Eye on Extremism December 13, 2018

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Eye on Extremism
December 13, 2018
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The Washington Post: Two Israelis Shot Dead In West Bank Attack As Hamas Claims Earlier Attacks

“Two Israelis were shot dead near the Palestinian city of Ramallah on Thursday just hours after the Hamas militant group claimed responsibility for a separate attack that injured seven Israelis, including a pregnant woman whose baby later died. The uptick of violence in the occupied West Bank is threatening an earlier Israel-Hamas cease-fire deal. Thursday’s attacker exited a vehicle and shot at Israeli soldiers and civilians waiting at a bus station at Asaf Junction, near the Israeli settlements of Beit El and Ofra, the Israeli military said. The gunman, who was not alone in the car, fled toward Ramallah, which the military later sealed off. The incident took place on the same road as an earlier shooting attack on Sunday in which the pregnant 21-year-old woman was shot. Her baby was delivered prematurely during the 30th week of pregnancy in an emergency operation following the attack and died on Wednesday.”

The Guardian: Chérif Chekatt: Who Is The Strasbourg Shooting Suspect?

“French investigators call them the “gangster-jihadists” – young men, often from poor immigrant backgrounds, who start with petty crime, drug dealing and robbery and graduate to terrorism. They exist under the radar of the intelligence services or are placed on watch lists for their radical religious beliefs and subjected to varying degrees of surveillance – but are not expected to become violent. In any case, French security forces have said it would be impossible to keep an eye on all 12,000 listed for suspected Islamist views or even the 4,000 considered “problematic”. The profile of Chérif Chekatt, who is being hunted by police in connection for the attacks in Strasbourg, is all too familiar in France. Chekatt was born in Strasbourg in February 1989, into a family with Moroccan roots, and appears to have fallen first into petty crime then gangster circles. The final stage, his apparent move into Islamic extremism, was reportedly sparked – or at least strengthened – during a spell in prison between 2013 and 2015.”

Associated Press: US Urges UN To Ban Iran Nuclear Missiles, Keep Arms Embargo

“U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday to again ban Iranian ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons and to maintain an arms embargo that is scheduled to be lifted in 2020 under the landmark Iran nuclear deal. He also urged the council to prevent Iran from circumventing existing arms restrictions by authorizing the inspection of ships in ports and stopping them on the high seas. “Iran’s ballistic missile activity is out of control,” Pompeo said. “Iran has been on a testing spree and a proliferation spree that must come to an end.” Pompeo spoke at a Security Council meeting on Iran’s compliance with the 2015 nuclear agreement that the Trump administration pulled out of earlier this year and the council resolution endorsing it. The United States faces an uphill struggle in getting Security Council approval for Pompeo’s proposals, especially following U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal, which is still supported by the five other parties — Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany. The Trump administration’s re-imposition in November of sanctions against Iran that it had eased under the nuclear deal has also angered some key council members as well as U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.”

Foreign Policy: Trump Should Cut Hezbollah’s Lifeline In The Americas

“Almost halfway through his term, U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has yet to launch a coordinated assault against Hezbollah’s terrorist finance networks in the Western Hemisphere, especially in the Tri-Border Area of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay, the Iran-backed terrorist group’s most active financial hub in the region. That may be about to change, though. All three of the bordering countries have elected leaders who have forcefully denounced the scourge of transnational organized crime and pledged to enhance cooperation among themselves and with Washington. This past January, the Trump administration established the Hezbollah Financing and Narcoterrorism Team, an interagency task force focused on the threat. Now is the time for Washington and its re-energized partners to launch a coordinated assault against Hezbollah’s networks and its enablers, which could have serious repercussions for the group’s ability to fundraise at the very same time that its Iranian patron faces crushing pressure from the return of U.S. sanctions. It has been more than a decade since the U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctioned a Hezbollah operative in the Tri-Border Area. In late 2017 and early 2018, though, the Trump administration appeared to signal it would revisit this issue.”

Today: Necessary But Tough To Get Tech Companies To Thwart Hate Speech And Fake News

“A recent international hearing on fake news and disinformation held in London reinvigorated interest in Facebook Inc's role in the Sri Lanka riots of July 2018 that facilitated anti-Muslim violence. Social media companies like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube have increasingly come under fire by governments for their disruption of the democratic process and civil order as well as facilitation of hate speech and fake news which are often times intertwined. The sheer scale of network these companies provide have resulted in the amplification of hate in multiple instances. Apart from the riot in Sri Lanka, Facebook posts have stoked various communal tensions in parts of India. This includes the 2017 week-long riot in the state of West Bengal that resulted in the death of one person and damage to its socio-religious fabric. Similarly, in Myanmar, fake posts on Facebook sparked major anti-Muslim riots after there were shared by the extremist monk Wirathu in 2014.”

United States

Daily Mail: Disheveled White Supremacist Appears In Court Ahead Of Murder Terrorism Trial For 'Killing A Black Man With A Sword' Which He Said Was 'Practice For A Bigger Attack On Times Square'

“A white supremacist who 'killed a black man with a sword as practice for a bigger terror attack in New York's Times Square' appeared in court today looking disheveled and disinterested as attorneys discussed preliminary matters ahead of his trial. James Harris Jackson, 30, nonchalantly emerged from a holding cell at Manhattan Supreme Court on Tuesday afternoon - and stayed slumped in his chair for the remainder of the proceedings. The army veteran is accused of murdering 66-year-old Timothy Caughman, a black man, with an 18-inch roman short-sword he concealed in his pants, on March 20, 2017. At the time of his arrest, Jackson allegedly told police the slaying was 'practice' for a much larger racial 'terrorist attack' he hoped to carry out in New York's Times Square.”

Syria

Reuters: U.S.-Backed Fighters Thrust Into Last Big Town Held By Islamic State

“U.S.-backed Syrian forces have pushed deep into the last major urban stronghold held by Islamic State on the eastern banks of the Euphrates, a spokesman for the fighters and a former resident said on Thursday. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish-led militia alliance that holds roughly one quarter of Syria east of the Euphrates, had advanced into the center of Hajin, an SDF spokesman said. “The battles continue,” Mustafa Bali said. Backed by U.S.-led air strikes, the SDF has been attempting for several months to take Islamic State’s last pocket of territory near the Iraqi border. Colonel Sean Ryan, spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State, said: “The SDF has progressed into (Hajin), and the advancement is going well”. But it was too early to say the entire city had been captured. "We have evolved by extracting and creating value where others would look past." A video posted on FuratPost newsportal showed SDF fighters walking in the market place of the town near a mosque where damage was extensive. Gunfire was heard in the background. A former resident, Abdullah Baker, who had been in touch with relatives who recently fled the city, said most of the remaining militants, who numbered in the hundreds, had fled to the nearby villages that are still under Islamic State control.”

The Washington Examiner: ISIS Spends Most Of Its Time And Energy Killing Muslims, And Its Mass Graves Tell The Tale

“Seven more Islamic State mass graves have been found in Syria. They testify to two truths: ISIS is evil, and Muslims are its most common victims. Located just outside the Euphrates river valley town of Albu Kamal, and close the Syrian border with Iraq, we can assess confidently where those buried in these graves came from. They were almost certainly locals of the area, slaughtered for opposing ISIS fanaticism or falling afoul of the group's short-lived regime. And the vast majority would also have been moderate Sunni Muslims, belonging to the Sunni Arab tribes of Deir ez-Zor province. So if these victims were Sunni Muslims, just like the ISIS fighters, why did the latter so brutally kill them? Because they refused to bow to ISIS' nihilistic vision of Salafi-domination. Choosing freedom over tyranny, men and boys from tribes like al-Shaitat were slaughtered with a psychotic mix of means, including beheading and rocket propelled grenades. Women were enslaved and some others slaughtered in brutal ways. Children too. The key point is that this treatment of Muslims is not an outlier of ISIS ideology, but a distinct marker of it. ISIS leaders are driven by an ideology that blends Salafist theology with arrogance, xenophobia, and hatred. The group thus believes that Muslims who do not bow to its teachings are traitors to the faith.”

The National: Hundreds Of Bodies Found In Mass Graves Near ISIS’s Former Syrian Stronghold

“Seven mass graves containing hundreds of unidentified bodies have been unearthed near the former ISIS stronghold of Albu Kamal in eastern Syria, the country’s official news agency SANA said. Most of the more than 100 bodies recovered so far at the site appear to “have been subjected to torture and ill-treatment before execution,” it said, accusing ISIS of killing the victims. Work was under way to retrieve the rest of the bodies from the graves in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor, SANA said in its report published late Tuesday. It released a video showing forensic experts in protective clothing recovering remains, and corpses laid out on the ground in a row under white sheets. A Syrian Red Crescent official said the main focus at present was identifying the remains already recovered which included those of several women. “Exhumations will resume afterwards,” the official said, asking not to be identified. “The bodies show signs of torture and some were blindfolded and handcuffed.” IS has been held responsible for multiple atrocities during its reign of terror, including mass executions and decapitations. In recent months, both Syria and Iraq have discovered a number of mass graves in areas previously occupied by the jihadists. IS proclaimed a “caliphate” over swathes of the two countries in 2014, but has since lost almost all the territory it once held.”

Al Arabiya: Syria Democratic Forces Escalate Attacks To Expel ISIS From Syria’s Hajin

“The Syria Democratic Forces said that the escalated military offensive to expel ISIS extremist group’s elements from the Hajin pocket, on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River close to the Iraqi border, is a continuous operation on many fronts. Laila al-Abdullah, an official spokeswoman for the Deir al-Zour military council of SDF told Al Arabiya English that: “The military operations to expel ISIS from Hajin town are still continuing on three axes, up to the Iraqi border.” She added: “Our forces have managed to liberate hundreds of civilians stranded in areas considered a stronghold of ISIS.” The spokeswoman said that ISIS was using the civilians as human shields in the area, adding that the “clashes at the highest levels and are still going on until the moment.” She explained that ISIS elements are carrying surprise attacks against the SDF fighters who are retaliating back. In addition, the spokeswoman al-Abdullah revealed that “SDF tightened its grip on the extremist group in three axes within the town of Hajin.” According to the spokeswoman, the biggest obstacles faced by the SDF fighters, is the large number of mines planted by ISIS in areas they pulled out from, as well as the use of civilians as human shields after their detention.”

U.S. Army: Task Force Commander: ISIS Forces Degraded From Caliphate To Caves

“At one time, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria controlled a self-proclaimed caliphate that stretched from Syria to Iraq, but now that force in Iraq has been degraded so much that the remnants are hiding in caves, deep wadis and tunnels in the desert and hills of western Iraq's austere terrain, the commander of Task Force Rifles told Pentagon reporters today. Army Col. Jonathan C. Byrom, who also serves as deputy director of Joint Operations Command Iraq, spoke via video teleconference from Baghdad. Kurdish peshmerga and Iraqi security forces are conducting continuous clearance operations against these small pockets, the colonel said. Checkpoints along the Iraq-Syria border have now been reopened, and Iraq's border guard and security forces are operating along that border to prevent ISIS from crossing, he said. That includes "intense cross-border fires" by Iraqi and coalition forces in consultation and coordination with Syrian Democratic Forces, he added. Iraqi security forces are large-scale clearance operations and are hunting ISIS leadership and trying to take out the terrorist group's media, propaganda and financial capabilities, Byrom said. U.S. and coalition forces are advising, assisting and enabling Iraqi forces, he said, support that includes providing them with joint fires, intelligence, aerial surveillance and training, along with some equipment.”

Iran

BBC News: Vahid Sayadi Nasiri: Jailed Iran Activist Dies On Hunger Strike

“An Iranian political activist jailed for his messages on social media has died after spending 60 days on hunger strike, his family says. Vahid Sayadi Nasiri had been accused of insulting Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other offences. He was released last March after serving two-and-a-half years in prison but detained again five months later. The activist demanded his transfer from a high-security unit of a prison in the city of Qom to a different location. Vahid Sayadi Nasiri was initially arrested in September 2015 and sentenced to eight years in prison for "insulting the supreme leader" and "propaganda against the state," according to the advocacy group Iran Human Rights Monitor. The charges were related to posts he had made on his Facebook page. He was later pardoned and released early. However he was arrested again in August, just months after his release, reportedly on similar charges. He began his hunger strike in October in protest at the conditions of his imprisonment and his lack of access to a lawyer, according to Iran Human Rights Monitor.”

The Washington Post: AP Exclusive: Iran Hackers Hunt Nuclear Workers, US Targets

“As U.S. President Donald Trump re-imposed harsh economic sanctions on Iran last month, hackers scrambled to break into personal emails of American officials tasked with enforcing them, The Associated Press has found — another sign of how deeply cyberespionage is embedded into the fabric of US-Iranian relations. The AP drew on data gathered by the London-based cybersecurity group Certfa to track how a hacking group often nicknamed Charming Kitten spent the past month trying to break into the private emails of more than a dozen U.S. Treasury officials. Also on the hackers’ hit list: high-profile defenders, detractors and enforcers of the nuclear deal struck between Washington and Tehran, as well as Arab atomic scientists, Iranian civil society figures and D.C. think tank employees. “Presumably, some of this is about figuring out what is going on with sanctions,” said Frederick Kagan, a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute who has written about Iranian cyberespionage and was among those targeted.”

NPR: Pompeo Warns That Iran's Missile Program Is 'Out Of Control'

“Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is warning the U.N. that Iran's missile program is "out of control." He's trying to build up more pressure on Iran, though some critics say that is a dangerous approach. ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was at the U.N. Security Council today to sound alarms about Iran's missile program. He also called for an end to Iran's support of militant groups around the Middle East. But some U.S. allies and regional analysts worry that the administration's pressure campaign could create a conflict. NPR's Michele Kelemen reports. MICHELE KELEMEN, BYLINE: The Security Council was meeting to discuss the resolution that enshrined the Iran nuclear deal, the one the Trump administration left even though Iran was abiding by it. Pompeo says the deal failed to address other concerns about Iran's bad behavior in the region and its missile program.”

Reuters: China-Based Oil Firm Settles Iran Sanctions Violations, U.S. Says

“China-based Yantai Jereh Oilfield Services Group Co Ltd (002353.SZ) has agreed to pay more than $2.7 million to settle allegations it did business with Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions, the U.S. Treasury Department said on Wednesday. The department cited the company for 11 “apparent” instances of moving oilfield-related items such as spare parts, coiled tubing strings and pump sets, and called it “an egregious case” since the Jereh Group did not voluntarily disclose the violations. Representatives for the company could not be immediately reached for comment.”

Iraq

Reuters: 21 Islamic State Militants Escape Iraqi Jail, Most Recaptured

“Twenty one prisoners, most of them members of Islamic State jailed on terrorism charges, broke out of a prison in northern Iraq but 15 of them have been recaptured, Kurdish security officials said on Thursday. The fortified jail of Sosa is located near the Iraqi Kurdish city of Sulaimaniya and include mainly militants of the hardline Islamist group who were captured during the fight against Islamic State which started in 2014. Kurdish security officials launched manhunt operations after the break-out late on Wednesday and 15 of the 21 were recaptured, two security officials said. The whereabouts of the other six remains unknown. Although Sosa jail is located in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq, the federal government has full control over the prison. “Almost all of the convicted inmates who escaped are from Daesh,” said one Kurdish security source. Daesh is an Arabic acronym for Islamic State. It was not clear how the inmates managed to escape the highly secured prison. Islamic State, which once occupied a third of Iraq’s territory, has been largely defeated in the country but still poses a threat along the border with Syria. The group has resorted to guerrilla tactics since it abandoned its goal of holding territory and creating a self-sufficient caliphate that straddles Iraq and Syria.”

Iraqi News: Joint Iraqi Force Kills Three Islamic State Militants In Mosul

“Iraqi troops killed on Wednesday three militants of Islamic State during a military operation in Mosul city. A joint force of the Iraqi army and al-Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Forces) carried out a military operation to purge Sheikh Ibrahim desert town, in western Mosul, from Islamic State militants, Almaalomah news website quoted the media service of al-Hashd al-Shaabi as saying in a statement. “Three Islamic State terrorists were killed in the military operation,” the statement added. Former Iraqi prime minister Haider al-Abadi announced in July 2017 liberation of the second largest Iraqi city of Mosul from IS militants, who had captured it in 2014. More than 25,000 militants were killed throughout the campaign, which started in October 2016. The campaign was backed by paramilitary troops and a U.S.-led international coalition. Iraq declared the collapse of Islamic State’s territorial influence in Iraq 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. 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.”

Iraqi News: Two Members Of Islamic State Sleeper Cells Arrested In Kirkuk

“Iraqi authorities announced on Wednesday the capture of two Islamic State militants in Kirkuk province. “A force of the Homeland Security Service in Kirkuk arrested two members of Islamic State sleeper cells in Al-Qadsia neighborhood in Kirkuk,” Alghad Press website quoted the Security Media Center as saying. “The pair were handed over to the competent authorities for legal action,” the center added. 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.”

Turkey

Financial Times: Turkey Risks Clash With US Over Kurdish Militants In Syria

“Turkey is preparing a military operation in Syria to flush out Kurdish militants fighting Isis alongside the US, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, risking a confrontation between his soldiers and American forces. Ankara is outraged over its Nato partner’s co-operation with a Syrian Kurdish militia, saying it had helped create a national security threat on its southern frontier. Turkey designates the militia — called the People’s Protection Forces, or YPG — as a terrorist group because of its links with insurgents who have waged an armed campaign for autonomy inside Turkey over three decades, at a cost of 40,000 lives. “We will not be bystanders to the game being played right at our border,” Mr Erdogan said in a televised speech. “We will start our operation east of the Euphrates river within a few days to rescue it from the separatist terrorist organisation. “This will guarantee Syria’s territorial integrity and open a path to a political resolution, as well as create a climate for healthier co-operation with the United States in the region.” The Kurdish militia dominate the Syria Democratic Forces, which is Washington’s main local ally in its battle with Isis in the war-torn Arab state. The US arms and trains the SDF and has bases in the north-eastern corner of Syria controlled by the militia.”

CNN: US Warns Turkey Not To Attack Syria

“The US called on Turkey to not follow through on threats to attack US-backed forces in Syria Wednesday, an incursion the Pentagon warned could threaten US personnel and derail the fight against ISIS. "Unilateral military action into northeast Syria by any party, particularly as US personnel may be present or in the vicinity, is of grave concern. We would find any such actions unacceptable," Commander Sean Robertson, a spokesman for the Department of Defense, told CNN. "We believe this dialogue is the only way to secure the border area in a sustainable manner, and believe that uncoordinated military operations will undermine that shared interest," he added. Earlier on Wednesday, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a televised speech that Turkish troops would launch a military operation east of the Euphrates in Syria, an operation aimed at targeting Kurdish militants.”

Afghanistan

Reuters: Afghan Forces Abandon District After Taliban Pressure

“Afghan forces abandoned a remote district in the west of the country, leaving the area to Taliban insurgents after the government failed to resupply dozens of troops stationed there, provincial officials said on Wednesday. Local officials said the Shebkoh district of Farah province, bordering Iran, has been under Taliban siege for months, making it difficult for the government to send reinforcements. Mosa Nazari, deputy governor of Farah, said Afghanistan’s military leadership faced difficulty supplying and reinforcing the troops in Shebkoh district and it had been decided to withdraw in order to avoid casualties. “The plan to leave the district was there for months and it was finally decided,” Nazari told Reuters, adding that the forces withdrew all ammunition and vehicles to the provincial capital of Farah. U.S. military advisers have regularly pressed Afghan commanders to concentrate their forces and avoid exposed outposts that are difficult to defend and supply. The Taliban, fighting to drive out foreign forces and re-impose its version of strict Islamic Law, said in a statement the Afghan government abandoned the district after a heavy firefight overnight, and the group seized an amount of ammunition. A sparsely populated province, Farah has been the scene of intense fighting since the beginning of the year. Afghan forces have suffered heavy losses, including the killings of dozens of well-armed elite special forces there.”

The New York Times Magazine: In An Afghan District Verging On Collapse: ‘There Are Too Many Men With Guns’

“Afghanistan is home to 35 million people and the United States’ longest-ever foreign war, with no real end in sight. Many of Afghanistan’s 407 districts are caught in a strange limbo between war and peace, stability and violence. There are districts that the United States-led coalition considers to be under government control that don’t have access to basic rights and services, like education, clean drinking water or local government representation. Then there are districts said to be under insurgent control where you’ll still find a government presence — at least within a certain limited stretch of land. (In such places, residents will say things like: “The government controls 10-15 kilometers around the district center.”) The result for millions of Afghans is a constant sense of uncertainty, fear and doubt. Life under the shaky stability of the Western-backed Afghan government and life under the rule of armed insurgents can be decided by as little as a few miles or a few months. Take the province of Herat, perched at the western edge of the country, along the border with Iran: Here you have Herat City, the provincial capital and one of Afghanistan’s safest and most bustling cities. Eighty miles to the south is the district of Shindand, whose estimated 200,000 residents live in the fragile and shifting conditions of a contested territory.”

Pakistan

The Indian Express: J&K: Two Militants Killed In Encounter With Security Forces In Sopore

“At least two militants were killed Thursday in an encounter with security forces which started at BrathKalan village of North Kashmir’s Sopore district Wednesday evening. The encounter is still underway. On Wednesday, security forces launched a cordon and search operation in BrathKalan area following information about the presence of militants there, a police official said according to PTI. He said the militants opened fire at the security forces, leading to an encounter. On Tuesday, four Jammu and Kashmir policemen were killed in a militant attack on a police picket in South Kashmir’s Shopian district. The attack was a first by militants in the Valley after they suffered several blows in multiple encounters over the last one month in South Kashmir. Police officers said that the policemen who were killed were guarding a picket meant for the security of a few Kashmiri pandit families living in Zainapora area of Shopian. Four weapons belonging to the policemen were also taken by the militants after the attack, officials said. The four policemen were identified as Abdul Majeed, Mehraj-ud-din, Anees and Hameed-ul-lah.”

Yemen

Associated Press: UN Envoy Hands Yemen’s Warring Sides Draft Deal

“The U.N. special envoy for Yemen on Wednesday gave the country’s warring sides at peace talks underway in Sweden a draft agreement they need to consider before this round of negotiations wraps up the following day. The document consists of a set of proposals, including one for a political framework for a post-war Yemen, the reopening of the airport in the capital, Sanaa, and a proposal for the contested Red Sea port city of Hodeida, a lifeline for millions of Yemenis dependent on international aid. Hanan Elbadawi, spokeswoman for U.N. envoy Martin Griffiths, said he would await the “responses from the two parties before announcing the details of the set of agreements” at the end of talks Thursday. The statement raised expectations for progress in the U.N.-sponsored talks in the town of Rimbo, Sweden, between Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels and the government of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi. The government, which is supported by a Saudi-led coalition that has waged war against the Shiite Houthis, said the next round of negotiations could take place as early as January.”

The National: Al Qaeda Commanders Killed In Clashes With UAE-Backed Forces In Yemen

“Two Al Qaeda commanders were reportedly killed in clashes with UAE-backed forces in southern Yemen on Tuesday. Local Security Belt Forces in Abyan province recently launched a military operation targeting Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). Fighting on Tuesday took place in Moudiya district, a military source involved in the fighting told The National. “The campaign is called Crushing Revenge,” the source said, who spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to brief the media. “We’re tracking down terrorist elements belonging to Al Qaeda.” He continued: "Our forces carried out a big military operation in a mountainous area in Al Fathan in Moudiya, which led to the killing of Abu Al Darda Al Baydhani and Abu Qusai Al Adeni,” who were believed to be commanders leading dozens of militants, he added.”

Lebanon

The Jerusalem Post: Salvini Calls Hezbollah A Terrorist Organization, Gets Walloped In Italy

“A terrorist is a terrorist,” Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini said on Wednesday, doubling down on his characterization of Hezbollah a day earlier as a terrorist organization, something that caused an uproar in Italy. Salvini’s comments came at a photo opportunity in Jerusalem with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before their meeting. “I had problems with newspapers in Italy because I called Hezbollah terrorists, so they came out against me,” Salvini said. Netanyahu replied, “It’s clear Hezbollah hides behind civilians, fires on civilians and kills civilians, but it is inconceivable to call them terrorists.” During a tour of the northern border on Tuesday, shortly after he arrived for a 24-hour visit, Salvini posted a tweet calling Hezbollah terrorists. Salvini is the head of the rightist League Party, in a coalition with the Five Star Movement. Following his tweet, Defense Minister Elisabetta Trenta, who is a member of the Five Star Movement, urged Salvini to think carefully about what he says. “We always have to have in mind that our soldiers every day risk their lives for our stability,” she said in a statement. Another Five Star politician, foreign ministry undersecretary Manlio Di Stefano, went further: “To speak about geopolitics without understanding the causes and only to support the strongest party, damages [the region’s] people and peace.”

Al Monitor: Closing Hezbollah Tunnels Only First Step In Israel's Northern Operation

“The quiet on the Israel-Lebanon border had never been this tense. From the beginning of Operation Northern Shield on Dec. 4, Israel has been locating, marking and booby-trapping terror tunnels dug by Hezbollah into its territory, with the ultimate intention of blowing up the tunnels. Thus, a rather bizarre situation has been created on the Blue Line, the border between the two states outlined by the United Nations in 2007 after the Second Lebanon War. The Israel Defense Forces, with its special forces and engineering tools, is working diligently with heavy drills and bulldozers to uncover tunnels on the southern side. Only a few meters away, the Lebanese army is openly observing them, while Hezbollah watches covertly. Add the Lebanese media, some members of which are affiliated with Hezbollah, making themselves comfortable on the Blue Line only five meters from the Israelis. The two sides, armed to the teeth, stare at each other from practically zero range. Both are apprehensive of a spark that would set the region on fire. For the Israelis, the operation is advancing according to plan. The only mishap has been a diplomatic one: For the first time in a long while, the United States refused to stand up for Israel and impose sanctions on Lebanon. Israeli policy, which views Lebanon and Hezbollah as one entity, has not yet been fully accepted by Washington.”

Middle East

The New York Times: When Anti-Zionism Tunnels Under Your House

“In 2002, Hassan Nasrallah, the secretary-general of Hezbollah, was said to have given a speech noting that the creation of the state of Israel had spared his followers the trouble of hunting down Jews at “the ends of the world.” The Lebanese terrorist group has prominent apologists in the West, and some of them rushed to claim that Nasrallah had uttered no such thing. Except he had. Tony Badran of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies tracked down the original recording of the speech, in which Nasrallah carries on about “occupied Palestine” as the place appointed by Allah for the “final and decisive battle” with the Jews. By “occupied Palestine,” he wasn’t talking about the West Bank. Sometimes anti-Zionists are — surprise! — homicidal anti-Semites, too. That’s a thought that can’t be far from the mind of anyone living in northern Israel, where in recent days the Israeli Army has discovered at least three tunnels dug by Hezbollah and intended to infiltrate commandos under the border in the (increasingly likely) event of war.”

Haaretz: Two Police Officers Stabbed In Suspected Terror Attack In Jerusalem

“Two Israeli police officers are wounded after a Palestinian approached and stabbed them in a suspected terror attack in the Old City of Jerusalem early Thursday morning. A policewoman, 19, is in moderate condition and has been taken to Hadassah Hospital in Ein Karem while the other policeman, 21, sustained minor wounds to his face and has been taken to Shaare Zedek Medical Center. According to reports, the assailant was shot dead at the scene by security forces. Palestinian reports identify the attacker as Majd Matir, 26, a resident of the Qalandiyah refugee camp near Jerusalem. According to police, Matir arrived at 5:00 A.M. through the Damascus Gate. He first tried to stab a man at Ha'Gai St., but failed and then charged the two police officers. The attack comes just hours after two separate operations in the West Bank. The first killed one of the suspects in Sunday's drive-by shooting near an Israeli settlement. While the second killed the Palestinian who carried out the attack at the Barkan industrial area in the West Bank on October 7. Israeli forces surrounded a house near the Palestinian Authority's headquarters, which is close to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' home, in the search for the drive-by shooter.”

Egypt

Daily News Egypt: Egypt’s Military Kills Dozens Of ‘Dangerous’ Militants, Arrests Hundreds In Sinai ‘18 Operations

“The Egyptian armed forces announced its recent results of the comprehensive military operation ‘Sinai 2018’ on Wednesday. The operation aims to combat terrorism and confront militants in central and north Sinai, the Nile Delta region, and the Western Desert. In statement No 30, the military said that three “very dangerous militants” were killed in the Western Desert, adding that another 24 “extremist militants” were also killed in a fire exchange with security forces. The military added that, “403 criminal elements, suspects, and criminally wanted by the police were arrested.” Moreover, the air forces managed to target and destroy 61 4×4 vehicles in the southern and western borders, as well as a 4×4 vehicles hiding in a remote farm, a storage of ammunition, and a vehicle with a group of terrorists in a hideout in the north of Sinai. The armed forces pointed out that the military’s engineers succeeded in discovering and disarming 344 explosive devices, which were planted to target the security forces on the roads where the operations were carried out. Meanwhile, the military discovered another 342 terrorist hideouts, where the forces confiscated large amounts of ammunition and explosive devices, motorcycles, and food in north and central Sinai. The statement added that another 27 vehicles and 83 motorcycles, used by terrorists, were also confiscated.”

Nigeria

Pulse.ng: Army Holds Private Burial Ceremony For Dozens Of Soldiers Killed By Boko Haram

“Soldiers who were killed by terrorist group, Boko Haram, in the troubled northeast region will be buried by the Nigerian Army in a private ceremony scheduled to be held in Maiduguri, Borno State on Friday, December 14, 2018. According to a report by The Punch, the soldiers were those killed during a terrorist attack on the 157 Task Force Battalion in Metele in Guzamala local government area of Borno on November 18. Even though many reports indicated that over 100 soldiers were killed in the attack, with many others missing, the Army disclosed in a statement that 23 soldiers were killed with 31 others injured. However, according to one of the widows of the officers who spoke to The Punch, the number of soldiers to be buried during the private ceremony is unknown. "I was invited for the burial of my husband with a few others this Friday in Maiduguri. Sincerely, we don't even know how many will be buried and the army is not giving us any information," she said.”

Voice Of America: Gunmen Kidnap Bus Passengers Near Nigeria's Oil Hub

“Gunmen kidnapped passengers from a bus near Nigeria's southern oil hub of Port Harcourt, witnesses said Wednesday, in the latest of a series of kidnappings in the restive region. Witness Precious Awuse told AFP the incident happened on Tuesday morning on a road in the Emohua area of Rivers state, a frequently traveled kidnapping hotspot. "We were driving a few kilometers (miles) behind the 18-seater bus when the hoodlums struck and we had to abandon our own bus and flee for safety before the arrival of the police to the scene of the incident," Awuse said. "They were dressed in police uniform and had barricaded the road," said Alaowie Tonye, another passenger who also saw the kidnapping. After they fled, the attackers vandalized the bus in apparent anger, he said. Rivers state police spokesman Nnamdi Omoni said the kidnapping was being investigated but did not give an exact figure of those abducted. Kidnapping for ransom has long been a problem in southern Nigeria and has typically targeted prominent individuals and their families. In August and September 2017, there were a wave of attacks against at least three commercial buses, indicating sustained economic hardship was making anyone a target.”

Council On Foreign Relations: Doing Business In Nigeria's Northeast, The Land Of Boko Haram

“On December 10, the Financial Times published a fascinating article by Neil Munshi, dateline Maiduguri, on how businesses have adapted to operating in areas affected by Boko Haram. Specifically, Munshi cites Coca-Cola, Unilvever, and MTN, a telecommunications company. Since multinational forces dislodged Boko Haram from much of the territory it held in 2015, the three have expanded their operations and their markets in Nigeria’s northeast. Coca-Cola and Unilever have operated in Nigeria since colonial times, while MTN, based in South Africa, has extensive experience on the continent. The companies cited appear to be highly nimble. They have shifted from employing southerners to employing locals, and making use of local distribution networks already in place. Though no longer controlling extensive territory, Boko Haram is still active in the countryside and recently overran a military base near Maiduguri, Borno, and earlier threatened the city itself. Their security teams therefore put a premium on early warnings. The tone of the article, like much of the Financial Times’ Nigeria reportage, is generally optimistic. It certainly shows how well-run, experienced, and large enterprises can survive, and how people adapt to life in what is essentially a war zone.”

United Kingdom

The Independent: ISIS-Inspired Terror Plot 'Foiled' By Armed Police Raid In Newcastle

“A suspected Isis-inspired terror plot has been foiled following an armed police raid in Newcastle. A 33-year-old man was arrested in the operation, which involved dozens of officers and saw part of the city’s West End cordoned off. Houses surrounding the suspect’s home were evacuated as a precaution over fears it contained explosives. Resident Valerie Lewis told the Newcastle Chronicle she was expecting a friend when she heard a knock on the door on Tuesday morning, adding: “I could see dark clothing and opened it up and there was a policeman with a machine gun telling me to get out.” Heavily armed counter-terrorist specialist firearms officers (CTSFOs), who are trained to launch from helicopters and use explosives, were among the units deployed for the raid. Police remain on the scene in Arthur’s Hill and are conducting searches as the investigation continues. Officers were granted more time to question the arrested man by a judge on Wednesday, and will be able to hold him until 18 December. He was arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism under section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000. Although the operation came weeks before Christmas, the timing of the alleged plot and its precise target remain unclear. In the wake of the shooting attack on a Christmas market in Strasbourg on Tuesday night, Counterterror Policing UK urged the public to remain vigilant.”

France

BBC News: Strasbourg: Police Make Public Appeal In Chérif Chekatt Manhunt

“French police have appealed for help in finding a man suspected of a Christmas market gun attack in Strasbourg that killed three people, and left a fourth brain dead and 12 others wounded. Hundreds of security personnel are searching for Chérif Chekatt, 29, on both sides of the Franco-German border. The suspect had a string of criminal convictions and had become a radical Islamist while in prison. Police say he is highly dangerous and should not be approached. French officials announced on Thursday that a third person had died in the aftermath of the Strasbourg attack. Five people were seriously wounded, they said, including a man described as brain dead. Chekatt has been in jail in Germany as well as France, and German reports suggested he may have received a call from Germany shortly before the Strasbourg attack. He did not answer the call, but investigators were trying to establish who was behind it, RBB Inforadio reported. Border checks on drivers near Strasbourg brought traffic to a near standstill on Thursday.”

The New York Post: France Shooting Suspect Cherif Chekatt Was Radicalized While In Jail: Officials

“The manhunt continued Wednesday for a radicalized Islamist who yelled “God is great!” in Arabic as he opened fire at a French Christmas market — killing at least two people and wounding about a dozen others. Cherif Chekatt, 29, who had been on an intelligence services watch list as a potential security risk, may have chosen the market in his hometown of Strasbourg for its religious symbolism, Paris prosecutor Remy Heitz said. “Considering the target, his way of operating, his profile and the testimonies of those who heard him yell ‘Allahu Akbar,’ the anti-terrorist police has been called into action,” Heitz told reporters. Senior Interior Ministry official Laurent Nuñez said police had sought to arrest Chekatt hours before the shooting, in connection with an attempted murder and armed robbery. He was not at his home — where some explosives, a rifle and several knives were found — but five other people, including his father and two brothers, were detained, authorities said.”

The Daily Beast: ISIS Terror And Yellow Vests: The Great French Conspiracy Machine Cranks Up

“A brazen young career criminal was wounded but escaped during a firefight with police after a shooting and stabbing rampage in Strasbourg’s storied Christmas market Tuesday night. French authorities declared it a terrorist attack, briefly locked down the city, and launched a massive manhunt. Two people were killed, one was left brain-dead and at least eight were critically injured in the murder spree that came out of nowhere around 7:50 p.m. as a man dressed all in black and armed with a knife and a pistol began shooting and then stabbing Christmas shoppers. Paris Prosecutor Rémy Heitz, whose office leads terrorism investigations across the country, said witnesses reported that the suspect yelled “Allahu Akbar” during the attack. And suddenly, dramatically, almost totally, the thousands of protesters wearing yellow automobile safety vests who have dominated the news in France and out of France for the last month suddenly discovered they were no longer in the spotlight. They had never been there before, and maybe they thought they would be there forever, standing around barricades being interviewed on camera or trashing French cities amid clouds of tear gas."

PJ Media: ISIS Group That Threatened Bioattacks Vows Holiday 'Era Of Surprises' After Strasbourg

“An ISIS-supporting media group that just days ago issued a threat bearing symbols of a biological attack quickly seized on the Strasbourg, France, Christmas market attack to warn of more holiday assaults. Suspected gunman Chérif Chekatt, 29, who was born in Strasbourg, was still on the run from police -- yet wounded in a firefight with cops, according to a taxi driver ordered to help him flee from the shopping area -- after at least two people were killed, one has been declared brain-dead, and 13 more were wounded. One of the dead is a tourist who was visiting from Thailand. France has increased its terror alert level and upped security at Christmas markets. Chekatt had a lengthy rap sheet of 27 total convictions, including serving time in Germany for burglary of a dentist and a pharmacy and serving time in Switzerland for robbery. Police had attempted to arrest Chekatt hours before the market attack on charges of attempted robbery and attempted murder; he reportedly escaped and officials found explosives at He was on a national security watch list and reportedly flagged as potentially being radicalized in prison, though German officials said they had no information about Chekatt having "an Islamist background." The Paris prosecutor said in a morning press conference that he cried "Allahu Akbar" at the scene of the attack and was armed with a handgun and a knife.”

Europe

Asharq Al-Awsat: Italy Identifies ISIS Cell Suspected In 2013 Kidnapping

“Italian authorities said Wednesday they had identified members of the ISIS group believed to have been behind the 2013 kidnapping in Syria of Italian aid worker Federico Motka and Briton David Haines, who was later killed. Carabinieri police said they had issued arrest warrants against six suspected militants who were "seriously implicated" in the crimes of terrorist association and kidnapping with the aim of terrorism. Police said two of the suspects are already detained in Belgium, while three are at large and a fourth is believed to have been killed. Three of the suspects were born or raised in Britain and were part of a group known as "the Beatles." They are considered the most violent, police said. Motka and Haines were seized by ISIS militants in northern Syria on March 12, 2013. Both had been working for the French aid group ACTED at a refugee camp in Atmeh, near Syria's border with Turkey, police said. Haines was beheaded in September 2014. Police said Motka was freed May 27, 2014. Italy has long been suspected of paying a ransom when its citizens are kidnapped, though the government has never confirmed its methods.”

Radio Free Europe: Seven Detained In Russia For Allegedly Supporting Islamic State, Al-Nusra Front

“Russian authorities say they have detained seven people suspected of financially supporting two extremist organizations in the Middle East. Russia's Investigative Committee said on December 13 that the suspects had been apprehended in and around the Moscow region and the three North Caucasus regions of Chechnya, Daghestan, and Ingushetia. They were suspected of sending at least 38 million rubles ($570,000) to militants of the Islamic State (IS) group and the Al-Nusra Front – Al-Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate until 2016 -- since 2010. The Federal Security Service (FSB) said the seven suspects were detained following a joint operation by the FSB, the Investigative Committee, and the National Guard. Also on December 13, authorities in Ingushetia said that two suspected terrorists were killed overnight after one of them threw a grenade at police in the city of Nazran. Two officers were wounded in the attack, officials said. Violence is common in the North Caucasus, where Islamic militants have been mounting frequent attacks against police, public officials, and moderate Muslims.”

Venezuela

The Wall Street Journal: Russia To Withdraw Jets From Venezuela After Diplomatic Spat With U.S.

“Two Russian bombers that flew to Venezuela on Monday as a gesture of support for socialist President Nicolás Maduro will leave on Friday and return to Russia, the White House said, following a diplomatic spat over the visit. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said in a statement Wednesday the planned departure came after the Trump administration spoke with Russian officials. The arrival of the Tu-160 bombers at an airport outside Caracas prompted a war of words between Washington and Moscow. The Trump administration has sought to isolate Mr. Maduro’s government and has issued sanctions against him and other members of his government. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wrote in a Twitter message this week that the flight was a case of “two corrupt governments squandering public funds, and squelching liberty and freedom while their people suffer.”

Southeast Asia

Eurasia Review: How Al Qaeda And ISIS Teach Central Asian Children: Different Methods, Common Goals – Analysis

“Some Western countries mistakenly think that the al Qaida-linked Salafi-jihadi groups from Central Asia and Chinese Xinjiang are fragmented, weak and less dynamic; therefore they do not pose a big threat compared to the Islamic state. However, in-depth study of their activities and ideological doctrine shows that the Central Asian al Qaida ally groups today are actively engaged in the ideological education of children and youth, which in the future will become faithful fighters of the global jihad. The following comparison covers the methods of ideological education of Central Asia’s children and youth, and their use by ISIS and al Qaeda to achieve their goals. It is known that during the bloody reign of the Caliphate, more than 10 thousand citizens from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and the Uyghurs from northwest China fought on the side of ISIS. Many of them made a Hijrah (the migration of Muslims for Jihad) to Iraq and Syria to “protect the values of true Islam” and brought their families with small children there.Subsequently, some of these children entered the battalion ‘Cubs of the Caliphate’ and became protagonists in the Islamic State’s Propaganda.”

Technology

The New York Times: Congress May Have Fallen For Facebook’s Trap, But You Don’t Have To

“In recent weeks, Facebook confronted yet another privacy scandal, in light of leaked court documents suggesting that its staff discussed the idea of selling user data as long ago as 2012. Facebook's director of developer platforms and programs, Konstantinos Papamiltiadis, responded, “To be clear, Facebook has never sold anyone’s data.” It was the same denial that Mark Zuckerberg issued before the Senate in April 2018: “We do not sell data to advertisers. We don’t sell data to anyone.” As a data scientist, I am shocked that anyone continues to believe this claim. Each time you click on a Facebook ad, Facebook sells data on you to that advertiser. This is such a basic property of online targeted advertising that it would be impossible to avoid, even if Facebook somehow wanted to. Or even better, let Mr. Zuckerberg explain, as he did to the Senate in April: “What we allow is for advertisers to tell us who they want to reach, and then we do the placement. So, if an advertiser comes to us and says, ‘All right, I am a ski shop and I want to sell skis to women’ … we can show the ads to the right people without that data ever changing hands and going to the advertiser.”

Terror Financing

Alanbatnews: Idlib: Kidnapping For Ransom Has Become A Major Funding Source For Terrorist Groups

“The terrorist organizations based in Syria's Idlib region are relying mainly on kidnapping, extortion and killing to finance themselves. The field hospitals in Idlib province have received, since this past September, more than 80 bodies and treated roughly 50 wounded males and females of various ages who were kidnapped across the province by masked militants, according to local sources. The latest victim of the kidnapping crimes is a man in his 50s who owns a quarry in the village of Misibin in the rural areas of Idlib. He was depicted in a video tape in which militant kidnappers used all methods of torture, including electricity. They sent the clip to his family to pressure them into paying a ransom of $70k, in exchange for his release.”

Al-Masry Al-Youm: The Importance Of Economic Fatwas To Financing Terrorist Organizations

“The Global Fatwa Index (GFI), affiliated with the Egyptian Dar al-Ifta, revealed that economic fatwas represent 8% of the total fatwas issued by terrorist organizations, in general, and 10% of the total fatwas issued by ISIS, in particular. It explained that the economic fatwa is one of the tools employed by terrorist groups to serve their criminal objectives, by authorizing the financing of the terror organization {in question} as well as suspicious activities such as theft, fraud and trade of human organs, slaves and etc., even if that means the death of the captive. This is in addition to its use of the word "booty" for the money and equipment it steals. Note that the theft of antiquities and the trafficking of arms and organs have helped ISIS to become the richest terrorist organization in the world.”

Muslim Brotherhood

Seventh Day: Expert: The Islamic Group Withdrew From Muslim Brotherhood Alliance To Avoid Seizure Of Its Funds

“Tarek Elbeshbeshy, a former leader of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood and present-time researcher on Islamic movements, described the recently declared withdrawal of the Al-Gama'a Al-Islamiyya (Islamic Group) from the Muslim Brotherhood's alliance {called the National Alliance to Support Legitimacy (NASL)} as mere maneuvering. Even in its withdrawal statement, the Islamic Group continued to express its support of the Muslim Brotherhood since it called for reconciliation between the banned Islamist group and the Egyptian state, Elbeshbeshy noted. The researcher went on to say that the Islamic Group announced pulling out of the Muslim Brotherhood's coalition due to worries about the seizure of its funds and assets. The ex-Muslim Brotherhood figure added that the Islamic Group also fears dismantling its political arm in Egypt {the Building and Development Party}, in the wake of designating some of its senior leaders {as terrorists}.”

Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq (AAH)
The Baghdad Post: AAH Implicated In Smuggling Oil From Basra In Southern Iraq

“A recently published report revealed that Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq (AAH), a militia within Iraq's Popular Mobilization Force (PMF) with close ties to Iran, is deeply implicated in smuggling oil from Basra, Iraq. The report, entitled "Basra's embezzled oil by militias," disclosed that more than 40,000 barrels of oil and other petroleum-derived products are being smuggled on a daily basis by Iran-backed militant groups from Basra to neighboring countries. According to this report, leaders of local religious parties, who have tightened their grip on the oil-rich Iraqi province, are pocketing hundreds of millions of dollars from trafficking petroleum.”