Eye on Extremism
February 15, 2023
Voice Of America News: New Al-Qaida Leader Commanding From Iran
“…‘The presence of al-Qaida in Iran is a sort of a chip that the Iranians have,’ said Edmund Fitton-Brown, a former senior United Nations counterterrorism official who is now an adviser to the nonprofit Counter Extremism Project. ‘They're not entirely sure how or when they might play it but … it was something that they considered to have potential value,’ Fitton-Brown told VOA, adding that al-Adel running the terror group from Tehran is ‘not that big a change from what the situation was before Zawahiri was killed.’ ‘Al-Qaida has always been a consultative organization,’ he said. ‘They have a Shura, a leadership, and Saif was already part of it. He was already a very important voice in that leadership. He's now a more important voice in that leadership.’”
Associated Press: US Military Downs Iranian-Made Drone In Syria
“U.S. forces shot down an Iranian-made drone flying over a base housing American troops in northeastern Syria, the U.S. military said Wednesday. The incident comes more than a week after a deadly 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked Turkey and Syria, followed by a significant deescalation of violence across the war-torn contry. U.S. Central Command said in a statement that the reconnaissance drone flew over Mission Support Site Conoco on Tuesday afternoon before American forces shot it down. No group claimed responsibility for flying the drone in northeastern Syria, where it is not uncommon for bases housing U.S. troops to come under rocket fire or mortar attacks. Iran-backed militia are based nearby, as are sleeper cells of the Islamic State group that was defeated in Syria in March 2019. There are roughly 900 U.S. troops in Syria, including in the north and farther south and east, who work alongside Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces targeting IS militants and their sleeper cells.”
United States
Associated Press: Virginians Face Terrorism Charges Years After Pakistan Trial
“It was almost 15 years ago when five young men from northern Virginia left the U.S. to pursue dreams of jihad in Afghanistan, only to find themselves under arrest in Pakistan when their farewell video prompted family members to contact the FBI. Now, after the five served a decade in a Pakistani prison, U.S. prosecutors are moving forward with plans to put them on trial again for terrorism charges. At a status hearing Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, however, a judge gave strong indications that she plans to toss out charges against one of the men on grounds that torture and solitary confinement he allegedly endured in Pakistan have rendered him mentally incompetent. In fact, U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema has questioned the utility of bringing charges against any of the five, given the fact that they were convicted and punished already in Pakistan.”
Iran
Iran International: Terror Suspect Arrested Near Iran International HQ Pleaded Not Guilty
“A man arrested in the vicinity of Iran International’s headquarters and charged with a terrorism offence pleaded not guilty in a court session on Tuesday. Magomed-Husejn Dovtaev (Mohammad-Hussein Dovtaev), 30, an Austrian national, was detained at Chiswick Business Park on Saturday by officers from the Metropolitan Police Counter-Terrorism Command. He appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday and pleaded not guilty, speaking via a German-Austrian interpreter. The first session on Monday was adjourned without the suspect saying anything because only a Russian interpreter was available at the court. The suspect's name in Russian spelling signals that he is originally from one of the former Soviet republics, more likely from a Muslim-majority country. Dovtaev was bearded and wearing a grey sweatshirt and tracksuit bottoms.”
Iraq
MENAFN: 3 IS Militants Killed In N. Iraq: Military
“The Iraqi military said on Tuesday that its forces killed three Islamic State (IS) militants in the northern part of the country, trend reports citing Xinhua. The three IS militants were killed in Wadi al-Shay, a rugged area southwest of the northern city of Kirkuk, the media office of the Joint Operations Command (JOC) said in a statement. It added that the operation was based on intelligence reports and the three militants had been tracked for more than three days before the operation. Meanwhile, a statement issued by the Iraqi intelligence service said that 'intelligence personnel tracked down some IS leading figures in more than one country and were able to arrest them in a non-neighboring country and transfer them to Iraq.'”
Afghanistan
Associated Press: Taliban Forces Kill 3 IS Members In Raid On Kabul Building
“Taliban intelligence forces killed three Islamic State group militants and arrested one in an overnight operation in the Afghan capital of Kabul, an official said Tuesday. The raid on a residential building targeted IS militants who organized recent attacks in the capital, said Khalil Hamraz, a Taliban-appointed spokesman for Afghanistan's general director of intelligence. He called the target in the Karti Naw neighborhood an important IS hideout. The Islamic State group did not immediately respond to the government's claims. During the operation, three IS members were killed and one militant was arrested. Ammunition and military equipment were seized by the troops, he added.”
The Hindu: Afghanistan Remains Primary Source Of Terrorist Threat For Central And South Asia: UN Report
“Afghanistan remains the primary source of terrorist threat for Central and South Asia, with groups such as ISIL-K, Al-Qaeda and Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan enjoying greater freedom of movement in the country owing to the absence of an effective Taliban security strategy, a UN report has said. The 31st report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team (ISIL, Al-Qaida), was issued here on Tuesday. ‘It originates from groups including the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant- Khorasan (ISIL-K), Al-Qaeda, Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan, as well as ETIM/TIP (Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement/Turkistan Islamic Party), Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, Islamic Jihad Group, Khatiba Imam al-Bukhari, Khatiba al-Tawhid wal-Jihad, Jamaat Ansarullah and others. These groups enjoy greater freedom of movement in Afghanistan owing to the absence of an effective Taliban security strategy,’ the report said.”
Pakistan
Samaa: Karachi Police Arrest Two Terrorists From North Nazimabad Area
“The Karachi Police on Wednesday detained two terrorists during operation in North Nazimabad area and recovered explosive material from their possession. Special Investigations Unit (SIU) and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in a joint raid foiled the attacking plan of the terrorists. During the operation, officials seized at least 1,000 detonators from the terrorists’ hideout, which were to be used in future attacks. Apart from this, two coil detonators were also recovered from their possession. Some of the accomplice of the terrorists during the raid managed to flee, while search operation for them was launched.”
La Prensa Latina: 7 Suspected Taliban Militants Killed Pakistan Gun Battle
“Seven suspected Taliban militants, including three under-trial prisoners, were killed in a gun battle after insurgents opened fire on security forces in the restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, police said on Tuesday. A police statement said the three under-custody suspects were being taken from Miranshah to Bannu when a group of militants opened fire at the security forces near Mir Ali Bypass to free their accomplices. ‘In the exchange of fire, four terrorists of (the) banned outfit (Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan) were killed while five to six, taking advantage of darkness and bushes, escaped,’ the police statement said. The police claimed that the three suspects died of bullets fired by the assailants. The four insurgents who attacked the security personnel belonged to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, the police said. The police alleged that the slain militants were involved in targeted killings and grenade attacks on security forces.”
Middle East
The Jerusalem Post: Bill Revoking Citizenship For 'Pay-For-Slay' Terrorists Reaches Final Vote
“A bill to revoke Israeli citizenship and deport convicted terrorists who received payment from the Palestinian Authority passed its second and third readings on Tuesday and will be presented at the Knesset plenum on Wednesday. During the hearing on Tuesday, Justice Ministry legal adviser Avital Sternberg said there was an issue with a clause that says the PA cannot dispute affiliation with the terrorist. ‘The responsibility to prevent the next attack is on us, not on any lawyer,’ Coalition Chairman Ofir Katz (Likud) said. ‘Those who intend to oppose what we are bringing here, after all the compromises we have made, are welcome to explain it to the bereaved families and the people of Israel.’ If the bill passes in the Knesset, the interior minister would be able to revoke Israeli citizenship or residency over what is commonly referred to as ‘pay-for-slay’ – stipends given to terrorists and their families.”
The Times Of Israel: Prison Guard Probed For Allegedly Smuggling Phones To Terrorist Behind Deadly Attack
“A guard at Ramon Prison in southern Israel is being investigated for allegedly smuggling phones to a convicted terrorist serving a life sentence for a deadly attack, police said on Tuesday. The guard, an Ofakim resident in his 30s, was questioned by police over suspicions that he smuggled phones to Wail Nairat, who was part of a terror cell that carried out a deadly bombing attack on the Qalandiya Checkpoint in the West Bank on August 11, 2004, in exchange for bribes from the prisoner’s brother. The attack on the checkpoint killed two Palestinian men, Ayid Mustafa Abed Raba Daghr and Saleh Rashid Abu Sneina, and injured several Border Police officers. Nairat is kept in a separate security wing because he poses a danger to other prisoners and personnel, the Israel Prison Service said. In addition to the questioning, police reportedly searched the suspect’s home and locker at the prison on Tuesday morning.”
Nigeria
Leadership: Police Kill 2 Terrorists In Katsina
“Katsina State Police command has killed two suspected terrorists in a gun duel with some hoodlums in the state. This is contained in a statement issued by the command spokesman Gambo Isah, made available to LEADERSHIP yesterday. He said on receiving a distress call that terrorists in their numbers were shooting sporadically with AK 47 rifles and attacking Kitibawa village, Dutsinma local government area, where one 55 years old Alhaji Ado Rumawa, was kidnapped, the area commander, Dutsinma, led Police patrol team to engaged the terrorists in a gun duel and repelled the attack and neutralized one of them. ‘Many of the terrorists were suspected to have fled the scene with gunshot wounds. Police teams are presently combing the area with a view of arresting the injured hoodlums and/or recovery of their dead bodies. The investigation is ongoing’, he said Similarly, the command also acted on distress calls about some terrorists, armed with dangerous weapons, blocking Danja – Bakori road, along Unguwan Balarabe junction, robbing unsuspecting members of the public of their belongings.”
The Guardian: Troops Kill Eight Boko Haram Suspects In Borno, Hunters Kill Two
“Troops of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) in the North East and the Civilian JTF have killed eight suspected Boko Haram terrorists in Mafa Council, Borno State. The ground troops also arrested a suspect on December 26, 2022 as well as recovered four motorcycles and AK-47 rifle. A counter-insurgency expert in the Lake Chad region, Zagazola Makama, disclosed, on Monday, in Maiduguri that neutralisation of the terrorists came after the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-Gen. Faruk Yahaya, charged the troops to redouble their efforts in smoking them out from Sambisa Forest and Lake Chad region. According to him, the successful operation was coordinated based on credible intelligence at Ngwom community, near Maiduguri. The information received from the community, however, paid off, he said, as the troops instantly eliminated the fleeing terrorists.”
Africa
Associated Press: At Least 32 Civilians Killed In Eastern Congo, Says The U.N.
“At least 32 civilians have been killed by rebel groups in eastern Congo’s Ituri province, said a spokesman for the United Nations. Twenty people were killed by the militia group CODECO and a dozen were killed by the Allied Democratic Forces, which is allied to the Islamic State group, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a press conference on Monday. Calling the situation ‘confusing,’ Dujarric said it is hard for the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Congo to get more information due to restricted movement in the area. Fighting between CODECO, a loose association of various ethnic Lendu militia groups, and Zaire, a mainly ethnic Hema self-defense group, has been ongoing since 2017 but has worsened recently. At least 32 civilians were killed by CODECO last month, say local officials. In December, the United Nations said the insurgent group was expanding its areas of control, attacking civilians and Congo’s military, and taxing communities in the areas that it holds.”
United Kingdom
CapX: The Prevent Review Suggests That In Britain Antisemites Can Still Act With Impunity
“‘Jews don’t count’, they say, except perhaps in the malign statistics of hatred. Last week’s Shawcross review of the Prevent programme shone a light on just how pernicious and deep-seated antisemitism is among those judged to be at risk of becoming terrorists. Shawcross looked at a number of ‘Channel‘ referrals and was alarmed by what he found. Channel is the part of Prevent, past the initial screening triage, where those judged to be genuinely risky potential extremists get tailored intervention from counter-terrorism professionals. While the language used in virtually every official description of the Prevent programme is achingly neutral on this process, bingeing on the verbiage of ‘vulnerability’ and ‘safeguarding’, when you get to Channel things are more straightforward: you’re a potential terrorism risk to others. To illustrate the point, in the latest government Prevent statistics, of the 6,848 referrals in the year ending March 2022, only 13% were adopted as a Channel case. Shawcross found a prevalence of ‘extreme antisemitism’ in the Channel cases he dip sampled. What’s striking is that antisemitism is an equal opportunities hatred. It is mobilised by extreme left, right and Islamist ideologues and their followers.”
Germany
Reuters: 'Follow The Money' Approach Required To Map Right-Wing Extremists' Money Laundering, Criminal Networks -NGO
“…There has not yet been enough current and in-depth analysis of the right-wing extremist terror and organised crime nexus in the same way those links have been identified in Islamist extremism, said Alexander Ritzmann, a senior adviser at the Counter Extremism Project in Berlin. "Now, this has led potentially to the narrative that there is no financial, sophisticated strategy or activity within the broader right wing extremist milieus. This could be in Germany or somewhere else. The overall narrative is these guys are self-funded. They take their salaries, they collect donations, and they do some small stuff on the side, but that's basically it," Ritzmann told a webinar last week. The Counter Extremism Project's new research, prepared for the German government and to be published next month, paints a different picture, however. Right-wing extremists make money from cash-based activities such as music festivals, combat sports which needs to be laundered. These groups are increasingly getting into real estate to launder funds. Its research also shows a new typology, violent right-wing extremism organised crime.”
Southeast Asia
The National News: Indian Anti-Terror Agency Raids Against ISIS Sympathisers
“India’s anti-terror agency on Wednesday raided several places across southern states in a clampdown on people accused of having links with ISIS. The National Investigation Agency raided 60 locations in Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu in connection to a bomb blast in a car laden with explosives in Tamil Nadu in October last year. The federal agency searched the belongings of the suspects and seized digital devices and what it said were incriminating documents. A bomb had exploded in a car in front of Kottai Eswaran Temple in Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu on October 23. Jameesha Mubin, who was driving the car, was killed in the blast.” senses that he was doing wrong, and regretted joining the extremist outfit.”
Asian News International: Pulwama Anniversary: 8 Of 19 Attackers Killed, 7 Arrested, Says ADGP Kashmir Zone Vijay Kumar
“8 of 19 attackers killed, 7 arrested, says ADGP Kashmir Zone Vijay KumarOn the fourth anniversary of the Pulwama terror attack, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Kashmir Zone, Vijay Kumar on Tuesday said of the 19 militants involved in the attack in 2019, eight have been killed, seven arrested and four, including three Pakistanis, are still alive. Talking to the mediapersons after paying tributes to the fallen CRPF men in the dastardly attack, ADGP Kumar, said the security forces are after Jaish-e-Muhammad and almost all their top commanders have been neutralised. ‘At present, the JeM only has 7-8 locals and 5-6 active Pakistanis, including Mossa Solaimani (wanted terrorist),’ he said, adding that police are after them and they will be neutralised soon. He said the police are not only busting militant modules but are also cracking down on narco-terrorism and terror funding. ‘We have been able to recover Rs 41 lakh and recently in Baramulla, Rs 26 lakh was recovered,’ he said. He also said the cases registered against OGWs (over-ground workers) involved in such activities are being disposed of at a rapid pace.”
India Blooms: Delhi Court Sentences Four Persons With Al-Qaeda Links To 7.5 Years In Jail
“Special Judge Sanjay Khanagwal after hearing arguments on behalf of the Prosecution and Defence Counsel was punished with seven years and five months imprisonment for the four persons namely Mohd Asif, Mohd Abdul Rehman, Zafar Masood and Abdul Sami. Counsel for the convicted persons submitted before the court that they have already spent around seven years in Jail which will be also considered as part of the punishment. On February, 10 the court acquitted two co-accused Syed Mohd Zeeshan Ali and Dr Sabeel Ahmad in the matter after hearing the submissions on behalf of Advocates MS Khan and Qausar Khan. They submitted before the court that the prosecution failed to prove the case against them. The court had framed charges against six accused persons in 2017 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Police alleged that Rehman ran a madrassa in Uttar Pradesh and was trying to radicalise the youths who enrolled there for carrying out alleged terror activities.”
Technology
The Hill: Pro-ISIS Content At Heart Of Section 230 Supreme Court Arguments
“The Supreme Court will have its sights set on Big Tech next week when it hears arguments involving Section 230, a controversial liability shield for online platforms, in cases in which Twitter, Google and Facebook are at the center. But the dispute may have broader impacts for diplomats and international organizations. It was brought about by families of terrorist attack victims for pro-ISIS content posted to and recommended on social media, but the companies also are arguing they don’t need Section 230 protections because they weren’t liable under a federal anti-terrorism law in the first place. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and some legal scholars argue taking Big Tech’s position would let terrorism sympathizers off the hook, while other observers contend that holding the companies liable would lead foreign countries to reciprocate in their courts against the U.S.”
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