“The United States on Thursday issued sanctions against an international oil
smuggling network it said supports Hezbollah and Iran's Quds Force, targeting
dozens of people, companies and tankers as Washington sought to mount pressure
on Tehran. The U.S. Treasury Department in a statement said it designated
members of the network that facilitated oil trades and generated revenue for
Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah and the Quds Force, an arm of Iran's
Revolutionary Guards that operates abroad, both of which are under U.S.
sanctions. The latest U.S. move against Iranian oil smuggling comes as efforts
to revive Iran's 2015 nuclear deal have stalled and ties between the Islamic
Republic and the West are increasingly strained as Iranians keep up
anti-government protests. The Treasury said the network designated on Thursday
included key individuals, front companies and vessels it accused of being
involved in blending oil to conceal the Iranian origins of the shipments and
exporting it around the world in support of the Quds Force and Hezbollah.”











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Eye on Extremism


November 4, 2022



Reuters: U.S. Imposes Sanctions On Oil Smuggling Network Backing Iran's Quds
Force, Hezbollah
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“The United States on Thursday issued sanctions against an international oil
smuggling network it said supports Hezbollah and Iran's Quds Force, targeting
dozens of people, companies and tankers as Washington sought to mount pressure
on Tehran. The U.S. Treasury Department in a statement said it designated
members of the network that facilitated oil trades and generated revenue for
Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah and the Quds Force, an arm of Iran's
Revolutionary Guards that operates abroad, both of which are under U.S.
sanctions. The latest U.S. move against Iranian oil smuggling comes as efforts
to revive Iran's 2015 nuclear deal have stalled and ties between the Islamic
Republic and the West are increasingly strained as Iranians keep up
anti-government protests. The Treasury said the network designated on Thursday
included key individuals, front companies and vessels it accused of being
involved in blending oil to conceal the Iranian origins of the shipments and
exporting it around the world in support of the Quds Force and Hezbollah.”




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CNN: FBI Says It Has ‘Credible Information Of A Broad Threat’ To Synagogues In
New Jersey
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“The FBI in Newark, New Jersey, said Thursday afternoon it has received
“credible information of a broad threat to synagogues” in the state, according
to a tweet from the office. “We ask at this time that you take all security
precautions to protect your community and facility. We will share more
information as soon as we can. Stay alert. In case of emergency call police,”
the post said. In a second tweet, the agency said it was taking a “proactive
measure” with that warning, while “investigative processes are carried out.” An
online posting with antisemitic comments in a forum that is frequented by
extremists is what prompted the FBI’s alert, a law enforcement source told CNN.
While no specific target, timing or plan was mentioned, the nature of the post
created enough concern on the part of the FBI that the agency decided to put a
general warning out of an abundance of caution, the source said.”



United States



CNN: Justice Department Rests In Its Historic Seditious Conspiracy Case
Against Oath Keepers
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“Federal prosecutors rested their case on Thursday against five alleged
leaders of the far-right Oath Keepers militia group, ending the initial phase
of the first seditious conspiracy trial in over a decade. Over four weeks,
government witnesses – including several FBI agents, US Capitol Police
officers, current and former members of the Oath Keepers and a representative
from Facebook who testified about social media messages celebrating the
violence – testified to back up the Justice Department’s case that the five
defendants plotted to stop the electoral college count on January 6, 2021.
According to prosecutors, defendants Stewart Rhodes, Kelly Meggs, Jessica
Watkins, Kenneth Harrelson and Thomas Caldwell planned for an armed rebellion
long before the US Capitol riot. Members of the group attended several other
rallies in DC as “dry runs,” prosecutors say, and took action when the moment
finally presented itself on January 6, going with the crowd to storm the
Capitol. All five alleged members of the Oath Keepers have pleaded not guilty
and will present evidence in their defense in the coming weeks. Some of the
defendants have suggested they will testify in their own defense, including
Rhodes, a Yale Law School graduate who founded the far-right extremist group.
In presenting their case, prosecutors largely relied on the group’s own alleged
chat messages on encrypted apps and their planning in the lead-up to January 6
– which their leader Rhodes allegedly saw as a hard constitutional deadline to
stop Joe Biden from becoming president.”



Iran



Reuters: Iran Celebrates 1979 U.S. Embassy Takeover Amid Anti-Government
Protests
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“Iran held state-sponsored annual rallies on Friday marking the 1979 seizure
of the U.S. embassy in Tehran, as the clerical establishment that has ruled
since then battles nationwide protests calling for its downfall. Radical
students cemented the Islamic Revolution by storming the embassy soon after the
fall of the U.S.-backed Shah, and 52 Americans were held hostage there for 444
days. The two countries have been enemies ever since and, as Iranian
authorities on Friday urged security forces to swiftly stamp out
anti-government protests that have spread to all layers of society, new
bilateral tensions surfaced. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi criticised Joe
Biden, a day after the U.S. president vowed to "free Iran". Images broadcast on
state television showed anti-American demonstrations attended by tens of
thousands of people across the country on the "National Day of Fighting Global
Arrogance", while songs called for "Death to America" and described Iran's
arch-foe as a manifestation of Satan.”



Pakistan



CBS News: Imran Khan, Former Pakistan Leader And Cricket Star, Shot In “Clear
Assassination Attempt”
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“Pakistan's cricket star-turned prime minister Imran Khan was shot on
Thursday as an assailant opened fire on his vehicle in an apparent
assassination attempt. Representatives for the ex-premier told CBS News he was
hit in the foot and or the lower leg, and his injuries were not
life-threatening. He was transported to a hospital in Lahore for treatment.
About a half-dozen other members of Khan's entourage also sustained injuries in
the attack, which the senior vice president of Khan's political party, PTI,
called “a clear assassination attempt.” “If the shooter had not been stopped by
people there, the entire PTI leadership would have been wiped out,” Fawad
Chaudhry told the Reuters news agency. Khan, ousted in the spring as prime
minister, has been conducting a long campaign-protest trip from Lahore to
Islamabad, with his vehicle convoy stopping in several cities along the way.
The shooting happened in Punjab province's Wazirabad, about halfway between the
two bigger cities. People in the crowds that had gathered to see Khan quickly
apprehended the shooter and handed him over to authorities. The purpose of
Khan's march is to call on the government to hold early elections. In August,
Pakistani police filed terrorism charges against Khan, a divisive figure who
was ousted from the country's top job in April with a no-confidence vote by
opposition parties.”



Middle East



Associated Press: 4 Palestinians Killed In Flare-Up Of Violence As Israel
Counts Votes
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“Israeli forces killed at least four Palestinians in separate incidents on
Thursday, including one who had stabbed a police officer in east Jerusalem and
three others in Israeli raids in the occupied West Bank. The violence flared as
Israel tallied the final votes in national elections held this week, with
former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expected to lead a comfortable
majority backed by far-right allies. Israeli troops operating in the Jenin
refugee camp in the West Bank, a militant stronghold, killed at least two
Palestinians, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. The Palestinian
militant group Islamic Jihad said one of those killed was a local commander.
Residents said he was killed while at the butcher, where he was preparing meat
ahead of his wedding this weekend. The army said the militant, Farouk Salameh,
was wanted in a number of shooting attacks on Israeli security forces,
including the killing of a police officer last May. It said Salameh was killed
after opening fire at soldiers, fleeing the scene and pulling out a gun.
Earlier Thursday, the Palestinian Health Ministry said a Palestinian man was
killed by Israeli fire in the occupied West Bank. Israeli police said it
happened during a raid in the territory and alleged the man threw a firebomb at
the forces. Late Thursday, Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip launched a
rocket into southern Israel, setting off air-raid sirens in the area. The army
said the rocket appeared to have been intercepted.”



Nigeria



Daily Post Nigeria: Boko Haram: Troops Kill 44 Terrorists, Capture 50
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“Nigeria’s fight against insurgency and non-state actors recorded major
victories in the past two weeks with troops of Operations Hadin Kai and Hadarin
Daji neutralising at least 44 terrorists while over 50 others were arrested in
North West and North East regions of the country according to the information
released by the Defence Headquarters. Major General Musa Danmadami, Director,
Defence Media Operations, who made the disclosure in Abuja on Thursday,
November 3, 2022, at the bi-weekly news briefing on the operations of the armed
forces reported that troops of Operation Hadin Kai in the North East had,
between October 20 and November 2, captured 27 suspected Boko Haram and Islamic
State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists and neutralised 19. Danmadami
said that the troops also recovered a large cache of arms, ammunition of
different categories, and other logistics supplies during the period. He added
that an air interdiction mission was conducted on a terrorist convoy along
Tunbum Aliyu, near Lake Chad, a terrorist location Southwest of Maiduguri.
“During the period in focus, a total of 145 Boko Haram terrorists and their
families comprising 30 male adults, 33 female adults and 82 children
surrendered to troops at different locations within the North East theatre of
operation,” Danmadami said.”



Daily Post Nigeria: Terror Alert: Nigerians Express Distrust, Anger Against
Government
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“Many Nigerians, especially residents of the Federal Capital Territory,
Abuja, have yet to overcome the palpable tension that gripped them over the
terror alert issued by some of the western countries. DAILY POST reports that
the worsening security situation in the country took a new turn last week when
Ireland, Canada, Australia, and other countries issued travel advisories to
their citizens to depart Nigeria. In the tension-soaked alert, the United
States, alongside other western countries warned of a possible terrorist attack
in the nation’s capital, saying the terrorists are aiming at government
facilities, places of worship, schools, among others. Following the terror
alert, some government and private establishments have been closing down
operations over the fear of attack by the daredevil terrorist that have, over
the years, kept the country in captivity. President Muhammadu Buhari had, in
the wake of the security alert, advised the nation’s security establishment and
citizens to continue to be vigilant and careful with security, saying it is
essential to avoid panic. Buhari in a State House press statement signed by his
Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu urged citizens to
remain calm, citing the recent changes in travel advice from the US and UK
governments, that it should not be a cause for panic.”



Somalia



Associated Press: Police Say Explosion In Somalia's Capital Kills 2 Students
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“Police in Somalia say at least two people have been killed and five others
wounded by a roadside explosion that hit a vehicle carrying students in the
Dayniile district of Mogadishu. “Those wounded include people traveling with
the students, and others were passersby,” said police spokesman Sadiq Doodishe,
who said the students killed were returning home from school Thursday. “This
incident and several others show that al-Shabab targets people
indiscriminately.” No group has claimed responsibility for the blast yet. The
al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab often carries out attacks in Somalia's capital. The
extremist group claimed responsibility for two vehicle bombs that exploded on
Saturday and killed more than 100 people at a busy junction in the capital.
Al-Shabab said it targeted the education ministry.”



Mali



The North Africa Post: Mali, Burkina Faso Pledge To Jointly Wage War On
Terrorism
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“Mali and Burkina Faso agreed Wednesday to jointly confront terrorism and
strengthen cooperation between the two countries in the areas of security and
defense, Burkina Faso leader Captain Ibrahim Traoré told media as he visited
his Malian counterpart Assimi Goita. “The most important thing for us in the
current situation is the security challenge, so with these people, we came to
discuss how to strengthen our military cooperation and better conduct our
operations and secure the population. This is the main objective of the visit,”
Traore told media after meeting Goita. “We have decided to strengthen our
bilateral cooperation in security and defense,” he added. The leader of
transition arrived in Bamako Wednesday for one-day visit and his office said
that the trip, his first since ascending to power in September following a
coup, aims to intensify the armed struggle against terrorist groups that plague
both nations and to strengthen the Ouagadougou-Bamako axis. Last month a
national dialogue vested Traore with power and made him leader of the
transition for 24 months. Both Mali and Burkina Faso are dogged by terror and
armed groups’ activities.”



United Kingdom



Daily Mail: In The Grip Of A Risk-Averse, Buck-Passing Paralysis, Our
Emergency Services Have Lost Their Sense Of Purpose, Writes Former Prison
Governor Professor IAN ACHESON
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“Britain has witnessed many terrorist atrocities in recent years, but the
bombing of the Manchester Arena in 2017 stands out. On that terrible night, the
innocent joy of young concert-goers attending a performance by pop star Ariana
Grande suddenly gave way to butchery and horror as Salman Abedi, a Libyan-born
Islamist, detonated a massive explosive device laden with shrapnel in his
rucksack. Altogether, 22 innocent people were killed and more than 1,000
injured. But what has compounded the country’s shock at this incident is the
patently inadequate response of the emergency services, whose misjudgments,
hesitations and poor leadership, it emerged later, may have heightened the grim
death toll. Paralysed by excessive caution and crippled by misapplied
procedures, the police, fire and ambulance services badly let down the victims
that night. When these organisations should have been at the heart of the
action helping to save lives, they were lingering on the sidelines.”



Technology



NE Global: Cryptocurrencies: The New Age Of Terror Financing
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“Technological advances have changed the way we combat terrorism in the
modern world, but these developments have also allowed violent extremists and
terrorists to exploit a rapidly changing landscape for their own nefarious
gains. Historically, terrorist financing included donations, the misuse of
non-profit organisations and criminal acts such as kidnapping, theft or the
illicit drug trade and more recently, the exploitation of natural resources.
However, with the growing adoption of new technologies, the misuse of
cryptocurrencies by violent extremist groups and individuals has emerged as a
new and additional financing technology. Cryptocurrencies provide an
alternative method of payment using encrypted algorithms. The system is
entirely decentralized and exists outside of government control on blockchain
technology, the digital ledger that logs each transaction and is duplicated and
circulated across computers. This peer-to-peer network offers enhanced levels
of anonymity for the sender and receiver, a very appealing prospect for
extremists. So-called “anonymity enhancing technologies” such as mixers and
tumblers have also been identified by the Financial Action Task Force as a
“high risk” to terrorist financing. These applications obfuscate transaction
paths and hinder investigations attempting to connect crypto assets to violent
extremists and terrorists.”



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