Eye on Extremism
January 15, 2020
Bloomberg:
The FBI Can Unlock Florida Terrorist’s Iphones Without
Apple
“The FBI is pressing Apple Inc. to help it break into a terrorist’s
iPhones, but the government can hack into the devices without the
technology giant, according to experts in cybersecurity and digital
forensics. Investigators can exploit a range of security
vulnerabilities -- available directly or through providers such as
Cellebrite and Grayshift -- to break into the phones, the security
experts said. Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, the perpetrator of a Dec. 6
terrorist attack at a Navy base in Florida, had an iPhone 5 and iPhone
7, models that were first released in 2012 and 2016, respectively.
Alshamrani died and the handsets were locked, leaving the FBI looking
for ways to hack into the devices. “A 5 and a 7? You can absolutely
get into that,” said Will Strafach, a well-known iPhone hacker who now
runs security company Guardian Firewall. “I wouldn’t call it child’s
play, but it’s not super difficult.” That counters the U.S.
government’s stance. Attorney General William Barr slammed Apple on
Monday, saying the company hasn’t done enough to help the FBI break
into the iPhones. “We are helping Apple all of the time on TRADE and
so many other issues, and yet they refuse to unlock phones used by
killers, drug dealers and other violent criminal elements,” President
Donald Trump wrote on Twitter Tuesday.”
The
New York Times: Plan To Cut U.S. Troops In West Africa Draws Criticism
From Europe
“A Pentagon proposal to greatly reduce American forces in West
Africa faced criticism from allies on Tuesday, with French officials
arguing that removing United States intelligence assets in the region
could stymie the fight against extremist groups. American officials
said they were proceeding nonetheless. While no final decision has
been made on how many troops will be transferred from Africa and the
Middle East as the Pentagon refocuses its priorities to confront
“great powers” like Russia and China, America’s top military officer
said the United States needed to shift its forces to better counter
China in particular. Gen. Mark A. Milley, the chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff, acknowledged that the proposal was “causing some
anxiety.” But he said that the United States needed to seriously
re-examine its military footprint in Africa, and the Middle East and
Latin America after that, given the heightened focus on China. General
Milley’s comments came ahead of a NATO military chiefs’ meeting in
Brussels, where he also sought to lay out the United States’ rationale
for killing Iran’s top military commander, Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani
this month.”
The
Telegraph: Government Considers New Law To Ban The Possession Of
Terrorist Propaganda
“A new law that would make it illegal to possess extremist
material, such as videos of Isil beheadings, is being considered by
the Government in the wake of 2017 London Bridge attacks, the Home
Secretary has confirmed. Khuram Butt, the ringleader of the atrocity,
was known to have viewed terrorist propaganda online before launching
the attack in which eight people were killed. But at the victims'
inquests last year, the Chief Coroner, expressed concern that gaps in
the legislation made it difficult to act against those possessing and
viewing such material. Mark Lucraft QC, recommended the introduction
of a new law that would ban material of the “most offensive and
shocking character”, putting it on a par with indecent images of
children. In her official response to the coroner's report, published
on Tuesday, Priti Patel said: “The Government accepts this
recommendation and is currently considering the necessity for a
further offence of possessing the most serious extremist material
which glorifies or encourages terrorism. “The Government notes the
Chief Coroner's comments regarding the evidence at the inquests, the
existence of the offence for a person in possession of a prohibited
image of a child, and the perception that the lack of a comparative
counter-terrorism offence may sometimes prevent counter terrorism
policing from taking disruptive action.”
United States
Vice:
FBI Arrests Suspect In Neo-Nazi Swatting Ring That Targeted
'Hundreds'
“In the summer of 2018, Andrea Rovenski was on the tail end of a
Spyro 2 speedrun when, unknown to her, a contingent of armed police
officers started organizing outside of her house in Maryland. Seeing
light reflections on her wall and hearing the muffled sound of someone
yelling into a megaphone, Rovenski, a streamer by the name
Cyberdemon531, looked outside, saw the authorities, and knew exactly
what was happening—she was being swatted. Someone had called 911
pretending to be Rovenski, claiming she had a hostage in the basement.
“I go outside and what I see is maybe five or six police cars and 10
to 15 riot cops,” Rovenski told VICE. “They all have assault rifles
and they‘re all pointed at me. You know, my arms are up and, you know,
it’s horrifying.” Rovenski, a transgender streamer who had been doxed
previously, was familiar with the idea of swatting—lying to
authorities about a dangerous situation in the hopes of getting
someone raided by armed officers—but her mother was not. After
Rovenski was tackled to the ground by police her mom came to the door
and was swarmed by the cops. Rovenski said police weren’t kind to her
mother’s disability, preventing her from getting on the ground easily
and manhandled her.”
Syria
CNN:
ISIS Carried Out Attacks On Iraq-Syria Border Posts After US Suspended
Operations
“ISIS has carried out two attacks on Iraqi border posts along the
border with Syria following the US decision to suspend counter-ISIS
missions in order to focus on protecting Iraqi bases and coalition
forces amid tensions with Iran, according to a US defense official and
Iraqi security officials. On Monday night, ISIS militants carried out
attacks on an Iraqi security border post near the Syrian border,
killing one officer and wounding four others. An ISIS militant was
also killed after Iraqi security forces clashed with them. ISIS used
light weapons to attack the border post about 45 kilometers north of
the al-Walid border crossing with Syria, Iraqi officials said. On
Sunday, a number of ISIS militants attempted to attack another
security post near the Syrian border but fled the scene after Iraqi
security forces fired back, the Iraqi security officials added.”ISIS
group is well known for exploiting the situation. We knew the group
will take advantage of current tension between America and Iran,”
Iraqi military Col. Shaker al-Raishawi said. Al-Raishawi and another
Iraqi security official told CNN from Anbar Province on Tuesday that
ISIS has increased its activity in the border area. The increased ISIS
activity comes follows the escalation of tensions between the US and
Iran that has led to the suspension of anti-ISIS operations.”
Reuters:
Russian Jets Resume Bombing Of Syria's Rebel-Held Northwest -
Residents
“Russian jets struck several rebel-held towns in northwest Syria’s
Idlib for the first time since a ceasefire agreed with Turkey came
into force two days ago, witnesses and rebels sources said. They said
the towns of Khan al Subl, Maasaran and several others in southern
Idlib province were targeted after a two-day lull in aerial strikes
against the last rebel bastion that had been pounded for over a month
in a renewed assault. “The Russian air strikes have shattered two days
of relative calm that gave people a small relief from daily raids,”
Mohamad Rashid, an activist, said. 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. Senior U.N. officials said this
month that the humanitarian situation had become more acute with at
least 300,000 civilians now on the run in Idlib province, adding to
the more than half a million people who fled earlier bouts of fighting
to the safety of camps near the Turkish border. The latest offensive
had brought the Russian-led military campaign closer to heavily
crowded parts of Idlib province, where nearly 3 million people are
trapped, the vast majority of whom are women and children, according
to the United Nations.”
Reuters:
Syrian Army Says Israeli Jets Attack Air Base In Homs
“The Syrian army said on Tuesday Israeli jets attacked the main T4
air base in Homs province, saying its air defences downed several
missiles in strikes that caused only material damage. An army
spokesman told state media that four Israeli missiles did reach the
base, but said air defences intercepted several others. State
television earlier did not say who was behind the attack on the major
air base, which Israel accuses of hosting an Iranian military presence
and has attacked several times in recent years. “The Israeli airforce
conducted new aerial aggression and immediately our air defences
confronted the enemy missiles,” an army statement said. The Syrian
army statement said the Israeli war jets flew from Tanf, to the
southeast, where the United States has set up a base near the
Iraqi-Jordanian border. Tanf lies on the strategic Damascus-Baghdad
highway, a major supply route for Iranian weapons into Syria. This
makes the base a xxxxxx against Iran and part of a larger U.S.
campaign against Iranian influence in Iraq and Syria. Israel has
repeatedly bombed Iranian backed militia targets in Syria, saying its
goal was to end Tehran’s military presence which Western intelligence
sources say has expanded in recent years in the war-torn country.”
Kurdistan
24: ISIS Attack On Syria-Iraq Border Wounds Four Guards, Iraqi
Military Says
“At least four security forces at a border checkpoint between Iraq
and Syria were wounded in an alleged Islamic State attack, the Iraqi
military said on Tuesday. Iraq’s Security Media Cell said in a
statement that “ISIS terrorist gangs carried out an attack on a point
belonging to the border guard forces north of the Al-Waleed port with
Syria.” “The terrorist attack resulted in the injury to an officer and
three members of the third regiment of the fourth brigade of the
Border Guard Forces command,” it added. Islamic State border attacks
occur despite tight security measures imposed by the Iraqi forces on
the border to prevent the infiltration of terrorist fighters from
neighboring Syria. Last week, Islamic State remnants launched an
attack 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.” The terrorist group also seems to be encouraged
by the escalating US-Iran tensions in the region as the Islamic State
continues to launch attacks and attempts to re-establish a foothold in
Iraq.”
Iran
The
New York Times: Why ISIS Is Delighted That Suleimani Is
Dead
“In 2016, Donald Trump, then a candidate for president, described
Barack Obama as the “founder of ISIS.” In the end, it may be Mr. Trump
who comes to be known not as the terrorist group’s founder, but as its
savior. The Islamic State has been weakened considerably since its
peak in 2015, when it controlled a territory the size of Britain, but
the Trump administration’s targeted killing of Maj. Gen. Qassim
Suleimani may have poised the group for a comeback. Just as the
misguided American invasion of Iraq in 2003 revitalized Al Qaeda, some
17 years later, a return to chaos in the same country may yet do the
same for the Islamic State. Granted, the White House was correct to
identify General Suleimani, the leader of Iran’s Quds Force, as an
enemy of the United States. Using the militia groups he cultivated and
controlled, he was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of coalition
soldiers in the late 2000s and early 2010s. But war in the Middle East
is nothing if not complex; General Suleimani’s proxies also indirectly
served American interests by fighting the Islamic State — to great
effect.”
The
Hill: Make No Mistake: Iran Remains A Powerful Threat To The
US
“Not long ago, Iranian terror mastermind Qassem Soleimani was
traveling around the Middle East with a sense of invincibility. And
for good reason. The years preceding his death gave Soleimani nearly
full impunity to kill Americans. Over-confidence in U.S. inaction cost
Iran its top general. In a career full of death and destruction,
Soleimani never will know that his last, fatal mistake was taking a
single American life — that of Nawres Hamid, an American patriot who
paid the ultimate sacrifice for our nation on Dec. 27. Hamid, an
American-Muslim of Iraqi descent, was based at K1 air base near
Kirkuk, Iraq. Kata’ib Hezbollah, the Iranian militia whose leader was
killed alongside Soleimani, launched a rocket attack on Hamid’s base.
At 33, Hamid left behind his wife and sons, ages 2 and 8, in
California. Until the U.S. drone strike on Soleimani, Iran believed
America was a paper tiger. Despite complaints and warnings from the
U.S. and our allies for years, Iran’s military and proxy forces acted
with increasing hostility and lethality. Under Soleimani’s direction
and influence, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its
proxies slaughtered thousands of civilians from Iraq to Afghanistan,
Lebanon, Israel, Yemen and even inside Iran.”
Iraq
Kurdistan
24: Iraqi Forces Arrest Prominent ISIS ‘Health Official’ South Of
Mosul: Interior Ministry
“Iraqi security forces arrested a “prominent terrorist” in southern
Mosul, the country’s Interior Ministry announced on Tuesday. The
operation took place in the Tal Abata district, south of the city of
Mosul, a statement from the Interior Ministry said. “A force from the
Nineveh Police Directorate, based on accurate information, was able to
arrest a terrorist known by the acronym FZE in the Tal Abata district,
south of Mosul city,” the statement read. According to the ministry,
the suspect was allegedly working in the so-called Islamic State’s
health bureau and was in charge of medicine and ammunition for the
terror group during its control of Mosul. Elsewhere on Tuesday, at
least four security forces at a border checkpoint between Iraq and
Syria were wounded in an alleged Islamic State attack, the Iraqi
military said. Iraq’s Security Media Cell said in a statement that
“ISIS terrorist gangs carried out an attack on a point belonging to
the border guard forces north of the Al-Waleed port with Syria.” The
Islamic State seems to be encouraged by US-Iran tensions in the region
as the terror group continues to launch attacks and attempts to
re-establish a foothold in Iraq.”
Yahoo
Finance: Could ISIS Take Control Over Iraq’s Largest Oil
Field?
“As always, it’s the fear of sanctions that provides the leverage
Trump seeks in this cat-and-mouse game with Iran. And this time, the
leverage is over Iraq, which would like to see both American and
Iranian forces out of the country, for obvious reasons. There is
nothing ISIS would love more than this. It would also devastate Iraq
because the sanctions threatened would include blocking access to
Iraq’s U.S.-based account where all the oil revenues are kept. That
threat stands if Iraq moves to kick U.S. forces out of the country.
That would mean victory for Iran (temporarily). Kicking out Iranian
forces is not nearly as simple because the line between state and
non-state actors is blurred, at best. A few weeks ago, a U.S. drawdown
of military forces in Iraq was already expected, but that now seems
unlikely because of the implications. The very military base that Iran
attacked following the assassination of General Soleimani was already
preparing for a drawdown. In addition to the threat of sanctions on
oil money, a U.S. withdrawal would likely open the door for an ISIS
return. There is no consensus on this question, other than the fact
that no one wants Iraq to be the proxy battleground between the United
States and Iran.”
Lebanon
Foreign
Affairs: Hezbollah Has Prepared For This Moment For
Decades
“What is just retribution?” So asked Hezbollah leader Hassan
Nasrallah in a speech on January 5, two days after the United States
killed Iranian Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani and Iraqi Popular
Mobilization Forces (PMF) commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in a drone
strike in Baghdad. With no American official “on par with Soleimani or
Muhandis,” in Nasrallah’s estimation, the answer was to retaliate
against “the American military presence in our region.” American
civilians shouldn’t be harmed, he said, but “the U.S. bases, the U.S.
warships, every American soldier and officer” in the Middle East would
all be fair game. Hezbollah is unlikely to pick a fight with the
United States by itself. The group has its own tensions with Israel to
worry about, and huge domestic protests jeopardize its political grip
on Lebanon. It also suffered heavy losses in Syria, where it fought
hand-in-glove with Iran to prop up President Bashar al-Assad. But not
wanting a war isn’t the same as being unwilling to fight one.
Hezbollah has been preparing for this day for decades, building up
military, terrorist, and cyber capabilities in Lebanon, the Middle
East, and around the world in order to strike back at the United
States and anyone else who might join a war against Iran and its
allies.”
Egypt
Washington
Examiner: US Ally Imprisons Christian Activist On Bogus Terrorism
Charges
“At midnight on Nov. 23, 2019, Egyptian state security broke into a
young Coptic activist’s home and arrested him without a warrant,
confiscating his phone, laptop, camera, and personal documents. They
interrogated him without a lawyer and reportedly tortured him on
suspicion of joining a terror group, receiving foreign funding,
funding a terrorist organization, broadcasting false information, and
using social media for the purpose of committing a crime. Today this
Coptic activist, Ramy Kamil, is under pretrial detention in Egypt's
Tora Prison. I first met Kamil in 2010 when I was part of an ambitious
new think tank founded to look at Egypt’s problems through the lens of
classical liberalism. Back when there was active civil society in
Egypt, young activists like Kamil and me would often meet to discuss
the best ways to advocate for Coptic rights in Egypt. The Coptic
community in Egypt is the largest Christian community in the Middle
East, making up around 5% to 10% of the total population of Egypt. But
as with most Christian communities in the region, Coptic numbers have
been on the decline.”
Libya
Bloomberg:
How Libya Became The Ultimate Proxy Conflict
“Once again, a U.S.-backed toppling of a longstanding dictator has
led to a power vacuum and widespread violence that’s been exploited by
a revolving door of militant groups. The scenario that unfolded in
Iraq after the 2003 U.S. invasion is replaying in Libya, where warring
factions are battling for control of the capital, Tripoli. The
conflict has killed more than 2,000 people, forced tens of thousands
to flee and opened up the oil-rich country to traffickers of African
migrants to Europe. It’s been a mess since NATO helped oust dictator
Moammar Qaddafi in 2011. The latest attempt to secure a negotiated end
to the war — by Russia and Turkey, which back opposing sides — failed
when military commander Khalifa Haftar left Moscow yesterday without
signing a deal. It comes at a delicate moment for mainly Muslim areas
of north and west Africa. Fighters allied to Islamic State and
al-Qaeda are moving through Libya to carry out attacks in a wide area.
French and UN forces have been unable to stem the tide. With
anti-French sentiment growing, President Emmanuel Macron yesterday
coaxed West African leaders into publicly backing his nation’s
intervention. But as long as the fighting in Libya continues,
militants there can use it as a staging post to spread violence across
ever greater swathes of Africa.”
Xinhua:
14 Pro-Turkey Syrian Militants Killed In Libya:
Monitor
“A total of 14 pro-Turkey Syrian rebels were killed during the
fighting in Libya, a war monitor reported on Tuesday. The Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights said that the bodies of 14 slain Syrian
militants arrived in Syria on Tuesday, it said. These fighters were
sent there to join the forces led by the UN-backed government to fight
against the eastern-based army led by Khalifa Haftar. The
Britain-based watchdog said 1,600 Turkey-backed Syrian rebels have so
far been sent from Syria through Turkey to Libya. The Turkey-backed
rebels opened four centers in the northern Syrian city of Afrin to
recruit fighters to be sent to Libya, it said.”
Nigeria
Daily
Post Nigeria: Boko Haram: Borno Village, Ngulde Under
Attack
“Reports reaching DAILY POST in Maiduguri, Borno State capital
revealed that Ngulde, a village in Biu local government area of Borno
state in the northeast Nigeria is currently under Boko Haram attack.
Locals, who fled to Biu and managed to call relatives in Maiduguri,
said the attackers came in several vehicles and were shooting
sporadically. This is coming barely 48 hours after the insurgents
attacked Gajiram in Nganzai local government area of Northern Borno,
killing 11 people and injuring 20 others. Those injured are currently
receiving treatment in Maiduguri.”
Premium
Times: Nigerien President Sacks Army Chief, Others
After Terrorist Attack On Military Base
“Nigerien President Issoufou Mahamadou fired the country’s top
security chiefs on Monday, in a move that sent a strong message to
citizens about his handling of recent security crisis in the country.
Mr Mahamodou ordered immediate replacement of the chief of army staff,
Ahmed Mohamed, days after terrorists killed 89 soldiers on January 9.
Local media initially reported preliminary military account as saying
25 soldiers and 63 terrorists were killed during the firefight at the
forward operating base near the border with Mali. The death toll was
later updated, putting military casualties at 89 while 77 terrorists
were killed. The attack in Chinagodrar, in the country’s southwest,
was the third targeting military asset in a month, leading to at least
160 deaths. At least 71 soldiers were reportedly killed in attacks on
December 10 and 25. Terrorists linked to Al-Qaeda and Islamic State
have ramped up attacks in the Sahel in recent months, targeting mainly
Niger and Burkina Faso. Mr Mohamed, a lieutenant-general who has
served as the country’s army chief for two years, was replaced by
Salifou Modi, a major-general, Nigerien media reported. The country’s
defence secretary and chief of land staff were also fired and
immediately replaced, reports said.”
Somalia
The
Washington Post: 2019 Saw Record U.S. Airstrikes In Somalia. Why Is
Al-Shabab Surging?
“Just as soon as the U.S. military closed out a year in which it
struck al-Shabab militants more times than ever — at a pace of just
over one airstrike per week — the Somali militant group carried out
its most brazen and successful attack on U.S. forces in its history,
killing one soldier and two private contractors, and destroying six
aircraft at an airstrip in Kenya. It was symbolic of the greater U.S.
effort against al-Shabab: Since the Trump administration loosened
rules of engagement in Somalia in March 2017, leading to a more
aggressive use of airstrikes, the group has staged nearly 900 attacks
on civilians alone, not counting hundreds more against U.S., Somali,
Kenyan and other armed forces. “The rate of al-Shabab’s attacks, at
least against civilians, is higher now than before,” said Hussein
Sheikh-Ali, a former national security adviser to the Somali president
who took part in discussions with Pentagon officials as they weighed
changing their rules of engagement in 2017. Nearly 2,000 Somali
civilians have probably been killed by al-Shabab since that change,
according to data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data
Project, or ACLED, a nonprofit research group that aggregates reports
of violence.”
Xinhua:
Somalia Launches Manhunt For 5 Terror Suspects
“Somalia on Tuesday launched a manhunt for five terror suspects who
took part in terror-related crimes across the country. The government
which circulated names and photos of the suspects called on members of
the public to forward any information that may lead to their eventual
arrest. “Share the information about them with security agencies,” it
said in a statement. The government is also offering an undisclosed
financial awards for information leading to the arrest of five who are
armed and dangerous. Four of the suspects have been sentenced to death
in absentia for terror-related offenses while the fifth person is
sentenced to life in absentia for terror-related offenses. The
suspects were accused of being behind murder of several people in the
Horn of Africa nation.”
The
Jamestown Foundation: Islamic State’s Mixed Fortunes Become Visible In
Somalia
“Islamic State’s (IS) attempts to gain ground in Somalia and beyond
have remained slow, five years after a splinter group from al-Shabaab
emerged in a mountainous region in the northern state of Puntland and
declared its allegiance to the caliphate. The factions’ leadership
re-asserted that allegiance in November, swearing support to Abu
Ibrahim al-Hashim al-Qurayshi, the new leader of IS. Al-Qurayshi was
picked to lead the group following the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
in a U.S. airstrike. Some analysts argue that the Somali faction is
now a pivotal outpost for the group after its losses in Syria
(Goobjoog News, November 4, 2019). Shaykh Abdulqadir Mumin, a former
al-Shabaab propagandist and imam, unveiled the faction in October
2015. A fiery preacher who had traversed Europe before returning to
Africa, Mumin had assembled a group of 200 or so heavily armed
fighters, and pledged allegiance to the late IS leader, al-Baghdadi.
The announcement was made from a secret hideout in the Golis Mountains
and Galgaga ranges near the border between Puntland and the
semi-autonomous region of Somaliland (Intelligence Briefs, October 23,
2015).”
Africa
Voice
Of America: West African Leaders, France Vow New Fight On
Terrorism
“A surge of terrorist violence in Africa’s Sahel region is forcing
West African nations to reconsider their strategy and unify military
forces. Leaders invited by French President Emmanuel Macron to a G5
summit in the southern French city of Pau on Monday agreed to pursue
their engagements with France - and put aside their differences with
the former colonial power – to fight against jihadism. Presidents of
Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Chad joined Monday with
French President Emmanuel Macron at a ceremony in Pau commemorating
French soldiers killed recently in Mali. Macron’s purpose for inviting
members of G5 Sahel was to clarify their position on France’s military
presence in the Sahel region at a time when protests are growing in
Mali and Burkina-Faso against French military operation Barkhane.
Protesters blame Paris for failing to restore stability. Amid growing
anti-French sentiment in the region, Macron was looking to boost the
legitimacy of France’s presence. He received it from his West African
counterparts – who at this meeting – appeared to be on his side. The
French leader, at a news conference, said the heads of state of the G5
Sahel wish to pursue their engagements with France and its allies in
the region.”
Reuters:
Islamic State Claims Responsibility For Niger Army Base
Attack
“Islamic State’s West Africa affiliate on Tuesday claimed
responsibility for an attack on an army base in Niger last week that
killed at least 89 Nigerien soldiers, according to a statement
translated by the SITE Intelligence Group. Islamic State’s West Africa
Province (ISWAP) said in the statement that its fighters killed 100
soldiers and wounded an unspecified number of others in the raid last
Thursday on the base in the town of Chinagodrar, near the Malian
border.”
Long
War Journal: Islamic State Kills Almost 100 Soldiers In
Niger
“On Thursday, at least 89 Nigerien soldiers were killed in a
massive assault on a military base near the borders with Mali.
Following several days of silence, the Islamic State has officially
claimed the raid. On Jan. 9, the Nigerien military base at Chinagoder,
which sits on the border with Mali, was targeted by dozens of
jihadists from the Islamic State’s group in the region. While the
Islamic State’s claim of responsibility stated that it killed over 100
soldiers, it otherwise did not present any new information. The
statement repeats the local reporting that the jihadists were able to
briefly overrun the base after a sustained firefight. And while the
group’s death toll is indeed exaggerated, it is not distorted by that
much. Initially, Nigerien officials downplayed the attack, reporting
25 soldiers dead and that the majority of the jihadists were also
killed. In the days following, however, Niger has progressively raised
the death toll which now stands at 89 soldiers dead. Nigerien
authorities have also maintained that 67 jihadists were also killed in
the assault. Though photos released by the Islamic State purportedly
from the attack have directly contradicted this claim. The photos show
the jihadists raiding the base before briefly occupying it. The
Islamic State’s men can be seen capturing weapons and equipment, as
well as standing over the dead bodies of several Nigerien
soldiers.”
United Kingdom
Arab
News: Islamist Extremism ‘Remains A Potent Global
Threat’
“Islamist extremism continues to pose a grave threat worldwide,
with levels of violence increasing in several regions, and cells in
the West as potent as ever, according to a report published on
Wednesday by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change. The report,
“Global Extremism Monitor: Islamist Violence After ISIS” (GEM), says
the overarching goal of statehood, or a “caliphate,” remains the focus
of various militant groups, inspired at least partially by the initial
success of Daesh, despite its defeat in Iraq and Syria. The GEM
highlights seven regions where Islamist militancy has increased, with
various groups seeking to exploit institutional weaknesses in
governments, as well as sectarian and other social tensions, to fill
power vacuums and assume control. The report took into account 35,000
incidents worldwide in 2018, identifying 43 organizations operating
across 40 countries as having played a significant role in conducting
terrorist operations, including 6,876 recognized attacks. According to
the GEM, the number of overall attacks had in fact decreased from
7,697 in 2017, a drop of 11 percent.”
LBC:
Four Children Of ISIS Couple Could Return To London If Mother Stays In
Syria
“The children of parents who fled the country in 2014 to join the
so-called Islamic State (IS) in 2014 could be repatriated from a
Syrian refugee camp if their mother agrees she won't return with them.
Both parents have been stripped of their British citizenship, but it
is thought the four children still retain their right to a British
passport. According to reports, the Government will “urgently
investigate” the return of the children from the camp they are in,
which could lead to the return of dozens of children trapped in camps
following the defeat of IS. Mehak Aslam, form East London, joined the
terrorist group with her husband Shahan Choudhury, who became an IS
gravedigger and was later imprisoned. Choudhary’s family revealed that
he became radicalised in Belmarsh prison, while on remand, after
falling under the influence of followers of hate preacher Anjem
Choudary while he was in prison. He spent eighteen months on remand
but was acquitted. He began attending the hate preacher’s sermons
shortly after leaving prison. Both have been stripped of their British
citizenship. Mohamed Aslam urged his daughter to sign a proposal from
the Government which promised to begin investigating the process of
the children's return.”
Germany
The
Times Of Israel: German Police Arrest Islamist Terror Cell Said To Be
Targeting Berlin Synagogue
“German police carried out raids on suspected Islamists and made
arrests across the country early Tuesday over allegations they were
plotting an attack, Berlin officials said. German authorities are on
high alert for Islamist threats to Europe’s most populous country,
which has in recent years suffered several attacks. “On suspicion of
planning a serious violent act endangering the state, search warrants
are being executed in Berlin, Brandenburg, North Rhine-Westphalia and
Thuringia,” the Berlin attorney general’s office said via Twitter. The
alleged militants, of Chechen origin, are aged between 23 and 28 and
“suspected of having scouted locations for a possible Islamist
attack,” Berlin police said in a statement. The suspicions were
prompted by pictures found on the cellphone of one of the suspects
during a routine police check, it added. German news magazine Spiegel
said the suspects may have had a synagogue in Berlin in their sights
after video material of the building was found.”
The
Times Of Israel: Time For Germany To Outlaw All Of
Hezbollah
“The targeted killing this month of top Iranian general Qasem
Soleimani brought forth calls for revenge from Iran and its terrorist
proxies, including Lebanon-based Hezbollah. Those new threats should
be the impetus for the German government to finally outlaw Hezbollah
in its entirety. Like most of the European Union, Germany recognizes
only Hezbollah’s military wing as a terrorist organization, allowing
its political supporters to operate in the country unhindered. The
partition stems from a desire in Germany to avoid alienating
Hezbollah’s powerful politicians in Lebanon’s government. And yet
those politicians wave the same flag and answer to the same chain of
command as Hezbollah’s terrorist fighters. Hezbollah’s
secretary-general, Hassan Nasrallah, has promised revenge for
Soleimani’s death. This should raise concern everywhere Hezbollah
operates. As head of Iran’s Quds Force, Soleimani was the chief
liaison between Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and Hezbollah, as
well as Iran’s other terrorist proxies. He directly provided financial
and military support to these groups, helping them become dominant
powers in Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq.”
Europe
The
New York Times: Kosovo Woman, Man Repatriated From Syria Charged With
Terror
“Kosovo prosecutors on Tuesday filed terrorism charges against an
Albanian woman and a man for allegedly joining the Islamic State group
in Syria. A prosecutors' office statement said the defendant woman
identified as V.K. and the man identified as F.D. left Kosovo in March
2015 to first go to neighboring Skopje, North Macedonia, and then to
Turkey where they crossed the Syrian border to join IS until early
2019 when they handed themselves over to Kurdish forces. In April,
they were part of a group of 110 Kosovo citizens repatriated from
Syria. Both are charged with organization and participation in a
terror group. If convicted, they could face prison sentences of up to
15 years. Kosovo authorities say 30 of the country’s citizens are
still actively supporting terror groups in Syria. Scores of Kosovo
citizens have been convicted of or charged with supporting terror
groups since 2015 when authorities reinforced anti-terror
legislation.”
Southeast Asia
Straits
Times: Singaporean On Trial For Terror Funding Admits Sending $450 To
Aid ISIS
“The first Singaporean to be charged with terror financing admitted
in his trial yesterday that he had transferred funds overseas to
support the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group. Former
logistics professional Imran Kassim, 36, was charged with transferring
$450 through remittance company Western Union to Mohamad Alsaied
Alhmidan in Turkey for the publication of ISIS propaganda about six
years ago. “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 United States government lists Mohamad Alsaied
as a specially designated national, and says he is linked to ISIS.
Under Singapore's 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
could be jailed for up to 10 years, fined up to $500,000, or both.
Imran, who was taken 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. In court yesterday, Imran argued that while he had
made the fund transfer to ISIS, he had not broken the law as he did
not recognise Singapore law, and recognised only syariah law.”
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