Eye on Extremism
July 29, 2019
The
New York Times: Suspected Boko Haram Attack On Funeral In Nigeria
Leaves At Least 65 Dead
“An attack on villagers leaving a funeral in Nigeria over the
weekend left at least 65 people dead, the local news media reported,
as an official blamed the violence on the militant group Boko Haram.
The official, Muhammad Bulama, said on Sunday that the attack had
occurred around midday Saturday and that 10 people were being treated
for injuries, the Nigerian television station TVC News reported. Mr.
Bulama, the council chairman of the Nganzai local government area in
the northeastern state of Borno, said the attack was in reprisal for a
clash in early July, in which local villagers and civilian
self-defense forces killed 11 fighters while battling off a Boko Haram
ambush. President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria condemned the attack and
directed the military to hunt down the perpetrators, The Associated
Press reported on Sunday. The A.P. also quoted the secretary of a
local self-defense group as saying that the attackers had opened fire
on the mourners after roaring up on motorbikes.”
Associated
Press: Death Toll In Attack At Afghan Political Office Rises To
20
“The death toll from an attack against the Kabul office of the
Afghan president’s running mate and former chief of the intelligence
service climbed to at least 20 people on Monday, an official said.
Around 50 other people were wounded in Sunday’s attack against the
Green Trend party headquarters, which lasted hours and included a
gunbattle between security forces and the attackers, who were holed up
inside the building, according to Interior Ministry spokesman Nasrat
Rahimi. Several gunmen were killed by the security forces, Rahimi
said. The attackers’ potential target, vice presidential candidate and
former intelligence chief Amrullah Saleh, was “evacuated from the
building and moved to a safe location,” Rahimi said. Some 85 other
civilians were also rescued from inside.”
The
Independent: With ISIS Plotting A Comeback, Iraq’s Famed ‘Golden
Division’ Prepares For The Long Fight
“In the summer of 2014, Iraq was staring into the abyss. Isis
controlled a third of the country and the army had collapsed. There
was only one fighting force capable of leading the fightback. Iraq’s
elite Counter Terror Service (CTS), known as the Golden Division,
spearheaded an offensive to recapture villages, towns and cities until
it finally took control of the last Isis stronghold of Mosul. That
victory came at a terrible cost. By doing the job of regular infantry,
instead of the specialised raids they were trained for, the division
lost around half of its fighters due to injury or death during the
battle for Mosul. Today, the caliphate may have been defeated, but
Isis is already rebuilding. So too is the Golden Division, and its
efforts over the next few years will be crucial in determining whether
Isis can rise again to threaten the world. The person in charge of
making sure that doesn’t happen is a man named General Talib Shaghati
al-Kinani, the commander of the Golden Division. A veteran of the
Iran-Iraq War and the Gulf War, the general became a well-known face
during the campaign against Isis as he regularly appeared on
television to give updates on the battle. There are perhaps few
institutions that can claim to have had a bigger role in the terror
group’s demise, and in preventing its comeback.”
The
Washington Post: Syria Keeps Up Deadly Bombardment Of Rebel-Held
Town
“Syrian government airstrikes on a town in the country’s northwest
killed five people, two of whom were from the same family, opposition
activists said Sunday. The airstrikes on the town of Ariha came as the
government continued its deadly air campaign against the last
rebel-held region in Syria. Another 21 people were wounded in the
airstrikes. The causality figures were provided by both the Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, and the
opposition-affiliated first responders known as the White Helmets. The
town has been particularly targeted over the past week, as the
government looks to regain momentum in its stalled offensive against
Idlib province, which began in late April. A day earlier, activists
had said an airstrike in Ariha killed 11 people when it hit a busy
market there. It is one of the main towns in Idlib province, which
along with the surrounding rural areas of Hama province, are home to 3
million people.”
Bloomberg:
Famine Spreads In Central Mali Amid Ongoing Islamist
Violence
“At least 10 people died of hunger last week in food-starved
central Mali, where dozens of villages are blocked off from the
outside world because Islamist militants have planted landmines near
major roads. The presence of Islamist militant groups and militias in
Mali’s center is preventing farmers from growing crops, and cattle
herders have moved elsewhere because of theft and the inaccessibility
of grazing land. That’s led to severe malnutrition, with an estimated
550,000 people in urgent need of food aid, the United Nations Office
for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said July 25. Mali’s
government said Friday it’s trying to find a way to send trucks with
cereals to the central city of Sevare, so that villages in the region
can be supplied with food. That includes Mondoro, where at least 10
people died of starvation last week, according to the mayor, who asked
his name be withheld for fear of reprisals. Mondoro is close to the
border with Burkina Faso. A recent surge of violence in central Mali
has forced more than 147,000 people to flee their homes, the highest
number in five years, according to the UN.”
The
Wall Street Journal: ‘Deepfakes’ Trigger A Race To Fight Manipulated
Photos And Videos
“Deepfakes are becoming more difficult to detect as the technology
used to create them advances, said Hany Farid, a computer science
professor at the University of California, Berkeley, who has a
financial stake in Truepic and whose research on media forensics has
been funded by Darpa. Mr. Farid said it is worrying that social-media
companies aren’t doing more to combat deepfakes, particularly in the
wake of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, which
Moscow has denied. “These platforms have been weaponized, and these
aren’t hypothetical threats,” he said.”
United States
USA
Today: US Man Allegedly Wanted To Kill American Soldiers, Arrested
While Trying To Join Taliban
“A 33-year-old American man living in New York City's Bronx borough
faces terror charges after his arrest at a New York airport while
allegedly en route to join the Taliban in Afghanistan to kill U.S.
soldiers, according to federal court documents. Delowar Mohammad
Hossain, who is originally from Bangladesh and later became a U.S.
citizen, was arraigned Friday in federal court in New York City. He
was arrested Friday at John F. Kennedy International Airport as he was
about to board a flight to Thailand on the first leg of his journey to
Afghanistan, prosecutors said. Hossain is accused of allegedly trying
to provide “material support” for the Taliban, a U.S.-designated
terrorist group, by joining their ranks. According to prosecutors,
Hossain had been under surveillance since at least September 2018. He
was allegedly recorded telling an FBI informant that “attacking the
U.S. Army, attacking stuff like that is legitimate because the world
is against the American government, not its people.” At one point,
according to court documents, he told the informant: “I just want to
take a frickin' machine gun and just shoot everybody and kill 'em
all.” More than 2,400 U.S. service personnel have died in
Afghanistan since the U.S.-led coalition invaded the country after the
9/11 terrorist attacks.”
CNN:
Iowa Man Accused Of Threatening To Slaughter 'Filthy F**King
Jews'
“An Iowa man has been arrested by federal agents after he
threatened to kill Jews in hate-filled phone calls and emails,
according to court documents. Garrett Kelsey, 31, admitted in a
voluntary interview to calling and emailing a Jewish organization with
messages full of anti-Semitic and racist language, the documents said.
He was arraigned on Tuesday in a federal court in Iowa on charges of
making interstate threats. Kelsey was apparently upset about a video
regarding Nordic neo-Nazis that the group had posted, the affidavit
said. "My people have f***ing slaughtered your f***ing people before
and we will do it again. And right now, you are giving us incentive to
do that. ... Filthy f***ing Jews," Kelsey said in a message to a
Jewish organization based in New York, according to court
documents.”
The
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette: Foiling Terrorism Here At
Home
“Almost 18 years after 9/11, it's been a while since we've heard of
any successful Islamist terrorism attacks. That doesn't mean no
attempts are being made, however. If you live in New York City, you
probably recall Akayed Ullah's 2017 bombing of the subway tunnel near
Times Square. Fortunately, successful attacks are few and far between
of late. But that's not for lack of trying. So far in 2019, the U.S.
has foiled seven Islamist terror plots targeting the American
homeland. Here's a quick snapshot of a few of them: January: Hasher
Taheb plotted to attack the White House and attempted to acquire
rifles, explosives and rocket launchers. The seller was actually an
undercover FBI agent, who along with other undercover agents and
informants, had been investigating and communicating with Taheb about
his radical ideology and violent plans. March: Rondell Henry, inspired
by terrorist attacks around the world using vehicles, stole a U-Haul
truck and drove it around Dulles Airport and the National Harbor in
the D.C. area, looking for a prime opportunity to run over
pedestrians. He found security at the airport was too tight and the
crowds too small on a Wednesday night so he delayed his plans for a
day, which gave police time to find him and the stolen truck.”
Syria
The
Washington Post: Syrian Rebel Town Pounded, 11 Killed In Market
Airstrike
“A Syrian government airstrike hit a busy open-air market in the
country’s northwest on Saturday, killing at least 11 people, most of
them children, according to activists. The town of Ariha has been
particularly targeted over the last week as the government escalates
its offensive against the country’s last rebel stronghold. The
airstrike in Ariha left an 18-month-old girl with an amputated leg,
according to Dr. Mohamad Abrash, a surgeon and chief of Idlib’s
central hospital. He said the girl’s father and brother died in the
bombing, while her mother is in the ICU in the bed opposite her with a
chest injury and internal bleeding in the head. The Syrian Observatory
for Human Rights, which monitors the war, and another activist
collective, called Ariha Today, said most of those killed were
children. Ariha Today named six children under the age of 14 who it
said were killed in the airstrike. Ariha has been repeatedly targeted
over the past week as Syria’s government looks to regain momentum in
its stalled offensive, which began in late April. It is one of the
main towns in Idlib province, which along with the surrounding rural
areas of Hama province, are home to 3 million people. Separately,
local doctors said two medics and an ambulance driver were killed when
an airstrike targeted their vehicle in Kfar Zita, a town on the
frontline in Hama province, at the edge of the rebel stronghold.”
The
Telegraph: British Revolutionaries In Syria Say They Will Defy Home
Office's New Terrorism Laws
“A group of self-styled British revolutionaries who travelled to
Syria to help build a democratic society in the Kurdish north say they
will defy new Government legislation which would see them prosecuted
on terrorism charges. The Home Office revealed in May that it planned
to designate northern Syria a “no-go area” and that British citizens
would have 28 days to leave or face a 10-year prison sentence if they
attempt to return to the UK. It said the law was aimed at tackling
terrorism, but the volunteers accuse the Government of failing to
distinguish between Britons in the jihadist enclave of Idlib, in
Syria’s northwest, and those working in the northeast alongside
Kurdish groups that helped defeat Islamic State (Isil). The law would
mean just travelling to or remaining in the northeast would be
considered a terrorist act, despite the UK partnering with the Kurds
in the coalition against the jihadist group. Dozens of Britons have
been drawn to the autonomous region, known as Rojava: some to fight
with the People’s Protection Units (YPG and YPJ) against Isil, while
others were attracted by their Marxist-inspired democratic, feminist,
anti-capitalist project.”
Iran
The
New York Times: Iran Links British Seizure Of Oil Tanker To Ailing
Nuclear Deal
“Iran for the first time tied the British seizure of an Iranian oil
tanker to the ailing nuclear deal on Sunday, calling it illegal and a
violation of the agreement. By making that link, Iran appeared to be
trying to press the Europeans to make good on the promised financial
benefits of the 2015 agreement known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan
of Action, or J.C.P.O.A. “Since Iran is entitled to export its oil
according to the J.C.P.O.A., any impediment in the way of Iran’s
export of oil is actually against the J.C.P.O.A.,” Iran’s deputy
foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said after emergency talks in Vienna
with other parties to the nuclear deal. The United States withdrew
from the nuclear deal last year but Iran and Europe are in talks to
try to salvage it. British forces impounded the Iranian tanker in
early July near Gibraltar, accusing it of violating European Union
sanctions on Syria, an act Britain said had nothing to do with the
nuclear deal. On July 19, Iranian commandos seized a British-flagged
tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most important waterway
for oil shipments, arguing that it had committed violations but
formally denying that it was a tit-for-tat response. Since then, Iran
has blown hot and cold over suggestions that both sides release the
tankers and Tehran promises not to send the oil to Syria, in part
because London insists that the decision on what to do with the
Iranian tanker must go through the courts.”
The
Wall Street Journal: Iran Rebuffs European Efforts To Defuse Gulf
Tensions
“Iran rebuffed European efforts to defuse tensions in the Persian
Gulf, calling military escorts to secure shipping a provocation and
rejecting U.K. terms for resolving a crisis over seized tankers.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani had hinted last week that a tanker
exchange would lower the pressure with the U.K. after Iran seized the
Swedish-owned, British-flagged Stena Impero tanker earlier this month
in the Persian Gulf. The move was widely viewed as retaliation for the
detention of Iranian tanker Grace 1 in the British overseas territory
of Gibraltar. But on Sunday, an Iranian government spokesman said
Tehran isn’t willing to first release the Stena Impero in return for
the Grace 1. Iran also rebuffed a key demand from Britain for
releasing the Grace 1: That its 2 million barrels of oil not go to
Syria. U.K. officials have said they seized the tanker to enforce a
European Union embargo on oil sales to Syria. “Our position is clear
regarding the stolen Iranian ship: They should end the robbery,” Ali
Rabie, Iran’s government spokesman, said of the authorities in the
U.K. and Gibraltar, according to the state-run IRNA news agency. Then
Iran “will decide based on goodwill” whether to release the Stena
Impero, he added.”
The
Hill: World Powers, Iran To Meet In Attempt To Save Nuclear
Deal
“Representatives of five world powers met with Iranian diplomats
Sunday in an effort to save the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal the U.S.
withdrew from in 2018, according to the Associated Press. Iranian
representatives were joined by officials from Germany, France,
Britain, China, Russia and the European Union in Vienna to discuss the
matter, according to the news service. “I cannot say that we resolved
everything,” Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi told
reporters following the meeting. But he added that all parties
involved remain “determined to save this deal,” and that “the
atmosphere was constructive, and the discussions were good.” The
meeting concluded with a general agreement to set up another meeting
involving higher-level foreign ministers, but no date has been set,
according to Araghchi and Fu Cong, the head of Chinese
delegation.”
Iraq
Iraqi
News: Iraqi Warplanes Kill Four Islamic State Terrorists In
Anbar
“Four members of the Islamic State terrorist group were killed
Sunday in an air raid on a terrorist hotbed in Anbar province, a
tribal militia commander said. “Iraqi warplanes have targeted a secret
tunnel of the Islamic State militant group in al-Madham district, 90
km south of Ain Assad airbase in western Anbar,” Qatari al Obeidi told
Alsumaria News TV channel. “The airstrike left four Islamic State
terrorists killed,” Obeidi said, adding that the bombardment destroyed
a large cache of IS ammunition and weapons inside the tunnel. Earlier
in the day, the Iraqi army launched a military operation to purge the
desert areas in Ar Rutbah, west of Anbar, from Islamic State cells.
Iraq declared the collapse of Islamic State’s territorial influence in
Iraq in November 2017 with the recapture of Rawa, a city on Anbar’s
western borders with Syria, which was the group’s last bastion in
Iraq. IS declared a self-styled “caliphate” in a third of Iraq and
neighboring Syria in 2014. A government campaign, backed by a U.S.-led
international coalition and paramilitary forces, was launched in 2016
to retake IS-held regions, managing to retake all havens, most notably
the city of Mosul, the group’s previously proclaimed capital.”
Iraqi
News: Iraqi Security Apprehend Six Islamic State
Militants In Mosul
“Iraqi security forces arrested on Sunday six members of the
Islamic State terrorist group in Nineveh province, the Interior
Ministry said. “Based on judicial arrest warrants, six Islamic State
terrorists were busted by the 12th emergency troops of the Nineveh
Operations Command in Mosul city,” Alsumaria News TV channel quoted
the ministry as saying in a press statement. The arrestees, according
to the statement, were fighting for the Islamic State when the city of
Mosul fell under the control of the militant group in 2014. The police
also found three bazooka missiles at a land plot owned by an IS
militant in the western side of Mosul, the statement read. The Islamic
State group appeared on the international scene in 2014 when it seized
large swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria, declaring the
establishment of an Islamic “caliphate” from Mosul city. Later on, the
group has become notorious for its brutality, including mass killings,
abductions and beheadings, prompting the U.S. to lead an international
coalition to destroy it.”
Voice
Of America: Iraqi Musician Plays Ney In Mosul Ruins Two Years After
IS
“Amid the bombed-out wreckage of a site that once hosted dozens of
Mosul’s traditional maqam players, Iraqi musician Saad Rajab Bacha
plays his ney flute to remember the city’s glorious days before it
came under the control of Islamic State (IS). Bacha, 65, fled Mosul in
June 2014 after IS fighters overran the city and established a
hard-line rule that deemed all musical instruments, including his ney,
a violation of Islamic law. When he returned home two years later, he
found that much of his beloved city had been reduced to rubble in the
Iraqi fight against IS. The sad melodies that emerge from his ney come
as Iraq this month celebrates the second anniversary of recapturing
the city from IS. Bacha says that despite the initial optimism for a
new life after the jihadists’ defeat, much of the city still lies in
ruins and its artists, among thousands of residents, are unable to
return because of lack of essential services. “I feel like art has
been slayed,” Bacha told VOA, adding that Mosul’s artists were either
killed or had to flee because of charges of blasphemy by IS. “The
effort of artists in Mosul has been lost due to those extremists who
hate life, music and art,” he added. Bacha now resides in the Iraqi
Kurdistan Region’s capital, Irbil, but frequently visits his hometown,
Mosul, to help arrange musical events in the city.”
Kurdistan
24: Iraqi Forces Repel Third ISIS Attack In 2019 On Oilfields In
Salahuddin
“Iraqi security forces announced late Sunday evening that they had
foiled an attack carried out by the Islamic State on oilfields in
Salahuddin. It was the latest attack by the jihadist group’s remnants
targeting the strategic oilfield of Olas, located some 195 kilometers
north of Iraq’s capital. The militants launched two separate attacks
on the same site in May, which were also repulsed by security forces.
The jihadists tried to approach the oilfield on Sunday evening, but
security forces managed to “strongly respond to them,” the
General-Directorate of the Energy Police said in a statement. The
Directorate offered no further details nor whether the clashes had
resulted in any casualties. A local security source from the area told
Kurdistan 24 the attack targeted the “police regiment” stationed at
the oilfields.”
Turkey
The
New York Times: ‘Her Eyes Were Full Of Fear.’ Turkey Repatriates
Children Of ISIS Followers.
“Sitting on a chair swinging her legs, 9-year-old Nisa flashes a
rare smile at the memory of her mother kissing her the last time they
saw each other. Barely a month back from a prison camp in Iraq, where
her mother remains incarcerated on a life sentence for aiding
terrorism, her short life has been one of untold trauma and upheaval.
She lived for five years in the Islamic State’s caliphate after her
father took the family from Turkey to join the terrorist group. And
she lost her baby brother and father to the war. She then spent more
than a year in an Iraqi jail with dozens of other Turkish families
affiliated with the Islamic State. Now, she is one of more than 200
Turkish children the government has repatriated from Iraq. She was
handed over to her maternal grandparents in Istanbul, who know only
snippets of what she has been through. “She was really skinny. Her
eyes were full of fear,” said her grandmother Bedia, who, like the
relatives of other children, asked that the family’s last name not be
used to protect its privacy. “In the last month, she got herself
together because we took care of her.” Turkey, like many Western
countries, has been slow to take back citizens who ran off to join the
Islamic State as it extended its violent rule across Syria and Iraq
starting in 2014.”
The
Military Times: Turkey Determined To Destroy ‘Terror Corridor’ In
Syria Despite Talks With US To Establish A Safe Zone
“Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday his country is
determined to destroy what he called a “terror corridor” in northern
Syria — regardless of whether or not Turkey and the United States
agree on the establishment of a so-called “safe zone” there. U.S. and
Turkish officials have been holding talks on creating a safe zone east
of the Euphrates River to address Turkey’s security concerns stemming
from the presence of Syrian Kurdish fighters in the region. Turkey
views the Kurdish fighters — who have battled the Islamic State group
alongside U.S. forces — as terrorists, allied with a Kurdish
insurgency within Turkey. Ankara wants a zone along the border with
Syria cleared of the Kurdish fighters and claims such a zone would be
safe for Syrians and allow some of the country’s refugees to return.
Turkey on Wednesday slammed a new U.S. proposal for a so-called “safe
zone” in northern Syria, saying it was “not satisfactory” and warning
that Ankara may launch a new offensive to secure its border if an
agreement isn’t reached soon. Turkey has warned of a possible new
offensive into Syria if an agreement on a safe zone is not reached,
and has recently been sending reinforcements to its border area.”
Afghanistan
The
New York Times: Amid Rising Violence And Taliban Peace Talks, Afghan
Campaign Begins
“As Afghanistan’s presidential election campaign began on Sunday,
the country’s leader was facing a series of daunting concerns, from
unrelenting violence to fears that his government could be derailed by
a peace deal with the Taliban. Now there are the voters: Weary of
waves of terrorism — like an attack on one candidate Sunday — they are
skeptical of risking life and limb to cast ballots, especially given
the widespread fraud in recent elections. “Why should I vote?” asked
Fatima Hussaini, a resident of Kabul, the capital, expressing a
widespread view among the electorate. “The government hasn’t done
anything for us, and we’re not stupid enough to vote again,” declared
Ms. Hussaini, who said her 2014 vote had been wasted. Mohammad Ashraf,
41, a shopkeeper, said he, too, would not vote because he does not
believe it would improve security. “I don’t want to take the risk,” he
said. Their fears were not without cause. In Afghanistan, running
elections and going to the polls can be life-or-death decisions. On
Sunday, the political party office of Amrullah Saleh, an Afghan vice
presidential candidate and President Ashraf Ghani’s running mate, was
stormed by gunmen and bombed. Mr. Saleh survived the attack, the
president reported, and the Interior Ministry said he was not
injured.”
The
New York Times: Confusion Over Afghan-Taliban Talks Further
Complicates Peace Process
“The Afghan government on Saturday announced that it was preparing
for direct negotiations with the Taliban in the next two weeks, a
major step in efforts to end a war so long that it has left record
casualties in its wake. But the Taliban quickly rejected it. The
militant group’s spokesman said the Taliban was steadfast in its
refusal to directly negotiate with the Afghan side until the United
States announces a schedule for withdrawing the remainder of its
14,000 troops in the country. Analysts questioned the point of the
government’s announcement when the Taliban’s position on the
withdrawal of U.S. troops was clear all along. The episode was the
latest bit of confusion in a prolonged peace process. The insurgents
and the Americans are nearing a deal after seven rounds of protracted
negotiations in the Qatari capital of Doha — talks that have excluded
the Afghan government. As part of that agreement, expected to be
completed soon, the United States and the Taliban would settle on a
timeline for the withdrawal of American troops — one believed to be
under two years with conditions attached. But American diplomats,
recently aided by Germany and Norway, have struggled to advance the
process to its next step, in which the Taliban would negotiate with
the Afghan government over the political future of the country after
the American-led NATO mission ends its military presence.”
Xinhua:
Taliban Militants Dynamite Bridge In N. Afghan
Province
“Taliban militants dynamited a bridge in northern Afghanistan's
Takhar province on Saturday, cutting the link between the Eshkamish
district headquarters to several villages, district governor Abdul
Qayum Qani said. A group of militants, by using explosive devices,
destroyed a major bridge in the Eshkamish district Saturday morning,
cutting off the link between eight villages to the district
headquarters, the official said. Attack on the bridge took place amid
Taliban militants' attempt to overrun the Eshkamish district, Qani
added. Fighting aircraft, according to the official, have been
attacking the militants' hideouts in the besieged district over the
past couple of days and have killed nine armed militants since Friday.
Taliban militants who have been attempting to capture the Eshkamish
district, are yet to make comments.”
Xinhua:
Intra-Afghan Talks Only After U.S. Agrees To Withdraw Troops:
Taliban
“The Taliban said on Sunday they will not hold direct talks with
the Afghan government and rejected a statement from a senior minister
about plans to hold such a meeting in the next two weeks, a senior
Taliban official said. State Minister for Peace Affairs Abdul Salam
Rahimi said on Saturday it was hoped that direct talks with the
Taliban would be held in the next two weeks in an unidentified
European country. The government would be represented by a 15-member
delegation, he said. But Suhail Shaheen, a spokesman for the
Taliban’s political office in Qatar, denied that, saying talks with
the Afghan government would only come after a deal had been struck
with the United States on the departure of its forces. “Intra-Afghan
talks will start only after a foreign force withdrawal is announced,”
Shaheen said. The U.S. special envoy for peace in Afghanistan, Zalmay
Khalilzad, said after Rahimi had made his announcement that talks
between the Taliban and Afghans would happen after the United States
“concludes its own agreement” with the Taliban. Khalilzad has held
several rounds of direct talks with Taliban officials in Qatar since
late last year with the focus on a Taliban demand for the withdrawal
of U.S. and other foreign forces and a U.S. demand the Taliban
guarantee that Afghanistan will not be used as a base for
terrorism.”
The
Wall Street Journal: Deadly Bombing In Kabul Targets Afghan
President’s Running Mate
“Official campaigning for presidential elections got off to an
ominous start on Sunday as suspected Taliban fighters attacked the
Kabul political offices of President Ashraf Ghani’s running mate,
leaving at least 20 people dead and dozens more wounded, according to
the interior ministry. Just hours after Mr. Ghani kicked off his
campaign for another five-year term in office with the declaration to
war-weary Afghans that “peace is coming,” a car bomb exploded outside
the fortified office compound of Amrullah Saleh, former head of
Afghanistan’s intelligence agency and one of two vice presidents on
Mr. Ghani’s ticket for the twice-postponed presidential election, now
scheduled for Sept. 28. In the ensuing gunfight between militants and
government security forces, Mr. Saleh was “evacuated from the building
and moved to a safe location,” along with dozens of other bystanders
trapped inside the offices, said Nasrat Rahimi, the interior ministry
spokesman.”
Pakistan
CNN:
Ten Pakistani Soldiers Gunned Down, Military Says
“Ten soldiers have been killed in two separate incidents
across Pakistan, a military spokesperson said on Saturday. In the
first incident, a military statement said the attackers were
“terrorists from across the Afghan border” who opened fire on a border
patrolling party in North Waziristan, a mountainous region located in
Pakistan's northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which is close
to the Afghan border. Six soldiers were killed in the first attack,
according to the military statement. The second incident took place
in the country's southwestern province of Balochistan, where a
military operation left four soldiers dead. That attack was also
attributed to “terrorists” by the military. Tehreek-e-Taliban
Pakistan (TTP) on Saturday claimed responsibility for an attack in
South Waziristan, in which they called Pakistani military “America's
slaves.” However, the group did not claim an attack in North
Waziristan, where the military said it occurred. Writing on Twitter on
Saturday, the Pakistan military's spokesman Maj. General Asif Ghafoor
expressed his condolences to the victims and their families, and said:
“We shall ensure defense & security of motherland at the cost of
our sweat & blood.”
Yemen
Reuters:
Yemen's Houthis Target With Drones Saudi Arabia's Abha Airport:
Houthis' Al Masirah TV
“Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi group said it launched on Sunday a
drone attack on Saudi Arabia’s Abha airport, Houthis’ Al- Masirah TV
reported citing the group’s military spokesman. There was no immediate
confirmation from Saudi authorities.”
Xinhua:
1 Killed, 4 Injured In Houthis' Shelling In Yemen's
Hodeidah
“The Houthi rebels' shelling in Yemen's war-torn port city of
Hodeidah on Sunday killed a man and injured four children, a
government security source and a medic said. The shelling targeted a
dairy factory and government military positions in the area of Kilo
16, as well as residential quarters in Jiraybah area, they said. The
killed man, identified as Mohammed Wanis, was a worker of the dairy
factory in Kilo 16, while the four children were wounded by the
shelling in Jiraybah area. Both areas are on the southern outskirts of
the port city. There was no comment from the rebels. The Iran-allied
Houthi rebels control much of Hodeidah while the Saudi-backed
government troops have advanced to the southeastern districts.
Hodeidah is the lifeline entry point for Yemen's most food imports and
humanitarian aid. The more than four-year civil war has pushed over 20
million people to the verge of starvation.”
Qatar
The
Jerusalem Post: Qatar’s New Tactic Is To Control The World Of
Academia
“The Qatari regime, long known for its robust sponsorship of
terrorism and devaluation of human rights, has employed a new tactic
to exert foreign influence and evade international condemnation:
controlling the world of academia. For years, Qatar’s lavish spending
on foreign lobbyists – particularly in the United States, where
lobbying plays an integral role in the legislative process – has
constituted the bulk of the country’s attempts to wield influence in
the world’s most powerful market. The small Gulf nation with not
315,000 citizens regularly doles out tens of millions on
Beltway-insider lobbying firms intended to polish Qatar’s image in the
eyes of lawmakers and the American populace. In 2017, Qatar spent
$16.3 million on Washington lobbyists.”
Middle East
The
New York Times: Bahrain Executes 3 Men, Including 2 Shiite Activists
On ‘Terrorism Crimes’
“Bahrain executed three men on Saturday, including two Shiite
activists for what officials called “terrorism crimes,” in what was
described as attacks orchestrated by Iran-based ringleaders. A
London-based Bahraini activist rights group said the executions made
Saturday “one of Bahrain’s darkest days.” The men were convicted in
two separate cases, one involving the killing of a police officer in
2017 and the other the killing of an imam in 2018, the public
prosecutor said in a statement. The Shiite activists, Ali al-Arab and
Ahmed al-Malali, were sentenced to death last year as part of a mass
trial on “terrorism crimes.” Nineteen men were jailed for life, and 37
others for terms of up to 15 years, on the accusation that they had
belonged to a terrorist cell trained to use heavy weapons and
explosives. Mr. al-Arab and Mr. al-Malali were convicted of crimes
including using an assault rifle to kill the police officer, according
to the prosecutor. Bahrain, a strategic island where the United States
Navy’s Fifth Fleet is based, has a Shiite Muslim majority population
but is governed by a Sunni royal family. It accuses mainly Shiite Iran
of stoking militancy in the kingdom, which Tehran denies.”
Nigeria
USA
Today: Extremist Attack Kills More Than 60 People In Nigeria, Boko
Haram Suspected
“Suspected Boko Haram extremists killed more than 60 people in an
attack on villagers leaving a funeral in northeastern Nigeria, a local
official said Sunday. It was the deadliest extremist attack against
civilians in the region this year. Muhammad Bulama, council chairman
of the Nganzai local government area, told reporters that 11 other
people were wounded during the attack at midday Saturday. He called it
a reprisal after villagers and civilian self-defense forces fought off
a Boko Haram ambush in the area two weeks ago, killing 11 extremists.
Nigerians last week marked the grim 10-year anniversary of the Boko
Haram insurgency, which has killed tens of thousands of people,
displaced millions and created one of the world’s largest humanitarian
crises. The extremists are known for mass abductions of schoolgirls
and putting young women and men into suicide vests for attacks on
markets, mosques and other high-traffic areas. The extremists, who
seek to impose a strict Islamic state in the region, have defied the
claims of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration over the years
that the insurgency has been crushed. The violence also has spilled
into neighboring Chad, Niger and Cameroon.”
Al
Jazeera: Nigeria To Label Shia Group A 'Terrorist
Organisation'
“A Nigerian court has granted the government permission to label a
local Shia group as a “terrorist” organisation. Dayo Apata, Nigeria's
solicitor general, confirmed on Saturday that a federal court allowed
the government to proscribe the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) as
such, a move offering the authorities the chance to clamp down harder
on the group. IMN members have been marching in the capital Abuja
calling for the release of their leader, Ibrahim el-Zakzaky, who has
been in detention since 2015 despite a court order to release him.
Zakzaky's office said plans to ban the movement had been considered
since 2015 and it was not surprised by the move. The protests have
often turned violent. The Shia organisation said at least 20 of its
members were killed this week during a series of protests in Abuja. No
official death toll has been released by police. Security was stepped
up across the country in the face of the ongoing protests, which
police say are violent and unruly. Zakzaky has been held in detention
since December 2015 when the army killed almost 350 of his followers
at his compound and a nearby mosque and burial ground in northern
Kaduna state. He faces charges of murder, culpable homicide, unlawful
assembly, disruption of public peace, and other offences following the
2015 violence.”
Somalia
Xinhua:
U.S. Military Kills ISIS Terrorist In Northern
Somalia
“The United States military said Sunday it conducted an airstrike
against ISIS terrorist in northern Somalia on Sunday, killing one
militant. The U.S. Africa Command (Africom) which oversees American
troops on the African continent said the latest strike was conducted
on Saturday in cooperation with the Somali government targeting
terrorists in the Golis Mountains. The U.S. army said the terrorist
killed in the latest strike played a key role in facilitation for the
group. “Airstrikes like these remain an effective tool in the
counter-terrorist campaign against ISIS and al-Shabab,” William West,
Africom deputy director of operations, said in a statement. “The
Federal Government of Somalia and the U.S. will continue to disrupt
terror organization operations and degrade their capabilities whenever
possible,” said West. According to Africom, the Golis Mountains are a
known area for terrorist activity, noting that strikes such as these
support Somali security forces efforts to protect the Somali people
from terrorism and support long-term security in the region.
“Currently, we assess no civilians were injured or killed as a result
of this airstrike. Our process and procedures allow for additional
information to inform post-strike analysis,” it said.”
Anadolu:
6 African Peacekeeping Soldiers Killed In Somalia
“Atleast six soldiers from East African country of Burundi, were
killed in an attack near Somali capital Mogadishu, an official said.
The soldiers were part of the African Union Mission in Somalia
(AMISOM). "Elements of the al-Shabaab terrorist group have attacked
Burundian soldiers of the Somalia Peacekeeping Mission (AMISOM) in
Balad district, located about 30 kilometers northeast from the capital
city of Mogadishu," Colonel Floribert Biyereke, spokesman of the
Burundian army said late Sunday. "Six soldiers were killed on the
spot. Three others sustained serious injuries. Two soldiers are
missing," he added. Attack came just few days after six people
including two district commissioners were killed, in a suicide bomb
attack on a government building in the country's capital. Somali-based
al-Qaeda affiliated group al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility for
the deadly suicide attack.”
Germany
Financial
Times: Rise In Extremist Violence Puts Germans On
Edge
“Ever since the attack on his car last year, Ferat Kocak has been
noting down vehicle number plates he sees on the streets. He has
frequently moved house and sleeps badly. “I wake at the slightest
sound,” he said. “The fear is ever present.” Mr Kocak, an official of
the leftwing German party Die Linke, said his life changed one night
in February 2018 when unknown assailants set fire to his car. The
flames spread to the house where he and his parents were sleeping. If
he had not woken up in time, he said, his family could have been
killed. Two men from the hard-right scene in Berlin’s working-class
district of Neukölln were detained over the attack but released due to
lack of evidence. In June, Germans were shocked by the killing of
Walter Lübcke, a local official in the central region of Hesse and the
first German politician in the country’s postwar history to be
assassinated by a rightwing extremist. Such attacks are rare. But they
are the product of a changing political culture that has become
increasingly brutish in recent years. The appearance of a wooden
gallows marked “reserved for Angela ‘Mummy’ Merkel”, the German
chancellor, at a far-right demonstration in Dresden four years ago,
drew widespread condemnation at the time.”
Latin America
The
Jerusalem Post: Ted Cruz: Growth Of Hezbollah In Latin America Remains
Unchecked
“US Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) urged Latin America to acknowledge
Hezbollah’s significant presence in their home countries and the
terror that the organization perpetuates within their borders.”AMIA
bombing was not the first or the last terrorist attack carried out by
Hezbollah in Latin America or around the world, and yet over two
decades after the bombing, Hezbollah is still very much alive and
active in the tri-border area that encompasses the borders of
Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay,” warned Cruz, at an event on Thursday
commemorating the 1994 AMIA bombing in Argentina in which 85 Jews were
murdered and 330 injured. “The growth of Hezbollah in Latin America
remains unchecked. “Hezbollah continues to radicalize people in
Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil through mosques and schools that preach
the group’s extremist agenda,” said Cruz. “It’s time for Latin America
to reckon with the significant and the dangerous presence of Hezbollah
in the region, and it’s also time for the larger international
community to combat Iranian proxies wherever we find them – in Latin
America and the Middle East.”
Technology
The
New York Times: Facebook Connected Her To A Tattooed Soldier In Iraq.
Or So She Thought
“On a Monday afternoon in June 2017, Renee Holland was draped in an
American flag at Philadelphia International Airport, waiting for a
soldier she had befriended on Facebook. The married 56-year-old had
driven two hours from Delaware to pick him up. Their blossoming online
friendship had prompted her to send him a care package and thousands
of dollars in gift cards. She also wired him $5,000 for plane tickets
to return home. Now she was looking for a buff, tattooed man in
uniform, just like in his Facebook photos. But his flight was not on
the airport arrivals board. Then a ticket agent told her the flight
didn’t exist. From there, Ms. Holland said, it was a daze. She walked
to her car, with “Welcome Home” written on the windows, and sobbed.
She had spent much of her family’s savings on the phantom soldier.
“There’s no way I can go home and tell my husband,” she remembered
telling herself. She drove to a strip mall, bought sleeping pills and
vodka, and downed them.”
NPR:
Did Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg Intend To Deceive?
“Facebook has a long track record in deception: telling people one
thing, while doing another. That's according to federal regulators, at
least one of whom says the government missed its chance to find out
why the company has repeatedly misled its users. This past week, the
Federal Trade Commission decided to enter into a settlement with Mark
Zuckerberg without interviewing him first. The FTC secured a $5
billion penalty from Facebook but, FTC Commissioner Rohit Chopra says,
the agency sacrificed discovering the truth about the CEO in the
process. "It's still really a mystery to me as to what role
[Zuckerberg] played," says Chopra, who opposed the settlement. The FTC
complaint against Facebook highlights a prominent moment when
Zuckerberg said one thing while his company did another.”
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