Eye on Extremism - 03-10-21

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Eye on Extremism - 03-10-21
By: Counter Extremism Project
Re: info@counterextremism.com

Eye on Extremism - as of March 10, 2021:

Reuters: Biden Reviewing Trump's Listing Of Cuba As Terrorism Sponsor -White House

“President Joe Biden’s administration is reviewing former President Donald Trump’s last-minute decision to designate Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism but a broader Cuba policy shift is not currently among Biden’s top priorities, the White House said on Tuesday. White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the administration is in no rush for major gestures toward Communist-ruled Cuba, despite hopes for a softer approach after Trump rolled back historic Obama-era détente with Havana. Her remarks provided public confirmation of comments made last week by a senior White House official who told Reuters on condition of anonymity that Cuba policy was not among the top issues that Biden was focused on for now. “A Cuba policy shift is not currently among President Biden’s top priorities,” Psaki told reporters at a daily briefing. “But we are committed to making human rights a core pillar of our U.S. policy and we are committed to carefully reviewing policy decisions made in the prior administration, including the decision to designate Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism,” she said.”

The Hill: French Schoolgirl Lied About Teacher Who Was Beheaded In Terror Attack

“A French schoolgirl admitted to lying about her teacher almost five months after a social media campaign spread the lies around the world and the teacher died in a terror attack, Sky News reported. The girl, who has not been named, said she lied about her teacher asking Muslim students to leave the classroom before showing cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad that were in a satirical magazine, French paper Le Parisien first reported. “She lied because she felt trapped in a spiral because her classmates had asked her to be a spokesperson,” the girl’s lawyer Mbeko Tabula told AFP news agency. She reportedly lied to her father and said she was suspended for disagreeing with her teacher, Samuel Paty, for showing the images in the free speech class. However, she was never at class that day and was actually suspended the day before for missing too much school. The girl’s father believed her daughter’s lies and started a social media campaign against Paty. After the campaign became popular, Paty was murdered and beheaded by Abdullah Anzorov. Paty’s family lawyer responded to the new information saying the family already knew the girl wasn’t in class that day so they would have known she was lying, BBC reported.”

United States

NBC News: Anti-Asian Hate Crimes Increased By Nearly 150% In 2020, Mostly In N.Y. And L.A., New Report Says

“An analysis of police department statistics has revealed that the United States experienced a significant hike in anti-Asian hate crimes last year across major cities. The analysis released by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino, this month examined hate crimes in 16 of America’s largest cities. It revealed that while such crimes in 2020 decreased overall by 7 percent, those targeting Asian people rose by nearly 150 percent. Karthick Ramakrishnan, founder and director of demographic data and policy research nonprofit AAPI Data, told NBC Asian America that while the uptick cannot be entirely attributed to the Trump administration’s incendiary, racist rhetoric about the coronavirus, he believes former President Donald Trump’s wielding of the fact that the virus originated in China and repeated elevation of the “China virus” rhetoric did play a part in fostering hate. “What Trump did is that he weaponized it in a way,” Ramakrishnan said. “Trump's rhetoric helps set a certain narrative in place — and presidents have an outsized role in terms of shaping narrative. They don't call it a bully pulpit for nothing, and especially Trump, the way he frequently used Twitter as well as press conferences and off-the-cuff remarks to campaign rallies to frame the narrative in a particular way, it likely played a role.”

Eurasia Review: The Threat Of Violence Caused By White Supremacy Extremists, Anarchists And Antifa In Us – Analysis

“Recent decades have seen the United States experience new waves of violence perpetrated by White Supremacy Extremists, Anarchist Extremists, and Anti-fascists (Antifa) that have resulted in property damage, as well as the deaths of countless innocent persons. These terrorist activities are linked to various triggers, including political, racial, or religious positions. Among others, extremist philosophies exalt a specific group’s supremacy and resist a more inclusive and modern society. For instance, white supremacists perceive themselves as better than others. Extremism presents different but linked challenges for new communities, including the growth of violent extremism and outreach throughout national boundaries and the power of increasing multi-cultural and diverse societies. The notion of white supremacy supposes the white race ranks above all other races drawing on functions protected in the Constitution, which sees a broad group of racist hate-centered organizations active in the United States, such as racist skinheads and the Ku Klux Klan. The Counter-Terrorism Project (n.d) alleges white supremacists subscribe to neo-Nazi beliefs that the whites are superior to other races.”

Syria

The Straits Times: ISIS' Wanton Destruction Of Syria's Heritage Leaves Lasting Trauma

“A decade of war has not only destroyed Syria's present and poisoned its future, it has also damaged beyond repair some of its fabled past. Syria was an archaeologist's paradise, a world heritage home to some of the oldest and best-preserved jewels of ancient civilisations. The conflict that erupted in 2011 is arguably the worst of the 21st century so far on a humanitarian level, but the wanton destruction of heritage was possibly the worst in generations. In a few years, archaeological sites were damaged, museums were looted and old city centres were levelled. Standing in front of a restored artefact in the Palmyra museum he ran for 20 years, Mr Khalil al-Hariri remembers the trauma of having to flee the desert city and its treasures as they fell into the hands of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group. “I have lived many difficult days. We were besieged several times in the museum,” he said, recounting how he and his team stayed behind as late as possible to ferry artefacts to safety. “But the most difficult day of my life was the day I returned to Palmyra and saw the broken antiquities and the museum in shambles,” said Mr Hariri, now 60 years old. “They broke and smashed all the faces of statues that remained in the museum... Some of them can be restored, but others have completely crumbled.”

Iraq

Arab News: Airstrike Kills 10 Daesh Militants In Nineveh, North Of Iraq

“A US-led coalition airstrike destroyed a site housing Daesh militants in northern of Iraq on Tuesday. A second strike hit a large tunnel used by the extremists in Saladin province, north of Baghdad. International Coalition for Operation Inherent Resolve said it carried out the action in support of the Iraqi military. The operation destroyed a hideout containing 10 militants at Mount Adaya, Nineveh province. Iraqi security forces then searched the area and killed two Daesh militants wearing explosive belts, the country’s state news agency INA reported. The operations were confirmed by Iraqi Ministry of Defense spokesman Yehia Rasool. “Together, we remain united to defeat Daesh,” the coalition said.”

Arab News: Renewed Daesh Threat Must Be Taken Seriously



“The chances of Daesh returning to Iraq this year are growing increasingly likely, with the possibility of an armed campaign by this terror group not being ruled out by strategic experts. Daesh is very active because it wants to avenge its 2017 defeats in Syria and Iraq. It is utilizing the fact that the focus of many governments around the world is on terminating the coronavirus epidemic, allowing it to infiltrate societies and attempt to regain what it previously lost both territorially and strategically. Daesh exploits any sense of deprivation among Muslim youths. It uses sophisticated and lucrative methods of recruitment. It reaches millions through its online propaganda. Unfortunately, reports by American intelligence agencies confirm the resilience of the group. Daesh’s counterstrategy to diffuse the effects of the global war against terrorism has been to be patient and take advantage of any security lapse in the Arab and Muslim worlds. It did this in Sinai, Egypt, after the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak in February 2011. The group has created movable bases, with its logistical capabilities allowing its fighters to hide in the areas from which they were expelled and then slowly re-establish themselves in regions adjacent to where they founded their so-called caliphate.”

Al Monitor: At Least One Killed In Baghdad Explosion

“An explosion in the Iraqi capital Baghdad left one dead and several people injured on Monday. A hand grenade exploded at a garbage dump near Al-Aimmah bridge, the prime minister office’s security media division said in a series of tweets. One woman died and eight people were injured and transported to the hospital. Three of the injured required emergency surgery, according to the division. The bombing targeted a group of visitors to the area who were commemorating the life of the eighth century Imam Musa al-Kadhim, the state-owned Iraqi Media Network reported. Shiite Muslims remember Kadhim’s life every year. No group immediately claimed credit for the attack and the government did not offer further details. The Islamic State (IS) carried out a bombing in Baghdad in January that left 32 people dead. IS no longer holds territory in Iraq, but continues to operate throughout the country.”

Afghanistan

Radio Free Europe: Local Tajiks On Afghan Border Trained To Defend Against 'Taliban Attack'

“Villagers in southern Tajikistan along the border with war-torn Afghanistan have been told they should be prepared “to take up arms” if militants try to enter the region. Local authorities in the Tajik district of Shamsiddin Shohin have held meetings with residents -- including army reservists and hunters -- to discuss the situation, Governor Pochokhon Zarifzoda says. “In coordination with the police and intelligence departments, we've registered all hunters who live in the border areas. They will have to take up arms to defend our country. In fact, all of us will have to take up weapons if the situation dictates,” Zarifzoda said in an official meeting on March 6. Similar warnings are being issued in other Tajik districts near the mountainous border, which is marked by the Panj River. Authorities, however, have not provided any details about their plans to train the men who they say could be given weapons to help defend the border. It comes as fighting between the Afghan National Army and the Taliban and other insurgent groups has intensified in areas close to Tajikistan in recent months. Adding to concerns in Dushanbe, Afghan officials have warned that there are many Tajik nationals fighting with the militants.”

Nigeria

Sahara Reporters: 25 Killed As Soldiers, Boko Haram Clash In Borno

“No fewer than 25 suspected terrorists and two soldiers died on Monday when troops of the Special Forces Brigade in Borno State engaged Boko Haram members in a gun battle at Chikingudu, a community in the Marte Local Government Area of the state. According to a military signal seen by SaharaReporters on Tuesday, seven soldiers also sustained injuries while fighting the insurgents. About 25 AK-47 rifles, three anti-aircraft guns, three general purpose machine guns, two automatic grenade launchers (AGL), and two gun trucks, among other arms and ammunition were also recovered by troops. The signal read, “Sequel to elements of 402SF Bde encounter with BHTs on 8 Mar 21, additional details indicated that SF troops cleared Missene (an abandoned village where BHTs {Boko Haram terrorists} assemble to attack Marte and Dikwa, etc.), Hausari and Chukun Gudu villages in Marte LGA. “Troops made contact with the enemy 3km from Chukun Gudu as apparently a top Amir had his family and assets in Chukun Gudu. The SF troops engaged them stoutly. Casualties on troops are 2KIA and 7WIA.”

United Kingdom

BBC News: Manchester Arena Attack: 'Chaotic' Response After Bomb Blast

“A “chaotic” response to the Manchester Arena bombing was the result of fire crews being “starved of information”, a public inquiry has heard. Andy Dark, assistant general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, said his members were ready to “muck in”. But he said Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service failed to respond properly to the terror attack due to a breakdown in communications. Crews were left feeling “humiliated”, he said. Mr Dark told the inquiry in Manchester: “The key problem I think for the fire and rescue service on the night was being starved of information and, to an extent, not accessing information by other means.” Suicide bomber Salman Abedi killed 22 and injured hundreds more when he detonated a device in the City Room foyer at the Arena on 22 May 2017. Earlier, the inquiry, which is examining the emergency response to the attack, was told the fire service had crews ready to go in that were trained in operating in terror incidents and treating casualties, which could have saved lives. Despite some firefighters being close enough to hear the bomb go off, fire crews did not attend until their bosses eventually gave the green light to go in two hours later.”

India

Al Jazeera: 127 Indian Muslims Charged With ‘Terror’ Acquitted After 19 Years

“On the night of December 26, 2001, Mohammad Abdul Hai boarded a train from Jodhpur in northwestern India’s Rajasthan state to Surat city in neighbouring Gujarat to attend a three-day seminar on Muslim education. The seminar was organised by the All India Minority Education Board, of which Hai – then an associate professor at Jodhpur’s Jai Narain Vyas University – was a member. The three-day event was expected to be attended by nearly 400 Muslim scholars, activists and community leaders from across India. Hai was excited about the seminar. But little did he know that the event was going to change his life forever and soon he would not only be called a “terrorist” and “anti-national” but will have to spend the next 14 months in jail. The next day at approximately 11pm, police arrived at Rajeshree Hall, a closed film theatre in Surat, where Hai and 120 others attending the seminar were staying. Police arrested all of them under various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), a stringent anti-terror law, and charged them with being members of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and for organising the meeting to “promote and expand” SIMI’s activities.”