave in northwest Syria, the last area of active insurgent
opposition to President Bashar al-Assad, at the end of April, saying
it was responding to violations of a truce. Idlib and surrounding
areas of the northwest were included in a “de-escalation” deal last
year between Assad’s main ally Russia and Turkey, which backs some
rebel groups, to reduce warfare and bombardment.”
Foreign
Policy: Syria’s Assad Is Deliberately Starving Thousands Of
Refugees
“Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime is deliberately starving
thousands of displaced citizens taking refuge in the Rukban camp in
the southern part of the country, hoping to force them to flee with no
guarantees for their safety, according to U.S. officials and a new
report by a Syrian-led research organization. As of July 23, roughly
11,000 internally displaced persons remained at Rukban, which lies in
a no-man’s land off the border between Syria and Jordan, according to
Etana, a research group based in Amman under the umbrella of former
Syrian National Council spokesperson Bassma Kodmani’s Arab Reform
Initiative. Etana gathered information from multiple civil and
military sources on the ground in and near the camp.”
The
Independent: ISIS Suspects In Syrian Camp Raise Thousands Through
Online Crowdfunding Campaign
“Women detained in a camp for Isis families in Syria have raised
thousands of pounds through an online crowdfunding campaign. The
fundraising effort, named “Justice for Sisters”, was launched last
month with the help of an intermediary in Germany, and appears to be
aimed at soliciting donations from sympathisers in Europe. The
campaign comes amid growing concerns over radicalisation at al-Hol
camp, which is holding thousands of suspected female Isis members and
their children, many of whom are still loyal to the terror
group. Security services in the UK and around the world are concerned
that citizens detained in Syria who still hold extremist views will
eventually find their way back home. The British government believes
that women can pose as significant a risk to national security as
returning male fighters. The Justice for Sisters campaign is one of
two known fundraising efforts for women in al-Hol, the other of which
is a campaign explicitly aimed at raising funds to pay smugglers to
help them escape. Analysts have warned that deteriorating conditions
at the camp could potentially lead to more women seeking to smuggle
themselves out, and potentially more fundraising campaigns to help
them."
The
New York Times: In Escalation, Iran Tests Medium-Range Missile, U.S.
Official Says
“Iran fired a Shahab-3 medium-range missile on Wednesday, a United
States military official said, playing it down by saying that it did
not pose a threat to American or other Western shipping or military
bases in the region. The missile was launched from the southern coast
of Iran and landed east of Tehran, the official said on Thursday,
adding that it flew about 1,100 kilometers, or about 680 miles, and
stayed inside Iran for the entire flight. The official, who spoke on
the condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence analyses, said that
American officials had been closely monitoring the test site as Iran
prepared the missile for launch. Despite the Pentagon’s effort to
minimize the strategic importance of the launch on Wednesday, it
appears to be a political statement by Iran, acting both as a
carefully calibrated effort at escalation — and as a message to
Europe. Missile launches are not forbidden under the 2015 nuclear
accord reached between Washington and Tehran, which is one of
President Trump’s complaints about the agreement he abandoned last
year. But a United Nations Security Council resolution, passed just as
the agreement was reached, says that “Iran is called upon not to
undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be
capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using such
ballistic missile technology.”
Al
Jazeera: Death Toll From Mogadishu Mayor Office Suicide Attack Rises
To 11
“The death toll from a suicide attack inside the mayor's office of
Somalia's capital has risen to 11, authorities said, adding that the
injured mayor has been sent abroad for treatment. At least six people
were originally reported to have been killed in Wednesday's attack
that took place just hours after a visit by the newly appointed United
Nations envoy. Three local district commissioners were among the
dead, police officer Ahmed Bashane told the dpa news agency on
Thursday. Local media reported that Mayor Abdirahman Omar Osman and
four other local government officials had been airlifted to Qatar for
treatment. Al-Shabab, an al-Qaeda-affiliated group claimed
responsibility for the attack, telling local media that UN envoy
to Somalia James Swan, who had left the building when the attack
happened, was their target. Captain Mohamed Hussein, a senior police
officer, said a female bomber walked into a security meeting and blew
herself up a few yards away from the mayor in what was the fourth
known time al-Shabab has used a woman in a suicide attack. In a
statement following the attack, Swan condemned the “heinous attack
which not only demonstrates a violent disregard for the sanctity of
human life, but also targets Somalis working to improve the lives of
their fellow Somalis.”
Gizmodo:
YouTube Said It Was Getting Serious About Hate Speech. Why Is It Still
Full Of Extremists?
“Last month, YouTube announced a site-wide change to its hate
speech policy, saying it would no longer tolerate videos promoting
Nazism, white supremacy, or any other content “alleging that a group
is superior in order to justify discrimination, segregation or
exclusion” of others due to qualities like race, gender, or sexual
orientation. At the time, the New York Times reported that the company
pledged to remove thousands of videos falling under this expanded
definition. More than six weeks later, however, it remains
disturbingly easy to find channels associated with hate groups on the
platform. Strangely, this isn’t a simple oversight by YouTube’s parent
company, Google. In fact, it’s the policy working as planned. YouTube
hosts more than 23 million channels, making it impossible to identify
each and every one that is involved with the hate movement—especially
since one person’s unacceptable hate speech is another person’s
reasonable argument. With that in mind, we used lists of organizations
promoting hate from the Southern Poverty Law Center, Hope Not Hate,
the Canadian Anti-Hate Network, and the Counter Extremism Project, in
addition to channels recommended on the white supremacist forum
Stormfront, to create a compendium of 226 extremist YouTube channels
earlier this year.”
United States
The
Washington Examiner: DOJ Vows To Step Up Fight Against Hezbollah Amid
Iran Tensions
“A top Justice Department official made it clear Thursday that
combating Hezbollah is a top priority for the department, a move that
puts pressure on the terrorist organization's sponsor, Iran.
Principal Deputy Attorney General John Cronan, who leads the
department's team that investigates Hezbollah financing and
narcoterrorism, laid out the government’s efforts and plans for
dismantling and neutralizing the Iranian-backed terrorist group during
a conference commemorating the victims of the Hezbollah bombing of a
Jewish cultural center in Argentina 25 years ago. The deadly bombing
of the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina Jewish cultural center on
July 18, 1994 killed 85 people and injured hundreds more, making it
the deadliest terrorist attack in Argentina’s history. Argentina
designated Hezbollah as a foreign terrorist group to coincide with
last week's anniversary, something that the State Department did back
in 1997. “Destroying Hezbollah’s support networks and neutralizing
the Hezbollah threat is a top priority for this Department of Justice
and will continue to be,” Cronan said, though full details of the
operations can't be shared. “Investigations may be covert, charges
may be sealed, defendants may be cooperating, and Hezbollah supporters
may be facing non-terrorism crimes as we work to build terrorism
charges,” he said.”
Iran
Reuters:
Flags Of Inconvenience: Noose Tightens Around Iranian
Shipping
“Somewhere on its journey from the waters off Iran, around Africa’s
southern tip and into the Mediterranean, the Grace 1 oil tanker lost
the flag under which it sailed and ceased to be registered to Panama.
Iran later claimed it as its own. The ship carrying 2 million barrels
of Iranian crude was seized by British Royal Marines off Gibraltar,
raising tensions in the Gulf where Iran detained a UK-flagged ship in
retaliation. Grace 1 remains impounded, not because of its flag but
because it was suspected of taking oil to Syria in breach of EU
sanctions, an allegation that Iran denies. Yet Panama’s move on May 29
to strike it from its register mid-voyage was part of a global squeeze
on Iranian shipping. Nations that register vessels under so-called
“flags of convenience” allowing them to sail legally have de-listed
dozens of tankers owned by Iran in recent months, tightening the
economic noose around it. In the biggest cull, Panama, the world’s
most important flag state, removed 59 tankers linked to Iran and Syria
earlier this year, a decision welcomed by the United States which
wants to cut off Tehran’s vital oil exports.”
The
Washington Post: Iran Could Make Or Break Boris
Johnson
“Like any incoming world leader, Boris Johnson has received plenty
of congratulatory messages from fellow politicians around the world
since becoming British prime minister this week. But the one he got
from Iran’s top diplomat — at a moment of unparalleled tension between
Tehran and London — must have been unexpected. Following news of
Johnson’s victory, the Islamic republic’s opportunistic foreign
minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, tweeted: “The May govt’s seizure of
Iranian oil at behest of US is piracy, pure & simple. I
congratulate my former counterpart, @BorisJohnson on becoming UK PM.”
Zarif’s message suggests that Tehran sees Britain as its next best
chance for relaunching its deteriorating relationship with the West.
But why? Strangely enough, Johnson’s own back story with Iran, and the
political baggage it created for him, could provide the best shot at
decreasing tensions and averting another war in the Middle East. How
Johnson handles Iran in his opening days at No. 10 Downing Street
could also determine his subsequent term in office — not to mention
the fate of one British family. Johnson inherits a tense standoff with
Tehran, since both countries have seized vessels belonging to the
other over the past month. On July 4, the British Royal Marines took
custody in Gibraltar of an Iranian tanker that was believed to be
delivering oil to Syria. It did so, Iran says, at the behest of the
United States.”
Iraq
Kurdistan
24: Iraq Arrests ISIS Member It Says Helped Plan 2017 Bombing That
Killed Over 80
“An Iraqi provincial police department on Thursday announced the
arrest of an alleged terrorist it said had taken part in six deadly
bombings across multiple provinces. The most severe of these resulted
in the deaths of over 80 people in an attack claimed by the Islamic
State. Najaf Province's police directorate said in a statement that a
tactical unit that under the authority of the Interior Ministry had
managed to “capture the terrorist Badr Fares Mutlak al-Zakroutti.” The
statement charged that Zakroutti had played a role in the planning of
six bombing attacks that had occurred the southern provinces of
Karbala, Babil, and a particularly deadly one in Dhi Qar that killed
84 and injured 93 others. The incident occurred in September of 2017
at a restaurant in the city of Nasiriyah that was popular with groups
of Shia Muslim pilgrims on their way to visit holy shrines. The
police added that Zakroutti had also aided in the logistics of
transporting suicide bombers to Najaf in the past few years and that
he had been operating within the Islamic State’s self-proclaimed
“South Wilayat” and “Anbar Wilayat” regions, in southern and western
Iraq. The statement did not say precisely where Zarkouti was
arrested.”
The
Wall Street Journal: Iraq Struggles To Bring Paramilitary Forces Into
The Fold
“Tensions between the U.S. and Iran are complicating the Iraqi
prime minister’s efforts to bring the country’s paramilitary forces
under government control, including several militias with close links
to Tehran. The militias helped shift the tide against Islamic State
after militants overran a third of the country, but they are now
considered potential threats to American and other regional interests.
U.S. officials believe drones that targeted Saudi oil infrastructure
this year were launched from Iraq rather than Yemen—an accusation that
implicates Iran-backed militias. In trying to bring them to heel,
Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi has been forced to navigate the
clashing interests of Iraq’s two chief allies. Mr. Abdul-Mahdi, who
has been in office for nine months, has given the several dozen
militias, which officially have around 120,000 fighters, until the end
of July to shut their offices and begin moving into designated bases
outside the cities—part of a process of partial integration into the
security forces. His decree states that any armed faction operating
outside that framework will be considered as outlaws “and dealt with
accordingly.”
Turkey
Reuters:
Erdogan Says Turkey Will Destroy Militants In North Syria Regardless
Of U.S. Talks
“Turkey is determined to destroy the “terror corridor” east of the
Euphrates river in Syria regardless of how talks conclude with the
United States on a planned safe zone in the country’s north, President
Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday. Turkey has ramped up its warnings of a
possible incursion into northern Syria in recent days, saying it had
run “out of patience” with Washington over the safe zone talks and
adding that it would launch its operation if an agreement was not
reached. “Those who put their trust in foreign powers in the region
will be put under ground,” Erdogan told members of his ruling AK
Party. “We will find a lasting solution to terror.”
Afghanistan
The
Wall Street Journal: U.S., Afghanistan Agree On Need To Accelerate
Peace Talks
“The U.S. and Afghanistan agreed this week to accelerate a peace
process to end the 18-year war and continue existing U.S. policies
aimed at reducing the American troop presence as conditions permit,
the two countries said in a joint statement. The statement followed a
phone call on Wednesday between Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, and stressed that “there has been no
change to President Trump’s South Asia strategy.” The assurance
followed an appearance on Monday by Mr. Trump in which he said, “If I
wanted to win that war, Afghanistan would be wiped off the face of the
Earth.” He added he wouldn’t take such a step because he didn’t want
to kill 10 million people. Mr. Trump’s comments came during a July 22
appearance with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, who pledged to
help in U.S. efforts to strike a peace deal with Taliban insurgents.
State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus told reporters on Thursday
that the U.S. has demonstrated its commitment to Afghanistan over
nearly two decades of military intervention. She alluded to the
thousands of American and allied lives lost and billions of taxpayer
dollars spent on the fight in Afghanistan. There are around 14,000
U.S. military personnel in Afghanistan.”
Bloomberg:
Taliban Says Deal On U.S. Troop Pullout From Afghanistan Is
Near
“The Taliban said it’s nearing a peace deal with the U.S. to bring
an end to the foreign military presence in Afghanistan, though it
ruled out a halt to hostilities for now. “We are getting close,”
Mohammad Suhail Shaheen, a spokesman for the Taliban’s Doha-based
political office, said by phone on Thursday. If the U.S. makes “a
reasonable and convincing proposal, the peace agreement will be
concluded soon.” The fundamentalist Islamic movement and the U.S. are
due to resume negotiations soon in the Qatari capital after adjourning
their seventh round of meetings earlier this month. U.S. Secretary of
State Michael Pompeo and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani agreed
Wednesday in a phone call that “now is the time to accelerate efforts
to reach a negotiated end to the war,” according to a State Department
statement. Pompeo said in a Fox News interview late Thursday that he
expects “real progress” in reaching agreement by September on “a
complete reduction in the scope of the conflict,” allowing for
inter-Afghan peace talks to begin followed by the start of a
withdrawal of U.S. and allied forces. The Taliban controls or contests
about half of territory in Afghanistan. That’s more than at any time
since it was ousted from power in 2001 by an American-led invasion
after the al-Qaeda group based in the country carried out the Sept. 11
terrorist attacks in the U.S.”
The
National: Afghan Talks Require Security Guarantees Against
ISIS
“One would hope that schools and universities would be sanctuaries
of knowledge, where students learn to develop a critical mind. But in
Afghanistan, some universities have become a breeding ground for those
looking to radicalise the young. Earlier this month, an investigation
revealed that two teachers and a lecturer at Kabul University had been
pushing their students to join ISIS. One of the suspects exhorted his
students to wage jihad against the “infidel government”, while another
deduced marks for students dressed in western-styled clothes. All
detained suspects are believed to have been involved in deadly attacks
in Kabul. And this is not the first time professors have made use of
their status to radicalise students. In February, authorities arrested
a university lecturer and imam in Kabul, who had pushed hundreds of
youngsters to join ISIS – including his own nephew. The influence of
these extremists poses a serious challenge to a younger generation of
Afghans who simply seek higher education. A recent report by the
Afghan Institute for Strategic Studies found that half of the students
surveyed at three major universities supported establishing an Islamic
state or a caliphate in the country. This is especially concerning
given the nation’s long history of harbouring extremist groups.”
Voice
Of America: Taliban Storm Security Posts As Blasts Rock Kabul,
Elsewhere
“A series of attacks rocked Afghanistan Thursday, killing at least
58 people, including 38 members of Afghan security forces, as the
chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff met with Afghan officials.
Three of those bombings targeted the capital, Kabul. A ministry of
interior spokesman, Nasrat Rahimi, said a suicide bomber on a
motorcycle targeted a mini bus in Kabul carrying the staff of the
Ministry of Mines and Petroleum as they were on their way to work
Thursday morning. The blast killed at least 11 people. A secondary
explosion rocked the site of the first attack. Secondary explosions
are common in Kabul and have in the past killed first responders and
journalists covering the attack. A separate car bomb hit Jalalabad
road in Kabul a few hours later. Local TV channels showed footage of
relatives wailing outside local hospitals as they searched for their
loved ones. The local branch of the Islamic State terror group took
responsibility for the two attacks on the minibus. Meanwhile, the
Taliban claimed responsibility for the third attack in Kabul in which
they claim they targeted “foreign invaders.”
Xinhua:
7 Police, 15 Militants Killed In Clashes In
Afghanistan
“Seven police officers and 15 militants were killed in clashes in
two Afghan provinces overnight, officials confirmed Friday. In one
incident, three policemen and four militants were killed after Taliban
attacked Khogyani district's police station in eastern Ghazni
province, provincial government spokesman Harif Noori told Xinhua.
Five police personnel were also wounded during the clashes which
lasted for hours in the remote district. In southern Kandahar
province, four police officers and 11 Taliban militants were killed
after police repelled Taliban gunmen who stormed a security checkpoint
in Yazdan village, Maiwand district, a provincial police official,
told Xinhua. The official added that four militants were also wounded
in the fighting. The Taliban-led insurgency has been rampant since
early April when the militant group launched its annual rebel
offensive in different places of the country, which had claimed
hundreds of lives including militants, security personnel and
civilians.”
Middle East
The
Jerusalem Post: Things Are Heating Up Between Israel And Hezbollah In
The Golan - Analysis
“Israel has remained mum on the attacks, but the Jewish State has
made it clear that it won’t accept Hezbollah’s growing presence in the
Syrian Golan. According to David Daoud, a research analyst on
Hezbollah and Lebanon at United Against Nuclear Iran, the uptick in
Israeli strikes in the area is because “there has been increased
Hezbollah presence. Recognition of the Golan creates common ground for
different factions to agree upon - the same applies to the embassy
move, and the ‘deal of the century,” Daoud said, adding that
“Different regional groups or axes that might not otherwise agree now
have something in common.”
Libya
Yahoo
News: Libya Militia Says Arrests Al-Qaeda Leaders
“A Libyan militia has arrested a number of Al-Qaeda-linked jihadist
leaders in a raid near the capital Tripoli, the group said. The
Misrata Joint Security Force carried out the raid against “wanted
terrorists, classified as Al-Qaeda leaders”, the group linked to the
UN-recognised Government of National Accord's interior ministry said
on Facebook late Wednesday. The dawn operation “in a suburb of
Tripoli” on Wednesday led to the arrest of individuals “linked to
attacks launched in the capital”, it said. The main target, an
Algerian national fighting under the name “Al-Chaoui”, was rounded up
along with several wanted Libyans, it added, without giving names or
the total number arrested. The force published a video of the raid,
including footage of three people wearing blue uniforms with their
hands bound. It said it had also seized weapons, grenades, ammunition,
documents and material used to produce explosives. Libya has been
gripped by chaos since a NATO-backed uprising toppled and killed
dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011. Jihadists and people-traffickers have
taken advantage of the unrest to gain a foothold in the North African
country. Rival administrations and multiple militias are now vying for
power, with the Tripoli-based GNA that holds Libya's west at odds with
a parallel administration based in the country's east and backed by
strongman Khalifa Haftar.”
Nigeria
The
Washington Post: After 10 Years Of Boko Haram Violence, Nigerians
Crave Peace
“Suicide bombings, mass kidnappings, tens of thousands of people
killed. A ghastly insurgency by the homegrown Islamic extremist group
Boko Haram marks 10 years this week in northeastern Nigeria, where
many residents say life has been set back by decades. “It feels like
100 years, because everything seems to be moving slowly and not
getting any better for me and my family,” said Hassan Mamman, who fled
to Maiduguri, the region’s main city, after Boko Haram attacks on his
rural home. He is among millions of people displaced. “I miss my
community and always crave it but the merchants of death just won’t
let us have that much-needed peace.” Friday marks a decade since
Nigerian forces clashed with the extremists at Maiduguri’s central
mosque. More than 700 people were killed, including leader Mohammed
Yusuf, according to officials and rights groups. From that violence
sprang the insurgency of Boko Haram, which in the Hausa language means
“Western education is taboo.” The extremists have sought to establish
a strict Islamic caliphate in Nigeria, carrying out attacks as far
away as the capital, Abuja. The violence has also spilled into
neighboring Chad, Cameroon and Niger. In recent years some fighters
have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, creating a new
threat.”
Voice
Of America: Islamic State Claims Aid Workers' Kidnap In Northeast
Nigeria
“Islamic State's West Africa branch on Thursday claimed
responsibility for kidnapping six aid workers in northeast Nigeria.
International aid agency Action Against Hunger said that a staff
member and five others kidnapped in Nigeria last week had appeared in
a video released on Wednesday evening and that they were “apparently
in a good condition of health.” Islamic State in West Africa (ISWA),
which split from Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram in 2016, claimed
responsibility for the kidnap in a tweet published by the SITE
monitoring group. The group has carried out a number of attacks in the
northeast over the last few months, including on military bases. It
killed a kidnapped aid worker nine months ago. Action Against Hunger
said in a statement that the people were abducted last week near the
town of Damasak in northeast Nigeria, where the insurgents were
active. “Action Against Hunger strongly requests that our staff member
and her companions are released,” said the agency. The video was
published by The Cable, a Nigerian news organisation, and showed a
woman sitting on the floor who identifies herself as “Grace”. Five men
sit around her, some with their heads bowed. Behind them is a sheet
with the logo of the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR.”
North Korea
The
New York Times: North Korea Tested New Ballistic Missile, South Says,
Flouting U.N. Ban
“The two projectiles North Korea launched off its east coast on
Thursday were a new type of short-range ballistic missile, the South
Korean government said, acknowledging that the North was expanding its
ability to deliver nuclear warheads as President Trump’s efforts to
bring the country to the negotiating table remain stalled. The
assessment — the South’s first formal declaration that North Korea is
testing a new missile — accused the North of violating United Nations
resolutions that ban it from developing and testing ballistic missile
technologies. If validated, it also appears to undercut what President
Trump has repeatedly touted as his biggest diplomatic achievement in
dealing with North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un. On Friday, the United
States military command in South Korea also called the North Korean
projectiles a new type of ballistic missile, but said they “have no
impact on our defense posture.”
Southeast Asia
The
Defense Post: Islamic State Says Bengal Affiliate Planted Dhaka
Bombs
“In the third incident in three months after two years of apparent
inactivity, Islamic State claimed its fighters were responsible for
two bombs targeting police in the Bangladeshi capital this week,
although the devices were identified and dealt with before they could
do any harm. Police recovered two bombs – both with seven small butane
gas canisters taped to them – in Dhaka on Tuesday, The
Star reported officials from the Bomb Disposal Unit of the Counter
Terrorism and Transnational Crime unit as saying. A traffic police
officer told The Star that a carton was found outside the traffic
police box at Khamar Bari intersection at around 1700 and, thinking it
may belong to a colleague, a police officer brought it inside. The
Star published an image of the Khamar Bari device. “When no one
claimed it, we thought it was a container of biscuits. We opened it
around 7 p.m. and saw the cans tied with tapes,” the officer said. The
device was destroyed at around 0300 in a controlled explosion by the
bomb disposal team. The second bomb was discovered hidden inside a
thick polythene packet near the traffic police box at Paltan
intersection around 22:45, The Star reported. It was destroyed in a
controlled explosion two hours later.”
Eurasia
Review: Foreign Militants Working With New Islamic State Leader In
Philippines
“Government forces are tracking down at least seven foreigners who
are working with the new Islamic State militant leader in the volatile
southern Philippines, the country’s defense chief said Thursday. The
seven are believed to be under the protection of Hatib Hajan
Sawadjaan, a little-known commander of the Abu Sayyaf Group, officials
said. He took the reins of the local Islamic State (IS) chapter after
leader Isnilon Hapilon was killed in the 2017 battle of Marawi,
according to Filipino and American officials. Defense Secretary Delfin
Lorenzana told reporters in Manila that the government was looking at
raw information that at least a hundred foreign militants had entered
the country and were operating in the south. But of that total, he
said, “we only confirmed seven foreign fighters” that were being
tracked by the military’sWestern Mindanao Command (WesMinCom), which
is based in southern Zamboanga city. “We cannot find them so we
consider those as just information and it cannot be confirmed,”
Lorenzana said of the 100 militants. “We do not know if they are
really there or not.” “According to the WesMinCom there are seven
foreigners. I think the nationalities are Egyptian, Malaysian,
Indonesian and Singaporean.”
Technology
The
Wall Street Journal: Facebook And Google Algorithms Are Secret—But
Australia Plans To Change That
“Tech giants Facebook Inc. FB -1.93% and Alphabet Inc. GOOG -0.50%
’s Google could have their secretive algorithms policed by a beefed-up
watchdog, under what Australia describes as world-first limits to the
power that they wield over news and advertising markets. The
recommended changes—which include strengthening privacy safeguards
with steep penalties of up to 10% of annual domestic turnover for the
misuse of data—are listed in a report by the national competition
regulator. It conducted a year-and-a-half investigation into the
impact such companies have had on the country. It comes after Facebook
was hit with a $5 billion fine in the U.S. this week. A Federal Trade
Commission investigation found the company had repeatedly used
deceptive disclosures and account settings to lure users into sharing
personal information, undermining their actual privacy
preferences.”
The
Wall Street Journal: Tech Backlash Frays Cozy Ties To
Washington
“Facebook Inc. CEO Mark Zuckerberg suggested in January when
releasing 2018 earnings that the social-media giant was at a turning
point, ending a year of answering critics and starting a new era of
growth and innovation. “We now have a clear sense of the path ahead,”
he said. Mr. Zuckerberg may have spoken too soon. In the half year
since, the political attacks on Facebook and the other tech giants
have only intensified. That is complicating the expansion strategies
of big online platforms whose dominance was made possible in part by a
quarter-century, bipartisan Washington consensus backing rules and
regulations designed mainly to foster their development. The erosion
of that supportive environment has been on full view over the past
week. Facebook’s $5 billion privacy settlement Wednesday with the
Federal Trade Commission only inflamed critics—including some within
the agency—who said the deal underscored the need for tighter
government restraints on the company.”
The
New York Times: Chris Hughes Worked To Create Facebook. Now, He Is
Working To Break It Up
“Chris Hughes used to huddle with Mark Zuckerberg in a Harvard dorm
room building Facebook from scratch. Now, he’s huddling with
regulators to explain why Facebook needs to be broken up. In recent
weeks, Mr. Hughes has joined two leading antitrust academics, Scott
Hemphill of New York University and Tim Wu of Columbia University, in
meetings with the Federal Trade Commission, the Justice Department and
state attorneys general. In those meetings, the three have laid out a
potential antitrust case against Facebook, Mr. Wu and Mr. Hemphill
said. For nearly a decade, they argue, Facebook has made “serial
defensive acquisitions” to protect its dominant position in the market
for social networks, according to slides they have shown government
officials. Scooping up nascent rivals, they assert, can allow Facebook
to charge advertisers higher prices and can give users worse
experience.”
Time:
Google And Facebook Are Facing A Crackdown In Australia After A
Sweeping Probe
“Google and Facebook Inc. are facing a regulatory crackdown in
Australia after an inquiry highlighted concerns about their market
power and impact on the media industry, adding to a barrage of global
action against the technology giants. A final report from Australia’s
competition watchdog released on Friday called for greater anti-trust
scrutiny of the dominant U.S. tech companies, recommending penalties
and deterrents be imposed for inappropriate storage and use of
personal data and breaches of consumer and competition laws. “The
world has never before seen so much commercially sensitive and
personal data collected and aggregated in just two companies,”
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg told reporters in Sydney. The government
will announce what recommendations in the Australian Competition and
Consumer Commission report that it will support through new regulation
by the end of the year, he said.”
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