Eye on Extremism
January 9, 2020
Express:
France Terror Warning: PM Says Country On 'High' Alert 5 Years After
Charlie Hebdo Attacks
“The terrorist threat to France “has not disappeared” and “remains
high,” M Philippe said in an interview with RTL radio. The secular
country remains on high alert after being the target of a string of
deadly attacks by Islamist extremists since 2015, with more than 250
people killed in total. “I have made no secret of the fact that the
terrorist risk to France remains high. It would be madness to forget
this. Recent events have shown us that the risk of a terrorist attack
on French soil has not disappeared,” he warned. France remains on high
alert after being hit by a string of attacks by jihadist extremists
since 2015, with more than 250 people killed in total. The latest
terror attack took place on Friday, when a knife-wielding man ran amok
in a park south of Paris, killing a man walking with his wife and
wounding two other people before being shot dead by police. The
attacker, identified as 22-year-old Nathan C., was a radicalised
Muslim who converted to Islam in 2017 and is believed to have suffered
serious psychiatric problems since he was a child. He shouted the
Muslim invocation “Allahu Akbar” (God is Greatest) during the attack,
according to local magistrates. The attack in the Paris suburb of
Villejuif came just four days before the anniversary of the Charlie
Hebdo attacks.”
The
Hill: TikTok Announces New Content Rules Against Misinformation,
Terrorist Activity
“The hugely popular social media app TikTok on Wednesday tightened
its rules around what kind of content it permits, clarifying that it
will take down videos that contain misinformation, promote terrorism
or incite hatred against minorities. The Chinese-owned app, which
revolves around short-form videos set to music, is overhauling its
previously sparse community guidelines as it continues to face
scrutiny over its ties to Beijing and questions about whether it
censors content according to the Chinese government's sensibilities.
In a blog post, the company said the guidelines are intended to foster
a “rewarding and fun” community that can also grapple with “serious or
controversial content.” TikTok, which burst into Western markets over
the last few years, is widely known for its never-ending stream of
wacky videos and very young user base. In 2019, TikTok quickly became
one of the most downloaded apps on both Apple and Google, surpassing
1.5 billion downloads and edging out popular American social media
apps such as Instagram. The company says it has lagged behind other
social media companies in areas such as content moderation and
community standards as it has gathered hundreds of millions of
users.”
USA
Today: Iran May Stand Down, As Trump Says, But Cyber And Terror
Attacks Are The Real Threat
“President Donald Trump says Iran appears to be standing down after
retaliating in a limited way to last week’s U.S. strike killing Iran’s
top military commander, Qasem Soleimani. We will see whether that’s
true, at least from an overt military perspective. But we should not
relax our vigilance when it comes to other types of threats to
Americans and U.S. regional security partners. Iran’s capacity to
conduct asymmetrical warfare, such as terrorist acts, targeted
assassinations and cyberattacks, is far greater than its conventional
military capabilities. That’s where Iran is most likely to focus any
additional retaliation. Making contingency plans and bolstering our
defenses against this type of retaliation will require the concerted
effort of the U.S. intelligence, law enforcement and homeland security
communities, and not just a resort to military tools and troop
deployments. The nature of this work also requires deft diplomacy and
close cooperation with a wide range of allies and security partners in
the region and across the globe in the hopes of deterring further
escalation of the conflict. The United States first designated Iran a
state sponsor of terrorism in 1984. In the decades since, Iran has
cultivated a network of terrorist organizations, proxies and criminal
organizations stretching from Afghanistan to West Africa and including
the Western Hemisphere.”
New
York Post: Ukraine Not Ruling Out Terror As Cause Of Deadly Plane
Crash In Iran
“Ukraine has walked back its statement that ruled out a terror
attack as a cause behind the crash of a Boeing 737 that killed all 176
people aboard shortly after takeoff in Tehran. “Information on the
causes of the plane crash is being clarified by the commission. Any
statements regarding the causes of the accident prior to the decision
of said commission are not official,” according to a new statement by
Ukraine’s embassy in Iran, CNN reports. Responding to a question about
speculation that a rocket downed Flight PS752, Ukrainian Prime
Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk said in Kiev: “Any versions before the
official conclusion is just manipulation.” Honcharuk added that
Ukraine asked to join an Iranian-led probe into the crash of the
Ukraine International Airlines jet. Its flight and data recorders have
been found, Iranian state broadcaster IRIB reported, citing the Tehran
prosecutor. Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a Facebook
post that the country has set up a commission to “work through all
possible versions.” The three-year-old Boeing 737-800 NG, which was
bound for Kiev, was last seen on radar at 7,925 feet, according to
FlightRadar 24, whose data suggest that the crash could have happened
just two minutes after takeoff.”
United States
CBS
Dallas: Texas DPS Releases Reports On Domestic Terrorism, Assessing
Mass Attack Threats
“The Texas Department of Public Safety released, at the behest of
Governor Greg Abbott, two intelligence assessments of threats posed by
domestic terrorists and the prospect of more mass violence events. One
of the reports indicates racially motivated individuals are currently
the most active type of domestic terrorists. Another report described
as a growing threat the emergence of “incels,” or involuntary celibate
males who blame women and society for their inability to develop
intimate romantic relationships. “Evaluating our state’s public safety
vulnerabilities in today’s threat environment is critical to keeping
Texas safe from the most unthinkable tragedies,” said DPS Director
Steven McCraw. “Texas is fortunate that the Governor and our state
leaders place such a high focus on not only responding seamlessly to
public safety threats but also doing everything possible to prevent
them. These reports will assist law enforcement and the public in
doing just that by providing increased information and awareness of
mass attacks and domestic terrorism threats to our state.”
Syria
U.S.
News & World Report: Four Turkish Soldiers Killed In Northeast
Syria Bomb Attack: Ministry
“Four Turkish soldiers were killed in a car bomb attack in
northeast Syria on Wednesday, the Turkish Defense Ministry said in a
statement overnight. It said the attack occurred during a roadside
security check in the region east of the Euphrates river in Syria,
where Turkey carried out a military operation with allied Syrian
rebels in October. The Turkish incursion targeted the Syrian Kurdish
YPG militia, which spearheaded the U.S.-led war against Islamic State
and which Ankara regards as a terrorist group tied to militants
fighting an insurgency in southeast Turkey. No further details on the
attack were immediately available.”
Iran
CNN:
FBI, Homeland Security Warn Of Iranian Terror And Cyber Threat In New
Intelligence Bulletin
“The FBI and Department of Homeland Security warned of the terror
threats Iran poses to the US in a joint intelligence bulletin sent to
law enforcement throughout the country on Wednesday. In the bulletin,
which was obtained by CNN, the agencies predicted Iran could take
immediate steps to attack the US in cyberspace, and noted that Iran
has a history of attempting assassinations and planting operatives in
the US to conduct surveillance for terror attacks. The bulletin does
not name any specific or credible threat, and an FBI spokesperson
reiterated Wednesday that the agency was not aware of one. “In the
event [Iran] were to determine to conduct a Homeland attack, potential
targets and methods of attack in the Homeland could range from cyber
operations, to targeted assassinations of individuals deemed threats
to the Iranian regime, to sabotage of public or private
infrastructure, including US military bases, oil and gas facilities,
and public landmarks,” the agencies wrote. “[US government] actions
may also provoke violent extremist supporters of [Iran] to commit
attacks in retribution, with little to no warning, against US-based
Iranian dissidents, Jewish, Israeli, and Saudi individuals and
interests, and [US government] personnel,” they said.”
Newsweek:
Donald Trump Says U.S. And Iran 'Should Work Together' Against Isis,
'Embrace Peace' After Missile Strikes
“President Donald Trump said that the United States and Iran should
work together against their common foe of the Islamic State militant
group (ISIS), hoping the Islamic Republic would change course after
the latest incident in the dramatic escalation of tensions in which
Iran launched missiles at Iraqi military bases hosting U.S. and allied
troops. Iran's Revolutionary Guard launched short-range ballistic and
cruise missiles Tuesday against Ayn al-Asad Air Base and a military
site in Erbil in what the elite Iranian military branch said was
“retaliation for the brutal assassination” of Iran's Quds Force
commander Qassem Soleimani in a U.S. drone strike Thursday in Baghdad.
Trump on Wednesday defended his decision to target Soleimani, a
U.S.-designated terrorist, but announced that Iran's attack inflicted
no U.S. or Iraq casualties. The president attributed this to
“precautions taken, the dispersal of forces and an early warning
system that worked very well.” With no lives lost, Trump opted to
avoid a military response and instead sought to expand his maximum
pressure campaign, arguing Tehran “must abandon its nuclear ambitions
and end its support for terrorism.”
The
Washington Times: 'We Knew There Would Be Consequences': U.S.-Iran
Clash Threatens War On Terror
“The decision by Washington and NATO to suspend work with Iraqi
forces against the Islamic State is raising difficult questions about
whether the U.S.-Iranian clash is undercutting the fight against the
terror group. With the Pentagon’s focus shifting toward protecting
U.S. and allied forces in Iraq from attacks by Iran — and with many in
Baghdad calling for U.S. forces to leave Iraq altogether — some
regional experts are warning the counter-ISIS fight could suffer. Bill
Roggio, a counterterrorism analyst with the Foundation for Defense of
Democracies (FDD) and editor of the foundation’s Long War Journal,
said it is too early to tell how the counter-ISIS campaign will be
affected, but said it is likely the “campaign will probably be
weakened” if U.S. forces leave — or are forced to leave — Iraq. “I
think if U.S. troops do withdraw, it could negatively impact the
situation, or it’s possible that the Iranians and the Shia militias in
Iraq, who are aligned with Iran, may step up their own fight against
ISIS remnants — and it becomes an Iraq and Iranian problem and no
longer an American problem.” Two days after the U.S. drone strike that
killed Gen. Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad on Jan. 3, the U.S.-led
military coalition in Iraq announced a pause in its years-long
partnership with Iraqi forces.”
The
Jerusalem Post: Did Trump Just Reignite Iran V. ISIS War? -
Analysis
“At least two comments by US President Donald Trump in his speech
on Wednesday left many analysts scratching their heads: his remarks
about NATO, and those about ISIS versus Iran. While there are many
possible interpretations, one is that the US is going to accelerate
its withdrawal from Iraq and the Middle East, hoping it can leave NATO
to hold the bag – and not minding much if ISIS makes a small, third
comeback to keep Iran busy. In broad terms, Iran and ISIS (and its
forerunners) have been fighting for influence and control over Iraq
and Syria since the US invasion of Iraq in 2003. Experts have split
the ISIS era into all sorts of phases, but the first major successful
Sunni jihadist insurgency was led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Abu Bakr
al-Baghdadi did not become preeminent until much later, and only after
al-Zarqawi was killed in 2006. After the US troop surge in Iraq in
2007, ISIS's forerunner was put on the run for several years. Between
2011-2014, as Syria fell apart and as Iraq's Shi'ites, pushed by Iran,
continued to abuse Iraq's Sunni population, ISIS made its second move
and first full scale comeback. Starting in 2014, it took over large
swaths of Iraq and Syria. Another big piece of what allowed ISIS to
fill the vacuum in Iraq was the American withdrawal.”
Iraq
Bloomberg:
Islamic State’s Revival Is Back in Play
“When Iraq’s prime minister declared a final victory over Islamic
State in December 2017, he paid tribute to the militias that had
repelled the jihadists. Many of them had been guided by Qassem
Soleimani. Less than a month earlier, dozens of fighters crowded round
the smiling Iranian general as he toured Al-Bukamal just across the
border in Syria after helping them flush the extremist group from the
town. Among the many potentially dangerous by-products of Soleimani’s
killing by an American airstrike last week and the new chapter of
upheaval for Iraq is that it could give rise again to the conditions
that Islamic State can exploit. Tehran and Washington were targeting a
common enemy in the three-year battle against the group.
Iranian-backed militias did a lot of the combat fighting while the
U.S. provided air power. Now they risk turning Iraq into a theater of
conflict again just as the country seeks to extricate itself from the
influence of outside forces. If Soleimani was heralded as a savior for
helping defeat Islamic State, he was also partly responsible for its
rise by stoking the sectarian tensions that have defined Middle East
conflicts for generations.”
Time:
Why Iraqis Are Worried About An Islamic State Resurgence After
Soleimani's Death
“As the conflict between the U.S. and Iran simmers, there is a
mounting fear within Iraq that a conflict of another kind could take
shape amid the upheaval: A terrorist comeback from the remnants from
the Islamic State, or ISIS. Nearly a week after a U.S. drone strike
killed Iran’s top military commander Gen. Qasem Soleimani near Baghdad
International Airport, regular Iraqis and officials see his death as a
blow to their fight against the terrorist group, which was almost
entirely crushed in 2018 after a four-year war, fought by the U.S.-led
coalition and a collection of Iraqi military forces and militia
groups, as well as some Iranians themselves. “People are talking not
only about ISIS but a new version that might arise now,” Dhia
Al-Asadi, an Iraqi politician and former Member of Parliament aligned
with Shiite cleric Moqtada Al-Sadr, told TIME by phone on Wednesday.
“Soleimani is going to be missed by almost all those who were serious
about fighting against Al-Qaeda and ISIS.” The U.S. strike against
Soleimani has handed the ISIS remnants an unwitting victory, by
stoking anger among Iraqis against the group’s archenemy, the
Americans, and diverting their attention from other grievances.”
Kurdistan
24: ISIS Launches Attack On Iraq-Syria Border Killing, Wounding 4
People: Military
“The so-called Islamic State launched an attack early Thursday
against an Iraqi border police headquarters at the Iraq-Syria border,
killing two people and wounding two others. Iraq’s security media cell
said in a statement that “terrorist elements” attacked “the third
regiment in the fourth border police brigade within the Iraqi-Syrian
borders, which resulted in the death of two associates and the
wounding of two others.” The statement did not provide further details
but noted that “the security forces are conducting a search operation”
for the militants responsible. The attack occurred despite tight
security measures imposed by the Iraqi forces on the border to prevent
the infiltration of Islamic State fighters from neighboring Syria. The
Islamic State seems to be encouraged by the escalating US-Iran
tensions in the region as the terror group continues to launch attacks
and attempts to re-establish a foothold in Iraq. Elsewhere, on
Thursday, Iraqi security forces carried out their first military
operation since the US-led coalition announced the suspension of
operations in Iraq.”
Afghanistan
The
National: Rumblings Within The Taliban Make Ordinary Afghans Cautious
Amid Prospects For Peace
“On the last Sunday of 2019, Afghans woke up to an exciting news of
the Taliban insurgency agreeing to possible ceasefire, a much-needed
respite from the constant violence. Reports suggested that this
temporary truce with the US administration could last for as long as
10 days – a week longer than the last ceasefire between the two
warring parties, during which time they would sit down to sign a deal
to end America’s longest war. There was no mention of negotiations
with the Afghan government in Kabul, a party to the conflict with whom
the Taliban have consistently refused to talk to. But that did not
deter the jubilation among the public who have been the worst victims
of a war that began in 2001, when US-led forces – in response to the
September 11 attacks on American soil – invaded the country and
unseated the terror group from power. People posted on social media
about plans to explore their homeland and visit far corners of the
country that have been under Taliban control. There was talk of
bonhomie and brotherhood between the Afghan security forces and
Taliban fighters, much like during the three-day ceasefire – the first
of its kind – that took place during Eid Al Adha in June 2018.”
Xinhua:
Afghan Forces Kill 5 Militants In Eastern Province
“Five militants were killed as Afghan security forces stormed a
hideout of Taliban fighters in eastern Kapisa province on Wednesday,
said an army statement released on Thursday. The operation was
launched in Sultan Khil area of the restive Tagab district late
Wednesday. All those killed in the raids were local militants, the
statement said. Taliban militants, who are active in parts of the
troubled Kapisa province, have not commented on the
report.”
Lebanon
Foreign
Policy: Hezbollah’s Moment Of Truth
“Even before he was assassinated by U.S. drones this month, Qassem
Suleimani, the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’
Quds Force, was having a difficult few months. For years, he had
steadily expanded his operations through proxies in Lebanon, Syria,
and Iraq. But recently, his forces had taken numerous hits. The
Israeli army had attacked many Iranian bases in Syria and Iraq (and
potentially Lebanon), killing a large number of Lebanese and Iraqi
fighters and commanders and eliminating most of Suleimani’s precision
missile factories. Despite the considerable losses, Suleimani had one
thing going for him: that he was never forced to directly confront the
United States. Eyes on the main prize of securing Iran’s influence
over the region, he played down any mishaps and promised a response at
“the right time and place,” a mantra for Iranian proxies and officials
in recent years. But the right time and place didn’t come. Suleimani,
the grand orchestrator of Iran’s regional power, was killed. And now
Iran is in a difficult position. Doing nothing will indicate weakness,
but responding forcefully could also expose the regime and its proxies
to more U.S. strikes. Given the constraints, it is likely that Iran
will avoid drastic measures that could lead to war.”
Nigeria
Asharq
Al-Awsat: Terror Attack In Nigerian Town Kills 20, Displaces
1,000
“About 20 soldiers were killed and nearly 1,000 people made
homeless in a militant attack on a town in northeastern Nigeria, two
residents and a military source said on Wednesday. The militants
entered Monguno in Borno state posing as a convoy of soldiers on
Tuesday evening, the sources said. Later, they attacked troops inside
the town, destroying at least 750 homes in the process. Resident
Gumati Sadu said people fled into the bush for safety during the
fighting and that three civilians were killed by stray bullets,
Reuters reported. A military spokesman declined to comment. ISIS West
Africa Province (ISWAP) claimed responsibility for the attack on its
Amaq news agency. It said that one of its militants detonated a car
bomb in the town, killing at least 8 soldiers and destroying 3 armored
vehicles. The group also said it had seized a vehicle, weapons and
ammunition before leaving the town. ISWAP split from militant group
Boko Haram in 2016 and has since staged its own frequent attacks in
the region. Boko Haram’s decade-long insurgency campaign has killed
thousands and displaced millions in northeastern Nigeria. According to
Reuters, thousands in Monguno had already been displaced from their
homes elsewhere in Borno state by militants.”
France
24: Clashes Over Garrison Town Kill 3 Nigerian
Soldiers
“Three soldiers have been killed in intense fighting between
Nigeria's army and jihadists over a key northeastern garrison town, a
security source said Wednesday. The soldiers died when an army vehicle
burst into flames after a car filled with explosives rammed into a
convoy on Tuesday afternoon, the source told AFP. The attack occurred
during fighting with Islamic State West Africa (ISWAP) militants in
the town of Monguno some 135 kilometres (85 miles) north of Borno
State capital Maiduguri. Just three days earlier, Chad withdrew 1,200
troops from the region -- including hundreds from Monguno -- after
completing a nine-month mission fighting a rival jihadist group,
Nigeria's Boko Haram. The pullout from the largest base in the
volatile Lake Chad region, which straddles the borders of Nigeria,
Niger, Cameroon and Chad, had sparked widespread fears of increased
jihadist attacks. On Tuesday, dozens of ISWAP fighters aboard several
trucks fitted with machine guns attacked Monguno. Residents in Monguno
said a rocket-propelled grenade struck a refugee camp housing
thousands of people, causing a fire that gutted hundreds of tents. “We
still don't know if anyone was killed in the camp but some people
sustained burns,” said Monguno resident Kulo Gana.”
Sahara
Reporters: Again, Nigerian Troops Repel Boko Haram Terrorists In
Monguno
“Troops of the Nigerian Army have repelled an attack by a sect of
the Boko Haram terrorist in Monguno Local Government Area of Borno
State. The terrorists have repeatedly attacked Monguno but failed in
their several attempts in the past to overrun the town. It was
gathered that a patrol team of the Operation Lafiya Dole engaged in
the counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency efforts against Boko
Haram and Islamic State in West Africa terrorists was attacked near
Monguno town on Tuesday evening, PRNigeria reports. Reinforcement was
quickly sent from troops located in other platforms to assist in
repelling the attack with casualties on both sides. “The attack was
subsequently repelled. Though there were fewer casualties on the
Nigerian troops through Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Devices,
many Boko Haram terrorists were however, eliminated during the
encounter,” the source said.”
Somalia
All
Africa: Somalia: Al Shabaab Car Bomb Hits Security Checkpoint Near
Somalia's Parliament And Security Ministry HQ In
Mogadishu
“Al Shabaab Car Bomb Hits Security Checkpoint Near Somalia's
Parliament And Security Ministry HQ In Mogadishu. A suspected Al
Shabaab Vehicle-borne improvised explosive device has gone off at a
security checkpoint in Somalia's capital Mogadishu. The explosion took
place near Somalia's parliament in Mogadishu one of the most
highly-secured locations in the capital. Preliminary intelligence
reports show that the bombing happened at a checkpoint located between
the and Lower House building in Sayidka area. Immediate BDA and
casualties to follow as emergency and security personnel assess the
scene. The al Shabaab has been on a new campaign against its sworn
enemies which include the Federal Government of Somalia, the US, and
Kenya. The campaigns have been headlined by a series of attacks
perpetrated by the newly revitalized Martyrdom Brigade a wing that is
believed to be the most brutal wing of the terror organization.”
Xinhua:
Somalia Says Kills 35 Al-Shabab
Militants
“Somali special forces backed by international partners killed 35
al-Shabab extremists on Tuesday in an operation in Lower Juba region
in southern Somalia, a military official confirmed on Wednesday.
Hassan Mohamad Aden, commander of the Danab Forces in Jubbaland State,
said a joint operation was conducted by Somali army and international
partners in Lafta Anole neighborhood in Lower Juba. “Following a tip
of from the residents, our forces launched an attack in the area
killing 35 al-Shabab militants including senior members,” Aden said.
Residents told Xinhua there was heavy gunfire that caused panic in the
area. “Al-Shabab extremists in the village were attacked by government
forces,” said Safi Bilan, a resident. “There was also airstrike which
caused many casualties.” The latest operation came barely four days
after Somali special forces killed 30 al-Shabab militants in the
country's southern region of Lower Shabelle. Somali forces have
intensified their operations against the militants in southern regions
where al-Shabab holds large swathes of rural areas, conducting
ambushes against government forces.”
Yahoo
News: Al-Shabaab Warns Of More Attacks Against Kenya, US
Interests
“Somali Islamist group Al-Shabaab on Wednesday warned Kenya “will
never be safe”, threatening tourists and calling for more attacks on
US interests after they stormed an American base at the weekend. The
Al-Qaeda linked group said its attack on Camp Simba, in which three
Americans were killed and several aircraft destroyed, should serve as
a “warning” and Kenya should withdraw its forces from Somalia while
they still “have the chance”. Kenya sent troops into Somalia in 2011
as part of an African Union peacekeeping mission fighting against
Al-Shabaab, and has seen several brutal retaliation attacks both on
its troops in Somalia and civilians in Kenya. “Withdraw all your
forces from our Muslim lands while you still have the chance.
Otherwise brace yourselves for the worst and prepare for perilous
times ahead, because Kenya will never be safe and Kenyans will never
sleep soundly at night,” the statement said. “Tourists and travellers
visiting the country are hereby warned that there will no longer be
any safe sightseeing or safari trips in Kenya.” The statement comes
almost a year after the January 15 siege of the upscale Dusit hotel
complex in Nairobi left 21 dead. Previous attacks have killed 67 at
the Westgate shopping centre in 2013 and 148 at Garissa University in
2015.”
Africa
The
Washington Post: UN Envoy: Terrorist Attacks Surging
In Sahel And West Africa
“The U.N. envoy for West Africa and the Sahel says the region has
experienced “a devastating surge in terrorist attacks against civilian
and military targets” in recent months. Mohamed Ibn Chambas told the
U.N. Security Council Wednesday that the “unprecedented terrorist
violence” has shaken public confidence. He said terrorist attacks have
increased five-fold in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger since 2016 with
over 4,000 deaths reported in 2019 compared to an estimated 770 deaths
in 2016. In Burkina Faso, deaths rose even more dramatically from
about 80 in 2016 to over 1,800 in 2019, he said. “Most significantly,
the geographic focus of terrorist attacks has shifted eastwards from
Mali to Burkina Faso and is increasingly threatening West African
coastal states,” Chambas said. The U.N. envoy said terrorist attacks
are often “deliberate efforts by violent extremists to capture weapons
and trafficking routes” and engage in illicit activities including
illegal mining that sustain their operations. He said governments,
local “actors,” regional organizations and the international community
are mobilizing to respond to terrorism and violent extremism across
West Africa and the Sahel. Chambas urged leaders in the region to
follow through on pledges to tackle terrorism, saying now “is the time
for action.”
United Kingdom
BBC
News: Man 'Plotted Terror Attacks On London Tourist Hot Spots', Court
Hears
“A man who was cleared over a sword attack on police outside
Buckingham Palace went on to plan a series of terror attacks, a court
has heard. Mohiussunnath Chowdhury, 28, was found not guilty of a
terror charge over an incident outside the palace in 2017, Woolwich
Crown Court heard. He is accused of later planning attacks on places
including London's Madame Tussauds and London Pride parade. Mr
Chowdhury, of Kirkwood Road, Luton, denies the charge. He appeared in
court alongside his sister, Sneha Chowdhury, 25, who is accused of
doing nothing to stop his plans. Ms Chowdhury, of the same address,
denies two charges of failing to disclose information about acts of
terrorism. Woolwich Crown Court heard that, in the attack outside
Buckingham Palace in August 2017, two unarmed officers suffered cuts
to their hands when they fought to disarm Mr Chowdhury as he shouted
repeatedly “Allahu Akbar” (God is the greatest). Mr Chowdhury had
claimed the incident outside Buckingham Palace had been an attempt at
suicide. But the prosecution told the court that after he was cleared
at the Old Bailey, Mr Chowdhury bragged to undercover officers who had
him under surveillance that he had deceived the jury.”
France
Express:
France Warned It’s ‘Losing Its Battle’ Against Islamic
Extremism As It ‘Refuses To Fight’
“France, a country deeply attached to its secular values, remains
on high terror alert after being targeted by a string of deadly
attacks by Islamist militants since 2015. Bruno Retailleau, a top
conservative senator of the opposition Les Républicains (LR) party,
warned on Tuesday: “France is losing its battle against Islamic
jihadism.” Mr Retailleau said in an interview with French broadcaster
Sud Radio: “We are losing this battle because we are refusing to fight
[extremism]”. His scathing comments came on the fifth anniversary of
the attack on the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo by two brothers
pledging allegiance to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). On
January 7, 2015, Cherif and Said Kouachi stormed the magazine’s Paris
offices and opened fire with automatic weapons, killing 12 people and
wounding several others. They then ran out into the street and were
challenged by a police officer, Lieutenant Ahmet Merabet. He was shot
dead. On January 8, their accomplice Amedy Coulibaly shot dead a
female police officer in the Paris suburb of Montrouge and a day
later, burst into a kosher supermarket east of Paris and killed four
customers. He was a member of the jihadist group Islamic State
(ISIS).”
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