Eye on Extremism - January 6, 2021

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Eye on Extremism - January 6, 2021
By: Counter Extremism Project - 01-06-21
Re: info@counterextremism.com

As of: January 6, 2021

Reuters: At Least 22 Killed In Eastern Congo Village

“At least 22 people were killed in an overnight raid on a village in a part of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo plagued by Islamist rebel attacks, local authorities said on Tuesday. The militants struck late on Monday, killing residents of Mwenda village with machetes and guns, its civil society leader Jeremi Mbweki said. He blamed the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan Islamist group which has emerged as the most lethal militia in Congo's eastern borderlands and is suspected of hacking to death at least 17 people in a nearby village last week. “Now we live in total fear, with no certainty about the future,” Mbweki said by phone. The administrator of Beni territory, Donat Kibwana, confirmed the death toll and said the ADF was responsible. More than 1,000 civilians were killed in attacks attributed to the ADF in 2019 and 2020, according to U.N. figures, despite repeated offensives by the army and U.N. peacekeepers against the group over the past decade. Nine more bodies were discovered on Monday in another village in the area - also victims of an alleged ADF attack, Kibwana said. Congo's eastern borderlands with Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi have been ravaged by attacks by militias, many formed of remnants of groups that fought in Congo's civil wars around the turn of the century.”

France 24: France Says Dozens Of Jihadists Killed In Weekend Mali Air Strike

“France said on Tuesday it had killed dozens of jihadists in a weekend air strike in central Mali, while several villagers and a local group said up to 20 wedding guests were killed by a helicopter. Social media has been buzzing with rumours since Sunday about events in Bounti, and villagers there told AFP that a wedding party was attacked by an unidentified helicopter. Separately, French military headquarters told AFP fighter jets had “neutralised” dozens of jihadists in central Mali after the group had been tracked for several days. “The reports relating to a wedding do not match the observations that were made,” an army spokesman told AFP. With no early statements from French or Malian officials, rumours filled the gap. Confirmation of reports is difficult in a remote area where many jihadists are thought to operate. Offensive aerial operations in Mali are mainly conducted by the Malian military or by the French anti-jihadist force Barkhane. Villagers in Bounti said a lone helicopter opened fire in broad daylight, sowing panic among a crowd gathered for a wedding. “It was run for your lives,” said Ahmadou Ghana, who said 19 people died, two of whom were his brothers, and several others were seriously wounded.”

United States

Slate: Proud Boys Leader Arrested And Charged With Burning D.C. Church’s Black Lives Matter Banner

“Police in Washington, D.C., arrested the leader of the far-right extremist group the Proud Boys on Monday afternoon in connection with last month’s burning of a Black Lives Matter banner taken from a historic Black church in the city. Authorities apprehended Enrique Tarrio, who lives in Miami, when he entered the city ahead of Wednesday’s scheduled rally among fellow far-right advocates of overturning the 2020 election in an effort to keep President Donald Trump in office. While the charge of destruction of property is a misdemeanor, prosecutors are also investigating whether actions of the 36-year-old Tarrio and the Proud Boys—a white nationalist, male-chauvinist organization—constitute a hate crime, which would carry additional penalties. The Proud Boys were part of the pro-Trump demonstration on Dec. 12 in the capital. Full of grievance and provocation, ultimately the Proud Boys got what they wanted that night, violence and chaos, as the event spiraled into street skirmishes with counterprotesters, including a stabbing. That night four churches in the district were vandalized, including Asbury United Methodist Church, which sits six blocks from the White House. The historic Black church’s Black Lives Matter banner was taken and burned.”

Syria

Voice Of America: Fighting Continues Over Flashpoint Town In Northern Syria

“A town in northern Syria is increasingly becoming a battleground between Turkish-backed groups and U.S.-backed forces amid fears of a new large-scale Turkish offensive in the area. In recent weeks, fighting around the northern town of Ain Issa has intensified with Turkish-backed Syrian militias carrying out attacks against U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The clashes have forced thousands of civilians in Ain Issa to flee their homes as nearby villages have already been caught in the crossfire. Ain Issa is largely controlled by the Kurdish-led SDF, a major U.S. partner in the fight against Islamic State (IS) terror group. But Russia, a staunch supporter of the Syrian government, has a significant military presence in the region. Kurdish military officials say Russia has been pressing them to hand over the town to Syrian government troops. “When we refused the latest Russian demand to withdraw from Ain Issa, the situation escalated with Turkey and its Syrian proxies waging attacks on our forces on a daily basis,” a senior SDF official told VOA. The official, who requested anonymity given the sensitivity of the topic, said that “Russia and Turkey seem to in agreement to remove us from Ain Issa and its surrounding areas.”

Iraq

Al Monitor: Iraq Regains Confidence In Dealing With Outlawed Militias

“Reports that Iraq has issued an arrest warrant for a member of a powerful armed group and arrested another have led to tentative hopes for the future of holding “outlaws” to account in the country, despite claims that some leaked documents were false. A planned protest on the first anniversary of the Jan. 3 assassination of Iranian Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani by US drone strike and the Iran-linked Iraqi commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis just outside the Baghdad airport failed to attract as many participants as had been expected. Concerns over threats about a major attack on US forces or interests as revenge for the assassination also did not materialize. One of Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi pledges when sworn in on May 6 following months of a government void and massive protests across southern and central Iraq was to bring all arms under state control. The extent toward which progress has been made on this front almost eight months later has been the subject of heated debate but has taken on greater urgency as the drawdown of US troops continues. Fewer foreign troops in the country is seen by some as a risk to Iraqi security, while others feel it is a positive step toward less “interference” in the country.”

Afghanistan

The Washington Post: Troubled Afghan-Taliban Peace Talks Resume Amid Violence, Accusations

“Afghan delegates flew to Qatar on Tuesday to reopen peace talks with Taliban leaders amid a rash of mutual recriminations, mixed signals from U.S. officials and a continued spate of assassinations targeting prominent civilians. Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. diplomat who brokered a separate U.S. deal with the Taliban in February, arrived in Kabul on Tuesday from Doha, the Qatari capital and Taliban political base. He tweeted that he hoped “both sides” would make “real compromises” that would lead to “tangible progress” in the talks, which began in September but have failed to address any major issues. While both Afghan and Taliban officials have issued recent statements saying they were committed to the talks and hoped to settle the 19-year conflict through discussions, their messages were tinged with anger and blame that boded ill for the new round. Some observers in Kabul predicted that the talks, which are resuming after a two-week holiday hiatus, would probably collapse. The “demand of Afghanistan’s people is that the bloodshed should end forever in this country,” Masoom Stanekzai, a former national intelligence chief who heads the Kabul delegation, said in a video posted Tuesday on Twitter.”

Al Monitor: Afghan Officials Skeptical Of Tehran's Offer To Send Iran-Led Militia To Fight Islamic State

“The Fatemiyoun Brigade, a militia of Afghan refugees created by Iran to fight in Syria, held a public symposium in the Iranian city of Mashhad in August 2020. According to online promotional material, the conference was held to highlight the group’s “ultimate aim” to “expel US forces from the region.” To policymakers and analysts in neighboring Afghanistan, the statement hit far too close to home. The country, which shares a 936-kilometer (582-mile) border with Iran, has been the theater of Washington’s longest-ever foreign incursion. Then, on Dec. 21, Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif appeared on Afghan television and put forth a disquieting offer to the Afghan government. “The Afghan government, if willing, can regroup [the Fatemiyoun]. … For the fight against Daesh and for the fight against terrorism and for the protection of Afghanistan security,” Zarif told TOLOnews, using the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State (IS). The offer came after Zarif said the Afghans were in Syria “voluntarily” and that the force numbered no more than 5,000 fighters. Both claims have been heavily reputed by Afghan politicians, families of former fighters and rights groups.”

Pakistan

Pakistan Today: Military Leadership Vows To Defeat Terrorists And Abettors

“The Pakistan Army leadership, in a meeting at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi on Tuesday, vowed that terrorists and their abettors would be “defeated at all costs”, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement. At the 238th Corps Commanders’ Conference, chaired by Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa, the army leadership reviewed the security situation in the country and the region with a “special focus on the situation along the borders, internal security and other professional matters of the army”. It also discussed the “ongoing security situation along the Line of Control (LoC), Working Boundary and eastern border”, the ISPR said. The army huddle paid “special tribute to all shuhada (martyrs) and their families” for their sacrifices for a “peaceful and secure Pakistan”, especially the martyrs in the recent incidents in Balochistan. “Their sacrifices won’t go [to] waste. Terrorists and their abettors will be defeated at all costs,” the statement added. Earlier this week, 11 coal miners belonging to the Shia Hazara community were shot dead in the Mach area of Balochistan after armed militants kidnapped them and took them to a nearby area before opening fire at close range. The militant Islamic State group or Daesh claimed responsibility for the killing.”

Middle East

The Jerusalem Post: Attempted Terror Attack At Gush Etzion Junction Thwarted

“The IDF thwarted a terror attack at the West Bank's Gush Etzion junction, with a security guard killing a Palestinian man who had thrown a knife at him near the bus stop across from the entrance to the shopping mall on Tuesday. According to an IDF spokesperson unit statement, a security guard that was present at the scene spotted the suspect and together with an IDF soldier started the IDF procedure when encountering a suspect - which includes shooting to the air. The suspect then threw his knife at the security guard, who responded by shooting him and neutralizing him, the IDF said. No other injuries were reported. Following the attack, Israel Police briefly closed route 367 to all traffic. The Palestinian Authority's Ministry of Health reported that Ahed Abdel Rahman Ekhleel, 25, from the village of Bet Ummar had been killed in the afternoon during an incident with the IDF. Gush Etzion Regional head Shlomo Neeman came to the scene after the incident stating that, “The attempted terror attack finished as it should. Any attempt at carrying out a terror attack in the State of Israel, should end without casualties and with the terrorist dead.” He added, “To our enemies we say that they don’t really scare us, and certainly will not weaken the mission of the residents of Judea and Samaria.”

Nigeria

Daily Trust: Nigeria: Civilians Flee Homes As Boko Haram Attack Another Village In Borno

“Hundreds of civilians are fleeing their homes following an attack by suspected Boko Haram insurgents on a community in Askira/Uba local government area of Borno state on Tuesday. It was learnt that the deadly groups are currently setting houses ablaze at Womdeo village in Askira/Uba council of Borno state. According to a fleeing resident, Musa Ishaiku, he said hundreds of residents “are currently taking refuge in the bushes and hills without knowing the whereabouts of their love ones.” “They came at about 6:30 pm and started shooting from all angles, there was confusion as many parents could not find their children, we are on the hill now. Watching how are they currently burning down our houses.” Musa stated. Another resident, Steve Mamza said that the insurgents came in hundreds to attack the community. “As I am speaking with you they are still in Womdeo village, walking free for about two hours now. Many of our people have fled to the adjoining community for safety. Our village is under attacks by Boko Haram.” Mamza added. As of the time of filing this report, the military was yet to confirm or deny the incident.”

Christian Post: Nigeria’s Christians Trapped Between COVID-19 And Terrorism, Human Rights Leader Says

“The combination of COVID-19 and the rise in terrorist activity in Nigeria has left Christians in that country in peril, said Nigerian human rights group leader Dalyop Solomon. “Life became very, very brutish. You will wish you had not been born in this part of the world. There was no way out. There was no way out,” the CEO of the Emancipation Centre for Crisis Victims in Nigeria told The Christian Post. “Behind us are the Egyptians, in front of us is the Red Sea.” Nigeria’s government has advised Christians to stay in their homes to avoid COVID-19, said Solomon. But if they remain locked down at home, they cannot escape when groups of terrorists attack them. The government fails to respond to these attacks, which have increased in frequency across Nigeria. In 2020, human rights groups estimated that over 2,200 Christians were murdered by radical Islamist militants. “Prior to this time, the attacks were only concentrated in a few communities, but we can see now it has become very pervasive. Only a few states were not touched by terror attacks. They have expanded the attacks to become land grabs,” he said. The attacks during the pandemic are also having long-term consequences. Many Nigerians rely on farming to survive. Since radical Fulani militants often destroy or plunder crops when they attack, farmers' livelihoods are destroyed, said Solomon.”

Mali

BBC News: Sahel Conflict: France Rejects Reports Of Airstrike On Mali Wedding

“Reports from Mali say more than 20 people, including children, were killed when an airstrike hit a wedding party in a remote village at the weekend. Residents of Bounti, in the central Mopti region, said a helicopter opened fire on the ceremony on Sunday. The French military, which has troops in the region, said it carried out a strike on jihadist militants in central Mali, but that no wedding was involved. Five French soldiers have been killed in attacks in Mali in recent days. On Tuesday, France said a military operation - involving an airstrike and carried out after detailed research and days of tracking individuals - had killed dozens of Islamist insurgents in the region. A spokesman for the French military, who was not named, told AFP news agency that “reports relating to a wedding do not match the observations that were made”. Villagers in Bounti said a low-flying helicopter, which has not been identified, carried out the strike in broad daylight. Ahmadou Ghana said two of his brothers were killed. “It was run for your lives,” he said, according to AFP.”

Africa

Arab News: Pompeo Signs Order Removing Sudan From Terror Sponsors List

“US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Tuesday that he had signed an order to remove Sudan from the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism following months of negotiations. He also vowed to “ensure compensation for American victims of terrorism and their families.” The US formally removed Sudan’s state sponsor of terrorism designation on Dec 14, 2020, 27 years after putting the country on its blacklist, the US Embassy in Khartoum announced. “Once in a generation opportunity for freedom — huge benefits,” Pompeo said in a tweet. Washington once labeled Khartoum a hub of the “axis of evil,” but relations between the US and Sudan have warmed since ex-president Omar Bashir was ousted last year. In 1993, the US put Sudan on its blacklist of countries it accuses of supporting terrorism.”

United Kingdom

Yahoo News: 'Far-Right' Extremist Jailed For Threatening To Shoot MP Who Backed Second Brexit Vote

“A far-right extremist has been jailed for threatening to shoot and kill North East MP Bridget Phillipson over her support for a second Brexit referendum. Colin Brown, who was mentally unwell and had a previous conviction for verbally abusing council staff, said he wanted to make an example of Phillipson, who represents Houghton and Sunderland South. Brown also threatened to “hurt” Sunderland Central MP Julie Elliott and said politicians needed “shooting”. He had previously “expressed support” for the murder of MP Jo Cox by a far-right killer and warned he would drive a car into a mosque in a bid to target Muslims. A judge jailed Brown for 18 months on Tuesday, saying the length of the term should act as a “deterrent to others who seek to poison democratic and political debate by threatening those who disagree with you”. Phillipson described Brown’s threats as “very worrying and distressing” and added: “I work hard to serve my community. I am concerned for the safety of myself, my family and my staff. “Due to the repeated nature and violence involved in the threats towards me I am fearful he may carry out his threats. “My role in the community puts me in contact with members of the public on a regular basis, at public forums and surgeries.”

The Guardian: Man Viewed Extreme Isis Content Before Reading Knife Attack, Court Hears

“A man who stabbed three people to death in a minute in an alleged terrorist rampage had viewed material about a notorious Isis killer, a court has heard. Khairi Saadallah murdered three men in a park in Reading on 20 June as they enjoyed a summer’s evening. A hearing at the Old Bailey to determine if the attacks were terrorist acts and therefore subject to a higher sentence, was told that Saadallah viewed extremist material in the days before the attack and had a longstanding interest in extremism. It also heard that Saadallah, 26, bought the knife from a supermarket the day before the stabbing spree in which he stabbed three people to death, wounded three others, and shouted: “Allahu Akbar”. He has already admitted to three murders and three attempted murders at an earlier hearing. The hearing was told Saadallah had in 2019 accessed material on his mobile phone about Mohammed Emwazi , the Isis propagandist seen in videos taunting victims before killing them, and two days before the attack had accessed a website with the flag associated with Isis, which had staged numerous attacks against western targets. The prosecutor, Alison Morgan QC, said Saadallah, who was from Libya, believed the murders were an act of holy war.”

Europe

Vice: Far-Right Extremists Charged Over Alleged Bomb And Poison Terror Plot In Poland

“Two alleged right-wing extremists have been charged with plotting a Christchurch-style terror attack on a mosque to “prevent the Islamisation of Poland,” the country’s security agency has said. Stanisław Żaryn, a spokesperson for Poland’s Internal Security Agency, said the attack was intended to be carried out with explosives against “a specific religious object of the Islamic community,” understood to be a mosque. He added the accused also planned to use poisonous substances in the attack. Żaryn said the accused both held right-wing extremist views, with one having made public calls to “exterminate” Muslims, and the second having written a manifesto outlining his Islamophobic views, calling for migrants to be hounded by hooligans and intimidated with firearms and explosives … “These plots are rare in Poland, to say the least,” Kacper Rekawek, an affiliated researcher at the Counter Extremism Project, told VICE World News. He believed the reason for this was that, unlike Western European countries like Germany, where the governments took a more welcoming stance towards migrants, the prevailing mood in Poland and other Central and Eastern European countries was sharply against the new arrivals. “For the whole of Central and Eastern Europe, when the migrant crisis erupted, I would say that anti-migrant sentiment was the dominant sentiment in the region,” he said.”

Technology

NBC News: Violent Threats Ripple Through Far-Right Internet Forums Ahead Of Protest

“Online forums popular with conservatives and far-right activists have been filled in recent days with threats and expectations of violence ahead of a planned protest in Washington on Wednesday to coincide with congressional certification of the election. In anticipation of possible violence, Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser has asked residents to stay away from the downtown area where protesters will be marching. Every city police officer will be on duty, and the National Guard has been mobilized. “In regards to the protests planned for January 6th, the violent rhetoric we're seeing online is at a new level,” said Daniel J. Jones, president of Advance Democracy Inc., a global research organization that studies disinformation and extremism. “There are endorsements of violence across all of the platforms.” A new report from Advance Democracy chronicled a wide variety of posts about the protests, including many that anticipated violence from other groups and called for people to arm themselves. On Twitter, QAnon-related accounts posted conspiracy theories alleging that Black Lives Matter and antifa activists were going to kill supporters of President Donald Trump at the protest and suggested that protesters arm themselves Wednesday, calling it “Independence Day.”