Eye on Extremism
January 13, 2020
The
Telegraph: Somali Terrorist Group, Al-Shabaab, Threatens To Attack Us
Targets Around The World
“The Somali terrorist outfit al-Shabaab has threatened to strike at
American targets around the world days after it mounted a deadly and
unprecedented attack on US forces stationed in Kenya. Emboldened by
the unexpected success of last Sunday’s assault on a military base in
northern Kenya’s Manda Bay region, the jihadist group, a franchise of
al-Qaeda, promised “further bloodshed” against American soldiers and
civilians alike. The attack, which exposed a troubling lack of
security, leaves the Trump administration struggling to deal with a
significant and growing military challenge at a time when it is
already preoccupied by its face-off with Iran. The US Army’s Africa
Command (AFRICOM) has scrambled to respond to the attack, sending
combat-ready reinforcements from the 101st Airborne Division to
northern Kenya and stepping up airstrikes against al-Shabaab in
neighbouring Somalia. But it has yet to explain how a lightly-armed
detachment of Islamist fighters, probably numbering no more than 15,
managed to cross into Kenya, advance unspotted on foot across 50 miles
of bush before killing three Americans and wrecking six hi-tech
surveillance aircraft.”
The
Washington Post: U.S. Plans Expulsions Of At Least A Dozen Saudi
Military Students Whose Colleague Killed Three At Pensacola Naval
Base
“At least a dozen Saudi military trainees in the United States
could be sent back to their home country after an FBI investigation
found connections to extremist rhetoric, possession of child
pornography, and a failure by a small number of people to report
alarming behavior by the gunman who killed three people last month at
a Pensacola, Fla., military base, according to people familiar with
the matter. Federal law enforcement and military officials are
preparing to announce developments in the case in a matter of days.
The FBI has been treating the shooting as a terrorist incident,
particularly after discovering an anti-American screed posted by the
gunman just before the December shooting, according to the people
familiar with the matter. They spoke on the condition of anonymity
because they were not authorized to publicly discuss decisions by
government officials. Several of the Saudis were found to possess
child pornography, while others were found to have been a part of a
social media conversation that included alarming support for
extremism, according to one of the people familiar with the matter. A
spokeswoman for the Justice Department and a spokeswoman for the FBI
declined to comment. The planned expulsions of the Saudi trainees were
first reported by CNN.”
United States
Los
Angeles Times: To This Man, Islamic State’s Ideology ‘Just Made
Sense.’ Now, He Rejects Extremism
“On a rainy morning, Imran Rabbani returned to the Essex County
Juvenile Detention Center so he could reunite with his former keepers.
Four years before, Rabbani had arrived at the facility in shackles
after being swept up in an Islamic State-inspired plot to set off a
pressure-cooker bomb in New York. He was 17. Now, just starting his
third semester at New York University, the 22-year-old Rabbani wanted
to give thanks to the people who guided him away from Islamist
extremism. As he waited in the library last summer, glancing at books
that had proved crucial to his transformation, the room slowly filled
with city officials, staff and guards. Rabbani spotted Capt. Robert
Woodson and leaned in for a hug. After they embraced, Rabbani began
sharing memories. The room quickly fell silent as people fixed their
eyes on the pair. “Remember how you’d allow me and other inmates to
eat snacks while we watched ‘The Wire’ inside the library? And that
other time you allowed me to pray in private and then call my mom?”
Rabbani asked. “I remember,” Woodson replied. “You and the other
inmates were like my children. I love all of you.” Rabbani placed his
hand on Woodson’s shoulder as tears fell down both their faces.”
Boston
Globe: Modeling Terrorist Organizations As Business
Startups
“Business startups are sparked by a creative solution to a problem,
but only a rare few will become spectacularly successful, while many
others flame out. It turns out terrorist organizations follow a
similar pattern. In a new study published in the Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences, Brian Uzzi and his team at the Kellogg
School of Business at Northwestern University present a method to
predict which incipient terror organizations are likely to turn
dangerously lethal by conceptualizing them as business startups.
Business analysts have developed tools to evaluate startups and try to
predict their future returns. Usually, analysts look at a company’s
balance sheet, evaluating the startup’s capabilities and resources.
Businesses with a lot of resources plan the deployment of those
resources carefully. The converse is also true: Businesses that deploy
their products in a haphazard manner typically have unstable
resources.”
The
Jerusalem Post: It’s Time To Call Violent Antisemitism What It Is:
Domestic Terrorism
“The end of 2019 should have been a time of joy for Jewish
Americans celebrating Hanukkah and ushering in a new decade. Instead,
Hanukkah was marred by numerous acts of violence and other forms of
antisemitism, leaving Jews questioning how it’s possible that, in
2020, we’re less safe today than ever before in America. As American
Jews grapple with how to combat rising hatred and bigotry, one thing
is clear: The perpetrators of antisemitic violence must be brought to
justice, and our government should ensure not only that they are
apprehended and punished, but that we prevent and deter future
attacks. Even in this era of partisan polarization, one would hope and
expect that our elected officials could agree on the necessity of
fighting the scourge of antisemitism and other forms of bigotry with
meaningful legal action. This must be a multi-pronged effort, both
short and long-term, that includes ensuring that the perpetrators of
domestic terrorism are punished as terrorists. Recently, New York
Governor Andrew Cuomo accurately described the antisemitic knife
attack in Monsey, New York as an act of “domestic
terrorism.”
Syria
The
Washington Post: Is ISIS Defeated Or A Danger? Trump Delivered Mixed
Message With Iran Speech.
“In his speech this past week after the Iranian missile strikes
against U.S. targets in Iraq, President Trump offered his version of
the adage that the enemy of my enemy is my friend. The Islamic State
“is a natural enemy of Iran,” the president said Wednesday at the
White House. “The destruction of ISIS is good for Iran. And we should
work together on this and other shared priorities.” Trump’s remarks
appeared to help tamp down tensions that had skyrocketed after the
U.S. strike that killed Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s
elite Quds Force, last week in Baghdad. But security officials and
analysts say Trump may have sent a mixed message: In the same speech,
the president spoke about Iran’s “destructive and destabilizing
behavior in the Middle East and beyond,” calling the country “the
leading sponsor of terrorism.” “We don’t understand what President
Trump really wants,” said a European official, who like others
interviewed for this report spoke on the condition of anonymity due to
persistent sensitivities over the United States’ handling of the Iran
crisis. “Is he going to confront Iran’s meddling in the Middle East
and push back on the al-Quds Force’s power? Does he want to prevent
that the U.S. would have to carry a larger burden in the Middle East
again?”
The
Washington Post: The World Must Do Something About The Children Of
ISIS Fighters
“Among the many still-festering issues in the Middle East that may
be worsened or neglected as a result of the rise in U.S.-Iran tension,
none is more poignant than the plight of thousands of small children
from outside the region who are languishing in camps across
northeastern Syria. They are sons and daughters of foreign Islamic
State fighters, and there were approximately 8,000 of them as of
December 2019, according to United Nations data. They have been
gathered — usually with their mothers but often unaccompanied — in
these squalid tent cities, the largest of which, al-Hol, contains more
than 68,000 people, since the last Islamic State strongholds in Syria
fell to U.S.-backed Kurdish forces roughly a year ago. Both
humanitarian values and security considerations require that their
home governments in Europe and elsewhere find new, safe places for
them to live as soon as possible. Admittedly, it is a very difficult
problem, an especially cruel variant of the wider unresolved matter of
what to do about the thousands of left-behind foreign Islamic State
fighters whose native countries are reluctant to take them back, out
of an understandable fear that they would return to terrorism. Yet
half of the children living in three northern Syrian camps are under
the age of 5, according to the United Nations; 80 percent are under
12.”
The
New York Times: Russian-Led Air Strikes Suspended In Idlib After
Ceasefire: Residents
“Russia and its allies halted air strikes in Syria's Idlib region
on Sunday as a ceasefire agreed with Turkey came into force,
residents, rebels and respondents said, although few were optimistic
the truce would hold. Hundreds of thousands of people have fled Idlib
province in recent weeks as Russian jets and Syrian artillery pounded
towns and villages in a renewed government assault aimed at clearing
the opposition from its last bastion in the northwest of the country.
Turkey’s defense ministry said it was closely following ceasefire
agreements in Idlib on Sunday, adding that the situation was calm
“except for one or two separate incidents”. Turkey, which for years
has backed Syrian rebels fighting to oust President Bashar al-Assad,
said on Friday it had agreed the ceasefire with Russia to stem the
flow of tens of thousands of civilians uprooted by the violence. The
latest offensive had brought the Russian-led military campaign closer
to heavily crowded parts of Idlib province, where nearly three million
people are trapped, the vast majority women and children, according to
the United Nations.”
Iran
New
York Post: Fliers Recruiting Suicide Terrorists To Attack US
Distributed In Iran
“Students at Iran’s Islamic Azad University are being offered a
novel new career choice — suicide terrorist. Leaflets are being
distributed at the influential school urging students to sign up for
Jihad missions against the United States and Israel to avenge the
death of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani. “Registration for
volunteers to commit a suicide attack against the United States and
Israel,” it blares. “Hard revenge is underway for those criminals who
killed Qassem Soleimani.” The flyer, claiming to quote the words of
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, carries additional
messages of encouragement, including “kill all infidels.” Anyone
looking to volunteer for the mission is asked to leave their first and
last name, birth certificate number, education level, current
occupation, phone number and fill in an area marked “tell us about
your talents.” News of the jihadist search was reported by Iranian
media. The flyer was republished in full on the website of the Iranian
news agency Etedaal, and other Iranian news sources.”
Reuters:
Hezbollah: It's Time For Iran's Allies To Start Working To Avenge
Soleimani
“Lebanon's Hezbollah said on Sunday it was time for Iran's allies
to begin working to retaliate for the killing of Major General Qassem
Soleimani though it would be a “long path” to the goal of ejecting
U.S. forces from the region. Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah also denied the
Iranian general had been planning to blow up U.S. embassies. U.S.
President Donald Trump said he had been killed after he landed in
Baghdad in part because “they were looking to blow up our embassy”.
Hezbollah, a heavily armed group designated as a terrorist
organisation by the United States, was established in 1982 by Iran's
Revolutionary Guards and is an important part of a regional Tehran-led
alliance known as “the axis of resistance”. Iran responded for
Soleimani's killing by launching missiles at two military bases in
Iraq that house U.S. forces on Wednesday. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali
Khamenei called it a “slap on the face” of the United States and said
U.S. troops should leave the region. Though the region remains tense,
both sides have backed off from intensifying the conflict since the
Iranian attack. Nasrallah said last week that Iran's allies, which
include the Syrian government and numerous paramilitary groups set up
with Iranian support in Iraq and Syria, should help exact revenge for
Soleimani's killing.”
Washington
Examiner: Trump Prioritizes Fight Against Iran-Backed Narcoterrorist
Network Obama Neglected: DEA
Official
“The Trump administration is prioritizing the threat posed by
Hezbollah and the rest of Iran’s terrorist proxy network in ways
President Barack Obama's administration never did, said the DEA’s top
narcoterrorism agent. John Fernandez, the assistant special agent in
charge of the Special Operations Division's Counter-Narcoterrorism
Operations Center, told the Washington Examiner it was clear Trump had
a stronger approach to combating and dismantling Iranian-backed
terrorist operations, especially those of the Lebanese Hezbollah, and
said that was good for the country’s safety. “I think it’s safe to say
that under the previous administration it was not prioritized as the
threat that President Trump has prioritized it as,” said Fernandez,
who has been with the agency for decades, including during the Obama
administration. “And President Trump’s approach on it has been on a
comprehensive scale, hitting it from every resource and every tool and
every authority that the U.S. government has — not just military, not
just intelligence community, but law enforcement as well.”
The
Telegraph: Revealed: How Iran Tried To Set Up Terror Cells In Central
Africa
“The rebel from central Africa touched down on Kish Island, an
Iranian resort in the Persian Gulf, and left the following day. His
stopover was brief but had opened up a new front in the escalating
crisis between Iran and the West. Ismael Djidah was a well-connected
middleman whose associates included some of the most notorious
insurgents, mercenaries and arms smugglers from the war-torn
borderlands of Chad, Sudan and the Central African Republic (CAR).
Now, among Kish Island’s glistening shopping malls and white sand
beaches on December 11th 2016, Djidah was embarking on a new mission -
helping to spread Iran's tentacles into Africa. According to UN
investigators, security officials and diplomatic sources — as well as
Djidah’s own testimony — he was planning to set up terrorist cells in
Africa under the direction of Iran’s elite Quds Force, commanded by
Qassem Suleimani who was assassinated in a US drone strike a little
over a week ago. Kish Island appears to be where the plan...”
Iraq
Kurdistan
24: ISIS Still 'Threat To The Kurdistan Region, Iraq, And The Whole
World:' Peshmerga Official
“A top official of the Kurdistan Region's Peshmerga forces warned
that the Islamic State remains an immediate threat to domestic and
international security, adding that the group had killed, injured, or
kidnapped more than one thousand people in Iraq over the past year
alone. “ISIS is still standing and posing a threat to the Kurdistan
Region, Iraq, and the whole world,” Jabar Yawar, Secretary General of
the Ministry of Peshmerga, told reporters in Erbil on Saturday.
Yawar's statement comes after the Iraqi Parliament, in response to the
US killing of top Iranian general Qasim Soleimani, voted on a
resolution to expel all “foreign” forces from Iraqi territory.
Notably, the only parties participating in the session were from camps
opposed to the American presence in the country. The vote was not
attended by Kurdish lawmakers, who have said that the US-led Coalition
is crucial in the continued fight against the Islamic State, nor most
Sunni representatives. Yawar continued, “In 2018, according to a
survey we conducted, ISIS carried out 456 terrorist operations in
which 1,742 people were killed, wounded, or kidnapped.” According to
these numbers, he explained, the extremist organization has more than
doubled the casualties caused by its operations in 2019, adding up to
a total of 1,058.”
Turkey
Daily
Sabah: Turkey Gradually Erasing Terrorism Threat, Interior Minister
Says Only 500 PKK Terrorists Left At Most
“Turkey is pursuing its fight against terrorism at full steam, with
only 500 PKK terrorists left at the most in the group's mountain
bases, Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu stated Saturday. “They [PKK]
have 500 men at the utmost left in the mountains. They can neither
find food, nor recruits. The mothers and fathers in Diyarbakır are
also at their throat. We will leave a Turkey free of terrorism to the
future generation,” Soylu said at the opening ceremony of a ski center
on Mount Ilgaz. Soylu stated that following the launch of Operation
Kapan-1 in Mardin province two days ago, that Saturday would mark the
launch of Operation Kapan-2 in Hatay's Amanos. Kapan-2 was launched to
eliminate terrorists in the country's south, with a total of 623
security personnel, including gendarmerie and police forces, taking
part in the operation. So far, a three-room shelter and three depots
have been identified while an improvised explosive device (IED) and a
large number of daily use items belonging to the terrorist YPG/PKK
have been destroyed. Turkey launched Operation Kapan in the
southeastern province of Mardin as a follow-up of Operation Kiran,
which targeted YPG/PKK terrorists in the region in a surge of
operations ramping up the country's fight to combat
terror.”
Afghanistan
The
Washington Post: Two American Service Members Killed In
Taliban-Claimed Attack
“A roadside bomb attack in Kandahar province has left two American
service members dead and two wounded, the U.S. military command in
Kabul said in a statement Saturday. The Taliban claimed responsibility
for the attack through a post on Twitter. The attack comes as formal
peace talks between U.S. and Taliban negotiators are stalled, with
U.S. negotiators demanding a reduction in violence before a deal can
be signed. In December, the U.S. special representative for
Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, announced a “brief pause” in
negotiations after the Taliban launched a complex attack on the highly
fortified Bagram air base. Since then formal talks have been on hold,
but some negotiations have occurred on the sidelines. Ataullah Ata, a
member of the Kandahar provincial council, said the attack occurred in
the Dand district and destroyed the American vehicle. Ata said U.S.
forces based at Kandahar air base regularly patrol nearby villages,
including in the Dand district. He said the scene of Saturday’s attack
had been cordoned off by American forces, and no more details were
available.”
Xinhua:
18 Afghan Militants Killed In Northern Takhar
Province
“Afghan forces, during a cleanup operation, have killed at least 18
Taliban militants in the country's northern province of Takhar, Pamir
Army Corps 217 said in a statement released here Saturday. The
operation, backed by military planes, was conducted for the last two
days in the troubled Darqad district of the province, resulting in the
death of at least 18 Taliban fighters and injury of 11 others, the
statement said. The government forces also cleared Norkhil village of
the insurgents and destroyed three of their hideouts, during the
mop-up, said the statement. Taliban militants who in control of parts
of the restive Darqad district haven't commented.”
Axios:
Trump May Reduce Troops In Afghanistan Without Taliban
Deal
“White House national security adviser Robert O'Brien told Axios in
an exclusive interview that “it is possible” Trump will cut a deal
with the Taliban this year but that even if a deal can't be struck,
the president is still poised to reduce troops in Afghanistan. Driving
the news: “We're back in a situation where we're in talks with the
Taliban,” O'Brien said. “The Afghan forces are doing better, and I
think we'll be in a position at some point soon, whether it's with a
deal or without a deal, to reduce our military footprint in
Afghanistan.” Behind the scenes: Trump has long said he wants to pull
American troops out of Afghanistan. A source close to the president
told Axios Trump views this as one of his biggest unmet promises. The
source worries Trump would order a major drawdown before the 2020
election. Asked whether he thought Trump would strike a deal with the
Taliban before the election, O'Brien said, “I don't judge things based
on when the election's going to take place, but I think it is possible
that there'll be a deal this year.” “We're working on it. But it has
to be a good deal.”
Pakistan
Reuters:
Death Toll In Pakistan Mosque Bombing Claimed By Islamic State Rises
To 15
“The death toll from the bombing of a mosque in the southwestern
Pakistani city of Quetta rose to 15 on Saturday, officials said, in an
escalation of militant violence. An improvised explosive device ripped
through the mosque during Friday evening prayers, killing 13 people
and wounding more than 20, police said. Islamic State claimed
responsibility for the bombing, which it said targeted an Afghan
Taliban seminary. Mineral and gas-rich Balochistan, of which Quetta is
the capital, is at the centre of the $60 billion China-Pakistan
Economic Corridor, part of China’s Belt and Road project. But violence
in the province has fuelled concerns about the security of projects
such as a planned energy link from western China to Pakistan’s
southern port of Gwadar. Friday’s attack was the second in the city
this week, while police said they had foiled another by killing a
suicide attacker Rawalpindi city near Islamabad after he shot and
killed two policemen. “Two of the wounded people died overnight in the
hospital,” said provincial home minister Zia Langove, adding that six
people were still in a critical condition. The Taliban denied in a
statement that some of its members, including a top commander, were
killed.”
The
New York Times: Senior Police Officer Arrested In Kashmir On Suspicion
Of Aiding Militants
“A senior police officer has been arrested in Indian Kashmir and
accused of aiding militants after he was found driving two suspected
insurgents toward Jammu, Kashmir's chief of police told reporters on
Sunday. The Muslim-majority Kashmir valley, claimed by both India and
Pakistan, has been in turmoil since New Delhi announced in August that
it would strip the territory of its long-held autonomy and statehood.
Arguing that special provisions for the region had hindered its
development and fueled separatism, Indian Prime Minister Narendra
Modi's government separated the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir
into two federally-controlled territories at the end of October. The
police officer, Divinder Singh, was arrested on Saturday along with
two suspected militants, police chief Vijay Kumar said. He named one
of those Singh was arrested with as Naveed Mushtaq. Police officers
have said previously they believe Mushtaq was involved in the killing
of 11 apple traders, drivers and laborers last year. “We have
registered a case against (Singh) under the arms, explosives and
unlawful activities acts,” Kumar said. “It is a sensitive case and we
don't want any loopholes,” he added, saying that Singh would be
treated as a militant and jointly interrogated by all the intelligence
agencies.”
Yemen
Asharq
Al-Awsat: Yemenis Say Houthis Outdo ISIS In Violating Media
Freedom
“Iranian-backed coup militias ratcheted up violations and crimes
against various media outlets and journalists in the Yemeni capital,
Sanaa, and the rest of the cities under their control. As a result,
Yemenis came to say that the group topped violations against freedom
commited by the terrorist ISIS organization. Local reports discussed a
number of violations against journalists and activists, as well as
local media, ranging between killing, injuring, arrest, forced
disappearance, torture, referral to courts, and confiscation of
property. The Media Freedoms Observatory (MFO) in Yemen issued its
annual report for 2019 indicating that it recorded 143 violations
against media freedoms in Yemen during the past year, including two
cases of murder. The Observatory stated in its report nine cases of
injury, six kidnappings, 15 arrests, 30 assaults, 20 threats, one
suspension from work, 11 violations against media organizations, in
addition to 49 other cases. MFO indicated that Yemeni journalists are
working in a hostile environment, as a result of the increasing
systematic and oppressive practices against them. Houthi group topped
the list of perpetrators of violations against journalists in Yemen,
with 75 violations out of the total cases recorded during the past
year, according to the report.”
Lebanon
ABC
News: Hezbollah Says Payback For US Strike Has Just
Begun
“The leader of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah said Sunday
that Iran's missile attacks on two bases in Iraq housing U.S. forces
was only the start of the retaliation for America's killing a top
Iranian general in a drone strike. Hassan Nasrallah described Iran's
ballistic missile response as a “slap” to Washington, one that sent a
message. The limited strikes caused no casualties and appeared to be
mainly a show of force. The leader of Hezbollah, which is closely
aligned with Iran, said the strikes were the “first step down a long
path” that will ensure U.S. troops withdraw from the region. “The
Americans must remove their bases, soldiers and officers and ships
from our region. The alternative ... to leaving vertically is leaving
horizontally. This is a decisive and firm decision,” Nasrallah said.
“We are speaking about the start of a phase, about a new battle, about
a new era in the region,” he added. His 90-minute televised speech
marked one week since the killing of Iran's Gen. Qassim Soleimani.
Nasrallah praised Soleimani for his steadfast support for Hezbollah.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard has provided training for Hezbollah, which
fought in the war in Syria alongside Iran-backed militias that
Soleimani directed.”
Nigeria
All
Africa: Nigeria: Troops Clear Boko Haram Enclaves, Rescue Captives In
Borno
“The Nigerian Army says its troops have cleared Boko Haram
terrorists' hideouts and rescued five captives including an
octogenarian, three women and a minor across Borno state in the past
few days. The Nigerian Army Operations Media Coordinator, Col. Aminu
Iliyasu, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday in Abuja. Iliyasu
disclosed that troops of 121 Battalion deployed at Pulka in Gwoza
Local Government Area, captured and destroyed the terrorists' hideout
at Zeledva Hills along Pulka - Bokko - Ngoshe Road on Wednesday. More
elements of the Boko Haram/ISWAP insurgents, bandits and other
criminal elements have either been neutralised or arrested at their
hideouts across the country and more of their abductees have been
freed. “On 7 Jan for instance, troops of 121 Battalion deployed at
Pulka in Gwoza LGA of Borno State while on 'Operation RUFE KOFA'
cleared and destroyed Boko Haram criminals' hideouts at Zeledva Hills
along Pulka - Bokko - Ngoshe Road in the same LGA.” He added that the
combined troops of 192 Battalion deployed at Gwoza, Theatre Strike
Force (TSF) and Cameroonian Defence Force in conjunction with Civilian
Joint Task Force and Local Hunters ascended the Ungwan-Gara-Kwatara
mountain enclave of the terrorists.”
Africa
The
Washington Post: Al-Shabab Militants Kill 3 Teachers In Kenya, Abduct
1
“Al-Shabab extremists killed three people in an attack in eastern
Kenya, police said Monday. The militants from neighboring Somalia
attacked Kamuthe center in Garissa county, setting fire to a police
post and attempting to destroy a telecommunication mast, police said
in a report seen by The Associated Press. Three non-Muslim teachers
were killed and one teacher was abducted, the report said. They spared
the life of a female nurse due to her gender, it added. Al-Shabab has
vowed retribution on Kenya for its troops being present in Somalia
since 2011 to fight the militants. The group has carried out numerous
attacks on Kenya, killing hundreds.Earlier this month, the
al-Qaida-linked group attacked a military base used by Kenyan and U.S.
forces, killing three Americans and destroying aircraft and other
machinery.”
All
Africa: Kenyan Police Foil Al-Shabab Attack In Northeast
Region
“Kenyan police said they repelled an attack by suspected al-Shabab
extremists on a police post in Mandera county in the northeast part of
Kenya. Jeremiah Kossoim, Mandera county police commander, said an
unknown number of militants stormed the post at 12: 40 p.m. on
Saturday in the Olla area and started firing at the local police post.
Then they went to the nearest mast and sprayed it with bullets.
Kossoim said no police officer or civilian from the Kenyan side was
injured during the shootout which lasted for some 20 minutes.He said
the militants' efforts to destroy the mast were immediately thwarted
after security officers immediately engaged them “I want to confirm
that there was an attempted attack by the militants that flopped. All
our officers have been accounted for with casualties coming from them
since there were traces of blood going towards their escape route to
Somalia,” Kossoim said. Kossiom said security officers were currently
combing the area in a bid to pursue the militants who are believed to
have escaped towards the border. “We are using the local chief and
elders to pursue the militants. We are optimistic about finding them
before they cross over to Somalia,” he said. Kossiom urged locals to
volunteer information that will assist tackle the al-Shabab menace in
the region, noting that they have an important role to play.”
United Kingdom
The
Telegraph: 'Terror Text Alerts' Are Needed Amid Rise In Iran Tensions,
Government Warned
“Britain must swiftly adopt a public warning system against nuclear
attack in the wake of increased tensions with Iran, ministers have
been told. The government has been urged to introduce US-style
technology that could send millions of mobile phone alerts in the
event of an incoming nuclear missile or radioactive ‘dirty bomb’. Lord
Toby Harris, who sits on the national security strategy committee,
said recent tensions in the Middle East showed that the system was
long overdue in this country. “I think the likelihood of Iran
launching a nuclear attack on Britain any time soon is extremely
remote,” he told the Telegraph. “But we know there is a risk of
nuclear material or other harmful materials falling into the hands of
terrorist groups, some of whom are backed by Iran....”
Sky
News: Extinction Rebellion Listed As 'Extremist' By Anti-Terror
Police
“Extinction Rebellion has defended its activists after police
included the group on a list of extremist ideologies in a
counter-terrorism report. Guidance drawn up by Counter Terror Police
South East (CTPSE) listed the environmental protest group alongside
organisations such as National Action, and Islamic extremists,
according to documents seen by The Guardian. Extinction Rebellion
branded the label a “terrorism slur” and a “deliberate attempt to
silence” its activists. The 12-page “safeguarding young people and
adults from ideological extremism” document, issued to teachers and
police officers, among others, has reportedly been recalled. The
document says Extinction Rebellion is a threat due to its
“anti-establishment philosophy”. It also warns that expressions of
support could include “people speaking in strong or emotive terms
about environmental issues like climate change, ecology, fracking,
airport expansion or pollution”. Extinction Rebellion said: “How dare
they? Children up and down the country are desperately fighting for a
future. “Teachers, grandparents, nurses have been trying their best
with loving nonviolence to get politicians and big business to do
something about the dire state of our planet.”
Forbes:
Here’s Why Young People Are Attracted To
Terrorism
“On Tuesday, a 17-year old boy was convicted of planning a
terrorist attack in the United Kingdom. Police found documents
containing a plan to commit arson against synagogues, as well as
far-right literature, in his bedroom. He was sentenced to six years
and eight months in custody. Over the years, I have studied why young
people voluntarily join terrorist organisations, or become committed
to a violent extremist ideology. These cases are very different from
youth who are abducted in areas of conflict, in refugee camps or other
areas. It is clear that a greater sense of agency and intent, as well
forethought and research, goes into decisions made by teenagers who
choose to commit crimes such as joining or assisting a terrorist
group. Similar to gangs, it is children themselves who operate in
groups and encourage each other, often providing material support and
logistical planning among themselves. Unlike the far right offender on
Tuesday, youths who have been prosecuted for Islamist related offences
tend to be part of larger networks, rather than operating as lone
actors. Three case examples come to mind.”
Europe
The
National: Man Convicted Of Joining ISIS Says He Was A Spy For Danish
Intelligence
“A Danish man who is serving eight years in a Spanish jail for
joining ISIS in Syria has claimed he was actually working for
Denmark’s intelligence services. Ahmed Samsam, 30, travelled to Syria
“several” times under the direction of Denmark’s Police Intelligence
Service and Defence Intelligence Service, Danish newspaper Berlingske
reported. He says that only once, in 2012, did he go to Syria on his
own initiative. Citing several sources with knowledge of the case,
Berlingske confirmed Samsam was recruited by Danish intelligence in
December 2012 and was sent to Syria in February 2013. “I wanted to
help prevent a terrorist attack in Denmark. I have a family that uses
public transport, which is at high risk of being hit by terror,” he
said as he explained his decision from a Spanish jail. He received up
to 20,000 Kroner (Dh10,932) a month and military training for his
work, which ended in late 2015. Samsam says Danish authorities
promised him he would never be punished for his travel to Syria. His
subsequent conviction has angered some in Denmark who say they are
angry Spain was not told immediately about Samsam’s
work.”
Southeast Asia
The
Straits Times: Trial Begins For First Singaporean Charged With
Terrorism Financing
“The first Singaporean to be charged with terror financing admitted
in his trial on Monday (Jan 13) that he had transferred funds overseas
to support the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Former
logistics professional Imran Kassim, 35, was charged with transferring
$450 through remittance company Western Union to Mohamad Alsaied
Alhmidan in Turkey for his publication of ISIS propaganda. “I do admit
to making the transfer, and I did it to benefit the Islamic State,” he
said, using another common name for ISIS. On an official website, the
US government lists the recipient Mohamad Alsaied as a specially
designated national, and says that he is linked to ISIS. Under the
Terrorism (Suppression of Financing) Act, introduced in 2002 to
counter terrorism financing here, anyone convicted of the offence of
providing property and services for terrorist purposes may face prison
time of not more than 10 years or a fine not exceeding $500,000, or
face both penalties. Imran, who was brought into court handcuffed and
blindfolded and was ushered in by four men, is representing himself.
The court heard that he was previously represented by a law firm,
which has since discharged itself.”
Latin America
The
Wall Street Journal: Soleimani’s Latin America Terror
“The death of Iranian Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani is a blow to the
theocracy’s efforts to assert its power across the Middle East. By
taking out Soleimani, President Trump also did Latin America a big
favor. As if to make the point, Cuba’s military dictatorship quickly
condemned the U.S. action. The dead general was also mourned by the
drug-trafficking terrorist group Revolutionary Armed Forces of
Colombia, members of the Venezuelan dictatorship, and Iranian proxy
networks in Brazil, Peru, Argentina, El Salvador and Mexico. A hero of
hemispheric criminality has been lost, and the gangsters are sad. They
may also be worried. It has been a mistake to let Iran’s incursions
into the region during the last two decades go unanswered. If the end
of Soleimani is the beginning of a more muscular U.S. policy toward
Tehran, it’s good news for Latin America. Iran plays the long game in
its effort to undermine U.S. leadership and expand its influence
around the world. In the Western Hemisphere, the regime’s Ministry of
Intelligence has taken the lead by establishing “cultural centers” in
many urban areas, from which it can spread propaganda, proselytize,
radicalize converts and recruit locals as spies.”
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