“The focus may be on the midterms and the Russia-Ukraine war, but the Pentagon
is quietly starting to build infrastructure in Syria for a long-haul fight with
the Islamic State. Roughly 900 special forces are still working overtime to
help local forces hunt ISIS remnants to keep the terrorist group at bay. The
Department of Defense’s latest weapon of choice, though, is improved facilities
and services so ISIS can’t break out the 10,000 or so former fighters
languishing in crumbling detention centers across Syria. ISIS fighters have
targeted these areas multiple times in recent months, most brazenly attacking
the Hasakah prison in northeastern Syria in January. Scores of prisoners
escaped during the 10-day battle that ensued. “We know that ISIS sees the
detention centers, the detainee population, as the path to reconstitute its
ranks,” said one defense official, who was granted anonymity to speak candidly
about the situation. “So even though ISIS doesn’t hold territory… the
inspiration and the will to reconstitute is not going away.” The Pentagon
sought authority and funding from Congress to make some improvements, although
it’s the local partner — the Syrian Democratic Forces — that is actually
carrying out the upgrades on the ground. Some of this work has already begun,
including building guard towers and installing lights to prevent nighttime
smuggling.”











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



Eye on Extremism


November 10, 2022



**NOTE: CEP’s Eye On Extremism will be suspended on Friday, November 11 in
observance of Veterans Day. It will resume Monday, November 14.**



Politico: The U.S. Military Plan To Keep ISIS Down: Infrastructure
<[link removed]>



“The focus may be on the midterms and the Russia-Ukraine war, but the Pentagon
is quietly starting to build infrastructure in Syria for a long-haul fight with
the Islamic State. Roughly 900 special forces are still working overtime to
help local forces hunt ISIS remnants to keep the terrorist group at bay. The
Department of Defense’s latest weapon of choice, though, is improved facilities
and services so ISIS can’t break out the 10,000 or so former fighters
languishing in crumbling detention centers across Syria. ISIS fighters have
targeted these areas multiple times in recent months, most brazenly attacking
the Hasakah prison in northeastern Syria in January. Scores of prisoners
escaped during the 10-day battle that ensued. “We know that ISIS sees the
detention centers, the detainee population, as the path to reconstitute its
ranks,” said one defense official, who was granted anonymity to speak candidly
about the situation. “So even though ISIS doesn’t hold territory… the
inspiration and the will to reconstitute is not going away.” The Pentagon
sought authority and funding from Congress to make some improvements, although
it’s the local partner — the Syrian Democratic Forces — that is actually
carrying out the upgrades on the ground. Some of this work has already begun,
including building guard towers and installing lights to prevent nighttime
smuggling.”




<[link removed]>



Reuters: Women Stopped From Entering Amusement Parks In Afghan Capital
<[link removed]>



“Afghan women were stopped from entering amusement parks in Kabul on Wednesday
after the Taliban's morality ministry said there would be restrictions on women
being able to access public parks. A spokesperson for the Ministry for the
Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (MPVPV) confirmed that women would
be restricted from accessing parks when asked for comment by Reuters, but did
not respond to requests to provide further details. It was not clear how widely
the restrictions applied or how they affected a previous rule from the MPVPV
saying parks, including open-air spaces, must be segregated by gender and
certain days would be aside for women. Bilal Karimi, a deputy spokesperson for
the hardline Islamist Taliban administration, did not respond to a request for
comment. At a Kabul amusement park containing rides such as bumper cars and a
Ferris wheel, Reuters witnesses observed several women being turned away by
park officials, with Taliban agents present observing the situation.”



United States



The Washington Times: ISIS Supporter Gets 17 Years In Federal Prison For
Planning Pittsburgh Church Bombing
<[link removed]>



“A Pennsylvania man was sentenced to more than 17 years in federal prison for
planning to bomb a Pittsburgh church in the name of the terrorist group ISIS,
according to prosecutors. The Department of Justice said Wednesday that Mustafa
Mousab Alowemer, 24, will serve 208 months after he originally pleaded guilty
to one count of attempting to provide material support to ISIS in September
2021. Prosecutors said that Alowemer intended to bomb the church and
potentially kill numerous people to support the cause of the Islamic State of
Iraq and al-Sham, as well as to inspire other ISIS members in the U.S. to carry
out their own attacks. He targeted what he called a “Nigerian Christian” church
in order to “take revenge for our [ISIS] brothers in Nigeria,” according to the
DOJ. “The defendant’s plan to bomb a Pittsburgh church and risk death or injury
to residents in the area in the name of ISIS was thwarted by the extraordinary
work of the Pittsburgh Joint Terrorism Task Force,” said U.S. Attorney Cindy K.
Chung for the Western District of Pennsylvania. “Our office will continue to
hold accountable individuals who threaten the safety of our communities.” In
May 2019, Alowemer distributed instructions on how to make and use an
improvised explosive device (IED) to an FBI employee who was posing as a fellow
ISIS supporter.”



Afghanistan



Reuters: Afghan Central Bank Gets Fresh Banknotes After U.S. Helps Clear
Payment
<[link removed]>



“A Polish firm has delivered Afghani banknotes to Kabul this week after the
United States paved the way for the Afghan central bank to make a payment via
international banking systems, a member of the bank's supreme council told
Reuters on Wednesday. The payment represents a shift for Afghanistan's central
bank, which has been largely cut off from the international financial system
since hardline Islamist Taliban insurgents seized power in the country last
year. Some Taliban members are subject to international sanctions. The Afghan
central bank held a contract with a Polish company for the printing of its
banknotes but had been unable until early July to begin payment. Without access
to fresh banknotes for more than a year, Afghanistan's cash has been
deteriorating, with notes torn in shreds or held together with cellotape,
exacerbating the impoverished country's liquidity crisis.”



Yemen



Arab News: Houthis Launch Fresh Drone Attack On Yemeni Port
<[link removed]>



“A drone launched by the Iran-backed Houthis hit a commercial port in the
southern Yemeni province of Shabwa on Wednesday when an oil tanker was
offloading fuel. A local official told Arab News that the drone landed near an
oil ship at the Rudum terminal. No casualties were reported in the latest in a
string of drone strikes on government-controlled ports since early last month.
“The strike appears to be a warning, similar to those on the Dhabbah port in
Hadramout and the Al-Nashima port in Shabwa,” said a Yemeni official who
requested anonymity. The internationally recognized government designated the
Houthi movement as a terrorist group in October after drone attacks on oil
installations in Hadramout and Shabwa. An earlier attack on Hadramout’s
Al-Mukalla port, on Oct. 25, came days after the government threatened to
withdraw from a UN-brokered truce and the Stockholm Agreement, which seeks to
keep goods and humanitarian aid flowing through Yemen’s ports. The movement has
threatened to attack ships taking oil to the international market if the
government does not pay public employees in regions under Houthi control. This
is despite agreeing in the UN-brokered truce to pay them with cash gained from
fuel ships entering Hodeidah port, with the government making up any shortfall.”



Lebanon



Asharq Al-Awsat: Lebanon: Caretaker Minister Says 8 Terror Cells Seized In 2022

<[link removed]>



“Lebanon’s caretaker Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi said on Tuesday that
the security forces have managed to arrest eight terror cells in 2022, assuring
that the country’s security is under control. “The Intelligence Directorate was
capable of arresting eight terror cells in 2022. We adhere to the secrecy of
our investigations knowing that we only disclose information that appeases the
Lebanese. Security forces are on the watch to ensure their safety,” said
Mawlawi during the Central Security Council meeting. He said the security
situation is “acceptable” compared to the current circumstances that the
country is going through. “The crime rate is not growing comparable to the
crime rate in 2021,” he said, adding that the problematic security situation in
Lebanon’s city of Tripoli has been brought under control. On the attempts to
smuggle narcotics, he said the security and military forces are exerting
serious efforts to stop that, “our efforts will continue,” he stressed. “The
fact that more attempts to smuggle drugs abroad are being stopped indicates how
serious the security and military forces are in carrying out their duties,”
said Mawlawi. On the situation in the Syrian encampments of refugees, he said
that despite the “exceptional circumstances” that the crisis-hit country is
going through, the security and military apparatuses are carrying out their
duties.”



Middle East



AFP: Two Palestinians Dead In West Bank Violence
<[link removed]>



“Two Palestinians including a teenager were killed in unrest in the occupied
West Bank on Wednesday, one of them in clashes during a visit by right-wing
Israeli politicians to a sensitive religious site. The Palestinian health
ministry said Mahdi Mohammad Hashash, 15, died of “serious wounds caused by
shrapnel... during the occupation's (Israel's) incursion into Nablus”, the
largest city in the northern West Bank. The Israeli military said troops had
been in the area to secure “the entrance of worshippers to Joseph's Tomb”,
believed to be the last resting place of the biblical patriarch Joseph and a
flashpoint for West Bank violence. It said “shots were heard” at the site and
troops fired “towards a terrorist who placed a bomb in the area”. “A hit was
identified,” it added, without directly commenting on Hashash's death. The
Palestinian Red Crescent said three others were wounded in the clashes. The
Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, the armed wing of Palestinian president Mahmud
Abbas's secular Fatah movement, issued a statement claiming Hashash as one of
its members. A Jewish settler organisation told AFP that eight Israeli
politicians -- current lawmakers and others elected on November 1 who have yet
to be sworn in -- were visiting Joseph's Tomb. The group included members of
veteran hawk Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party and allies from the
extreme right Religious Zionism bloc.”



The Times Of Israel: Three Palestinian Women With Islamic Jihad Ties Charged
For Planned Shooting
<[link removed]>



“Three Palestinian women from Nablus with ties to the Palestinian Islamic
Jihad terror group were charged this week over plans to commit a shooting
attack against Israeli security forces in the West Bank. On August 20, Tahrir
Abu Sariya, Maryam Arafat and Alaa Abu Dhraa were detained by Defense Ministry
security guards at the Eliyahu Crossing, near Qalqilya. A loaded makeshift
“Carlo” submachine gun was found in the trunk of their car. The Kan public
broadcaster reported Tuesday that the cell, headed by 29-year-old Abu Sariya,
sought to commit an attack following the killing of senior al-Aqsa Martyr’s
Brigade member Ibrahim al-Nabulsi by Israeli security forces earlier that
month. The Shin Bet security agency confirmed the details of the report to The
Times of Israel. According to the Shin Bet’s investigation, Abu Sariya
recruited the other two women before making contact with a terror operative in
the Gaza Strip and an Islamic Jihad operative in Nablus, who helped them
purchase weapons for the attack. The trio allegedly filmed themselves wearing
Islamic Jihad headbands and declaring their intention to die, and sent the
video to the Gaza-based operative. On the day of the planned attack in August,
the three opened fire at a military post near the West Bank settlement of
Kedumim after apparently spotting a soldier stationed there.”



Somalia



Reuters: Somalia Army, Allied Militia Kill 20 Al Shabaab Fighters In Latest
Offensive
<[link removed]>



“Somalia's army and associated clan militias have killed at least 20 al
Shabaab fighters in towns in the centre of the country, a regional official and
the Information Ministry said on Wednesday, in the latest onslaught against the
group. Ahmed Shire Falagle, information minister for regional Galmudug state,
said that in the ensuing clash between the two groups, the army and the
militias also captured El Gorof and Wabho, towns which had been in al Shabaab
control for almost 10 years. “There was no fierce fighting. Al Shabaab was
chased and pursued. Al Shabaab ran away, leaving weapons and at least 20 dead
fighters,” he told Reuters. “We are determined to liberate all the towns which
are controlled by al Shabaab. As we pursued them, six of our soldiers were
wounded.” Falagle said he believed al Shabaab fighters had carried away some of
their dead fighters. The central government's ministry of information said in a
statement that the number of dead al Shabaab fighters stood at 50. The group
was not immediately reachable for comment. Al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab has been
under pressure since August, when President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud began an
offensive against them, supported by the United States and clan militias known
locally known as macawisley, or “men with sarongs”. The group has killed tens
of thousands since 2006 in its fight to overthrow Somalia's central government
and implement its interpretation of Islamic law.”



Voice Of America: Somalia's Al-Shabab Militants Widening Revenue Base
<[link removed]>



“U.N. experts say the Somali Islamist militant group al-Shabab has widened
its revenue stream beyond its traditional activities, like charging tolls at
checkpoints, to illegally taxing properties and construction. In a new report,
made public this month, U.N. experts say the terrorist group is seeking more
funds to pay about $1 million per month in salaries to its fighters. The report
says despite Somalia's crackdown on al-Shabab, the militants are also able to
move funds through local and Islamic banks. A Somali woman who declined to be
named for security reasons told VOA that al-Shabab militants demanded she pay
$425 this year in so-called taxes for a house she bought almost three years ago
in Mogadishu. She said a man called her on the phone and summoned her to an
al-Shabab court outside Elasha-boyaha, in Lower Shabelle region. She traveled
there, and met a crowd of people from Mogadishu who were also summoned by the
court. She said nobody dares to defy the group's orders because people get
killed. The U.N. experts' report says al-Shabab in May issued a notice to
households of annual charges between $100 and $300 for iron sheet, stone, and
multi-story houses. The report says the group also extorts owners of buildings
and homes being constructed around Mogadishu at about 25 percent of the value
of the development.”



Africa



AFP: Suspected ADF Militants Kill Three In East DR Congo
<[link removed]>



“Suspected fighters from the Allied Democratic Forces group have killed three
people and torched houses and a clinic in the Democratic Republic of Congo's
volatile east, local sources said Wednesday. ADF militants attacked the village
of Kabasha, about 10 kilometres (six miles) from the town of Beni in North Kivu
province, in the early hours of Wednesday morning, according to local official
Kalunga Meso. He added that three people were found dead afterwards, and the
village clinic burned down. The ADF -- which the Islamic State group claims as
its Central African offshoot -- is among the most violent of more than 120
armed groups active in DRC's volatile east. It has been accused of slaughtering
thousands of Congolese civilians and carrying out bomb attacks in neighbouring
Uganda. Philemon Kasereka, a pastor who spoke to AFP via telephone from Beni,
said that other villagers were missing in the wake of the attack. Two of the
dead were a mother and child whose house had been torched, he added. AFP was
unable to independently confirm the death toll. On October 20, suspected ADF
fighters killed seven people in attacks on clinics in the nearby town of
Maboya. Hundreds of doctors protested in Beni several days afterwards,
demanding hazard pay and increased security at health clinics.”



MSN: Niger Kills Five Suspected Boko Haram Members After Kidnapping In Diffa
Region
<[link removed]>



“Security forces in Niger have killed five suspected members of the jihadist
group Boko Haram in an operation to rescue eight people recently abducted in
the town of Maldjori, one of whom was killed during the clashes. According to
information gathered by the Nigerian news portal ActuNiger, the kidnapping took
place on the night of Monday to Tuesday in this locality, located in the region
of Diffa (southeast), one of the most affected by the operations of Boko Haram.
In response, the National Guard launched a search operation that led to the
location of those responsible for the abduction and led to clashes that
resulted in the death of five suspects and the release of seven hostages, three
of whom were injured. The region of Diffa, on the shores of Lake Chad, is the
scene of relatively frequent attacks by Boko Haram and its offshoot, Islamic
State in West Africa (ISWA). The African country also faces a terrorist threat
in the west from Al Qaeda and Islamic State affiliates in the regions of
Tillabéri and Tahoua, located in the 'three borders' area - next to Mali and
Burkina Faso.”



New Zealand



NZ Herald: Teen Who Threatened To Kill Non-Muslims Had Plan To Attack
Auckland, Documents Show
<[link removed]>



“About four years after he took an interest in Middle East conflicts and
subsequently became radicalised online, a North Shore teen confided to a person
he had recently met on social media that he was ready to take the next step -
an attack in Auckland that he hoped would kill 20-30 non-Muslims. The ongoing
conversation, with what turned out to be an undercover police officer, lasted
about a month and included the teen sharing a list of his potential attack
sites and extensive details about how he might carry it out. But police brought
what was known as Operation Strand to a quick conclusion in September last
year, just days after an unrelated terror attack in a New Lynn supermarket saw
several shoppers stabbed. “The defendant messaged [undercover officer] Ozarikon
and stated that he felt inspired by the attack and wished to bring the attack
forward,” according to court documents released to the Herald today, shedding
new light on what has until now been a secretive case. The man, now 20 and with
ongoing name suppression, pleaded guilty yesterday to one count of threatening
to kill, two counts of supplying objectionable publications and six counts of
possession of objectionable publications. He faces up to 14 years in prison
when he is sentenced in the High Court at Auckland next year before Justice
Rebecca Edwards.”



Technology



Arab News: World Must Take Cyberattacks As Seriously As Terrorism, Saudi
Energy Minister Warns <[link removed]>



“International agreements are needed to thwart the growing risk of
cyberattacks, according to Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz
bin Salman as he warned the energy sector is increasingly vulnerable to such
dangers. Speaking on the first day of the Global Cybersecurity Forum in Riyadh,
Prince Abdulaziz said governments and companies faced a “collective danger”,
although he insisted the Kingdom is ready for any such attack. The minister
called for global collaboration to help defeat the hackers, and said: “We need
to have international agreements to mitigate cyberattacks just like the world
is doing against terrorism.” He went on to say that the motives behind these
attacks could be “anything — whether political, ideological, etc”, and added:
“We cannot afford to be attacked without being ready.” The comments came as
Fahad Al-Jutaily, CEO of cybersecurity firm sirar by stc, warned an attack is
being launched somewhere on the planet every 11 seconds. Speaking about Saudi
Arabia’s readiness for any cyberattack, Prince bin Salman said: “I cannot
proclaim victory before the victory.” However, he stressed the importance of
not being in a race with one another, competing on which country has the right
capabilities to defend itself. “This forum makes the point that cyber-attack is
a collective danger that has to be attempted collectively,” he explained.”



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