Eye on Extremism - 12-03-21

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Associated Press: Report: 10 Oil Workers Killed In Attack On Bus In Syria
By: Counter Extremism Project & Eye on Extremism - 12-03-21
Re: https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ta...dvgRBLKqTHDWpm

Topic: Eye on Extremism - 12-03-21

Associated Press: Report: 10 Oil Workers Killed In Attack On Bus In Syria

“Ten people were killed and one person was injured in an attack on a bus carrying workers in an oil field in Syria’s government-held areas, Syria’s state news agency reported Thursday. No details were offered of the nature of the attack or who was behind it. The news agency SANA called it a “terrorist attack” and said the workers were employers of the government-controlled Kharata oil field in Deir el-Zour province. Islamic State militants have been active in the desert area in east and central Syria despite losing territorial control in the country since 2019. They have previously carried out attacks in the oil-rich Deir el-Zour, where the militants last held territory. The militants were defeated in a military campaign by Kurdish forces in collaboration with US-led coalition against IS in March 2019. Since then, thousands of militants are believed to be hiding in the deserts of Syria and Iraq, carrying out a low-level insurgency, including attacks on government and Kurdish forces as well as military posts and oil infrastructure. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors Syria’s war decade-old war, said an explosive device detonated killing 10 of the oil-field workers on the bus. It was not clear if the device was laid on the side of the road or lobbed at the bus.”

The Washington Post: Far Right Is Using Twitter’s New Rule Against Anti-Extremism Researchers

“Neo-Nazis and far-right activists are coaching followers on how to use a new Twitter rule to persuade the social media platform to remove photos of them posted by anti-extremism researchers and journalists who specialize in identifying episodes of real-world hate. Advocates said they worry the new policy will suppress efforts to document the activities of the far right and will prove to be a gift to members of hateful movements eager to keep their identities concealed. “It’s going to be emboldening to the fascists,” said Gwen Snyder, an anti-fascist researcher and organizer in Philadelphia. Snyder’s Twitter account was suspended early Thursday after someone reported a 2019 tweet of hers showing photos of a local mayoral candidate attending a public rally alongside the extremist group the Proud Boys. After The Washington Post asked about the suspension, Twitter spokesperson Trenton Kennedy said the tweet was not in violation and that “our teams took enforcement action in error.” On Tuesday, Twitter said its new “private information policy” would allow someone whose photo or video was tweeted without their consent to request the company take it down. Twitter said the rule would help “curb the misuse of media to harass, intimidate and reveal the identities of private individuals, which disproportionately impacts women, activists, dissidents, and members of minority communities.”

Afghanistan

The New York Times: More Sept. 11 Victims Who Sued The Taliban Want Frozen Afghan Funds

“A fight is breaking out among lawyers for different groups of victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks over who can try to seize $7 billion in Afghan central bank funds deposited at the New York Federal Reserve — money the Taliban now claims is theirs. The dispute stems from various lawsuits that groups of attack victims — the estates of those killed, along with their spouses, children and other relatives, and survivors who were injured — filed against Al Qaeda and others they said provided support to the terrorists, like the Taliban. When the defendants did not show up in court, the plaintiffs won default judgments years ago. Because there was no way to collect money from such defendants, the judgments that they were liable for the losses the plaintiffs had suffered seemed merely symbolic. But the collapse of the government of Afghanistan and the Taliban’s military takeover of that country have raised the possibility that they could seize the Afghan government funds in New York. This week, after The New York Times reported on such efforts by a group of about 150 relatives of Sept. 11 victims in a case known as Havlish, lawyers for other groups of Sept. 11 victims indicated they want to seek a share of the funds, too. Testiness between the legal teams is rising, letters filed in court show.”

Nigeria

Sahara Reporters: ISWAP Terrorists Abduct 15 Passengers, Including Aid Workers In Borno, Take Them Into Sambisa Forest

“At least 15 people have been reportedly kidnapped by gunmen suspected to be fighters of the Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP), near Gumsuri village in the Damboa Local Government Area of Borno State. The insurgents, who mounted a checkpoint and dressed in military camouflage, waylaid motorists and forcibly took them into Sambisa Forest, a source told Daily Trust. Some staff members of international non-governmental organisations were among the victims, the report revealed. The victims, said to be mostly young people, had reportedly left Damboa town for Adamawa on Wednesday. “It is unfortunate that the insurgents continue their nefarious activities on the fringe of Sambisa forests, we have received reports that ISWAP kidnapped at least 15 persons (passengers) near Gumsuri village while allowing two others to go. “They are desperate to recruit more people into their criminal activities. They deceived people because they dressed in military attire. It is sad and shocking,” a security source said. Five officials of the Borno State government had earlier been abducted by ISWAP terrorists. The victims who were supervising the construction of Chibok-Damboa Road, were forcefully taken away on Wednesday. The incident occurred near Wovi, a remote village in the Chibok Local Government Area of the state.”

All Africa: Nigeria: Why Bandits Were Declared Terrorists - Malami

“Attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice, Malam Abubakar Malami (SAN), has explained why the federal government took steps to secure a court order declaring bandits as terrorists. The AGF, however, said he was not aware that live ammunition were used on #EndSARS protesters at Lekki Tollgate in Lagos on October 20, 2021. Malami, who spoke last night on Channels Television programme: “Politics Today”, said cattle rustling, kidnapping and banditry were all connected to Boko Haram activities. He said, “The order has been procured declaring bandits as terrorists. It did not take long for us to take steps to declare them as terrorists, you see as far as insecurity is concerned in Nigeria, it has been a challenge that kept evolving. “When Boko Haram started, we took immediate step to proscribe them and declare them as terrorists and the order was obtained. “Cattle rustling, kidnapping and banditry in the Northwest were all part of Boko Haram activities. As you are taking steps to address security challenges, new ones are arising. As new challenges are evolving, we are taking steps to tackle them. Officially with the order of the court, the bandits are terrorist.” On the shooting at Lekki Tollgate, he said, “Whether citizens were armed or unarmed, I am not in a position to tell you but the responsibility of the government is to protect life and property of its citizens.”

Africa

Reuters: Two Soldiers Killed In Islamist Militant Attack In Northern Benin, Army Says

“Two soldiers were killed and several more wounded when Islamist militants attacked a border security post in northern Benin on Wednesday night, the army said. The raid in Porga region was the second in Benin this week. Islamist militants attacked an army patrol in the department of Alibori on Tuesday morning, army chief Colonel Fructueux Gbaguidi said in an internal statement on Thursday seen by Reuters. The army killed one jihadist in Tuesday's attack and another on Wednesday night, he said. An official statement by the army later confirmed the deaths and attributed the attacks to unidentified armed men. Militant attacks are rare in Benin, but groups linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State are active in its northern neighbours Burkina Faso and Niger and have made increasing incursions south. Islamist militant violence has ravaged much of West Africa's Sahel region, and states on the Gulf of Guinea have reinforced security to try to keep it at bay. “This new test reminds us in blood and pain that the danger on the ground is real,” Gbaguidi said in his note to officers. Benin had not reported an Islamist attack since 2019, when two French tourists were kidnapped in a national park and later taken by the militants into Burkina Faso. They were rescued by the French military.”

Deutsche Welle: Burkina Faso Caught Between Terror And Protests For Change

“A surge of Islamic militant violence in Burkina Faso is taking on a new dimension. The situation is particularly worrying in Nadiagou, located in the southeast, not far from the border with Benin and Togo. DW reported on how the al-Qaida-linked jihadist militia group JNIM, which originated in Mali, brought a town under its control for the first time. The men fled, the churches closed. Protesters are frustrated with the state's failure to stop the violence. “The jihadists control the village,” said a resident who fled to the capital Ouagadougou, but remained in contact with relatives, to DW. “Only women, children, and old people are left.” While this could not be officially confirmed, a reliable source in security circles corroborated the account. This development shows how easily militias appear to have spread their grip in the region. JNIM has carried out attacks in the north and northwest, while the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) is mainly active in the east and in the border region of neighboring Niger. “Our country is at war, and it is disappearing more and more. We have already lost a large part of the land,” said Ibrahima Maiga, who now lives in the United States and is a cofounder of the movement Sauvons le Burkina Faso (Save Burkina Faso).”

United Kingdom

The Independent: Man Convicted Of Glorifying Terrorist Actions Jailed For Seven-And-A-Half Years

“A “despicable” man who glorified terrorist acts by mass murderers online and encouraged terrorism has been jailed for seven-and-a-half years. Sam Imrie was convicted of two charges under separate Terrorism Acts and six other charges following a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh in October. He posted statements online suggesting he was going to livestream footage of “an incident” and posted footage pretending he had set fire to an Islamic centre. The 24-year-old, from Glenrothes, Fife, also posted statements on social media platform Telegram and on Facebook which glorified terrorist acts by convicted terrorists Anders Breivik and Brenton Tarrant and others. Imrie who had a photo of Hitler as his screensaver, also made offensive comments about the Muslim and Jewish communities, and uttered racial remarks, which the charge stated he did with the intention of encouraging acts of terrorism. Sentencing Imrie at the High Court in Glasgow on Thursday, Lord Mulholland said he was “spreading hate” and told him to use his time in jail to “remove hatred from your heart”. Imrie also posted statements online suggesting he was going to livestream footage of “an incident” and posted footage pretending he had set fire to an Islamic centre.”

BBC News: Two Men From Scotland Arrested At Dover On Terror Charges

“Two men have been arrested over terrorism offences after they were stopped at the port of Dover. The 44-year-old from Glasgow and a 40-year-old from Clydebank were stopped by counter terror officers while trying to leave the UK on Tuesday. After a search of the vehicle they were in, the pair were detained on suspicion of preparing acts of terrorism. Counter Terrorism Policing South East said a vehicle and several digital devices were seized. Searches of properties in Glasgow and Clydebank have taken place. The men have been bailed pending further inquiries.”

Australia

Daily Mail: 'Tiny Terrorist' Faked Making Progress In Jail's Deradicalisation Program So She Could Secretly Plan Another ISIS-Inspired Attack Behind Bars

“A convicted terrorist serving a four-decade sentence pretended a Victorian jail's deradicalisation program had worked so she could secretly plan another attack. Momena Shoma, nicknamed the Tiny Terrorist over an Islamic State-inspired stabbing attack on a homestay host in 2018, had another six years added to her sentence on Friday over a separate attack, taking the total to 48 years. She'll have to serve at least 36 years, meaning she won't be eligible for release until 2054. The 28-year-old used gardening shears to stab a Canadian inmate at the Dame Phyllis Frost women's prison in Melbourne last year. She had planned the attack for at least eight months while behind bars, before jumping on an opportunity after another prisoner left the shears unattended. Shoma took the shears from a laundry, hid them behind a newspaper and intended to stab the other prisoner in the neck as she lay on a couch reading. The other woman saw the shears as Shoma came toward her and was able to defend herself, though she suffered an injury to her hand. Other prisoners disarmed and restrained Shoma until she could be moved to a solitary confinement cell. When she initially believed she was going to be charged with assault over the attack, Shoma denied any involvement and refused to talk to police.”

Technology

Vice: The Taliban Are Banned By Facebook. Then Why Are They Allowed To Post?

“For years, Facebook has prohibited the Taliban from using its platform under its counter-terrorist and hate group community standards. Although the Taliban remains blocklisted, recently revealed internal memos show that the company has allowed certain exceptions, mostly for the armed group’s Ministry of Interior, following its takeover as the de facto government of Afghanistan. According to The Intercept, Facebook contradicted its own community standards under its “Dangerous Individuals and Organizations'' policy in late September. The community standard, which blocklists around 4,000 groups and individuals and removes content by alleged terrorists and organized hate groups, has been criticized for its vague and allegedly discriminatory implementation especially among marginalized groups. “Any community guideline or standard that a company has, such as the [one on] ‘Dangerous Individuals and Organizations’, needs to be very transparent around how exactly they have set this standard, about what kind of data they are using, who the dangerous individuals are and who are not,” Facebook’s Oversight Board member Nighat Dad told VICE World News. The memo obtained by The Intercept showed Facebook granted the Taliban government’s Ministry of Interior permission to post “important information about new traffic regulations” at the end of September.”

The Jerusalem Post: Meta Removes Over 140 Facebook Accounts Linked To Hamas

“Over 140 Facebook accounts, 79 pages, 13 groups and 21 Instagram accounts linked to the Hamas terrorist group were removed by Meta in November for “coordinated inauthentic behavior” (CIB), the company announced on Wednesday. The relevant accounts, pages and groups were being operated from the Gaza Strip and primarily targeted people in the Palestinian territories, and to a lesser extent in Egypt and Israel. The pages and groups were managed by fake accounts. Meta describes CIB as “coordinated efforts to manipulate public debate for a strategic goal where fake accounts are central to the operation.” When such efforts are discovered, the company removes both inauthentic and authentic accounts, pages and groups directly involved in the activity. According to Meta, some of the pages claimed to be operated by news entities and communities from the West Bank, Israel and Sinai Peninsula, while others claimed to be independent news pages in the Palestinian territories. The accounts primarily posted news stories, cartoons and memes in Arabic about current events in the region, including the postponed Palestinian election, criticism of Israeli defense policy, Fatah and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and supportive commentary about Hamas.”

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Personal note: Instability is constant - there is no peace on Earth.