“Six years after Belgium's deadliest peacetime attack, a Brussels court will
this week host a landmark trial that survivors hope will mark a step forward in
their recovery and that of their nation. The case against alleged members of an
Islamic State (IS) group cell that launched both the March 2016 suicide
bombings in Brussels and the November 2015 attacks in Paris will begin Monday.
The Belgian attacks, in which three suicide bombers hit Brussels airport and a
crowded underground metro station, killed 32 people and shattered the lives of
hundreds of survivors. Nine alleged jihadists, including the cell's 32-year-old
French ring-leader Salah Abdeslam, will face a variety of charges. One, thought
to have been killed in Syria, will be tried in his absence. The trial will be
the largest ever staged in front of a Belgian jury, with 960 civil plaintiffs
represented and the sprawling former headquarters of the NATO military alliance
converted into a high-security court complex. Abdeslam, already convicted in
France and sentenced to life for his role in Paris, will not attend Monday's
preliminary hearing, his lawyer said. But many of the victims of the attacks
are planning to attend the trial from day one, seeking understanding and
closure following the carnage.”











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Eye on Extremism


September 12, 2022



AFP: Belgium's Biggest Trial Opens, Six Years After Worst Bombing
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“Six years after Belgium's deadliest peacetime attack, a Brussels court will
this week host a landmark trial that survivors hope will mark a step forward in
their recovery and that of their nation. The case against alleged members of an
Islamic State (IS) group cell that launched both the March 2016 suicide
bombings in Brussels and the November 2015 attacks in Paris will begin Monday.
The Belgian attacks, in which three suicide bombers hit Brussels airport and a
crowded underground metro station, killed 32 people and shattered the lives of
hundreds of survivors. Nine alleged jihadists, including the cell's 32-year-old
French ring-leader Salah Abdeslam, will face a variety of charges. One, thought
to have been killed in Syria, will be tried in his absence. The trial will be
the largest ever staged in front of a Belgian jury, with 960 civil plaintiffs
represented and the sprawling former headquarters of the NATO military alliance
converted into a high-security court complex. Abdeslam, already convicted in
France and sentenced to life for his role in Paris, will not attend Monday's
preliminary hearing, his lawyer said. But many of the victims of the attacks
are planning to attend the trial from day one, seeking understanding and
closure following the carnage.”



The Wall Street Journal: 9/11 Ceremonies Honor Victims 21 Years After
Terrorist Attacks
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“Ceremonies commemorating the events of Sept. 11, 2001, were held in lower
Manhattan, Shanksville, Pa., and at the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., on Sunday,
the 21st anniversary of the attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people. In New
York, the families of victims gathered for a ceremony inside the 9/11 Memorial
plaza in lower Manhattan. The annual reading of the victims’ names paused for a
moment of silence at six points, marking when each aircraft crashed in New
York, Washington and Pennsylvania, and when the World Trade Center towers fell.
President Biden attended the memorial service at the Pentagon in Arlington,
Va., which was struck at 9:37 a.m. by a hijacked American Airlines flight in
2001. Under a cool, drizzling rain, he paused at the large wreath in front of
the podium, then touched his hand to his heart as he stepped away to take a
seat for the reading of the victims’ names. “To all the families and loved ones
who still feel the ache, that missing piece of your soul, I’m honored to be
here with you once more to share this solemn rite of remembrance and reflect on
all that was lost in the fire and ash on that terrible September morning, and
all that we found in ourselves to respond,” Mr. Biden said, when it was his
turn to speak.”



United States



Axios: DHS Chief Warns Of “Emerging Threat Of The Domestic Violent Extremist”
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“Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told MSNBC on
Sunday the “threat landscape” has evolved in the 21 years since the 9/11
attacks from concerns about foreign terrorists to domestic extremists. What
he's saying: “Back when 9/11 occurred, in those years we were very focused on
the foreign terrorist, the individual who sought to do a severe harm to enter
the United States and do us harm,” Mayorkas said during his interview with
MSNBC's Jonathan Capehart. “It's then evolved, we began to be more and more
concerned about the individuals already resident in the United States
radicalized by a foreign terrorist ideology,” Mayorkas continued. “Now we are
seeing are seeing an emerging threat ... over the last several years of the
domestic violent extremist,” he added. “The individual here in the United
States radicalized to violence by a foreign terrorist ideology, but also an
ideology of hate, anti-government sentiment, false narratives propagated on
online platforms, even personal grievances.” The big picture: Mayorkas pledged
to make tackling domestic violent extremism a “National Priority Area”
following the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol insurrection and announced last year the DHS
was directing $77 million to state and local authorities to combat the rising
problem.”



Fox News: 'Jihad Against Americans' Suspect In String Of Seattle-Area, New
Jersey Murders Sentenced To Another 93 Years
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“A man accused of going on a killing spree as part of a “jihad against
Americans” was sentenced on Friday to nearly a century behind bars in
connection to three murders in Washington state in 2014. Ali Muhammad Brown,
37, had already been serving life in prison without the possibility of parole
for a fourth murder later that same year in New Jersey, but sentencing for
three counts of premeditated murder in Washington state did not come until
Friday in King County Superior Court. Judge Jim Rogers sentenced Brown to
another 1,118 months. He is to serve that 93-year sentence consecutively, which
should ensure he dies in prison. Brown, an accused ISIS sympathizer, fatally
shot 30-year-old Leroy Henderson along a stretch of a road in Skyway, a
community south of Seattle, in April 2014 “as a test” to see if he could kill
for the cause of avenging U.S. policy in the Middle East, Senior Deputy
Prosecutor John Castleton said. Five weeks later, Brown allegedly killed
another two men, 27-year-old Ahmed Said and 23-year-old Dwone Anderson-Young,
after allegedly targeting them because they were gay, The Seattle Times
reported. He met them on the gay dating site Grindr and spent time with the two
friends at a since-closed gay club in Seattle before killing them later that
night.”



Syria



Al Monitor: Senior US Commander Sounds Alarm Over Syria’s Islamic State Prison
Camps
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“The commander of all US military forces in the Middle East made an urgent
appeal to the international community after visiting the al-Hol camp for
Islamic State detainees in northeast Syria on Friday. Describing al-Hol as a
“humanitarian catastrophe” and a “flashpoint of human suffering,” US Army Gen.
Michael “Erik” Kurilla urged governments around the world to repatriate their
citizens from the camp “and rehabilitate them if needed.” More than 90% of
al-Hol's detainees are women and children, with 70% under the age of 12,
Kurilla noted in a statement following his visit Friday. Most lack sufficient
access to running water and other basic necessities to support life. “ISIS
seeks to exploit these horrific conditions. With approximately 80 births in the
camp each month, this place is a literal breeding ground for the next
generation of ISIS,” Kurilla said. Why it Matters: The four-star general’s
visit marked the first time ever an American official has entered into the
al-Hol camp and spoken with detainees, a military official told Al-Monitor.
Kurilla previously stopped at the camp in April during his first tour of the
Middle East as CENTCOM commander. US Senator Lindsey Graham (R-GA) also visited
the camp in July, though that trip was not coordinated with Kurilla’s trips,
the official said.”



Iraq



Asharq Al-Awsat: 2 Senior ISIS Members Killed In Iraqi Strikes On Hamrin
Mountains
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“Two senior ISIS commanders were killed in an Iraqi air strike in the Hamrin
Mountain range, in the Salah al-Din province, announced the Iraqi Security
Media Cell (SMC) on Saturday. The operation was carried out based on
intelligence information provided by the Federal Intelligence and Investigation
Agency (FIIA) at the Ministry of Interior to the Iraqi Air Force. ISIS hideouts
were destroyed in the operation. Terrorists Mohammed Rashid Jassim, known as
Abu Hudhaifa, and Abu Fatima Askari, were killed in the attack. The statement
said Abu Fatima is the commander of ISIS in the Salah al-Din province. He was
considered to be one of the most dangerous terrorists for his operations
against security forces and civilians in recent years. In a related
development, the SMC announced the killing of four terrorists on the banks of
Hamrin Lake in the Diyala province. Three of the terrorists were killed in two
air strikes while the fourth was killed during clashes with security forces.
The forces also destroyed three motorcycles, a number of explosive devices,
explosive material, and two terrorist hideouts. Asked whether ISIS was still a
threat in Iraq, head of the Center for Strategic Studies Dr. Moataz Mohieddin
told Asharq Al-Awsat the organization suffered setbacks with the killing of its
leaders Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and Abu Ibrahim al-Quraishi.”



Yemen



Arab News: Yemen Military Forces Drive Al-Qaeda Out Of New Areas In Abyan,
Shabwa <[link removed]>



“Yemeni military and security forces have taken control of a large swath of
valley and mountainous areas in the southern provinces of Abyan and Shabwa,
which have long been considered safe havens for Al-Qaeda militants. Local media
and officials said that military and security forces led by the
pro-independence Southern Transitional Council stormed the arid and mountainous
Khaber Al-Marakesha, an area in Abyan known for nearly 10 years as an Al-Qaeda
hideout and the cradle of some militants, including Jalal Baliedi, a senior
Al-Qaeda leader killed by a US drone in the same region in 2016. Other military
forces, including the Giants Brigades and the Shabwa Defense Forces, are on the
verge of completely pushing Al-Qaeda militants from the Al-Musainah region and
are now fighting their way into a long and rugged valley called Mouthab.
Residents told Arab News that the military forces encountered stiff resistance
from Al-Qaeda militants who planted landmines and booby traps to obstruct their
progress deeper into those rugged areas. “The Al-Qaeda militants were
outnumbered by the attacking forces and were unable to halt their advances,” a
local journalist who preferred anonymity said, adding that the militants fled
to a chain of rugged mountains between Abyan, Shabwa and Al-Bayda.”



Middle East



The Times Of Israel: Over 300 ‘Significant’ Terror Attacks Foiled So Far This
Year, Shin Bet Chief Says
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“Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar said on Sunday that his security agency has foiled
more than 300 “significant” terror attacks so far this year, as the Israeli
military has ramped up operations in the West Bank under its direction. “We
foiled 312 significant terrorist attacks, stabbings, shootings, suicide
attacks, and have made 2,110 arrests” since the beginning of the year, Bar said
at a conference at Herzliya’s Reichman University. At the same time, Bar cited
a massive increase in shooting attacks against troops and civilians in the West
Bank — 130 this year so far, compared to just 98 in 2021, and 19 in 2020. Bar
said Israel is required to boost its activity in the West Bank to foil further
attacks, and that troops operating there are “a protective blanket” for Israeli
citizens. But he added that such operations come at a cost to Palestinians,
with innocent people harmed and the status of the Palestinian Authority further
declining among the local population. To calm the tensions, Bar said the PA’s
security services must be strengthened. “The Palestinian public wants this too,
but it takes two to tango,” he said.”



Nigeria



Voice Of America: Nigerian Military Says Over 250 Militants Killed In Operation

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“Nigeria's military says it has killed more than 250 Islamist militants with
the Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) groups in attacks
over the past two weeks. A military spokesman said Nigerian troops also rescued
three abducted Chibok schoolgirls, who the militants had held captive since
2014. Nigeria's defense ministry authorities made the announcement Thursday
during a security update in the capital of Abuja. Defense spokesperson Musa
Danmadami said military forces carried out highly successful air bombardments
and ground clearance operations in Operation Hadarin Kai between August 25 and
September 8. He said in the early stages of the operation, troops attacked
insurgents in isolated villages in northeast Borno and Yobe states and killed
52 terrorists. He said troops arrested 14 other fighters and rescued 22
hostages, including three “Chibok girls” who were kidnapped by Boko Haram in
2014. Danmadami said troops even scored more success during operations in the
Bama district of Borno state on September 3, when air and land attacks wiped
out Boko Haram and Islamic State hideouts. “Feedback from various sources
reveal that over 200 terrorists were neutralized including five high profile
commanders. Their enclaves were bombarded, the airstrikes resulted in the
neutralization of a large number of insurgents, while the land components
mopped up the fleeing terrorists.”



Mali



Fox News: Attack By ISIS Affiliate Leaves 30 Dead In Mali As Fallout From
European Withdrawal Continues
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“An ISIS-affiliated terrorist group killed roughly 30 people during an attack
in Mali last week, according to a coalition of militias that were forced out of
the area. The Platform, a pro-government coalition of militias, says they were
attacked by hundreds of ISIS-allied militants on Tuesday in Mali's Gao region,
according to Reuters. The assault left three Platform fighters dead, along with
roughly 30 civilians. “Reinforcements dispatched by the Platform reached the
town where they discovered the massacre as well as hundreds of women and
children who had been wandering the town without food for two days,” the
Platform wrote in a statement. The group says militants also burned food stores
and looted shops, according to Reuters. The assault comes weeks after French
troops withdrew from Mali, a country some have referred to as “Africa's
Afghanistan.” The country saw 2,700 deaths in the first six months of 2022.
France had maintained a group of 5,100 peacekeeping troops in the region but
withdrew in mid-August due to anti-European sentiment. Mali is currently run by
a military junta, which seized power via a coup in 2021. The government refused
airspace rights to Germany's UN aircraft, leading the country to severely limit
its operations in the region as well.”



Africa



Reuters: Fifteen Killed, Hundreds Of Houses Burned In Eastern Congo Attack
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“Suspected militiamen carrying guns and knives killed at least 15 people and
burned hundreds of houses during an attack overnight on a market in a town in
eastern Congo, local officials and a resident said on Friday. The raid, near
the town of Djugu, is the latest in a string of violent attacks in the eastern
Ituri province, where rival groups fight over land and resources. “I was
spending the night in my shop and suddenly I heard bullets and people moaning,”
said resident Lokana Maki. “We have so far seen 15 dead and more than 300
houses burned and other people injured and even kidnapped.” The death toll was
confirmed by local chief Richard Venna and by a local civil society member. The
attackers were likely from the CODECO militia, whose ranks are drawn mainly
from the ethnic Lendu farming community, which carries out regular attacks on
Hema herders in the eastern Iruri province, Venna said. CODECO could not be
reached for comment. The attack took place not far from the site of another
CODECO massacre in February in which at least 60 people were killed at a camp
for a displaced people. Much of eastern Congo has seen a spike in violence this
year, frustrating residents who say the army and the United Nations
peacekeeping mission, known as MONUSCO, is not doing enough to keep people
safe.”



Europe



Reuters: Appeal Starts In Paris Court Over Charlie Hebdo Attack
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“An appeal trial will begin on Monday in a Paris court as two men found
guilty of helping Islamist militants prepare the 2015 deadly attacks on the
Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine and a Jewish supermarket in Paris seek to
overturn their convictions. The two men - Ali Riza Polat and Amar Ramdani - are
among 14 convicted in December 2020 as accomplices of the attackers, who were
themselves killed by police soon after the killings. Polat and Ramdani have
denied involvement in the attacks and are the only convicted accomplices to
appeal. They received the heaviest sentences. On Jan. 7, 2015, brothers Said
and Cherif Kouachi went on a killing spree in the Paris offices of Charlie
Hebdo, whose satire on race, religion and politics tested the limits of what
society would accept in the name of free speech. They killed 12 in an attack
claimed by al Qaeda. The following day, Amedy Coulibaly, an acquaintance of
Cherif Kouachi, killed a female police officer. Then, a day after that, he
killed four Jewish men at a kosher supermarket. In a video, he said he acted in
the name of Islamic State.”



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