Eye on Extremism
December 20, 2019
The
Daily Beast: ‘Jihad Is The Way To Go’: Connecticut Man Charged With
Trying To Fight For ISIS
“After tips from Islamic Centers in two different states,
authorities arrested a Connecticut man they allege attempted to travel
overseas to join the Islamic State. Kevin Imam McCormick, 26, was
charged on Oct. 21 with providing material support to a foreign
terrorist organization after a months-long FBI investigation and
allegedly pledging his allegiance to ISIS and its leader in a video.
“I do like, I do like ISIS because Abu Musa was like my hero, I cry
when I watch that video,” he said during one conversation with an FBI
informant, according to court documents unsealed Thursday. The
Department of Justice did not issue a press release announcing the
October arrest until after the publication of this article. The U.S.
Attorney’s office in Connecticut stated that McCormick is currently
being detained but declined to provide additional comments. His
defense attorneys have not responded to repeated requests for comment.
According to the federal affidavit, the FBI was first alerted to
McCormick, a former truck driver, on Aug. 24, when members from
another state reported that McCormick had stated “we should support
ISIS” and “Jihad is the way to go.” The community members also told
authorities McCormick had asked about “circumcision and wanted a
doctor that could help him with the procedure.”
The
Washington Post: Inside The Taliban’s Afghanistan, Violence Remains
The Path To Power
“Deep inside Taliban territory, high in the mountains that line the
Afghanistan-Pakistan border, a top-ranking militant commander cradling
a Kalashnikov boasted of the group's victory against the Islamic State
here. He declared that “when the Taliban comes, the peace will also
come.”But a deadly Taliban attack on the U.S. military base in Bagram
just hours earlier undermined his message of comity. Even as the group
dispatched negotiators to forge a peace deal with the United States,
commanders and fighters were describing a militancy committed to the
use of violence to achieve its goal of regaining political power after
more than 18 years at war with U.S. and Afghan forces. The
extraordinary briefing earlier this month by the acting director of
the Taliban’s military operations, Moulawi Muhammad Ali Jan Ahmed, for
a small group of Western journalists signaled the militants’ quest for
legitimacy on the global stage after years of being seen as enemy
combatants. The Taliban controls or contests roughly half of
Afghanistan, and peace talks could formalize the group’s power. “For
the last 18 years, we have fought the Afghan government and the
Americans, and our struggle will continue,” said Ahmed, dressed in a
black turban and camouflage jacket and flanked by deputies and
aides.”
The
Wall Street Journal: Germany’s Parliament Moves To Ban
Hezbollah
“Germany’s parliament adopted a motion on Thursday urging the
government to ban Hezbollah from operating in the country in the
latest move by a Western nation to isolate the Iran-backed Lebanese
movement. The motion was initiated by lawmakers in Chancellor Angela
Merkel’s conservative bloc and backed by the center-left Social
Democrats—the junior partner in her coalition—with support from some
opposition representatives. Government officials said the broad
backing made it likely the government would act on the motion early
next year. Hezbollah—Arabic for the Party of God—is a political group
that represents Shiite Muslims in Lebanon and has close ties to Iran.
Its militia fights on behalf of Tehran in Syria and across the Middle
East, but the group is also an important part of the governing
coalition in Lebanon and its supporters credit it with helping to
strengthen the country’s security. In the motion adopted on Thursday,
German lawmakers said all activities of Hezbollah, including
fundraising, should be banned in Germany. It also called on Berlin to
lobby other European countries no longer to treat the political group
separately from its anti-Israel military wing, which is already mostly
banned from operating in Europe.”
The
New York Times: Israel Strikes Militant Targets In Response To Gaza
Fire
“The Israeli air force struck a number of Hamas targets in the Gaza
Strip late Thursday in response to the launch of a projectile into
southern Israel. The military said it attacked an underground
installation, a naval target and a military compound. There were no
reports of casualties. The airstrikes came shortly after Palestinian
militants fired a projectile toward Israel, setting off air raid
sirens in southern border communities. The army gave no details on
where the projectile landed. But Channel 12 TV said militants had
fired a mortar shell that landed in an open area. It was the second
bout of fighting in less than 24 hours. Early Thursday, the Israeli
air force struck several militant targets in Gaza in response to a
rocket attack. The rocket was intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome air
defense system. No Palestinian group claimed responsibility for the
rocket fire. Israel usually blames Gaza's ruling Hamas group for all
attacks emanating from Gaza. With help from Egypt, Qatar and the
United Nations, Hamas and Israel are seeking to strengthen
“understandings” meant to boost calm and prevent further cross-border
violence. The bitter enemies have fought three wars and numerous
smaller spats of violence since Hamas seized control of Gaza in
2007.”
Financial
Times: UK’s Counter-Terrorism Programme Receives Surge In Far-Right
Referrals
“The number of people referred to the UK government’s Prevent
counter-extremism programme over far-right radicalism has almost
doubled in three years, according to official statistics. A total of
1,389 people were directed to Prevent because of rightwing concerns in
the year to March 2019, an annual rise of 6 per cent and a new record.
That number is almost double the figure from 2015/16. By contrast, the
number of suspected Islamist extremists being referred to Prevent was
1,404, a drop of 56 per cent in a year and far below the peak of 5,000
in 2015/16. In September, counterterror police named far-right
terrorism as the fastest-growing threat to the UK, although they said
that jihadis still represented the more severe danger. Neil Basu, the
UK’s head of counter-terrorism, revealed then that seven out of 22
plots foiled since March 2017 had been linked to white supremacist
ideology, with some of the proponents mimicking techniques used in
jihadist attacks. Prevent, which has been running for more than a
decade, is intended to safeguard vulnerable people from being turned
into extremists. It seeks to identify those at risk and provide them
with mental health support, training and mentoring.”
The
New York Times: In Wake Of U.S. Base Shooting Pentagon Finds No New
Threat From Saudi Students
“The Pentagon said on Thursday that it found no threat in its
review of about 850 military students from Saudi Arabia studying in
the United States, following a Dec. 6 shooting by a Saudi Air Force
officer who killed three people at a base in Florida. "We can report
that no information indicating an immediate threat scenario was
discovered," said Garry Reid, a director for defense intelligence,
counter-intelligence, law enforcement and security, briefing Pentagon
reporters. The conclusion clears the way for the U.S. military
services to, at their discretion, lift a freeze on operational
training that had grounded Saudi military pilots and had restricted
Saudi air crews to infantry officers to classwork. The FBI has said
U.S. investigators believe Saudi Air Force Second Lieutenant Mohammed
Saeed Alshamrani, 21, acted alone at a U.S. Navy base in Pensacola
before he was fatally shot by a deputy sheriff. A group that tracks
online extremism has said Alshamrani appeared to have posted criticism
of U.S. wars in predominantly Muslim countries and quoted slain al
Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden on Twitter hours before the
shooting.”
United States
CNN:
Investigation Finds Washington State Congressman Took Part In
'Domestic Terrorism'
“A Republican state lawmaker in Washington is accused of
participating “in an act of domestic terrorism against the United
States,” according to a new report released Thursday by the Washington
State House Republicans on their website. According to the report,
Rep. Matt Shea is the subject of an investigation that was
commissioned by the Washington State House Representatives to find out
whether he “engaged in, planned, or promoted political violence.”
Rampart Group LLC investigators say the investigation was sparked by
“public allegations made against [Shea] in news media and online
reporting,” the report said. According to the report, “[i]nvestigators
have obtained evidence that Representative Shea, as a leader of the
Patriot Movement, planned, engaged in, and promoted a total of three
armed conflicts of political violence against the United States
Government in three states outside the State of Washington over a
three-year period to include 2014, 2015 and 2016.” Investigators say
Shea declined their request for an interview. CNN has been unable to
reach him for comment. Late Thursday, there was a Facebook post that
appeared to be from Shea, saying in part, “Like we are seeing with our
President this is a sham investigation meant to silence those of us
who stand up against attempts to disarm and destroy our great country.
I will not back down, I will not give in, I will not resign.”
New
York Mag: Eleven Years After Obama’s Election, And Three Years Into
The Trump Presidency, The Threat Of Domestic Terrorism Can’t Be
Ignored.
“When Dylann Storm Roof walked into the Emanuel African Methodist
Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, he joined the
Bible-study class before gunning down nine African-Americans as they
prayed. Roof still communicates with his admirers on the outside. In
jail, he began exchanging letters with a man in Arkansas named Billy
Roper. A former schoolteacher and the son and grandson of Klansmen,
Roper leads the Shield Wall Network, a group of several dozen white
nationalists who organize rallies and conferences — often
collaborating with neighboring hate groups — with the goal of building
a white ethno-state. “I have a lot of empathy for him. I’m 47, and
he’s young enough to be my son,” Roper said of Roof when interviewed
recently for this project. “These millennials and now, I guess,
Gen-Zers that are coming up, they are not stupid about the demographic
trends and what they portend for the future. That angst, that anxiety
that plagues them, drives them to do rash things — whether it’s that
rash or not — I can empathize with.” I would humbly suggest we believe
that Roper is being sincere, and that he speaks for many. Roper and
Roof are only two of those affiliated with the 148 white-nationalist
hate groups in this country.”
Syria
Voice
Of America: Russia Seeks To Build Local Force In Northeast
Syria
“Russia has been working to establish a new military force in the
Kurdish-majority, northeastern part of Syria with the aim to deploy
those troops and hardware to areas along the Syria-Turkey border,
local sources told VOA. The military force reportedly would replace a
U.S.-backed, Kurdish-armed group that Turkey claims are terrorists.
"The Russians have already opened recruitment centers in two towns in
our region, including Amuda and Tal Tamr," said a Kurdish journalist,
requesting anonymity. He told VOA he knows "several young people who
have signed up to join this force," adding that Russia is primarily
"recruiting ethnic Kurds." Rami Abdulrahman, director of the Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights, confirmed to VOA that Russian efforts
were under way to build an allied force in the Kurdish region. Kurdish
military officials said they were aware of Russia's plans, noting the
new fighters will largely be used for patrol missions, along with
Russian troops in the area.”
Foreign
Policy: Who Exactly Is Turkey Resettling In
Syria?
“Just two months after the launch of Turkey’s most recent incursion
into Syria, dubbed Operation Peace Spring, civilians’ return to areas
now occupied by Turkish forces has already begun. Turkey launched its
long-anticipated operation in October in order to clear the Kurdish
People’s Protection Units (YPG) from the border region of Syria and
Turkey and create a so-called safe zone to settle millions of Syrian
refugees who fled to Turkey over the course of the Syrian war. The
Turkish government deems the YPG a terrorist organization and an
extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which has waged a
decadeslong and deadly campaign for Kurdish autonomy inside Turkey.
According to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs (OCHA), more than 75,000 people still remain displaced from
areas in northeast Syria and are now sheltering in relatives’ homes
and camps for internally displaced people after fleeing the Turkish
operation. More than 17,000 people have crossed the border to Iraqi
Kurdistan to seek safety, according to the U.N. High Commissioner for
Refugees. The return of Syrians to their homes in the northeast is
highly politicized. Considering the underpinnings of the operation,
the return of Syrians to their homes in the northeast is highly
politicized.”
Gulf
News: More Than 60 Dead In Latest Syria Clashes: War
Monitor
“Clashes between Syrian regime forces and armed groups in the
country’s last major opposition bastion have killed more than 60 on
both sides in the past 24 hours despite UN calls for de-escalation, a
war monitoring group said Friday. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory
for Human Rights said 38 jallied rebels had been killed in battles
with regime forces in the northwestern province of Idlib since
Thursday night. The fighting near the rebel-held town of Maaret
al-Numan also killed 23 Syrian regime loyalists, the Observatory said.
Russian warplanes, meanwhile, pounded areas around Maaret al-Numan and
the nearby town of Saraqib with a series of air strikes, according to
the war monitor. The flare-up triggered a wave of displacement from
nearby areas, said an AFP correspondent there. Yasser Ibrahim
al-Dandal said he was fleeing with his family to olive groves in
northern Idlib, where they would sleep out in the open. “Hundreds of
rockets hit Maarat al-Numan,” he told AFP. “The situation is very
bad.”
The
New York Times: Where Doctors Are Criminals
“There was the medical student who volunteered in eastern Aleppo
even after his classmates were tortured and killed as a warning. There
was the pharmacist who smuggled drugs past government checkpoints to
cancer patients who needed them. There was the pediatrics medic who
relied on expired medicines taken from an abandoned factory. Each took
enormous risks to provide medical care to areas in Syria aligned
against President Bashar al-Assad. Some were imprisoned and tortured,
evidence of how the nearly 9-year-old conflict in Syria has normalized
the criminalization of medical care. Physicians for Human Rights,
which has documented the collapse of Syria’s health care system, said
in a recently released study that Mr. al-Assad has successfully made
medical assistance given to his enemies a terrorist act. The study is
based on interviews with 21 formerly detained Syrian health care
workers who have fled the country. None wished to be identified by
name, fearing retribution against their families or themselves if they
ever returned. The New York Times independently interviewed three of
them. It also interviewed an emergency medic of an underground
hospital, the subject of “The Cave,” an acclaimed 2019 documentary,
who was so overcome by bombings she abandoned her aspirations to be a
pediatrician."
Iraq
Kurdistan
24: Iraqi Forces Launch Anti-ISIS Operation In Anbar
Desert
“Backed by the international anti-Islamic State coalition, Iraqi
forces on Thursday carried out a military campaign to find sleeper
cell hideouts of the extremist group in an inhospitable stretch of
territory in the western province of Anbar. This marks the latest
operation Iraq has conducted in and around central Anbar’s Wadi
Houran, or Houran Valley, as well as additional locations. The areas
are all characterized by rugged, barren terrain that has been a haven
for members of the terrorist organization who use them as a base from
which to plan and launch attacks in surrounding settlements and towns
since its territorial collapse two years ago. An Iraqi military
statement said that the operation aims to “search Wadi Houran, the
Husayniyyat area, south of Al-Qaim, and the border areas” adjacent to
Syria, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. The statement explained that local
Hashd al-Ashayari, or Tribal Mobilization Forces, took part in the
multi-front push against the so-called Islamic State’s militants, with
air support provided by the national air force and the coalition.
Although Iraq declared victory over the Islamic State in December
2017, the extremist group continues to launch regular attacks,
including bombings, kidnappings, and ambushes against both Iraqi
security forces, Kurdish forces, and civilians in areas liberated from
its control as well as in major cities it never took over, such as
Baghdad and Kirkuk.”
Kurdistan
24: Kurdish Villagers In Iraq's Disputed Makhmour District Repel ISIS
Attack
“On Thursday night, residents of a Kurdish village in the disputed
Iraqi district of Makhmour repelled an insurgent attack of the Islamic
State, according to Kurdish military officials. The Ministry of
Peshmerga, in an official statement released on their Facebook page,
announced that on Thursday at 7 pm, the terrorist group’s militants
attempted to infiltrate the village of Ali-Rash, located in Baqrte
sub-district. Residents of the village who are members of the
Peshmerga, according to the statement, faced the intruders head-on,
leading to armed clashes between them. As the residents worked
together to stave off the attack, the perpetrators eventually withdrew
into the darkness. Soon after, the ministry released a video in which
a portion of the battle is heard and briefly seen. One of the fighters
who worked to defend the village told local media that a unit of
“special forces from the Iraqi military arrived in the village after
the attack to prevent any further insurgent operations in the area.”
He also claimed that residents were well aware that “around 1,000 ISIS
members exist in the foothills of Qarachokh Mountain in Makhmour
district who are active during the night time.”
Xinhua:
8 IS Militants Killed In 2 Rocket Attacks In Iraq
“A total of eight Islamic State (IS) militants were killed on
Thursday in two rocket attacks in Iraq's central province of
Salahudin, the Iraqi military said. Iraqi security forces conducted a
rocket attack targeting five IS militants on three motorcycles as they
entered a hideout in Qara-Chokh Mountain in the northern part of
Salahudin province, killing all the militants, according to a
statement by the media office affiliated with the Iraqi Joint
Operations Command (JOC). Later on, the troops fired another rocket on
the same site when three IS militants came to evacuate the casualties
of the first attack, killing them all, the JOC statement said. The
security situation in Iraq has been dramatically improved after Iraqi
security forces declared they had fully defeated the extremist IS
militants across the country late in 2017. IS remnants, however, have
since melted or regrouped in urban areas or resorted to deserts and
rugged areas as safe havens, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks
against security forces and civilians despite operations from time to
time to hunt them down.”
Turkey
The
New York Times: Turkey Denies Allowing Hamas To Operate On Turkish
Soil
“Turkey on Thursday denied accusations that a militant Palestinian
group is using its territory to plan attacks against Israel. The
denial came following media reports that claimed that Turkey was
turning a blind eye as commanders of the Hamas group were allegedly
ordering attacks against Israel from Istanbul. The Turkish Foreign
Ministry rejected the report on its Twitter account. “We firmly reject
the accusation that the Turkish territory is being used for any act
against Israel or any other country,” the ministry said. The ministry
added, however, that Turkey and other countries don't consider Hamas
as a terrorist group “but as a political reality which has won the
elections in Gaza back in 2006.” “Various countries, including Turkey,
have contacts with Hamas at different levels,” the ministry said. In
2011, 11 Hamas prisoners who were freed from jails in Israel arrived
in Istanbul as part of a prisoner exchange deal between the
Palestinians and Israel. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who touts
himself as the champion of the Palestinian cause, met with Hamas
leader Ismail Haniyah in Istanbul on Saturday. Once close allies, ties
between Israel and Turkey have been tense since 2010, when 10 Turkish
citizens were killed by Israeli forces as a Turkish-led flotilla tried
to break Israel's blockade on the Gaza Strip.”
Afghanistan
NBC
News: Taliban Aiming For An 'Inclusive' Afghan Government, Spokesman
Says
“As the Taliban and the United States inch closer toward a deal
that would have U.S. troops withdraw from Afghanistan, the militant
group's leaders are trying to present themselves as a political
movement ready to responsibly wield power. Suhail Shaheen, a senior
Taliban spokesman, recently told NBC News that the Taliban was willing
to form a government that includes allies of President Ashraf Ghani.
“We want an inclusive government because that will guarantee a stable
government in the country. Otherwise we will have fighting,” Shaheen
said. The Taliban has so far rejected official negotiations with the
Ghani administration, labeling it a “stooge” government. Shaheen did
not elaborate on what an “inclusive” government means in practice or
whether it amounted to a democracy. The Taliban has misled the media
in the past and has consistently rejected taking part in elections and
called on Afghans to boycott votes. Shaheen also said that shortly
after signing the deal with the U.S., the Taliban would take part in
an “intra-Afghan” negotiation with the aim of establishing a
government in which all Afghans can participate. He added that the
Taliban would consider the Afghan government as one faction of the
non-Taliban side but would still not recognize it as legitimate.”
Saudi Arabia
Bloomberg:
Saudi Theater Stabbing Was ‘Ordered By Al-Qaeda,’ State TV
Says
“The suspect in a stabbing of performers during a live show in a
Saudi theater last month acted on the orders of an Al-Qaeda leader in
Yemen, Saudi state TV reported, without saying where it got the
information. Al Ekhbariya on Thursday posted on its Twitter account
footage appearing to show a man storm a stage during a live
performance. A 33-year-old Yemeni resident of Saudi Arabia was held
after the November attack. The victims, a woman and two men, were
treated for superficial wounds. A criminal court has begun trial
hearings on the case, according to Al Ekhbariya. Attacks by Al-Qaeda
have declined significantly since a wave of bombings by the militant
group in the early 2000s shook the kingdom.”
Lebanon
The
Washington Post: Selection Of Hezbollah-Backed Prime Minister Triggers
New Strife In Lebanon
“Lebanon has designated a new prime minister, whose candidacy was
proposed by the Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement, a move that risks
provoking further political unrest and alienating the country’s
Western allies just when Lebanon most needs international support for
its rapidly collapsing economy. Hassan Diab, a little-known
engineering professor and former education minister who is from
Lebanon’s Sunni Muslim community, was tasked Thursday with forming a
government by the country’s Christian party president, Michel Aoun,
after a day of consultations with political blocs showed that Diab
commanded majority support in parliament. Few, however, expected his
unexpected and controversial selection to survive either the immediate
popular backlash that erupted on the streets or the scrutiny of the
international community. His appointment not only runs counter to
Lebanon’s long tradition of consensual politics but also appears to
affirm that Hezbollah is indeed the most powerful political player in
Lebanon, potentially deterring future Western aid. Lebanese leaders
have been under pressure for weeks to choose a new prime minister to
replace Saad Hariri, who resigned after nationwide protests erupted in
Lebanon in October.”
Egypt
Al
Monitor: Egypt Reinforces Security Ahead Of Christmas
Season
“Egyptian security forces were heavily deployed in Cairo and other
governorates over the past few days in a campaign to protect churches,
some mosques and vital economic facilities ahead of the New Year and
Christmas celebrations. The army’s rapid deployment forces assisted
the internal security forces in the mission. This is not the first
time the Egyptian army has been deployed to provide protection. These
forces were previously assigned to protect religious establishments in
Sinai. The parliamentary National Defense and Security Committee
approved the government's request in August 2016 to extend the law
allowing armed forces to assist law enforcement agencies in protecting
government and public facilities for a period of five years, ending
August 2021. A media official with the Ministry of Interior told
Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that the security forces are
currently preparing to protect economic facilities and churches in the
governorates, especially those that have been previously targeted by
extremists. “Mosques affiliated with the Sufi order will also be
protected, especially as they have been targeted before,” he said,
recalling the bloody attack on al-Rawda mosque in North Sinai in
November 2017.”
Africa
All
Africa: Kenya: How Dusit Attack Marked Recast Of Local
Terrorism
“The first sign that something big was happening at Dusit luxury
hotel and complex in Westlands, Nairobi, on January 15 came through
tweets. The tweets started coming first from people who had heard
gunshots at the hotel but quickly escalated into cries for help. “14
Riverside under massive attack. Gunshots all over, someone out there
please help. Thousands of lives in danger,” tweeted Aggie Assimwe
Konde. I remember this tweet because Ms Konde -- whom I later learned
worked at Msingi offices on the first floor of the building directly
opposite DusitD2 Hotel -- kept the Nation informed about her ordeal
until she was rescued later at night. Within minutes the newsroom
switched to breaking news mode. While everyone agreed that the upscale
Dusit complex was under attack, there was uncertainty on whether it
was a terrorist attack or a robbery. Officers from the nearby
Australian embassy were the first to respond to gunshots from the
complex and confirm that it was a terror attack. Earlier, a grey
Toyota car -- with three male occupants -- had tried to force its way
into the complex following an explosion at the Secret Garden
Restaurant on the premises, prompting police officers on guard at the
gate to deflate its tyres.”
North Korea
The
Wall Street Journal: North Korean Workers Flock Home As Sanctions
Deadline Hits
“Wearing a Nike coat and an Adidas hat, a North Korean laborer
waited with 60 compatriots to board a flight home from this city in
Russia’s Far East. After three years of construction work, the
laborer, Mr. Ri, was returning with $600, after his pay was docked for
missed work due to an injury. He said he would miss his life in
Russia, where he enjoyed watching the South Korean news on his mobile
phone—until his North Korean handlers confiscated it three months ago
to deter defections. “At least I’m taking back some money from Russia.
I won’t receive anything working in Pyongyang,” Mr. Ri said. Hundreds
of North Korean laborers are streaming out of Russia every day,
thinning out a workforce that once stood at 30,000. Only several
thousand remain. On most days this month, North Korean airline Air
Koryo flies twice from Vladivostok to Pyongyang, up from twice a week
earlier this year. The exodus was mandated in 2017 by the United
Nations Security Council. Tightening sanctions in response to North
Korea’s launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, the Security
Council barred countries from issuing new worker permits and said they
would have to expel the regime’s workers within two
years.”
United Kingdom
The
Telegraph: Jihadi Referrals To Prevent Fall Despite Police Admitting
Islamist Extremism Is Still Main Security Threat Facing
UK
“Jihadi referrals to the anti-radicalism programme Prevent have
declined, despite a senior police officer admitting ISIS-inspired
extremism is still the main security threat facing Britain. The number
of Islamist referrals to Prevent from March 2018 to 2019 dropped 56
per cent, from 3,197 to 1,404. Introduced in 2003, Prevent has
attracted wide criticism for being racially prejudiced, sparking
concerns this could be behind the drop in referrals. But national
counter terror coordinator, Chief Superintendent Nik Adams, said the
reduction is due to a growing public perception that “the Islamist
threat has lessened over time.” Mr Adams warned members of the public
to not get complacent in reporting concerns with jihadi extremism
despite a drop in the number of large scale terror attacks occurring
in the UK. The terror attack in London Bridge last month, where
Cambridge University graduates Jack Merritt and Saskia Jones were
killed, “reinforces” the “enduring threat” from Islamist terrorism, Mr
Adams said. “Within our investigations nationally, we still see
significant risks from ISIS inspired terrorism. That is not going away
anytime soon,” Mr Adams told the Telegraph.”
BBC
News: Kent Man Charged With Right-Wing Terrorism
Offences
“A man has been charged with right-wing terrorism offences. George
Fowle, 19, of Snodland in Kent, was arrested on 18 June at London
Heathrow Airport. He is charged with two counts of possessing material
likely to be of use to a person committing or preparing an act of
terrorism, contrary to section 58 of the Terrorism Act (2000). Mr
Fowle, of Lucas Road, is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates'
Court on 6 January.”
Europe
The
National: Irish Woman Accused Of ISIS Membership Released On
Bail
“An Irish woman accused of being a member of ISIS was released on
bail on Thursday after successfully appealing a decision by a Dublin
court. Lisa Smith, from Dundalk, near the border with Northern
Ireland, travelled to Syria in 2015 where she married British ISIS
fighter Sajid Aslam, who later died in fighting. The 38-year-old
former Irish Defence Forces member escaped the Ain Issa camp in
October and was deported from Turkey on December 1 along with her
two-year-old daughter, who was born in Syria. Questioned for three
days on her return to Ireland, Ms Smith was charged with being a
member of the extremist group. Ireland’s Director of Public
Prosecution said the state believed Ms Smith was a flight risk but the
alleged ISIS member appealed the decision to deny her bail, pleading
that she be freed to spend time with her daughter. Justice Robert
Eager granted bail, saying Ms Smith was entitled to the presumption of
innocence. Ms Smith has been held at Limerick Prison since December 4
and is facing an eight-year sentence for membership of a terrorist
organisation. Her daughter is being cared for by relatives. While on
bail, Ms Smith must comply with a series of strict conditions.”
Reuters:
Ex-Islamic State Fighters, Women And Children Return To Bosnia From
Syria
“A group of 25 former Islamic State fighters, women and children,
some of them orphaned, returned to Bosnia on Thursday, the
prosecutor’s office and the security ministry said. Seven men have
been handed over to the state prosecutor while six women and 12
children were taken to a reception center for further examination and
medical assistance, the security ministry said. Some had been sought
on international arrest warrants and the suspects were under
investigation for the offences of organizing a terrorist group,
joining foreign paramilitary groups, and terrorism, the prosecutor’s
office said in a statement. Bosnia’s state court has tried and
convicted 46 people who returned from Syria or Iraq over the past few
years. Islamic State lost its last territorial foothold in Syria in
March this year and many of its militants are now believed to be in
Kurdish-run prisons in northern Syria.”
Southeast Asia
The
New York Times: In Japan, Iran’s President May Be Seeking A Line To
The U.S.
“President Hassan Rouhani of Iran arrived in Japan on Friday for
talks with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, amid speculation that Mr.
Rouhani may seek to use the two countries’ friendly relationship to
open a new line of communication with the Trump administration. The
meeting comes as Mr. Rouhani faces steep challenges at home and
abroad. American sanctions on oil sales, imposed by President Trump
after he pulled the United States out of the 2015 global deal aimed at
curbing Iran’s nuclear ambitions, have crippled Iran’s economy. And
Iran has faced a growing backlash in the Middle East since it crushed
a nationwide antigovernment uprising in November. Analysts said Japan,
which is trusted by both the United States and Iran, could be well
positioned to broker a new dialogue between the two countries, after
the collapse of similar efforts by France. Kazuo Takahashi, a
professor emeritus at the Open University of Japan who specializes in
Middle East politics, said Mr. Rouhani hoped to show with his visit
that Iran was still respected and not isolated, “and that he may even
be able to get some concessions from Japan or the United
States.”
The
Washington Post: Maldives Arrests 3 Suspected Religious Extremists On
Island
“Maldives police said they have raided a religious group that kept
women and children isolated on an island and arrested three people
suspected of spreading violent extremism. Mohamed Basheer, a police
officer in charge of serious and organized crime, said in a television
interview that the raid was conducted Wednesday on the island
northeast of the capital, Male. Police said they received information
about an isolated “quasi community” on the island that deprived women
and children of their basic rights. The group forced women and
children to sever all ties with the outside world, prevented children
from attending schools and being vaccinated, and forced them into
child marriages, a police statement said. It said the group promoted
radicalization and the recruiting of people for foreign extremist
organizations. The Indian Ocean archipelago nation, known for its
luxury resorts, is majority Sunni Muslim and practicing or preaching
other faiths is banned by law. The country is reported to have had the
highest number of foreign fighters in Syria, where the Islamic State
group was active. Police say some of them have returned to the
Maldives and are spreading radical ideologies there, according to the
Maldives Independent newspaper.”
Technology
The
Wall Street Journal: Facial-Recognition Software Suffers From Racial
Bias, U.S. Study Finds
“A far-reaching government analysis of the most widely used facial
recognition algorithms found most of them appeared to suffer from
racial bias, misidentifying Asian- and African-Americans far more
often than Caucasians. The study released Thursday is the largest ever
of its kind. It amplifies concerns artificial intelligence algorithms
don’t treat individuals equally. Other research performed by academia
and government investigators has shown facial-recognition algorithms
sold by numerous tech companies fail to identify minorities and women
at higher rates than white men. The research, conducted by the
National Institute of Standards and Technology—a laboratory affiliated
with the Commerce Department—found significant differences in accuracy
when an algorithm is used to compare two photos to determine whether
it is the same person. Such checks might, for instance, be performed
by an immigration officer trying to identify a person in a passport
photo. The study also found bias when algorithms are used to pick a
person out of an image of a crowd, in instances such as when police
are looking for a person of interest."
Insider:
Over 267 Million Facebook Users Had Their Names, Phone Numbers, And
Profiles Exposed Thanks To A Public Database, Researcher
Says
“Cybersecurity researchers said on Thursday that more than 267
million Facebook users had their personal data exposed in an online
database that collected their names, Facebook IDs, and phone numbers.
The database was available online without a password to anyone who
accessed it for about two weeks, according to Comparitech, a tech
website, and Bob Diachenko, a data-security researcher. Diachenko said
that 267,140,436 records were exposed and that most of the people
affected are from the United States. The report said that people
identified in the database could be targeted by spam messages or other
scam attempts using their name and phone number. A Facebook
representative said after the database was taken offline: "We are
looking into this issue, but believe this is likely information
obtained before changes we made in the past few years to better
protect people's information." Facebook removed phone-number
information from its API in April 2018 following the Cambridge
Analytica scandal. That would mean that the numbers included in the
database are more than 18 months old.”
Axios:
Facebook Struggles To Clean Up Its Messes
“To speed new products to market, Facebook famously used to tell
its employees to "move fast and break things." The job of cleaning up
some of the resulting debris is one the company is tackling a lot more
slowly. Why it matters: Facebook is under pressure to offer users more
control and provide the public with better accountability. The company
has responded with a mix of apologies, policy changes and remedial
steps. Mess one — privacy and personal data: In response to persistent
controversies over Facebook's handling of personal data, CEO Mark
Zuckerberg announced in May 2018 the company would provide what he
called a "clear history" tool, "a simple control to clear your
browsing history on Facebook — what you've clicked on, websites you've
visited, and so on."
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