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Old 01-23-2019, 09:59 AM
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Arrow Eye on Extremism January 23, 2019

Eye on Extremism - January 23, 2019
RE: info@counterextremism.com

The New York Times: 4 Arrested And 23 Guns Seized In Plot Against Muslim Enclave In Upstate N.Y.

“A seemingly offhand remark in a high school lunchroom set off an investigation that uncovered an arsenal of weapons and a plot to attack a Muslim enclave in upstate New York, law enforcement officials said. The comment was made by a 16-year-old student at Greece Odyssey Academy in Greece, N.Y. On Friday, he showed classmates a photo of someone and said that person looked like a potential school shooter, authorities said. The statement alarmed fellow students, who reported it to school officials. The local police became involved and started interviewing people at the school to determine whether there was a potential threat. The threat, it turned out, came from the 16-year-old whose comments had triggered the investigation, authorities said on Tuesday. He and three young adults stockpiled 23 firearms and three homemade bombs as part of a plan to target the secluded Muslim enclave of Islamberg, a rural settlement about 150 miles northwest of New York City, authorities said. The men, Vincent Vetromile, 19, Brian Colaneri, 20, and Andrew Crysel, 18, all from suburban Rochester, were arrested and charged with criminal possession of a weapon and conspiracy, according to court documents. They were expected to appear in court on Wednesday.”

NBC News: FBI Arrests Three Men From Lansing, Michigan, For Allegedly Supporting ISIS

“Three men from Lansing, Michigan, were arrested for allegedly supporting ISIS — with one of them taken into custody as he prepared to fly to Somalia, authorities said Tuesday. Muse Abdikadir Muse, 23, his brother Mohamud Abdikadir Muse, 20, and another relative, 26-year-old Mohamed Salat Haji, were all charged with conspiring to provide material support to a terrorist organization, prosecutor said. Agents arrested Muse Muse at Gerald R. Ford Airport in Grand Rapids on Monday, when he was about to take a series of flights that would have eventually landed him in Mogadishu, Somalia, according to a federal complaint. Mohamud Muse and Haji were arrested hours later. The three defendants had all "pledged allegiance to ISIS through videos they recorded themselves," according to a statement by the Department of Justice. Haji and Mohamud Muse had "aided in the purchase of the ticket and drove Muse Muse to the Grand Rapids airport, each knowing the true purpose of the travel was for Muse Muse to join and fight for ISIS," federal authorities said. All three men face up to 20 years in prison if convicted. The three men are naturalized US citizens who were born in Kenya, officials said.”

The New York Times: Second American Killed In Afghanistan Since Start Of Year

“An American service member was killed by enemy fire in Afghanistan on Tuesday in the second United States combat death there so far this year. A brief statement by the American-led military mission in Afghanistan said the incident was under investigation and provided no further details. While it is unclear where the service member died, fighting has continued across the country. Taliban militants, American Special Operations troops and Afghan forces have been vying for territory as negotiations resume to end the 17-year war. Hours after a massive attack on Monday that killed dozens of Afghans at an intelligence base in Wardak Province, a Taliban statement said the militants had resumed discussions with American diplomats in Qatar. “Following American acceptance of the agenda of ending invasion of Afghanistan and preventing Afghanistan from being used against other countries in the future, talks with American representatives took place today in Doha,” a Taliban spokesman said in a statement. Both Washington and Kabul are behind the efforts, which are helmed by American special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad. So far, Taliban leaders have refused to talk to Afghan officials. Mr. Khalilzad was meeting with Taliban representatives in Doha on Tuesday and the talks were expected to continue on Wednesday, said Heidi Hattenbach, a State Department spokeswoman.”

The Wall Street Journal: Upcoming Poland Conference Not A Stage To ‘Demonize’ Iran, U.S. Says

“The U.S. said Tuesday that a controversial conference on Middle East stability next month in Poland, jointly hosted by the State Department, won’t be focused on Iran and will have a broader agenda. The acting U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Jonathan Cohen, told the Security Council the meeting in Poland wasn’t a “venue to demonize or attack Iran” or to reopen arguments about the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement. Rather, he said, it would be a “global brainstorming session” with an agenda on cybersecurity, humanitarian aid in Syria and Yemen and extremism. Offering reassurances in response to international criticism of the conference, Mr. Cohen said that the meeting also would acknowledge Iran’s missile activity and other destabilizing actions. But he added: “The scope of the discussion will be much broader than any one country or set of issues.”

The Washington Post: What The U.S. Casualties In Syria Tell Us About America’s Wars

“The four Americans killed Jan. 16 in a suicide bombing in Manbij, Syria, were all heroes — but hardly conventional soldiers engaged in a normal combat mission. Only two of the fallen Americans fit the traditional stereotype of a front-line soldier — and even they were far older than a typical combatant. According to a New York Times profile of the four American casualties, Scott A. Wirtz, 42, was a “fun-loving,” tattooed and bearded former high school football player and former Navy SEAL from St. Louis who was working as a civilian for the Defense Intelligence Agency. Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jonathan Farmer, 37, was a strapping, 6-foot, 4-inch former high school basketball player from south Florida who had four children and had deployed numerous times to Iraq and Afghanistan as a member of the U.S. Army Special Forces. But while being classic military types who could be (and, for all we know, might be) portrayed on the screen by Bradley Cooper or Mark Wahlberg, they were not engaged in a classic mission killing the enemy. What they were actually doing in Manbij is classified, but it appears they were collecting intelligence — an activity far more frustrating and challenging, and yet ultimately more important, than “kinetic” operations in a war against a shadowy enemy such as Islamic State.”

The New York Times: If Mark Zuckerberg Wants To Talk, Britain Is Waiting

“This month, Mark Zuckerberg announced that his pledge for this new year is to “host a series of public discussions about the future of technology in society.” Perhaps he could present information in our Parliament to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee that I head — something he refused to do in 2018. Or if that doesn’t work for him, I would be happy to reconvene the special International Grand Committee, which met at the House of Commons in November and included lawmakers from Britain, Canada, Ireland, France, Latvia, Brazil, Argentina and Singapore. These committees met with the intention of discussing the following with him: the Cambridge Analytica Facebook data breach scandal; the Russian government’s use of social media platforms to interfere in the politics of democracies around the world; the anti-competitive nature of some of Facebook’s business practices; and Facebook’s harmful content policies. He didn’t want to have these discussions then, but we hope that he’s sincere and wants to have them now.”

United States

Fox News: 4 GOP Senators Urge Trump To Put ISIS Prisoners Nabbed In Syria In Gitmo

“Four Republican senators from southern states urged President Trump to use the Guantanamo Bay detention center on the American base in Cuba to hold fighters from the Islamic State (ISIS) group captured in Syria. Sens. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, John Cornyn and Ted Cruz of Texas and Marco Rubio of Florida said in a letter sent Tuesday: “We urge you to consider transferring the worst of these Islamic State fighters to the detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, where they will face justice. Thank you for your continued leadership in our military campaign against the Islamic State and your willingness to consider this matter of national security.” The lawmakers said Islamic State prisoners could escape or be released in Syria. The letter continued: “As U.S. and partner forces have waged a campaign against the Islamic State over the past four years, we have captured hundreds of foreign enemy combatants. Our partners, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), are currently detaining over 700 of these battle-hardened terrorists in northeast Syria. These detainees include two of the so-called ‘Beatles,’ expatriated British citizens suspected of joining ISIS and beheading Western hostages.”

Syria

Al Jazeera: US Demands Security Guarantee For Kurdish YPG From Turkey

“The protection of allied forces who fought and died battling the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, or ISIS) in Syria must be guaranteed, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in a phone conversation. Pompeo and Cavusoglu talked on Monday as the NATO allies try to reach an agreement over the fate of US-backed, Kurdish-led fighters, who fought against the ISIL, following the planned withdrawal of US troops from northern Syria. The US State Department said Pompeo also reiterated Washington's commitment to addressing Turkey's security concerns along the Turkish-Syrian border. During the discussion, Pompeo emphasised “the importance that the United States places on the protection of forces that worked with the United States and the global coalition to defeat ISIS”, department spokesman Robert Palladino said in a press release.”

The National: Syria Bill To Sanction Regime Backers Passes US House Of Representatives

“Even as the United States plans its military withdrawal from Syria, it has taken a step towards increasing political and economic pressure on the regime of Bashar Al Assad. The US House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill late on Tuesday night that will allow the White House to sanction foreign persons and entities that engage with the Assad regime or its supporters. The legislation also requires the Treasury Department to decide within 180 days whether “reasonable grounds exist for concluding that the Central Bank of Syria is a financial institution of primary money laundering concern”. The bill HR 31, officially called the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, was introduced by Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the House, Eliott Engel. The bill was named after Cesar, the pseudonym for a photographer with the Syrian military police who documented those killed by the regime in prisons and detention centres for death certificates before defecting to the West in 2013 with a trove of 53,275 images showing the scale of the Assad regime’s brutality.”

Al Jazeera: Car Bomb Kills One In Syria's Latakia Province

“A car bomb exploded at a busy intersection in the coastal Syrian city of Latakia, killing one civilian and wounding 14, state-run media reported. Tuesday's blast was the second in Syria's government-controlled areas in the last two days, shattering a sense of relative calm in these territories that had somewhat stabilised after major advances by troops against rebel groups in different parts of the country. Syria's state-run media said the explosion took place in the city's al-Hammam Square. It also said specialised units dismantled a second bomb before it went off at the same location. "The terrorist explosion caused the death of one civilian and wounded 14 others," it said, citing a top health official in the province. Most of those wounded were hit by shrapnel, the director of the city's Tishrin hospital, Louay Naddaf, told state television. Footage broadcast on television showed people gathered around the wreckage of a smouldering car. Latakia has been a government stronghold since the Syrian conflict began in March 2011. But the province has been targeted in "sporadic strikes" by rebel groups, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor.”

The Straits Times: Nearly 5,000 Flee Last ISIS Enclave In Eastern Syria: Monitor

“Nearly 5,000 people, including almost 500 Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) fighters, have since Monday left the militant group's last bastion in eastern Syria, where ISIS continues to lose ground, a Britain-based monitor said. Kurdish-led forces, backed by air strikes of the US-led coalition, have been battling since September to expel the militants from their enclave in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor. "Around 4,900 people, mostly women and children" but including 470 militants have deserted the area since Monday, Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, told AFP on Tuesday. He said 3,500 of the people left on Tuesday. The majority of the civilians are family members of militants, the Observatory said. They were evacuated on dozens of trucks chartered by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish-led alliance fighting ISIS. In recent weeks the SDF has seized several eastern villages from ISIS, including Hajin, Al-Shaafa and Sousa. Islamic State is now confined to just 10 square kilometres in Deir Ezzor, the Observatory said. On Tuesday, the "SDF progressed, without any resistance from IS, into the Baghouz area" which is still in the hands of militants, Abdel Rahman said.”

Iran

The New York Times: Tensions Rise Over U.S. Arrest Of Iranian News Agency’s American Journalist

“Iran said Tuesday it had formally protested the F.B.I.’s arrest of an American newscaster who works for the Iranian government’s Press TV, and her family said rallies in Washington and elsewhere were planned if she was not freed. The arrested American, Marzieh Hashemi, has been held for more than a week as a material witness in an unspecified criminal case and has appeared before a grand jury in Washington twice. She has not been charged with a crime. Iranian officials have seized on the arrest as a provocative new irritant in the tense relationship between Iran and the United States, which has worsened since the Trump administration renounced the Iranian nuclear agreement last May and reimposed severe sanctions on the country. Ms. Hashemi, 59, who has lived in Iran for more than a decade and travels back to the United States sometimes to visit family members, was arrested Jan. 13 in St. Louis and transferred by the F.B.I. to Washington. Under American law, witnesses can be arrested if the government can show that their testimony is “material to a criminal proceeding” and that they might flee. The law generally requires the release of such witnesses after their testimony is completed.”

The Express: Iran Playing ‘Terror Games’ Claims Anti-Regime Group - ‘Threat Has Rapidly Intensified’

“THE Iranian regime’s “terrorist threat and terror games” have “rapidly intensified” on European and US soil since Spring 2018 as Tehran embarks on terror attempts against their opponents, a dissident group has claimed. The damning claim was made by pro-regime-change faction the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI). The group says Iran’s “mullahs” - a term used to refer to a Muslim man or woman, educated in Islamic theology - are responsible for state-sponsored terrorism worldwide. The NCRI has cited various alleged terrorist plots planned for Western soil. Maryam Rajavi, president-elect of the NCRI, has argued a firm policy needs to be adopted including the “blacklisting” of the Ministry of Intelligence and the Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and their entities by the United States and the European Union, as well as the expulsion of intelligence agents working in Europe.”

The Washington Post: DHS Issues Emergency Order To Civilian Agencies To Squelch Cyber-Hijacking Campaign That Private Analysts Say Could Be Linked To Iran

“The Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday issued an emergency directive to all non-national-security agencies requiring them to take steps to protect their networks against a cyber-hijacking campaign that private-sector researchers suggest may be linked to Iran. According to a directive issued by Christopher Krebs, head of the DHS Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, attackers have affected “multiple executive branch” agencies by redirecting and intercepting Web and mail traffic. No intelligence, Defense Department or classified networks were affected, U.S. officials said. However, according to one U.S. official, only one civilian agency so far has been verified to have had its email traffic redirected. But it is not clear how much traffic was affected and how many other agencies have also seen their data hijacked. “There is still a whole lot of data that needs to be crunched to determine impact,” said one senior official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the matter’s sensitivity. “The issue is that this is potentially bad,” the official said.”

The Jerusalem Post: Danon: Iran Spends $7b. A Year On Middle East Terror, Incl. In West Bank

“Iran has spent $7 billion annually on terror in the Middle East, including in the West Bank, where it wants to open a fourth front against Israel, Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon told the Security Council on Tuesday. “The Iranian regime’s obsession with Israel is not just well-known,” he said. “It is expensive. Seven billion dollars annually are directed toward the never-ending attempts to destroy Israel.” Danon spoke before the council’s monthly meeting on the Middle East. “Follow the bloody trail of money starting in Tehran and you will arrive at the terror tunnels in Lebanon and Gaza and the weapons warehouses in Syria,” he said. “It is now trying to infiltrate Judea and Samaria.” He blamed the 2015 Iran deal for providing the Islamic Republic with billions of dollars, which it has used to finance terror. Iran’s spending broke down was divided as $4 billion to Syria, $1 billion to Lebanon, $50 million to Hamas in Gaza and $70 million to the Islamic Jihad, Danon explained. Tens of millions of Iranian dollars have gone to Yemen and hundreds of millions of dollars to Shi’ites in Iraq, he said.”

Asharq Al-Awsat: US Forces In Iraq Confuse Pro-Iran Factions

“From the halls of parliament to the lightning-fast rumor mills of social media, pro-Iran factions are demanding US troops withdraw from Iraq in a challenge to the country’s fragile government. The political wrangling is another indication of Iraq’s precarious position as it tries to balance ties between two key allies — the United States and Iran. Calls for a US pullout have intensified since President Donald Trump’s shock decision last month to pull troops from neighboring Syria, while keeping American forces in Iraq. In recent weeks, pro-Iran parties have organized protests to demand an accelerated US troop withdrawal while affiliated media outlets published footage of alleged US reinforcements in Iraq’s restive west and north. The debate is heating up in parliament as well. Last week a lawmaker demanded Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi provide a written explanation for the ongoing US military presence in Iraq and a timeframe for their stay. MPs are also drafting a law that would set a deadline for a US withdrawal, according to Mahmud Al-Rubaie of the Sadiqun bloc, one of the political groups working on the text.“We categorically reject the presence of foreign troops in Iraq,” Rubaie told AFP.”

Voice Of America: Tensions Between Israel And Iran Rise Over Syria

“Twenty-one people were killed by Israeli airstrikes Monday in Syria. The dead reportedly including 12 members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. The latest round of attacks between Israel and Iran began with a series of Israeli airstrikes Sunday on Iranian targets in Syria, attacks that have become almost routine. But this time the missile strikes took place during the day and Israeli officials openly took responsibility for them. Israel usually neither confirms nor denies these strikes. Iran’s retaliation came a few hours later with a surface to surface missile fired at the Golan Heights, which includes Israel’s only ski resort. That missile was intercepted and shot down by the Iron Dome system. There were no casualties but Israeli army officials said if it had landed it could have killed dozens of people. Israel responded to the Iranian missile launch with a widespread attack in Syria that killed 21 people. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will not allow Iran to establish a foothold in Syria. "Israel will continue to block Iran's efforts to use Syria Lebanon and Gaza as forward bases for attacking Israel for the express purpose which they openly declare — destroying Israel," Netanyahu said.”

Foreign Policy: Iran’s Deadly Puppet Master

“The decision not to act is often the hardest one to make—and it isn’t always right. In 2007, I watched a string of vehicles pass from Iran into northern Iraq. I had been serving as the head of the U.S. military’s Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) for four years, working to stem the terrorism that had devastated the region, and I had become accustomed to making tough choices. But on that January night, the choice was particularly tricky: whether or not to attack a convoy that included Qassem Suleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force—an organization roughly analogous to a combination of the CIA and JSOC in the United States. There was good reason to eliminate Suleimani. At the time, Iranian-made roadside bombs built and deployed at his command were claiming the lives of U.S. troops across Iraq. But to avoid a firefight, and the contentious politics that would follow, I decided that we should monitor the caravan, not strike immediately. By the time the convoy had reached Erbil, Suleimani had slipped away into the darkness. These days, he still operates outside the spotlight. Suleimani has grown from a military commander into a ghostly puppet master, relying on quiet cleverness and grit to bolster Iran’s international influence.”

Iraq

Iraqi News: Iraqi Troops Destroy Three Islamic State Hotbeds In Tikrit

“Iraqi security forces destroyed on Tuesday three hotbeds of Islamic State group in Tikrit island in Salahuddin, the Interior Ministry announced. “A special force of Salahuddin Operations Command carried out a security operation in Tikrit Island, during which three Islamic State hideouts were found,” Alghad Press quoted spokesman for the Security Media Center Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasool as saying. “The troops destroyed the three hotbeds completely,” he said, adding that a huge amount of weaponry and explosive materials were seized. 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.”

Newsweek: U.S. Army Says It Did Not Win Iraq War, 'Iran Appears To Be The Only Victor'

“The United States Army has released a bleak assessment of its 2003 invasion of Iraq and subsequent attempts to defeat a Sunni Muslim insurgency until a 2011 withdrawal, claiming that neighboring Iran was the only true winner of the operation. "The U.S. Army in the Iraq War" was released Thursday in two volumes entitled "Invasion and Insurgency—Civil War, 2003-2006" and "Surge and Withdrawal, 2007-2011." The study was originally commissioned by Army General Ray Odierno in 2013 and—having relied on some "30,000 hours of hand-picked declassified documents, hundreds of hours of interviews of original interviews and thousands of hours of previously available interviews"—it claims to be "the U.S. Government’s longest and most detailed study of the Iraq conflict thus far." As the document notes, the decision to attack was a "preemptive" response to accusations that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction and offered tacit support to the Al-Qaeda militant group that conducted the 9/11 attacks of 2001. These charges later proved to be false, and the Army has now admitted that Hussein's fall managed to empower a mutual foe of both the Iraqi leader and the U.S.”

Afghanistan

ABC News: Afghan Security Service Suffers Heavy Toll In Taliban Attack

“Dozens of people killed in a brazen Taliban attack on a military base were members of Afghanistan's intelligence agency, officials said Tuesday, in a severe blow to the government that already has lost control of nearly half of the country to the insurgents. At least 45 people were killed and as many as 70 were wounded by a suicide bomber who drove an armored Humvee packed with explosives at the base in eastern Maidan Wardak province on Monday, the officials said. There were fears the death toll from the daytime assault could increase. The base, which also serves as a training center for pro-government militias, is run by Afghanistan's intelligence service known as the National Directorate for Security, or NDS. The NDS said its reports show 36 military personnel were killed and 58 were wounded. Though the agency's figures were lower than what provincial officials had reported, it was still an unprecedented casualty toll for the agency, among the best equipped and trained in Afghanistan. The agency said the suicide bomber had managed to penetrate the gate of the base on the outskirts of Maidan Shar, the provincial capital located about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from Kabul, even though guards fired at the vehicle.”

France 24: US Confirms Taliban Talks In Qatar

“The United States confirmed Tuesday that its envoy is meeting in Qatar with the Taliban, seeking to negotiate an end to the Afghanistan war despite a new major attack claimed by the insurgents. Zalmay Khalilzad, the US special representative on Afghan reconciliation, met Tuesday in the Qatari capital Doha with Taliban representatives, the State Department said. "We can confirm that Special Representative Khalilzad and an interagency team are in Doha today talking with representatives of the Taliban," a State Department spokeswoman said, adding that the talks were taking place over two days. Khalilzad has sat down several times with the Taliban but it marks the first time that the United States has confirmed his meetings so directly. The meeting came even though the Taliban claimed responsibility for an attack Tuesday against an Afghan intelligence base in central Wardak province. A local official said that at least 65 people were killed, in the latest high-casualty attack in Afghanistan. A Taliban spokesman announced the meeting with Khalilzad on Monday, saying that the United States accepted an agenda of "ending the occupation of Afghanistan and preventing Afghanistan from being used against other countries in the future."

Xinhua: Air Raids Kill 10 Militants In Afghanistan's Western Province

“Afghan fighting aircraft targeted a Taliban hideout in Ab Kamari district of Afghanistan's western Badghis province on Tuesday, killing 10 militants on the spot and injuring four others, the official said Wednesday. Acting on a tip-off, the fighting aircraft pounded a Taliban hideout in Kokchili village of Ab Kamari district Tuesday afternoon, provincial government spokesman Jamshid Shahabi said, adding that a weapon cache of the militants were also destroyed due to the airstrikes. Government forces launched operations against Taliban positions in parts of Ab Kamari district early last week and so far, according to the official, several villages have been recaptured and the law and order have been restored. Taliban militants have not commented on the report.”

Yemen

The National: Dr Anwar Gargash Calls Out Houthis For Undermining Yemen Peace Efforts

“Phiona Mutesi discovered chess while she was a starving 9-year-old, foraging for food in the sprawling and impoverished slums of the Ugandan capital, Kampala. “I was very hungry,” says Mutesi, who is now about 18 years old and a chess champion who competes internationally. And now her tale of triumph over adversity is being turned into a Hollywood epic directed by Mira Nair. Oscar-winning Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong’o is tipped to play her mum, and the British- Nigerian actor David Oyelowo, who portrayed Martin Luther King in the 2014 civil rights drama Selma, is also rumoured to be involved. “My dad had died, and after the age of 3 we started struggling to get food to eat,” Mutesi says. The family lived on one meal a day and Mutesi was forced to drop out of school at the age of 6 when her mother could not pay the fees. One day, in 2005, Mutesi discovered a chess programme in a church in the city’s Katwe slum districts. Potential players were enticed with a free cup of porridge. “It was so interesting,” she says. “But I didn’t go there for chess, I went just to get a meal.”

Middle East

Khaleej Times: UAE Condemns Iran's Interference In Middle East

“The UAE has condemned Iran's interference in the Middle East, accusing it of creating tension and posing a serious threat to the stability of the region. The UAE called on the international community and the Security Council to put pressure on Iran to stop its interference and backing for terrorist and sectarian militias. At the UN Security Council's quarterly Open Debate on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, Saud Al Shamsi, Deputy Permanent Representative of the UAE to the UN, delivered the UAE's statement, saying: "The conflicts in Yemen and Syria clearly show that Iran is the common perpetrator. Iran has created more tension and instability in our region, posing a serious threat to the stability of the Middle East. We, therefore, call on the international community and the Security Council to seriously pressure Iran to end its interference and support for terrorist and sectarian militias in Arab countries." On the situation in Yemen, Al Shamsi reaffirmed the UAE's commitment to supporting the work of Martin Griffiths, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on Yemen, and the UN-sponsored political process for a lasting and sustainable political settlement.”

Radio Liberty: U.S. Envoy Meets In Qatar With Afghan Taliban Representatives

“Washington has confirmed that its envoy on Afghanistan has been meeting in Qatar this week with Taliban representatives as part of a peace process for the war-torn country. The U.S. State Department said Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. special representative on Afghan reconciliation, met in Doha on January 22 with "representatives of the Taliban." A State Department spokeswoman said the talks were taking place over two days and also involved "an interagency team" from the United States. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, in a statement released by the Afghan Islamic Press, said two days of talks between Khalilzad and Afghan Taliban representatives began in Doha on January 21. There was no immediate word from the Afghan government about the latest Doha talks.”

France 24: Palestinians To Refuse Remaining US Aid Over Terror Lawsuit Fears

“The Palestinian Authority will refuse all US government aid for fear of lawsuits over alleged support for terrorism, officials said Tuesday, throwing into doubt the future of security coordination and projects already under way. Senior official Saeb Erekat said the Palestinians had demanded all funding stop at the end of January for fear they would expose themselves to costly lawsuits under the US Anti-Terrorism Clarification Act (ATCA) which is about to come into force. “The government sent an official letter to the US administration requesting it stop all aid to the Palestinian Authority, including assistance to the Palestinian security services,” Erekat told AFP. He said the main reason for the move was the ATCA legislation. The legislation passed by the US Congress last year stipulates that foreign organisations that receive certain types of US funding be subject to American counterterrorism laws. Families of American victims of past Palestinian attacks have pledged to sue the Palestinian Authority over their alleged support for violence. Israeli and US officials regularly accuse the PA of encouraging violence by providing funds to the families of prisoners or those killed while carrying out attacks against Israelis.”

Egypt

Al Jazeera: Dozens Of Armed Fighters Killed In Egypt's Northern Sinai

“Egypt said at least seven troops, including an officer, were killed in clashes with armed fighters in recent operations in the restive northern Sinai Peninsula. In a statement on Tuesday, the military said its forces had killed at least 59 suspected fighters and arrested 142 others. Air raids destroyed 56 vehicles containing weapons and ammunition in the Western Desert, south and northeastern border areas, and seized 242 explosive devices as part of the operation. An attempt by 2,189 individuals of different nationalities to illegally cross Egypt's border was thwarted. Furthermore, the statement added, in cooperation with military engineers in North Sinai, six tunnel openings were discovered and destroyed. The military statement gave no timeframe for the recent operations. It wasn't possible to independently confirm the details as access to northern Sinai is heavily restricted. Egypt has struggled to defeat a long-running armed campaign in Sinai, which serves as a base for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group's affiliate. It launched a nationwide operation against armed fighters and ISIL last February, after an attack on a mosque in late 2017 that killed more than 300 people.”

Nigeria

The Japan Times: 6,000 Nigerians Flee Boko Haram Attack To Chad: U.N.

“Thousands of Nigerians have fled across Lake Chad since Boko Haram launched attacks in and around the fishing town of Baga last month, the United Nations refugee agency said on Tuesday. “An estimated 6,000 refugees have fled Nigeria’s restive Borno state since December 26, when clashes erupted between Nigerian forces and non-state armed groups in Baga town, near the Chadian border,” the UNHCR said in a statement. “According to testimonies gathered by our teams, refugees are fleeing in fear of their lives after threats of retaliation and intimidation following militant attacks.” The attacks have been blamed on the Islamic State West Africa Province faction of Boko Haram, which has repeatedly targeted the military in recent months. Last week, the U.N. said there had since been a “massive displacement” of more than 30,000 people from Baga and the surrounding area to the Borno state capital, Maiduguri. That had increased pressure on already overstretched aid agencies providing humanitarian assistance in the city. Another 9,000 Nigerians sought refuge in Cameroon following a separate attack against troops in Rann, but the authorities there refused to take them, the UNHCR said last week.”

Africa

BBC News: Kenya Attack: 'Selfless Six' Mourned In Nairobi After Siege

“A memorial service has been held in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, for some of those killed during an attack by Islamist militants in a hotel and office complex a week ago. Hundreds of mourners gathered to pay tribute to six men who were all employed by the same technology firm, Cellulant. The company has praised their selflessness and bravery. Somalia-based Islamist group al-Shabab said it carried out the attack. Five militants, including a suicide bomber, stormed the luxury Dusit complex in the Westland's district of the capital last Tuesday, killing at least 21 people and injuring dozens. Elite police officers ended a 19-hour siege after killing all the attackers.”

ABC News: Sudan's Embattled President Travels To Qatar Amid Unrest

“Sudan's embattled president flew Tuesday to Qatar, the tiny but wealthy Gulf state that has offered him help as he faces protests initially sparked by the country's economic woes but which soon shifted to calling on him to step down. Qatar's official news agency said President Omar al-Bashir, in power since 1989, will meet Wednesday with the emirate's ruler, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, to discuss "brotherly relations and ways to bolster them." Sudan's official news agency reported his departure from the capital Khartoum, saying he and Sheikh Tamim will discuss bilateral relations and efforts to cement peace in Darfur, the western Sudanese region where security forces brutally crushed a rebellion. Al-Bashir was indicted in 2010 by the International Criminal Court for genocide in Darfur, where an insurgency erupted in 2003. To avoid arrest and repatriation to The Hague, the court's seat, he has restricted his travel to African and Arab nations.”

Voice Of America: Cameroon Mobilizes Military Following Boko Haram, Separatist Attacks

“Cameroon says it is mobilizing troops along the country’s northern border with Nigeria and in the western English-speaking regions, following renewed attacks by Boko Haram in the north and separatists in the west. Cameroon’s military calls for troops to assemble at its headquarters in Yaounde ahead of major deployments. Defense Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Rene Claude Meka said 2019 will see Cameroon fight for national unity and territorial integrity. He said they have re-mobilized the military to all trouble spots. Boko Haram, the Nigeria-based Islamist terrorist group, is again recruiting fighters in Cameroon and attacking our northern border, said Meka. Meanwhile, separatists fighting to create an English-speaking state have recruited mercenaries from neighboring countries to destabilize Cameroon, he said. Cameroon’s military says there is a Boko Haram resurgence on its northern border with Nigeria. It reports five attacks across the border and in the Lake Chad basin this month. Last week three people were reported killed in the border town of Fotokol as troops repelled a Boko Haram attack.”

United Kingdom

The Independent: UK's Prevent Counter-Extremism Programme To Be Independently Reviewed, Government Says

“The UK’s Prevent counter-extremism programme is to undergo an independent review, the government has announced after years of controversy. Ministers and senior police officers had previously dismissed criticism and urged communities to support the scheme, resisting persistent calls to overhaul or rebrand it. But on Tuesday the security minister said the “time was right to initiate a review of Prevent”. “Communities across the country have got behind Prevent and are contributing to it because they want, as we do, their own young people to be protected from grooming and exploitation by terrorists,” Ben Wallace added. “I am proud we have helped divert hundreds of people away from posing a real threat and put them back on the path of living a fulfilling law-abiding life. This review should expect those critics of Prevent, who often use distortions and spin, to produce solid evidence of their allegations.” The review, to start within six months, was proposed by the House of Lords as part of a raft of amendments to the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Bill, which will proceed to royal assent without a Commons vote.”

The Independent: Public Tip-Offs To Terror Police Halve In Year, Officials Warn As More UK Plots Foiled

“More than a fifth of the public’s reports to terror police help foil plots and catch terrorists, but the number of tips has more than halved in a year. The head of national counterterror policing warned that public complacency would be a “worst-case scenario” for security services, who have thwarted 18 attacks in under two years. Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner Neil Basu said he was “incredibly grateful” that 2018 was spared the level of carnage of the previous year, when 36 victims were killed in atrocities in Manchester and London. But with the number of ongoing terror investigations at a record of 700, Mr Basu said the flow of intelligence from members of the public was vital. “I know some people are still reluctant to speak to us,” he acknowledged. “To them I say, reporting your concerns to us won’t ruin lives, but it might save them.” In 2017, more than 31,000 reports were made to counterterror police, but last year the number fell to 13,000. In both years, more than a fifth of tips were “very significant”, leading to the identification of a suspect or plot, or aiding prosecutions. Mr Basu said part of the reason could be the national focus on Brexit, which “undoubtedly” took up much public attention last year, and the drop in attacks.”

The Guardian: Mps Pass Counter-Terror Bill Amendments To Protect Aid Workers

“MPs have passed amendments to the government’s latest counter-terrorism bill to try to protect British aid workers and journalists from facing criminal charges in conflict zones. The controversial draft bill, aimed at tackling Isis fighters travelling abroad, allows the home secretary to declare somewhere a “designated area” and make it an offence for UK nationals and residents to be there. The bill orginally allowed individuals – including humanitarian workers, journalists and academics – to be investigated by the police and ultimately face 10 years in prison. But following calls from 22 leading humanitarian groups – including Christian Aid, and Oxfam – to exclude aid workers and others, Lord Rosser proposed exemptions including humanitarian workers and journalists. The bill, which returned for a Commons vote on Tuesday, has also drawn criticism from campaigners on freedom of expression. Jan Egeland, head of the Norwegian Refugee Council, welcomed the amendments: “This bill reached public debate in the shape and form that would criminalise my British colleagues who are in areas with greater suffering and where they are trying to help victims of terror.”

Germany

The New York Times: German Prosecutors Press Terror Charges Against Syrian Man

“Prosecutors say they've pressed charges against a 29-year-old Syrian man who allegedly was a member of a foreign terror group and violated the war weapons control law. The man, whose name was not given, allegedly joined the Islamist Ahrar al-Sham insurgent group in Syria from 2013 to 2014. Frankfurt prosecutors said Tuesday he allegedly volunteered as a fighter and donated 50,000 Syrian lira, then worth about 250 euros (284 dollars) to the group. He was also in possession of a Kalashnikov and posed for photos for recruiting purposes showing him on pickup trucks using an anti-aircraft gun and a machine cannon.”

Europe

Irish Post: Four People Arrested In Dublin On Suspicion Of Funding Islamist Terrorism

“Four people have been arrested in Dublin in connection with the suspected funding of Islamist terrorist groups in Syria. The suspects, all from the same family, were arrested this morning as part of an ongoing investigation by the Special Detective Unit, the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau and Security and Intelligence into international terrorist financing. A series of six raids were carried out across the capital and a number of documents and electronic equipment were seized along with €4,500 in cash. Those arrested include a man aged in his 40s and three women, one in her 30s, one in her 40s and one in her 60s. In a statement, a Garda spokesperson said: “Four persons were arrested for suspected terrorist financing contrary to Section 13 of the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Act, 2005 and are currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at Dublin Garda Stations. “The investigation is ongoing.” Detectives believe the arrested family members were sending funds via a bank to militants in Syria who are suspected of being affiliated with the Islamic State (ISIS) terror group. The identities of the suspects, as well as the precise locations where they were arrested, have not yet been revealed by investigators.”

Irish Mirror: Gardai Raid 'ISIS Cash Gang' After Tip Off By Bank In Dublin

“A bank alerted gardai to a suspected Islamist financier and his family over suspicions they were collecting tens of thousands of euro for ISIS. Anti-terrorism detectives, money laundering and Garda intelligence officers raided six addresses in Dublin. These were targeted over the activities of a family suspected of sending money to the Islamic terror group and other dangerous fundamentalists. A source said: “It is understood a bank had alerted gardai to irregular transactions by a suspect living in Dublin. “Members of the force’s security and intelligence unit examined these transactions, worth tens of thousands of euro, and it was decided to move in on the suspects. “A man, who gardai have particular interest in, and three women were arrested. It’s believed they have been in Ireland for less than five years.”

Southeast Asia

The Straits Times: Possible Areas Of Terrorism Threat To Singapore

“MHA says the most pressing threat to Singapore continues to emanate from ISIS. The militant group first emerged in 2014 when it attempted to set up a hyper-violent and extremist state in eastern Syria and northern Iraq. It has come to be known for using propaganda to radicalise. Despite heavy territorial losses it has faced in Iraq and Syria, MHA said some 20,000 to 30,000 fighters remain in the two countries. Its ideology has gone online and continues to attract supporters in Singapore and overseas. ISIS-linked groups and sympathisers in the region continue to be active, like Jemaah Ansharut Daulah in Indonesia, which was responsible for the coordinated bombings in May last year that killed 28 people. ISIS remains interested in the region - portraying South-east Asia as part of its caliphate - despite the end of the five-month siege of Marawi in the Philippines last October. MHA says ISIS propaganda could attract foreign fighters to the region who may mount attacks in South-east Asia, including Singapore. About 1,000 South-east Asians are believed to have travelled to join the conflict in Syria and Iraq, with a few known to have returned and plotted attacks in their home countries. MHA says more South-east Asian ISIS fighters could seek to return, given the group's heavy territorial losses in Syria and Iraq.”

Channel NewsAsia: Indonesia Cancels Early Release For Abu Bakar Bashir, Radical Cleric Linked To Bali Bombings

“The Indonesian government has cancelled the early release of radical Muslim cleric and terror convict Abu Bakar Bashir as he has not met certain conditions for parole, the state palace announced on Tuesday (Jan 22). Among the conditions for early release mentioned by presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko were cooperating with law enforcers in investigations related to his crime, showing remorse over his crime and pledging loyalty to the Republic of Indonesia in writing. "(The cancellation is) because the conditions are non-negotiable," Moeldoko said. President Joko Widodo previously announced the release of the jailed spiritual leader of Al-Qaeda-affiliate Jemaah Islamiyah on humanitarian grounds, citing his old age and deteriorating health. But on Tuesday afternoon, he emphasised the need to adhere to the law. "There is a system and regulatory mechanism that we have to follow. I cannot be breaking the system, especially in this case where the condition is really basic: Pledge loyalty to the Republic of Indonesia and Pancasila," he said. Pancasila (the Five Principles) is the official state ideology of Indonesia, which includes belief in God, humanity, unity, democracy and social justice. However, lawyers representing the 81-year-old Bashir have said that he refuses to fulfill the condition.”

Technology

Yahoo News: Google, Facebook Set 2018 Lobbying Records As Tech Scrutiny Intensifies

“Google and Facebook Inc. set company records for annual lobbying spending in 2018 as Washington’s scrutiny of Big Tech intensified. Alphabet Inc.’s Google unit spent more than $21 million to influence Washington, according to federal disclosures, in a year when its chief executive officer, Sundar Pichai, made his first appearance before Congress. The search giant, which spent $4.9 million in the last three months of the year, according to a Tuesday filing, beat its previous record of more than $18 million from 2017. Facebook spent nearly $13 million on lobbying, the filings say, as it dealt with the fallout from privacy scandals, the congressional testimony of its chief executive officer, Mark Zuckerberg, and data vulnerabilities. It spent $2.83 million during the quarter. In 2017, Facebook spent more than $11.5 million on lobbying, the previous record. The industry had good reason to up its influence game last year: It faces a so-called techlash of greater congressional and regulatory scrutiny after numerous privacy breaches and disclosures that Russia used social media platforms to distribute propaganda meant to influence the 2016 presidential election.”

Business Insider: Facebook Is As Bad For Democracy As Smoking, Say Tech Experts, Who Think The Cure Is Breaking Up The Social Network

“Nearly a year ago to the day, the tech billionaire Marc Benioff chose the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Switzerland to tear into Facebook. Speaking with CNBC, the Salesforce CEO said Mark Zuckerberg's social network should be regulated by US lawmakers with the same vigor as the cigarette industry. It's a theory he has since built on numerous times, perhaps most vividly in November, when he told the tech journalist Kara Swisher that Facebook was "the new cigarettes." “It's addictive, it's not good for you, there's people trying to get you to use it that even you don't understand what's going on," he said. Since then, Facebook has continued to be used as a tool for democratic interference and has been at the center of giant data scandals, not least the Cambridge Analytica breach. And the people Benioff credits with helping him arrive at his opinion are more convinced than ever that Facebook is as bad for democracy as smoking is for health and that action is needed.”

Slate: It’s Not Enough To Fine Facebook. The Feds Should Fine Mark Zuckerberg

“Facebook may be about to pay up. The Federal Trade Commission is reportedly weighing what kind of fine to impose on Facebook for some of its past actions—specifically, the privacy practices and lapses that allowed the voter analytics firm Cambridge Analytica to harvest the personal data of more than 87 million Facebook users without their consent in 2014. Last March, after the Cambridge Analytica story broke, the FTC began to investigate whether Facebook was in violation of an agreement it had made with the agency in 2011 that required the social network to obtain affirmative consent from users before accessing or sharing data about them beyond what they had explicitly agreed to. Under the consent decree, the FTC can fine Facebook up to $40,000 a day per individual violation, which for this snafu could amount to a bill as high as $2 trillion. While it’s unlikely the fine will tally anywhere close to the trillions, the Washington Post reports that it’s likely going to be higher than the $22.5 million fine levied again Google last year for violating a privacy agreement with the FTC. It could be significantly higher.”

Terrorist Financing

Akhbar Elyom: Security Expert: Funding Continues To Flow To Terrorists In Sinai

“General Mahmoud Khalaf, military advisor at the Nasser Higher Military Academy, noted that the various units of the Egyptian army, police and security agencies must confront terrorism with complete unity and integration rather than acting independently and separately. During an interview on the Egyptian "eXtra News" television channel on Tuesday evening, the security expert revealed that substantial funding continues to flow to terrorists operating in the Sinai Peninsula. The armed forces seized large sums of money that had been obtained by militants in Sinai only a few days earlier, Khalaf commented. The Nasser Military Academy advisor stressed the importance of drying up the funding sources of terrorism in order to eradicate this scourge.”

ISIS

Dotmsr: Iraq: ISIS Tunnel Containing Missiles And Rockets Decimated

“Spokesman for the Iraqi Security Information Center, Brigadier General Yahya Rasool, said in a statement on Monday that a tunnel belonging to ISIS, containing rockets and explosive belts, had been destroyed in Saladin. He confirmed that the security forces within the Salahdin operations command managed to dismantle two explosive devices and seize 10 jerrycans with a capacity of 30 liters each in the vicinity of al-Fatha in Saladin province. During the operation in the target area, the forces unearthed a tunnel doubling as a hideout for the terrorists, which contained four guided missiles, seven explosive devices, four explosive belts, food and logistical items, machine guns and RPG7 launchers, seven cellphones and 27 electric detonators. The statement added that the tunnel was later destroyed by the competent forces.”

Muslim Brotherhood

Alahaly Gate: Researcher: Muslim Brotherhood Seeks To Recruit Egyptian Youth Online

“Mukhtar Noah, contemporary writer and researcher of Islamist groups, stated that Yehia Moussa, who reportedly headed the "qualitative" armed cells of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, had previously established militant groups which helped perform surveillance, provide logistical support and perpetrate terrorist assaults, including the assassination of former Egyptian Public Prosecutor Hisham Barakat. Yet, after the June 30th Revolution, the Egyptian security forces managed to either kill or capture and sentence to death most of these terrorist cell members. Meanwhile, Moussa, who now lives in exile, is currently preparing to recruit new groups of youth from Egypt via the Internet, Noah predicted. He added that this Brotherhood leader is directing his recruiters in Egypt to target and radicalize young people under the age of 20. Therefore, the researcher warned the parents of teenagers against enlisting their sons and daughters, unknowingly, for the purpose of committing hostile acts against the state.”

Houthi

Almashhad Alaraby: Houthis Compel Citizens To Donate Money

“Local sources in Zabid town said that Houthi militants are forcing citizens to donate money under the pretext of supporting the war effort, at checkpoints created in the Zabid triangle, which links the directorates of al-Tahita and Zubaid al-Jarahi. The sources added that the militants are extorting citizens and forcing owners of cars and motorcycles to pay them money on the pretext of supporting the war effort of the Iran-backed group. The sources confirmed that the citizens of Zabid are living in dire conditions due to the siege being imposed by the militants, who prevent the entry of food while preventing also citizens from moving between Zabid and the neighboring districts. In addition, the Houthis have halted all payment of salaries to employees there.”
__________________
Boats

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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