“In what has become an annual ritual, Pittsburgh’s Jewish community Thursday
honored the memory of the 11 Jews who were murdered on this date in the
deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history. For many community leaders, their
grief is mixed with dismay over the continued and growing incidents of
antisemitism in the United States and beyond. That included the widely
publicized comments of Ye, the rap superstar formerly known as Kanye West, who
voiced antisemitic stereotypes in interviews and social media, including a
tweet that he would soon go “death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE.” “It is horribly sad
that this week as our community tries to remember and heal, we are
retraumatized with antisemitism once again making the headlines,” said a
statement from Laura Cherner, director of the Community Relations Council of
the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh. “It is horrifying to see someone
with such large platform casually espouse antisemitic conspiracy theories with
such conviction and little regard for the violent impact his words may have,”
she added.”











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Eye on Extremism


October 28, 2022



Associated Press: Antisemitism Decried Four Years After Pa. Synagogue Attack
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“In what has become an annual ritual, Pittsburgh’s Jewish community Thursday
honored the memory of the 11 Jews who were murdered on this date in the
deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history. For many community leaders, their
grief is mixed with dismay over the continued and growing incidents of
antisemitism in the United States and beyond. That included the widely
publicized comments of Ye, the rap superstar formerly known as Kanye West, who
voiced antisemitic stereotypes in interviews and social media, including a
tweet that he would soon go “death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE.” “It is horribly sad
that this week as our community tries to remember and heal, we are
retraumatized with antisemitism once again making the headlines,” said a
statement from Laura Cherner, director of the Community Relations Council of
the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh. “It is horrifying to see someone
with such large platform casually espouse antisemitic conspiracy theories with
such conviction and little regard for the violent impact his words may have,”
she added.”



The New York Times: Somalia Asks U.S. To Step Up Drone Strikes Against
Qaeda-Linked Fighters
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“The Biden administration is weighing a request by Somalia that the United
States loosen restrictions on its military drone strikes targeting Shabab
militants in the troubled Horn of Africa nation, according to several U.S.
officials. The request comes as a new Somali administration has launched an
offensive against Al Shabab, with several local clan militias joining the
central government’s fight. President Biden also recently redeployed 450 U.S.
troops to Somalia, reversing former President Donald J. Trump’s abrupt
withdrawal in January 2021. But the Somali government wants U.S. military
operators to be able to attack groups of Shabab militants who might pose a
threat to Somali forces — even if they are not firing upon them at the moment,
the officials said. Such a move would further escalate American involvement in
the long-running counterterrorism war. In May, Somalia elected a new president,
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who also held the role from 2012 to 2017. Since
returning to office, he has made pushing back Al Shabab a top priority. He has
ordered Somalia’s fledgling national army to go on the offensive in the
countryside, is planning for the delivery of services to stabilize areas that
have been newly liberated and is trying to forge stronger partnerships with
both clan leaders and international allies.”



United States



CBS News: NYPD Warns Polling Sites Remain Potential Targets For Extremist
Violence
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“Less than two weeks before Election Day, the New York City Police Department
warned that polling sites could be targets for violent extremists. A law
enforcement bulletin obtained by CBS News on Thursday said racially and
ethnically motivated violent extremists and anti-government extremists
“continue to prioritize the targeting of political rallies, voting sites, poll
workers, and election officials.” The NYPD said, however, it is not aware of
any specific or credible threat to the city's polling sites, political
candidates or election workers. The bulletin stated that hostile rhetoric and
an abundance of generalized threats from likeminded people in chat groups, and
other online forums “may effectively create echo chambers that circulate and
reinforce false narratives and establish a permissive environment for violent
action against election-related infrastructure and personnel.” The bulletin
urged vigilance ahead of the midterm elections. Early voting in New York starts
on Saturday and will continue through Election Day, which is Nov. 8.”



Newsweek: As Gas Prices Reshape Midterms, U.S. Extremists Plot To Attack
Energy Sites
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“As rising fuel costs threaten the political hopes of Democrats in the
upcoming midterm elections, an ominous chorus of online chatter among domestic
extremists in the dark corners of the Internet advocating attacks on critical
infrastructure across the nation may pose an even greater threat to U.S.
consumers. Newsweek has obtained two documents that offer an insight into the
scope of the threat, including reports of several actual attacks that have
happened in past few months. The first is a corporate intelligence security
memo detailing at least 15 instances over the course of just over a year
showing suspected extremists openly threatening and calling for acts of
sabotage against energy sites, especially electricity substations, but also
including other targets such as cell towers and pipelines. The material
included documents that could serve to help groups and individuals in carrying
out such attacks, including maps, manuals and instructions on the
vulnerabilities of electricity infrastructure and readily accessible methods to
disrupt their operation. Those behind the posts, which were shared across
various online platforms and chat rooms, expressed ties to a number of
anti-government ideologies, mostly far-right and neo-Nazi beliefs, but also
including eco-militancy and at least one user who shared messaging supportive
of the Islamic State militant group (ISIS).”



The Christian Post: Family Of Female ISIS Leader Say She Sexually Tortured Her
Own Children
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“Family members of a 42-year-old American woman who pleaded guilty to
operating an all-female military group for ISIS in Syria said in court filings
she had sexually, psychologically and emotionally abused her own children.
Prosecutors are seeking the maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Allison
Fluke-Ekren, a Kansas native, “brainwashed young girls and trained them to
kill,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh wrote in a sentencing memo, The
Associated Pressreported. “She carved a path of terror, plunging her own
children into unfathomable depths of cruelty by physically, psychologically,
emotionally, and sexually abusing them,” Parekh added. In June, when
Fluke-Ekren pleaded guilty, prosecutors said she was part of “terrorism-related
activities” in Syria, Libya and Iraq between 2011 and 2019, and wanted to carry
out an attack on U.S. soil, according to NPR. Whether you lead a small
business, a department, or a multinational corporation, this book will show you
how breaking the conventional “rules” of business may be the best decision you
ever make. Fluke-Ekren allegedly told a witness “she considered any attack that
did not kill a large number of individuals to be a waste of resources,”
according to an FBI affidavit, Fox News previously reported. One of
Fluke-Ekren’s daughters claimed her mother would “beat my body, leaving my
muscles cramping in agony,” said another report by Fox News, which quoted the
daughter as saying, “(She) would then go to her room and masturbate over the
fact that she beat me. I could hear her from the other room.”



Iran



The Wall Street Journal: Iranian Government Shifts Blame For Terrorist Attack
To Protesters
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“Iran’s top military commander on Thursday blamed protesters demonstrating
against the country’s clerical rule for a deadly terrorist attack in southern
Iran where a gunman killed 15 people, promising to punish anyone who threatened
public security. The explicit linking of the protest movement and the terrorist
attack, for which Iranian authorities have presented no evidence, could signal
an even more brutal crackdown by security forces against demonstrations that
appeared to kick into a new gear Wednesday with tens of thousands of people
filling the streets. Human-rights groups say more than 200 protesters have
already been killed in clashes with security forces since the protests erupted
in mid-September following the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini, a young
woman detained for allegedly violating the country’s Islamic dress code. The
protests have evolved from calls for an end to the mandatory headscarf into
demands for the downfall of the Islamic Republic and its system of governance.
The Iranian government has already announced that more than 500 protesters
would be brought to trial this week, the first major legal action by
authorities to suppress the unrest. Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, chief of staff
of Iran’s armed forces, said that some of the protesters were “deceived” by
Iran’s enemies into causing unrest and that the perpetrators of Wednesday’s
attack on a mosque in the southern city of Shiraz would pay a price.”



Afghanistan



Reuters: Attack On Taliban Vehicle Carrying Military Employees Kills Five
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“An attack on a vehicle in western Afghanistan killed five medical personnel
employed by Taliban security forces on Thursday, a defence ministry
spokesperson said. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack,
according to the militant group's channel on Telegram. Taliban Ministry of
Defence spokesperson Enayatullah Khowrazmi said several employees were also
injured in the attack. “This morning, unknown armed men attacked a ... vehicle
carrying medical personnel of the 207th Al-Farooq Army Corps,” said Khowrazmi,
referring to a Taliban military unit headquartered in the western province of
Herat. Since taking over the country in 2021, the Taliban say they have
focussed on restoring security to the war-torn nation. However, in recent
months a number of attacks have taken place and the United Nations has said
security is deteriorating. In the western city of Herat, a large blast hit near
a mosque in September, killing 18 people including a pro-Taliban cleric and in
July, an attack on a Al-Farooq 207 Corps vehicle killed two security force
members. Several attacks have also taken place in Kabul, including an explosion
this month that hit a mosque in the vicinity of the heavily fortified interior
ministry compound, killing four people and wounding 25. It was not clear who
behind those attacks. Other attacks in the country have been claimed by the
Islamic State.”



Middle East



Arab News: Several Lions’ Den Militants Surrender To Palestinian Forces
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“Several fighters from Nablus-based armed group the Lions’ Den (Arin
Al-Usood) surrendered to Palestinian security services on Wednesday night.
Palestinian sources said that the militants requested to communicate with the
Nablus governor and the command of the Palestinian security services, demanding
protection at security headquarters in Nablus. They requested an amnesty
agreement similar to that which former Fatah military wing Al-Aqsa Martyrs’
Brigades received in 2007. The five senior leaders who surrendered are Mahmoud
Al-Banna, considered by Israeli security services as the mastermind of the
group, Mohammed Yaish, Mujahid Okouba, Imad Jaara and Al-Hafi, in addition to
the two young men, Taysir Al-Kharraz and Al-Khammash, who were injured a month
ago by an accidental explosion. However, the Lions’ Den rejected the surrender
as a rogue incident, saying on its Telegram channel that it had not asked a
security authority to receive any of its fighters, and that “whoever
surrenders, this is his decision and his choice, we do not even discuss it, and
we ask the citizens to stop circulating rumors and not insult any fighter who
surrendered. We tell you again: We do not want to see on your faces any moment
of sadness, as we get our strength from you. “Those who surrendered often
received threats of assassination or arrest from Israeli intelligence agencies.”



Mali



AFP: Rights Group Says Hundreds Massacred In Mali By Islamic State Jihadists
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“Armed groups affiliated with the Islamic State group have massacred hundreds
of people in northeast Mali this year, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Thursday,
adding the state was not doing enough to protect civilians. Tens of thousands
of villagers from the Menaka and Gao regions have fled their homes after losing
their livestock and belongings in attacks since March, the rights group said in
a report. The abuses have largely targeted the Daoussahak people, a Tuareg
tribe, according to the watchdog. It said large swathes of Malian territory
have come under the control of groups affiliated with the Islamic State in the
Greater Sahara (ISGS). “Islamist armed groups in northeast Mali have carried
out terrifying and seemingly coordinated attacks on villages, massacring
civilians, looting homes, and destroying property,” Jehanne Henry, HRW's senior
Africa adviser, said in the report. “The Malian government needs to do more to
protect villagers at particular risk of attack and provide them greater
assistance.” The assertion contradicts claims by Mali's ruling junta, which
seized power in 2020, that it has turned a corner in the fight against the
insurgency that has wracked the country since 2012 -- and put jihadist groups
on the run in recent months. The rights watchdog described attacks in 13
locations, all with similar modus operandi. In Inkalafane, in the Menaka
region, “a large group of armed men arrived in an armed vehicle and riding
motorcycles” on March 28.”



Africa



AFP: US Terror Alert In South Africa ‘Unfortunate’: President Ramaphosa
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“South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday said a warning by the
US embassy of a possible weekend “terrorist” attack in the country’s financial
hub in Johannesburg was “unfortunate.” “It is quite unfortunate the US issued
that type of warning without having any type of discussion with us,” he said
during a press conference. The US embassy on Wednesday posted the alert on its
website and identified the potential target as Sandton, which is commonly
referred to as the richest square mile on the African continent -- a collection
of high-end shops and lofty office blocks and banks. It said the attack could
occur there on Saturday. “Any form of alert will come from the government of
the republic of South Africa and it is unfortunate that another government
should issue such a threat as to send panic amongst our people,” said
Ramaphosa. He was answering a question during a join press conference with the
visiting Prime Minister of Spain Pedro Sanchez. He said Pretoria is “working
around the clock to verify and to look very closely at this message that came
from the United States.” The embassy said the US government had “received
information that terrorists may be planning to conduct an attack targeting
large gatherings of people at an unspecified location in the greater Sandton
area of Johannesburg.”



Asharq Al-Awsat: Morocco Arrests 5 Sympathizers Of ISIS
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“Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations (BCIJ) services have arrested five
sympathizers of the terrorist ISIS group for their alleged involvement in
planning individual or collective plots to seriously undermine public order.
The arrests, which took place on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, were
carried out on the basis of accurate information provided by the Directorate
General of Territorial Surveillance (DGST), said a statement released by the
BCIJ. BCIJ special forces have initiated their intervention in separate
operations targeting the five suspects, aged between 20 and 45 years, in Douar
Habata Benmansour in the province of Kenitra, Sidi Yahya Zaer, Dchira in
Inzegane Ait Melloul, Bouaboud in Chichaoua and Casablanca, specified the same
source. According to the investigation's preliminary data, each of these
suspects had pledged his “allegiance” to ISIS and prepared terrorist plots
against vital services in Morocco, using explosive material, or targeting
security institutions as part of “individual terrorism” operations. The probe
also revealed that some of the suspects were receiving training in the
manufacture of explosive devices, the statement indicated. Security services
seized a shotgun and ammunition at the place of residence of the suspect
arrested in Kenitra, in addition to weapons.”



WTOP News: The Hunt: 10 Soldiers Killed In Burkina Faso During Al-Qaida Linked
Violence
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“On this week’s edition of “The Hunt” with WTOP National Security
Correspondent J.J. Green, Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler, senior director of the
Counter Extremism Project, suggests the U.S. should be concerned after 10
soldiers are killed in Burkina Faso.”



Australia



ABC News Australia: Return Of Islamic State Brides To Australia Causes Fear
For Those Who Escaped The Brutality
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“Mohamed Ibrahim can barely bring himself to recall his run-in with so-called
Islamic State fighters. With tears in his eyes, the husband and father-of-three
spoke about the eight militants who stopped his bus in Syria in late 2017 after
living under IS rule for years, pressing a rifle to his cheek. “I started to
sweat. My heart was pounding,” Mr Ibrahim said. “I thought that the men that
were down on the road, they were so young, they were maybe 16 years old. They
were not adults. So, if they were told to shoot, they would shoot me.” The
thought of bringing IS-linked Australian women and 44 children back from a
detention camp, called Roj, in the north of Syria, terrifies the former
ambulance driver. The first group of four women and 13 children were taken from
the camp on Thursday afternoon and have boarded a plane home. His wife Maisaa
Mhanna said the brutality of IS had been hard for them to escape. “One woman
didn't want to wear the complete chador covering [an Islamic clothing that
covers the entire face leaving only the eyes exposed] and they shaved her head
right in front of us, they said next time she would be slaughtered,” she said.
The couple and their three children fled Syria in 2019 and made it to Sydney
via Lebanon last year. The IS brides, who are the widows or wives of dead and
imprisoned militants, had been meeting with government agencies inside the Roj
camp ahead of their repatriation flight, according to a source close to the
families.”



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