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Old 01-22-2019, 08:13 AM
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Arrow Eye on Extremism January 22, 2019

Eye on Extremism - January 22, 2019
RE: info@counterextremism.com

The New York Times: Bombing In Syria Targets U.S.-Led Military Patrol

“A car bombing targeted a joint American-Kurdish patrol in Syria on Monday, injuring a number of fighters from a Kurdish-led force allied with the United States. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack. The explosion came just five days after at least 15 people, including four Americans, were killed in a suicide bombing by the Islamic State in Manbij, Syria, which is controlled and protected by American-backed local forces. Coming only weeks after President Trump ordered American troops to withdraw from Syria, the attacks serve as a reminder that the Islamic State, while controlling just a small fraction of the territory it once had, remains capable of striking in what was considered relatively safe territory. The Amaq News Agency, which is linked to the militant group, reported that a suicide bomber had attacked a convoy of United States troops and Syrian Democratic Forces in what it claimed as a “martyrdom-seeking attack,” wording it uses to take responsibility. The explosion took place near the town of Shadadi in Hasakah Province, in far northeastern Syria, according to both Amaq and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a group based in Britain that monitors the Syrian war.”

Associated Press: Afghan Officials: Death Toll Rises To 45 In Taliban Attack

“Afghan officials confirmed Tuesday that dozens of victims killed the previous day in a brazen Taliban attack on a military base not far from Kabul were members of the country’s intelligence agency — a severe blow to the government which has already lost control of nearly half of Afghanistan to insurgents. Provincial officials said at least 45 people were killed and as many as 70 were wounded when a suicide bomber drove a Humvee into the base in eastern Maidan Wardak province and detonated his load as he rammed the vehicle into the main building there on Monday. There were fears, however, that the death toll from the daytime assault on the base, which also serves as a training center for a pro-government militia and is run by the country’s intelligence service known as the National Directorate for Security, or NDS, is even higher. The NDS on Tuesday said its reports show 36 military personnel were killed and 58 were wounded. Though the agency’s figures were lower than what provincial officials had reported, it was still an unprecedented casualty toll for the agency, among the best equipped and trained in Afghanistan.”

The Washington Post: Exclusive: Iraqi Scientist Says He Helped ISIS Make Chemical Weapons

“In the weeks after his city fell to the Islamic State, Iraqi scientist Suleiman al-Afari sat in his deserted government office and waited for the day when the terrorists would show up. The black-clad militants who had seized Mosul in 2014 were making their way through each of its bureaucracies, rounding up workers and managers who had not yet fled the city and pressing them into service. When his turn came, Afari, then a 49-year-old geologist with Iraq’s Ministry of Industry and Minerals, hoped his new bosses would simply let him keep his job. To his surprise, they offered him a new one: Help us make chemical weapons, the Islamic State’s emissaries said. Afari knew little about the subject, but he accepted the assignment. And so began his 15-month stint supervising the manufacture of lethal toxins for the world’s deadliest terrorist group. “Do I regret it? I don’t know if I’d use that word,” said Afari, who was captured by U.S. and Kurdish soldiers in 2016 and is now a prisoner in Irbil, the capital of Iraq’s semiautonomous Kurdish region. He frowned, his fingers flicking a gray stubbled cheek. “They had become the government and we now worked for them,” he said. “We wanted to work so we could get paid.”

The New York Times: Al Qaeda Claims U.N. Peacekeeper Attack That Killed 10 In Mali

“A branch of Al Qaeda in northwestern Africa claimed responsibility for an attack on a United Nations base in Mali that killed 10 Chadian peacekeepers on Sunday, saying it was in response to Chad’s resumption of diplomatic relations with Israel. In a statement, the United Nations mission in Mali said that a peacekeeping base had come under attack in the northeastern village of Aguelhok. The village is in one of the most troubled regions of the country, which has repeatedly been in the cross hairs of a jihadist insurgency. “Early this morning,” the statement said, “the blue helmets of the Minusma” — the peacekeeping mission in Mali — “fought off a complex attack launched by assailants who arrived aboard a convoy of numerous vehicles.” Besides the 10 peacekeepers killed, 25 were wounded. The Qaeda branch, the Group to Support Islam and Muslims, released its statement late Sunday. The group, which has gone through a series of name changes since pledging allegiance to Al Qaeda in 2006, framed the killings as a response to a decision by President Idriss Deby of Chad to normalize relations with Israel. “This attack comes in response to the guidelines of the command of the organization of Al Qaeda, led by Sheikh Ayman al-Zawahri, may Allah preserve him, to thwart the normalization schemes woven by the Zionist Arabs and non-Arabs,” the group said in its statement.”

New Europe: Reining In A Morally Bankrupt Technology Sector

“From child sexual exploitation to the sale of illegal drugs, extremism, and mis-information, the titans of technology have failed us. Given the pattern of behavior that we have seen over the past nearly two decades, the time of trusting the technology industry to self-regulate is long over. Instead, we must continue to pass legislation that thoughtfully contends with the issues at hand while making sure that any legislation does not cripple small startups thus leading to a further enshrinement of the monopoly that is Google, Facebook, and Twitter. We must also pressure advertisers that fuel the industry to be more socially conscious and to wield their enormous power more responsibly, and we as a public and the media need to continue to pressure the Titans of Tech to do better to rein in the abuses on their platforms. Collectively it is our responsibility to help the technology sector find their moral compass that has been all too broken for the past two decades.”

The Washington Post: France Fines Google Nearly $57 Million For First Major Violation Of New European Privacy Regime

“Google has been fined nearly $57 million by French regulators for violating Europe’s tough new data-privacy rules, marking the first major penalty brought against a U.S. technology giant since the regionwide regulations took effect last year. France’s top data-privacy agency, known as the CNIL, said Monday that Google failed to fully disclose to users how their personal information is collected and what happens to it. Google also did not properly obtain users’ consent for the purpose of showing them personalized ads, the watchdog agency said.

United States

Fox News: Arizona Man Accused Of Carrying Out 'Lone Wolf' Attack On Behalf Of ISIS, Cops Say

“An Arizona man who was shot by deputies earlier this month was carrying out a “lone wolf” attack, authorities said Thursday. Ismail Hamed, 18, of Fountain Hills, brandished a knife during an incident with a Maricopa County sheriff’s sergeant Jan. 7 before he was shot, authorities said. He's since been treated and released from the hospital. Hamed allegedly told a dispatcher before the incident that he was affiliated with ISIS. He “intentionally or knowingly, did provide advice, assistance, direction or management” to ISIS, the Arizona Republic reported, citing a complaint filed the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office. Hamed was charged with terrorism Tuesday. He was already facing an aggravated assault charge for throwing rocks at the sergeant and brandishing the knife outside a sheriff’s substation in Fountain Hills. He was told repeatedly to drop the weapon before he was shot, investigators said.”

KUTV: Provo Man Facing Terrorism Charge After Making Mass Shooting Threat Targeting Females

“A Provo man is a facing felony threat of terrorism charge after he posted a mass shooting threat, targeting females, to Facebook. According to a probable cause statement,27-year-old Provo resident Christopher Cleary posted the following threat on Facebook: "All I wanted was a girlfriend, not 1000 not a bunch of hoes not money none of that. All I wanted was to be loved, yet no one cares about me I'm 27 years old and I've never had a girlfriend before and I'm still a virgin, this is why I'm planning on shooting up a public place soon and being the next mass shooter cause I'm ready to die and all the girls the turned me down is going to make it right by killing as many girls as I see. There's nothing more dangerous than man ready to die.” On Saturday, Provo dispatchers were alerted to the Cleary's Facebook post by an officer from Colorado.”

Haaretz: ADL Demands Rashida Tlaib Clarify Connection To Hezbollah-Praising Activist

“The Anti-Defamation League wants Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., to explain a photo of her posing with a man who has likened Zionists to Nazis and who has praised terrorists. “Days ago, @RashidaTlaib was photographed at an event with Abbas Hamideh, a man who has praised terrorist groups Hamas and Hezbollah and equated Zionists with Nazis,” ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said Thursday on Twitter. “We ask her to clarify his attendance and denounce his anti-Semitism.” Hamideh, based in Cleveland, has for years been involved in anti-Israel activity, praising terrorist groups like the Lebanese militia Hezbollah, and repeatedly likening Zionists to Nazis. On Jan. 12, he posted a photo on twitter in which he is standing next to Tlaib, holding a painting of the congresswoman, a freshman Palestinian American, wearing a traditional Palestinian dress in front of the Capitol. “I was honored to be at Congresswoman @RashidaTlaib swearing-in ceremony in #Detroit and private dinner afterward with the entire family, friends and activists across the country,” he said in the tweet. A number of conservative outlets reported on the tweet, but the closest Tlaib has come to addressing it is in a dismissive tweet.”

The New York Times: An American Disappeared In Syria 2 Years Ago. His Family Wants Trump To Help

“Since disappearing in Syria nearly two years ago, an American therapist has missed the birth of one grandchild, then another. His family in the United States does not know where he is, who is holding him, whether he has the diabetes medication he needs or even whether he is still alive. They have not spoken to him since he told them he was making a quick trip to Damascus from Lebanon to visit relatives in February 2017, packing little more than pajamas in his overnight bag. Majd Kamalmaz, now 61, had been in Damascus for less than a day when he was stopped at a government checkpoint, according to the taxi driver who had been driving him around the Syrian capital. That was the last time anyone has heard from him. Like some other Westerners with relatives who have been detained or held hostage over the course of Syria’s long and bloody civil war, Mr. Kamalmaz’s family chose at first not to speak publicly about his disappearance as they tried to push for his release.”

Syria

The New York Times: Described As Defeated, Islamic State Punches Back With Guerrilla Tactics

“For three years, terrorists controlled a huge stretch of territory in Iraq and Syria. They ran their own state, collecting tens of millions of dollars in taxes and using the proceeds to fix potholes, issue birth certificates, finance attacks and recruit followers from around the world. All but 1 percent of that territory is now gone, which has prompted the White House to describe the Islamic State as “wiped out,” “absolutely obliterated” and “in its final throes.” But to suggest that ISIS was defeated, as President Trump did when he announced plans to pull out American troops from Syria, is to ignore the lessons of recent history. The group has been declared vanquished before, only to prove politicians wrong and to rise stronger than before. The attack last week by a suicide bomber outside a shawarma restaurant in the Syrian city of Manbij, which killed at least 15 people including four Americans, is one example of how the group still remains a serious, violent threat. “People make the mistake of thinking that when you lose territory, it’s linear — that they will continue to lose,” said Seth G. Jones, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the author of the center’s recent study assessing ISIS’ troop strength. “When you lose territory, smart groups shift to guerrilla strategy and tactics, including targeted assassinations, ambushes, raids, bombings,” he added.”

The New York Times: British Officials Worried About Angering Trump Over ISIS Captives

“Top British officials confronted a dilemma last spring. Should they offer to help the United States prosecute two British nationals accused of abusing hostages as part of an Islamic State cell in Syria? Or would the conditions of their proposal scare off the Trump administration and worsen relations? In an internal debate over the longstanding thorny legal issues surrounding terrorism prosecutions, the officials discussed whether to share evidence to prosecute the suspects, two members of the so-called Beatles whose gruesome hostage beheadings drew widespread attention five years ago. Britain routinely seeks assurances that the Justice Department will not pursue the death penalty, which Britain has abolished. While career law-enforcement professionals would understand and expect that stance, the British ambassador, Kim Darroch, warned London that senior Trump appointees like Jeff Sessions, Jim Mattis and Mike Pompeo and their aides would react with “something close to outrage” — risking broader damage to the countries’ close alliance. “They already feel that we are dumping on them a problem for which we should take responsibility,” Mr. Darroch wrote last May in a message that was part of a trove of private negotiations and internal deliberations made public on Friday as part of a court ruling in London.”

The National: Trinidad Boys Abducted By ISIS Father Leave Syria With Pink Floyd's Help

“Two children from Trinidad have been reunited with their mother in northern Syria, four years after their militant father brought them along when he joined ISIS. The Kurdish administration of northern Syria released Ayyub Ferreira, seven, and his brother Mahmud, 11, into the care of their mother on Monday. Their release came after Pink Floyd singer Roger Waters became interested in their plight, lawyer and rights activist Clive Stafford-Smith told AFP. "The two children were kidnapped by their father from Trinidad and brought 4,000 miles [6,000 kilometres] over here" in June 2014, Mr Stafford-Smith said. That year ISIS overran large parts of Syria and neighbouring Iraq, declaring a "caliphate" that attracted thousands of foreign Islamists and their families. It has since lost most of that territory to various offensives, including to one led by Kurdish fighters and backed by the US-led coalition.”

The Washington Post: Trump Said He Beat ISIS. Instead, He’s Giving It New Life.

“On Dec. 17, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo asked for an important call with me and a few other senior State Department officials; I took the call from the U.S. Embassy in Iraq, where I traveled often to help manage America’s fight against the Islamic State. I was there to walk through plans with Iraq’s new government to ensure that our gains in that fight would endure. We’d come a long way from only four years earlier, when the Islamic State was at the gates of Baghdad: Today, according to the United Nations, Iraq is safer than at any time since the U.N. Assistance Mission for Iraq began keeping track six years ago. These achievements came thanks to the dedication of America’s fighting partners on the ground — Iraqi security forces, Kurdish peshmerga, Syrian opposition fighters and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) — all of whom have paid a dear price in blood. Key to these gains has been the small and highly effective American military presence in Syria. This mission began in 2015 and has helped deny the Islamic State’s ability to plan and launch attacks from Syria or resurge back into Iraq. It is sustainable without an over-commitment of U.S. resources or Americans directly engaged in day-to-day fighting.”

The Wall Street Journal: Islamic State Again Attacks U.S. Troops In Syria

“Islamic State claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing targeting U.S.-led coalition forces in Syria in its second such attack in days, highlighting the threat the extremist group still poses as it reverts to a guerrilla-style insurgency after losing most of its territory. The suicide bomber on Monday drove a car rigged with explosives into a convoy of U.S. troops and local fighters at a checkpoint in Hasakeh province, Islamic State said in a statement carried by the group’s media arm, Amaq. The coalition confirmed the attack via Twitter and said there were no U.S. casualties. “We will continue to review the situation and provide updates as appropriate,” the coalition said. The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces said on its website there were no deaths or injuries in the suicide attack, adding it resulted only in material damage on the joint convoy. The U.K.-based monitoring group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported, however, that the attack resulted in the death of five SDF fighters and injured two American soldiers. If Islamic State is confirmed to be behind the attack, it would be the latest example of the group’s turn toward guerilla tactics and its continued targeting of American troops and their local allies, even as the U.S. prepares to withdraw from Syria under orders from President Trump.”

The Washington Post: Syrian Offensive Against Rebel Enclave More Likely After Al-Qaeda-Linked Fighters Take Control

“Al-Qaeda-linked fighters in Syria have in recent days forced their rivals’ surrender in the country’s final rebel-held pocket, cementing control while increasing the likelihood of a ruinous showdown with Syrian government forces. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, a coalition of extremist fighters in the northern province of Idlib, said this month that its most powerful rivals had agreed to cede control of their strongholds and hand the administration over to a local authority backed by the Islamist militants. The announcement followed a week-long drive by the extremists to oust what was left of their opponents, seizing a string of towns through force and surrender negotiations. The takeover could precipitate an offensive by the Syrian government aimed at recapturing the province, in turn prompting a humanitarian catastrophe as hundreds of thousands of people flee toward the Turkish border. Until now, the area has been spared a potentially devastating government offensive thanks to a cease-fire deal in the fall between Russia and Turkey, which both have forces inside Syria. Their agreement stipulated that “radical terrorist groups” be removed from a buffer zone between Syrian government and opposition forces with the implicit understanding that Turkey — the rebels’ primary backer — would be the one to achieve that.”

Asharq Al-Awsat: Triple Attack On ISIS Last Pocket East Of Euphrates

“A “triple bombardment” of the final ISIS enclave in eastern Syria was launched with the participation of the Iraqi air force and Syrian regime forces, in conjunction with the attack of US-backed Kurdish-Arab Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on an ISIS pocket in Deir Ezzor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported. Since September, SDF, a coalition of Kurdish and Arab factions, have been waging a military operation against the last enclave of the terrorist organization near the Iraqi border and managed to control much of the region. The Observatory indicated that the International Coalition launched airstrikes on al-Baghuz village killing 6 civilians, including 4 children, as well as 10 terrorists. It added that the bombardment continued and increased since the attack of Manbij days ago. On Wednesday, a suicide bomb attack killed seven people, including four US nationals, two soldiers and two civilians working for the US Department of Defense. The attack was the bloodiest on US forces in the international coalition since the beginning of its military intervention in Syria against ISIS in 2014.”

Channel News Asia: Top Republican Urges Slow US Pullout Until Islamic State 'Truly Defeated'

“A senior Republican senator on Saturday (Jan 19) urged President Donald Trump to slow down the withdrawal of US ground troops from Syria until jihadists were defeated to avoid a "nightmare" for Washington's allies. "I would hope that President Trump would slow the withdrawal until we truly destroy ISIS," Lindsey Graham told a press conference in Ankara, using an acronym for the Islamic State extremist group. He warned any hasty pullout could lead to a "nightmare" scenario for Israel because of increasing Iranian influence in the war-torn country and for Turkey because of its national security concerns. The South Carolina lawmaker was in Turkey from Friday for a two-day visit during which he met Turkish officials including President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. His talks with Erdogan lasted for over two hours after which he was invited by the Turkish leader to a concert on Friday night by pianist Fazil Say. Ankara welcomed Trump's announcement last month that the US would pull out its 2,000 military personnel from Syria but American officials and security experts have been more cautious, worried about withdrawing too early.”

NPR: Opinion: Leaving Syria Is Far Less Risky Than Staying

“The reported ISIS suicide attack last week that claimed the lives of four Americans clearly shows that the Islamic State — contrary to the exaggerated claims of President Trump and other administration officials — is far from defeated. The attack has also prompted many in Congress and the foreign policy community to express outrage and to call on the president to reverse his decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria. They are pressuring the administration to remain in the country until ISIS is permanently crushed. That would be a mistake. The decision to leave Syria is the right one, and the withdrawal should proceed in a safe, orderly and coordinated fashion. Leaving 2,000 troops there without clear and coherent objectives, and the means to achieve them, is a prescription for continued trouble — and for more unnecessary American casualties. By the sound and fury of the political reaction in Washington, you might think Trump's decision to withdraw from Syria was akin to Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's appeasement of Nazi Germany. Sen. Marco Rubio described the withdrawal as "a major mistake" that would "haunt the administration." Sen. Ben Sasse opined that Trump's generals "believe the high-fiving winners today are Iran, ISIS and Hezbollah.”

The Jerusalem Post: How 'Defeated' ISIS Attacked American Soldiers Again

“The second ISIS attack in January targeting US-led Coalition forces and their Syrian Democratic Forces partners raises alarms about the ability of Islamic State to strike at sensitive targets far beyond the front line. The attack on Monday was caused by a Hyundai vehicle, which was reportedly driven by an ISIS member who blew it up as it reached a roadside checkpoint. According to online accounts that follow Syria the vehicle had come to a bridge on the road to Shadadi. Internal Security Forces affiliated with the SDF were able to stop the vehicle but at least three were wounded. Photos from the scene showed a Lenco BearCat armored vehicle, one of several hundred reportedly supplied to the SDF by the Coalition since 2017. These vehicles have been seen entering Syria since August 2017 and have been deployed for internal security or “stabilization” efforts in areas of Syria liberated from ISIS. This includes thousands of square miles that were liberated since 2015 and all the hundreds of miles of roads that need to be protected from ISIS. According to locals who have driven on the Shadadi road that runs 80 km. to THE Euphrates river where the battle against ISIS near Hajin is still taking place, there are numerous checkpoints along the road and it takes more than an hour to traverse due to the terrain and infrastructure and checkpoints.”

Iran

The New York Times: Israel Confirms Attacks On Iranian Targets In Syria

“The Israeli military said on Monday that it had attacked Iranian military targets in Syria, capping an exchange of blows in a rare, direct confrontation between the two antagonists that risks escalating the fight over Iran’s military entrenchment in Syria. Israeli military officials said the latest strikes, most likely the broadest wave in months, were in retaliation for Iranian forces launching a surface-to-surface missile from the Damascus area on Sunday toward the northern part of the Israeli-held Golan Heights. They said that the missile had endangered a ski resort and other areas where civilians were present, but that it had been successfully intercepted by Israel’s air defenses. The Iranian missile, in turn, was fired shortly after a strike against a weapons store in Syria, for which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel strongly hinted that his country was responsible. Israel’s acknowledgment of its strikes reflect a shift in policy, with the country increasingly taking responsibility for specific attacks in Syrian territory after years of ambiguity. Eight days earlier, Mr. Netanyahu said that Israeli forces had recently attacked Iranian weapons depots in Syria.”

The National: Illegal Iran Fuel Shipments Financing Houthis In Yemen, UN Experts Say

“Iran is financing Yemen's Houthi rebels through illegal shipments of fuel, UN experts said in a new report to the Security Council that also described how such funding is allowing the rebels to deploy increasingly sophisticated weaponry in the years-long civil war. In the 85-page report to the Security Council seen on Friday by The Associated Press, the panel of experts monitoring UN sanctions against Yemen said "the Houthi leadership has continued to consolidate its hold over government and non-government institutions". In its report last year, the experts said Iran violated a UN arms embargo by directly or indirectly providing missiles and drones to the Houthis. The latest report said the experts identified a small number of companies inside and outside Yemen operating as front companies using false documentation "to conceal a donation of fuel" to an unnamed individual on the UN sanctions blacklist. The panel said it found that the fuel was loaded from Iranian ports under false documentation to avoid required UN inspections, and "the revenue from the sale of this fuel was used to finance the Houthi war effort". Iran has repeatedly rejected allegations that it is providing military support to the Houthis.”

Iraq

The Intercept: ISIS Fighters In Syria Are Trying To Push Into Iraq, Where U.S. Forces Can’t Get Along With Armed Groups Supported By Iran

“As the fight against the Islamic State in eastern Syria — where some of the U.S. troops President Donald Trump has promised to withdraw are based — enters its final stages, ISIS fighters are trying to cross into Iraqi territory. “We normally have daily sightings,” Col. Saleh Al-Yacoubi of the Iraqi border guard said of the ISIS fighters, who are now cornered in a handful of villages on the reeds-enveloped east bank of the Euphrates River. “If they are armed, we hit them with full force.” For months, the attempted crossings have kept the Iraqi border guards who patrol the area on their toes. But over the past weeks, the situation at the border has become increasingly uncertain, as the U.S. has begun moving military hardware and supplies out of eastern Syria in the wake of Trump’s surprise announcement of a troop withdrawal last month. Al-Yacoubi spoke at a base north of Al Qaim, about 500 yards from the last ISIS position in Syria. His U.S.-backed forces, together with the Iraqi army, secure this side of the border, working closely with U.S. and French coalition troops stationed nearby. The Popular Mobilization Forces, or PMF, an umbrella group of largely Shiite paramilitary units backed by Iran, meanwhile, patrols the Iraqi border south of Al Qaim.”

Iraqi News: Interior Ministry: Two Islamic State Terrorists Apprehended In Mosul

“The Iraqi Interior Ministry announced on Sunday the capture of two Islamic State militants in Mosul city. “SWAT forces of the Nineveh Operations Command arrested two Islamic State militants while driving a car in al-Yarmouk district in the western side of Mosul,” Iraqi TV channel Dijlah quoted the ministry’s security media center as saying in a statement. According to the statement, the two militants were arrested with a pistol and two explosive charges in their possession. The Islamic State group appeared on the international scene in 2014 when it seized large swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria, declaring the establishment of an Islamic “caliphate” from Mosul city. Later on, the group has become notorious for its brutality, including mass killings, abductions and beheadings, prompting the U.S. to lead an international coalition to destroy it. In December 2017, Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi announced full liberation of Iraqi lands, declaring end of war against IS members.”

Iraqi News: Iraqi Troops Destroy Three Islamic State Tunnels In Salahuddin

“The Iraqi military announced on Wednesday the destruction of three Islamic State tunnels in Makhoul Mountains in the northern province of Salahuddin. “Security forces of Salahuddin Operations Command carried out a military campaign in Makhoul Mountains, managing to destroy three tunnels that were used by IS militants,” Alghad Press quoted spokesman for the Security Media Center Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasool as saying in a statement. “The troops found foodstuffs, blankets and bedding inside the tunnels,” the statement added. Iraq declared the collapse of Islamic State’s territorial influence in November 2017 with the recapture of Rawa, a city on Anbar’s western borders with Syria, which was the group’s last bastion in Iraq. IS declared a self-styled “caliphate” in a third of Iraq and neighboring Syria in 2014. A government campaign, backed by a U.S.-led international coalition and paramilitary forces, was launched in 2016 to retake IS-held regions, managing to retake all havens, most notably the city of Mosul, the group’s previously proclaimed capital. Despite the group’s crushing defeat at its main havens across Iraq, Islamic State continues to launch sporadic attacks against troops with security reports warning that the militant group still poses a threat against stability in the country.”

Kurdistan 24: Iraq Aims To Compensate Victims Of Terrorism, Including Kurdistan Region

“The Iraqi federal government plans to compensate those who suffered from acts of terrorism in the country, and the decision will also include the autonomous Kurdistan Region, a Kurdish official has claimed. “According to the plan, the families of martyrs would receive up to IQD 50 million (US $42,000) and people injured in terror attacks would be compensated IQD 5 million ($4,200),” Nizar Mama, the head of the Iraqi Committee for Defending Victims of Terror’s office in Erbil, told Kurdistan 24 on Saturday. He mentioned registration for people who would like their cases considered will start in a week or so. Compensation will include victims who were with the Iraqi forces, Kurdish Peshmerga, and security forces who participated in the fight against the Islamic State as well as those who have had their properties and material possessions destroyed or damaged by the jihadist group. Mama stated the progran would extend to all victims of terrorist attacks carried out across Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. “We are in constant talks with Baghdad to allocate funds for the compensation of terror victims in the 2019 national budget bill, and we have already received preliminary approval in this regard,” he added.

Turkey

New York Post: Turkey’s President Offers Condolences For Americans Killed By ISIS In Syria

“Turkey’s leader on Sunday offered his “condolences” for the four Americans killed in a suicide attack in Syria this week during a phone call with President Trump, the White House said. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan “expressed his condolences for the tragic loss of American lives in Manbij, Syria this week,” the readout of the call between the two leaders said. The White House said Trump and Erdogan agreed to work out a solution for northeast Syria that “achieves our respective security concerns.” Trump announced last month that he would withdraw the roughly 2,000 US troops stationed in Syria. They are backing Syrian-Kurdish forces that are battling Islamic State terrorists. Erdogan, who views the Kurdish fighters as terrorists aligned with insurgent groups inside Turkey, has said he would launch military operations against them. The four Americans were among 19 people killed in a suicide bombing that ISIS claimed responsibility for. Navy Chief Petty Officer Shannon Kent, 35, of Pine Plains in Dutchess County, Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jonathan Farmer, 37, of Boynton Beach, Fla., former Navy SEAL Scott Wirtz, 42, of St. Louis, Mo., and Ghadir Taher, 27, of Georgia, who was working for the Army as an interpreter for a defense contractor, were killed in the attack.”

Afghanistan

The Washington Post: Scores Of Afghan Troops Killed In Suicide Bombing Claimed By Taliban

“On Monday morning, a Taliban suicide bomber in a captured U.S. Humvee crashed through the entrance to a provincial training compound of the Afghan intelligence service, followed by several gunmen. The bombing and shooting attack left scores of trainees and others dead and wounded, and some officials put the death toll as high as 126. At the same time, Taliban representatives were meeting with foreign diplomats in Qatar, part of a U.S.-initiated push to start peace talks and reach a settlement to the 17-year insurgent conflict. Even as a Taliban spokesman claimed its forces had killed 190 in the Wardak province attack, he said in an email to journalists that talks in Qatar would continue Tuesday. Although the simultaneous massacre and olive branch might seem contradictory, Afghan and foreign experts said they are more likely part of a deliberate dual strategy. It is believed to be aimed in part at increasing insurgent leverage in peace talks and at keeping morale high among hard-line Islamist fighters while unarmed Taliban emissaries converse with the enemy. In the email Monday, the Taliban spokesman said the ongoing talks would focus on “ending American occupation with assurance that no one will be harmed in Afghanistan.”

The New York Times: After Deadly Assault On Afghan Base, Taliban Sit For Talks With U.S. Diplomats

“The Taliban infiltrated an Afghan intelligence base on Monday, killing dozens who worked for the agency in what officials said was one of the deadliest attacks against the intelligence service in the 17-year war with the Taliban. While the Afghan police and army have been dying in record numbers, the loss of elite intelligence forces, who are better trained and equipped, was another indication of the violence stretching the Afghan government’s defenses, even as the United States may be preparing to withdraw some of its troops. The attack, early Monday morning, came hours before the Taliban announced they had resumed peace talks with American officials. It was a sign, analysts said, of how violence is likely to grow deadlier even as the sides of the long war have indicated a willingness to seek a negotiated settlement. Akhtar Mohammad Khan Tahiri, the head of the provincial council in Wardak Province, where the base is located, said the target was a training center for pro-government militia members run by the National Directorate of Security, Afghanistan’s intelligence agency. The Taliban immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.”

NBC News: Taliban Says It Pulls Out Of Peace Talks After Refusing To Release U.S. Professor

“The Afghan Taliban last week stalled peace talks with the U.S. after the American delegation demanded the militant group announce a ceasefire and release a U.S. academic it is holding, four senior Taliban officials told NBC News. A Taliban commander in Afghanistan's Helmand province said U.S. negotiators had “asked us to first release the American professor whom we kidnapped after an attack on American University in Kabul.” Like other militants NBC News interviewed, he spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to comment on negotiations. The Taliban leader called the alleged demand “unrealistic” and said the militant group was putting peace talks aimed at ending America's longest war on ice. Kevin King was kidnapped at gunpoint from the American University of Afghanistan in Kabul alongside Australian colleague Timothy Weeks in August 2016. The Taliban have said King is seriously ill and previously commented that he requires hospital treatment for his heart disease. The Taliban leader said U.S. special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad had threatened the group if anything were to happen to King despite knowing that he was sick. "But pursuing peace still means we fight as needed," he added.”

Al Jazeera: Taliban Attack In Afghanistan's Logar Kills Eight Security Forces

“A Taliban car bomb targeted a convoy of vehicles carrying the provincial governor of Logar in Afghanistan and the head of the region's intelligence agency on Sunday. At least eight Afghan security forces were killed and 10 others were wounded. The top officials were not injured. The explosives-packed car detonated on the main highway between Logar and Kabul, said Shahpoor Ahmadzai, the spokesman for Logar's provincial police. Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban, said in a statement that the group was responsible for the blast and that a "large number" of Afghan special forces had been killed or wounded. The Taliban regularly inflates the number and type of casualties that result from their attacks. Logar is around 74km south of the capital and is known as a strategic gateway to Kabul. The Taliban has an active presence in most areas of the province. In recent weeks, forces from Afghanistan's intelligence service, the NDS, have raided Taliban hideouts in Logar. The Taliban has stepped up attacks around the country, perhaps trying to get more political leverage. The group controls large areas of the country.”

Reuters: As Taliban Talks Gather Pace, Afghan Women Fear Turning Back Clock

“Eighteen years ago, at the height of the Taliban’s power in Afghanistan, Roshan Mashal secretly taught her daughters to read and write alongside a dozen local girls who smuggled school books to her house in potato sacks. Mashal’s daughters have since gained university degrees in economics and medicine. But she now fears the looming prospect that the hardline Islamist group, whose rule barred women from education, could once again become part of the government. “They say they have changed, but I have concerns,” she said in an interview in her office in Kabul. “There is no trust ... we don’t want peace to come with women losing all the achievements of the last 17 years.” As talks to end Afghanistan’s long war pick up momentum, women such as Mashal fear the freedoms eked out since U.S.-backed Afghan forces overthrew the Taliban in 2001 are about to slide backwards, and complain their voices are being sidelined. An aide to Rula Ghani, the wife of Afghanistan’s president, said the first lady had launched a survey of women in 34 provinces in a bid to amplify their voices in the peace process, with a report summarizing their views slated for February.”

Reuters: Families In Afghanistan's North Seek Shelter As Taliban Ups Pressure

“Dozens of families displaced from their homes in the northern province of Sar-e Pul by Taliban pressure have arrived in the provincial capital, as the insurgents have tightened their grip around the city, residents and officials said. Taliban fighters have been threatening oil fields around the city of Sar-e Pul as they have stepped up operations with the apparent aim of strengthening their position during peace talks with U.S. officials. “In general, the security situation in Sar-e Pul province has been in critical condition and the Taliban are trying to carry out their attacks on the districts close to the city,” said Zabiullah Amani, spokesman for the governor of Sar-e Pul. The fighting comes as peace talks between U.S. special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and Taliban representatives have stalled over the insurgents’ demand to focus the agenda for peace talks on the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan. The increasingly confident Taliban now control broad swathes of the countryside outside the main cities of Afghanistan and have set their stamp ever more clearly on areas under their control as government forces struggle to push them back.”

Pakistan

Voice Of America: Pakistani Counter Terrorism Officers Arrested

“The Associated Press is reporting Pakistan arrested more than a dozen counter-terrorism officers Sunday. The arrests came a day after the officers shot a middle-aged couple, their teenage daughter and a family friend, in what the officers had described as a shootout with Islamic State militants. Relatives and witnesses say the victims were shot in cold blood. According to Dawn, a Pakistani newspaper, relatives of the family are holding a sit-in protest in Sahiwal against the killings and have not allowed officials to remove the bodies. Pakistani television aired footage of the family's son, according to Dawn, saying his family was traveling to a wedding when police began shooting at them. He said there were no weapons in the car. Dawn reports witnesses confirmed no weapons were fired from the car. Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Twitter: "While the CTD has done a great job in fight against terrorism, everyone must be accountable before the law."

Yemen

Arab News: Five Experts Killed Clearing Houthi Landmines For Saudi Charity In Yemen

“A team of explosive safety experts in Yemen have been killed by a consignment of Houthi land mines that blew up while they were being transported to be destroyed. The five technicians — two from South Africa, one from Croatia, one from Bosnia and one from Kosovo — were part of the Saudi de-mining program in Yemen, known as Masam Project. Its aim is to locate and destroy explosive devices illegally planted by Iranian-backed Houthi militias. The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief) said on Monday that the five experts had died in the explosion in Marib governorate early on Sunday. A vehicle carrying mines and other devices exploded while en route from Masam Project’s headquarters to a remote location, where they were to be destroyed. “KSRelief joins with the rest of the international community in mourning the loss of these highly committed professionals, and expresses its deepest condolences to their families,” the center said.”

Lebanon

The National Interest: Are Hezbollah’s Attack Tunnels The Future Of Warfare?

“Israel has faced many threats during its tumultuous seventy-five-year existence: ballistic missiles, tanks, hang-gliding terrorists, suicide bombers. But now Israel faces a new threat that doesn’t go through Israeli defenses, but under them. Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shia militant group, has dug tunnels under the border between Lebanon and the Galilee region of northern Israel. Israel says the tunnels have a deadly purpose: to allow Hezbollah fighters to enter Israel in a surprise attack to capture Israeli border communities, a feat that Arab armies have not been able to accomplish since 1948. “The plan entails fighters from Hezbollah's elite Radwan unit infiltrating Israel from Lebanon, entrenching themselves in Israeli communities near the border while taking hostages and using Israeli citizens as human shields,” according to Israel’s Ynet News. The tunnels were sophisticated, with electricity and ventilation systems. This is not the first time that Israel has faced tunnels. Hamas tunneled from Gaza into southern Israel, most famously emerging to capture Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in 2006, who was held captive for five years until exchanged for Hamas prisoners in 2011. This has spurred the Israel Defense Forces to develop new technology and techniques for detecting tunnels.”

Qatar

Voice Of America: Taliban, US Open Afghan Peace Talks In Qatar

“Afghanistan's Taliban opened a new round of peace talks Monday in Qatar with the United States, the insurgent group said. A Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said the two-day meeting in Doha will continue on Tuesday. Zalmay Khalilzad, U.S. special representative for Afghanistan political reconciliation, is leading the U.S. delegation. "Following American acceptance of the agenda of ending the invasion of Afghanistan and preventing Afghanistan from being used against other countries in the future, talks with American representatives took place today in Doha, the capital of Qatar," Mujahid said. The session will continue Tuesday. Khalilzad has held several rounds of talks with Taliban representatives in Qatar in recent months, and the last interaction between the two sides had taken place in the United Arab Emirates in December.”

Egypt

Arab News: Egypt Says Security Forces Killed 14 Militants In Sinai

“Egyptian security forces say they’ve killed 14 militants and seized a ton of explosives in an operation in the restive northern part of the Sinai Peninsula. They said on Sunday that their offensive involved clashes with Islamic militants in desert areas outside the city of el-Arish, adding that the extremists had intended to plant roadside bombs in areas between there and the cities of Rafah and Sheikh Zuweyid. Other weapons caches including explosives were found in the more central Sinai Jabal Al-Halal mountain area. The officials spoke anonymously as they weren’t authorized to brief reporters. The army has been battling extremist insurgents led Daesh militants in north Sinai for years. The area is off limits for journalists, diplomats and other observers so information from there cannot be independently verified.”

Libya

The National: ISIS Taking Advantage Of Libya's Porous Borders, Says UN

“The security situation in southern Libya is deteriorating fast, with ISIS harassing citizens while the country's oil wealth and water infrastructure falls apart, the United Nations special envoy to the country said on Friday. Ghassam Salame's comments follow his trip to Sabha, the southern capital, the first visit by such a high-ranking UN official since 2012. Briefing the UN Security Council, he warned of wider instability, following fighting elsewhere in Libya, including 10 people left dead by violence that shattered a ceasefire in Tripoli on Thursday. “Conditions are deteriorating at an alarming rate,” Mr Salame said. “I heard first hand from citizens who spoke movingly about the terrible hardships they endure, from the wanton brutality of Da'esh to wading through lakes of sewage,” he said, using an alternative acronym for ISIS. Southern Libya's porous and long borders – with Chad, Niger and Sudan – are easy territory for people smugglers and they are adding to a desperate situation, with foreign mercenaries and criminals entering the country “to prey upon citizens and migrants alike”. "The south remains Libya's vulnerable heart, encompassing almost one million square kilometers of land," said Mr Salame.”

Reuters: Eastern Libyan Force Says It Killed Senior Al Qaeda Operative

“Eastern Libyan forces said on Friday they had killed a senior al Qaeda figure in southern Libya, during an operation to secure oil and gas assets and fight militants in the lawless south. The Libyan National Army (LNA) faction said it killed Abu Talha al-Libi, a commander in Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), and two other militants near the city of Sabha, LNA spokesman Ahmed Mismari said. He named the others as Abdullah al-Desouki, an Egyptian, and al-Mahdi Dangou, a Libyan also known as Abu Barakat, who a Libyan official had previously said had links with Islamic State. Al Qaeda and Islamic State have been using southern Libya as a base for attacks in Libya and neighboring countries, exploiting a security vacuum created by the fall of dictator Muammar Gaddafi in a 2011 rebellion backed by NATO air strikes.”

The National: Libya Must Flush Out Extremism To End Years Of Chaos

“The parallels between the events in 2011 that led to Libya’s collapse and the 2003 invasion, from which Iraq has still not fully recovered, would suggest that the world is incapable of learning the lessons of even recent history. In both cases, western intervention was responsible for the overthrow of a strongman regime. In neither case did anyone appear to have a workable alternative in mind. Iraq continues to struggle to form a coherent government, with dire consequences for the economy, security and the provision of the most basic of public services, such as clean water. In Libya, the absence of stable government has not only disrupted basic services but has also transformed the country into a febrile breeding ground for extremists, with catastrophic consequences for the entire region and beyond. An assault on the foreign ministry in Tripoli in December was the latest in a series of attacks claimed by ISIS. Like Iraq, Libya has significant oil reserves, which should mean a healthy economy but in the north African country, production and export have been constantly disrupted by militant groups vying for control of facilities.”

Nigeria

Daily Post Nigeria: ISIS, Boko Haram Planning To Attack Markets, Public Places During 2019 Elections – US Warns

“The United States of America has warned its citizens in Nigeria of a plan by Islamic State and Boko Haram insurgent groups to disrupt the forthcoming 2019 general elections by carrying out attacks. The US gave the warning in a statement published on its website on the 18th of January, 2019. The alert read that the insurgent groups plan to attack public places and government infrastructures during the 2019 election. The embassy, however, did not state whether such attacks were targeted at its embassy or not, but U.S. citizens in Nigeria should remember to follow personal security precautions on a regular basis. The statement reads: “There is an increase in ISIS propaganda videos specifically directed to Nigeria and the ongoing civil unrest in Borno state and the Northeast. “ISIS West Africa (ISWA) and Boko Haram have both stated they plan to disrupt the upcoming 2019 presidential elections by conducting attacks on Nigerian Security and infrastructure, as well as places of gathering such as markets, hotels, and malls “While we have no specific threat information to the U.S. Embassy or within Nigeria during the election season, U.S. citizens in Nigeria should remember to follow personal security precautions on a regular basis.”

Daily Post Nigeria: Boko Haram: Troops Kill Five Terrorists, Recover Ieds In Baga

“Combined Special Forces troops of the Nigerian Army, Navy and the Air Force, operating under the auspices of Operation LAFIYA DOLE in the ongoing counter terrorism and counter insurgency operations in northern Borno, have inflicted devastating man and equipment casualty on Boko Haram terrorists in a fresh encounter with the dissidents in the late hours of Saturday. The terrorists, armed with two Gun trucks, a vehicle laden with Improvised Explosive Device (IED) and a suicide bomber met their waterloo while frantically fighting to break into the formidable defensive position of the troops. A statement by Colonel Onyema Nwachukwu, Deputy Director Public Relations, Theatre Command Operation LAFIYA DOLE, said “the gallant troops responded swiftly in a fierce counter offensive, unleashing superior and overwhelming firepower on the terrorists and neutralized five of them, including a driver and a gunner firing from a gun truck, a suicide bomber in a vehicle loaded with IED and two other terrorists.” He said in the ferocious counter attack, the valiant troops destroyed one Gun truck and one IED – Carrying vehicle.”

The Guardian: Thousands Of Nigerian Refugees Fleeing Boko Haram Forced Back By Cameroon

“The United Nations said on Friday it was “extremely alarmed” by the forced return by Cameroon of thousands of refugees to north-east Nigeria, where Boko Haram Islamists pose a continuing threat to civilians. “This action was totally unexpected and puts lives of thousands of refugees at risk,” the UN High. Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Filippo Grandi, said in a statement. Cameroon forced “several thousand” refugees back to Nigeria this week, including 267 on Wednesday, the UN agency said. “I am appealing to Cameroon to continue its open door and hospitable policy,” Grandi said, while calling on the government to immediately halt any more returns and meet its obligations under international law. Cameroon has 370,000 refugees, 100,000 of whom are Nigerians, according to the UNHCR. Earlier this month, more than 9,000 people fled to Cameroon after an attack on a military base and aid buildings in the town of Rann in north-east Nigeria’s Borno state. The attack was blamed on the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) faction of Boko Haram, which has carried out similar raids against troops since July last year.”

Daily Nation: Nigerian Troops Repel Series Of Boko Haram Attacks

“Nigerian soldiers have fought off Boko Haram jihadists in separate attacks, the army and military sources said Monday, as clashes persist while elections approach. The army said troops "successfully defeated Boko Haram terrorists" who tried to attack a military base in Buni Yadi in Yobe state, northeast Nigeria, on Sunday. On Saturday, soldiers "inflicted devastating man and equipment casualties" on the group in the Baga area of Borno state, on the shores of Lake Chad, killing five. Two Islamist fighters were also killed in operations in the Mafa district of Borno, it added in a series of statements. The government's record on tackling Boko Haram is under increased scrutiny as the country heads to the polls to elect a new president and parliament on February 16. President Muhammadu Buhari, a former military ruler, was elected in 2015 on a pledge to defeat the group, whose insurgency has killed more than 27,000 since 2009. He has said Boko Haram is "technically defeated" but attacks have not stopped, and a faction backed by the Islamic State group has increased its strikes on military positions. Last week, six soldiers were killed when Boko Haram gunmen attacked Kamuya village near the native home of Nigeria's army chief, Lieutenant-General Tukur Yusuf Buratai.”

Somalia

The Washington Post: US Airstrike In Somalia Kills 52 Al-Shabab Extremists

“The U.S. military on Saturday said it had carried out its deadliest airstrike in Somalia in months, killing 52 al-Shabab extremists after a “large group” mounted an attack on Somali forces. The U.S. Africa Command said the airstrike occurred near Jilib in Middle Juba region. There were no reports of Americans killed or wounded. The U.S. statement did not say whether any Somali forces were killed or wounded by the al-Qaida-linked extremists. Al-Shabab via its Shahada news agency asserted that its attack on two Somali army bases killed at least 41 soldiers. It described the location as the Bar Sanjuni area near the port city of Kismayo. There was no immediate comment from Somalia’s government. In neighboring Ethiopia, state television cited the defense ministry as saying more than 60 al-Shabab fighters had been killed and that four vehicles loaded with explosives had been “destroyed.” Ethiopia contributes troops to a multinational African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia and has troops there independently under Ethiopian army command.”

France 24: US Airstrike In Somalia Kills Scores Of Al Shabaab Extremists, Military Says

“The U.S. military on Saturday said it had carried out its deadliest airstrike in Somalia in months, killing 52 al-Shabab extremists after a "large group" mounted an attack on Somali forces. The U.S. Africa Command said the airstrike occurred near Jilib in the Middle Juba region. There were no reports of Americans killed or wounded. The U.S. statement did not say whether any Somali forces were killed or wounded by the al-Qaida-linked extremists. Al-Shabab via its Shahada news agency asserted that its attack on two Somali army bases killed at least 41 soldiers. It described the location as the Bar Sanjuni area near the port city of Kismayo. There was no immediate comment from Somalia's government. In neighboring Ethiopia, state television cited the defense ministry as saying more than 60 al-Shabab fighters had been killed and that four vehicles loaded with explosives had been "destroyed." Ethiopia contributes troops to a multinational African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia and has troops there independently under Ethiopian army command. A Somali intelligence officer said al-Shabab had been amassing fighters for more than a week to launch a major attack against Somali and Kenyan forces in order to disrupt a planned offensive against the extremists.”

Foreign Policy: Al-Shabab Wants You To Know It’s Alive And Well

“On Tuesday, just after 3 p.m., Africa’s longest-standing and most effective terrorist group, the al Qaeda affiliate al-Shabab, killed at least 21 people in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital, bombing and shooting up a posh hotel, office, and shopping complex located in an upscale neighborhood near the city center. A few hours later, the group claimed responsibility for the attack through one of its news agencies. The next evening, al-Shabab released a statement in Arabic and English saying more than 50 “disbelievers” had been killed in the attack, declaring that the operation, officially code-named “Al-Qudsu Lan Tuhawwad” (“Jerusalem Will Never Be Judaized”) was a response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Despite these stated motivations, the attack is largely understood as an effort to put the group in the spotlight as the rival Islamic State in Somalia (ISS) encroaches on its turf and as the United States declares its ramped-up airstrike campaign against the group a success. ISS entered Somalia via Yemen into the mountains of the semi-autonomous Puntland state in 2015, but it was largely treated as a non-entity. It is only in the past year and a half that ISS has made real headway, establishing itself in Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital, the site of the deadliest and most consistent al-Shabab assaults.”

Africa

Al Jazeera: 52 Al-Shabab Fighters Killed In Somalia Air Attack: US Military

“The United States’ military has said that an air attack in southern Somalia killed at least 52 al-Shabab fighters, in response to an attack earlier in the day that left at least eight Somali soldiers dead. A US Africa Command statement on Saturday said the attack occurred near Jilib in Middle Juba region. Jubaland regional security minister Abdirashid Hassan Abdinur told state-run Radio Mogadishu that the fatalities from the al-Shabab side could be as high as 73. There was no immediate comment from al-Shabab on the death toll. Earlier on Saturday, at least eight Somali soldiers were killed when al-Shabab fighters overran a military camp on the outskirts of the town of Kismayo. According to reports, the heavily-armed fighters launched a dawn raid on the military camp, followed by a heavy exchange of gunfire which lasted hours. Al-Shabab claimed it killed 15 Somali soldiers. The incident came a day after al-Shabab said it had attacked Ethiopian troops in Somalia in an ambush on the road between the capital, Mogadishu, and the southwest town of Baidoa. Since 2017, the US military has stepped up air raids against the armed group. Al-Shabab controls large parts of rural southern and central Somalia and continues to carry out high-profile attacks in Mogadishu and elsewhere.”

Voice Of America: Kenya Arrests At Least 11 Following Hotel Attack

“Kenyan authorities have made more arrests in connection with last Tuesday's terrorist attack in Nairobi. Meanwhile, Kenyan officials are vowing to prevent further attacks. Kenya's top security agencies met in the coastal city of Mombasa to discuss ways to improve security and prevent attacks by militant group al-Shabab. The Islamist extremist group claimed responsibility for the attack on the Dusit D2 hotel and office complex that killed at least 21 civilians. Speaking at the conference, Interior Minister Fred Matiangi said Kenyan forces are ready to repulse any attack. "We are alert, and we remain alert 24/7. We are on duty 24/7 to serve our people to ensure that our country remains secure and safe. And anyone who bets on attempting to disrupting our peace got some answers last week, and they will get many answers if they try as we get along." Kenyan officials say police and army troops killed all five gunmen who attacked the Dusit complex. Since then, authorities have arrested at least 11 people in connection with the attack, including four suspects who surrendered to police Monday in the eastern town of Isiolo. Dozens more have been brought in for questioning. Authorities acknowledge that al-Shabab continues to pose a threat.”

North Korea

USA Today: New CSIS Report Reveals Another Of 20 Undisclosed North Korean Missile Sites

“Researchers have discovered another secret ballistic missile base in North Korea, one of an estimated 20 that the communist state has not declared. The base, called Sino-ri, was disclosed in a report released Monday by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a Washington D.C.-based think tank. It is located 132 miles north of the demilitarized zone that divides North and South Korea and provides “an operational-level nuclear or conventional first strike capability against targets located both throughout the Korean Peninsula and in most of Japan,” according to the report. CSIS reported on the existence of 13 of the 20 undeclared missile bases in November. The newly identified Sino-ri facility is one of the oldest in existence and was used for the first deployments of Pyongyang’s Scud missiles and its Nodong medium-range ballistic missile, according to Monday’s report. The base may also have also played a role in the development of the Pukkuksong-2 (KN-15) medium range ballistic missile, which was first tested in February 2017 and is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.”

United Kingdom

The Telegraph: Extremism And Hate Preachers On The Rise At Campuses, Universities Warned

“Extremist speakers are on the rise at universities, figures show, amid warnings that hate preachers are enjoying “near unfettered” access to students. During the last academic year, there were 200 events held at university campuses which featured individuals with radical views, according to an analysis by a counter extremism think-tank. These included hate preachers, pro-jihad activists and anti-Semites, some of whom toured around the country delivering lectures to students. Student rights, a project run by the Henry Jackson Society, publishes an annual report in which it analyses the number of university events that extremists have spoken at. In 2015/16, it found a total of 128 events, which dropped down to 107 the following year, before rising to 200 in 2017/18. According to the report, some of those 200 speakers’ views include supporting convicted terrorists, defending Hamas’s use of suicide bombings and animosity towards Jews and “disbelievers”. They also include advocating for an intifada in America and violent jihad, punishments such as stonings for homosexuals and the establishment of an Islamic caliphate. Emma Fox, the report’s author and national organiser of Student Rights, said that the analysis “reveal an industrial-scale failure” by universities to apply their Prevent duties.”

BBC News: Workington Terror Accused Talked Of 'Ploughing Down' People

“A white supremacist accused of planning a Columbine-style massacre talked of "ploughing down" people at an event in Cumbria, a court has heard. Shane Fletcher told his probation officer that he "hated everyone" in his home town of Workington and blamed them for his "unhappy life" and joblessness. Manchester Crown Court heard he told him "Why take one life when you can take 10,000?". The 21-year-old denies possessing bomb-making manuals and soliciting murder. In sessions with probation officer Lee Cartner, Mr Fletcher is said to have remarked that he hated Workington and "humanity in general", and also referenced Derrick Bird, who carried out a killing spree in west Cumbria in 2010. Mr Fletcher had mentioned how "easy" it would be for a van to plough down people at the Uppies and Downies - where large numbers of participants gather every Easter for street football matches, according to Mr Cartner. "He told me about a quote he had seen which he really liked - 'Why take one life when you can take 10,000?"', Mr Cartner added. Mr Fletcher was not willing to see his GP or health professionals and saw himself as sad rather than depressed, the probation officer said.”

Washington Examiner: Northern Ireland's Inspiring Response To A New Terrorist Attack

“We should be inspired by the collective Northern Irish political reaction to a new series of terrorist attacks in the British region. Regardless of their views on the rights or wrongs of British control over Northern Ireland, all major politicians have come out in strong condemnation of what's happened over the past few days. It's relevant because on Monday, the Police Service of Northern Ireland conducted a controlled detonation of a suspected car bomb in Londonderry county. This follows a car bomb detonation outside a Derry courthouse on Saturday evening. Both vehicles were carjacked by suspected members of the New Irish Republican Army, a terrorist group opposed to the 1999 Good Friday peace agreement. But the political response has been inspiring. First up, Arlene Foster, leader of the pro-British Democratic Unionist Party. This pointless act of terror must be condemned in the strongest terms. Only hurts the people of the City. Perpetrated by people with no regard for life. Grateful to our emergency services for their swift actions which helped ensure there have been no fatalities or injuries. But Foster was matched by her ideological opposites in the Irish republican party of Sinn Fein.”

Germany

Associated Press: Germany Bans Iran’s Mahan Air Amid Security Concern

“Germany has banned Iran’s Mahan Air from landing in the country with immediate effect, citing security concerns and the airline’s involvement in Syria, officials said Monday. Mahan Air is on a U.S. sanctions list and Washington has long urged allies to ban the airline from their territories. The decision to ban it came after consultations with European allies and the U.S., Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman Steffen Seibert told reporters. “It cannot be ruled out that this airline carries out transports to Germany that affect our security concerns,” he said. “This is especially true against the backdrop of terrorist activities, intelligence on terrorist activities from the Iranian side and Iranian entities in Europe in the past.” U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo welcomed the German decision.”

Fortune: Germany Bans Iran’s Mahan Air Over Terrorism And Spying Fears

“Iranian airline Mahan Air has been barred from operating in Germany over fears that it is being used for military and terrorist purposes by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, reports Reuters. It follows a July 2018 warning from U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin that, “Companies that continue to service Mahan aircraft, or facilitate Mahan flights in and out of airports in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, are on notice that they do so at great financial risk.” The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned Mahan Air in 2011, on the grounds that the airline was being used for military purposes by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and transporting fighters and arms to Syria. This means U.S. citizens are prohibited from engaging in commercial or financial transactions with Mahan Air. Tabloid Bild first reported in December that the German government would likely withdraw landing permission for Mahan Air, under pressure from the U.S. government. The United States’ latest round of sanctions on Iran in November increased pressure on friendly foreign governments to follow suit or face massive fines. The banning of Mahan Air is the second recent incident of alleged Iranian espionage in Germany.”

Europe

Reuters: Oslo Stabbing Investigated As Terrorist Attack: Police

“A knife attack in a supermarket in Oslo is being investigated as a possible act of terrorism, the head of the Norwegian police’s security service (PST) said on Friday. A woman was knifed on Thursday as she was paying at the till and the suspect, a 20-year-old Russian man, was arrested soon after, police said. “The man said under questioning that he wanted to kill several people and that this was an act of terror,” PST head Benedicte Bjoernland told a news conference. The suspect had arrived in Oslo on Thursday, traveling from Russia via neighboring Sweden, she said. There were no other suspects. Police were investigating possible links to Islamist extremism, Bjoernland said, adding that the victim was critically ill in hospital. The most recent fatal terrorism attack in Norway was in 2011 when far-right militant Anders Behring Breivik killed 77 people in a bombing in central Oslo and a shooting spree on a nearby island. In 2017, a 17-year-old Russian who prosecutors said had frequented Islamist websites was sentenced to nine months in jail for making a small bomb and bringing it to the center of Oslo on a busy Saturday night. The device failed to go off.”

New Europe: Terrorism Is A Phenomenon That Knows No Borders

“The threat of extremist violence is a part of everyday life around the world, a fact that was demonstrated again and again in 2018. Due to the universal nature of this problem, however, coordinated multilateral action on the sources of terrorism remains crucial. While in 2018 we did see progress on anti-terror legislation in Germany, the United Kingdom and at the level of the European Union, these efforts should be further improved to continue to tackle the continued development of terrorist financing methods.”

New Europe: Terrorist Content: The Clear And Present Danger

“One person with low-tech implements like a rented van and a knife can cause horrific damage. And that person is rarely a battle-hardened veteran of Da’esh’s failed ground wars. Usually, they are someone brought up in Europe, who has been radicalised here, often through terrorist content on the internet. The damage such content can do is scary. Nearly every single one of the attacks in Europe in recent years has had a link to the internet, whether through incitement to commit an attack, instruction on how to carry it out or glorification of the deadly results.”

New Europe: Europe’s Centre Must Do More Than Hold; It Must Push Back

“It is widely recognised that the challenge of nationalism and illiberalism has been mounting in Europe for some years now. Political and social extremism are both on the rise. The curled lip and barbed rhetoric of the modern right is not just a front for illiberal policies, but an emboldening factor for far right violent groups and a boon to proponents of Islamist extremism.”

Radio Free Europe: Bulgaria Charges Six With Financing Syrian 'Terrorist' Groups As Network Uncovered

“Bulgarian prosecutors have charged five Syrians and a Bulgarian woman with financing terrorist groups in the Middle East. "The group transferred at least 25 million euros [$29 million] to terrorist organizations over four years," said Rumiana Arnaudova, a spokeswoman for the attorney general, on January 19. Deputy Attorney General Ivan Guechev said the network was "without precedent in the European Union." The money transfers are alleged to have taken place since 2016. Special forces arrested 43 people on January 18 in raids throughout Bulgaria on a suspected criminal ring that had been financing terrorist groups. Arnaudova said the financing had been carried out across the border using the traditional Muslim "hawala" system that is difficult to trace. The criminal ring had also bought dozens of cars in Bulgaria and transported them to terror groups in Syria via Turkey, which borders Bulgaria.”

Deutsche Welle: Belgium Can't Keep 'Islamic State' Fighters' Families Out

“Heidi De Pauw never expected to get death threats in her job as an advocate for disadvantaged children. Then last summer the organization Child Focus, whose Belgian office she leads, started campaigning to bring to Belgium the children of citizens who'd left to fight for IS in Syria and Iraq. De Pauw's inbox and social media feeds began overflowing.
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O Almighty Lord God, who neither slumberest nor sleepest; Protect and assist, we beseech thee, all those who at home or abroad, by land, by sea, or in the air, are serving this country, that they, being armed with thy defence, may be preserved evermore in all perils; and being filled with wisdom and girded with strength, may do their duty to thy honour and glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

"IN GOD WE TRUST"
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