Eye on Extremism - July 23, 2019

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

As of 23, 2019

Voice Of America: Somalia Car Bombing Kills At Least 17

“At least 17 people were killed in a car bombing in Mogadishu on Monday, medical sources tell VOA's Somali service. The director of Mogadishu’s largest hospital, Dr. Mohamed Yusuf, said another 28 people were taken to the hospital with injuries. The explosion occurred when a suspected suicide bomber detonated a vehicle near a hotel close to the busy K-4 junction in Mogadishu. Witnesses told VOA Somali that the vehicle was turned back from a security checkpoint that leads to Mogadishu’s Aden Abdulle International Airport. Al-Shabab militants claimed responsibility for the attack. The explosion comes just four days after the killing of a senior al-Shabab intelligence officer.”

ABC News: Syrian Activists Say Airstrikes Kill 27 In Rebel-Held Town

“Multiple airstrikes hit a busy market in a rebel-controlled town in northwestern Syria on Monday, killing at least 27 people and turning several buildings into piles of rubble, according to opposition activists and a war monitor. Shortly afterward, state media said rebels shelled a government-held village, killing seven. The high death toll marked a sharp increase in the escalation between the two sides amid intense fighting. Government troops, backed by Russian air cover, have been trying since April to push their way into the enclave in the northwestern corner of Syria, near the Turkish border. Dominated by al-Qaida-linked militants and other jihadi groups, Idlib province and northern parts of the nearby Hama region is the last major rebel stronghold in the country outside the control of Syrian President Bashar Assad. Despite the heavy bombardment, Assad's forces have been unable to make any significant advances. Militant groups have hit back hard, killing an average of more than a dozen soldiers and allied militiamen per day in recent weeks. The fighting has killed more than 2,000 people and displaced hundreds of thousands. The struggling campaign also underscores the limits of Syria's and Russia's airpower and inability to achieve a definitive victory in the country's long-running civil war, now in its ninth year.”

Fox News: Refugee Children Praise ISIS, Vow To 'Crush' Apostates, Videos From Syrian Camps Show

“Children born to wives and fighters of the crumpled ISIS caliphate who are now left to fend for themselves in wretched refugee camps throughout Syria are being radicalized at increasingly younger ages, an ominous trend that's emerged as the newest front in the ongoing battle to stop terror from taking root in new generations. "Though relief agencies are trying to get children into educational environments and get them other necessary care, they remain surrounded by ISIS members – both widows and fighters who have embedded themselves among the refugees,” said David Ibsen, Director of the Counter Extremism Project. “They still believe the ideology and are dedicated to promulgating it, which means they are going to do whatever they can to reinforce the ideology in the children.”

CBS News: Nearly 1,000 U.S. Troops Still In Syria Months After Last ISIS-Held Territory Was Liberated

“A desolate outpost in southeastern Syria used to belong to ISIS. But now it's in the hands of American special forces. CBS News was there with Gen. Frank McKenzie, commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East. From a compound, still choked with rubble from the battles here, special forces travel out to even more remote outposts to train local tribes to hunt down the remnants of ISIS. “They try to get in the desert up here, and our partners go out and get 'em and we help 'em do that,” McKenzie said. It's been four months since the last piece of ISIS-held territory was liberated and there are still nearly 1,000 U.S. troops in Syria. The main American base is in northern Syria, where a strip long enough to handle jet transports has been carved out of the Syrian plain. It's industrial strength logistics only the American military can do and there's no end in sight. “We don't want to stay here any longer than we have to but there are still some ripe targets out there and we are going after them,” McKenzie said. Nothing here is easy. Fall rains turn this dust to ankle-deep mud. The V-22 Ospreys that flew CBS News out of Syria had to refuel in the air in order to make it. ISIS may be on the run in Syria, but it is still alive and dangerous.”

Associated Press: UK: Europe-Led Mission Will Protect Vital Shipping In Gulf

“Britain announced plans Monday to develop and deploy a Europe-led “maritime protection mission” to safeguard shipping in the vital Strait of Hormuz in light of Iran’s seizure of a British-flagged tanker in the waterway last week. Briefing Parliament on the budding crisis, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt accused Iran of “an act of state piracy” that must be met with a coordinated international reaction. Iranian officials have suggested the Stena Impero was seized and taken to an Iranian port in response to Britain’s role in seizing an Iranian oil tanker two weeks earlier off the coast of Gibraltar, a British overseas territory located on the southern tip of Spain. Hunt announced precious few details of the proposed protection mission, but said Britain’s European allies will play a major role in keeping shipping lanes open. One-fifth of all global crude exports passes through the narrow strait between Iran and Oman.”

Rio Times: U.S., Argentina, Brazil And Paraguay Agree On Counter-Terrorism Alliance

“The united States agreed on Friday to an alliance with Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay to counter “illicit activity” and terrorism in the region. The coalition was agreed to at Buenos Aires summit where U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo singled out Iran and the Lebanese Islamic organization Hezbollah as the main threats to South America. The alliance will be implemented at twice yearly meetings between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, which will hold their first meeting in Paraguay before the of the year.”

United States

Fox News: Sen. Graham: 'A Matter Of Time' Before Terrorist Takes Advantage Of The Border Crisis

“Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., delivered a dire warning Monday on “The Ingraham Angle” and said it is ”only a matter of time” before terrorists infiltrate an illegal immigrant group and hurt the United States. “We're on track for a million illegal immigrants this year. Fifty-two thousand released in the El Paso sector because we didn't have room to hold them. It's just a matter of time until a terrorist gets in this crowd and comes here and hurts us,” Graham told host Laura Ingraham. Graham also touted his “Secure and Protect Act” which would according to the senator fix loopholes that entice immigrants to attempt to enter the U.S. illegally and limit family separation. “This system is broken. It's not a crisis, it's a disaster,” Graham added. Graham also weighed in on former Special Counsel Robert Mueller's expected testimony Wednesday. “Most Americans were looking to Mueller to tell them what happened, not Nadler. Do you think any fair-minded American believes that Nadler is out to get the truth,” Graham said of the House Judiciary Committee chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y. Nadler along with House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., have continued to push for more investigations into whether or not President Trump colluded with Russia.”

The Wall Street Journal: NSA Forms Cybersecurity Directorate Under More Assertive U.S. Effort

“The National Security Agency will create a cybersecurity directorate later this year as part of a wider effort to align the agency’s offensive and defensive operations more closely, U.S. officials said. Anne Neuberger has been tapped to lead the new directorate, slated to become operational Oct. 1. The creation of the directorate and selection of Ms. Neuberger come during a broader fusion of NSA’s offensive and defensive portfolios. The integration has been under way for several years but has expanded under Gen. Paul Nakasone, who has led the NSA and the U.S. Cyber Command since May 2018. The Trump administration has sought to be more aggressive and the NSA has adopted a strategy of “persistent engagement” in cyberspace against foreign adversaries including Russia, China and Iran. Much of those efforts have focused on deterring election interference after Moscow, according to former special counsel Robert Mueller and the U.S. intelligence community, meddled in the 2016 presidential vote to boost the candidacy of Donald Trump. Russia has denied the allegations.”

Iran

France 24: Trump Blasts Iran, Says Hard To Deal With Top 'Terror' State

“US President Donald Trump said Monday that chances of negotiating with Iran were dwindling, as he cited increasing tensions in the Gulf and blasted the Islamic republic as the world's top “state of terror.” The president cited a series of recent conflicts involving Tehran, including the downing of US and Iranian drones and, most recently, Tehran's announcement that it arrested 17 people in connection to a CIA spy ring, a claim Trump rejected as “lies.” “Frankly it's getting harder for me to want to make a deal with Iran, because they behave very badly,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, as visiting Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan sat at his side. “I'll tell you it could go either way, very easily,” Trump added. “And I'm OK either way it goes.” Washington and Tehran have been at loggerheads since May 2018, when Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from a landmark 2015 deal that put curbs on Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. On Monday, Trump ramped up the rhetoric, attacking Iran's government as “a religious regime that is badly failing,” and saying the country has “tremendous problems economically.” He also used menacing language, saying the United States was “ready for the absolute worst.”

The Wall Street Journal: Iranian Commandos Showed ‘No Niceties’ When Seizing Ship In Strait Of Hormuz

“As masked Iranian gunmen descended from a helicopter onto a British-flagged ship in the Strait of Hormuz, a crew member yelled to his shipmates that it was time to give up. The Stena Impero’s crew had put out distress calls to nearby U.S. and U.K. navy warships Friday evening as they tried to evade four Iranian Navy boats, said a person familiar with the events. But Iran’s boats ultimately swarmed the oil tanker. In broken English, the Iranian commandos shouted to sail north to Iran, as some crew members put their hands behind their heads. “When masked, uniformed men with weapons come down from a helicopter, there are no niceties,” the person said. The speed and ease with which Iran seized the Stena Impero, and another tanker which was released after several hours, demonstrates the wide latitude Tehran has to disrupt global trade as it fights against U.S. economic pressure. The threat of ship seizures has roiled markets, sparked new Western security measures and capsized shipping-industry schedules.”

Forbes: Iran 'Ready To Strike' In The West Using Sleeper Terror Cells: Report Claims

“With tensions between Iran and Britain escalating over the seizure of the Stena Impero tanker, the U.K.'s Daily Telegraph reported on Monday (July 22) that British intelligence agencies “believe Iran has organized and funded sleeper terror cells across Europe including the U.K. and could greenlight attacks in response to a conflict in the Gulf.” The claims refer to Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shi'a group that has been designated as a terrorist organization—in whole or part—by much of the West. In June, the same newspaper reported that a devastating cache of explosives, linked to Hezbollah, had been discovered in London by security agencies back in 2015. The three tons of ammonium nitrate was “more than was used in the Oklahoma City bombing that killed 168 people.” Hezbollah is sponsored by Iran, and back in 2015, the U.K. had just signed on to the Iranian nuclear deal. Nothing was made public at the time. Iran seizing a British oil tanker was always going to test London's patience and restraint, but thus far the primary response to the incident has been interplay in the media. As I've written before, the media plays a part beyond reporting events. Its anticipated response to events is part of the “enemy's” planning process.”

The New York Times: Europeans, China, Russia To Meet Iran In Vienna On July 28

“Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China will meet Iran in Vienna on July 28 to discuss how to save the 2015 nuclear deal, the EU's foreign policy service said in a statement on Tuesday. "The meeting has been convened at the request of France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Iran, and will examine issues linked to the implementation of the JCPOA in all its aspects," the statement said. The Joint Commission of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the deal's formal name, will be chaired by the EU foreign policy service's Secretary General Helga Schmid.”

Iraq

Iraqi News: Iraq Arrests Islamic State Cell, Including Baghdadi Aide, In Nineveh

“A group of Islamic State fighters, including an aide to IS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, were arrested Monday in the northern Iraqi province of Nineveh. Code-named as “Baghdadi’s Men,” the IS sleeper cell confessed to carrying out several terrorist attacks against foreign embassies and churches in Egypt and Syria, Alghad Press quoted the Iraqi Military Intelligence Directorate as saying in a press statement. The cell members also admitted that they plotted to carry out similar terrorist attacks against Iraqi civilians and institutions in Nineveh province. Among those arrested is a senior aide to IS fugitive leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the statement read. Iraq declared victory over Islamic State in December with the help of a US-led alliance, having retaken all the territory captured by the extremists in 2014 and 2015. Isolated cells believed to be linked to the Islamic State group remain active in some parts of the country. In recent weeks, suspected Islamic State insurgents have carried out several attacks targeting security forces in Iraq.”

Iraqi News: Iraqi Security Apprehend Two Terrorists In Kirkuk Province

“The Iraqi Interior Ministry announced on Monday the capture of two terrorists in the oil-rich province of Kirkuk. Acting upon a tip-off, a security force arrested the pair after storming their hideout in Kirkuk’s Hawija district, the ministry said in a press statement. The two terrorists were handed over to the competent authorities for interrogation as they are facing terror charges, the statement added. Violence in the country has surged further with the emergence of Islamic State extremist militants who proclaimed an “Islamic Caliphate” in Iraq and Syria in 2014. The surge in violence between armed groups and government forces has resulted in over five million internally displaced persons across Iraq and left more than 11 million in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.”

Turkey

The Hill: Turkey Threatens US-Backed Kurdish Forces In Syria Ahead Of Talks

“Turkey on Monday threatened to launch an operation against American-backed Kurdish fighters if it can't come to an agreement with the United States to keep the group away from its border, Bloomberg reported. “If the safe zone is not created, the threat emanating from this area continues and terrorists are not cleared, then we would start the operation,” Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu reportedly said in an interview with Turkey’s TGRT television. “If the threat continues then our soldiers are ready, we would launch the operation. This is a matter of national security for us.” The threat from Turkey comes ahead of a crucial round of talks in Ankara which top Trump administration Syria envoy, James Jeffrey, is scheduled to attend. Jeffrey's visit will reportedly revolve around a demand from Ankara to set up a buffer zone in Syria that would be off-limits to the Kurdish forces.”

Afghanistan

The Washington Post: Afghan Officials: Airstrike Kills 6 In Eastern Province

“A joint airstrike by NATO and Afghan forces killed at least six civilians in eastern Logar province, officials said Monday. Two children were among those killed in Sunday night’s attack, and a woman and three children were wounded, said Mohammad Naser Ghairat, a provincial councilman in Logar. He blamed the international forces in Afghanistan, saying they carried out the airstrike in Baraki Barak district. The alliance did not immediately comment on the reports. Shah Poor Ahmadzai, the Logar provincial police chief’s spokesman, said a delegation had been sent to the area and that an investigation was underway. “I can confirm the airstrike and casualties among civilians, including women and children,” Ahmadzai said. The Taliban, who control roughly half of Afghanistan, said via their Twitter account that five women and four children were killed by the airstrike in Logar. In northeastern Afghanistan, Taliban insurgents overran the district headquarters of Kuran wa Munjan in Badakhshan province, according to Afghan security officials. A police official from the province said the Taliban had intensified their attacks on Afghan forces over the last nine days, culminating in the district headquarters’ capture late Sunday.”

CNN: Trump, Pakistani PM Talk Taliban, Afghan Peace Talks At White House

“President Donald Trump said the US has made “a lot of progress” toward ending the war in Afghanistan in negotiations with the Taliban in recent weeks and made clear his disdain for the US' ongoing US military presence in Afghanistan. Welcoming Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan to the Oval Office on Monday, Trump diminished the US' 18-year war in Afghanistan as one where the US has “acted as policemen, not soldiers” and suggested the US could swiftly end it through brute military strength that would leave “10 million people” dead. That option, he said, is not one he intends to pursue. “We've been there for 19 years and we've acted as policemen, not soldiers,” Trump said, mischaracterizing the length of the war. “Again, if we wanted to be soldiers we could end it in one week, 10 days.” Trump at several points suggested he had been presented with a plan that would win the US war in Afghanistan in 10 days, but that would result in massive casualties. “We're like policemen. We're not fighting a war. If we wanted to fight a war in Afghanistan and win it, I could win it in a week. I just don't want to kill 10 million people. Does that make sense to you? I don't want to kill 10 million people,” Trump said.”

Reuters: Afghan Forces Kill Seven Civilians In Attack On Militants

“Afghan government forces mistakenly killed seven civilians, including children, in an attack on militants south of the capital, a provincial official said on Monday, the latest victims of a war undiminished by peace talks. Government forces, have been facing Taliban attacks across much of the country, and have responded with air strikes aimed at killing insurgent leaders, even as U.S. and Afghan representatives have been negotiating with the militants in Qatar. The seven civilians, including women and children, were killed in Logar province, just south of Kabul, on Sunday night said Hasib Stanekzai, a member of Logar’s provincial council. Six people were wounded, he said. Provincial police confirmed the attack on militants by government forces but said they were investigating the casualties. “According to our initial information a number of militants were killed or wounded, but local people gathered in the area, claiming that a house belonging to a Kuchi family had been bombed, causing civilian casualties,” said Shahpor Ahmadzai, a spokesman for Logar police. Kuchi are nomadic herders, but some now live in permanent settlements. Ahmadzai, who said police were investigating, also said foreign force were involved in the attack on the militants.”

The Long War Journal: Taliban Seizes Remote District In Afghan North

“The Taliban overran a remote district in the northern province of Badakhshan today after seizing a lapis lazuli mine there last week. Security in Badakhshan has gradually worsened over the past five years since the Afghan military and police took full control of security in the province. Al Qaeda and other foreign terrorist groups have a significant presence in the northern province. The district of Keran wa Manjan was overrun today, Afghan officials and the Taliban confirmed. The district center fell after the Taliban launched a “a coordinated attack,” the chief of police for Badakhshan said, according to Pajhwok Afghan News. Taliban spokesman Zahihullah Mujahid noted that the district fell in a short statement on his Twitter account. “Keran wa Manjan district HQ, police HQ along with all defense CPs & buildings overrun by Mujahidin this morning resulting in tens of gunmen killed/wounded & large amount weapons/equipment/vehicles seized,” Mujahid tweeted. District officials began warning about increasing insecurity in Keran wa Manjan over the past week. On July 17, the Taliban seized control of a lapis lazuli mine in the district. The mineral is used to fund the Taliban’s insurgency. Today, before the district fell, residents told TOLONews that “the security forces need reinforcement and air support to improve the situation,” and warned that the district was in danger of falling to the Taliban.”

Yemen

The National: Hezbollah Takes Cash From Starving Yemenis

“Sam FM, a radio station affiliated with the Houthi rebels in Yemen, has announced that it has managed to raise half a million dollars since the launch of its crowdfunding efforts last year. The campaign organisers said that more than half the total amount will be donated to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which is regarded as a terrorist organisation by the US, the UK, and Gulf countries. It is no surprise that Hezbollah and the Houthis would support each other. Both are Iran-backed proxies, which have caused chaos in their home countries and beyond. This campaign was intended to raise funds for the Houthis’ military spending while proving that the group could still count on popular support for their cause. Instead, the fundraising effort has highlighted just how desperate Hezbollah has become. The organisation is starting to feel the pinch of increased sanctions from the US and the UK. In February, the UK ceased to differentiate between Hezbollah’s political and armed factions, and classified the entire group as a terrorist organisation. Meanwhile, the US has increased economic sanctions on Hezbollah and last year, the US Department of Justice decided to designate the group as a transnational crime organisation. US Sanctions against Tehran have also choked off the Iranian funds the group relies on to survive.”

The Times Of Israel: Yemeni Houthi Rebels’ Long-Range Arsenal Grows Lethal

“From ballistic missiles to unmanned drones, Yemen’s Houthi rebels appear to have bolstered their fighting capabilities, posing a serious threat to mighty neighbor Saudi Arabia. In June alone, the Iran-aligned Shiite Houthis launched at least 20 missile and drone attacks on the oil-rich kingdom, Iran’s regional foe, some resulting in casualties and damage. Saudi advanced air defenses successfully intercepted most of the strikes but failed to deal with some, including a drone attack on the vital airport of Abha, in the south, that killed one person and injured 21 others. “We have witnessed a massive increase in capability on the side of the Houthis in recent years, particularly relating to ballistic missiles and drone technology,” Andreas Kreig, a professor at King’s College London, told AFP.”

Anadolu: Yemen’s Houthis Claim Drone Attack On Saudi Airbase

“Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed a drone attack on the King Khalid airbase in southern Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. In a statement, rebel spokesman Yahya Sarei said the attack targeted radars and military sites at the base in the city of Khamis Mushait. "The attack was in response to Saudi-led coalition raids in the past 24 hours," he said. The Saudi-led coalition, meanwhile, said it had shot down drones fired from Yemen toward the southwestern Asir region. "Coalition forces intercepted unmanned aircraft launched by the Iran-backed terrorist Houthi militia," coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki said in a statement. He described the Houthi attacks as “a brazen violation of international humanitarian law". In recent months, Houthi rebels have claimed several drone attacks on Saudi airports near the country’s border with Yemen.”

Lebanon

The Jerusalem Post: Syrian Opposition: Israel Killed Senior Hezbollah Officer By Damascus

“A senior Hezbollah official and a supporter of Bashar Assad's regime in Syria, Mashur Zidan, was killed on Sunday in a car explosion on the outskirts of the al-Kaliya bridge in the southwest of the Damascus suburbs, according to Syrian sources. Zidan was among those close to Samir Kuntar, who was assassinated by Israel and the blame in Syria is placed on the Mossad, who they claim was responsible for the assassination of Zidan. Zidan was travelling with another person when an Israeli drone fired a missile at him, according to a Syrian opposition website. Hezbollah began to deploy forces in Lebanon and Syria close to the Israeli border, according to reports on Saturday. The Daily Beast posted an interview with a number of commanders in the terror organization that claimed the organization was harmed directly by the financial sanctions the US imposed on Iran and that therefore, it intends to take hostile action against Israel if Iran decides it is time to do so. One of the commanders noted that there is a chance that a war will break out between Hezbollah and Israel, the kind “that would not be like its predecessors,” stressing that “this time, we will be the first to shoot.”

The Jerusalem Post: Suspected Hezbollah Agent Arrested In Uganda With Mossad's Help

“Lebanese citizen, suspected of being an undercover Hezbollah agent, was arrested at Entebbe International Airport in Uganda by Ugandan intelligence agencies with the cooperation of the Mossad. In a report published by the Kampala Post, the Lebanese national, Hussein Mahmoud Yassine, was arrested while about to board a flight to Lebanon via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on July 7. He had arrived at Entebbe International Airport from Tanzania earlier that day. According to the report, the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad informed its Ugandan counterparts about Yassine due to the close intelligence relationship between the two countries. An anonymous intelligence source told theKampala Post that Yassine was recruited to the terror group by a senior Hezbollah official called Ali Wahib Hussein, known as Abu Jihad. He is suspected of working for the Hezbollah foreign liaison unit. Yassine, who has lived and worked in Uganda since 2010, was reportedly tracked for months before his arrest at the beginning of the month. According to the intelligence source, Hezbollah instructed Yassine to identify potential US and Israeli targets for terror attacks in Uganda, to recruit other Lebanese nationals for Hezbollah, and to attempt to recruit Muslim Ugandans to act as Hezbollah intelligence agents.”

Middle East

Bloomberg: A Russian-American Deal Could Stabilize Syria And Weaken Iran

“The Syrian war was largely over by the end of 2018, but the country remains a bleeding hotspot that can threaten Israeli and American interests. There is one way to minimize the risks of further instability, give hope to war-weary Syrians and meet big-power strategic objectives: forging an American-Russian deal. That’s not as far-fetched as it sounds. By the end of 2018 when the worst of the fighting ended, Syria had suffered more than 500,000 deaths and $400 billion in damage. Half of the population had been forced to flee their homes; more than 5.5 million refugees left Syria and the rest were displaced internally. And yet the risk factors that remain are hard to overstate: No civilian and economic rehabilitation has begun in the ruined state, weapons are still widely available, anger at an oppressive regime simmers among the population, Sunni extremists are ruling the Idlib area in northwest Syria and various foreign forces are still deployed in the country.”

Egypt

The Washington Post: Egypt Hands Out 11 Life Sentences For Joining Islamic State

“An Egyptian court has sentenced 11 people to life in prison on charges of joining the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq. Giza criminal court on Monday says the defendants all traveled abroad to fight for IS and receive military training. Two other defendants got 15-year sentences, and another was given three years for the same charges. These include possessing weapons and plotting attacks against security forces and state institutions. The verdicts can be appealed, and the court has dropped the charges against another defendant. Egypt is battling its own Islamic State-led insurgency in the Sinai Peninsula. That fight intensified in 2013 after the military overthrew an elected but divisive Islamist president. Militants in Egypt have carried out scores of attacks, mainly targeting security forces and minority Christians.”

Nigeria

Premium Times: Army Hands Over 151 Repentant Boko Haram Insurgents To Borno Govt

“The Nigerian Army on Monday handed over 151 repentant Boko Haram insurgents to Borno Government for rehabilitation and reintegration into the society. Bamidele Shafa, the Coordinator, Operation Safe Corridor, made the disclosure during the handing over of the repentant insurgents at the Bulunkutu Rehabilitation Center, Maiduguri. Mr Shafa disclosed that the 151 male repentant insurgents comprised 132 adults and 19 minors, who completed 52 weeks of de-radicalization process at its centre in Gombe. He said that the clients were exposed to formal literacy classes, skills acquisition and Islamic Religious Knowledge (IRK) as well as drug and psycho-therapists during their training. Mr Shafa explained that the Operation Safe Corridor was designed to encourage Boko Haram insurgents to surrender, provide de-radicalization and rehabilitation programme, to enable them to rejoin the society. “The clients confessed their past misdeeds; denounced membership of Boko Haram group, asked for forgiveness and took an oath of allegiance to Nigeria. I believe they are now good citizens to rejoin the society,” he said. Mr Shafa lauded the state government for its support and efforts to assist the repentant insurgents to reintegrate into the society.”

All Africa: Nigeria: Anxiety Over Aid Workers Kidnapped By Boko Haram

“The global humanitarian community is concerned at the safety of six aid workers kidnapped by a rebel group northeast of Nigeria. They were recently abducted during an attack that left their colleague dead in the volatile Borno State. A staff member of the French-headquartered Action Against Hunger, two drivers and three health workers are missing. The humanitarian organisation expressed sadness at the attack blamed on the Islamist Boko Haram group. Action Against Hunger expressed worry of its colleagues dedicated to providing life-saving assistance to individuals and families affected by the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the northeast of Nigeria. “We are very concerned and want to ensure that they are safe and can be reunited with their families,” it stated. The organisation provides assistance to millions distressed in the troubled region. Edward Kallon, Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, also appealed for the release of the aid workers. “I call on all who may have influence to do everything they can to keep them unharmed and work towards their safe return,” Kallon said. He noted the attack occurred some weeks before the ongoing crisis affecting Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States entered its tenth year.”

Somalia

The New York Times: At Least 17 Killed In Bomb Attack In Somalia Capital

“At least 17 people were killed and 28 others wounded when a bomb went off outside a hotel near the international airport in Somalia's capital Mogadishu on Monday, medical officials said. The Al Qaeda-linked Islamist group al Shabaab, which is trying to topple Somalia's weak U.N.-backed government, claimed responsibility for the attack. The city's Madina hospital received 17 bodies and 28 people with injuries, 12 of them in a critical condition, said Mohammed Yusuf, the hospital's director. The blast went off at the first checkpoint on the road that leads to Mogadishu airport, said Farah Hussein, a shopkeeper who witnessed the attack. Somalia has been riven by civil war since 1991, when clan warlords overthrew a dictator, then turned on each other.”

The New York Times: With Guns, Cash And Terrorism, Gulf States Vie For Power In Somalia

“When a small car bomb exploded outside a courthouse in the bustling port city of Bosaso in northern Somalia, local news reports chalked it up to Islamist militants retaliating for American airstrikes. At least eight people were wounded, and a local affiliate of the Islamic State claimed responsibility. The attack, however, may have also been part of a very different conflict: one among wealthy Persian Gulf monarchies competing for power and profits across the Horn of Africa. Over the last two years, war-torn Somalia has emerged as a central battleground, with the United Arab Emirates and Qatar each providing weapons or military training to favored factions, exchanging allegations about bribing local officials, and competing for contracts to manage ports or exploit natural resources. In an audio recording obtained by The New York Times of a cellphone call with the Qatari ambassador to Somalia, a businessman close to the emir of Qatar said that the militants had carried out the bombing in Bosaso to advance Qatar’s interests by driving out its rival, the United Arab Emirates. “The bombings and killings, we know who are behind them,” the businessman, Khalifa Kayed al-Muhanadi, said in the call on May 18, about a week after the bombing.”

Africa
n: British Troops To Join Force Countering Mali Militants

“British troops will be deployed in Mali next year to join in the world’s deadliest peacekeeping operation, the Ministry of Defence has announced. The 250-strong force will provide a long-range reconnaissance capability for the United Nations deployment in the troubled African country which has struggled to decisively counter Islamic militants, armed separatists and traffickers. The deployment is likely to place British troops in combat situations, facing risks of ambushes and roadside bombs in remote and hostile environments. The UN is operating alongside a French-led force that has been fighting Islamic militants in Mali for six years. The mission is known as one of the most dangerous undertaken by the organisation anywhere in the world. More than 170 people deployed by the UN have been killed there between 2013 and February. Penny Mordaunt, the defence minister, said it was right that “in one of the world’s poorest and most fragile regions we support some of world’s most vulnerable people … UK service personnel will work with our partners in the region to help promote peace by combating the threat of violent extremism and protecting human rights in Mali”. Mali, which occupies a key location in the centre of the restive Sahel, was plunged into chaos in 2012 when Tuareg separatists and Islamic extremists joined forces to take control of much of the north of the country.”

The Defense Post: Suicide Car Bomb Targets French Military Base In Gao, Mali

“An apparent suicide car bomb exploded at the entrance to a French military base in the central Mali town of Gao, injuring at least three French and Estonian troops on Monday, July 22. “There was an attack … at the entrance to the French part of the camp in Gao,” AFP reported French military spokesperson Colonel Frederic Barbry as saying. “There was no incursion into the base.” He said the soldiers’ injuries were not life-threatening but did not give a breakdown of the casualties. A source in Gao told Nord Sud Journal that Malian soldiers fired on a vehicle as it tried to force through the checkpoint they were manning outside the base. The occupants of the car returned fire before the vehicle exploded. RFI reported the bomb vehicle, which was carrying at least three people, was painted in U.N. colours and struck at 15:45 local time. Five people including civilians were also injured on the Malian side, the RFI report said. Images on social media purportedly taken nearby showed a large plume of smoke and a helicopter in the air. The France-led Operation Barkhane, which has a mandate for counter-terrorism operations across the Sahel, has roughly 4,500 French troops deployed in the region, including 2,700 soldiers in Mali.”

North Korea

The New York Times: Kim Jong-Un Inspects New Submarine That Could Increase Range Of Missiles

“Kim Jong-un, North Korea’s leader, has inspected a newly built submarine, the state news media reported on Tuesday, a provocative move as the United States struggles to resume dialogue on ending the country’s nuclear and missile threats. The North’s official Korean Central News Agency said the country planned to deploy the new submarine soon in waters off its east coast. The report included three photographs of Mr. Kim visiting a shipyard where the submarine was built. The photos showed part of the submarine, but the article revealed no technical details on the submarine. It also did not specify when Mr. Kim made the visit. Along with its intercontinental ballistic missiles, North Korea’s submarine and submarine-launched ballistic missile programs pose one of the biggest military threats to the United States and its regional allies because they can extend the range of the North’s nuclear missiles. Submarine-launched missiles are also harder to detect in advance.”

United Kingdom

BBC News: Manchester Arena Attack: Bomber's Brother Remanded In Custody

“Manchester Arena bomber Salman Abedi's younger brother has been remanded in custody at a bail hearing. Hashem Abedi, who is charged with murdering the 22 victims of the attack, was detained in Libya shortly after the May 2017 suicide bombing. The 22-year-old was extradited on Wednesday and arrested by British officers upon his arrival in the UK. Mr Abedi, of no fixed address, appeared at Oxford Crown Court on Monday via videolink. Judge Mr Justice Sweeney ordered him to be remanded in custody ahead of a preliminary hearing at the Old Bailey or in Oxford on 30 July. Mr Abedi, who was born and raised in Manchester, is also charged with one count of attempted murder, encompassing all the other victims, and one count of conspiring with his brother to cause explosions. Prosecutors allege Hashem Abedi made detonator tubes for the bomb, bought chemicals used to make an explosive substance, and helped his brother buy a Nissan Micra car in which materials were stored that became part of the device. The inquests into the killings at the end of an Ariana Grande concert have been delayed due to legal proceedings. Family members have been told the full inquest hearings are not likely to begin until at least April 2020.”

Southeast Asia

World Politics Review: Abu Sayyaf Is Bringing More Of ISIS’ Brutal Tactics To The Philippines

“Midday on June 28, a suicide bomber struck a checkpoint outside a military camp in the town of Indanan, on the restive southern Philippine island of Sulu. Moments later, a second bomb exploded. The attack killed three Philippine soldiers and three civilians, as well as the two bombers. The local military commander quickly blamed an ISIS-affiliated faction of Abu Sayyaf, the extremist group that has been active in the southern Philippines for decades. Within hours, the Islamic State released a statement claiming responsibility for the attack, marking the second time this year it has linked itself to a twin suicide bombing in Sulu. In January, double blasts tore through a packed cathedral in the town of Jolo, not far from Indanan, killing 22 worshippers. Authorities hoped that attack was an outlier, but June’s bloodshed has reignited fears over ties between the Islamic State and an Abu Sayyaf splinter group led by Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan, a militant described by the U.S. State Department as the Islamic State’s “acting emir” in Southeast Asia and whom Philippine authorities also blamed for the cathedral bombing.”

The New York Times: South Korean Jets Fire Warning Shots Toward Russian Military Plane

“South Korea said its air force jets fired hundreds of warning shots on Tuesday to ward off a Russian military plane that intruded upon what it considers its territorial airspace, the first such encounter between the countries in decades. The incident came as Russia and China conducted what Russia called a joint air patrol in the Asia-Pacific. South Korea said that three Russian military planes, as well as two Chinese warplanes, entered its air defense identification zone off its east coast, where foreign military aircraft are expected to identify themselves in advance to South Korea. But South Korea said that one of the Russian planes, a Beriev A-50 early warning and control aircraft, flew closer and intruded twice into what the South regards as its territorial airspace, near a cluster of disputed islands that South Korea controls but Japan also claims.”

Technology

The Wall Street Journal: Facebook Settlement Expected To Mandate Privacy Committee

“Facebook Inc. FB 2.00% ’s expected settlement with U.S. regulators will create a board committee to help ensure senior-level scrutiny of the company’s privacy-related efforts. The Federal Trade Commission is expected as soon as this week to announce a settlement with the tech giant over its privacy practices, according to people familiar with the matter. The settlement, which includes a roughly $5 billion fine and other requirements of Facebook, would end a lengthy probe into whether the company kept its promises to protect user data. As part of the agreement, Facebook plans to form a new board committee focused on privacy oversight, one of the people said. The timing of the announcement was still being determined, this person said, but it is expected before the stock market close on Wednesday, when Facebook is set to report its quarterly earnings.”

The Washington Post: Facebook Will Have To Pay A Record-Breaking Fine For Violating Users’ Privacy. But The FTC Wanted More

“Almost as soon as Joe Simons took his seat at a Senate committee hearing in November, he found himself under political siege. It had been eight months since the agency he leads, the Federal Trade Commission, had announced a sweeping privacy investigation into Facebook, and lawmakers were growing wary that the government might not stand up to the tech giant. “All too often the FTC has fallen short,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal (Conn.), one of the panel’s top Democrats, blasting regulators for a “lack of will.” “Our goal is to vigorously enforce,” Simons pledged in response. Now, as federal regulators finalize a settlement with Facebook, some critics say their fears were justified. The package of penalties for Facebook’s past privacy scandals includes a record-breaking $5 billion fine and unprecedented government oversight of its business practices. But a Washington Post review of the 16-month investigation — described by 10 people familiar with the matter — shows that the FTC stopped short of some even tougher punishments it initially had in mind. Those included fining Facebook not just $5 billion, but tens of billions of dollars, and imposing more direct liability for the company’s chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg.”

The Verge: Facebook Design Flaw Let Thousands Of Kids Join Chats With Unauthorized Users

“Facebook’s Messenger Kids app is built around a simple premise: children shouldn’t be able to talk to users who haven’t been approved by their parents. But a design flaw allowed users to sidestep that protection through the group chat system, allowing children to enter group chats with unapproved strangers. For the past week, Facebook has been quietly closing down those group chats and alerting users, but has not made any public statements disclosing the issue. The alert, which was obtained by The Verge, reads as follows: Hi [PARENT], We found a technical error that allowed [CHILD]’s friend [FRIEND] to create a group chat with [CHILD] and one or more of [FRIEND]’s parent-approved friends. We want you to know that we’ve turned off this group chat and are making sure that group chats like this won’t be allowed in the future. If you have questions about Messenger Kids and online safety, please visit our Help Center and Messenger Kids parental controls. We’d also appreciate your feedback.”