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Arrow Eye on Extremism October 15, 2018

Eye on Extremism
October 15, 2018
RE: info@counterextremism.com via nationsend17.com

Eye on Extremism - October 15, 2018


Reuters: Syria Says Idlib Situation Untenable If Jihadists Wont Comply With Deal

“Syria’s foreign minister said on Monday the situation in Idlib was untenable if jihadists do not comply with a Russian-Turkish agreement for the area, on the day of a critical deal deadline. Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem said it was up to Russia now to judge whether the deal to prevent a Syrian government offensive on Syria’s rebel-held Idlib had been fulfilled. “We cannot keep quiet about the continuation of the current situation in Idlib if the Nusra Front refuses to comply with this agreement,” al-Moualem said at a press conference with his Iraqi counterpart Ibrahim al-Jaafari in Damascus. The deal sets up a demilitarized zone running 15-20 km (9-13 miles) deep into rebel territory that must be evacuated of all heavy weapons and all jihadist groups by Monday. “Now we must give the time to our friends the Russians to judge whether the agreement was fulfilled or not,” he said, adding that Turkey has the means to ensure the deal is complied with.”

The Times Of Israel: Islamic State Abducts Hundreds From Displacement Camp In East Syria

“Hundreds of people were taken by Islamic State group fighters from a displacement camp in east Syria during a jihadist counterattack against advancing US-backed forces, a monitor said Saturday. The jihadists raided the camp on Friday, taking “more than 100 families” including relatives of IS defectors and of jihadists killed in fighting, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. A number of fighters of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) died trying to defend the camp in a battle that lasted several hours, the Britain-based monitoring group said. The Observatory warned that IS might kill them. In a statement, SDF said the fighting at the Hajin camp for the displaced left 20 IS gunmen and “several” of its fighters dead. It added that IS gunmen seized civilians by force and took them to areas in the last pocket of territory they control in the region. The area in Syria’s eastern Deir el-Zour province has been witnessing days of intense clashes between IS and the Kurdish-led SDF forces amid bad weather and low visibility. The SDF launched a major assault on September 10 on the small stretch of the Euphrates Valley around the town of Hajin where they estimate some 3,000 jihadists are holed up. But they have sustained heavy casualties in the operation being conducted with US-led air support. Since Wednesday, 37 SDF fighters have been killed in jihadist counterattacks, the Observatory said. IS has lost 58 fighters, most of them in retaliatory coalition air strikes, it added.”

CBS News: U.S. Pastor Andrew Brunson Convicted Of Terrorism In Turkey, But Is On His Way Home

“A Turkish court freed American pastor Andrew Brunson on Friday after he spent nearly two years in jail and more time under house arrest on charges related to terrorism and espionage. Brunson had become entangled in a diplomatic dispute between Turkey and the United States and American officials had been pushing hard for his release. His lawyer, Ismail Cem Halavurt, told Reuters he will spend two days in Germany before he heads to the U.S. The court in the city of Aliaga found Brunson guilty of terror charges and sentenced him to three years and one month in prison, but released him on time served. That allowed him to leave the country. Turkey's government had faced threats of further U.S. sanctions over its treatment of the pastor, who denies all charges against him, but President Recep Tayyip Erdogan always insisted that the Turkish judicial system be allowed to function. A lawyer for Brunson said Friday that he was on his way back to the U.S.”

The Wall Street Journal: Deepfake Videos Are Ruining Lives. Is Democracy Next?

“Seeing isn’t believing anymore. Deep-learning computer applications can now generate fake video and audio recordings that look strikingly real. “This is a big deal,” Hany Farid, computer science professor at Dartmouth College, told The Wall Street Journal. “You can literally put into a person’s mouth anything you want.” Prof. Christian Theobalt, part of a team working on the technology at the Max-Planck-Institute for Informatics in Germany, said he is motivated by the creative possibilities that it holds for the future. But Prof. Farid says researchers who push computer-generated technology need to think about the consequences these computer-generated fakes could have for society. He believes forensic experts are being outpaced by the development of fakes and that there is no method yet that can detect them all. “How are we going to believe anything anymore that we see? And so to me that’s a real threat to our democracy,” Mr. Farid said.”

Diplomatic Courier: Inside Iran’s Terror Alliance With Al Qaeda

“At the UN General Assembly two weeks ago, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani stood before the world and told a big lie that in the global war on terrorism Iran is a firefighter and not an arsonist. As the world’s leading state-sponsor of terrorism it takes an overdose of Persian chutzpah even for the “moderate” Rouhani to utter those words to the world, especially since there is compelling evidence that Iran continues to provide a permissive environment for Al Qaeda to operate from its territory. With the anniversary of the bombing of the USS Cole on October 12, it’s important to separate fact from fiction. First, Iran and Al Qaeda were early collaborators. The peculiar marriage of convenience between the great Satan of Shiite terrorism and Bin Laden’s radical Sunni Islamic Al Qaeda harkens back to the early 1990s, when Osama Bin Laden was living in Khartoum.”

NBC News: Facebook Says Hackers Saw Personal Info Of 14 Million People

“Facebook said on Friday that hackers were able to access the personal information of 14 million people through a security flaw that the company first disclosed last month, and that the data exposed included information such as recent check-ins and searches. Facebook said in a blog post that people would be able to check whether they were affected by the attack by visiting a Facebook help center online. The company also said that in the coming days it would send customized messages to users to explain what information might have been accessed. The social networking company disclosed two weeks ago that a security flaw in Facebook's "view as" feature had allowed hackers to see into and potentially take over people's profiles. Facebook, the world's largest social media network with more than 2 billion users, has faced rising criticism that it has failed to protect people's privacy. It disclosed this year that the personal information of up to 87 million people was taken by the maker of a quiz app and then wrongly handed over to political consultancy Cambridge Analytica.”

United States
The Jerusalem Post: Senate Passes Bill Sanctioning Hamas, Hezbollah 'Human Shields' Practice

“The Senate passed legislation on Friday mandating the government sanction members of Hamas and Hezbollah responsible for using human shields in warfare. The legislation, titled the STOP Using Human Shields Act, was authored and supported by Republican and Democrats. It now moves to the House of Representatives for consideration. Various American Jewish groups and Israel advocacy organizations praised the bill's passage. "Hamas and Hezbollah are blatantly violating international law by placing their terrorist infrastructure among civilian populations. In any future conflict in Gaza or Lebanon, the lives of innocent civilians will be endangered because of the reckless and illegal behavior of these terrorist organizations," the American Israel Public Affairs Committee said in a statement. The Senate also approved a bill that sanctions foreign government agencies, individuals and companies that support Hezbollah financially or militarily. The Treasury Department is already increasing its pressure campaign on the Iranian proxy organization, based in Lebanon, using existing sanctions tools.”

Daily Beast: How The Secret Service Foiled An Assassination Plot Against Trump By ISIS

“In November 1996, President Clinton visited Manila for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum. Protests raged in the streets, with American flags being burned, so local police closed down many roads, allowing the Secret Service to chart a specific route for the president’s motorcade. As the president and members of his cabinet traveled from their hotel to the first venue of the day, “There was intelligence that came in, and we at the last minute decided to change the motorcade route,” a former Secret Service agent recalls. “It was determined that al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden had placed a bomb along the route in anticipation of the motorcade coming that way.” Bin Laden had indeed placed a bomb under a bridge, and just before the president’s motorcade was due to cross it, the Secret Service re-routed the vehicle down a side road. President Clinton (codename: “Eagle”) was safe."

Syria
Daily Beast: Why Did Qatar Try To Hack Syrian Opposition Leaders

“It’s said the CIA used to plant recording devices under the first class seats of Air France to listen for any Champagne-lubricated entrepreneur’s mid-flight disclosure that his company had just used bribery to beat an American competitor. We all know about the NSA’s eavesdropping on Angela Merkel’s cell phone conversations (not to mention listening in on German reporters getting leaked intel). Spying between friends “just isn’t on,” an angry chancellor told the Obama administration in 2015. Except that it is on and always has been on and depends greatly on one’s fluctuating definition of friends. Consider the curious case of Qatar’s state-sponsored hackers attempting to penetrate the emails of prominent U.S.-based members of the Syrian opposition. This disclosure, as first reported by Bloomberg and The New York Times, came via a lawsuit filed by former Republican financier and Trump affiliate Elliott Broidy, who himself was hacked and then exposed for engaging in that perennial American business of trading access to the White House for personal gain.”

The Washington Post: Syria’s Militants Give Tepid Support To Demilitarized Zone In Final Opposition Stronghold

“Militants in Syria indicated tepid support for a demilitarized zone in the country’s final opposition stronghold, even as they appeared to defy an internationally brokered deadline for their withdrawal. Syria’s northern province of Idlib is home to some 2.5 million people, most of them civilians. Aid groups have warned that an offensive there could spell humanitarian catastrophe. A Sept. 17 deal between Russia and Turkey — key backers of Syria’s government and rebel forces, respectively — called for heavy weapons and Islamist militant groups to be pulled out of a roughly 13-mile-wide buffer zone. But as the deadline passed, monitoring groups said the militants were still there. “We value the efforts of all those striving — at home and abroad — to protect the liberated area and prevent its invasion and the perpetration of massacres in it,” the al-Qaeda-linked militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) said in a statement late Sunday. “But we warn at the same time against the trickery of the Russian occupier or having faith in its intentions,” it added. The group also said it “would not forget” the foreign fighters who came to assist it.”

Reuters: Tale Of Two Brothers Reflects Syrian Rebel Unity And Divisions

“Brothers Abu Eliyas and Abu Yousef have fought at opposite ends of the insurgency against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. One is a member of a rebel group that was once backed by the CIA. The other is a jihadist in an internationally proscribed terrorist movement. Yet despite their ideological differences, they live under the same roof in rebel-held Idlib province and have fought on the same side against pro-Assad forces and Islamic State. “The important thing is we fight the same enemy,” said Abu Eliyas, 40, a member of the Turkey-backed Failaq al-Sham group. “At home, we exchange military skills and information, and discuss the Syrian scene.” Abu Yousef, 27, belongs to the jihadist Tahrir al-Sham, formerly known as the Nusra Front. He believes the brothers’ “points of agreement are greater than the points of division.”

Al Jazeera: Deadline Passes For Syria's Idlib Buffer Without Fighters Leaving

“A deadline passed on Monday without fighters leaving a planned buffer zone around Syria's last major rebel bastion of Idlib as set out under a Russian-Turkish deal. The armed groups were supposed to withdraw from the buffer as a final condition to implementing a Russian-Turkish agreement to stave off a Syrian government offensive on the northwestern region of Idlib. The accord hung in the balance early Monday, seven years into a grinding civil war that has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions. Just hours before the deadline expired, rebels vowed to continue to fight. "We have not abandoned our choice of jihad and fighting towards implementing our blessed revolution," said Hay'et Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an alliance led by al-Qaeda's former Syrian affiliate.”

The Washington Post: Syria’s Militants Give Tepid Support To Demilitarized Zone In Final Opposition Stronghold

“Militants in Syria indicated tepid support for a demilitarized zone in the country’s final opposition stronghold, even as they appeared to defy an internationally-brokered deadline for their withdrawal. The area surrounding Syria’s northern province of Idlib is home to some 3 million people, most of them civilians. Aid groups have warned that an offensive there could spell humanitarian catastrophe. A Sept. 17 deal between Russia and Turkey — key backers of Syria’s government and rebel forces, respectively — was meant to have seen heavy weapons and Islamist militant groups pulled out of a roughly 13-mile wide buffer zone. But as the deadline passed, monitoring groups said that the militants were still there. “We value the efforts of all those striving — at home and abroad — to protect the liberated area and prevent its invasion and the perpetration of massacres in it,” said the al-Qaeda-linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, in a statement late Sunday. “But we warn at the same time against the trickery of the Russian occupier or having faith in its intentions,” it added. The group also said it “would not forget” the foreign fighters who came to assist it.”

Newsweek: Russia Warns U.S. Is Playing 'Dangerous Game' By Dividing Syria

“Russia's top diplomat has accused the United States of trying to permanently divide Syria by supporting Kurdish separatism, a move he called illegal and a violation of the war-torn country's sovereignty. In an interview with the French website of Russia's state-run RT channel, along with France's Paris Match and Le Figaro, Russia Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused the U.S. of "illegally trying to create a quasi-state" in eastern Syria through its support of the Syrian Democratic Forces, a mostly Kurdish faction battling the Islamic State militant group (ISIS). With the Pentagon's backing, the group has established autonomy over roughly a quarter of Syrian territory. The move presents a challenge to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, an ally fo Russia and Iran who has mostly overcome a 2011 rebel and jihadi uprising supported by the West and its regional allies. Lavrov said that the U.S. "planned to establish a territory that would be a kind of a prototype of a new state or it will be another round of the most dangerous game with Iraqi Kurdistan, the idea of the so-called unified Kurdistan.”

Associated Press: Syria's Key Border Crossings With Jordan, Israel To Reopen

“A vital border crossing between Jordan and Syria reopened on Monday for the first time in three years, promising to restore trade and movement between the two countries that had halted because of the war. Another crossing, between Syria and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, also reopened for U.N. observers who had left the area four years ago because of fighting there. The reopening of the crossings is a major boost to the Syrian government of President Bashar Assad, restoring a commercial lifeline to the outside world. It also reinforces the Syrian government's message that it is slowly emerging victorious from the seven-year conflict. "The general mutual interest that these crossings create between the people is what lasts and therefore we look at this broadly," Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem said of the reopenings Monday. Al-Muallem's Iraqi counterpart, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, underscored the need to boost relations between the two neighbors and said Syria must find its way back to the Arab fold. The two spoke at a joint press conference in Damascus.”

Foreign Policy: ISIS Smuggled Around $400 Million Out Of Syria To Fund Its Reorganizing — And It Is Ripe For A Comeback

“Although the Islamic State has lost nearly 98% of the territory it once controlled, the group is ripe for a comeback in Sunni-majority areas of Iraq and Syria. The main reason is its existing war chest, coupled with its skill at developing new streams of revenue. The Islamic State used to mostly rely on the territory it controlled, including cities and urban strongholds, to amass billions of dollars through extortion, taxation, robbery, and the sale of pilfered oil. But the group has proven that it is capable of making money even without controlling large population centers. During the apogee of its territorial control in 2015, the Islamic State accrued nearly $6 billion, making it by far the wealthiest terrorist group in history. How could a militant group compile the equivalent of a nation-state's gross domestic product? When it did hold territory, the Islamic State primarily generated its wealth from three main sources: oil and gas, which totaled about $500 million in 2015, mostly through internal sales; taxation and extortion, which garnered approximately $360 million in 2015; and the 2014 looting of Mosul, during which the Islamic State stole about $500 million from bank vaults. The Islamic State has now lost most of its territory. The group has been relegated from controlling territory roughly equivalent to the size of Great Britain to attempting to survive while under siege in strongholds pockmarking the Euphrates River Valley."

Iran
Reuters: Iran Arrests Member Of Military Over Ahvaz Parade Attack - Agency

“Iran has arrested a member of its military in connection with a gun attack on a military parade in the city of Ahvaz last month which killed 25 people, semi-official Fars News agency reported on Sunday. An Iranian ethnic Arab opposition movement called the Ahvaz National Resistance, which seeks a separate state in oil-rich Khuzestan province, claimed responsibility for the attack. Islamic State militants also claimed responsibility. Neither group provided conclusive evidence to back up their claim. “Eleven people were summoned and one was arrested, all of whom were military, and the case has been sent to Tehran,” Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejei, spokesman for the judiciary, was cited as saying by Fars. Ejei did not provide any further details. Activists in the Ahvaz region have accused Iranian security forces of detaining their colleagues after the shooting attack last month. Separately, Iran’s Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi said his ministry had helped to uncover and destroy “300 teams” of militants, the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported on Sunday. Alavi did not give further details on the identities of the militants, nor did he indicate when the cells were uncovered.”

Iraq
Iraqi News: Islamic State Leader Arrested In Diyala: Security Source

“An Islamic State leader has been arrested in Khanaqin region in Diyala, a security source from Diyala said on Sunday. Speaking to Almaalomah website, the source said “security troops managed, today, depending on information from the intelligence to arrest an Islamic State leader, who was possessing telecommunications devices. He was hiding in a house in central Khanaqin in Diyala province.” The militant, according to the source, “was then taken to detention cell for investigations.” Thousands of Islamic State militants as well as Iraqi civilians were killed since the government campaign, backed by paramilitary troops and the coalition was launched in October 2016. Islamic State continues to launch sporadic attacks across Iraq against troops. Security reports indicate that the militant group still poses threat against stability in the country. The group still has dormant cells, through which it carries out attacks, across Iraq like it used to do before 2014. A total of 75 Iraqi civilians were killed, while 179 others were injured due to acts of terrorism, violence and armed conflict in Iraq in September 2018, according to casualty figures by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI). In December, Iraq announced gaining control on all the territories that were captured by Islamic State, since 2014.”

Afghanistan
The Washington Post: Taliban Says U.S. Envoy Held Talks On Possible Paths To End Afghan War

“The Trump administration’s special adviser on Afghan peace met last week with Taliban representatives in Qatar for talks that included “working toward finding a peaceful resolution” to the war, a spokesman for the insurgent group said Saturday. The spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, said the presence of foreign troops in Afghanistan remains the “greatest obstacle” to peace, but he also noted that both sides agreed to continue the dialogue — a potentially major step toward formal negotiations with the Taliban to end the 17-year war. The U.S. Embassy in Kabul said in a statement that U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad held “consultations” last week in Islamabad, Pakistan; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; and Doha, Qatar. The embassy did not confirm the reported meeting with Taliban officials. It said Khalilzad returned to Kabul for follow-up meetings with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and other officials, as well as political and civic groups, “to hear their views and priorities on a settlement.” Ghani’s office confirmed that scenario. The reported talks would mark another significant outreach to Taliban representatives in Qatar, which has sought to act as a mediator.”

Al Jazeera: Taliban Kills Afghan Soldiers In Attacks On Army Posts

“At least 17 soldiers have been killed in Taliban raids on two military posts in western Afghanistan, officials said. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attacks that began late on Saturday in the Pusht Rod district of Farah province and continued into Sunday. The strikes come a week before voters cast their ballots in parliamentary elections across the war-torn country. The raids involved "a large number of Taliban", according to Farah provincial council chief Farid Bakhtawar. At least 11 soldiers were captured and another four wounded in the overnight attacks, local officials said. Defence ministry spokesman Ghafoor Ahmad Jawed said reinforcements had been sent to the area. "The Taliban have also suffered huge losses," Jawed added. The fighters seized weapons and armoured vehicles during the assault, provincial council member Dadullah Qaneh said. In the southern province of Zabul, the police chief of Mizan district was killed in clashes with Taliban fighters on Saturday night, the provincial governor, Rahmatullah Yarmal, said. Violence has escalated in the months leading up to the October 20 parliamentary election, with hundreds killed or wounded.”

Associated Press: Afghan Official: Taliban Attacks Kill 8 In Country's North

“An Afghan official says attacks by the Taliban in the country's north have killed eight people — four soldiers and four civilians. Military spokesman Hanif Rezaie says the troops died in Kunduz province when the Taliban attacked a military outpost in the district of Archi on Friday morning. He says six were wounded in the assault. Rezaie says the civilians were killed on Thursday, when a car bomb targeting an election campaign headquarters in Faryab province exploded prematurely. He says several Taliban fighters died in both incidents. Afghanistan is holding parliamentary elections on Oct. 20. The campaign has already been marred by violence. On Tuesday, a suicide bomber struck the home of an election candidate in the city of Lashkar Gah, in Helmand province, killing the candidate and seven others.”

The Telegraph: Taliban Let Red Cross Resume Afghanistan Aid After Prisoners Row

“Taliban militants will again guarantee safe passage to Red Cross staff across Afghanistan after settling a dispute that forced the medical aid agency to halt most work. The leading humanitarian charity cut almost all its aid for Afghans after the militants withdrew protection, leaving staff and buildings open to attack. The insurgent group had denounced the charity for allegedly failing to ensure its own militant prisoners were not mistreated or neglected in government jails. Red Cross officials met Taliban envoys for two days of secret talks in the Qatar capital of Doha, where the insurgent movement maintains its diplomatic office. A Taliban statement released afterwards said its fighters should “grant access to activities of the International Committee of the Red Cross and provide security for the personnel and equipment of this organisation”. Neither side would comment on the prisoner issue, but the insurgent statement said the Red Cross had “vowed to take effective steps to address the concerns of [the Taliban]”. “ We welcome the acknowledgement of our humanitarian principles and the renewal of our security guarantees in Afghanistan” said Juan-Pedro Schaerer, head of the Afghanistan delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross.”

Khaama Press: 4 ISIS Militants Blown Up By Own Explosives In Kunar Province

“At least four militants affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria Khurasan (ISIS-K) were killed or wounded in an explosion triggered by an improvised explosive device in eastern Kunar province of Afghanistan. The 201st Silbab Corps of the Afghan Military in the East said the incident has taken place on Friday in the vicinity of Suki district. The statement further added four ISIS militants were busy planting an improvised explosive device on a roadside in Spidar Dara area of the district when the explosion took place, leaving two militants dead and two others critically wounded. The Taliban militants and other militants including ISIS often use improvised explosive device as the weapon of their choice to target the security forces and government officials. However, in majority of such attacks the ordinary civilians are killed while in some cases the Taliban militants are themselves blown up in premature explosions. Anti-government elements must immediately end the indiscriminate and disproportionate use of all improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in areas frequented by civilians, said UNAMA in a special human rights report released few days earlier. The special report – titled “Increasing Harm to Afghan Civilians form the Deliberate and Indiscriminate Use of Improvised Explosive Devices” – documents a sharp increase from 1 January – 30 September 2018 in the killing and maiming of Afghan civilians by IEDs, which have caused almost half of the civilian casualties from conflict-related violence.”

Yemen
Al Arabiya: Yemen’s Army Advances In Saada, Launches Coordinated Attacks On Houthis

“The Yemeni army backed by the Arab coalition, continues advancing in several districts of the governorate of Saada, taking control of new posts which were under the control of the pro-Iranian Houthi militia, particularly in the districts of Zaher, Baqim and Kataf. Military sources confirmed to Al Arabiya news channel that the Yemeni army launched a successful attack on a post controlled by the Houthis in the directorate of Zaher, killing more than nine members of the militia, while others managed to escape. In Baqim district, the Yemeni army launched coordinated attacks, allowing its forces to advance to the center of the district, following support from coalition aircraft that destroyed reinforcements of the Houthis in the area. The Yemeni national army continues its combing operations in Kataf district searching for mines planted by Houthis. The army dismantled in the last two days more than 300 mines.”

Asharq Al-Awsat: Houthis Lure Retired Military Personnel To Saada

“Houthi militias had lured dozens of elderly retired soldiers to Saada province to fight in their ranks after they deceived them by telling them they will pay their salaries and will participate in a military parade to mark the anniversary of the October 14 revolution against British colonialism, military sources in Sanaa told Asharq Al-Awsat. Sources estimated that at least 120 retirees, most of them over the age of 70, were members of the Ghamdan al-Murabit brigade in Jabal Nukim area, east of the capital Sanaa. They were taken by bus to Saada after they were enticed by Houthi leader Ahmad al-Washah al-Maeen, who was appointed commander of Ghamdan Brigade. They said that the Houthi leader ordered the disbursement of money, estimated at 30 thousand Yemeni riyals (40 to 43 dollars) per person, in exchange for their approval to go to Saada and participate in a military parade. However, upon their arrival to Saada, the militias stripped them of their phones and transferred them to the fighting fronts in Baqam and Kataf. Son of a military man, who was taken by the militias from Sanaa, told Asharq al-Awsat that he had lost contact with his father three days ago. He told them before going the Houthi leader had threatened to drop all camp members out of military service if they refused to follow the orders and head towards the militias’ stronghold.”

Al Arabiya: Yemen’s Information Minister Warns Of Houthi Curriculum In Schools

“Yemen’s Information Minister Muammar al-Iryani warned of the dangers of Houthi militias’ manipulation of school curriculums in the areas under their control that could lead to a generation of extremist leaders. Al-Iryani said in a tweet that the curriculum the Houthi militia is enforcing on Yemeni children conflicts with the country’s ideas and culture, a plot by the militias to dismantle the social fabric from within. The minister pointed out that the continued control of the militias in Sanaa and a number of other provinces, along with the imposition of Iranian-influenced ideas in the curriculum, will give rise to a new generation of Yemenis who have strayed from the country’s ideals. Al-Iryani added that the militia has changed the school curriculum in the areas under their control, where they added articles about the Iranian-backed group and others that serve the Shiite ideology. The new curriculum includes a booklet about the founder Hussein al-Houthi, as well as forcing students to chant Houthi slogans in school and the militias’ events. In an effort to compensate for the loss of much of their militia, the Houthis have resorted to recruiting children and have lured 2419 children to fight with them since March 2015.”

Associated Press: Top Yemen Bahai Figure Disappears Amid Houthi Crackdown

“Friends of the spokesman for Yemen's Bahai religious minority say he has been detained by Houthi militias who control the country's north. Two friends of Abdullah Yahia al-Ayolofi said Friday that unidentified men snatched al-Ayolofi from a market in a district called al-Jarraf in Sanaa on Thursday. His whereabouts remain unknown, they said. A security official tells The Associated Press that Houthi militiamen seized al-Ayolofi earlier in the week. Al-Ayolofi, a convert to Bahaism, has been outspoken about Houthi abuses against Bahai followers. All spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution. The Houthis' leader has targeted Bahais in public speeches describing them as "satanic" and several Bahais have been detained, tortured and held incommunicado, according to the community's United Nations representative.”

Middle East
Associated Press: Islamic State Returning To Insurgency As Caliphate Disappears

“After being nearly defeated on the battlefields of its would-be caliphate, the Islamic State group has reverted to what it was before its spectacular conquests in 2014, analysts say – a shadowy insurgent network that targets civilian populations with guerrilla-style attacks and exploits state weaknesses to incite sectarian strife. In Iraq and Syria, hardly a week goes by without the group staging an attack on a town or village, keeping its opponents on edge even as it fights US-backed forces advancing on the last remaining slice of territory under its control near the countries' shared border. Hisham al-Hashimi, an IS expert who advises the Iraqi government, said the group now operates like it did in 2010, before its rise in Iraq, which culminated four years later with the militants seizing one of Iraq's biggest cities, Mosul, and also claiming the city of Raqqa in Syria and declaring an Islamic caliphate across large areas of both countries. Mr. Al-Hashimi said the world's most dangerous insurgent group is trying to prove that despite losing its territorial hold, "it still has long arms to strike." While it fends off attacks on its remaining pockets in Syria, a recent surge in false claims of responsibility for attacks also signals that the group is struggling to stay relevant after losing its proto-state and its dominance on the international news agenda. The main figures behind the group's once sleek propaganda machine have mostly been killed. Raqqa fell a year ago this month, and the group has lost all but 2 percent of the territory it held in Iraq and Syria.”

The National: The World Should Follow The US Clampdown On Hezbollah

“So severe is the polarisation of modern US politics that the Democrats and Republicans seldom agree on anything. Therefore, the unanimous passage through Congress of two bills targeting Hezbollah on Friday indicates the gravity of the threat posed by the Iranian proxy. Together the Hezbollah International Financing Prevention Amendments Act of 2017 and the STOP Using Human Shields Act take aim at Hezbollah and the individuals and companies that sponsor it. They will curb Hezbollah’s ability to destabilise the Middle East – from Yemen to Syria – in service of Tehran’s regional ambitions. The war in Syria has already exacted a significant loss of life and revenue on the group, while US sanctions on Iran have hit Hezbollah’s chief backers. Any measures that further limit Hezbollah’s access to funds are highly welcome, because the group’s activities must be isolated and curtailed – for the sake of regional stability.”

Egypt
Agence France Presse: Egypt Sentences Three Islamic Extremists To Death For Killing Policemen

“A court in Egypt on Sunday sentenced three people to death for their involvement in the killing of 10 policemen and for belonging to an extremist group, a judicial source said. The defendants were found guilty by a Cairo criminal court of being involved in the killing of 10 policemen, including an officer, between August 2013 and May 2014. They were also convicted for belonging to the Islamic extremist group Ansar al-Shariah. Both the defense and prosecution have the right to appeal. Four others were sentenced to life imprisonment — a 25 year term in Egypt — and seven defendants to 15 years in prison. Nine people were acquitted in the case. Egyptian courts have issued or confirmed a large number of death sentences in recent weeks. On Thursday, a military court sentenced 17 people to death for attacks against churches in 2016 and 2017 that killed a total of 74 people. On Monday, four jihadists belonging to the Islamic State group were sentenced to death, while on September 8 a court upheld death sentences for 75 people, including leaders of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood movement. Jihadists launched an insurgency in Egypt after the 2013 ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, who was forced out by the military in the face of mass protests against his rule and that of his Muslim Bortherhood. The military says around 300 suspected jihadists and at least 35 soldiers have been killed since it launched an operation in February against jihadists in the Sinai Peninsula.”

Libya
Al Arabiya: Egypt’s ‘Most Wanted Terrorist’ Ashmawy Exposes ISIS, Al-Qaeda Hideouts In Libya

“Less than a week after he was arrested in Libya, Hisham al-Ashmawy – one of Egypt’s most wanted terrorists – has admitted to knowing the number of terrorists still fighting in central and eastern Libya, along with their locations. Ashmawy was a former Egyptian special forces officer wanted by Cairo for suspected Islamist militant activities. He headed the Ansar al-Islam network, which claimed responsibility for a deadly desert ambush against Egyptian police last October. Egyptian officials also accuse the network, which they link to al-Qaeda, of an assassination attempt on a former interior minister in 2013.”

Nigeria
Vanguard: ICRC Seeks Intervention As Boko Haram Plans To Kill Another Female

“The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), has called for the Nigerian government’s speedy intervention to save one of the two female staff being held hostage by Boko Haram. Mr Mamadou Sow, Head of ICRC’s Operations in the Lake Chad Basin, in an SOS, said the terrorists have given a 24 hour deadline to eliminate the female staff. Sow made the appeal to the Nigerian Government, communities and individuals towards the release of the two medical workers, Hauwa Mohammed and Alice Loksha. “To the holder of these kidnapped women, we urge you for mercy. We urge you not to kill another innocent health care worker, who was doing nothing but helping the community in north-east Nigeria.’’ Sow noted that Hauwa worked in a hospital supported by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), when she was abducted March 1, 2018 with Alice, a nurse who worked in a centre supported by UNICEF.”

Daily Post: Newsboko Haram: Many Killed As Air Force Jet Attacks Terrorists’ Hideout In Borno

“The Air Task Force (ATF) of Operation Lafiya Dole has decimated a Boko Haram Terrorists’ (BHT) hideout and neutralized several terrorists at Bogum in Northern Borno State. This was confirmed to DAILY POST by Ibikunle Daramola, Air Commodore, and Director of Public Relations and Information, in a statement on Monday. According to him, “the attack was carried out on Sunday, 14 October 2018, after intelligence reports indicated significant BHT activities within the settlement. “The ATF scrambled two Mi-35 Helicopter Gunships to engage and destroy the identified BHT positions in the village. “Overhead the target, the concentration areas of the BHTs were attacked in successive waves by the helicopters with direct hits recorded on the targets, leading to the neutralization of several BHTs.”

Reuters: Islamic State In Nigeria Might Soon Kill Health Workers, Schoolgirl: ICRC

“Islamic State in Nigeria might kill healthcare workers it has held hostage since March within 24 hours, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Sunday, calling for mercy and urging Nigeria’s government to intervene. Medical workers Hauwa Mohammed Liman and Alice Loksha were working in the town of Rann when they were kidnapped along with ICRC midwife Saifura Hussaini Ahmed Khorsa, who was killed in September, the ICRC said in a statement. The armed group was also holding a 15-year-old schoolgirl, Leah Sharibu, who was abducted in February from her school in the town of Dapchi, it said. Militants allied to Islamic State said in a video posted online last month that they would kill their hostages within a period of time that is due to elapse on Monday. “Speed and urgency are critical. A deadline that could result in the killing of another healthcare worker is less than 24 hours away,” the ICRC said in a statement, without giving further details on the deadline or its conditions. “We urge you: spare and release these women. They are a midwife, a nurse and a student. Like all those abducted, they are not part of any fight,” Patricia Danzi, director of ICRC operations in Africa, was quoted as saying in the statement. The ICRC said the militants recently confirmed the deadline to them. Demands being made in exchange for the release of their hostages have not been reported.”

ABC: Militia Taking On Boko Haram Releases 833 Children From Its Ranks In 'Significant Milestone'

“A militia fighting against the Islamist militant group Boko Haram in north-east Nigeria has released 833 children from its own ranks, some as young as 11, the UN children's agency UNICEF says. UNICEF spokesman Christophe Boulierac said the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) was formed in 2013 by vigilante groups in Borno state to fight Boko Haram, which itself gained international notoriety for kidnapping schoolgirls in the town of Chibok. The CJTF signed an action plan in September 2017 to end child recruitment, and the release of the children, 40 per cent of whom were 15 or younger, was its first formal release. "This is a significant milestone in ending the recruitment and use of children, but many more children remain in the ranks of other armed groups in either combat or support roles," UNICEF Nigeria deputy representative Pernille Ironside said in a statement. he released children were among 1,175 boys and 294 girls who had been identified as being associated with the CJTF in the city of Maiduguri, UNICEF said, although the total has yet to be verified and could include another 2,200 or more children. It said that it had supported the social and economic reintegration of more than 8,700 children released from armed groups since 2017, helping trace their families, returning them to their communities and offering them psycho-social support, education, vocational training and informal apprenticeships.”

Agence France Presse: Nigerian Troops Foil Boko Haram Attack On Base

“Nigerian troops have foiled an attempt by Boko Haram fighters to overrun a military base in the restive northeast leaving six soldiers wounded, the army said on Saturday. Troops "successfully repelled (a) Boko Haram terrorist attack" on a base in the town of Arge in Borno state on Friday, army spokesperson Texas Chukwu said in a statement. "Several members of the Boko Haram terrorists were neutralised while others fled with gunshot wounds during the encounter," he said. "Unfortunately, six soldiers sustained various degrees of injuries and are currently receiving medical attention at the military facility." Chukwu said three Boko Haram trucks were destroyed and one other vehicle recovered in the latest attack in the area. On August 29, IS-affiliated Boko Haram jihadists claimed to have killed "several" Nigerian soldiers in mortar strikes on the Arge military base. The claim could not be independently verified. Boko Haram's Islamic State group-backed faction - known as the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) - operates in the Lake Chad region and has in recent months intensified attacks on military bases in Borno and nearby Yobe state. The attacks are seen as a sign of a hardline takeover in ISWAP by more radical lieutenants who executed the group's de facto leader because of his opposition to indiscriminate killings and willingness to hold peace talks with the government. Scores of soldiers have been killed, injured or missing in attacks but the military have repeatedly denied or played down losses to the jihadists.”

Somalia
Japan Times: Al-Shabab Takes Credit For Suicide Blasts Fatal To 20 In Somalia On Anniversary Of Attack Fatal To Over 500

“The number of people killed in twin suicide bomb attacks on two restaurants in Somalia’s southern city of Baidoa has risen to 20 and another 40 people were injured, a local hospital official said on Sunday. Two suicide bombers blew themselves up in restaurants in Baidoa in the early evening on Saturday. Islamist militant group al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack. A spokesman for the group said it had targeted the restaurants because they were frequented by government troops. The attacks followed a U.S. airstrike on Friday against al-Shabab militants in Haradere, a district in Galmudug region. Al-Shabab wants to topple Somalia’s Western-backed central government and impose its own rule based on a strict interpretation of Islamic sharia law. “We received 20 dead people and about 40 others injured from the twin blasts of yesterday,” Abdifatah Hashi, the general manager of Baidoa city hospital, told reporters on Sunday.”

Voice Of America: Somalia Marks One Year After Deadliest Terrorist Attack

“Hundreds of mourners and government officials in Somalia gathered Sunday at K-5 junction, where a year ago a truck bomb killed 587 people in the country’s deadliest terrorist attack. The Somali government has officially renamed the junction as “October 14 Junction” in respect of the victims of the attack. Mogadishu Mayor Abdirahman Omar Osman “Yarisow” said the gathering Sunday showed how Somali people have rejected terrorism. “Fourteen October 2017, even though it was a black day for Somalia, nevertheless it united Somali people in defiance against terrorists,” he said. Somali Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire told the crowd the attackers failed to destroy the spirit of the Somali people. Missing victims and orphans Some families still live in anguish as the bodies of their loved ones have never been found. Ten days after the attack, the rescue committee registered 225 people who were still missing their loved ones. Few have been found alive since, many were burned beyond recognition and some were counted as dead because their bodies were never found. The October 14 attack also left hundreds of children orphaned. Abdullahi Mohamed Shirwa who led a support and rescue committee appointed by the government has told VOA Somali the victims killed in the explosion left behind 1,547 orphans under the age of 15."

Africa
BBC: Tunisia Attack: Families Claiming Damages Against TUI

“A total of 38 people, including 30 Britons, were shot dead by a gunman in Sousse in June 2015. About 80 people, including relatives and those injured, have instructed lawyers to commence civil proceedings, law firm Irwin Mitchell said. TUI said it would fully cooperate with the judicial process. On 26 June 2015, a gunman opened fire on holidaymakers staying in the popular resort of Port El Kantaoui, just north of Sousse in Tunisia, killing 30 British tourists and eight others. So-called Islamic State (IS) said it was behind the attack by Tunisian student Seifeddine Rezgui. Kylie Hutchison, a solicitor for representing the families of 22 victims and more than 50 people who were injured, said damages would compensate for their suffering, financial losses and treatment to aid their recovery. She added: "The level of terrorist threat in Tunisia had been escalating for some time prior to June 2015. "This included a failed suicide bomb attempt outside a beach hotel in Sousse in October 2013 and an attack at the Bardo museum in Tunis in March 2015 in which 22 people were killed.”

Philippines
The Straits Times: Philippine Police Kill 2 Brothers Suspected To Be Members Of Local ISIS Cell

“Philippine police shot and killed two brothers suspected to be members of a local cell of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terror group in the southern Philippines late on Sunday (Oct 14), the authorities said on Monday. Senior Superintendent Ferlu Silvio, the provincial police chief for Davao del Sur police, identified the slain suspects as Norhan Delangalen Sinapan and his brother, Norton Delangalen Sinapan, according to Xinhua news agency. He said Norhan was the leader of an ISIS cell known as Daulah Islamiyah, based in the city of Digos, in Davao del Sur province. Supt Silvio said the operation against the brothers was carried out by combined police units, who swooped on their hideout at a seaside community at 11pm local time. Seized from the slain suspects were a handgun, several rounds of ammunition, a component for an improvised bomb, a fragmentation grenade and two black flags with ISIS markings, the police official said.”

Australia
Daily Mail: 'He's An Old Man': Australian Makes Desperate Plea For Al Qaeda To Release His 83-Year-Old Father As He Is 'In His Last Years'

“An Australian man has made an impassioned plea for Al Qaeda militants to release his elderly father. Ken Elliott, 83, was kidnapped in the West African nation of Burkina Faso in January 2016, alongside his wife Jocelyn. She was released to journalists three weeks later at a news conference in Niger. Speaking via a Facebook video, his son, David Elliott, from Perth, pleaded for an update on his father's health, which is said to be deteriorating, before declaring Mr Elliot is 'an old man in his last years'. Mr Elliott is 'an old man in his last years' - his wife Jocelyn pleads with Al Qaeda militants to release her husband. 'I put to you this question: Doesn't he deserve your generosity?' Mr Elliott said via messaging app Telegram. 'It is a long time since we have had any news about the health of my father. He's an old man and we are very worried.”

The Guardian: Melbourne Terrorism Plot: Defence Argues Accused An ‘Idiot’ Rather Than A Jihadi

“Hamza Abbas could not be trusted to know the details of an alleged Christmas Day Melbourne terror plot, and jurors deciding his involvement might judge him the “idiot brother” rather than complicit, his lawyer says. The 23-year-old is on trial in the supreme court with his cousin Abdullah Chaarani, 27, and Ahmed Mohamed, 25, charged with conspiring to prepare and plan an attack on Federation Square, Flinders Street station and St Paul’s cathedral two years ago. His older brother, 24-year-old Ibrahim Abbas, has already pleaded guilty to the same charge. But Felicity Gerry QC says common sense dictates that siblings do not always agree and, while Ibrahim was radicalised after years of jihad research, there was no evidence Hamza had similar radical interests. “He is simply not a jihadi. He is just a good Muslim,” she said on Monday. In closing submissions after seven weeks of evidence, Gerry said Hamza had learning difficulties.”

China
Modern Diplomacy: The Risk Of A New Islamic State On China’s Western Border

“China is in the process of cracking down on what it claims are separatist elements among its Muslim-minority Uighur community who live in its western Xinjiang province. The Uighurs are ethnically Turkic and perceive themselves as being separate from the majority Han Chinese community. As the gateway of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Xinjiang province in north-western China is vital to the country’s economic future. Its importance lies not only in its key geographical location, bordering Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Russia, Mongolia and Pakistan, however, but also in its huge energy and mineral resources also constitute a large part of China’s total resources. The province is witnessing a crackdown, however, which targets its Uighur Muslim population. A United Nations human rights panel suggests that hundreds of thousands, possibly even millions, of Uighurs are in “re-education” internment camps. Questions are increasingly being asked about the lack of any reaction or condemnation by officials and religious leaders of Muslim-majority countries in South-East Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. In fact, the topic is barely mentioned in the media of Muslim-majority countries. That could be due to the growing Chinese influence in those countries, which is, in turn, an outcome of their increasing economic ties.”

Technology
NPR: Facebook Says 14 Million Accounts Had Broad Array Of Personal Data Stolen

“Facebook has confirmed that millions of users did in fact have personal data accessed during a serious security breach disclosed late last month. Initially, the social media giant estimated that 50 million accounts were affected by the hack but said it was not clear whether any information had been stolen. Facebook has revised the total number of affected users down to around 30 million. But it has also confirmed that hackers accessed personal details in most of those cases — including, for about half of those users, recent searches and locations. Facebook would not discuss a suspect or a motive, at the FBI's request. The bureau is actively investigating the breach. As NPR has previously reported, the hack exploited three separate bugs in Facebook's code. No passwords were compromised, but the hackers were able to gain "access tokens" that let them use accounts as though they were logged in as another person. In late September, Facebook detected unusual activity, discovered the bugs and disabled them.”

BBC: New Terror Bill 'Risks Criminalising Foolish Internet Users'

“The anti-terrorism and border security bill is designed to combat "hostile state" activity and the terror threat. It aims to close loopholes in current legislation surrounding technological and cyber activity. But a committee scrutinising it fears it could criminalise innocent internet users and breach EU human rights law. Labour MP Harriet Harman, who chairs the committee, said: "This bill still crosses the line on human rights." But others have argued tougher measures are needed. Conservative peer Lord Tebbit, speaking in the Lords, at the second reading of the bill, said: "The nature of the threat today is different, and it is made worse by the rise of so-called social media, which provides an open platform for the proponents of terrorism." The bill includes a wide range of anti-terrorism measures, The committee said Parliament needs to consider "deletion or amendment of clauses that would make it an offence to view or otherwise access terrorist material online". Clause 3 of the bill would criminalise people who accessed terrorist material just once, meaning the curious could be snared by it, the joint committee on human rights said. In its report, the committee said the clause "may capture academic and journalistic research as well as those with inquisitive or even foolish minds". Security Minister Ben Wallace said: "After the spate of terrorist attacks of last year and the deadly nerve agent attack in Salisbury, our intelligence services and police made the case for an update of existing legislation.”

Terrorist Financing
Alwatan: Lebanon: Continued Infiltration Of Terrorists And Weapons Across The Syrian Border

“The Lebanese army has attained better control of the {country's} borders since the liberation of its eastern border from terrorist groups. Nonetheless, there are persistent difficulties posed by the rugged topography, despite considerable progress made in this regard. The common border stretches for about 370 kilometers and is full of plateaus and high mountains from the banks of the Hasbani River, passing through the Lebanese mountain range in the Bekaa Valley to the Akkar plain in Arida, a village in the north. Reports indicate that what makes the situation more difficult is the lack of clear demarcation. According to reports by sources monitoring the issues of {the binational} demarcation, there are some "holes" in certain pockets near Hermel in the east and the es-Sawairi region in the western Bekaa, where smuggling continues between the two countries.”

Counter Terrorism
Sout Al-Omma: Two New Courts Specializing In Terrorism Established In Egypt

“The new 2018/2019 judicial year started off with the establishment of two new terrorism-specializing courts in Egypt; the 30th North Chamber and the 9th Giza Chamber. As a result, the number of the "terrorism courts" operating in the country increased from seven to nine. Additionally, the General Assembly for the Cairo Court of Appeals assigned 31 full-time judges to run these courts in order to expedite the review of the accumulated lawsuits connected to terrorism, riot incitement and violence. It's noteworthy that the "terrorism courts" were established shortly after President Mohamed Morsi’s ouster in July 2013, when the Muslim Brotherhood was setting up military arms. These armed groups aimed to topple the Egyptian state by launching dozens of attacks against the army, the police, state institutions and public figures.”

Muslim Brotherhood
Elwatan News: Egyptian Minister Calls To Dismantle All Muslim Brotherhood Economic Entities

“Dr. Mohammed Mokhtar Gomaa, Egyptian Minister of Islamic Endowments, called to dismantle all {remaining} economic entities of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. The minister also called to expedite the enforcement of law on these business enterprises. Additionally, Dr. Gomaa demanded public exposure of the violations committed by the banned Islamist group, so that the Egyptian people won't be deceived and misled by the group again. On its part, the Ministry of Endowments has started to correct some false and manipulated interpretations of the Islamic doctrine, the minister further noted during the "90-Minutes" program on the Al-Mehwar television channel.”

Houthi
Elbalad: Houthi Group Is Stealing The Yemenis' Food

“Nabil, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Human Rights of Yemen stated that the Houthi terrorists are enacting a policy of ignorance and starvation of the people of Yemen, pointing out that they are toiling to seize the food of the Yemeni people. Abdul Hafiz noted during a TV interview that the terrorist group steals {humanitarian relief} aid and prevents access to its beneficiaries. In addition, the group is manipulating the Yemeni currency, which has led to a {steep} rise in the foreign currency rates. He continued: "Houthi militants are pumping large amounts of Yemeni currency into the market, after looting the Central Bank and state institutions in Sana'a. They buy hard currency so they can smuggle it out and invest it elsewhere.”
__________________
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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