Eye on Extremism
July 30, 2019
CNN:
Two US Service Members Killed In Afghanistan As US Eyes Troop
Reduction By 2020
“Just hours after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that
President Donald Trump wants a reduction in American troop levels in
Afghanistan before the 2020 election, the US military announced that
two US service members had been killed in that country on Monday. The
US military did not provide additional details about the deaths and
the names of the service members were withheld so that next of kin
could be notified. Kandahar police told CNN that an Afghan solider
opened fire on the service members. A Taliban spokesman, Qari Yousof
Ahmadi, also confirmed the incident in a media message Monday, saying
the Afghan soldier was wounded after the exchange of fire. The
American service members are the fourth and fifth to be killed in
Afghanistan in a little over a month.”
The
Washington Post: Syrian Troops Advance In Northwest, Breaking
Stalemate
“Syrian troops made advances on the ground in northern Syria on
Monday, seizing a hilltop village and a nearby town from insurgents in
the first breakthrough for President Bashar Assad’s forces following
weeks of intensive air and artillery bombardment. The area has been
repeatedly targeted in recent days as Syria’s government looks to
regain momentum in its stalled offensive against the last
opposition-controlled stronghold in Syria. The rebel area encompasses
Idlib province and the surrounding rural areas of Hama province. At
least 450 civilians have been confirmed killed in the three-month
offensive, including more than 100 in the last 10 days alone,
according to the U.N. human rights chief. Over the last three years,
the government has regained control of most of the territories that
were initially seized by the opposition in the early days of the civil
conflict — now in its 9th year. Those military victories, supported by
Russian airpower and Iranian-backed militias on the ground, followed
intense military campaigns and tight sieges that forced rebels to
surrender and move north. The Idlib region is dominated by
al-Qaida-linked militants and other jihadi groups, and is home to an
estimated 3 million people, many of them displaced by other bouts of
violence in other areas.”
Voice
Of America: UN Warns Islamic State Leader Plotting Comeback From
Iraq
“The Islamic State terror group's self-declared caliphate may be
dead, but its leaders are hanging on in Syria and Iraq, dreaming of
the day when they can again direct attacks on targets around the
world. The conclusion is part of a sobering assessment in a newly
released quarterly United Nations report on IS, also known as ISIS or
ISIL, which warns the epicenter for the terror group's budding
renaissance is Iraq, “where Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and most of the ISIL
leadership are now based.” “The leadership aims to adapt, survive and
consolidate in the core area and to establish sleeper cells at the
local level in preparation for eventual resurgence,” the report
cautioned. “When it has the time and space to reinvest in an external
operations capability, ISIL will direct and facilitate international
attacks.” In the meantime, the report warns the terror organization,
“has continued its evolution into a mainly covert network,” since the
fall of Baghuz, the last territory it held in Syria, this past March.
While the assessment that Baghdadi is operating mostly out of Iraq is
new, the other warnings are similar to concerns voiced by U.S.
officials and others dating back to last year. IS “is well-positioned
to rebuild and work on enabling its physical caliphate to re-emerge,”
Pentagon spokesman Commander Sean Robertson told VOA last August.”
U.S.
News & World Report: 2 Refugees In Arizona Charged With Supporting
Islamic State
“Two Somalia refugees living in Arizona were charged with providing
support to a terror group after federal agents say they were planning
to travel from Tucson to Egypt to join the Islamic State. A criminal
charge unsealed Monday alleged 21-year-old Ahmed Mahad Mohamed and
20-year-old Abdi Yemani Hussein had told an undercover FBI employee
that they wanted to travel to the Middle East to carry out violence
and “achieve martyrdom.” Both Tucson residents, who had received
government documents to travel to Egypt, were arrested Friday after
they checked in for their flights and made their way through security
at Tucson International Airport. Mohamed is accused of expressing an
interest in beheading people, while authorities say Hussein expressed
a desire to kill people in the Middle East. Tom Hartzell, an attorney
for Mohamed, didn't return a call seeking comment on his client's
behalf. Brad Roach, attorney for Hussein, said his client is asserting
his innocence and “looking forward to the legal process going
forward.” Authorities say Mohamed told an undercover FBI employee
during social-media exchanges that he was “thirsty” for the blood of
disbelievers and that “the best wake up call is (for the) Islamic
State to get victory or another 911.”
The
Defense Post: UN ISIS Investigator Calls For Nuremberg-Style
International Tribunal
“The head of the United Nations special probe into Islamic State
crimes has called for trials like those at Nuremberg of Nazi leaders
to ensure the jihadists’ victims are heard and their ideology
“debunked.” For a year, British lawyer Karim Khan has traveled around
Iraq with a team of almost 80 people to gather evidence and witness
testimony for the U.N. body known as UNITAD. “It’s a mountain to
climb”, the human rights specialist told AFP, as the investigative
team works to analyze up to 12,000 bodies from more than 200 mass
graves, 600,000 videos of ISIS crimes and 15,000 pages from the
group’s bureaucracy. Five years ago, when their self-proclaimed
“caliphate” spanned territory the size of the United Kingdom, the
jihadist group imposed its brutal rule over seven million people
across Iraq and Syria with administrations, schools, child soldiers, a
severe interpretation of Islam and medieval punishments. Minority
groups considered by ISIS to be “heretics” or “satanists” were killed
by the thousands, tortured or enslaved. ISIS “wasn’t some kind of
guerrilla warfare or a mobile rebel group … that’s one aspect that is
unusual” for international justice, Khan said from the ultra-secure
UNITAD headquarters in Baghdad.”
The
Telegraph: Spies Seek 'Backdoor' Access To Encrypted Social Media To
Combat Terrorists And Paedophiles
“Spy agencies and police should have “backdoor” access to encrypted
social media messages on platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp to
combat online child abuse and terrorism, say Western intelligence
agencies and Governments. The “Five Eyes” nations - UK, US, Canada,
Australia and New Zealand - will meet in London on Tuesday to discuss
plans to give law enforcement agencies “lawful access” to encrypted
emails, text messages and voice communications before issuing a joint
communique. Intelligence agencies say it is necessary because of
increasing encryption by platforms like Facebook, which is due to
introduce end-to-end encryption to its billion-user Messenger service,
and WhatsApp, Apple and Google."
United States
ABC
15 Arizona: FBI Arrests Two At Tucson Airport For Trying To Join
ISIS
“Federal agents arrested two men Friday at Tucson International
Airport for conspiring to join the Islamic State. The Federal Bureau
of Investigation says Ahmed Mohamed and Abdi Hussein were arrested at
the airport on July 26 and says the pair had been communicating with
an undercover agent posing as a supporter of ISIS. Agents say Mohamed
started talking with an undercover employee on an unnamed social media
platform in August 2018. The conversation continued with a second FBI
agent on a different social media platform that December. The FBI says
Mohamed and Hussein wanted to travel overseas to fight for ISIS or
conduct an attack within the United States. Mohamed told the
undercover agent, "[I]f I go to Syria I want to be the beheading
person," according to court documents. The FBI says he also met with
the undercover agent several times in Tucson, and brought Abdi to one
of those meetings.”
ABC
News: Police: Synagogue Shooting Leaves 1 Wounded, Suspect
Sought
“Authorities said Monday they have yet to determine whether the
weekend shooting of a member of a Miami area synagogue constituted a
hate crime, adding they're still seeking the suspect after the attack
outside the temple's front door. The victim, identified by the rabbi
as temple member Yosef Lifshutz, was shot several times in the legs
Sunday evening and underwent surgery at a hospital, police said. He
was listed in stable condition at Aventura Hospital. Miami-Dade police
detective Alvaro Zabaleta told news outlets the attacker got out of a
black Chevrolet Impala around 6:30 p.m. Sunday and shot the
68-year-old victim as he approached the front door of the Young Israel
of Greater Miami temple. The Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office's hate
crimes unit is reviewing the case, spokeswoman Lissette Valdes-Valle
said Monday. The rabbi of the synagogue described Lifshutz as an
esteemed member of the temple community. “He's a wonderful person,”
Rabbi David Lehrfield told WSVN . “Everybody loves him.” Police were
searching for the shooter. The car had circled the temple several
times as Lifshutz walked toward the building, Zabaleta told WSVN. “It
circled once again, and by that time the victim was approaching the
door,” Zabaleta said.”
Syria
The
National: US-Led Coalition Says Air Strike Kills Five ISIS Fighters In
Syria
“A US-led coalition air strike killed five ISIS militants in
eastern Syria on Monday, in the first such raid since the collapse of
the terrorist group's “caliphate”. “Coalition forces conducted a
strike against a Daesh cell near Busayrah,” a town in Deir Ezzor
province, coalition spokesman James Rawlinson said. “This operation
eliminated five terrorists who played a key role in facilitating
attacks across the region against security forces and innocent
civilians.” The five ISIS fighters were all Syrian, the Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights war monitor reported from Britain. It was
the first attack by coalition warplanes since ISIS was driven out of
its last holdout in Syria four months ago, the group said. A
US-backed, Kurdish-led force announced it had expelled the extremists
from their last patch of territory in eastern Syria, the town of
Baghouz, on March 23. That came after a months-long campaign backed by
coalition air strikes. The Syrian Democratic Forces' victory spelt the
end of the ISIS reign declared in 2014 after the militants seized
large parts of Syria and neighbouring Iraq. But despite losing their
territory, ISIS fighters continue to launch regular attacks across
war-torn Syria. They have claimed operations in SDF-held areas,
including assassinations and setting fire to vital wheat crops.”
Asharq
Al-Awsat: Concerns In South Syria Over Damascus’ Release Of ISIS
Members
“Local sources in southern Syria said that concern prevails in the
Yarmouk Basin area, southwest Daraa, over the large number of ISIS
members who returned to the area after the Syrian regime started
releasing them in batches since early last month. Most of those ISIS
militants were members of the Jaysh Khalid ibn al-Walid, the local
ISIS affiliate. The western Daraa countryside was ISIS’ last
stronghold in the area, before the Assad forces took over the Yarmouk
Basin, via a military campaign, backed by Russian aircraft and
settlement opposition factions in August 2018. Since then, Daraa has
been in a state of security chaos, with hundreds of people arrested,
including those who have agreed to the settlements with the regime's
forces, which have also obliged many into forced conscription. This
has angered several residents, especially the factions that agreed to
the settlements. Activists in the Yarmouk Basin told Asharq Al-Awsat
on Monday that currently, around 1,000 ISIS-affiliated militants
returned to the area. They said that one year ago, when the Assad
forces launched its military campaign against the organization, the
Syrian regime killed tens of ISIS militants and arrested around
400.”
Yahoo
News: IS Threat Hovers Over Syria Camp, Rattling
Authorities
“Stabbing guards, stoning aid workers and flying the Islamic State
group's black flag in plain sight: the wives and children of the
'caliphate' are sticking by the jihadists in a desperate Syrian camp.
Months after the defeat of the jihadist proto-state, families of IS
fighters are among 70,000 people crammed into the Kurdish-run Al-Hol
camp in northeastern Syria. Swarming around an AFP journalist, women
clad-in-black complain of poor medical assistance, a lack of aid, and
boiling tents. They also praise the elusive IS supremo Abu Bakr
al-Baghdadi, saying they are waiting for orders from their leader. Umm
Suhaib, the widowed wife of a jihadist, admits that IS supporters have
attacked Kurdish security forces guarding the camp. "Two or three
times, the Asayesh were stabbed," said the 23-year-old Iraqi mother of
three.”
Military.Com:
Coalition Says Strike Kills ISIS Jihadists In Syria
“A US-led coalition air strike killed five jihadists in eastern
Syria on Monday, a spokesman said, in the first such raid since the
collapse of the Islamic State group's "caliphate". "Coalition forces
conducted a strike against a Daesh cell near Busayrah", a town in Deir
Ezzor province, said coalition spokesman James Rawlinson, using an
Arabic acronym for ISIS. "This operation eliminated five terrorists
who played a key role in facilitating attacks across the region
against security forces and innocent civilians," he told AFP. The five
jihadists were all Syrian, according to the Syrian Observatory for
Human Rights war monitor. It was the first aerial attack by coalition
warplanes since ISIS was driven out of its last holdout in Syria four
months ago, the Britain-based group added. A US-backed, Kurdish-led
force announced it had expelled the extremists from their last patch
of territory in eastern Syria, the town of Baghouz, on March 23.”
Iran
Newsweek:
Iran Says It Will Expand Military Ties With Russia, Hold Joint Drills
As U.S. Tries To Build Rival Coalition
“The head of Iran's navy has said he signed a document to expand
ties with Russia, with whom his forces planned on conducting joint
drills in the same tense waters that the United States sought to
counter the Islamic Republic with international support. Iranian naval
commander Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi said Monday that he signed an
unprecedented memorandum of understanding with Russia, largely
involving the two countries' naval forces, and that it “may be
considered as a turning point in relations of Tehran in Moscow,”
according to Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency. The news came as
Khanzadi was visiting St. Petersburg to celebrate Russia's Navy Day
and he further announced that “joint Russian-Iranian exercises in the
Indian Ocean are expected to take place soon.” “When we talk about the
Indian Ocean, perhaps the most significant part of the area is the
northern Indian Ocean, which flows into the Gulf of Oman, the Strait
of Hormuz and also the Persian Gulf,” Khanzadi said. Such an exercise
would take place in the same waters in which the U.S. has accused Iran
of attacking and seizing international vessels in recent months,
charges Tehran has denied as it faced mounting sanctions in the wake
of Washington's withdrawal last year from a 2015 nuclear deal with its
longtime foe.”
The
Jerusalem Post: Israel Launched Two F-35 Attacks On Iranian Targets In
Iraq In July - Report
“Israel used their F-35i stealth fighter jets to conduct attacks on
Iranian targets to Iraq in the past month, hitting two Iraqi bases
used by Iranian forces and proxies and storing Iranian ballistic
missiles, the London-based Saudi daily Al Sharq Al Awsat reported on
Tuesday. The first attack happened on July 19 at a base in Amreli in
the Saladin province of Iraq. Iraqi and Iranian sources blamed Israel
at the time, and Al Sharq Al Awsat reported that "diplomatic sources"
confirmed this to be true, specifying that the attack was carried out
by an Israeli F-35. Al-Arabiya reported that Iranian-made ballistic
missiles were transported to the base shortly before the attack via
trucks used to transport refrigerated food. The identity of the
aircraft which conducted the attack was unspecified at the time, and
the US denied any involvement. Iranian Revolutionary Guard and
Hezbollah members were killed in the air strike, according to
Al-Arabiya, however the Iranian-backed al-Hashd ash-Sha'abi (Popular
Mobilization Forces - PMF) denied that any Iranians had been killed in
the attack, according to Fars.”
Iraq
Iraqi
News: Iraq Arrests Two Islamic State Jihadists In Maysan
Governorate
“The Iraqi Interior Ministry announced on Monday that its forces
arrested two members of the Islamic State terrorist group in the
eastern governorate of Maysan. Speaking to the privately-owned
Alsumaria News TV channel, Maj. Gen. Saad Maan, the ministry’s
spokesman, said counter-terrorism forces and intelligence arrested two
Islamic State terrorists, who are wanted on terror charges pursuant to
article no. 4 of the anti-terrorism law. According to the spokesman,
the two terrorists were handed over to the competent authorities for
interrogation and legal action. Former Iraqi prime minister Haider
al-Abadi declared the end of military operations against Islamic State
in Iraq on December 9, 2017 three years after the militant group
captured about a third of Iraq’s territory. The jihadist group had
seized large swathes of Syria and Iraq in 2014, when it proclaimed a
“caliphate” and imposed its rule over some 10 million people.”
Afghanistan
The
New York Times: An Afghan Candidate Wrote His Will, Then Survived A
Suicide Squad
“Even before he received specific intelligence about an attempt
planned on his life, Amrullah Saleh had a feeling they were coming for
him soon. So he wrote his will. As a former Afghan intelligence
chief who is staunchly anti-Taliban, he had been near the top of the
militants’ list for a long time. But now there was an added reason for
targeting him: He was about to launch his campaign as the running-mate
of President Ashraf Ghani in his September re-election bid. About a
week ago, Mr. Saleh took a new look at the four-page will. He added
instructions for his wife and five children on how to handle news of
his death, and how to gain access to his savings. Mr. Saleh said he
was convinced that “I wasn’t going to survive this time.” The attack
he dreaded came on Sunday, the first day of the presidential campaign,
after he and President Ghani had appeared at a tightly guarded rally
in Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital. Soon after Mr. Saleh reached his
political headquarters, he was greeted by an enormous car bomb. That
was followed by a half-dozen suicide bombers climbing up to his
fourth-floor office. In the nearly seven hours of havoc that ensued,
about 30 people were dead — 20 of them Mr. Saleh’s guests or
colleagues who had spent years at his side.”
Voice
Of America: Two Americans Killed In Apparent Insider Attack In
Afghanistan
“Two U.S. service members have been killed in action in Afghanistan
in what appears to be an insider attack. The NATO-led Resolute Support
Mission said Monday that two Americans are dead, withholding
additional information pending notification of their families. A U.S.
official later confirmed the deaths were the result of a so-called
“green on blue” attack, during which an Afghan service member or an
attacker wearing an Afghan uniform, fires on U.S. or allied
forces. The initial U.S. assessment followed claims by Taliban
spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid on Twitter that the Americans died when
an Afghan soldier turned his gun on them in a military camp in
Afghanistan's southern Kandahar province. The Taliban also claimed at
least one other soldier was killed and that several others were
wounded, though those claims could not be confirmed. With the two
confirmed deaths, at least 14 U.S. service members have been killed in
Afghanistan this year, according to a tally by the
website iCasualties.org. Thirteen U.S. service members were killed in
Afghanistan in 2018. The latest deaths also come as the U.S. has been
engaging the Taliban in talks, seeking a peaceful resolution to the
18-year war in Afghanistan.”
The
Guardian: More Afghan Civilians Killed By Government And Nato Than
Taliban
“More Afghan civilians were killed by Afghan and Nato forces than
by the Taliban and other militants in the first half of 2019,
according to UN figures, suggesting that similar findings for the
first quarter of the year were not a blip. Most of the civilian
casualties were apparently inflicted during Afghan and Nato operations
against insurgents, such as airstrikes and night raids on militant
hideouts. Insurgents often hide among civilians. The report by the UN
mission in Afghanistan said 403 civilians were killed by Afghan forces
in the first six months of the year and a further 314 by international
forces, a total of 717. In the same period, 531 were killed by the
Taliban, an Islamic State affiliate and other militants. It said 300
of those killed by militants were directly targeted. The Taliban have
been carrying out near-daily attacks, mainly targeting security
forces. In April, the UN published figures for the first three months
of 2019 with the same top line. That was the first time that
pro-government forces had caused a majority of deaths since the UN
began tracking civilian casualties in Afghanistan more than a decade
ago. The Taliban have rejected calls for a ceasefire as they hold
talks with the US aimed at ending the 18-year war.”
Yemen
Asharq
Al-Awsat: Yemen Condemns ‘Houthi Massacre’ In Saada
Market
“Yemen’s Minister of Information Moammar al-Eryani strongly
condemned the “abhorrent massacre” committed by the Iran-backed Houthi
militias in the Al Thabet market in Saada. The minister said the
militias deliberately targeted the popular market with Katyusha
rockets, killing 10 civilians and injuring 20, including a number of
children. “This terrible crime by the Houthi militias against people
is a collective punishment for their national stand, rejection of the
coup and support for the legitimate government,”he tweeted. “It is
another in their series of crimes against humanity and confirms the
terrorist and bloody nature of the militia that only knows killing,
bloodshed and intimidation," he added.”
Lebanon
The
Jerusalem Post: Israel, U.S. Working To Upgrade Unifil’s Mandate To
Weaken Hezbollah
“Israel and the United States are jointly working to have the
United Nations Security Council to upgrade the mandate of the
international peacekeeping force based in southern Lebanon, providing
it with greater authority in an effort to weaken Hezbollah. Israel
Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon told The Jerusalem Post that Israel
is working with the US to upgrade UNIFIL’s mandate, specifically to
give it the ability to visit and inspect any area in southern Lebanon.
Under the existing mandate, UNIFIL cannot enter villages and urban
areas unless it first coordinates such visits with the Lebanese Armed
Forces. Danon told the Security Council last week that in the 13 years
since the war ended, “[we have] yet to receive an accurate picture of
the gravity of the situation in southern Lebanon. It is unfortunate
that some have chosen to turn a blind eye to the reality on the
ground.” Danon added that “UNIFIL must be fully equipped to discharge
its mandate and contribute to stability in the region.” Resolution
1701 calls for no sale or supply of arms and related material to
Lebanon except as authorized by its government, he pointed out. “It
appears, however, that this call for an embargo has been completely
ignored.”
Middle East
Asharq
Al-Awsat: UAE Says ‘Dangerous’ Recordings Prove Qatar’s Terrorism
Ties
“United Arab Emirates State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Anwar
Gargash said Tuesday that a recent New York Times report proves
Qatar’s ties to terrorism. Earlier this month, the New York Times
obtained an audio recording of a telephone call between the Qatari
ambassador to Somalia and a businessman who is close to Emir Sheikh
Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani that reveals Doha’s complicity in terrorist
bombings in the African country. The businessman, Khalifa Kayed
al-Muhanadi told Qatari Ambassador Hassan bin Hamza Hashem that
militants had carried out a bombing in the port city of Bosaso in
northern Somalia, to advance Qatar’s interests by driving out its
rival, the UAE. Gargash tweeted: “The dangerous recording cannot be
denied with a hasty statement.” “Resorting to terrorism against the
UAE is regrettable escalation and justifies the four countries’
boycott of Qatar,” he added.”
Nigeria
The
Defense Post: Nigeria: Soldier, 10 Islamic State Insurgents Killed In
Baga, MNJTF Says
“One soldier was killed and five were injured in an attack in
northeastern Nigeria’s Borno state that also saw 10 Islamic State West
Africa Province fighters killed, the regional force battling
insurgency in the Lake Chad area said. The incident in Baga was
described as a “surprise dawn attack on Multinational Joint Task Force
and national troops,” by the MNJTF’s Chief of Military Public
Information Colonel Timothy Antigha in a Monday, July
29 release published by Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters. Antigha said
that around around 30 ISWAP militants – including suicide bombers –
attempted to infiltrate a defensive position in the Baga area around
0530 local time. He said that “vigilant troops spotted their approach”
and thwarted the assault. “In the process, 10 terrorists, including
four suicide bombers were neutralized. Others escaped with gun shot
wounds,” Antigha said. “Unfortunately, a soldier paid the supreme
[price], while five others sustained varying injuries and have been
evaluated for medical attention,” Antigha said, without specifying the
soldiers’ nationalities. Arms and ammunition were later recovered,
Antigha said, and an image showing four AK-pattern assault rifles and
a mobile phone was published.”
Al
Jazeera: Death, Anguish And Flickers Of Hope: 10 Years Of Boko
Haram
“Since July 2009, when Islamic scholar Mohammed Yusuf was killed in
Maiduguri, capital of the northeastern state of Borno, Nigeria, the
region has become the most discussed piece of real estate in West
Africa. In the ensuing Boko Haram killing spree, nearly 30,000 people
have died and more than two million were displaced, according to the
Council on Foreign Relations' Nigeria Security Tracker. Having snaked
its way across the Lake Chad basin to Chad, Niger and Cameroon, roads
in the area keep rustling with the sound of young people fleeing to
start new lives away from the armed group. Abubakar Bala, a
32-year-old shoe repairer, watched his hometown Bama transform from
the commercial capital of Borno state to a war-torn zone. His wife was
killed when attackers invaded the city in September 2014 and he
watched neighbours run over bodies as he fled through the forest. “It
makes me so sad to remember those times,” he told Al Jazeera. “Only
Allah can heal us. I still don't know where some of my family members
are.” Hundreds of young women have been abducted by the group to
become brides and suicide bombers, with two incidents particularly
gaining global news traction.”
Deutsche
Welle: Nigeria's Ban Of Shiite Muslim Group Risks Boko Haram
Repeat
“Announcing a government ban on the Islamic Movement of Nigeria
(IMN), presidential spokesman Garba Shehu accused the Shiite Muslim
group of running “terrorist activities, including attacking soldiers,
killing policemen, destroying public property and consistently defying
state authority.” IMN followers have been holding protests to demand
the release of their detained leader, Ibrahim Zakzaky. At least 20
members of the group were killed over the past week in a series of
demonstrations that have shown little sign of abating, increasing
pressure on the government. Zakzaky, a pro-Iranian cleric, has been in
detention since 2015 despite a court order to release him. On Monday,
a court adjourned his bail hearing until August 5. Ibrahim Musa, a
spokesman for IMN, has denied the government accusations. “All the
people we interacted with know that we are not terrorists, because we
don't carry arms even during our processions,” he said. Zakzaky
founded the organization — originally a student movement inspired by
Iran's Islamic revolution — in the late 1970s. The Nigerian cleric
convinced fellow students that an Islamic revolution was also possible
in their country."
Somalia
Africa
News: U.S. Airstrike Targets ISIS-Somalia In Support Of The Federal
Government Of Somalia
“In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S.
Africa Command conducted an airstrike targeting ISIS terrorists in the
Golis Mountain region, Somalia, on July 27, 2019. “Airstrikes like
these remain an effective tool in the counter-terrorist campaign
against ISIS and al-Shabab,” said U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. William
West, deputy director of operations, U.S. Africa Command. “The Federal
Government of Somalia and the United States will continue to disrupt
terror organization operations and degrade their capabilities whenever
possible.” The Golis Mountains are a known area for terrorist
activity. Precision airstrikes such as these support Somali security
forces efforts to protect the Somali people from terrorism and support
long-term security in the region. At this time, it is assessed the
airstrike killed one (1) terrorist who played a key role in
facilitation for the group. 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. U.S. Africa Command will continue to work with its partners
to transfer the responsibility for long-term security in Somalia
from AMISOM to the Federal Government of Somalia and its Member
States."
Africa
Bloomberg:
India Offers To Help Mozambique Fight Growing Terrorism
Threat
“India will co-operate with Mozambique to fight terrorism and
radicalization, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said during a visit to
the southeast African nation. Mozambique asked for help “to deal with
the growing menace” and Singh gave an assurance of assistance,
according to a statement on the Indian government’s website Monday.
The pledge comes after Islamic State announced its presence in
Mozambique in June, though India’s statement didn’t refer to any
specific group.”
North Korea
The
Wall Street Journal: U.S. Sanctions North Korean Over Illicit Trade,
Missile Program
“The Treasury Department imposed sanctions on a North Korean man on
Monday it accuses of evading trade restrictions and being an employee
of a government department that helped develop the nuclear-capable
missiles Pyongyang fired last week. The blacklisting of Kim Su Il—who
the U.S. says was employed by North Korea’s Munitions Industry
Department—follows U.S. condemnation of the test firings amid stalled
talks between Washington and Pyongyang. The U.S. is seeking nuclear
disarmament by North Korea. The Treasury Department said Mr. Kim—also
a member of the sanctioned Workers’ Party of Korea—is running an
illicit import-export business out of Vietnam that trades North Korean
coal and other goods. Those operations raise much-needed funds and
foreign currency for the regime in defiance of international sanctions
that have squeeze the country’s economy.”
United Kingdom
The
Telegraph: Met Launch Terror Investigation After Grenades And Firearm
Found In Suffolk Home
“The Metropolitan Police has launched a terrorism investigation
after grenades, a fake gun and various chemicals were found in a home
in Suffolk. A 59-year-old man was arrested first on suspicion of
possession of a firearm, and then on suspicion of the commission,
preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism. Police raided a
terraced house in Lowestoft early on Sunday afternoon. Two inert
military grenades and an imitation gun were found, along with various
chemicals that led Suffolk Police to call in counter-terrorism
investigators from the Metropolitan Police. A 100-metre cordon was
initially put in place and three neighbouring properties in
Normanhurst Close evacuated as the inquiry continued. A smaller cordon
is still in place, and the man is in custody at a Suffolk police
station. Detective Chief Superintendent Alexis Boon, from the Met
Police Counter Terrorism Command, said: “After a pre-planned operation
by Suffolk Constabulary in which officers arrested a man, the Met
Police Counter Terrorism Command is now leading this investigation,
working closely with police in Suffolk. “Suffolk Constabulary acted
quickly to make the area safe, including erecting a cordon around the
address as a precautionary measure while inquiries are ongoing,
however we have found nothing to suggest an ongoing threat to the
public.”
The
Guardian: Britain's Youngest Terrorist's Identity To Remain
Secret
“The identity of Britain’s youngest terrorist, who plotted to
murder police officers in Australia, will remain a secret for the rest
of his life following a high court ruling. The teenager, from
Blackburn, Lancashire, who can be identified only as RXG, sent
encrypted messages when he was 14 instructing an Australian jihadist
to launch attacks during a 2015 Anzac Day parade. Now 18, he was
jailed for life at Manchester crown court in October 2015 after he
admitted inciting terrorism overseas. A ban on identifying him made at
the time he was sentenced would normally expire upon his 18th
birthday, but Dame Victoria Sharp granted him lifelong anonymity in a
ruling delivered on Monday. The judge said that identifying him was
likely to cause him “serious harm” and it was therefore necessary to
take the rare step. Sitting with Mr Justice Nicklin, she said: “We are
satisfied that RXG’s case is an exceptional one. We acknowledge that
any prohibition on the identification of a defendant in a criminal
proceedings is a serious matter and represents a significant
interference with the open justice principle. Nevertheless, on the
evidence before us, in our judgment it is both necessary and
proportionate.” The judge said experts had concluded that identifying
RXG would “fundamentally undermine” his rehabilitation.”
The
Jerusalem Post: UK Forced To Disclose Audits Of Funds Used By Pa For
Terrorists’ Salaries
“The United Kingdom’s Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham has
ordered the Department for International Development (DFID) to
disclose audit reports of accounts into which British grant money was
transferred and allegedly used to pay salaries to convicted
Palestinian terrorists. The decision, signed on Friday by Jonathan
Slee, senior case officer for the Information Commissioner’s Office,
overturns a 2018 refusal by both the DFID and its internal reviewer to
disclose these reports, following a Freedom of Information request
made by UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) last year. The commissioner is
requiring that DFID provide UKLFI with a copy of the information
falling within the scope of its request within 35 days or face being
sent before the High Court. “The Commissioner has concluded that there
is a significant public interest in the disclosure of the
information,” Slee’s letter said.”
Yahoo
News: Britain Rules Out Seized Tanker Swap With Iran
“Britain on Monday ruled out swapping seized oil tankers with Iran
as a second UK warship arrived in the Gulf to conduct convoys that
have irritated Tehran. A sense of crisis in the world's busiest oil
shipping lane has been building up for weeks as Iran responds to US
President Donald Trump's "maximum pressure" campaign. The US economic
sanctions and stepped-up military presence are designed to force Iran
to renegotiate a landmark 2015 nuclear pact from which Trump pulled
out last year. Britain further outraged Iran by seizing one of its
tankers -- the Grace 1 -- on July 4 on suspicion of it carrying oil to
Syria in violation of EU sanctions. Iran vowed to retaliate and its
Revolutionary Guards stormed and detained the UK-flagged Stena Impero
and its 23 crew as they sailed through the Strait of Hormuz on July
20."
Germany
The
Washington Post: Germany Extradites Man Wanted Over Paris Attacks To
Belgium
“German authorities say they have extradited a Bosnian man to
Belgium, where he was sought in connection with the November 2015
terror attacks in Paris. News agency dpa reported that prosecutors in
the eastern town of Naumburg said the 39-year-old man was handed over
to Belgian authorities on Monday. He was arrested in June, and a court
rejected his objections to extradition. His name wasn’t released.
German prosecutors have said the man is suspected of being connected
to the Nov. 13, 2015 extremist attack that killed 130 people and was
wanted by Belgian authorities for alleged support of a terrorist
organization. They didn’t detail the nature of his suspected
involvement. During the Paris attacks, Islamic extremists with guns
and suicide bombs attacked the Bataclan music hall, a stadium, bars
and restaurants.”
China
The
Wall Street Journal: Why Russia And China Are Joining
Forces
“Russian and Chinese military aircraft probed South Korean and
Japanese air defenses last week, leading the South Koreans to fire
more than 300 warning shots before the intruders departed. This was
just the latest manifestation of a deepening alliance between Russia
and China. James Dobbins, Howard Shatz and Ali Wyne described the
emerging alignment in an April essay in the Diplomat. In 2016, Russia
displaced Saudi Arabia as China’s largest source of imported oil. In
2017, the two countries held their first joint naval exercise in the
Baltic Sea. In June 2018, Xi Jinping called Vladimir Putin “my best,
most intimate friend,” and later that year Chinese forces participated
in the largest military exercise on Russian soil since 1981. The
departing director of national intelligence, Dan Coats, says the two
Eurasian supergiants are as close as they were in the 1950s. From
Venezuela to Syria to Serbia, they are working to frustrate the West.
They are also increasingly cooperating in sub-Saharan Africa and have
found ways to reduce their competition in Central Asia."
Latin America
Reuters:
Venezuela Is Terrorist Sanctuary: Colombian President
“Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has turned his country into a
terrorist sanctuary and committed the grave error of protecting
guerrilla groups and drug traffickers, Colombian President Ivan Duque
said on Monday, as tensions between the neighboring countries
escalated once again. The comments came after Maduro said on Sunday
that two missing former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)
commanders sought by Colombian judicial authorities were “welcome in
Venezuela.” Tensions have worsened since Duque joined the United
States and most Latin American countries in recognizing Juan Guaido,
president of Venezuela’s opposition-controlled National Assembly, as
the country’s rightful leader, arguing that Maduro’s 2018 re-election
was illegitimate. ”What we are seeing is that not only has (Maduro)
harbored Colombian terrorists for many years, but he ratifies more and
more that Venezuela is a sanctuary for terrorists and drug
traffickers,” Duque said in Shanghai, China, where he is on an
official visit. Maduro said over the weekend that Seuxis Paucias
Hernandez and Luciano Marin, known respectively by their nom de
guerres Jesus Santrich and Ivan Marquez, were “leaders of peace.”
Technology
NBC
News: Instagram Account Connected To Gilroy Shooter Pushed Staple Of
White Supremacist Internet Forums
“An Instagram post connected to the 19-year-old who killed three
people at a food festival in Northern California points to literature
that is part of an ecosystem of white nationalist literature,
according to extremism researchers. On Sunday, police officers shot
and killed Santino William Legan at the Gilroy Garlic Festival in
Gilroy, California, after he opened fire at the event. Earlier the
same day, a post appeared on an Instagram page attributed to him
referring to a proto-fascist white supremacist manifesto by a
pseudonymous 19th-century author. NBC News has declined to identify
the literature by name in order to limit its spread. According to
extremism researchers, the manifesto is part of a collection of white
nationalist literature that’s been pirated and distributed for free on
far-right websites. The material is part of a yearslong recruiting
technique by white nationalists to target those vulnerable to their
message on forums frequently populated by teenagers. The book strongly
advocates combat, violence and death along racial lines, and is filled
with anti-Semitic rhetoric. It is a staple among neo-Nazis and white
supremacists on extremist sites such as 4chan’s /pol/ board, National
Vanguard, Stormfront and The Daily Stormer. Links to the PDF version
of the book have been posted hundreds of times on 4chan in the last
several years, including as recently as last month.”
The
Verge: Sites Could Be Liable For Helping Facebook Secretly Track Your
Web Browsing, Says EU Court
“The European Union’s top court says website owners could face
legal risk over Facebook’s ubiquitous “Like” buttons. The Court of
Justice of the European Union ruled today that site owners could be
held liable for transmitting data to Facebook without users’ consent —
which appears to be exactly what happens when users visit a site with
a Like button, whether or not they click it. The ruling doesn’t stop
Facebook, or other companies with similar widgets, from offering these
options. But sites must obtain consent from users before sending data
to Facebook, unless they can demonstrate a “legitimate interest” in
doing otherwise. Right now, data gets seemingly sent to Facebook as
the page loads — before users have a chance to opt out. So in the
future, sites might have to approach Like buttons differently.”
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