Eye on Extremism - July 17, 2020

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Eye on Extremism - July 17, 2020
Counter Extremism Project
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Eye on Extremism


As of July 17, 2020:

Asian News International: UN Designates Pakistan Taliban Leader Noor Mehsud As Global Terrorist

“The United Nations on Thursday (local time) designated Pakistan based terror organisation Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan’s leader, Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud, as a global terrorist. The United States Security Council 1267 Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee added Mehsud to its ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions List. Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud was listed pursuant to paragraphs 2 and 4 of resolution 2368 (2017) for “participating in the financing, planning, facilitating or perpetrating of acts or activities by, in conjunction with, under the name of, on behalf of, or in support of” entities associated with Al-Qaida. The United States has welcomed the development. “Welcome news that the @UN has added Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan leader Noor Wali Mehsud to its ISIL & AQ sanctions list. TTP is responsible for many deadly terrorist attacks in Pakistan. The United States domestically designated Noor Wali as a terrorist in September 2019,” State SCA tweeted. TTP, also known as Pakistan Taliban, is responsible for carrying out multiple suicide bombings, and have killed hundreds of civilians. TTP was earlier designated as Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) by the Department of State.”

The Jerusalem Post: EU Must Designate Hezbollah As Terror Organization, 230 Lawmakers Say

“Some 230 lawmakers have urged the European Union to designate the Lebanon-based Hezbollah organization as a terrorist group. “Hezbollah, the Iranian regime’s most deadly proxy, operates a global terror network that threatens not only its neighbors, but also Western democracies,” the lawmakers said in a letter they planned to send to the EU on Friday. “In Germany alone, Hezbollah has over 1,000 supporters... the group’s violent and antisemitic ideology is poisoning the fabric for our pluralistic societies,” the lawmakers said. The EU already recognizes Hezbollah’s military wing as a terrorist group, but has not extended that designation to the organization’s political wing. Such a designation must be made by the unanimous consent of the EU's Council of foreign ministers, where opinions on the matter are divided. In their letter, the lawmakers urged “the EU to end this false distinction between ‘military’ and ‘political’ arms – a distinction Hezbollah itself dismisses – and ban the entire organization,” the lawmakers said. Signatories to the letter included 131 members of European national legislatures, 73 members of the European Parliament, 17 members of the US Congress, eight members of the Parliament of Canada and six Knesset members.”

United States

Voice Of America: US Efforts To Deal Islamic State ‘Enduring Defeat’ On Hold

“Hopes of delivering the Islamic State a lasting defeat in Iraq and Syria have, for now, fallen by the wayside, according to officials with the U.S.-led coalition, despite a ramped-up crackdown on the terror group’s network of cells and facilitators. “It’s more about keeping down ISIS,” an official with the U.S.-led coalition told VOA, using an acronym for the terror group. “Pressuring ISIS to capture/kill terrorist fighters, destroy hideouts and disrupt smuggling networks.” The admission runs contrary to previously stated U.S. policy and even the coalition’s long-term goals, affirmed just last month, “to achieve a full and enduring defeat” of IS, not just in Iraq and Syria but worldwide. It also comes as both Iraqi forces and U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces have touted success in recent campaigns to find and eliminate IS fighters and hideouts, including one SDF operation in early June that resulted in at least 80 arrests along the Iraq-Syria border, as well as a more recent Iraqi operation hunting IS leaders and smugglers. But it has not been enough. In an interview with VOA on Wednesday, the top general at U.S. Central Command said eliminating IS in Iraq and Syria might never be possible.”

Associated Press: Man Held In Vegas Terror Plot Also Facing Child Sex Charges

“One of three men accused of plotting terrorism attacks during Las Vegas protests in May of the death of a man in Minneapolis police custody is also facing child sexual assault and lewdness charges. Stephen Parshall’s attorney, Robert Draskovich, acknowledged Thursday that a 26-count criminal complaint was filed Tuesday in Las Vegas, but said his client has not yet appeared before a judge. Court records showed a warrant was being issued for Parshall's arrest. Draskovich said Parshall, 36, will plead not guilty. Parshall is currently in federal custody with two co-defendants, Andrew Lynam Jr. and William Loomis, in a separate case. Each faces state terrorism and explosives charges and federal conspiracy and firearms allegations. Police and the FBI allege in court documents that the men have ties to an extremist right-wing group dubbed the “boogaloo” movement that supports overthrowing the U.S. government. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported police began investigating the sex case involving Parshall following the June 24 arrest of one of Parshall’s longtime friends on child sex charges.”

Syria

Vox: Syria’s Idlib Was Already A Humanitarian Nightmare. Now The Coronavirus Has Arrived.

“Last week, a doctor in his 30s working at a hospital in Syria near the Turkish border tested positive for Covid-19. Three more confirmed cases came after: two doctors and a nurse. The coronavirus had officially arrived in Idlib, the last rebel-held territory in Syria. The outbreak threatens to exacerbate the ever-present humanitarian disaster in northwest Syria. The United Nations estimates about 4 million people now live in the region, almost half of whom have fled from other parts of the country, displaced, sometimes more than once, during the nine-year civil war. “After nine years of conflict and the targeting of hospitals and medical staff, the medical system, particularly in the northwest, is on its knees,” Vanessa Jackson, the United Nations representative for the humanitarian aid agency CARE International, told me. “There really aren’t enough doctors and health care professionals available if there is a significant outbreak, let alone access to ICUs, let alone to ventilators, PPE [personal protective equipment]. “You name it,” she added, “they do not have it.” As of July, approximately 11 people have tested positive in northwest Syria, in Idlib and Aleppo, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. At least six were health care workers.”

Turkey

Reuters: Turkish Court Sentences Germany-Based Journalist To Jail On Terrorism Charges

“A Turkish court sentenced German-Turkish journalist Deniz Yucel in absentia on Thursday to jail for 2 years and 9 months for terrorism propaganda, his lawyer said, in a case that has strained ties between Ankara and Berlin. Yucel, who denied the charges against him, returned to Berlin in February 2018 when he was released from custody after being kept in jail for a year without indictment. The court convicted Yucel on Thursday for spreading propaganda for the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party, lawyer Veysel Ok said. The court ruled that he was not guilty of sedition or of spreading propaganda for the network of Fethullah Gulen, a U.S.-based cleric accused by Ankara of plotting a 2016 failed coup. The court also filed additional criminal complaints against him for insulting President Tayyip Erdogan and for insulting the Turkish Republic and its agencies, Ok said. “This is a political verdict,” Yucel wrote in Die Welt newspaper after the verdict. “In the end I don’t care about it... I was arrested for doing my job as a journalist. And I don’t regret doing that at all,” he wrote. Yucel’s arrest led to a protracted dispute between Turkey and Germany, two NATO allies. Shortly after his arrest, Berlin banned Turkish ministers from speaking to rallies of expatriate Turks, while Erdogan called Yucel a terrorist agent and Ankara accused Germany of supporting Gulen’s network.”

Afghanistan

Voice Of America: Taliban Says It Freed 845 Afghan Forces, 'Fully Committed' To Pact With US

“The Taliban said Thursday it has already released 845 Afghan security forces under an ongoing prisoner swap with the Kabul government and is working to free the remaining 155 in line with the insurgent group’s agreement with the United States. Taliban political spokesman Suhail Shaheen shared the details with VOA, insisting that his group was “fully committed” to the pact it signed with Washington to help set the stage as quickly as possible for launching peace talks with Afghan rivals to agree on a permanent cease-fire in Afghanistan. Shaheen said that the Afghan government has so far released 4,050 Taliban prisoners out of the promised 5,000, as stipulated in the U.S.-Taliban deal. He again ruled out intra-Afghan peace talks until all Taliban prisoners are set free, according to a list the group shared with U.S. officials before inking the February 29 accord in Doha, Qatar. But the prisoner swap details Shaheen shared with VOA contradict those Kabul has so far made public. Afghan officials say they have freed more than 4,200 Taliban inmates and allege that nearly half of the government prisoners released by the insurgents are civilians, and not security forces.”

Lebanon

Arab News: Desperate Lebanese Forced To Look To Hezbollah

“The expected verdict in the Special Tribunal for Lebanon is now set for Aug. 7 after being delayed from May. It is already clear that the tribunal will issue a judgment concerning the four accused and not against the group to which they belong: Hezbollah. This means that each of the nowhere-to-be-found accused will be issued with a judgment independently, which insulates Hezbollah from any direct legal accusation, even though the political accusation has been issued by all since the day of the assassination of Rafik Hariri in 2005. Hence, real justice will not be served and, moreover, Lebanon is in no place to be able to impose this much-needed justice. It seems unfortunate that the amount spent by the Lebanese government, which bore half the cost of about $460 million, seems to have been a complete waste. It looks more and more like a political tool that Saad Hariri tried to use, but that he did not have the power to control and which ended up putting pressure on him rather than Hezbollah. Indeed, he should have known that, if this tribunal were to issue a real judgment, then only an international military force would be able to execute it. This is fantasy, as today even a Hezbollah-affiliated thug in Lebanon cannot be bothered by the law or its officers.”

Nigeria

Council On Foreign Relations: Mixed Results In Evaluation Of Multinational Effort Against Boko Haram

“International Crisis Group, a well-regarded NGO, has issued a thoughtful evaluation of the effort by Cameroon, Chad, Nigeria, and Niger to coordinate their military efforts against Boko Haram in the Lake Chad Basin. The coordinating instrument is the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), authorized by the African Union in 2015 and with a civilian oversight board. Participating states collectively pledged 8,000 troops to the MNJTF. (The Republic of Benin is a member of the MNJTF but contributes no troops.) Crisis Group notes successes by the MNJTF: instances of troops engaging with Boko Haram across national borders and improved morale among soldiers. However, Crisis Group also notes that Boko Haram factions often quickly regroup after MNJTF operations because such operations are rarely sustained. In fact, Boko Haram appears to be strengthening, especially in northeast Nigeria. According to the Nigeria Security Tracker, the last two years have been deadlier than any other period for Nigerian soldiers since the Boko Haram insurgency began in 2011. Further, the report finds that participating countries are reluctant to cede command over their own troops to the MNJTF, planning is poorly coordinated, and there is a shortage of funding.”

Africa

The New York Times: Anger At Mali’s President Rises After Security Forces Kill Protesters

“When security forces in Mali shot and killed protesters last weekend, they were met with an unexpected response. Instead of being cowed into submission, the demonstrators have become more determined, announcing plans to continue their efforts for reform despite the violent crackdown. The leaders of the ballooning protest movement in the West African nation have called for mass civil disobedience until President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta steps down. Thousands are expected to rally at mosques across the country on Friday, to mourn those who were killed and to continue the series of demonstrations that began in early June. A team of regional mediators arrived in the capital, Bamako, on Wednesday night to try to mitigate the growing unrest, but Mr. Keïta has shown no sign of stepping down. Malians say those who are in charge have not done enough to address the corruption and bloodshed that have plagued the country for eight years, pulling in regional and French counterterrorism forces as well as American support. Thousands of civilians and soldiers have died. The economic suffering exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic has only brought more frustration and uncertainty.”

United Kingdom

The New York Times: Shamima Begum, Who Joined ISIS In Syria, Can Return To U.K., Court Says

“Shamima Begum, a woman who traveled to Syria from London as a schoolgirl to join ISIS, should be allowed to return to appeal the government’s decision to strip her of her British citizenship, a court ruled on Thursday. The Court of Appeal ruled that the only way Ms. Begum would be able to pursue a “fair and effective appeal” was “to be permitted to come into the United Kingdom.” Ms. Begum, now 20, spent years in Islamic State territory, but fled to a refugee camp in northeastern Syria after the group lost control in the region, and had expressed a desire to return to Britain. Her case is a prominent example of the challenges many Western governments face with citizens who joined the group, and who some argue would pose a national security threat if repatriated. Through a spokesman, the British Home Office, the government department responsible for migration and security, said it would appeal what it called “a very disappointing decision.” Ms. Begum’s lawyer, Tasnime Akunjee, praised the court’s ruling, writing on Twitter, “Good sense prevails.”

Germany

Deutsche Welle: German Police Under The Pall Of Right-Wing Extremists

“The perpetrator called himself “SS Obersturmbannführer” (lieutenant colonel) — a reference to the most gruesome chapter in German history. Persons of that rank in Nazi Germany were responsible for organizing the abuse and murder of millions of Jews from across Europe. This year — 2020 — German cabaret artist Idil Baydar received a death threat from someone using that moniker. Baydar is a successful entertainer who takes a scalpel to the daily racism immigrants face in Germany. Not only do her acts make millions of Germans laugh, they also make them reflect. The death threats case against Baydar is not only unsettling, it is politically explosive as well. That is because the perpetrator's trail can be traced directly back to the German police. The death threat Idil Baydar received contained personal information retrieved from a police computer in the state of Hesse. Baydar first found out she was being surveilled in the newspaper: “I find it really strange that the police haven't contacted me. That no one says, 'Don't worry, we have this under control. We will keep you safe.' I feel so alone. The threat posed to me doesn't seem to interest the police,” she said in an interview with the German daily newspaper Tageszeitung.”

Southeast Asia

CNN: Anti-Terrorism Act Takes Effect Saturday

“The controversial Anti-Terrorism Act will take effect on Saturday, the Department of Justice clarified amid confusion on the start date of its implementation. In a statement on Friday, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra explained that since the law was published on July 3, it will take effect on July 18, or 15 days after. He apologized for the confusion caused by an earlier statement. “We rectify our earlier statement that the law will take effect after the 15th day, or on July 19. Our apologies.” Meanwhile, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. told CNN Philippines that the implementing rules and regulations “will come in 90 days.” It will be drafted by the Anti-Terrorism Council, an executive body chaired by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea. As early as July 4, Esperon said the council was ready to convene to craft the IRR which will be submitted to Congress. Republic Act 11479 or the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 mandates the creation of a joint congressional oversight committee which can summon the council and law enforcement officers over the implementation of the measure. Several petitions have been filed at the Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of the law since President Rodrigo Duterte signed it on July 3.”
Australia

ABC News Australia: Former Islamic State Suspect Zainab Abdirahman-Khalif To Be Monitored By AFP

“An Adelaide woman acquitted of being an Islamic State member will have her social media use, employment and movements controlled by the Federal Police for a further four months, a court has ruled. Federal Court Justice Natalie Charlesworth today ruled that Zainab Abdirahman-Khalif, 25, will be placed on a control order until November 21. She has been on an interim order since November 2019. Zainab Abdirahman-Khalif, 25, spent two years and six months in jail after a South Australian Supreme Court jury found her guilty of being a member of a terrorist organisation, before she was freed on appeal in October 2019. Commonwealth prosecutors have asked the High Court to overturn her acquittal, but the hearing has been delayed because of the coronavirus health pandemic. Under the order, Ms Abdirahman-Khalif will have to abide by a curfew, cannot drive a truck and is banned from accessing 33 messaging applications. She is also banned from communicating with four members of the Clavell family — including brothers Joshua and Joel Clavell who were shot by police in country Victoria in June 2019. Ms Abdirahman-Khalif — who the court was told has now enrolled to study at university — cannot leave Australia, or communicate with anyone in Iraq, Syria or Turkey.”