“Somalia’s president says at least 100 people were killed in Saturday’s two car
bombings at a busy junction in the capital and the toll could rise in the
country’s deadliest attack since a truck bombing at the same spot five years
ago killed more than 500. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, at the site of the
explosions in Mogadishu, told journalists that nearly 300 other people were
wounded. “We ask our international partners and Muslims around the world to
send their medical doctors here since we can’t send all the victims outside the
country for treatment,” he said. The al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab extremist group,
which often targets the capital and controls large parts of the country,
claimed responsibility, saying it targeted the education ministry. It claimed
the ministry was an “enemy base” that receives support from non-Muslim
countries and “is committed to removing Somali children from the Islamic
faith.” Al-Shabab usually doesn’t make claims of responsibility when large
numbers of civilians are killed, as in the 2017 blast, but it has been angered
by a high-profile new offensive by the government that also aims to shut down
its financial network. The group said it is committed to fighting until the
country is ruled by Islamic law, and it asked civilians to stay away from
government areas. Somalia’s president, elected this year, said the country
remained at war with al-Shabab “and we are winning.”











<[link removed]>
<[link removed]>



Eye on Extremism


October 31, 2022



Associated Press: At Least 100 Killed In Mogadishu Car Bombings, Says
Somalia’s President
<[link removed]>



“Somalia’s president says at least 100 people were killed in Saturday’s two
car bombings at a busy junction in the capital and the toll could rise in the
country’s deadliest attack since a truck bombing at the same spot five years
ago killed more than 500. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, at the site of the
explosions in Mogadishu, told journalists that nearly 300 other people were
wounded. “We ask our international partners and Muslims around the world to
send their medical doctors here since we can’t send all the victims outside the
country for treatment,” he said. The al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab extremist group,
which often targets the capital and controls large parts of the country,
claimed responsibility, saying it targeted the education ministry. It claimed
the ministry was an “enemy base” that receives support from non-Muslim
countries and “is committed to removing Somali children from the Islamic
faith.” Al-Shabab usually doesn’t make claims of responsibility when large
numbers of civilians are killed, as in the 2017 blast, but it has been angered
by a high-profile new offensive by the government that also aims to shut down
its financial network. The group said it is committed to fighting until the
country is ruled by Islamic law, and it asked civilians to stay away from
government areas. Somalia’s president, elected this year, said the country
remained at war with al-Shabab “and we are winning.”



Daily Mail: Hate Cleric Anjem Choudary Returns To Twitter After Ban With New
Account, Telling Elon Musk: 'If You're True To Your Word, I'll Keep Preaching
Online’
<[link removed]>



“Islamic hate preacher Anjem Choudary is back on Twitter and has praised its
new owner Elon Musk for giving him the opportunity to reach a global audience.
Choudary, 55, was jailed in 2016 for five-and-a-half years for inviting support
for ISIS. The former lawyer was released from jail on licence having served
half of his sentence but was subjected to stringent conditions, including a ban
from preaching in person or online. He was banned permanently from Twitter less
than a week after he rejoined the social network in 2019. But now he believes
he can resume his career. Speaking to MailOnline, Choudary said he will
continue preaching online. When asked if he will be banned again, he replied:
'Who knows... if what Elon says about free speech holds true then it should
stay up.' The Twitter account has several links to sermons as well as an
upcoming online debate being hosted on Telegram. In a series of tweets posted
over the past 24 hours, Choudary criticises the PM Rishi Sunak and condemns the
up-coming FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He also calls on King Charles III to convert
to Islam. Before it was banned, Choudary was a leading member of al-Muhajiroun
which was accused of radicalising youths. Before being jailed, he helped to
radicalise Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale, the killers of Fusilier Lee
Rigby in South-East London in 2013; and Khuram Butt, the ringleader of the
London Bridge attacks of 2017.”



United States



The New York Times: U.S. Releases Guantánamo’s Oldest Prisoner
<[link removed]>



“The United States has released the U.S. military’s oldest prisoner of the
war on terror, a 75-year-old businessman who was held for nearly two decades as
a suspected sympathizer of Al Qaeda but was never charged with a crime. The
man, Saifullah Paracha, a former legal resident of New York, was one of
Guantánamo’s most unusual and better known “forever prisoners.” Military
prosecutors never sought to put him on trial, but review panels considered him
too dangerous to release until last year. His transfer, in a secret military
mission announced by the Pakistani government on Saturday, culminated months of
negotiations to arrange his return. The Pentagon declined to comment. It was
not known if Biden administration officials imposed any security restrictions
on Mr. Paracha, but a lawyer swiftly released a photo of the former prisoner
sitting in a McDonald’s in Karachi, Pakistan. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said
in a statement on Saturday that it had “completed an extensive interagency
process to facilitate repatriation of Mr. Paracha” and that it was “glad that a
Pakistani citizen detained abroad is finally reunited with his family.” Mr.
Paracha arrived at Guantánamo in the early days of detention operations, when
hundreds of young men captured abroad filled cellblocks at the seafront
compound.”



CNN: Feds Warn That Domestic Violent Extremists Pose Heightened Threat To
Midterm Elections
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“Federal officials on Friday warned that domestic violent extremists pose a
heightened threat to the 2022 midterm elections, in a joint intelligence
assessment sent to state and local officials and obtained by CNN. The bulletin,
released by the Department of Homeland Security, FBI, US Capitol Police and
National Counterterrorism Center, says that perceptions of election fraud will
likely result in heightened threats of violence. The bulletin did not list any
specific credible threats. “Following the 2022 midterm election, perceptions of
election-related fraud and dissatisfaction with electoral outcomes likely will
result in heightened threats of violence against a broad range of targets―such
as ideological opponents and election workers,” it states. Enduring perceptions
of election fraud related to the 2020 general election continue to contribute
to the radicalization of some violent extremists, and likely would “increase
their sensitivity to any new claims perceived as reaffirming their belief that
US elections are corrupt,” according to the assessment. The joint federal
assessment comes as election workers are increasingly concerned about physical
threats to themselves and election infrastructure, and foreign actors seek to
widen divisions in the United States. “We assess that election-related
perceptions of fraud and [domestic violent extremist] reactions to divisive
topics will likely drive sporadic [domestic violent extremist] plotting of
violence and broader efforts to justify violence in the lead up to and
following the 2022 midterm election cycle,” the bulletin states.”



ABC News: Domestic Violent Extremism Investigations Doubled From 2020 To 2021:
FBI, DHS
<[link removed]>



“Investigations involving a domestic violent extremism nexus doubled from
2020 to 2021, according to a new report released Thursday by the Department of
Homeland Security and FBI. The law enforcement agencies say that in 2020, the
FBI was conducting 1,400 domestic terrorism investigations, and by the end of
2021 they were conducting 2,700. The agencies say a large part of the increase
was due to the events and investigations surrounding the attack on the U.S.
Capitol on Jan. 6. “One of the most significant terrorism threats to the
Homeland we face today is posed by lone offenders and small groups of
individuals who commit acts of violence motivated by a range of ideological
beliefs and/or personal grievances,” the report says. “Of these actors,
domestic violent extremists represent one of the most persistent threats to the
United States today. These individuals are often radicalized online and look to
conduct attacks with easily accessible weapons.” The congressional mandated
report was released nearly two years late by the FBI and DHS but no reason was
provided. Although there is no federal domestic terrorism charge, the report
explains that there are a myriad of charges that can be brought and the case
still have a domestic terrorism nexus.”



Iraq



Reuters: At Least Eight Killed, More Than 20 Wounded In Explosion In Baghdad
<[link removed]>



“At least eight people were killed and more than 20 wounded in an explosion
in east Baghdad on Saturday, according to security and medical sources. The
explosion took place near a football stadium and a café, the sources said. The
cause of the explosion is still unknown.”



Pakistan



Associated Press: Shootout With Militants In Northwest Pakistan Kills 2 Troops
<[link removed]>



“A shootout with militants in northwestern Pakistan on Saturday killed two
soldiers, authorities said as a counterterrorism task force arrested a suspect
involved in the recent killing of a former top judge of the country's restive
southwestern Baluchistan province. According to a military statement, the
shootout took place in the Darazinda area, in the district of Dera Ismail Khan
in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which for many years had been a
stronghold of various Islamic militant groups. The statement said that during
an intensive exchange of fire, two soldiers were fatally wounded. A military
action was then undertaken to eliminate the fleeing militants, it added.
Separately, the country's counterterrorism task force announced the arrest of
the man behind the killing of Baluchistan's former chief justice, Noor Mohammad
Meskanzai. Senior officer Aitizaz Goraya told reporters that Shafqatullah
Yalanzai was arrested in Kharan, where the judge was killed in a gun attack
near a mosque two weeks ago. The officer said the suspect was a member of the
outlawed Baluchistan Liberation Army, which had claimed the responsibility for
the killing. Goraya claimed the suspect allegedly confessed to his role in the
slaying and also revealed details about the group. Baluchistan, which is rich
in mineral resources, has been a scene of low-level insurgency by separatist
groups for over two decades. Pakistan’s military has claimed it quelled the
insurgency but violence persists in the area.”



Middle East



CNN: West Bank Militants Threaten Israel, Urge Palestinian Leaders To Join
Resistance As Tensions Rise
<[link removed]>



“Four US-made M4 Carbine rifles lean against the back of the sofa. The young
men, mostly dressed in black civilian clothes, are relaxed and chatty.
Neighbors pop their heads in to say hello through a door open to the street.
Which is odd. Because these men are being hunted, targeted for kill-or-capture
in a new Israeli military campaign to try to stamp out a fast-growing armed
insurrection in the north of the West Bank. The six men sip tea. The Israel
Defense Forces (IDF) says it’s hunting them because they’re members of an armed
militant group that’s planning more attacks against Israeli targets. “Martyr
posters” cover most of the back wall. Young men from the Jenin Brigade, most of
them killed in fighting with Israeli troops, smile from their photographs at
their living comrades across the room. The men now fiddling with their phones
know they themselves may move from the sofa to that wall. An Israeli military
strike team could attack at any time. This is Jenin Refugee Camp. It’s less
than half a kilometer square, home to about 12,500 people and a hotbed of armed
resistance against the Israeli occupation of the West Bank – and the existence
of the Jewish state itself – for more than 20 years. Its tight alleys and
ramshackle homes are densely packed, and crackle with tension. At midday it’s
shuttered while the neighboring town of Jenin is raucous with life. Locals say
people mostly sleep during the day because at night there’s often fighting.”



The Jerusalem Post: WATCH: Terrorist Kills Israeli 50-Year-Old, Injures Three
In Saturday Terror Attack <[link removed]>



“IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kohavi on Sunday toured the scene of the
deadly terrorist attack that took place in Kiryat Arba late Saturday night and
ordered forces to increase security in the area. Ronen Hanania, a 50-year-old
resident of the Jewish community, was shot dead by the Palestinian terrorist
outside a convenience store on Saturday vening. Kohavi was presented with
additional steps to increase security in the area, including the deployment of
additional troops and the blocking of roads in the area of Hebron. The Chief of
Staff visited after Israeli troops mapped the terrorist’s home ahead of its
possible demolition. The terrorist, identified as Hebron resident Muhammed
Kamel al-Jaabari, was run over by the settlement’s military security
coordinator after opening fire with an M-16 rifle in a store near the Ashmoret
checkpoint. He was then shot dead by an off-duty IDF officer. According to
reports, several members of Jaabari’s family are associated with Hamas,
including his brother who was released as part of the Gilad Shalit prisoner
exchange deal and exiled to Gaza. Jaabari, who was a teacher in Hebron
affiliated with Hamas, was said to be terminally ill with cancer. The victim
was identified as 50-year-old Ronen Hanania, a resident of Kiryat Arba. His
19-year-old son and Magen David Adom medic Ofer Ohana were seriously wounded.”



Nigeria



Voice Of America: Anxiety Grows In Abuja As Fear Of Terror Attack Looms
<[link removed]>



“Nigerian security forces dismantled a terror cell and arrested 35 suspected
members of the militant group Islamic State West Africa Province, including
five commanders, Nigerian daily newspapers reported Friday. Abuja, the capital,
remained on guard, with some shops closing temporarily as a precaution.
Australian and Canadian embassies in the city were the latest to issue terror
warnings; U.S. and British embassies on Sunday had told their citizens to be on
alert and avoid crowds across Nigeria but especially in Abuja. The foreign
missions said government buildings, places of worship, schools, markets,
shopping malls, bars and hotels were among possible terrorist targets. The U.S.
State Department ordered family members of U.S. employees to leave the Nigerian
capital. Security guards patrolled Friday near a huge shopping complex in
Abuja’s Jabi district. The complex had closed Thursday because of security
threats. Workers and shoppers were not allowed into the premises, and the
street was blocked off to car and foot traffic. Abuja Police Public Relations
Officer Josephine Adeh said authorities were stepping up security measures.
“We're doing all we can. ... We've strengthened our security, even though
there's no cause for concern, no cause for alarm. We don't have any threat in
our country,” she said. Concerns about terror attacks have been growing in
Nigeria. Militant groups have been pushing their operations beyond bases where
they have been active for years.”



Daily Post Nigeria: Boko Haram Attack: Army Kills Eight Terrorists In Niger
<[link removed]>



“At least eight suspected Boko Haram members were allegedly killed during an
attack on Army Barracks in New Bussa, Borgu Local Government of Niger State. It
was gathered the gunmen stormed the barracks in an effort to rescue some of
their members held in captivity. DAILY POST learnt the incident occurred on
Saturday at about 12 midnight. Eyewitness said during the attack eight were
killed, apprehended while some of the military men sustained minor injuries.
“During the fight, the soldiers gave the terrorists a good fight. The Army
called on the Air Force for assistance. They exchanged fire with the well armed
Boko Haram members who came in their numbers to the barracks. “Many of the Boko
Haram members escaped with various degrees of injuries.” DAILY POST further
learnt that security has been beefed up around the barracks in order to counter
any reprisal attack by the armed gunmen.”



Sahara Reporters: Terror Alert: 15 Extremist Groups Targeting Nigeria, May
Disrupt 2023 General Elections – Intersociety
<[link removed]>



“A human rights organisation, International Society for Civil Liberties and
Rule of Law (Intersociety) has warned that at least 15 terror groups are
targeting Nigeria and currently in the country with the aim of also disrupting
the forthcoming general elections. The organisation which was reacting to the
Western terror alert warning in the Nigeria's Federal Capital Territory, Abuja,
stated that the riotous situation going on in the country by Islamic jihadists
with subtle support of the government was clearing road for emergence of Biafra
Republic and others. Intersociety stated this in a release made to
SaharaReporters titled: “Terror Threats And 2023: Government Of Nigeria Is
Making Peaceful Change Impossible And Violent Change Inevitable And Riotously
Clearing Road For Emergence Of Biafra Republic And Others.” The organisation
warned that if jihadist succeeded in capturing Abuja, Nigerians would be left
with three choices of the “Valvet Revolution, the Berlin Wall or the Yugoslav
Fragmentation”. The statement was signed by principal officers of the
organisation; Emeka Umeagbalasi Chidinma Udegbunam Chinwe Umeche and Obianuju
Joy Igboeli. The statement reads: “It is our further observation that the
rising jihadist terror threats ahead of Nigeria’s crucial Presidential Poll and
others are not accidental as the present Nigerian Government had since its
inception in 2015 behaved through its policies and actions as if its cardinal
governance mission is to promote State Jihadism.”



Africa



Reuters: Militants Kill 15 In Attack On Burkina Faso Military Supply Mission -
Army
<[link removed]>



“Islamist militants killed 15 Burkinabe soldiers and volunteer militiamen on
Saturday as they returned from a supply mission in eastern Burkina Faso, the
army said on Sunday. A further four soldiers were wounded in the attack in
Gourma province, while 11 are still missing, it said in a statement. Burkina
Faso has been battling militants, some with links to al Qaeda and Islamic
State, since 2015. The worsening violence spurred soldiers last month to
overthrow the government in the country's second coup this year. The crisis has
displaced almost 2 million people in Burkina Faso alone and killed thousands
across West Africa's Sahel region, where an insurgency that took root in Mali
has spread over the past decade.”



United Kingdom



BBC News: The UK Terror Survivors Tracked Down By ‘Disaster Trolls’
<[link removed]>



“Conspiracy theorists, who claim UK terror attacks have been staged, are
tracking down survivors to their homes and workplaces to see if they are lying
about their injuries, a BBC investigation has found. Martin Hibbert, who was
paralysed from the waist down when he and his daughter Eve were caught in the
blast of the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing, told the BBC he is now preparing to
bring libel action against a man who says he spied on Eve from a vehicle parked
outside her home. Richard D Hall, a conspiracy theorist based in Wales, has
described how he physically tracks down survivors of the attack - in which 22
people were killed and more than 100 injured - to determine whether it was
faked. In a video shared with his followers online, he demonstrates setting up
a camera to film Eve, now profoundly disabled and in a wheelchair, to see
whether she can in fact walk. “I'm all for freedom of speech,” Martin Hibbert
told me. “But it crosses the line when you're saying I'm an actor or I've not
got a spinal cord injury or Eve's not disabled, she's not in a wheelchair. “You
don't know how far he's going to go to get answers.” Mr Hall suggests that
those who were killed in the attack are really alive and living abroad. He also
promotes theories that several other UK terror attacks were staged. A former
engineer and website designer, he makes money from selling books and DVDs
outlining his theories, as well as speaking at events and posting videos
online.”



Australia



CNN: Australia Repatriates Families Of ISIS Fighters From Syria
<[link removed]>



“Australia has repatriated a group of women and children who were left
stranded in refugee camps in northeastern Syria after the Islamic State (ISIS)
terror group lost control of the area in 2019. In a statement issued on
Saturday, Australia’s Minister for Home Affairs Clare O’Neil said that the
group, made up of four Australian women and their 13 children, had arrived in
New South Wales. “The focus has been the safety and security of all Australians
as well as the safety of those involved in the operation,” she said. “The
government has carefully considered the range of security, community and
welfare factors in making the decision to repatriate.” Earlier this month
Canberra said it hoped to rescue from refugee camps in Syria dozens of
Australian women and children who belonged to the families of dead or jailed
ISIS fighters. The four women had allegedly traveled from Australia to the
Middle East to marry ISIS fighters. O’Neil added that Australian law
enforcement agencies would “continue to engage with” and investigate other
members of the group. A woman walks carrying a child at the Kurdish-run al-Hol
camp, which holds relatives of suspected Islamic State (IS) group fighters, in
Syria's northeastern Hasakeh governorate on August 18, 2021. “Allegations of
unlawful activity will continue to be investigated,” she said. “Any identified
offenses may lead to law enforcement action being taken.”



ABC News Australia: Adelaide Schoolboy Who Allegedly Possessed Extremist
Material To Be Sentenced As An Adult
<[link removed]>



“A 15-year-old Adelaide schoolboy who allegedly possessed extremist material
and coached others online about how to make bombs will be sentenced as an
adult, meaning he could face up to 15 years in prison. Prosecutors asked the
Adelaide Youth Court to sentence the boy, who cannot be named for legal
reasons, as an adult where a bigger penalty could be imposed. Judge Penny
Eldridge today allowed that application, which means he faces a maximum of 15
years' detention instead of three. In her redacted judgement, Judge Eldridge
said she agreed with prosecutors that the “gravity of the offending” meant he
should be sentenced as an adult. “The offences for which the youth has been
charged are at the most serious end of the scale of criminality and the
circumstances of them are extreme and of significant concern,” she stated. “The
charges are clearly intended to intercept and prevent terrorist acts at an
early stage.” Judge Eldridge redacted information from her judgement that
outlined the precise allegations against the boy, before releasing it to the
media. The boy will reappear in the court in December where he is likely to
plead guilty to possessing extremist material and taking steps to manufacture
an explosive. Prosecutor Aimee Winra previously told the court that the
“gravity of the offending” meant the boy should be sentenced as an adult.”



Technology



The New York Times: Antisemitic Campaign Tries To Capitalize On Elon Musk’s
Twitter Takeover.
<[link removed]>



“A coordinated campaign to spread antisemitic memes and images on Twitter
resulted in more than 1,200 tweets and retweets featuring the offensive
content, according to an analysis by the Anti-Defamation League. The tweets
identified by the A.D.L. added to a flurry of racist, transphobic and
rule-breaking content that coursed through Twitter on Friday after Elon Musk,
the chief executive of Tesla, had officially taken control of the platform. Mr.
Musk has promised to loosen content moderation rules in the name of “free
speech,” worrying many who believe the changes will allow offensive content to
spread on the platform. The A.D.L. said the antisemitic tweet campaign was
hatched on 4chan, the fringe message board that is loosely moderated and where
hate speech has thrived. On Thursday, an anonymous 4chan user posted
instructions for sharing antisemitic content on Twitter after Mr. Musk’s
takeover was made official. The post was circulated on Telegram, the chat app
popular with the far right, according to the A.D.L. “Now that Elon is taking
over Twitter it’s time to finally put our skills to use,” read the post, which
told users to argue with Jewish users and “like” tweets from other
participants.”



Reuters: Hate Speech, Online Extremism Fed Pelosi Attack, Terror Experts
Believe
<[link removed]>



“The frequent targeting of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi by online
extremists and political opponents likely contributed to the violent attack on
her husband Paul, terrorism and extremism experts said. The intruder at the
Pelosis' home yelled "Where's Nancy?" before assaulting Paul Pelosi with a
hammer, according to a person briefed on the incident. An internet user with
the same name as the man arrested at the scene, David Depape, expressed support
for former President Donald Trump and embraced the cult-like conspiracy theory
QAnon in online posts that referenced "satanic paedophilia." Police have yet to
comment on a motive in the attack. But terrorism and extremism experts believe
it could be an example of the growing threat of so-called stochastic terrorism,
in which sometimes unstable individuals are inspired to violence by hate speech
and scenarios they see online and hear echoed by public figures. "This was
clearly a targeted attack. The purpose was to locate and potentially harm the
speaker of the house," said John Cohen, a former counterterrorism coordinator
and head of intelligence at the Department of Homeland Security, who is
currently working with state and local law enforcement across the country on
the issue. "This is a continuation of a trend that we have been experiencing
over the past several years. It is a threat dynamic that has law enforcement
extraordinarily concerned.’”



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