Eye on Extremism
February 16, 2023
CNN: Buffalo Grocery Store Mass Shooter Apologizes For Racist Attack And Receives Sentence Of Life In Prison
“The 19-year-old White man who killed 10 people in a racist mass shooting at a grocery store in a predominantly Black area of Buffalo last May apologized to the victims’ families and was sentenced to life in prison during an emotional court hearing Wednesday. “I’m very sorry for all the pain I forced the victims and their families to suffer through. I’m very sorry for stealing the lives of your loved ones. I cannot express how much I regret all the decisions I made leading up to my actions on May 14,” Payton Gendron, wearing an orange jumpsuit and shackles, said in court. “I did a terrible thing that day. I shot and killed people because they were Black. Looking back now, I can’t believe I actually did it. I believed what I read online and acted out of hate. I know I can’t take it back, but I wish I could, and I don’t want anyone to be inspired by me and what I did.””
Reuters: NEWSMAKER Al Qaeda's New Leader Adel Has $10 Million Bounty On His Head
“Seif al-Adel, a former Egyptian special forces officer who is a high-ranking member of al Qaeda with a $10 million U.S. bounty on his head, is now the ‘uncontested’ leader of the militant group, according to a new U.N. report on the organisation. Al Qaeda has not formally named a successor for Ayman al-Zawahiri, who was believed to have been killed in a U.S. missile strike in Kabul last year, dealing a blow to the organisation since its founder Osama bin Laden was killed in 2011. Although a U.S. intelligence official said in January that Zawahiri's succession remained unclear, the United Nations report assessing risks from the group said: ‘In discussions in November and December, many Member States took the view that Seif al-Adel is already operating as the de facto and uncontested leader of the group.’ Zawahiri's death piled pressure on the group to choose a strategic leader who can carefully plan deadly operations and run a jihadi network, experts on al Qaeda say. Unlike his slain predecessors who maintained a high profile with fiery videos broadcast around the globe threatening the United States, the experts say Adel planned attacks from the shadows as he helped turn al Qaeda into the world's deadliest militant group.”
United States
New York Post: ISIS-Inspired Terrorist Requests Mistrial Because Of NYC U-Haul Attack
“Attorneys for the ISIS-inspired terrorist who fatally mowed down eight people in Manhattan in 2017 have requested a mistrial in his federal death penalty case — citing media reports comparing his attack to this week’s U-Haul rampage in Brooklyn. Sayfullo Saipov’s lawyers argued ‘obtaining a fair trial at this time is impossible’ in light of a series of news articles on Monday’s mayhem that ‘reflexively referenced’ their client, according to a motion for a mistrial filed Tuesday night. ‘In reality, yesterday’s incident had nothing to do with terrorism or Mr. Saipov,’ they wrote. ‘Instead, the driver of the U-Haul truck appears to be a 62-year-old man with a lengthy criminal record and mental health history, who told police he saw an ‘invisible object’ come toward his vehicle before striking his victims.’ The attorneys claimed that because of the similarities between the two attacks, there’s a risk the jury’s deliberations will be tainted, violating Saipov’s Eighth Amendment rights.”
Syria
Fox News: ISIS Official Involved In Planning Prison Breaks Killed By US And Coalition Forces In Syria, CENTCOM Says
“An ISIS official who was involved in planning prison breaks of extremists in Syria was killed during a raid by U.S. and coalition forces last week, CENTCOM announced on Wednesday. Multiple weapons, ammo, and a suicide belt were also seized during the raid on Feb. 10. Officials did not release the exact location of the raid or whether there were casualties besides the death of Ibrahim Al Qahtani. More than 10,000 ISIS fighters are detained in northeastern Syria, including 5,000 Syrians, 3,000 Iraqis, and 2,000 extremists from outside those two countries, according to the State Department. Prison breaks have long been a key strategy for extremist movements in the Middle East to sustain their forces.”
Iran
AFP: US Says Iran-Based Saif Al-Adel Is New Al Qaeda Chief
“Saif al-Adel, an Iran-based Egyptian, has become the head of Al-Qaeda following the July 2022 death of Ayman al-Zawahiri, the US State Department said Wednesday. "Our assessment aligns with that of the UN -- that al-Qaeda's new de facto leader Saif al-Adel is based in Iran," a state department spokesperson said. The United Nations report released Tuesday said that the predominant view of member states is that Adel is now the group's leader, "representing continuity for now." But the group has not formally declared him "emir" because of sensitivity to the concerns of the Taliban authorities in Afghanistan, who haven't wanted to acknowledge that Zawahiri was killed by a US rocket in a home in Kabul last year, according to the UN report.”
Afghanistan
Committee To Protect Journalists: Taliban Raids Office Of Tamadon TV, Assaults Staff In Afghanistan
“The Taliban must allow Tamadon TV to operate freely and independently and end its campaign of harassment and violence against journalists, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On Tuesday, February 14, about 10 armed Taliban members raided the headquarters of the privately owned broadcaster in Kabul, beat several staff members, and held them for 30 minutes, according to news reports and a journalist familiar with the case who spoke to CPJ on the condition of anonymity due to fear of reprisal. That journalist said they did not know what led to the raid. Tamadon TV is predominantly owned and operated by members of the Hazara ethnic minority, and covers political and current affairs as well as Shiite religious programming. Hazara people have faced persecution and escalated violence since the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021. ‘The Taliban’s raid of Tamadon TV and attacks on its employees show the group’s failure to abide by its professed commitment to freedom of expression in Afghanistan,’ said Beh Lih Yi, CPJ’s Asia program coordinator. ‘Access to information in Afghanistan is critical…’”
Pakistan
The Nation: CTD Foils Major Terror Bid, Arrests Terrorist
“The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) has foiled a bid of major terrorist attack here by arresting a suspected terrorist reportedly trained by the Indian intelligence agency (RAW). Senior Superintendent of Police, CTD, Asif Ahmed Bughio told a press conference on Wednesday that the most wanted terrorist identified as Munir Abro alias Maulvi was arrested along with explosives which he had planned to use in a terrorist activity. ‘Munir has been involved in several acts of terrorism since 2012, including attacks on railway tracks, and foreign nationals’, the SSP said. He further said that the accused, who belonged to the banned outfit ‘Sindh Revolutionary Army’, was preparing a suicide jacket for a terrorist attack at the time of his arrest. Asif Baghio said, ‘The banned organization is funded by Inam Abbasi and a woman named Surath Lohar. The arrested terrorist used to change his identity and reside at different places.’”
Dunya News: Punjab CTD Arrests Two TTP Terrorists During IBO
“The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) Punjab claimed on Wednesday to have arrested two alleged terrorists and recovered from them explosives, suicide jackets and weapons. According to a CTD spokesperson, the suspects identified as Ghulam Hussain and Ghulam Mustafa belonged to the Tehreek Taliban Pakistan (TTP). He said the arrests followed an intelligence-based-operation (IBO). The spokesperson further said the suspects had already land sabotage activities in sensitive districts of Punjab.”
Dawn: CTD Arrests ‘Militant’ Linked To SRA
“The Counterterrorism Department (CTD) claimed to have arrested a suspected militant said to be associated with the outlawed Sindhudesh Revolutionary Army (SRA) in a raid in Jamshoro on Tuesday night, officials said on Wednesday. The CTD produced the suspect identified as Munir Abro in the Anti-Terrorism Court-I and the judge remanded him in police custody for five days. Hyderabad CTD SSP Asif Bughio said that the suspect, a resident of Ghotki, was involved in improvised explosives device blasts on high transmission lines and railway tracks, said a press release. It said that Abro, the alleged operational commander of SRA in Sindh, was arrested after an intelligence-based operation.”
Middle East
Reuters: New Israel Law Allows Stripping Residency Of Palestinians Convicted Of Terrorism
“Israel passed a law on Wednesday that would allow authorities to strip people who have been jailed of citizenship or residency if they receive Palestinian funds for actions deemed as terrorism, as rising violence has stoked fears of escalation. Israel calls stipends for militants and their families a ‘pay for slay’ policy that encourages violence. Palestinians hail the prisoners as heroes in a struggle against decades of occupation and deserving of support. Following months of deadly Israeli raids against militants in the occupied West Bank and fatal Palestinian street attacks on Israelis, the law passed by 94 votes to 10, by the hard-right coalition of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and many opposition lawmakers in a rare moment of political unity. Under the new law, Palestinians from East Jerusalem who directly or through their families receive stipends from the Palestinian Authority after having been jailed in Israel for security offences, can be deported to the Palestinian territories.”
The Times Of Israel: Police Arrest Relative Of Jerusalem Car-Rammer, Say He Also Planned Attack
“Police detained a relative of a terrorist who carried out a deadly car-ramming attack in Jerusalem on Friday, over his alleged intentions to also commit a terror attack. According to police, the suspect, a 22-year-old from East Jerusalem’s Issawiya neighborhood, allegedly expressed intentions to carry out an attack similar to his relative, Hussein Qaraqa. Qaraqa rammed his car into pedestrians at a bus stop in Jerusalem’s Ramot neighborhood on Friday, killing three people including two young brothers. Police say the suspect was found yesterday afternoon along with his brother, 31, on a bus near the Beitunia checkpoint, north of Jerusalem. Both were detained, and their remand has been extended by a Jerusalem court until February 19.”
The Jerusalem Post: Israeli Forces Arrest 16 Terror Suspects In West Bank Raid
“IDF, Shin Bet and Border Police forces arrested 16 Palestinians terror suspects in an overnight raid of the West Bank, the IDF Spokesperson's Unit said on Thursday morning. In El-Bireh, Israeli forces clashed with rioters who hurled stones at the security forces who responded with riot control measures, as they arrested three El-Bireh residents. Israeli forces also operated and detained a suspect in Jenin, where IDF troops were involved in a gunfight with armed Palestinian militants. More suspects were arrested in Palestinian villages across the West Bank. Two M-16 rifles and military equipment, such as gun parts and ammunition, were confiscated by Israeli forces during the raid. No injuries were reported among the Israeli security forces.”
Somalia
Anadolu Agency: Somali Army Kills Over 200 Al-Shabaab Terrorists, Liberates Large Swaths Of Territory
“The Somali army killed over 200 terrorists with ties to the al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group al-Shabaab during military operations that took place in three states and liberated large swaths of territory from the terrorist group, a senior government official said on Wednesday. Somalia’s Information Minister Daud Aweis said at a news conference in the capital Mogadishu that the operations took place in Galmudug, South West State, and Jubaland. ‘Over 200 al-Shabaab Khawarijs have been killed by the army this week,’ he said. He added that the army also liberated large swaths of territories from the terrorist group in the Mudug region and captured a “senior” explosive expert of the terrorist group. Aweis also said President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has called on Somali people to contribute $1 per person to the ‘national defense and liberation program.’ ‘This move is intended to speed up military operations to eliminate terrorists and give people more opportunities to participate in ongoing operations,’ he explained.”
Garowe Online: Somalia: Al-Shabaab Kills Kenyan Police Officers In Garissa
“At least four police officers were killed in Kenya's porous Garissa County in Dadaab, one of the world's most populous refugee camp which hosts thousands of refugees mainly from the war-torn Somalia, a country which has been witnessing instability for the last three decades. According to Kipkirui Siele, the Deputy County Commissioner, the incident occured along Dadaab-Garissa Highway in Northeastern Kenya. The vehicle, he said, accidentally ran over an Improvised Explosive Device [IED] before being dismantled by a powerful explosion. Those travelling in the vehicles were mainly members of the elite Border Patrol Uni, an elite squad from the General Service Unit [GU] which is tasked to patrol the border. The officers from Abdi Suku camp were reportedly travelling to Garissa town.”
Africa
AFP: Fears For DR Congo Census As Rebel Attack Kills Five
“ADF rebels on Wednesday killed five civilians in troubled Democratic Republic of Congo's eastern province of Ituri, local sources said. The latest unrest stoked fears of disruption of a regional census due to be held Thursday across the country's east, plagued by years of violence from a plethora of rebel groups. A nationwide process to confirm voters on electoral rolls began in the west in December with central and southeastern districts added to the census last month ahead of presidential polls slated for December 2023. Thursday was due to see the enrolment extended to seven eastern and northeastern provinces but the ongoing violence could hamper the process. Ituri is a volatile province where at least 20 civilians were killed in weekend militia attacks, according to the UN and local sources. Since the end of last year, numerous attacks by militants in Ituri, some linked to jihadist insurgencies, have left several dozen dead nearly every week and left thousands of people displaced.”
Reuters: Algeria Arrests One Person Who Threatened To Blast Saudi Embassy
“Algerian security forces arrested one person who threatened to blast the headquarters of the Saudi embassy in Algiers, Algerian state TV reported on Wednesday. The Saudi embassy received a call at 3 a.m. local time (0200 GMT) on Wednesday from a person who threatened to bomb its headquarters, the TV added, citing a statement from the capital's security forces. The capital's security forces arrested the suspect after investigations, the report said adding that the person was subjected to medical checks and psychological tests before being prosecuted. There was no immediate comment from the Saudi embassy in Algeria or the Saudi authorities.”
United Kingdom
Daily Mail: Hero Of London Bridge Terror Attack Who Used His Skateboard To Protect Passersby From ISIS Killers Before He Was Stabbed To Death Could Be Made A Saint After Pope Changes Rules
“A hero of the London Bridge attack who saved people before being stabbed to death could be made a saint after the Pope opened up a new way to canonisation. Ignacio Echeverria, 39, became known as the 'skateboard hero' after he used his board to beat Islamist attackers during the 2017 Borough Market attack. The fearless Spaniard ran towards terrorists who were roaming the busy market wielding 12-inch knives and stabbing revellers in their path. While cycling to a skate park to meet friends on June 3, 2017, he saw a man attacking a police officer and then turn his attention to a nearby woman. The HSBC financial crimes analyst got off his bicycle, grabbed his skateboard and dashed towards the terrorists.”
Europe
The Slovak Spectator: Slovak Woman Linked To ISIS Facing Terror Charges
“A Slovak woman linked to Islamic terrorist group ISIS has been charged with terror offences after she was secretly transported back to Slovakia. The woman, who has only been identified by the initials R.D., arrived in Slovakia on a special government repatriation flight on Sunday night. She was then handed over to the National Criminal Agency and has since been charged with offences including support of a terrorist group. The daily SME has claimed the woman was related to a fighter in Islamic State or ISIS and lived in eastern Syria.”
Australia
BBC: Wieambilla Shooting: Australia Police Ambush Deemed Religious Terror Attack
“A shooting ambush in a remote Australian town that left six people dead has been declared a religiously-motivated terrorist attack. Authorities say it is the first time Christian extremist ideology has been linked to a terror attack in Australia. Two police officers and a neighbour were killed when Nathaniel, Stacey and Gareth Train opened fire on a rural property in Queensland last December. The trio were shot dead after a lengthy stand-off with police.”
Technology
WTOP News: The Hunt: Is Social Media Driving An Increase In Mass Violence?
“On this week’s edition of ‘The Hunt with WTOP national security correspondent J.J. Green,’ Dr. Hans-Jacob Schindler, senior director of the Counter Extremism Project, said, ‘It absolutely does.’”
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