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Old 02-26-2019, 08:38 AM
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Arrow Eye on Extremism - February 26, 2019

Eye on Extremism
February 26, 2019
RE: https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#in...snRRVZTQFpjTsw

February 26, 2019

Voice Of America:

Fears Last Islamic State Hold-Out Hiding Untold Numbers Of Militants, Civilians

“Hundreds of women and children boarded trucks and evacuated the final piece of land still held by Islamic State Monday, prolonging the more than week-long exodus and delaying the U.S.-led coalition's final assault on the last shred of the terror group's self-declared caliphate. Observers on the ground outside the village of Baghuz said the latest evacuation included a convoy of about 25 vehicles carrying mostly family members of IS fighters to the nearby al-Hol camp for displaced persons in northeastern Syria. The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said a total of about 1,400 people have now left Baghuz in the past 24 hours, including dozens of suspected IS fighters. The number of civilians, both IS family members as well as prisoners and slaves, still holed-up in a tiny pocket of territory has shocked the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, which have been leading the ground campaign against the terror group. Just a week ago, SDF commanders estimated there were maybe 1,000 civilians still in the village along with about 300 of the "most-hardened" IS fighters. But the SDF says about 6,000 civilians have streamed out of the IS tent city in just the past several days. And commanders now worry that thousands more may still be hidden in a complex network of tunnels and caves beneath the village, which may also hold an unknown number of IS fighters.”

The Wall Street Journal: Syria’s Assad Visits Tehran, Looking To Cement Ties

“Syrian President Bashar al-Assad sought to boost economic ties with Iran as he met the country’s leaders on Monday, his first public visit to a regional ally that has helped him reassert control over Syria after eight years of war. Iran “stood beside us [in the war] and it is necessary to congratulate you and all the Iranians for the current success,” Mr. Assad told Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, according to Iranian state media. Mr. Assad said his country and Iran should “constantly develop their economic relations” to help them take on those who are plotting against them, Iranian state media added. The two countries have often talked about boosting economic ties, but haven’t signed any significant deals yet. Mr. Khamenei, in turn, was quoted by the state media as calling Mr. Assad “the hero of the Arab world.”

The Guardian: UK To Outlaw Hezbollah’s Political Wing

“The UK is to ban membership of or support for Hezbollah’s political wing, the home secretary has announced, as he accused the Lebanese Islamist movement of destabilising the Middle East. “We are no longer able to distinguish between their already banned military wing and the political party,” Sajid Javid said. “Because of this, I have taken the decision to proscribe the group in its entirety.” The government said the organisation continued to amass weapons in contravention of UN security council resolutions, while its support for the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, had prolonged “the conflict and the regime’s brutal and violent repression of the Syrian people”. The move comes against the backdrop of a push by the Trump administration to isolate Iran, which backs Hezbollah. Last week the US expressed concern about the group’s growing role in Lebanon’s government.”

BBC News: Syria War: Jihadist Takeover In Rebel-Held Idlib Sparks Alarm

“The Islamic State group may have lost all its territory in Syria but a rival jihadist group has been making gains in the last remaining opposition stronghold in the north of the country - and it has got residents nervous. In a dramatic takeover last month, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) swept through towns and villages in Idlib province, as well as adjoining parts of Aleppo and Hama. The group - which was known as al-Nusra Front before it broke off formal ties with al-Qaeda three years ago - expelled some rebel factions and forced others to surrender and recognise a "civil administration" it backs. With almost 20,000 fighters in its ranks, HTS wants to impose strict Islamic rule in areas it controls. Civilians say the group's practices are similar to those of IS. Hiba, a civil society worker in her mid-20s based in western Aleppo countryside, worries that women like her will be deprived of their rights, similar to what IS did in areas it captured. International aid organisations have already suspended their work fearing reprisals by the group. "This will affect many women who work with these organisations, and who earn their living and are empowered by the work," Hiba warned. Most residents of areas that have fallen to HTS do not support the group's agenda.”

The Wall Street Journal: India Bombs Pakistan In Response To Kashmir Terrorist Attack

“India bombed targets inside Pakistan for the first time since the two sides fought a war in 1971, killing what Indian officials described as “a very large number” of terrorists in a training camp. Pakistani military officials said Tuesday that Indian planes struck “in haste while escaping” from jets scrambled by the Pakistani air force in response to the incursion, causing no casualties. Indian officials said the strike was designed to prevent new terrorist attacks inside India they believe are imminent. They said there were no civilian casualties. An official in India’s Defense Ministry said hundreds of suspected militants were killed or injured. Both sides said the targeted area, Balakot, is inside Pakistan, not the disputed territory in Kashmir controlled by the Pakistani military. The last time India bombed targets inside Pakistan was during the 1971 war between the two countries. Kashmir is claimed by both sides, with each holding part of the region. A terrorist attack in Kashmir earlier this month, blamed by India on a group that operates in Pakistan despite being officially banned by Islamabad, killed 40 Indian paramilitary officers. India had vowed to retaliate. Pakistan has denied any connection to the attack.”

The Washington Post: ‘Seeded In Social Media’: Jailed Philippine Journalist Says Facebook Is Partly Responsible For Her Predicament

“The arrest this month of Philippine journalist Maria Ressa, which experts say is a retaliatory move for exposing violence-inciting fake accounts on Facebook linked to President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration, raises the question of the company’s culpability for her dangerous predicament. The United Nations special rapporteur for human rights said last week that Facebook bears some responsibility, because it failed to follow its policies and remove false and violence-inciting accounts in a timely manner. “Certainly Maria deserves that, even though it’s probably far too late,” said rapporteur David Kaye, who has spoken to her about the situation. “She has suffered severe consequences.” Ressa, who was featured on the cover of Time magazine’s 2018 Person of the Year, identified 26 accounts that reached more than 3 million Facebook users in mid-2016. That October, she asked Facebook to remove them, she said, arguing it would be too dangerous for her news outlet to publish the findings first.”

United States

Fox News: Alabama Sen. Doug Jones: Let ISIS Bride Back Into US To Face Justice System

“The Alabama woman demanding to be let back into America after leaving years ago to join ISIS should be allowed to face the U.S. criminal justice system, a Democrat senator says. The comments from Alabama Sen. Doug Jones stand in contrast to statements made last week by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and President Trump, who both vowed to keep Hoda Muthana off U.S. soil. “While I certainly understand the initial reaction to prohibit Hoda Muthana from coming back to the United States, I am concerned that allowing anyone who has committed crimes against the people of this country to remain beyond the reach of our justice system is the wrong approach and sends the wrong message," Jones said Sunday in a statement to AL.com. “My view is that she should absolutely be brought to justice for inciting violence against Americans. Doing so would send a powerful message that any American who lends support to a terrorist organization will be pursued to the fullest extent of the law.” Hassan Shibly responds to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo insistence that Hoda Muthana is not a U.S. citizen and will not be allowed back into the country.”

The New York Times: Danny Burch, U.S. Hostage In Yemen, Has Been Released, Trump Says

“An American citizen who was abducted nearly 18 months ago in the Yemeni city of Sana was freed last week and has been reunited with his family, President Trump announced on Monday. Danny Lavone Burch, an engineer at a Yemeni oil company, has been “recovered and reunited with his wife and children,” Mr. Trump tweeted aboard Air Force One as he flew toward Vietnam, where he is to meet this week with Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader. “I appreciate the support of the United Arab Emirates in bringing Danny home,” the president wrote. “Danny’s recovery reflects the best of what the United States & its partners can accomplish.” Mr. Trump did not specify how Mr. Burch, who is married to a Yemeni woman, was freed. It also was not clear who had abducted Mr. Burch, although former American officials said he was not being held by Al Qaeda.”

The Washington Examiner: 'ISIS Bride' Hoda Muthana Was An ISIS Propagandist, Not Some Brainwashed Child

“Lawyers and supporters of the woman dubbed the American “ISIS bride” portray her as a misguided, “brainwashed” girl who simply made a mistake. In fact, she was an ISIS propagandist and strategist whose innovative ideas proved to be operationally effective. Much of Hoda Muthana’s online activity disappeared when her accounts were suspended, along with some 125,000 others shut down between mid-2015 and February 2016. But the tweets that have survived reveal far more than just some harmless cheerleading for the Islamic State. Most of the media have focused on the sensational story of a young girl born in Alabama who left home to join the Syrian jihad. Interest in her Twitter activity has focused on the image where she and three other ISIS brides show their soon-to-be-burnt passports and her observation that “Soooo many Aussies and Brits here. But where are the Americans, wake up u cowards.” But like her urging fellow Muslims to “Terrorize the kuffar at home,” this is pretty much standard ISIS propaganda, nothing special or innovative. After her first husband, Suhan Abdul Rahman, was killed in March 2015, Muthana’s tweets changed. The day after she announced that he had “fought in the front lines until he attained shahadah,” she revealed an innovative, strategic side.”

Stars And Stripes: Democrats Press Military About Its Screening For White Nationalism, Other Extremism

“A series of incidents in which U.S. troops have been arrested in cases involving white nationalism is of "significant concern, particularly given their combat and weapons training," several House Democrats said in a letter on Monday, pressing the Pentagon and Department of Homeland Security for information about how they screen for recruits. Maryland Reps. Elijah Cummings, Anthony Brown and Jamie Raskin and California Rep. Jackie Speier wrote that they applaud the actions taken by federal agencies in the arrest this month of Coast Guard Lt. Christopher Hasson, a self-proclaimed white nationalist who authorities say had a list of journalists and politicians that he planned to kill. But citing that case and others in 2017, the lawmakers asked acting Pentagon chief Patrick Shanahan and Department of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen, who oversees the Coast Guard, how Hasson and others who demonstrated extremist views were able to circumvent the military's checks. "Our hope is that these incidents are isolated events and are not indicative of a larger, systemic issue within the United States Armed Services," the lawmakers wrote. "Beyond the extremes of domestic terrorism, we are additionally concerned with low level racism and other identity-based harassment that disrupts unit cohesion, impacts readiness, and degrades the ability of our servicemembers to protect our nation.”

Syria

The Washington Post: As The Battle Against ISIS Grinds To A Close, No One Knows How Many People Are Inside Its Shrinking Territory

“The grinding battle to clear the Islamic State’s final pocket of territory in eastern Syria has been slowed by a mystery: No one knows how many people are still trapped inside. With the militants pinned down in a dusty hamlet, the U.S.-backed forces surrounding them have seen their estimates upended day by day. While the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) maintain that the extremists’ cadres are down to the hundreds, some 6,000 people have emerged over the past week. According to one European estimate, Western military planners have been operating on the assumption that as many as 10,000 people may have remained there. Fighters and civilians alike are being grilled about what they saw as they left. “Really, we have no idea; it’s like they’re coming out of nowhere,” said one SDF commander Monday, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. “We’ve never seen anything like this.” Video footage of the Islamic State’s final sliver of territory last week showed fighters milling around with guns in hand and faces covered. At the end of the four-year U.S.-led fight to push them out of a territory the size of Kansas, all that remained above ground was a gathering of tents and a few buildings.”

Middle East Eye:

'I Wish We Had All Died Together' - How Idlib's Siege Is Devastating Families

“When cluster bombs fell, twice, on schools in rural Idlib, teachers decided they had to close the region’s schools or risk their children’s lives. But the intensity of shelling by government forces, violating agreements that set Idlib up as a buffer zone, has meant children have been among the more than 70 killed during the past week, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. While attention has been focused on the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces push to seize the last vestiges of the Islamic State’s (IS) territorial control in the eastern Euphrates, five children were killed by shelling in the town of Maaret al-Noman. “I was working when the attacks took place. My sons were playing with their cousin Ibrahim. The four of them died,” said Khador Zynab, 39, whose wife died from cancer two years earlier. Struggling for a steady income since his wife’s death, he was selling fruit outside his home when he heard an explosion nearby.”

Time: Syria's President Bashar Assad Visits Iran In A Rare Trip Abroad

“Syrian President Bashar Assad has made an unannounced trip to Iran, where he met with the supreme leader and other top officials to discuss the planned U.S. troop withdrawal and Turkey’s efforts to set up a buffer zone in northern Syria, state media reported Monday. Assad met with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani on the rare trip abroad — his third since the civil war broke out in 2011. The other two trips were to Russia. Tehran has given the Syrian government billions of dollars in aid and sent Iran-backed fighters to battle alongside his forces — assistance that, along with Russian air power, has helped turn the tide in Assad’s favor. Syrian and Iranian media released photos showing Assad warmly embracing Khamenei and shaking hands with Rouhani. The visit was not announced beforehand, and both countries made it public late Monday.”

The Wall Street Journal: Syria’s Assad Visits Tehran, Looking To Cement Ties

“Syrian President Bashar al-Assad sought to boost economic ties with Iran as he met the country’s leaders on Monday, his first public visit to a regional ally that has helped him reassert control over Syria after eight years of war. Iran “stood beside us [in the war] and it is necessary to congratulate you and all the Iranians for the current success,” Mr. Assad told Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, according to Iranian state media. Mr. Assad said his country and Iran should “constantly develop their economic relations” to help them take on those who are plotting against them, Iranian state media added. The two countries have often talked about boosting economic ties, but haven’t signed any significant deals yet.Mr. Khamenei, in turn, was quoted by the state media as calling Mr. Assad “the hero of the Arab world.” Mr. Assad’s unannounced visit to Tehran comes as Russia and Iran have consolidated their influence in Syria through their support for Mr. Assad, without which he likely wouldn’t have prevailed. His government, backed by Moscow and Tehran, has nearly defeated all its armed opposition after a bloody war that started in 2011. Also, the Islamic State terror group is close to being ousted from its last sliver of Syrian territory—after which the U.S. plans to drawdown its troops in the country, The U.S. move would create a void for Russia and Iran to fill, analysts say.”

Iran

USA Today: Iran's Top Diplomat, Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, Abruptly Resigns

“Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, a relatively moderate politician who played a major role in negotiating the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, resigned on Monday, according to a post he made on his Instagram account. Zarif's resignation was subsequently confirmed by Iran's state-run news agency, IRNA. Iran's President Hassan Rouhani still needs to accept Zarif's resignation. While President Donald Trump has withdrawn the United States from the nuclear accord, Zarif, 59, had been working closely with European nations to keep the deal alive in some form. His departure throws that cooperation into question. "I sincerely apologize for the incapacity to continue serving and all the shortcomings during the service," Zarif wrote on Instagram in a somewhat strangely worded resignation. "Be happy and upbeat," he added in the social media post. The post included a drawing of Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad. No specific reason for Zarif's departure was announced, but if he goes, it will be a victory for Iran's hard-liners. Zarif has been the face of Iran’s diplomatic engagement with the world and he has long pushed for even deeper relations with the West. His departure could signal hawks within Iran's governent are ready to push back against the Trump administration, which has sought to isolate Tehran.”

The Wall Street Journal: As U.S. Pushes To Isolate Iran, Rouhani Fights To Keep His Top Diplomat

“Iranian President Hassan Rouhani scrambled Tuesday to avert a political crisis from the resignation of the country’s top diplomat, praising his fellow moderate foreign minister on live television and dispatching senior officials to urge him not to quit. Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, an architect of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, resigned unexpectedly Monday on Instagram. His exit was prompted by his exclusion from an unannounced visit by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Iranian officials said, and will likely embolden conservatives opposed to the nuclear deal. Mr. Rouhani, in his speech on state television, tried to appease his apparently angry foreign minister by thanking him for his efforts in Iran’s “regional victory.” The president has yet to accept Mr. Zarif’s resignation. His efforts to retain him indicate what’s at stake for his government: Mr. Zarif’s departure would deprive the government of its most experienced diplomat while it is fighting U.S. attempts to isolate Iran, and likely strengthen hard-liners bent on withdrawing Tehran from the nuclear accord.”

Iraq

Al Arabiya: Iraq Says It Will Prosecute 13 French ISIS Militants Captured In Syria

“Iraqi courts will prosecute 13 French citizens captured while fighting for ISIS extremist group in Syria, Iraq’s President Barham Saleh said Monday. The militants, who were turned over to Iraq after being seized by Syrian Kurdish forces, “will be judged according to Iraqi law,” Saleh told a news conference after talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris. “Those who have engaged in crimes against Iraq and Iraqi installations and personnel, we are definitely seeking them and seeking their trial in Iraqi courts,” he said. An Iraqi government source in Baghdad had told AFP earlier Monday that 14 French militants had been brought to Iraq by the US-backed forces trying to dislodge ISIS extremists from their last bastion in Syria. France has long maintained that any of its nationals caught in Syria or Iraq should be tried locally, a stance which critics say could leave them facing the death penalty, which is outlawed in France. Macron reiterated this position Monday, saying that “it is up to the authorities of these countries to decide, sovereignly, if they will be tried there.” “These people are entitled to benefit from our consular protection, and our diplomatic service will be mobilised,” he added. Macron also said he would visit Iraq in the coming months, after France announced in January that it would provide one billion euros ($1.1 billion) in reconstruction funds for the war-ravaged country.”

Turkey

Voice Of America: Erdogan Insists On Syria Intervention, In Face Of Growing Opposition

“Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has reiterated his demand for a safe zone in Syria exclusively under Turkish armed forces control; however, the Turkish plans, which already face growing regional opposition, threaten to be complicated by Washington’s partial reversal of a decision to militarily pull out of Syria. In a television interview on Sunday, Erdogan outlined the need for a 30-kilometer-deep safe zone. The president said the Turkish frontier needed protection from the “terrorist” threat posed by the Syrian Kurdish militia, the YPG. “It will be unacceptable for us if the safe zone would be shaped in a way that contradicts with our own strategic understanding,” he said. “If there will be a safe zone on my border, it has to be under our control.” Ankara says the YPG is linked to a decades-long Kurdish insurgency inside Turkey. Speaking at a campaign rally, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar declared that all military preparations had been completed and were “just waiting for an order from our president.” Analysts say the timing of the Syrian operation was dependent on the withdrawal of around 2,000 U.S. forces from Syria. U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to pull out had been widely interpreted as a “green light” for Ankara to attack the YPG.”

Afghanistan

CNN: Afghanistan Peace Talks Resume In Doha With Taliban Co-Founder

“The US special representative for Afghanistan has met with one of the founding members of the Taliban for the first time, as the latest round of peace talks resumed in Qatar Monday. Zalmay Khalilzad tweeted that he had met with the organization's second-in-command: "Just finished a working lunch with Mullah Baradar and his team. First time we've met. Now moving on to talks." The new round of negotiations follows an earlier meeting in January when representatives agreed in principle to a framework that could eventually bring Afghanistan's long-running war to an end. Earlier, Khalilzad announced his arrival in Qatar's capital, Doha, saying he was meeting "with a more authoritative Taliban delegation. This could be a significant moment." Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said in a statement "ending of occupation and issue of terrorism" were on the agenda. The conflict, known as America's longest war, has spanned over 17 years, cost more than 2,400 American lives, billions of US dollars and has stretched into its third US administration. More than 45,000 Afghan security personnel have "paid the ultimate sacrifice" since 2014, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said in January at the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland.”

Yemen

Arab News: Time For The UN To Stand Up To Houthi Stonewalling

“It is now way past the 21-day deadline for the Houthi redeployment from Hodeidah that was stipulated in the Stockholm agreement mediated by the UN in Sweden last December. The cease-fire is also violated by the rebels on a daily basis; the coalition backing the government has recently reported that more than 1,100 violations had been committed by the Houthi militias since the agreement came into force on Dec. 18. The Houthis have managed to stall the implementation of the Stockholm agreement with endless maneuvers. They cried foul when Patrick Cammaert, the Dutch general who led the UN force that was to oversee their redeployment, insisted on a timely and genuine redeployment of the Houthis from Hodeidah as agreed. They insisted that he be removed, just a month after he started, and the UN obliged. His replacement, Danish general Michael Lollesgaard, has also so far failed to get the Houthis to redeploy from Hodeidah.”

Arab News: Saudi Landmines Project Clears 1,371 Houthi Devices

“The Saudi Project for Landmine Clearance (MASAM) in Yemen extracted 14 anti-personnel mines, 625 anti-vehicle mines, 67 explosive devices and 665 unexploded ordnance — totaling 1,371 mines — during three weeks of February. A total of 44,743 mines have been extracted since the beginning of the project. An estimated 1 million mines have been planted by the Iranian-backed Houthi militias in Yemen over the past three years claiming hundreds of civilian lives. MASAM aims to dismantle mines in Yemen to protect civilians and ensure that urgent humanitarian supplies are delivered safely. Houthis are developing anti-vehicle mines and turning them into antipersonnel explosives to intimidate and terrorize civilians.”

Lebanon

Reuters: Britain To Expand Ban On Lebanon's Hezbollah, Calling It Terrorist Group

“Britain said on Monday it plans to ban all wings of Hezbollah due to its destabilizing influence in the Middle East, classing the Lebanese Islamist movement as a terrorist organization. London had already proscribed Hezbollah’s external security unit and its military wing in 2001 and 2008 respectively, but now wants to outlaw its political arm too. Hezbollah has a role in the Lebanese government so the move may raise questions for Britain’s relationship with Lebanon, although Lebanon’s Hezbollah-allied foreign minister said the UK had informed the country of its commitment to the bilateral relationship. “Hezbollah is continuing in its attempts to destabilize the fragile situation in the Middle East – and we are no longer able to distinguish between their already banned military wing and the political party,” British Home Secretary (interior minister) Sajid Javid said. “Because of this, I have taken the decision to proscribe the group in its entirety,” he added in a statement. The Iran-backed Shi’ite group is already deemed a terrorist organization by the United States, which last week expressed concern about its growing role in Lebanon’s government. Hezbollah lawmakers termed that a “violation of sovereignty.”

Middle East

The Atlantic: Don't Strip ISIS Fighters Of Citizenship

“In October 1959, Lee Harvey Oswald presented himself to the U.S. consul in Moscow and attempted, without success, to rid himself of his U.S. citizenship. The Warren Commission Report describes his frustration: First he told the consul, Richard E. Snyder, that he wanted to give up his citizenship. The consul refused to accept his declaration, so Oswald picked up a pen and put it in writing. To remove doubt, he added that he intended to defect to the Soviet Union and pass along secrets he had learned during his service as a U.S. marine. Denied again, he wrote to the consul days later, protesting the deprivation of his “legal right” to stop being American. To him, being American was a disease, and his government was withholding the cure. Two women, Shamima Begum of the United Kingdom and Hoda Muthana of the U.S., recently discovered that the cure is worse than the disease. Both had traveled to join the Islamic State (Begum at 15 and Muthana at 20), and upon arrival urged others to follow them or to kill random people at home. A common ritual among travelers to Islamic State territory is a bonfire of passports, symbolizing the shedding of their former nationality. Muthana appears to have burned hers, and both women left little doubt that they intended, like Oswald, to leave their countries and betray them to an enemy state.”

Times Of Israel: Israeli Forces Arrest 2 Senior Islamic Jihad Members In West Bank

“Israeli troops arrested two senior members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group in a northern West Bank village early on Monday, the Shin Bet security service said. In overnight raids, Israeli forces detained Khader Adnan and Tariq Qa’adan in Arrabeh, southwest of Jenin. The Shin Bet said the two men were arrested “for their activities with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad,” without elaborating on the nature of the suspicions against them. Adnan, 40, has long been accused of being a spokesperson for the Iran-backed terror group. He has been arrested several times in recent years and served several prison sentences in connection with his work with the PIJ. According to the Shin Bet, Qa’adan serves as a senior officer in the Gaza-based PIJ’s West Bank wing. The arrests came the night after the terror group released a video threatening to attack with missiles that can reach “from the Gaza Strip to Tel Aviv and Netanya.” The detention of Adnan and Qa’adan also followed a recent period of increased tension between Israel and Palestinians over access to the Temple Mount. In raids elsewhere in the West Bank overnight, Israeli troops arrested eight other Palestinian suspects. The military said the detainees were believed to be involved in terrorist activities, rock-throwing, and riots against Israeli civilians and security forces.”

Nigeria

Daily Post Nigeria: Boko Haram: NAF Bombs Terrorists Holding Meeting, Anti-Aircraft Guns In Borno

“The Air Task Force (ATF) of Operation LAFIYA DOLE has neutralized several Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters of Boko Haram as they assembled for a meeting at their hideout in Kolloram on the fringes of Lake Chad in the Northern part of Borno State. Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, NAF spokesman, in a statement on Monday, said the operation was conducted on Sunday following credible intelligence reports indicating that some of the ISWAP leaders and fighter had assembled for a meeting in a group of buildings at the centre of the settlement. He said: “A Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) platform, which was deployed for confirmatory surveillance, observed the presence of the terrorists at the location and subsequently called for 2 Alpha Jet aircraft to attack the group of buildings. “Bombs from the first Alpha Jet hit the desired mean point of impact causing damage to the building and neutralizing some of the terrorists. “Some of the surviving fighters, who formed the outer security cordon of the meeting venue, were seen engaging the NAF aircraft with Anti-Aircraft (AA) and small arms fire. “The attack aircraft continued to engage the target area with bombs and rockets in several passes, mopping-up the terrorists who survived the initial strikes. “The NAF, operating in concert with surface forces, will sustain its efforts to completely destroy all remnants of the terrorists in the Northeast.”

Somalia

CNN: US Says Airstrike Killed 35 Al Shabaab Fighters In Somalia

“The US military announced Monday that an airstrike in Somalia killed 35 Al Shabaab fighters on Sunday. That means at least 180 fighters from the al Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group have been killed in 22 airstrikes so far in 2019, according to figures released by US Africa Command, which oversees US military operations on the continent. The latest strike took place about 23 miles east of Beledweyne, Hiran Region. US Africa Command said the airstrike targeted the fighters as they "were transitioning between locations in a rural area." "We continue to support our Somali partners, especially when their operations provide us opportunities to take the fight to Al Shabaab as an element of our partnered strategy," said Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Gregg Olson, US Africa Command director of operations, in a statement. "In the case of this strike, we interrupted an Al Shabaab attempt to mass their forces. Precision strikes eliminated a potential threat to our partners and to the people of Somalia well before the terrorists ever got themselves organized," he added. The US military currently assesses that no civilians were killed in the strike. The Department of Defense estimates there were 3,000 to 7,000 Al Shabaab fighters and 70 to 250 ISIS fighters in Somalia as of August 2018.”

Anadolu Agency: Unknown Gunmen Kill 9 Civilians In Somalia

“Nine people were shot dead Monday by unknown gunmen in Somalia’s Lower Shabelle region, officials said. The incident occurred in Hawa Abdi village, less than 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) from the Somali capital Mogadishu. Lower Shabelle Governor Mohamed Ibrahim Barre told reporters the victims were killed by members of the al-Qaeda affiliated al-Shabaab group. “Al-Shabaab fighters attacked street cleaners in Hawa Abdi, killing nine people, including six women. This is an evil attack by al-Shabaab, and really, this a massacre,” Barre said. The victims, who were all civilians, came under attack as a sanitation campaign was underway in the village organized by the administration, he added. Barre called on the Somali people to unite in the fight against al-Shabaab. Although Somali officials blamed al-Shabaab for the attack, no group has yet claimed responsibility.”

Africa

CNN: US Weighs Sending Drones, Military Advisers To Burkina Faso After Terror Uptick

“The US is considering sending additional military advisers as well as intelligence and surveillance assets such as drones to Burkina Faso as it faces a growing terrorist threat. "We are conducting an assessment," Maj. Gen. Marcus Hicks, the head of US Special Operations Command Africa, told CNN on Monday on the sidelines of a major military exercise in the country. He said the assessment was part of the ongoing Flintlock military exercise, which involves some 2,000 troops from African and Western militaries, in the country. Hicks said the assessment was looking at "providing (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance) over Burkina Faso and conducting an assessment of where we might make modest investments with the Burkinabe military to improve their capability and capacity." "Here shortly I think we may have some recommendations to coordinate with the country team and the ambassador here and with (US Africa Command) to decide where to make future investments in response to the security situation," Hicks added. Hicks said he did not think this would involve using armed drones.”

Gulf Times: French Forces Strike Militants In Central Mali

“French warplanes struck a group of militants in central Mali over the weekend, killing or wounding 15 of them, the defence ministry in Paris said Monday. The raid -- the second in 48 hours -- took place north of Mopti on Saturday evening, as French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe and Defence Minister Florence Parly were visiting Mali. Two Mirage 2000 jets, aided by a Reaper drone, took off from Niamey in neighbouring Niger to carry out the strike, which targeted forces from the Macina rebel group in the Dialoube region. The defence ministry did not specify how many jihadists were killed and how many wounded, saying only they were "put out of action". France has around 2,700 troops stationed in Mali as part of its Barkhane anti-insurgency campaign in the region, which comprises a total of some 4,500 soldiers. In addition to French troops, around 15,000 peacekeepers have been deployed in the country as part of the United Nations' stabilisation mission, known as MINUSMA. But the Malian authorities have struggled to improve security since France intervened in 2013 to drive back Islamic insurgents in the north, and large swathes of the country remain out of the government's control.”

United Kingdom

The Washington Post: Britain’s ‘Jihadi Jack’ Wants To Return From Syria Because He Misses His Mum And ‘Doctor Who’

“In 2014, Jack Letts left his home in the United Kingdom to travel to Syria. Over the last five years, he says he has witnessed executions and seen children burned alive. His arms are scarred from bombings, and he has no idea where his Iraqi wife and young son are located. Frequently referred to as “Jihadi Jack” by the British media, the 23-year-old Muslim convert has been held in a Kurdish prison in northern Syria for the last two years. He is charged with being a member of the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, and was arrested on his way to Turkey. Now, he wants to return to Britain — but he says “no one cares” about him. In an interview with ITV News on Friday, he said: “I miss people mostly. I miss my mum. Five years I haven’t seen my mum, two years I haven’t spoken to my mum. I’d like just a phone call." Also on the list of things Letts misses about home: episodes of “Doctor Who” and pasties, a traditional baked pastry snack popular in Britain. “If the U.K. accepted me, then I’d go back to the U.K. It’s my home. But I don’t think that’s going to happen,” he said in an interview with ITV’s Rohit Kachroo. Letts, who was born to a British mother and Canadian father, says he is unsure if his Canadian passport is still valid and doubts officials on either side will come to his rescue.”

Southeast Asia

The Wall Street Journal: High Nuclear Stakes In Hanoi

“Give some credit to President Trump. His leap into the unknown of personal diplomacy with Kim Jong Un broke all convention, but it has created an opening to reduce the risk of nuclear war. The question as Mr. Trump prepares for his second summit with the North Korean is whether that mutual bonhomie can translate into tangible measures that actually reduce that risk. It hasn’t so far, notwithstanding Mr. Trump’s claims. The modest breakthroughs have been diplomatic. U.S. and North Korean officials are talking as they haven’t in decades, if ever, and the North last year released an American who had wandered into North Korea from China without the usual extortion. Tensions along the demilitarized zone between North and South are lower.”

Technology

Yahoo Finance: Facebook Grappling With Employee Anger Over Moderator Conditions

“In the wake of the 2016 presidential election, Facebook Inc. rushed to expand efforts to police its platforms, trying to keep political misinformation, graphic violence, terrorist propaganda, and revenge porn off the products. This has entailed both new technology, and thousands of new workers. Facebook now has about 15,000 content reviewers, almost all of whom work not for Facebook itself but for staffing firms like Accenture and Cognizant. The company’s decision to outsource these operations has been a persistent concern for some full-time employees. After a group of content reviewers working at an Accenture facility in Austin, Texas complained in February about not being allowed to leave the building for breaks or answer personal phone calls at work, a wave of criticism broke out on internal messaging boards.”

The Wall Street Journal: Apple And Facebook Fighting International Encryption Battle

“Nearly three years after the Federal Bureau of Investigation abandoned an effort to force Apple Inc. to extract data from an encrypted iPhone, technology companies are facing several new efforts from governments fighting for access to digital secrets. Australia and the U.K. have passed laws that make it easier for law enforcement to compel tech companies to turn over data, although the impact of those measures has yet to be tested. India is considering a sweeping law that would give authorities access to some data from the hugely popular WhatsApp messaging service within its borders, and the U.S. has signaled it has not given up on its efforts to get inside of encrypted devices such as Apple’s.”

Terror Financing

Sout Alomma: UN Asks Egypt To Freeze Qatari And Turkish Funds Due To Terror Financing

“The United National Human Rights Organization submitted a request to {Egypt's} Attorney General Nabil Sadiq to freeze the funds of the Qatari and Turkish governments inside Egypt and utilize them as compensation for the victims of terrorist operations and the families of army and police members {killed by terrorists}. Communique no. 2935 of 2019 contains petitions to the Attorney-General to expedite the formation of a judicial committee to seize all properties, accounts, and deposits belonging to Turks and Qataris and their collaborators. They urged him to issue a decision to freeze such funds as fair compensation for victims and families of those killed as a result of terrorist operations. The organization demanded opening a far-reaching investigation of all those affiliated with Qatar or Turkey financially or via the media from January 2011 to date. It also called for the issuance of a resolution for the extradition worldwide of wanted persons for investigations or cases related to Qatar and Turkey.”

Counter Extremism

Sabq: "Intellectual Security And National Unity" Course Organized For Mosque Supervisors In Saudi Arabia

“The Directorate of the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance in the Hail Region recently concluded a training course entitled "Intellectual Security and National Unity." The course, which was designated for the local supervisors of mosques, debated ways of promoting religious moderation, intellectual security and national unity. The workshop also warned of extremist and insidious ideologies such as the thoughts disseminated by the banned Muslim Brotherhood and the "Tablighi Jamaat" Sunni Islamic missionary movement.”

ISIS

Asharq Al-Awsat: ISIS Might Expand Its UAV Fleet, Study Warns

“A recently published study by the Egyptian Center for Strategic Studies warned that ISIS is expected to expand its fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in 2019. It's noteworthy that the terrorist organization perpetrated its first drone attack at the Syrian Al-Tabqa airbase in 2016. The study mentioned above warned that ISIS and other extremist groups might exploit all and any means to get their hands on these highly advanced technologies. The radicals might try to purchase these sophisticated devices from western companies or even to develop them by themselves, the study stressed.”

Muslim Brotherhood

Tahrir News: Egyptian Court Upholds Ruling To Dissolve Muslim Brotherhood

“The Egyptian Administrative Court rejected a lawsuit against a a decision by the prime minister to dissolve the Association of the Muslim Brotherhood. The court ruled that the Islamist group had been outlawed long ago and that it no longer exists either constitutionally or legally. In fact, the Muslim Brotherhood was banned and went underground since President Gamal Abdel Nasser’s 1954 crackdown on the group. Additionally, in the wake of the January 25th Revolution, the Urgent Matters Court issued a verdict in 2013, which blacklisted the Muslim Brotherhood organization and seized all of its liquid, movable and fixed assets.”

Houthi

Yemen Akhbar: Houthi Militants Seize A Hospital In Sana'a

“Reliable sources confirm that on Sunday Houthi militants stormed a maternity hospital in the capital Sana'a, in four armed crews. The incursion caused panic among the children, women, workers and patients in the hospital, where the Houthi militants were armed with various weapons and wore counter-terrorist uniforms. The sources said that the storming of the hospital came to impose a Houthi leader as director of the hospital by force. The assault caused widespread dissatisfaction among the citizens, workers and patients in the hospital, considering the blatant violation of human rights by violating the sanctity of the hospital and intimidating women, children, patients and employees.”
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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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