Eye on Extremism
January 27, 2020
Reuters:
Afghan Forces Launch Air, Ground Attacks On Taliban, Killing
51
“Afghan forces used ground attacks and air strikes in multiple
operations against the Taliban during the last 24 hours, killing 51
fighters in an escalation that signaled renewed deadlock in peace
talks. Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry said on Sunday that government
forces had conducted 13 ground offensives and 12 air strikes in nine
provinces, adding that 51 “terrorists” had been killed, 13 wounded and
six arrested. Local officials in the northern province of Balkh said
at least three women and four children were killed in the air strikes,
prompting protests in front of the provincial governor’s office. The
government pledged to send a fact-finding mission to investigate the
reports of civilian deaths. Meanwhile, the Taliban said it had staged
two more attacks targeting security forces over the weekend, following
sporadic assaults last week. Afghan security forces’ checkpoints in
Kunduz were attacked on Saturday night, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah
Mujahid said in a statement, adding that 10 members of the security
forces were killed and three wounded. Taliban fighters also captured a
large weapons cache, he said.”
Deutsche
Welle: Germany: Over 500 Right-Wing Extremists Suspected In
Bundeswehr
“Germany's Military Counterintelligence Service (MAD) has said it
was investigating 550 Bundeswehr soldiers suspected of right-wing
extremism, German newspaper Welt am Sonntag reported on Sunday.
Numerous cases of extremism in the German military and among other
security forces have been brought to light in recent years, as the
government struggles to contain right-wing extremist threats and
violence. An additional 360 cases of suspected right-wing extremism
were registered in 2019, Christof Gramm, the head of MAD, told Welt am
Sonntag. He added that suspicions of extremism were confirmed in 14
cases last year, eight of which involved right-wing extremism. MAD
said an additional 40 individuals failed to uphold the values of the
German constitution. “Our goal is to not only remove extremists from
the German military but also people who lack loyalty to the
constitution,” Gramm said. He attributed the rise in numbers to
increased scrutiny by MAD.”
The
New York Times: Twenty Soldiers Killed In Mali Attack, Government
Says
“About 20 soldiers were killed in a pre-dawn attack on an army camp
in central Mali on Sunday, the government said. The identity of the
attackers was not immediately clear. In a statement, the government
said “terrorists” entered the camp near the village of Sokolo, killed
the soldiers and caused “significant material damage”. “Reinforcements
have been dispatched to the scene and an aerial reconnaissance is
underway in the area to track down the attackers,” it said. Islamist
groups with links to al Qaeda and Islamic State operate in arid
central and northern Mali and have used the area as a base to attack
soldiers and civilians in neighboring Burkina Faso, Niger and beyond.
Former colonial power France intervened in 2013 to drive back
militants who had seized northern Mali in 2012, and the U.N. Security
Council deployed a peacekeeping mission, known as MINUSMA. The
militants were pushed back initially but have since regrouped and
strengthened. In a sign of their success, MINUSMA has become the
U.N.'s deadliest mission.”
United States
The
New York Times: Judge OKs Classified Information Status In Terrorism
Case
“A judge in Arkansas has allowed a U.S. government official to help
guard against the release of classified information during the
upcoming terrorism trial of a Yemeni citizen accused of providing
material support to al-Qaida. U.S. District Judge Susan Webber Wright
on Thursday granted the Justice Department's motion to allow a
designated classified information security officer to participate in
the case. Bilal Al-Rayanni, 28, faces trial July 6 in Little Rock on
charges of providing material support to a foreign terrorist
organization — al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula — and providing a
false name on a passport, according to an August 2019 indictment. The
indictment says Al-Rayanni traveled to Yemen in 2014 and worked for
al-Qaida for three months while knowing that the U.S. has deemed it a
foreign terrorist organization, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported
Friday. The designated officer would guide the court and court
personnel on how to handle classified information. U.S. law considers
information to be classified if it needs protection against
unauthorized disclosure for reasons of national security. Al-Rayanni
told prosecutors that his father had purchased a U.S. visa from a
Yemeni man whose name was Kassem Alawdi.”
The
Philadelphia Inquirer: Extremist Neo-Nazi Leader Is A Former Villanova
Student, N.J. Resident, Reports Say
“The head of an extremist neo-Nazi group under investigation by
U.S. counterterrorism officials was revealed Friday to be a man with
strong Philadelphia-area connections, including graduating from a
prestigious New Jersey prep school and attending a Main Line
university in the 1990s, according to the British newspaper the
Guardian. Rinaldo Nazzaro, 46, previously known by the aliases “Norman
Spear” and “Roman Wolf,” is reportedly the founder of The Base, a
white nationalist group formed in 2018, which has advocated for a race
war and creation of a white ethnostate in the Pacific Northwest. The
Guardian, whose investigation relied partially on material provided by
a whistleblower inside The Base, also reported that a Rinaldo Nazzaro
is identified as a 1991 graduate of the Delbarton School, a
Morristown, N.J., Catholic preparatory school. “We can confirm that
Rinaldo Nazzaro was a 1991 graduate of Delbarton School,” Anthony S.
Cicatiello, a spokesperson for the school, said in a statement Friday.
“He has donated to Delbarton in the past and we have no knowledge of
his activities.” A Villanova spokesperson told The Inquirer on Friday
that a student named Ronald Nazzaro attended the university from 1991
to 1994, then withdrew before graduating.”
Syria
The
Washington Post: In Syria, U.S. Steps Up Islamic State Operation, But
For How Long, No One Knows
“U.S. troops in Syria have picked up the pace of counterterrorism
operations following a lull, a top U.S. commander said Saturday, but
the future of the American mission remains uncertain amid changing
dynamics in the Syrian conflict and the potential for renewed
presidential intervention. “The tempo is coming back,” Gen. Kenneth
“Frank” McKenzie Jr., who heads U.S. Central Command, said during a
visit to a constellation of tiny American outposts in eastern Syria.
American troops in Syria, like those in neighboring Iraq, shifted
their focus from anti-extremist operations to force protection after a
Jan. 3 strike in Baghdad killed Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, Iran’s most
influential military figure. Iran retaliated by launching ballistic
missiles at U.S. troops in Iraq, causing no deaths, although a number
of service members have suffered symptoms believed to be associated
with traumatic brain injury. Now, McKenzie said, U.S. troops are
conducting three to four operations a week with Syrian Kurdish forces
against the Islamic State, an increased pace but still far fewer than
during the earlier massive multinational campaign. McKenzie touched
down at a series of isolated bases, where 500-600 American troops are
arrayed, in his first visit to an area of Syria known as the “eastern
security zone.”
Reuters:
Syrian Government Forces Capture Towns In Advance On Rebel-Held
Idlib
“Syrian government forces have taken control of several towns in
northwestern Idlib province, a war monitor and Syrian state media
reported, amid a renewed push by President Bashar al-Assad to
recapture the last rebel stronghold. Hundreds of thousands of people
have fled Idlib in recent weeks amid stepped up air strikes by Russian
and Syrian forces aimed at clearing the opposition from its last
redoubt after almost nine years of civil war. The Syrian Observatory,
a war monitor, said on Sunday that six towns in the Idlib countryside
had fallen to Syrian government forces in the past 24 hours. The
Observatory said the government advance, backed by heavy Russian
airstrikes, has brought Assad’s forces to the outskirts of Maarat
al-Numan, a strategic urban center about 33 km (20 miles) south of the
city of Idlib on a highway that connects Damascus to Aleppo. The push
deeper into rebel-held territory has taken place despite a deal
between Turkey and Russia, which back opposing sides in the conflict,
for a Jan. 12 ceasefire. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said
on Friday that around 400,000 people from Idlib province were moving
towards the Turkish border as a result of the surge in violence.
Turkey, which has a presence in the area and is seen by many civilians
as a protector against Russian strikes, already hosts more than 3.5
million Syrian refugees and fears that millions more could cross the
border.”
Iraq
The
Hill: Iraqi President: Stability After Years Of Fighting ISIS Could
Easily Unravel
“Iraqi President Barham Salih said Sunday that the the stability in
Iraq after years of fighting ISIS could “easily unravel” amid
increasing tension between the U.S. and Iran. Salih told CNN’s Fareed
Zakaria that the country is already seeing signs of ISIS returning. “I
think the environment is so unstable, so dangerous, we all need to be
worried and concerned, and certainly in the case of Iraq -- and I go
back to Iraq as well -- Iraq is very fragile, very precarious. The
stability that we have acquired after years of conflict against ISIS
was not easy. It could easily unravel,” Salih said. “We are already
seeing signs of ISIS coming back. The implications of the conflict in
Syria, the dynamics in Idlib are all very, very serious. We are now
talking about a regional conflict,” he added. The Iraqi president said
it is a “dangerous moment,” adding that the region doesn’t need
“another conflict.” Zakaria asked Salih if he mentioned this to
President Trump. “We had a very candid conversation. And the need for
basically restraint, calming things down -- this is not the time for
another conflict,” he responded. The Iraqi Parliament called for U.S.
troops to leave following Trump’s decision to order a drone strike
that killed Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani.”
The
National: US Remains 'Committed' To Preventing ISIS Resurgence In
Iraq
“The US says it remains committed to supporting Iraq against an
ISIS resurgence, despite escalating tensions with Iran. The Iraqi
government declared victory over the terror group in December 2017 and
the US-led coalition seized the group’s last territory in Syria last
March. But ISIS continues to carry out attacks in both countries. A
State Department official told The National that the Global Coalition
to Defeat ISIS “remains committed, along with Iraqi security forces,
to our shared goal of defeating ISIS remnants”. The official said the
coalition continued to have advisers in the operations centres of
several provinces and has regular meetings with Iraqi security forces
at all levels. While ISIS remains a concern in Iraq, the coalition has
not seen a rise in activity over the past month, he said. “The US has
made clear the importance of the continued presence of the Global
Coalition to Defeat ISIS in Iraq,” the official said. “We have fought
side by side with Iraq against ISIS to liberate 100 per cent of ISIS’s
territorial control, enable critical stabilisation initiatives and
facilitate the return of millions of Iraqis to their homes.” In 2014,
ISIS held territory that was nearly the size of the UK.”
The
Washington Times: ISIS Leader's Confession Gives Gruesome Look Into
Atrocities
“The arrest of an obese Islamic State leader — his girth loaded by
Iraqi forces onto a pickup truck — produced a number of confessions on
how the captive unleashed a wave of terrorism in occupied Mosul from
2014 to 2017. Shifa al-Nima, a Muslim “mufti” or religious scholar,
also provided details on how radical Sunnis obtain cash to finance
terrorism. In his case, as a networking young terrorist, he had a
financial benefactor in Saudi Arabia and two terrorist funders who
resided in London. Iraqi security forces released photos of al-Nima on
Jan. 16 sprawled on the floor of his Baghdad hiding place and of him
being hoisted onto the flatbed. President Trump has said U.S. troops
smashed the Syria-Iraq “caliphate” of the late Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi,
but U.S. troops continue to plan and support Iraq’s counter-ISIS
missions. “ISIS warriors are still spread across the region in some of
the most unlikely locations,” said Robert L. Maginnis, a retired Army
lieutenant colonel and national security author. “They are like rats
that must be smoked out but wait patiently for the anticipated
reemergence of a new caliph.” Al-Nima confessed this month to issuing
a string of rape-and-pillage “fatwas” that licensed ISIS fighters to
kill and enslave.”
Afghanistan
The
New York Times: Grenade Attack On Afghan Wedding Injures 20, Including
Kids
“An hand grenade attack on an Afghan wedding ceremony wounded at
least 20 people, including several children, a provincial official
said Sunday. At least one of the injured children was in critical
condition, said Adel Haider, a spokesman for the police chief of the
eastern Khost province, which borders Pakistan. No one immediately
claimed responsibility for Saturday night's attack. There was no
evidence that the Taliban were behind the attack, although they have a
strong presence in the area. Haider said the Taliban's ban on music
when they ruled Afghanistan led him to believe that they could have
been the culprits. But it's also common in that part of Afghanistan to
settle personal vendettas with such attacks. Haider said police are
investigating all possible motives and so far no one has come forward
with any information about tribal rivalries involving the wedding
party. All of the injured wedding guests were men, but it was not
immediately clear if the groom was injured in the attack, Haider said.
Last August, a suicide bomber from the Islamic State affiliate in
Afghanistan killed 63 people at a wedding in Kabul, the deadliest
attack in the capital in 2019. The Taliban, which the U.S. hopes will
help curb the IS affiliate’s rise, condemned the attack as “forbidden
and unjustifiable.”
Foreign
Policy: In Afghanistan, Religious Schools Are A Breeding Ground For
Islamic State Influence
“A small group of boys sits cross-legged on the floor, reciting the
Quran under their breath, their bodies moving rhythmically to the
Arabic words, in the light-flooded rooms of the religious school
connected to the mosque in the village of Lamatak. “At first I’d read
the Arabic text without understanding, but our teachers are always
here to answer our questions,” Fazil Haq, a green-eyed 14-year-old
student, said excitedly. “God will be happy when I study the Quran.”
All of the children here in the madrassa in Afghanistan’s eastern
Kunar province are getting their education free of charge. But Afghan
security officials are increasingly concerned that too much of the
money going to newly mushrooming madrassas such as this one could be
encouraging extremism in the region. With the Kabul administration
only able to financially support a minority of mosques and religious
schools, money from Islamic State sympathizers might fund a growing
majority of these institutions. Afghanistan’s Ministry of Hajj and
Religious Affairs says there are likely tens of thousands of mosques
in the country, but only about 7,000 are registered with the
ministry.”
Al
Jazeera: Women, Children Among Seven Killed In Afghan Gov't Air
Raids
“Government air raids in Afghanistan's northern Balkh province have
killed at least seven civilians, including three children, triggering
protests from local residents. Tolo news, a local news website,
reported that the victims belonged to one family and were killed while
they were having dinner on Sunday. A member of parliament from Balkh
alleged that the attack was carried out in areas controlled by the
government, according to local media reports. The West-backed Afghan
government, which has been battling an armed rebellion from Taliban,
pledged to send a fact-finding mission to investigate the reports of
civilian deaths. The Balkh operation was part of the government's
ground-and-air offensive against the Taliban, which has waged an armed
rebellion since it was dislodged from power in a United States-led
invasion in 2001 following deadly attacks on US soil. The government
offensive comes as the US has been engaging Taliban in peace talks to
end the 19-year-old war. Afghan defence ministry on Sunday said it has
killed dozens of “terrorists” in 13 ground and 12 air operations
across nine provinces in the last 24 hours, Reuters news agency
reported. At least 13 people have been wounded and six others
arrested, the ministry said.”
Yahoo
News: Taliban Say Frustrated By Additional Demands Of
US
“The Taliban, in a rambling commentary published on their website,
expressed frustration with what they describe as additional U.S.
demands in peace talks — even after they had offered a “reduction of
violence.” They have not publicly outlined what that would entail and
did not explain the new Washington demands. The insurgents' gesture of
reduced violence, though never quantified, was meant to open a window
for the signing of a peace agreement that could see the withdrawal of
U.S. troops and the end to the 18-year war in Afghanistan, America's
longest conflict. Meanwhile, Amnesty International said in a statement
Friday that to talk about a “reduction of violence” was an
“absurdity.” “In a conflict marked by attacks on civilians, the term
‘violence reduction’ is an absurdity. There can be no acceptable level
of violence,” said Omar Waraich, deputy South Asia director at
Amnesty. “The United States and the Afghan Taliban must commit to
abide by the laws of war and end all attacks on Afghan civilians,” he
added. Earlier, Taliban officials familiar with the talks told The
Associated Press the Taliban had offered a cease-fire, lasting seven
to 10 days, to Washington's peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad durig their
latest round of talks last week in the Gulf Arab state of Qatar, where
the Taliban maintain a political office.”
Xinhua:
4 Militants Killed In S. Afghan Airstrike
“Four Taliban militants have been killed after Afghan Special
Operations Forces conducted an airstrike in the country's southern
province of Helmand in the latest raid against the Taliban insurgents
and their supply lines, command of special forces said Sunday. “The
sortie was launched in Washer district, western part of Helmand
province on Saturday. One militants' vehicle and a motorcycle were
also destroyed by the strike,” Afghan National Army Special Operations
Corps said in a statement. Helmand province is a known Taliban
stronghold. The Taliban militants, controlling parts of the restive
province, use rugged terrains and mountains as hideouts and frequently
launch hit-and-run attacks against the security forces. The militant
group has not responded to the report so far.”
Middle East
The
New York Times: Three Jordanians Charged For IS-Inspired Attack In
Court
“Three Jordanian men appeared in court Sunday to face charges
connected to the stabbing of eight people at a popular archaeological
site in northern Jordan in November in an attack allegedly inspired by
the Islamic State group. The military judge presiding over the trial
accused the men of supporting Islamic State ideology and carrying out
the attack at Jerash to avenge the death of late IS leader Abu Bakr
al-Baghdadi. November's incident took place in Jerash, one of Jordan's
most visited archaeological sites, an ancient city whose ruins include
a Roman amphitheater and a columned road. Jordan relies heavily on
incoming tourism. Islamist militant groups have repeatedly targeted
the country's tourist sites to impact the economy and embarrass the
government. Mustafa Abu Tuameh, 22, is accused of stabbing eight
people, including one Swiss and three Mexican tourists, and four
Jordanians. None of the victims suffered life-threatening wounds.
Gruesome footage of the attack was captured by bystanders. At the time
of the attack, the Jordanian army's news site identified Abu Tuameh as
a resident of the nearby Palestinian refugee camp.”
The
New York Times: Israeli Aircraft Strike Gaza Sites After Balloon
Launches
“Israeli aircraft struck several sites for Gaza militants late
Saturday in response to incendiary balloons launched from the
Palestinian enclave. The Israeli military said the sites belonged to
Hamas, the Islamic group ruling the territory, and included weapons
manufacturing and intelligence-gathering facilities. There were no
reports of injuries from the airstrikes in southern Gaza Strip.
Blaming Hamas, the military said it considers “any kind of terror
activity with great severity and will continue operating as necessary
against attempts to harm its civilians.” Palestinian groups resumed
launching flammable balloons on Israel recently and Hamas said it’s
encouraging the shootings, charging Israel of not honoring an
unofficial truce meant to improve the economy of the narrow enclave.
In trying to bolster the Egyptian and U.N.-mediated truce, Hamas
halted the regular weekly protests along Gaza-Israel fence last month.
Earlier this week, a senior Hamas official said that the balloons were
a signal to Israel to accelerate the informal “understandings” meant
to ease the crippling blockade on Gaza.”
Asharq
Al-Awsat: Jordan Charges Stabbing Attack Suspect With
Terrorism
“A Jordanian court on Sunday leveled terrorism charges against a
man suspected of wounding eight people in a November knife attack at
the popular Jerash tourist site. The suspect, Moustafa Abourouis, 22,
faces up to 20 years in prison after the stabbing of three Mexicans, a
Swiss woman, a Jordanian tour guide and a security officer. At a
hearing open to the press, prosecutors accused Abourouis of committing
a “terrorist act” and “promoting the ideas of a terrorist group” -- a
reference to the ISIS group. Abourouis, who is of Palestinian origins
and grew up in the refugee camp of Souf, was arrested immediately
after the attack at Jerash, close to the camp and around 50 kilometers
(30 miles) north of Amman. The Jordanian prosecutor accused Abourouis
of trying to join ISIS, an operative of which in Syria had “ordered
him to commit attacks against foreigners”. Two alleged accomplices,
also Jordanians of Palestinian origin, were charged with “terrorism”
in the same case. All three pleaded not guilty, reported AFP. The
court is scheduled to hear witnesses next Sunday, with the date for a
verdict to be confirmed. In December 2016, in Karak, 10 people were
killed in an attack claimed by ISIS that also left 34 wounded.”
Libya
The
New York Times: Libya's Haftar Makes Push In Western
Libya
“Eastern Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar sought on Sunday
to open a new front by moving forces towards the city of Misrata,
which is allied to the country's internationally recognised
government, officials and residents said. In another sign that a shaky
truce was faltering, Tripoli's Mitiga further to the west airport was
hit by two rockets, which wounded two civilians and damaged the tarmac
and buildings, the U.N. mission to Libya said. It did not blame anyone
for the strike, the second within days. The airport has been used to
launch Turkish-supplied combat drones to counter unmanned aircraft
used by Haftar's Libyan National Army and provided by the United Arab
Emirates. The increase in fighting comes a week after the UAE, Egypt,
Russia, which back Haftar, and Turkey, which backs the government in
Tripoli, agreed with western powers at a summit in Berlin to push for
a lasting ceasefire and uphold an arms embargo. Despite the peace
efforts, the LNA has now moved from the central city of Sirte towards
Misrata. Fighting between the LNA and forces from Misrata was centred
on the town of Abugrain, 120 km east of Misrata itself, both sides
confirmed."
Daily
Sabah: Turkey Pledges To Prevent Libya From Becoming 'Playground' Of
Terrorists
“Turkey will continue to side with the Libyan people to prevent the
conflict-ravaged country from becoming a playground for terrorist
groups and warlords, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Sunday in
Algeria, the first stop of his three-nation African tour. Speaking at
a joint press conference with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune
in capital Algiers, Erdoğan said that developments in Libya directly
affect its neighbor Algeria. “We, as Turkey, will continue to side
with our Libyan brothers with all of our resources,” Erdoğan said.
Turkey won't allow for Libya to become the playground of terrorist
groups and warlords, he added. Eastern-based forces loyal to putschist
Gen. Khalifa Haftar continue their attacks targeting residential
places and civilians to capture the capital Tripoli from the
U.N.-recognized legitimate government, despite calls for a cease-fire
at the Berlin conference. On Jan. 12, parties in Libya announced a
cease-fire in response to a joint call by the leaders of Turkey and
Russia. But talks for a permanent cease-fire ended without an
agreement after Haftar left Moscow without signing the deal. A week
later, Haftar accepted terms in Berlin to designate members to a
U.N.-proposed military commission with five members from each side to
monitor the implementation of the cease-fire.”
Nigeria
Voice
Of America: Christian Authorities Worry About Being Targeted By Boko
Haram
“The killing of a Nigerian priest by Boko Haram has raised fresh
concerns among Nigeria's Christian community that it is being targeted
by the Islamist militants. The death came barely two weeks after
President Muhammadu Buhari urged Nigerians to stop viewing acts of
terror as a “religious war.” The Reverend Lawan Andimi was declared
missing January 3 after Boko Haram insurgents raided his village in
Michika, in northeastern state of Adamawa. He headed the state's
chapter of the Christian governing body, Christian Association of
Nigeria (CAN). The insurgents murdered him on Monday while
negotiations for his release were ongoing — an event that has
triggered widespread criticisms of the government by the Christian
body. Security analyst Ebenezer Oyetakin says the killing was intended
to incite religious tensions between the two major religious groups in
the country. “The Muslims and the Christians in Nigeria and the
citizens must know that the instrument these external forces and their
internal collaborators are exploiting are our front lines. Front lines
of tribes, religion and ethnicity.”
Africa
All
Africa: Africa: Punching Back Against Al-Shabaab
“An attack this month on a Kenyan military base, which killed one
American service member and two U.S. Department of Defense
contractors, before being repelled by Kenyan and American forces,
comes as the Pentagon is considering whether to reduce military
efforts in Africa. Christopher Karns, an Air Force colonel and
spokesperson for the U.S. Africa Command (Africom), says that American
support helps to keep Africans, the United States and other
international partners safe, and he disputes claims that the
al-Shabaab attackers have been making. Winning in the information
space is critically important to security. Al-Shabaab, a dangerous
terrorist organization, accused U.S. Africa Command of misinformation
after the tragic attack in Kenya on January 5. where three Americans
lost their lives. It is important to set the record straight. Today,
these violent criminals are a daily threat to east Africa, especially
Somalia. They kill indiscriminately. This was evident on December 28
when they brutally massacred more than 80 innocent civilians in
Mogadishu. In a press release, al-Shabaab falsely claims that 17
Americans were killed in the Jan. 5 attack. While their words lack
credibility for many, it is important that their accusations and ideas
be countered as swiftly as they surface.”
United Kingdom
BBC
News: Counter-Terrorism Police Arrest Man In Bradford
“A man has been arrested after counter-terrorism officers raided
three homes in Bradford. An Army bomb disposal unit was called in for
support after the “discovery of some items” at one of the properties,
police said. A number of neighbouring houses in Sutton Avenue were
evacuated as officers carried out a search. Police said a 38-year-old
man had been arrested on suspicion of explosives offences. Counter
Terrorism Policing North East said a police cordon was lifted at 15:30
GMT and residents have returned to their homes.”
France
The
New York Times: France Judges Dead Jihadists But Refuses To Repatriate
The Living
“The trial this month was exceptional for a country that has
resisted repatriating or extraditing terrorism suspects from
battlegrounds in Iraq and Syria. A Paris judge heard cases against 24
men and women charged with links to the Islamic State. Witnesses were
called. Prosecutors and defense lawyers made their statements.
Verdicts were rendered. But 19 of the defendants were presumed dead,
and all were tried in absentia. It was, as the French news media have
called it, a “ghost trial.” Antoine Ory, one of the defense lawyers,
acknowledged as much. “In France, in 2020, we refuse to repatriate the
living but we try the dead,” he told the court. The trial, which
concluded last week with convictions for everyone, brought to light
one of France’s paradoxes when it comes to handling such cases. The
government wants to prosecute terrorism suspects, hoping to prevent
them from falling through legal cracks and trying to piece together
how the networks operated for evidence in future trials against the
living. But it does not want the trials conducted on its territory.
Since 2018, France has instead been at the forefront of the European
negotiations with the Iraqi government to have European jihadists
tried there, with only modest success.”
The
Local France: Frenchman Jailed For 22 Years For ISIS
Recruiting
“A Frenchman has been sentenced to 22 years in prison for seeking
to recruit dozens of youths to fight as jihadists in Syria and for
leading a brigade of French-speaking Islamists in the war-torn
country. Mourad Fares, 35, fled Syria in 2014, and was arrested in
Turkey and handed over to French authorities the same year.
Prosecutors said he played a “crucial” role in the recruiting of young
people to fight as jihadists in Syria, and noted a lack of any “real
regret” for his actions. Fares appeared unmoved as the verdict was
read out at a special court on Friday evening. He admitted to the
court he “indirectly” recruited youths to fight as jihadists via his
propaganda videos and “facilitated” the entry of a number of people
into Syria. He denied taking part in combat operations in Syria, where
he travelled in 2014. But prosecutors said he “participated in armed
actions” with the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), later
known as the Islamic State group, before leaving to a join a cell of
French-speaking jihadists affiliated with the Al-Nusra front. The
court also found Fares guilty of leading this cell. France has been on
high alert since a wave of jihadist attacks that began in 2015 which
have killed more than 250 people.”
Canada
National
Post: Scope Of Right-Wing Extremism Vexed Security Officials,
Documents Show
“Canadian security officials have been grappling not only with how
to address the growing threat of right-wing extremism, but also the
best means of defining the phenomenon and explaining it to the public,
newly released documents show. In a briefing for deputy ministers
responsible for national security, the Canadian Security Intelligence
Service and the RCMP openly asked whether, given the nature of the
threat, the government of Canada was “able to effectively respond?”
The secret briefing was aimed at providing the senior officials with
an overview of right-wing extremism in Canada and fostering discussion
of “broader considerations” on dealing with the issue, says a heavily
censored version of the April 2019 document, released through the
Access to Information Act. Ralph Goodale, public safety minister at
the time, also received a briefing on the issue, an accompanying memo
indicates. CSIS, which has spent much of the last two decades
investigating jihadi-inspired terrorism, said last year it was
increasingly preoccupied by those looking to support or engage in
violence that is racially motivated, ethno-nationalist,
anti-government or misogynist in nature.”
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