“The FBI has arrested a man who allegedly attempted to bring an explosive
device onto an airplane in Pennsylvania, US authorities said Wednesday. The
bomb was discovered by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) personnel
on Monday, after the man's checked bag set off an alarm at Lehigh Valley
International Airport in the city of Allentown, the federal agency said in a
statement. A section of the airport, located about 100 miles (160 kilometers)
west of New York, was evacuated as a precaution, the TSA said. ‘FBI and local
law enforcement bomb technicians determined that the item was indeed a live
explosive device,’ TSA spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said on Twitter.”











<[link removed]>
<[link removed]>



Eye on Extremism



March 2, 2023



AFP News: US Man Arrested Trying To Bring Homemade Explosive Onto Plane
<[link removed]>



“The FBI has arrested a man who allegedly attempted to bring an explosive
device onto an airplane in Pennsylvania, US authorities said Wednesday. The
bomb was discovered by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) personnel
on Monday, after the man's checked bag set off an alarm at Lehigh Valley
International Airport in the city of Allentown, the federal agency said in a
statement. A section of the airport, located about 100 miles (160 kilometers)
west of New York, was evacuated as a precaution, the TSA said. ‘FBI and local
law enforcement bomb technicians determined that the item was indeed a live
explosive device,’ TSA spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said on Twitter.”



Associated Press: UN Chief Praises Moves Toward Stability In Rare Iraq Visit
<[link removed]>



“The United Nations chief on Wednesday praised Iraq for repatriating citizens
detained in neighboring Syria on suspicion of ties to the Islamic State group
and pledged international support for the country’s efforts to regain stability
and security. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres spoke to reporters during
a rare visit to Baghdad, his first in six years, ahead of this month’s 20-year
anniversary of the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein. The
years that followed Saddam’s overthrow saw widespread sectarian violence and
the rise first of al-Qaida in the region and later, the extremist Islamic State
group, which at one point controlled wide swaths of territory, including Iraq’s
second-largest city, Mosul. ‘We recognize that the challenges Iraq is facing
did not arise overnight,’ Guterres said, speaking at a news conference
alongside Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani. ‘They are the product
of decades of oppression, war, terrorism, sectarianism and foreign
interference.’”



United States



Fox News: Controversial School Board Member Endorsed Curriculum That Removes
'Islamic Terror' From 9/11 History Lessons
<[link removed]>



“A Fairfax, Virginia, school board member recommended curriculum materials
for teachers to use for their lesson plans which opposed using terms such as
‘radical Islamic terror,’ ‘Islamic terrorists’ and ‘jihadists’ when discussing
the history of the Sept. 11 attacks. Abrar Omeish is a school board member and
Georgetown law student who has become marred in controversy over a series of
controversial statements. In one instance, she refused to vote on a motion to
commemorate 9/11 victims. Fox News Digital found that in 2021 Omeish
recommended public school teachers use a ‘culturally responsive’ curriculum
guide for their lesson plans about 9/11 history.”



WTOP News: The Hunt: Taliban Hunting Down US Collaborators
<[link removed]>



“A new U.S. report said following the collapse of Afghanistan, the Taliban
acquired a national database of biometric information. The report from the
Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction said that the Taliban
are using it to track down people who helped the U.S. On this week’s edition of
“The Hunt with WTOP national security correspondent J.J. Green”, Hans-Jakob
Schindler, senior director of the Counter Extremism Project, said some of those
captured have been killed.”



Syria



Presna Latina: Terrorist Drone Strikes Reported In Syrian Province
<[link removed]>



“The jihadists of the Turkestan Party and Levant Liberation Board’ groups,
formerly al-Nousra Front, a group registered on the international terrorism
list, bombed military positions and civilian localities with shells and
unmanned aerial vehicles, a statement from the center said. It added that
hostile actions were aimed at targets in government-controlled areas in Idlib
and Latakia governments. The national army managed during its operations in
2020 to liberate 56 percent of Idlib, but radicals still control less than half
of it, where they are holding hundreds of thousands of civilians as human
shields. At Damascus’ request, Russia in 2015 sent forces to Syria to help
fight terrorism, which are mainly concentrated at the Hemeimim airbase and the
naval base in Tartous in the eastern Mediterranean.”



Iraq



Daily Sabah: UN Says Backs ‘Full’ Implementation Of Sinjar Agreement In Iraq
<[link removed]>



“The United Nations is all for the complete implementation of the Sinjar
Agreement, which envisages the removal of the PKK terrorist organization from
the Iraqi city, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Wednesday during a
visit to Baghdad. ‘We support this matter,’ Guterres said, referring to the
agreement signed under the auspices of the U.N. between the central government
in Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on Oct. 9, 2020, that
never took effect, allowing the PKK to roam free in the territory to this day.
Sinjar is wedged between Türkiye to the north and Syria to the west, making it
a highly strategic zone long coveted by both Baghdad and the KRG. Despite being
administered by the Iraqi city of Mosul, it is considered a disputed enclave
with the KRG. It fell under the control of the PKK and pro-Iran Iraqi militias
following Daesh’s invasion in 2014 where the terrorists managed to establish a
foothold under the pretext of protecting the local Yazidi community from Daesh
and have been trying to turn the district into a ‘second Qandil.’”



Iraqi News: Security Vehicle Bombed In Northern Iraq
<[link removed]>



“A security source mentioned that a Turkish bombing targeted a security
vehicle, west of Nineveh governorate, in northern Iraq, Alsumaria News
reported. The security source said that the bombing targeted a vehicle
belonging to the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) near the Sinjar Police
Directorate in Nineveh. Ankara, which has military bases in northern Iraq for
25 years, launches military operations against militants belonging to Kurdistan
Workers’ Party (PKK), who are stationed in training camps and bases in northern
Iraq. Turkish forces are stationed in about 40 locations in the northern part
of Iraq, from which they track PKK fighters, while civilians find themselves
sometimes threatened because of this conflict.”



Turkey



Yahoo News: Ex-Islamic State Fighters Still Pose A Risk In Turkey, Finds Report
<[link removed]>



“Former foreign fighters of the so-called Islamic State terror group (SIS)
might still pose a threat in Turkey, a new report has found. The International
Crisis Group study -- published this week -- said ex-ISIS militants were an
‘enduring challenge’ in Turkey, presenting officials with ‘complex questions’.
‘Thousands of foreign nationals who joined ISIS in Syria and Iraq have crossed
into Turkey. Some have been deported. Others have stayed,’ the report said.
‘Their presence creates a humanitarian and security challenge for Turkey,
currently reeling from the devastating earthquakes of February 2023.’”



Afghanistan



Voice Of America News: Taliban Announce Reopening Of Universities, But Only
For Male Students
<[link removed]>



“De facto Taliban authorities have announced the reopening of state-run
universities in the Afghan capital, Kabul, and several other cities, but say
only male students will be allowed to attend. ‘According to a decision by the
Supreme Council for Higher Education,’ reads a short statement from the
Taliban’s Ministry of Higher Education, ‘studies of the male students at
governmental higher education institutions in the colder provinces will
officially start from [March 6] of the current year.’ Schools and universities
go on annual winter break in about 24 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces. The
Islamist government banned higher education for female students last year,
saying women had not appropriately observed gender-based religious restrictions
under the prior government, which was backed by the United States.”



Samaa: Six TTP Terrorists Including Prominent Commander Killed In Afghanistan
IED Blast <[link removed]>



“At least six terrorists of Tehrik-i-Taliban (TTP) including an important
commander were killed and 15 others were injured in an Improvised Explosive
Device (IED) blast in Khost province of Afghanistan. The attack comes a week
after a senior Pakistani delegation had visited Afghanistan’s capital for talks
with Taliban officials. Pakistani Defence Minister Khwaja Asif was joined on
Wednesday by other top officials – including Lieutenant General Nadeem Anjum,
the director general of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence agency, or ISI –
in their meeting with Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Afghanistan acting deputy
prime minister for economic affairs, in Kabul. The identities of the slain
commanders were revealed to be Abdul Manan, Alam Khan Mudakhel, Kajir, and
three others unidentified.”



Pakistan



Dawn: Militant Attacks Surged In February, Says Report
<[link removed]>



“Militant attacks witnessed a surge in the month of February this year, but
the resultant deaths were down as compared to January. An attack by the
outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on Karachi Police Headquarters was
the most high-profile attack in the month of February. According to the
statistics released by Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies
(PICSS), militants carried out 58 attacks during the past month in which 62
people were killed, including 27 civilians, 18 security forces personnel and 17
militants while 134 people were injured, including 54 civilians and 80 security
forces personnel. The database showed that for the first time after June 2015,
the country faced 58 attacks in a single month. The upward trajectory of
anti-state violence continued in February as 32 per cent more insurgents’
attacks were recorded compared with January 2023. However, the number of deaths
declined by 56 per cent compared with January.”



Yemen



Asharq Al-Awsat: Yemen Demands Decisive Int’l Stance Against Houthi Terrorism
<[link removed]>



“The legitimate Yemeni government warned on Tuesday that it may wage a
‘decisive’ battle against the Iran-bqacked Houthi militias should peace efforts
fail. It stressed the need for the international community to take a firm
stance against the terrorist militias, especially in wake of its increasing
violations of the truce and crimes against civilians in regions under their
control. Yemeni Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed held talks with United
Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the sidelines of a donors
conference for Yemen in Geneva this week. Official Yemeni sources said the
officials discussed UN and international efforts to achieve peace in Yemen.
They tackled the Houthis’ deliberate obstruction of the extension of the
nationwide truce that was in place from April to October 2022.”



Middle East



Associated Press: Israeli Army Kills Palestinian In West Bank; 3 Arrested
<[link removed]>



“Israeli troops arrested three Palestinians on Wednesday suspected of
involvement in the killing earlier this week of an American-Israeli while a
fourth was shot and killed fleeing the scene of a daylight raid in a West Bank
refugee camp, the military said. The arrest raid in the Aqabat Jaber refugee
camp near Jericho came as Israel’s parliament gave initial approval to a
proposal to impose the death penalty on Palestinians convicted in deadly
attacks. A top minister in Israel’s far-right government, meanwhile, called for
‘erasing’ a Palestinian town in the occupied West Bank where radical Jewish
settlers went on a rampage earlier this week. The official Palestinian news
agency Wafa reported that three Palestinians were also wounded in the raid in
the Aqabat Jaber camp. Israeli leaders said the men arrested were suspected in
the killing of Elan Ganeles, a 27-year-old Israeli-American who was fatally
shot while driving on a West Bank highway near the refugee camp on Monday.”



The Times Of Israel: ‘A Loss For The World’: Israeli-American Elan Ganeles,
Killed By Terrorists, Buried
<[link removed]>



“Elan Ganeles, a 26-year-old Israeli-American killed in a terror attack near
the Dead Sea on Monday, was laid to rest in a Ra’anana cemetery on Wednesday.
Ganeles’s family, who live in West Hartford, Connecticut, flew to Israel for
the funeral, with thousands in attendance. Eulogizing her son, Ganeles’s mother
Caroline said, ‘He was the brightest boy in the world… he had never-ending
inquisitiveness.’ ‘While in Israel, he fell in love with the land and the
people. This is where he wanted to be,’ his father Andrew said. ‘He was going
to make aliyah.’”



i24 News: IDF Arrests 13 Palestinians In Counter-Terror Raids In West Bank
<[link removed]>



“Israeli security forces continued their counter-terror operation in the West
Bank early on Thursday, arresting 13 individuals suspected of terrorism or
being accomplices, according to the military spokesperson. The operation is
part of a wider Israeli effort to clamp down on terror amid growing unrest in
the Palestinian territories and an uptick in attacks targeting Israelis. A
force comprising of Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers, border police and
officers of the Shin Bet security agency raided terrorist hideouts in the
flashpoint cities of Hebron and Jenin and several surrounding villages. During
the operation, armed civilians in several villages fired at Israeli troops, who
responded with crowd control methods.”



Africa



Reuters: U.S. Special Forces Launch Counter-Terrorism Drills With African
Armies
<[link removed]>



“The United States began its annual counter-terrorism training program for
African forces in Ghana on Wednesday, aiming to strengthen border defences in
the fight against Islamist insurgents who are spreading south into new
territories. The program, known as Flintlock, started at a military base in the
dusty northern town of Daboya where U.S. and European trainers drilled soldiers
from across Africa on first aid and firing drills in the baking heat.
‘Flintlock intends to strengthen the ability of key partner nations in the
region to counter violent extremist organizations, collaborate across borders,
and provide security for their people,’ U.S. Africa Command said in a
statement. The training comes at a critical time for West Africa, where groups
linked to Islamic State and al Qaeda continue to carry out routine attacks on
civilians and the military despite costly interventions from international
forces.”



Voice Of America News: Security Experts Discuss Rising Extremist Violence In
Africa
<[link removed]>



“Security experts are meeting this week in Senegal to discuss the fight
against rising violent extremism in Africa, particularly in the Sahel region,
where Islamist militant attacks are increasing at an alarming rate. Over the
last decade, an abundance of resources in the form of military personnel and
dollars have poured into the fight against militant violence in Africa. Scores
of conferences, forums and training exercises have been held to discuss causes
and solutions. The problem has not only persisted but has gotten worse. Deaths
linked to Islamist militants on the continent skyrocketed by nearly 50 percent
in the last year to more than 19,000 people, much of it in the western Sahel
region, according to the Africa Center for Strategic Studies. The violence has
also expanded geographically, trickling into new regions, such as West African
coastal states and the Lake Chad Basin.”



United Kingdom



BBC: Alleged Patriotic Alternative Member Admits Terror Charges
<[link removed]>



“An alleged far-right fitness guru for a group known as Patriotic Alternative
has admitted sharing a stash of terrorist documents on social media. Kristofer
Kearney, 38, from Liverpool is believed to be the first member of the
organisation to be convicted of terrorist offences. He shared Telegram posts
glorifying and encouraging extreme right-wing terror attacks, the Old Bailey
court was told. Kearney pleaded guilty to two counts of disseminating terrorist
publications. Kearney, who was known online as Charlie Big Potatoes, was based
in Alicante before he was extradited from Spain to face charges last September.
He entered his plea by video-link from Chelmsford prison on Wednesday.”



Daily Mail: Public Inquiry Into Manchester Arena Bombing Will Publish Final
Report Today On Whether MI5 And Counter-Terror Police Could Have Stopped Salman
Abedi From Committing Atrocity That Killed 22 Concert-Goers
<[link removed]>



“The public inquiry into the Manchester Arena bombing will publish its third
and final report today on whether MI5 and counter-terror police could have
stopped the atrocity. Twenty-two people were killed and hundreds were injured
in a suicide attack at the end of an Ariana Grande concert on May 22 2017.
Evidence into the circumstances leading up to and surrounding the atrocity was
heard in the city between September 7 2020 and February 15 2022. Today,
Manchester Arena Inquiry chairman Sir John Saunders will release his findings
on whether the terror attack by Salman Abedi could have been prevented by
emergency services.”



Daily Mail: Shamima Begum And Other British Women Who Joined Islamic State And
Are Being Held In Syria Will 'Ultimately' Be Allowed Back In The UK, Terror
Watchdog Says
<[link removed]>



“Shamima Begum will ultimately be allowed back into Britain, the Government's
terror watchdog said today. Jonathan Hall KC, the reviewer of terrorism
legislation, said he has a 'hunch' that the UK will in time decide to
repatriate current and former British citizens from Syria. Shamima Begum will
ultimately be allowed back into Britain, the Government's terror watchdog said
today. Jonathan Hall KC, the reviewer of terrorism legislation, said he has a
'hunch' that the UK will in time decide to repatriate current and former
British citizens from Syria.”



France



RFI: French Woman 'Obsessed' With Joining Islamic State In Syria Jailed For 12
Years
<[link removed]>



“Douha Mounib, 32, was found guilty of associating with terrorists in her two
stays in Syria, between 2013 and 2017. The special court noted her ‘uncommon
determination’ to join the Islamic State armed group. In court Mounib detailed
her radicalisation in 2012 and her desire to go to Syria that turned into an
‘obsession’. In 2012, after watching propaganda videos, she quit her midwife
studies and started wearing a veil. She first went to Syria in 2013, traveling
from Morocco to Turkey, where she married a smuggler, who helped her cross the
border.”



Southeast Asia



One News: IS-East Asia Still Deadliest Terror Threat In Phl – Report
<[link removed]>



“The Islamic State (IS)-East Asia remained the deadliest terrorist threat in
the Philippines, with the Southeast Asian country a target destination for
foreign terrorist fighters (FTF) from Indonesia and Malaysia, according to the
US Department of State’s latest annual country report on terrorism. The 2021
Country Reports on Terrorism identified the IS-East Asia factions as active,
including Daulah Islamiya-Lanao (aka Maute group), Daulah Islamiya-Maguindanao,
Daulah Islamiya-Soccsksargen in South Cotabato, Sarangani and General Santos
City, IS-aligned elements of Abu Sayyaf in Basilan and Sulu, IS-aligned
elements of Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and rogue elements of the Moro
Islamic Liberation Front. ‘IS-East Asia remained the deadliest terrorist threat
in the Philippines, continuing to recruit, fund raise and stage attacks on
security forces and civilians alike,’ the report said. ‘The Philippines
remained a destination for FTFs from Indonesia and Malaysia.’”



Philippine News Agency: NP Receives $3-M Counter-Terrorism Equipment From US
<[link removed]>



“The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Wednesday received USD3.3 million
(around PHP181 million) worth of state-of-the-art equipment from the Office of
Antiterrorism Assistance Program of the Diplomatic Security Services of the
United States Embassy to help boost its counter-terrorism capability. US
Ambassador to Manila MaryKay Carlson led the turnover of the donated equipment
at Camp Bagong Diwa, in Taguig City, which includes 31 bomb suits, 37 Digital
SCANX units, 40 X-ray Sources, 10 EOD bomb suit batteries, 33 high-risk search
techniques kits, 13 seeker-e kits, and seven Ford Ranger pickup trucks. ‘This
equipment with a total value of over USD3 million will enhance the capability
of the PNP-Explosive Ordnance Disposal and K-9 unit to search, identify and
render safe improvised explosive devices and facilitate collection of evidence
to use for prosecution,’ Carlson said. Carlson stressed Washington D.C.’s
commitment to supporting Manila in its fight against terrorism.”



Australia



ABC News: Bail Refused For Adelaide Man Cameron Brodie-Hall, Charged With
Possessing Extremist Material
<[link removed]>



“Members of a neo-Nazi group were allegedly heard discussing CCTV at Adelaide
Oval and on Adelaide's public transport system, a court has heard. Cameron
Brodie-Hall, 22, is charged with possessing extremist material and possessing a
document for terrorist acts. South Australia's District Court heard the
documents related to "achieving mass awakening by taking down the system" and
condoned successful terrorist attackers. Mr Brodie-Hall has asked the court to
release him on home detention bail to live with his mother, an application that
was strongly opposed by the prosecution. The prosecutor told the court the
young man identified as a Nazi and was a member of an extremist and racist
far-right group that was under investigation.”



India



The Print: India Expresses Concern Over Rising Threat Of Terrorism In Africa,
Asia
<[link removed]>



“Concerned over the spread of terrorism, particularly in the regions of
Africa and Asia, India on Wednesday said that the threat of terrorism can only
be tackled through consistent and unified multilateral action. Ruchira Kamboj,
India’s permanent representative to the UN, said that India is committed to
eradicating terrorism entirely and will not rest until this goal is achieved.
She quoted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement, ‘even a single act of
terrorism is one too many, even a single life lost is one too many’ and said
that in recent years, India has contributed more than USD 2 million to the UN
Office of Counter Terrorism in support of its global programmes to counter
financing of terrorism as well as stemming terrorists’ travels.’ Going forward,
we also reiterate our support to provide more financial resources to UNOCT from
the regular UN budget.”



The Times Of India: Two With ISIS Links In Gujarat Get 10 Years In Jail For
Plotting To Spread Terror
<[link removed]>



“A special NIA court here has sentenced two brothers, accused of having links
with the terror outfit Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), to 10 years of
imprisonment. Waseem Ramodiya and his younger brother Naeem were arrested by
the Gujarat Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) from Rajkot and Bhavnagar, respectively,
in February 2017 for allegedly plotting to spread terror in the state on the
instructions of their ISIS handlers. The case was handed over to the National
Investigation Agency (NIA) in May 2017. On Tuesday, special NIA court judge S K
Baxi convicted both the accused, and sentenced them to ten years' imprisonment.
The court found them guilty under Indian Penal Code sections 120B (criminal
conspiracy), 121 (waging war against government) and 122 (collecting arms to
wage war against government), relevant sections of the Unlawful Activities
(Prevention) Act and Explosive Substances Act.”



Daily Pioneer: 7 ISIS-Linked Ultras Get Death Penalty In 2017 UP Case
<[link removed]>



“A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Lucknow has sentenced
to death seven ISIS-linked terrorists, while awarding life imprisonment to an
associate in the 2017 Kanpur ISIS case. In Gujarat, another NIA special court
awarded two brothers to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment in the ISIS Rajkot
case in which the duo was convicted for radicalising and recruiting people to
carry out terror acts in the country in the name of the global terror group.
With these two convictions, the conviction rate of NIA stands at 93.69 percent.
‘The NIA sets standards of investigation and prosecution yet again. Continuing
the tradition of evidence-based investigations, which rely on scientifically
collected hard evidence, the NIA has achieved yet another milestone. In two
separate judgments, NIA Special Courts at Lucknow and Ahmedabad have pronounced
sentences for a total of 10 accused,’ the federal anti-terror probe agency said
in a statement. Both cases relate to online radicalisation of the accused in
the name of ISIS, their motivation to commit violent Jihad and cause terror
attacks in the country, it said.”



Bangladesh



The Business Standard: 4 Members Of Militant Outfit Jamatul Ansar Held In Ctg
<[link removed]>



“The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has arrested four more members of the
banned militant outfit Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya from Chattogram's
Patiya as part of the ongoing anti-militancy operation that started on 10
October last year. They were arrested in a drive conducted by RAB in the area
on Tuesday night, the elite force confirmed. Details of the drive will be
revealed in a media briefing on Wednesday. ‘The arrestees left their homes and
took military training in the Chattogram Hill Tracts for the so-called ‘Hijrat’
(migration), Assistant Director (media) of RAB-7 Nurul Absar told The Business
Standard.”



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