“Turkey blamed Kurdish militants on Monday for an explosion that killed six
people on a busy Istanbul shopping street, and police detained a Syrian woman
suspected of having planted the bomb among a sweep of 47 arrests. Istanbul
police named the suspected bomber as Ahlam Albashir, a Syrian national, who was
detained in an overnight raid in the city's Kucukcekmece district. Interior
Minister Suleyman Soylu said the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and the Syrian
Kurdish YPG militia were responsible for the blast on Istiklal Avenue on
Sunday, an incident that recalled similar attacks in years past. Soylu said the
order was given in Kobani, a city in northern Syria, where Turkish forces have
carried out operations against the YPG in recent years. Ankara says the YPG is
a wing of the PKK. The United States has supported the YPG in the conflict in
Syria, stoking friction between NATO allies. Albashir, with curly hair and in a
purple jumper with the words 'New York' on it, was shown handcuffed, state
broadcaster TRT Haber footage showed.”











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



Eye on Extremism


November 14, 2022



Reuters: Turkey Blames Deadly Bomb On Kurdish Militants, Arrests Syrian Woman
<[link removed]>



“Turkey blamed Kurdish militants on Monday for an explosion that killed six
people on a busy Istanbul shopping street, and police detained a Syrian woman
suspected of having planted the bomb among a sweep of 47 arrests. Istanbul
police named the suspected bomber as Ahlam Albashir, a Syrian national, who was
detained in an overnight raid in the city's Kucukcekmece district. Interior
Minister Suleyman Soylu said the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and the Syrian
Kurdish YPG militia were responsible for the blast on Istiklal Avenue on
Sunday, an incident that recalled similar attacks in years past. Soylu said the
order was given in Kobani, a city in northern Syria, where Turkish forces have
carried out operations against the YPG in recent years. Ankara says the YPG is
a wing of the PKK. The United States has supported the YPG in the conflict in
Syria, stoking friction between NATO allies. Albashir, with curly hair and in a
purple jumper with the words 'New York' on it, was shown handcuffed, state
broadcaster TRT Haber footage showed.”




<[link removed]>



CNN: US Strike In Somalia Kills 17 Al-Shabaab Fighters, US Africa Command Says
<[link removed]>



“The US military conducted a strike on Wednesday against the al-Shabaab terror
group in Somalia, killing 17 terrorists, US Africa Command said in a statement
on Friday. The strike occurred approximately 285 kilometers northeast of
Mogadishu at the request of the Somali government when Somali National Army
forces were engaged with the al-Shabaab fighters. US Africa Command said in a
news release that no civilians were hurt or killed in the strike. “Al-Shabaab
is the largest and most deadly al-Qaeda network in the world and has proven
both its will and capability to attack Somali, East African, and American
civilians,” US Africa Command said. The strike is the latest US military effort
against al-Shabaab in Somalia, where the US has provided ongoing support to the
government since President Joe Biden approved a Pentagon request to redeploy US
troops to the area in an attempt to counter the terrorist group in May. Last
month, an airstrike in Somalia killed two members of al-Shabaab, according to
US Africa Command.”



United States



Fox News: Accused NYC Subway Shooting 'Terrorist' Frank James Seeks To Have
Trial Moved To Chicago
<[link removed]>



“Frank James, the man accused of unleashing a smoke canister and then opening
fire inside a packed New York City subway car, is seeking to have his case
moved to Chicago, arguing that prospective jurors in the Big Apple will be too
prejudiced to give him a fair trial, court papers show. "Because so great a
prejudice exists against Mr. James in the Eastern District of New York, as
demonstrated by both public opinion polling and unfairly prejudicial pretrial
publicity, a fair trial cannot be held here without violating his
constitutional rights," James’ attorneys wrote in a motion filed Monday.
Potential jurors in New York have "significantly prejudged" James’ guilt and
"are decidedly more hostile toward him than prospective jurors in a
demographically comparable court," federal public defender Mia Eisner-Grynberg
wrote. James, through his attorneys, is instead seeking to be transferred to a
federal court in Chicago, "or another appropriate District." James is accused
of boarding a Brooklyn subway train on the morning of April 12, then deploying
a smoke canister and firing his weapon 33 times "in cold blood at terrified
passengers who had nowhere to run and nowhere to hide," a detention memo
states. Officials said 29 people were injured, including 10 who suffered
gunshot wounds. He was charged federally with committing a terrorist or other
violent attack against a mass transportation system and firing a gun during a
violent crime. He faces up to life in prison if convicted.”



Chicago Tribune: Terrorism-Related Charges Brought Against Maine Teen In
Alleged Chicago Mosque-Attack Plot
<[link removed]>



“A Maine teenager is now facing upgraded terrorism-related charges stemming
from an alleged Isis-inspired plot to attack a Shiite mosque in Chicago last
spring. Xavier Pelkey, 19, was charged in a two-count superseding indictment
made public Thursday in U.S. District Court in Maine with conspiracy to provide
material support for terrorism and possessing explosives, court records show.
The terrorism count carries up to 15 years in federal prison if convicted. An
arraignment on the new indictment had not been set as of Thursday morning. The
superseding indictment greatly expands the allegations in an investigation that
first came to light in February, when Pelkey was charged with possessing
several shrapnel-packed homemade explosives allegedly found in during a raid of
the Waterville home he shared with his mother. At the time, prosecutors in
Maine said Pelkey had been plotting online to travel to Chicago and commit
“mass murder” at area places of worship, the Tribune has previously reported.
On Feb. 5, a week before Pelkey’s arrest in Maine, agents in the Chicago area
executed a search warrant at the home of a 15-year-old boy who had been
communicating online with Pelkey, according to a declaration by FBI Special
Agent Garrett Drew. Drew said the boy, identified only as “Juvenile #1,” and
Pelkey, who used the name “Abdullah” on Instagram, were conspiring with a
17-year-old boy from Kentucky to attack “an identified Shia Muslim mosque in
the Chicago area” in late March, coinciding with spring break.”



CNN: New Jersey Man Accused Of Sending Online Threats To Attack A Synagogue
And Jewish People, Federal Prosecutor Says
<[link removed]>



“An 18-year-old New Jersey man was arrested Thursday after sending a
manifesto online with threats to attack a synagogue and Jewish people, federal
prosecutors say. Omar Alkattoul, a Sayreville resident, is charged with a count
of transmitting a threat in interstate and foreign commerce earlier this month,
according to a criminal complaint and a statement from Philip Sellinger, US
Attorney for the District of New Jersey. Alkattoul appeared Thursday afternoon
before US Magistrate Judge Jessica Allen in Newark and was detained without
bail. He was not asked to enter a plea. CNN has reached out to his public
defender for comment. Alkattoul faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison
and a $250,000 fine if convicted, according to prosecutors. “No one should be
targeted for violence or with acts of hate because of how they worship,”
Sellinger said in the statement. “According to the complaint, this defendant
used social media to send a manifesto containing a threat to attack a synagogue
based on his hatred of Jews.” Court documents allege Alkattoul on November 1
sent via social media a link to a document titled “When Swords Collide” and
told another person he authored the manifesto “in the context of an attack on
Jews.” “I am the attacker and I would like to introduce myself,” the suspect
wrote, according to court documents.”



Syria



Al Monitor: Syrian Jihadi Group Exploits Poverty In Idlib To Attract New
Members
<[link removed]>



“Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) is still the largest and most dominant faction in
Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib, amid its continuous attempts to control
other areas to expand its influence, despite the existence of other factions
supported by Turkey. HTS is trying to exploit the poverty of the youth to push
them to join its ranks by luring them with a panoply of incentives. A young man
who joined HTS about five months ago told Al-Monitor, “I am 20 years old and I
decided to join HTS despite my family’s initial rejection. The fact that I
needed money, that I was unemployed and that I lacked any professional
experience have all led me to join the group’s ranks. I have friends who joined
the group a year ago and they convinced me to follow in their footsteps.” Asked
about the ages of those joining HTS, he replied, “Many youths are joining the
group — most are between 18 and 30 years old.” He said, “What further pushed me
to join the group is HTS’ campaign in the streets and during Friday prayers.”
He noted that HTS established recruitment divisions across Atma, Harem, Arihah,
the northern and central areas of Idlib province, Sarmada, the provincial
capital of Idlib city and Jisr al-Shughur.”



Iraq



Kurdistan 24: 5 ISIS Members Killed In The Kirkuk City
<[link removed]>



“The Security Media Cell announced on Saturday that 5 ISIS members were
killed in Kirkuk in an air strike carried out by Iraqi Air Force’s F-16
aircraft. The ISIS members were killed in Bir Ahmed village, where many
military equipment found. Five rifles, seven different grenades, 24 rifle
magazines, seven detonators, four chest sleeves, ten meters of fuse, a lighter,
a sum of money, a Shamsa cell, 20 mobile devices, 25 mobile SIM cards and a
portable router were found in the raid, according to SMC. The Sulaimani
Governorate's Asayish (Kurdish security organization) announced on Sunday that
two ISIS members were killed on November 6 in Sengaw subdistrict near
Chamchamal.”



Reuters: Rocket Attack Near Iraq's Erbil Kills One, Wounds 10 - Mayor
<[link removed]>



“At least one person was killed and 10 others were wounded on Monday after
rockets hit the headquarters of an Iranian Kurdish party in the city of Koye,
near the capital of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region Erbil, the mayor of Koye
Tariq Haidari said. Iran's semi-official Fars news said the country's
Revolutionary Guards had targeted the bases of "terrorist groups" in the
Kurdish region of Iraq with missiles and drones. The Revolutionary Guards have
launched attacks on Iranian Kurdish militant opposition bases in the Kurdish
region of northern Iraq since the death of Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini on Sept.
16 triggered nationwide unrest. Iran has accused Kurdish militants in northern
Iraq of fomenting the unrest. According to Kurdish security sources drones
targeted two bases for Iranian Kurdish dissidents near Erbil and Sulaimaniya,
but no casualties were reported. An Iranian Kurdish rights group said on
Twitter the Revolutionary Guards targeted a base of the Komala Party in
Sulaimaniya with 6 drones and a base of the Democratic Party of Iranian
Kurdistan near Erbil with four missiles.”



Afghanistan



NBC News: A CIA Veteran Who Survived A Hand-To-Hand Battle With Al Qaeda Is
Now Helping Afghans Escape The Taliban
<[link removed]>



“The desperate pleas come flooding into David Tyson’s cellphone, from a
country that has fallen off the American radar. The texts are from Afghans who
fought alongside him and his colleagues, and they are asking for help to flee
Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. The messages often include graphic videos:
whippings, torture, the stoning of women, even executions, Tyson said. Tyson
was among the first Americans to fly into Afghanistan after Sept. 11, 2001, as
part of a CIA unit dropped into Taliban-controlled territory five weeks after
the attacks. Team Alpha fought the first major battle of the U.S. war in
Afghanistan at a fort in northern Afghanistan, and Tyson’s teammate, Johnny
“Mike” Spann, was the first American killed in combat in the conflict. To honor
his fallen colleague and his former Afghan partners, Tyson and Spann’s widow,
Shannon, have joined forces to try to help evacuate Afghans who once served
with Spann and other CIA officers on the battlefield more than 20 years ago.
Over the last year, Tyson has been fielding calls and texts nearly every day
from the Afghans who are still trying to get out — former commanders who fought
with Team Alpha in 2001 and their families. The plight of the Afghan partners
is “terrifying,” Tyson told NBC News’ Richard Engel. “But I can’t sit here and
dwell on that. I just have to try to act and try to help these people."



Yemen



The National: Yemen's Government Repeats Call For Arab States To Label Houthis
A Terrorist Group
<[link removed]>



“Yemen's government repeated its call for Arab states to label the Houthi
militia a terrorist group after the rebels launched a drone attack on Qena port
in Shabwa province on Thursday. “The terrorist attack reflects the aggression
of these terrorist militias as they clearly violate all international calls to
stop the escalation and targeting of civilian and economic infrastructure,”
Yemen's foreign ministry said on Thursday. “The Yemeni government calls on all
countries to take strict measures to classify the rogue Houthi militia as a
terrorist organisation to prevent the recurrence of these attacks.” Houthi
military spokesman Yahya Saree said the attack on Qena port was intended as a
“warning message” to deter the government from “looting” oil from the country.
The head of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) Rashad Al Alimi
called on Arab states to join his country in labelling the Houthis as
terrorists during the Arab League summit in Algeria earlier this month. Mr
Alimi said the “terrorist group cause the death of some half a million people,
including women and children,” and has displaced “around 5 million throughout
the country” and beyond. The attack on Qena port drew widespread criticism by
regional states including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and western nations. A
joint statement by the US, UK and France on Thursday called on the Houthis to
immediately halt such attacks, saying “economic warfare will only exacerbate
the conflict and humanitarian crisis in Yemen.”



Lebanon



AFP: Lebanon Extradites To Iraq ‘Saddam Grandnephew’ Accused Of ISIS Link
<[link removed]>



“Lebanon extradited a man said to be a grandnephew of Saddam Hussein to Iraq,
where he is accused of involvement in a massacre by the ISIS extremist group, a
security source said Saturday. Abdullah Sabawi, dubbed the “grandnephew” of the
executed dictator by Iraqi media, was extradited on Wednesday, the security
official told AFP on condition of anonymity. “He is accused of having been a
member of ISIS and having participated in the Speicher massacre” of 2014, in
which up to 1,700 air force cadets were executed by the extremist group, the
source added. A Lebanese judicial source said Sabawi, born in 1994, “was
detained on June 11” following an Interpol notice calling for his arrest over
his alleged involvement in the massacre. “Iraq requested his extradition,” the
Lebanese source added. Sabawi’s family has denied the accusations, telling AFP
he had been in Yemen at the time of the killings. The Camp Speicher massacre
was considered one of ISIS’s worst crimes after it took over large parts of
Iraq in 2014. Video footage released by ISIS showed an assembly-line massacre
in which gunmen herded their victims towards the banks of the Tigris, shot them
in the back of the head and pushed them into the river one after the other.
Dozens have been sentenced to death by Iraqi courts over their involvement in
the killings, many of them having already been executed.”



Middle East



The Times Of Israel: Army Convicts Terrorist Involved In 2019 Killing Of
Student-Soldier In West Bank
<[link removed]>



“An Israeli military court on Thursday convicted a Palestinian man of being
involved in the killing of an Israeli teenager in 2019. Dvir Sorek, 18, was
stabbed to death near the West Bank settlement of Migdal Oz in August 2019. He
was a yeshiva student enrolled in a program known as hesder that combines Torah
study with military service, but was not in the military at the time of his
killing. Mahmoud Atouna is accused of being part of a five-man Hamas cell that
grabbed Sorek as he got off a bus and killed him, leaving his body at the side
of the road. The court accepted the prosecution’s position that Atouna was
guilty of the attack, although he was not present at the time of the stabbing.
Atouna was convicted Thursday of intentionally causing the death of Sorek. The
charge is equivalent to murder in the West Bank military court. He was
additionally convicted of two charges of attempted murder and several other
security offenses, according to the Israel Defense Forces. While not present at
the scene during the stabbing, Atouna was accused by the IDF of having a
“central role in the decision to carry out the attack” and recruiting one of
the perpetrators. Atouna’s sentencing trial is slated to begin on November 27.
In December 2021, the two perpetrators, Qassem Asafra and Nasir Asafra were
sentenced to life imprisonment for the attack.”



The Jerusalem Post: Palestinian Authority's Textbooks Glorify Terror,
Antisemitism <[link removed]>



“Palestinian Authority schools are continuing to use textbooks that were made
by the Palestinian education ministry to incite violent jihad and antisemitism
and glorify terror attacks, the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural
Tolerance in School Education (IMPACT-SE) reported this week. In one of the
September-released textbooks, it is written that "every Muslim" should engage
in jihad "for the liberation of Palestine" and that students should act as "a
shard of glass in Israel's neck and a whirlwind of fire" in Israel's eyes. For
example, the science textbook shows a girl using a slingshot as a way to
"demonstrate" Newton's law of motion. Their history books are filled with
antisemitism, stating that the Jews control the banks, the media, politics, and
the list goes on. They also teach Palestinian kids that Israeli soldiers who
"look like the face of death" laugh while killing Palestinian children. "What
starts with incitement to hatred and violence, becomes terror and prevents
co-existence." The Jawad Al-Hashlamoun Elementary School in Hebron posted a
eulogy on their official Facebook page for one of their former teachers,
Muhammed Kamel-al Jabari, who was killed after he opened fire on Israeli
civilians on a Saturday night, injuring six and killing one. They praised him,
saying that the attack was "full of pride, boldness and defiance."



Nigeria



The Christian Post: Over 4,000 Christians Killed By Terrorists In Nigeria
Since Start Of 2022: Watchdog Report
<[link removed]>



“Islamic jihadist groups in Nigeria are responsible for killing at least
4,000 Christians and abducting more than 2,300 other Christians in the first 10
months of this year alone, according to a report released this week by the
International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law. The Fulani herdsmen
and Islamic terror groups allied with it were responsible for 2,650 of the
4,020 Christian deaths between January and October, the Anambra-based group
Intersociety said in a report sent to The Christian Post. The other terror
groups, including Islamic State in West Africa Province, Boko Haram and Ansaru,
accounted for 450 Christian deaths and the Fulani (Zamfara) bandits and their
splinter groups were responsible for 370 Christian deaths, it added. Fulani
herdsmen and Fulani (Zamfara) bandits and other armed jihadist groups that are
“Nigerian government friendly” abducted more than 2,315 Christians, out of
which, 1,401 were abducted between January and June, and 915 between July and
October, added Intersociety, which is run by Christian criminologist Emeka
Umeagbalasi. Whether you lead a small business, a department, or a
multinational corporation, this book will show you how breaking the
conventional “rules” of business may be the best decision you ever make.”



Africa



All Africa: Somalia: Ethiopia Reports Capture Of 100 Youths Planned To Join
Al-Shabaab <[link removed]>



“Ethiopian defense forces reported that Al-Shabaab has exposed his repeated
attempts to make Ethiopia a terrorist zone. Al-Shabaab's repeated attempts to
make Ethiopia a terrorist zone are thwarted by our army department which is
carrying out its mission in the east and south of our country. According to the
coordinator of the class Abebe Semagn, more than 100 youths who tried to leave
the country and join Alshabab have been arrested by our army which made them
take over the security office of the Southern Region. "Even though Al-Shabab
tried to get its members ready for destruction in our country through different
ways, they were arrested by the recommendation and cooperation of the community
and the strong follow-up of our army," the coordinator added. Al-Shabaab
attacked Ethiopia through the Bakool region in July, the first cross-border
raid in Africa's 2nd populous country which is facing internal conflict.”



Europe



Associated Press: Police Officer Killed In Suspected Brussels Terror Attack
<[link removed]>



“A lone assailant killed one police officer and wounded another Thursday in a
stabbing attack that two Belgian judicial officials said was suspected to be
terrorism-linked. The suspect was shot and taken to a hospital. Eric Van der
Sypt, from the federal prosecutor’s office, told The Associated Press the
suspect was wounded by another police officers after the stabbing. Van der Sypt
added that investigators suspected the attack took place in a “terrorist
context." The prosecutor's office told AP it took over the case because there
is “a suspicion of a terror attack.” “One of our patrols was attacked by a man
armed with a knife,” police said, quoted by the newspaper Le Soir. “The two
police officers then called for reinforcements. An officer from another patrol
used his firearm to neutralize the attacker.” “The two injured detectives and
the assailant were taken to hospital,” police added. Le Soir said one of the
officers was stabbed in the neck and died from his injuries. The newspaper Het
Laatste Nieuws reported the suspect had gone to a police station Thursday
morning warning that he would kill an officer. The ACV police trade union said
in a Facebook post that it had information a person had gone to police earlier
in the day threatening an attack. It added that the judicial authorities did
not arrest him. According to Belgian media, the attacker shouted “Allahu
akbar,” the Arabic phrase for “God is great,” during the attack, which occurred
around 7:15 p.m.”



Balkan Insight: Music Mobilisation: The Concerts Connecting Neo-Nazis In
Croatia
<[link removed]>



“… Now BIRN has identified the other tattooed man – also Hungarian – and two
other supporters of Croatian branch. They were spotted in Rijeka just days
after a neo-Nazi concert dedicated to the “awakening of Europe.” BIRN was
unable to contact either of the Hungarian men for comment. “It is very logical
that in Hungary or Croatia, where there are few foreigners, there is an
extreme-right narrative according to which there is a threat from hordes of
foreigners, feminists and LGBTs who will take away the tradition and culture,”
said Alexander Ritzmann, senior adviser at the New York-based Counter Extremism
Project, CEP. BIRN made contact with Patrik at the San Remo café in Rijeka, a
port city otherwise known as one of the more liberal in Croatia, a former
Yugoslav republic where conservative currents are strong. He was one of around
10 men happily discussing the rise of the right in Europe on the eve of Giorgia
Meloni’s swearing in as prime minister of neighbouring Italy at the helm of a
far-right government. Her Brothers of Italy party has neo-fascist origins.”



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