CEP - Eye on Extremism October 2, 2020

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CEP - Eye on Extremism - October 2, 2020
By: Counter Extremism Project 10-2-20
Re: info@counterextremism.com

As of October 2, 2020:

Voice Of America: Rocket Attack Targets Coalition Base In Iraqi Kurdistan

“Rockets struck an Iraqi base used by U.S. and coalition forces near the airport in the Kurdistan capital of Erbil late Wednesday, hours after Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi told foreign diplomats that the country would put a stop to such attacks. Iraq's foreign minister also said that reported U.S. warnings that Washington may close its embassy in Baghdad would be a mistake. Amateur video showed a string of fires burning in an empty field not far from a U.S.-led coalition base near Erbil Airport in Iraqi Kurdistan. Kurdish security officials accused Shi'ite militias of firing the rockets used in the overnight attack. Shi'ite Hushd militia forces denied responsibility. However, Iraqi state media reported that intelligence officials had arrived at the Shi'ite Hushd militia's 33rd Brigade outside of Mosul to determine if they fired the rockets used in the attack. Kurdish media indicated that security investigators had recovered and were examining the rockets. The attack came a day after Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi told diplomats from 25 countries that his government would protect their facilities from militia attacks.”

Reuters: U.S. Defense Chief's Rare Algeria Visit Points To Sahel Region Threats

“U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper made a rare visit to Algeria on Thursday for talks with the president about war-torn Libya and the troubled Sahel region to the south of the Sahara. Both countries are alarmed by the threat posed by Islamist militant groups in North Africa and the Sahel, and Algeria is weighing a more active military role against them outside its own borders. Esper and President Abdelmadjid Tebboune held “talks on Libya and the Sahel and both parties agreed to maintain cooperation and coordination,” a statement from Algeria’s presidency said. In a statement, the Pentagon said Esper voiced support for expanding military relations with Algeria during the meeting. “The two leaders discussed security throughout North Africa and the Sahel and ways to advance our strategic military and diplomatic partnership,” the Pentagon said. Esper’s visit is the first by a U.S. Defense Secretary to Algeria since Donald Rumsfeld’s in 2006 and he is also the most senior American official yet to meet Tebboune. Tebboune took office in December after mass protests last year led the army to push his predecessor Abdelaziz Bouteflika to step down after 20 years in power.”

United States

The Dallas Morning News: Far-Right Extremists Pose Rising Threat In North Texas Around Election, FBI’s Dallas Office Says

“The FBI’s Dallas field office warned law enforcement this week that far-right extremist groups are likely to expand their influence and could pose a violent threat in North Texas, especially between the Nov. 3 election and January’s presidential inauguration. The election could serve as a “potential flashpoint,” says a field office report that was first made public by The Nation. The field office’s report — marked “unclassified/law enforcement sensitive” — says the fringe boogaloo movement is likely to step up its violent anti-government rhetoric and criminal activities, increasing the threat of violence in North Texas. One person who lives near Dallas, for example, used social media to discuss “firearms and financing for fellow boogaloo adherents,” the report says. The person also “discussed creating a shell company” to launder money to buy guns. An FBI Dallas spokeswoman said the report had been distributed in North Texas. “The FBI routinely shares information with our law enforcement partners in order to assist in protecting the communities they serve,” she said in a written statement. In response to questions about the FBI’s warning, Dallas police said Thursday that they would continue to coordinate with law enforcement agencies in the area, including federal ones, “to ensure that our officers are up to date on intelligence in our efforts to keep Dallas safe.”

Iran

The Jerusalem Post: Iranian Terror In Bahrain To Rise To Stop Deal With Israel – Intel Center

“Iranian-sponsored terrorism in Bahrain is expected to increase to capsize the normalization trend with Israel, a new intelligence report obtained first by The Jerusalem Post said Thursday. “Our estimate is that the deal could increase the motivation of Iran and of terror organizations in Bahrain, which it sponsors, to try to increase the public threat level, including to attack Bahrain’s rulers and to thwart implementation of the deal,” the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center report said. The process of normalization with Israel could effectively spell the end of a relatively quiet three-year hiatus from problems between Bahrain’s Sunni minority rulers and the disempowered Shi’ite majority, it said. Noting Bahrain’s September 20 announcement of busting a major terrorist cell, the Meir Amit Center said the spike in threats from Iran-affiliated terrorist groups may already be here. Only days after Bahrain signed a declaration with Israel on September 15, signaling its intent to move toward full normalization, Manama said the terrorist cell had planned to attack Bahraini officials, security installations and economic centers.”

Turkey

Reuters: Turkey Detains Kurdish Opposition Members Over Terrorism Links - Anadolu

“Turkish authorities detained 19 people including two Kurdish deputy mayors in the northeastern province of Kars as part of a terrorism related operation, state-owned Anadolu news agency said on Thursday. The detainees included local party heads from the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) and municipality council members in the province, Anadolu said. The authorities detained suspects as they were determined to have aided Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) members, attended meetings and operated under their orders, Anadolu said. Last week, the HDP mayor of Kars along with dozens others were detained over violent protests in 2014 against an attack on the Syrian Kurdish town of Kobani. President Tayyip Erdogan’s government accuses the HDP of having links to the PKK militant group, leading to prosecutions of thousands of its members and some leaders. The HDP denies such links. Since March 2019 local elections, mayors have been replaced by trustees in more than half of the roughly 65 municipalities won by the HDP. Ankara has appointed governors and other local authorities as trustees in those districts.”

Afghanistan

Reuters: Truck Bomber Kills 11 In Afghanistan Despite Talks On Peace

“A suicide bomber drove an explosive-laden truck into a checkpoint in Afghanistan late on Wednesday killing 11 people, as peace talks between the government and Taliban militants in Qatar seemed to have no bearing on the violence at home. No group claimed responsibility for the attack in the southern province of Helmand though officials blamed the Taliban, who have a heavy presence in the area. The bomber rammed the truck into a post manned by pro-government militia members, said Omar Zwak, spokesman for the provincial governor. Seven soldiers and four civilians were killed, he said. In another attack late on Wednesday, a suicide bomber was killed and six civilians were wounded in a blast in the southeastern province of Khost, police said. There was no claim of responsibility. The talks between the government and the Taliban began in mid-September in Doha, the capital of Qatar, following a February deal between the militants and the United States that has cleared the way for U.S. forces to withdraw from their longest war. But the talks between the Afghans have become bogged down on processes and procedures, diplomatic sources say. The Taliban political spokesman, Mohammad Naeem, told Reuters negotiators had not met for the last two days. He did not say why.”

Lebanon

The Washington Free Beacon: Republicans Push Far-Reaching Sanctions On Hezbollah And Its Allies

“Congressional Republicans are preparing a package of new sanctions on the Iranian-backed terror group Hezbollah, an effort they told the Washington Free Beacon will cut off the group's access to key funding sources. The new legislation, which the Free Beacon has obtained, will have far-reaching implications for financial institutions and senior government officials in Lebanon, Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua—areas where Hezbollah has an active and well-funded presence. The legislation would designate key territories in Lebanon as sources of terror financing, a designation that will freeze Hezbollah-friendly banks out of the international financial system. The bill would enact the toughest Hezbollah sanctions Congress has ever proposed, said Rep. Joe Wilson (R., S.C.), chair of the House Republican Study Committee's Foreign Affairs and National Security Task Force. “By cutting off banks in areas under the terror group's control from the international financial system, this bill will go a long way towards drying up the Iranian terror proxy’s resources to conduct murderous attacks against the U.S. and our allies.” The legislation comes as U.S. aid to Lebanon has reemerged as a flashpoint after a massive explosion decimated the capital city of Beirut.”

Middle East

The National: ISIS Fighters Penchant For Fast Cars And Chocolate Spread Revealed

“ISIS fighters have taken luxury cars and home comforts, including chocolate spread Nutella, to Syria often at the expense of European taxpayers. The lifestyles of the foreign fighters have come to light in social media posts by the group in its bid to woo more recruits. Radicalisation experts say many hired BMWs to drive across Europe to join the terror group taking with them luxuries such as Nutella. Terrorism expert Pieter van Ostaeyen said recruits travelling from France and Belgium would hire high-performance cars and arrive in style to war zones … In a webinar, hosted by the Counter Extremism Project, experts explained that key recruiters also helped facilitate their journeys, weapons and training. It highlighted the role of hate preachers like Britain’s Anjem Choudary in recruiting youngsters. The London-based Islamist has been linked to 15 terrorist plots dating back almost 20 years and has been connected to hundreds of Britons who fled to Syria to fight. He is believed to have influenced the Sharia4Belgium group, which played a significant role in the growth of extremism in Belgium, and took inspiration from Islam4UK - a group once led by Choudary. Mr van Ostaeyen highlighted the role of Sharia4Belgium’s now-deceased former leader Houssien Elouassaki in being “very successful” in recruiting people via social media from the battlefield.”

Nigeria

Daily Trust: Boko Haram Kills 11 Soldiers In Fresh Ambush

“At least 11 soldiers including two officers have been killed and an unconfirmed number injured after their convoy ran into an ambush along Dikwa highway on Tuesday, security sources said. The incident reportedly occurred along Marte to Dikwa highway on Tuesday morning when the convoy step on a landmine and thereafter the insurgents opened fire on the troops. “It occurred yesterday (Tuesday). “The troops while on their way to Dikwa; at about 7km from Dikwa, in the process of trying to scan the road, they mistakenly step on landmines planted by suspected Boko Haram insurgents. “The troops came under heavy gunfire of the enemies. “We lost 11 persons who paid the supreme prize for their fatherland; two officers, a captain and lieutenant and nine soldiers all killed”, one of the security sources said. It would be recalled that less than a week ago insurgents laid an ambush against the state official convoy killing soldiers, policemen, members of the Civilian Joint Task Force and some civilian along Monguno/Baga axis of the state.”

Africa

Bloomberg: Total Warns Of Islamic State Instability Risk In Mozambique

“Total SE Chief Executive Officer Patrick Pouyanne called on European nations to help Mozambique fight an insurgency, backed by Islamic State, in part of the East African nation where the energy company is developing a natural gas project. For more than a month, militants have occupied a town about 60 kilometers (37 miles) south of where a group led by Total plan to spend $20 billion to extract gas from below the ocean and export it to European and Asian customers. The violence, including alleged human rights violations by security forces, is now creeping toward Total’s Mozambique LNG project in the far northeast of the company. “Western powers are realizing that a Daesh enclave is settling within Mozambique,” which is “a major problem” for East Africa’s stability, Pouyanne said Thursday during a press conference near Paris. “It would be good if the situation is brought back under control, not just for Total’s project, but for the stability of the region.” Pouyanne, who met Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi to discuss the situation last month, said he can help by bringing the attention of European nations to the issue. France has a vested interest in the region because it owns Mayotte, an island located between Mozambique and Madagascar, he said.”

Germany

Deutsche Welle: German State Suspects Intelligence Staff Of Far-Right Activity

“Four domestic intelligence staff in Germany's western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) are suspected of being involved in far-right activity online, according to a local media report on Thursday. It comes just two weeks after the state discovered five right-wing extremist chat groups among its police, leading to the suspension of 29 officers. Three of the four suspected cases worked for an intelligence observation team, local newspaper Rheinische Post reported, citing the NRW Interior Ministry. Another was an administrative clerk in the police department. They were flagged in social networks and chats for sending videos with “anti-Islam or xenophobic connotations.” The suspected staff were part of an observation team that was involved in all areas of investigation, including monitoring right-wing extremism, according to the ministry. “The intelligence team concerned was disbanded and leadership changes were made,” a ministry spokesperson told the Rheinische Post. The police department employee was connected to people from the right-wing extremist scene on Facebook, the ministry said. The Interior Ministry took immediate disciplinary action, according to the spokesperson.”

Europe

The National: Photo Of Twin Towers Cake Used To Prosecute Terrorists

“Photos of a woman celebrating Osama Bin Laden’s birthday with a Twin Towers cake are among a cache of battlefield evidence being used in European courts to prosecute returned foreign fighters. Wedding invitations and marriage and death certificates found in conflict zones by coalition forces are helping to convict ISIS and Al Qaeda militants, as evidence is being shared in a global push to combat terrorism. Recent cases have seen the recovery of a phone showing a woman and her children with guns, and emails sent to high-ranking Al Qaeda operatives containing terror plot information. Many fighters arrived in Syria from Europe in high-performance cars and continued their western lifestyles, however, their failure to abandon home comforts has helped in the cache of evidence being collected against them, such as high-end mobile phones. Earlier this year, Interpol trained more than 30 Iraqi military personnel in crime scene preservation, including collection and management of evidence. A report published by crime agency Eurojust this week, entitled 2020 Memorandum on Battlefield Evidence, shows the practice is being used by at least 10 EU member states.”

Deutsche Welle: Poland: German Far-Right Terror Suspect Arrested With Explosives

“A German man suspected of belonging to a far-right terror group was arrested in Poland with explosives and ammunition in his possession, Poland's PAP news agency reported on Thursday. The suspect, referred to as “Jürgen K,” was arrested last week in northern Poland and had published extremist views on social media, Poland's Internal Security Agency said. Stanislaw Zaryn, a spokesman for the agency, said the man is accused of belonging to “an organized criminal group of a terrorist nature.” The man also publicly supported “radical, anti-system views and right-wing extremist organizations,” according to PAP. A search of Jürgen K's place of work found two cubes of TNT weighing 1.2 kilograms (2.6 pounds) as well as ammunition, firearms, a teargas canister and a grenade, according to prosecutors. Authorities charged him with possession of arms and explosives without a permit and he was placed in preventive detention for three months. The suspect faces up to eight years in prison. His arrest is part of an ongoing investigation by the National Prosecutor's Office into the “activities of an organized terrorist group” operating in Poland and other countries, Zaryn told PAP. Prosecutors said that the case was still developing and that further detentions in the case were possible.”