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Arrow Eye on Extremism / March 25, 2019

Eye on Extremism / March 25, 2019
By: The Counter Extremism Project - 3/25/19
RE: info@counterextremism.com

The New York Times: ISIS Lost Its Last Territory In Syria. But The Attacks Continue.

“The Islamic State lost its last foothold in Syria on Saturday after years of fighting. But the terrorist group remains a serious, violent threat. Many of its top leaders are still alive. And it continues to carry out attacks, including one in January that killed 15 people, including four Americans, outside a shawarma restaurant in the city of Manbij, Syria. After a period of relative calm early last year, the United States-led coalition has ramped up strikes against ISIS in Syria since August. In April, Trump said: “I want to bring our troops back home. It’s time. We were very successful against ISIS.” By nearly every metric, the Islamic State is at its lowest point in the almost five years since it declared its caliphate. The group controls no territory in Iraq and Syria, attacks are down and the number of foreign fighters it continues to recruit is a fraction of what it was at its height. But analysts who have studied ISIS since its rise in Iraq more than 15 years ago point out that the group is far more powerful today than it was when American forces pulled out of Iraq in 2011. ISIS has adapted to its losses, returning to the guerilla tactics it used in the past, like targeted assassinations, bombings, ambushes and raids. The group still has tens of thousands of fighters in Iraq and Syria, according to United States Army General Joseph Votel. Territory that has been liberated remains insecure, as sleeper cells take root.”

NPR: Leading Anti-Terror Technologist Says Suspend Facebook Live Following Mosque Shootings

“CEP Senior Advisor Dr. Hany Farid discusses the failure of Facebook to prevent more than 300,000 copies of the New Zealand massacre video from being reuploaded. "The repeated uploading is an absolute failure and its inexcusable because we have the technology to stop it. And if your technology isn't working, then you haven't innovated enough. You can't claim this is hard problem, it's the same video. It's the same video, how can this be that hard of a problem? I simply don't buy that argument.”

The Atlantic: All ISIS Has Left Is Money. Lots Of It.

“If you’re looking to transfer money here, there’s a chance you will be directed to Abu Shawkat. He works out of a small office in a working-class suburb of the Lebanese capital, but won’t give you its exact location. Instead, he’ll direct you to a nearby alleyway, and whether he shows up depends on whether he likes the look of you. Abu Shawkat—not his real name—is part of the hawala system, which is often used to transfer cash between places where the banking system has broken down or is too expensive for some to access. If he agrees to do business, you’ll set a password and he will take your cash, then provide you with the contact information of a hawala broker in the city where your money is headed. Anyone who offers that specific password to that particular broker will get the funds. Thus, cash can travel across borders without any inquiry into who is sending or receiving it, or its purpose. In the case of neighboring Syria, U.S.- and British-funded projects have sent millions of dollars into the country using the hawala system, humanitarian organizations use it to pay staff, and Syrians working abroad depend on it to get money to impoverished relatives.”

The Independent:

Neo-Nazi Groups Allowed To Stay On Facebook Because They ‘Do Not Violate Community Standards’

“Neo-Nazi groups have been allowed to remain on Facebook because the social media giant found they did not violate its “community standards”, it has been revealed. Counter Extremism Project report, seen exclusively by The Independent, showed the same response was received for chapters of Be Active Front USA, a racist skinhead group, and the neo-Nazi British Movement. Hans-Jakob Schindler, senior director of the Counter Extremism Project (CEP), said Facebook and other platforms were allowing hate groups to “network and build echo chambers worldwide. But the company’s business model is content on the platform, not content off the platform, [so] unless there is clear, sustained public pressure on the right-wing extremism issue, we will not see significant progress." Mr Schindler called for legal regulation, as the British government prepares to publish a white paper on tackling “online harms.”

BBC: Seven Injured As Gaza Rocket Hits Home In Central Israel

“Seven people have been injured after a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip hit a house in central Israel, officials say. The rocket came down at 05:25 local time (03:25 GMT) in Mishmeret, 20km (12 miles) north of the city of Tel Aviv. This is the furthest a Palestinian rocket has reached in Israel since the 2014 conflict with militants in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is cutting short a trip to the US over the incident, has vowed to respond with force. So far no-one has said they carried out the attack. The Israeli military accused the militant group Hamas, which controls Gaza, but a Hamas official said it had "no interest" in doing so. A week and a half ago, two rockets were launched towards Tel Aviv and nobody was hurt. The Israeli military responded with dozens of air strikes across Gaza, which injured four people. Hamas and Israeli officials later said those rockets had been fired "by mistake.”

Al Jazeera: Pompeo Tells Lebanon To Choose Hezbollah Or Independence

“A seven-minute media address by United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday was dominated by his country's preoccupation with Hezbollah and, in effect, its patron Iran. Pompeo read out his statement during his visit to Beirut as his Lebanese counterpart Gebran Bassil watched with an unwavering gaze. The top US diplomat minced no words while declaring the intentions of President Donald Trump's administration to take on Hezbollah for its “criminal activities and terrorist network” albeit by “peaceful means”. Referring to a recent televised speech by Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, Pompeo claimed success of US sanctions against the group, saying “Nasrallah begged for contributions”. Trump has reversed his predecessor Barack Obama's Middle East policy, abandoning the much-hailed 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and reimposing sanctions. The US has since imposed additional sanctions on Hezbollah as well. Bassil's address took on a different tone to Pompeo's, however, with the foreign minister reaffirming that Hezbollah is not a terrorist organisation, has a large support base and is part of Lebanon's national unity government.”

United States

BBC News: Trump Hails Fall Of Islamic State 'Caliphate' In Syria

“US President Donald Trump welcomed the fall of the Islamic State group's five-year “caliphate,” but warned that the terror group remained a threat. Mr Trump's remarks came after Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) raised victory flags in the Syrian town of Baghuz, IS's last stronghold. He said the US would “remain vigilant until [IS] is finally defeated”. Despite losing territory in Syria and Iraq, IS remains active in countries from Nigeria to the Philippines. At its height, the group controlled 88,000 sq km (34,000 sq miles) across Syria and Iraq. After five years of fierce battle, though, local forces backed by world powers left IS with all but a few hundred square metres near Syria's border with Iraq. On Saturday, the long-awaited announcement came from the SDF that it had seized that last IS territory. Western leaders hailed the announcement but emphasised that IS was still a danger. “We will remain vigilant... until it is finally defeated wherever it operates,” Mr Trump said in a statement. French President Emmanuel Macron said “the threat remains and the fight against terrorist groups must continue.” UK Prime Minister Theresa May welcomed the “historic milestone” but said her government remained “committed to eradicating [IS's] poisonous ideology.”

The Wall Street Journal: Omani Ports Give U.S. Navy Greater Control Over Strategic Waterway Near Iran

“The U.S. signed an agreement with Oman that gives its navy access to two Arabian Sea ports, allowing American warships and aircraft carriers greater control over a strategic international waterway threatened by nearby Iran. The Omani ports of Duqm and Salalah are located just outside the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow outlet through which about a fifth of the world’s oil trade exits the Persian Gulf. Tehran has often said it would block the channel in retaliation for U.S. sanctions that are hurting its economy. The access agreement was signed in Muscat on Sunday by U.S. Ambassador to Oman Marc J. Sievers, and Mohammed bin Nasser al-Rasbi, secretary-general of the Omani Ministry of Defense. It has been in the works for about six years, a U.S. official said. The U.S. Embassy in Muscat said the agreement “reaffirms the commitment of both countries to promoting mutual security goals.”

The Daily Star: US Ready To Impose New Hezbollah Sanctions If Needed: Pompeo

“U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in an interview with MTV news channel Saturday that his country was prepared to use all the “peaceful tools” available, including imposing more sanctions, to curb the influence of Hezbollah in Lebanon.”

Syria

The New York Times: ISIS Caliphate Crumbles As Last Village In Syria Falls

“A four-year military operation to flush the Islamic State from its territory in Iraq and Syria ended on Saturday as the last village held by the terrorist group was retaken, erasing a militant theocracy that once spanned two countries. Cornered in Baghuz, Syria, the last 1.5-square-mile remnant of the group’s territory in the region, the remaining militants waged a surprisingly fierce defense and kept the American-backed coalition at bay for months. They detonated car bombs and hurled explosives from drones. Suicide bombers ran across the front line under cover of darkness to attack the sleeping quarters of the coalition. In the last weeks, the militants’ families fled for their lives, their black-clad wives streaming into the desert by the tens of thousands. Some of them defiantly chanted Islamic State slogans and lobbed fistfuls of dirt at reporters. But after a grueling campaign, the last speck of land was finally wrested from the Islamic State. “This is a big moment not just for us, but for all of the world,” said Kino Gabriel, a spokesman for the Syrian Democratic Forces, which led the operation. “But we cannot say that ISIS is finished. It is true that they are finished on the ground as a standing army. But the ISIS threat remains around the globe.”

The New York Times: ISIS Caliphate Crumbles As Last Village In Syria Falls

“A four-year military operation to flush the Islamic State from its territory in Iraq and Syria ended on Saturday as the last village held by the terrorist group was retaken, erasing a militant theocracy that once spanned two countries. Cornered in Baghuz, Syria, the last 1.5-square-mile remnant of the group’s territory in the region, the remaining militants waged a surprisingly fierce defense and kept the American-backed coalition at bay for months. They detonated car bombs and hurled explosives from drones. Suicide bombers ran across the front line under cover of darkness to attack the sleeping quarters of the coalition. In the last weeks, the militants’ families fled for their lives, their black-clad wives streaming into the desert by the tens of thousands. Some of them defiantly chanted Islamic State slogans and lobbed fistfuls of dirt at reporters. But after a grueling campaign, the last speck of land was finally wrested from the Islamic State.”

Voice Of America: Displaced Syrians Deny Claims That US Detains Them In Al-Tanf Camp

“Internally displaced people at Rukban refugee camp in southeastern Syria are rejecting a claim by Russia and the Syrian regime that they are being used as human shields by the U.S. troops near al-Tanf military base. Rukban refugee camp is located in a remote area in Syria's Homs governorate, near the strategic joint border with Jordan and Iraq. The makeshift camp is home to nearly 60,000 Syrians displaced from different areas of the country since the escalation of the country's civil war in 2014. About 16 kilometers from Rukban is a U.S. military base hosting about 200 American soldiers. "The refugees in Rukban camp are suffering because of the Russian siege," Omar al-Homsi, a spokesperson for Rukban camp, told VOA. Reiterating a statement from Rukban camp's political committee last week, al-Homsi accused the Syrian government and the Russian military of "trying to force refugees to evacuate the camp by preventing aid from going inside the camp.”

The New York Times: The Islamic State Has Not Been Defeated

“The Islamic State’s territorial rule has ended. On Saturday, the Syrian Democratic Forces, a United States-backed group, announced that the final sliver of territory under the jihadist group’s control had fallen. Even before this news, President Trump has rushed to declare “mission accomplished” in Syria. Yet as the United States has learned before, rhetoric cannot block out reality. And the reality is that it is premature, reckless even, to pen the Islamic State’s obituary. Although the group has been dealt a hard blow, ideologically and operationally the organization is degraded, not defeated, and its extremist network still functions. This is not to say that the Islamic State is invincible, but so long as the causes that gave rise to the extremist group are permitted to persist — the broken politics in the Arab and Islamic world, the fraying and delegitimization of state institutions, as well as ongoing geostrategic rivalries and foreign interventions — there will be opportunities for the Islamic State and like-minded groups to rebound. This is not hyperbole. A key insight from the movement’s recent history should be how it has proved resilient, adaptive and resourceful, tapping into the deep sense of outrage and injustice felt by Sunni Muslims in Iraq, Syria and beyond.”

The Wall Street Journal: Islamic State’s Caliphate Is Gone, But Not Its Violent Extremism

“The collapse of Islamic State’s caliphate has delivered a crushing blow to the extremist group, but the conditions that nourished that insurgency and others in war-shattered Syria and Iraq remain perilously in place. Islamic State rose more than a decade ago from the ruins of Iraq by using public anger over poor governance, poverty and sectarian strife to draw recruits from marginalized communities. Iraq’s lawlessness offered fertile terrain for the insurgency to spread. After five years of war against the group in Iraq and Syria, the caliphate is gone, now that U.S.-backed Syrian forces have captured the militants’ last desert holdout in eastern Syria. And yet seedbeds of extremism remain in both countries, even after the military campaigns aimed at uprooting Islamic State. “If you really want to hammer a nail in the coffin of ISIS in Iraq and Syria, you need to rebuild devastated societies, and help them reconcile,” said Fawaz Gerges, professor of Middle Eastern politics at the London School of Economics and author of “The Rise and Fall of al Qaeda.” President Trump has said the defeat of the group allows for the 2,000 U.S. troops in Syria to leave.”

Asharq Al-Awsat: ISIS Militants Emerge from Tunnels to Surrender

“Dozens of ISIS militants emerged from tunnels to surrender to US-backed forces in eastern Syria on Sunday, a day after their so-called “caliphate” was declared defeated. “They are ISIS militants who came out of tunnels and surrendered today,” AFP quoted Kurdish spokesman Jiaker Amed as saying. “Some others could still be hiding inside,” said Amed. An AFP reporter saw dozens of people -- mostly men -- file out of the battered militant encampment in the remote village of Baghouz near the Iraqi border to board pickup trucks. A spokesman for the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, Jikar Azad, told Russia Today that the number of the ISIS militants who surrendered is between 60 and 90. ISIS took large swathes of Iraq and Syria from 2014, imposing a reign of terror with public beheadings and attacks by supporters abroad - but it was eventually beaten back to Baghouz. SDF general commander Mazloum Abdi told a victory ceremony on Saturday that ISIS was destroyed and that the group lost its ground control in its last pocket. According to the SDF, 66,000 people left Baghouz since January, including 5,000 militants and 24,000 of their relatives.”

Voice Of America: Fight Against IS: The Price Of Victory

“In October 2016, Umm Aysha and her three children huddled on the ground outside a bombed-out shopping plaza with a crowd of other women, all wearing the black veils required by Islamic State militants. They were on the outskirts of Mosul city in Iraq, fleeing a battle as Iraqi, Syrian and coalition forces pummeled IS across the region from neighborhood to neighborhood, city to city and village to village. “Our house was bombed,” she told VOA, explaining why she fled. That battle subsided and bit by bit, IS lost the lands they captured over the previous three years. On Saturday, after five years of fighting, the militants lost their last sliver of land, a bombed out camp in Syria. What was once a self-proclaimed “Caliphate,” occupying vast territories in Iraq and Syria and bent on the destruction, is now once again an elusive insurgency. But besides broken hearts, homes and families, IS is leaving a new threat in its wake, said Badran Chiya Kurd, an advisor for the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, which declared the final victory. Militants are regrouping and hope to continue to attacks in Syria, Iraq and around the world, he said. Recovery for now-destroyed former IS holdings, including major cities in both Syria and Iraq, will require political will, investment and education, according to Kurd.”

The New York Times: Its Territory May Be Gone, But The U.S. Fight Against ISIS Is Far From Over

“The fight to expel the Islamic State from its last shard of territory in Syria may be over. But the United States and its partners still face significant battles against the terrorist group, its affiliates and other networks that are less formally aligned with it elsewhere, in Afghanistan, West Africa and the Philippines. Even before an American-backed Kurdish and Arab militia ousted the last extremist fighters from the eastern Syrian village of Baghuz on Saturday, the Islamic State had shifted gears. The organization that once staked out a self-proclaimed caliphate across Iraq and Syria has now metastasized into a more traditional terrorist group — an atomized, clandestine network of cells engaged in guerrilla attacks, bombings and targeted assassinations. Thousands of American troops are helping the Afghan Army and security forces combat the Islamic State and other terrorist groups in Afghanistan.”

CNN: The ISIS Caliphate Has Ended, But Its Breeding Ground Thrives

“"You will conquer Rome and own the world," ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi told his followers in July 2014. In the previous month, a few hundred ISIS fighters had seized Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city, in a matter of hours. They drove thousands of Iraqi troops from the city, in the process getting their hands on a huge arsenal of US-supplied weaponry Iraqi forces had left behind. They went on to conquer a string of towns and cities, reaching the outskirts of Baghdad. At its height, Baghdadi's so-called caliphate reigned over a realm the size of Britain, with 10 million people under its sway. Its sudden catapult to world attention, combined with an uncanny mastery at social media and slick video production, attracted thousands of people from around the globe eager to take part in the new utopian experiment. Now, four and a half years later, that realm has all but disappeared, after Kurdish forces said Saturday that they captured the eastern Syrian pocket of Baghouz, the last populated area under ISIS rule. Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces have launched multiple operations since early February to bring the caliphate to an end. Night and day, artillery and mortar barrages and warplanes from the US-led foreign coalition pounded ISIS' final encampment: a sprawling junkyard of wrecked cars and tattered tents.”

Iran

Reuters: Iran To Cement Ties With Lebanon, Hezbollah Despite U.S. Pressure

“Iran said on Sunday it would expand its ties with Lebanon in spite of the “provocative and interventionist” call by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for Beirut to choose sides, Iranian state television reported. On a regional tour to drum up support for Washington’s harder line against Tehran, Pompeo said on Friday that Lebanon faced a choice - “Bravely move forward as an independent and proud nation, or allow the dark ambitions of Iran and Hezbollah to dictate your future”. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi dismissed Pompeo’s remarks. “Because of the failure of its policies in the Middle East, America has turned to the outdated and disgraced weapon of threats and intimidation to impose its imperious policies on other countries,” Qasemi said, state television reported. “While respecting the independence of Lebanon and the free will of its government and nation, Iran will use all its capacities to strengthen unity inside Lebanon and also to expand its ties with Lebanon.” Hezbollah, whose influence has expanded at home and in the region, controls three of 30 ministries in the government led by Western-backed Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri, the largest number in its history.”

Asharq Al-Awsat: Brian Hook to Asharq Al-Awsat: Sanctions Curbed Iran’s Ability to Finance Terrorism

“Since the announcement of its withdrawal from the Iranian nuclear deal in May last year, the United States has sought to tighten the grip on Tehran’s sources of income to prevent it from spending on its hostile activities and financing terrorism in the region. The administration is currently considering listing Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and its Quds Force as terrorist organizations, but there are fears that such a move would affect US forces in Iraq. The increasing influence of Hezbollah, backed by Iran, is also a growing concern for Washington. Asharq Al-Awsat spoke with US Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook on Washington’s strategy against Tehran and its efforts to isolate Hezbollah, as well as ongoing negotiations between the EU and the United States to reach a comprehensive political agreement over a policy to deal with Iran. Hook noted that over the past year, there has been a wide debate among members of Congress and administration officials about listing the IRGC and the Quds Force as terrorist entities. The point of contention was that if the Palestinian Hamas movement and Lebanese Hezbollah party were among the targets, the Quds Force and the Revolutionary Guard should also be included.”

Arab News: On Terrorism And Iran’s Targets

“The Islamic Republic is gathering “target packages”, according to several former US intelligence officials. The objective of such acts is to conduct assassinations or carry out terrorist attacks against those who are listed in such a checklist. It appears that target packages can include several categories, including ordinary citizens residing abroad and viewed as a threat by the Iranian regime. These foreign citizens or residents can be human rights defenders, critics of the Iranian leaders, political activists, and dissidents. Examples include Saeed Karimian — an Iranian-born British citizen, television executive, chairman and owner of 20 TV channels operating in Persian, Arabic, Azeri and Kurdish languages — who was shot dead along with his Kuwaiti business partner in Turkey in 2017. The Turkish authorities pointed the finger at the Iranian regime as two accused operatives were arrested in Serbia with fake passports while they attempted to return to Iran. Saeed Karimian had been sentenced to death in absentia by Iran’s judiciary system. Ahmad Mola Nissi, a Dutch citizen of Iranian origin, was in The Hague when an assassin shot him dead at his front door in 2017.”

Iraq

The Jerusalem Post: Three ISIS Suicide Bombers Detonate Near Iraq’s Sinjar

“Three ISIS members surrounded by security forces and local paramilitaries blew themselves up on Sunday, in the northern Iraqi city of Sinjar. The incident comes days after the US and Syrian Democratic Forces announced the defeat of ISIS in neighboring Syria. The incident illustrates the continued presence of ISIS threats in Iraq. The battle began in the morning, according to local reports. The men were fleeing from Syria and had entered the area of Sinjar near the border. This area is still largely destroyed due to the war on ISIS; most of its civilian population, which used to be members of the Yazidi minority, have been unable to return due to the instability. According to Sky News Arabia, the ISIS members were hiding out in the town of Kairouan (Qayrawan). “Our security forces from the army and the Popular Mobilization Forces of local tribes besieged three suicide bombers. They blew themselves up without causing any casualties [to our forces],” A spokesman for the Iraqi security forces told AFP. A separate report said Iraq’s 29th Brigade had participated in the operation and that the suicide bombers had come via Iraq’s western Anbar desert. Other details indicated that as many as five ISIS members were killed in the gun battle, including the three wearing suicide vests.”

Iraqi News: Islamic State Members Kill, Wound 2 Persons West Of Anbar

“An official source informed, on Saturday, that the Islamic State members killed one person and injured another, while they were searching for truffles, west of Anbar, Al Sumaria News reported. The source indicated in a press statement that a civilian was killed, while another was wounded by the Islamic State members’ gunfire, on Haditha-Baiji road, west of Ramadi. Moreover, he added that the two victims were searching for the truffles in the area. It is noteworthy that the Islamic State members lately abducted and killed a number of civilians, while they were collecting truffles in the desert of Anbar. Last February, 12 citizens were abducted from Nakheeb area, while they were collecting truffles in the deserted area, west of Nakheeb, after a month, the Islamic State executed five of them, and left their bodies in the desert, west of Anbar.”

Afghanistan

The New York Times: Taliban Kill Dozens Of Security Forces In Major Strike In Afghanistan

“The Afghan military has suffered its worst loss of the year in southern Afghanistan, with at least 40 security force members killed in a Taliban attack this past week, but senior officials had still not released a death toll two days later, according to residents and functionaries from the area who spoke on Sunday. The national authorities and those at the provincial level in Helmand confirmed that an attack occurred in Sangin District, one of the most heavily contested areas in the country, on Friday night, but they either refused to give any details or claimed not to have any as of Sunday. It was yet another indication that the Taliban were continuing to attack Afghan government forces aggressively even as they have entered peace negotiations on an American withdrawal from the country, with another round of talks expected in Qatar this month. Some estimates put the number of security forces killed in Sangin late Friday and early Saturday at 65, including 48 Afghan National Army soldiers, 10 pro-government militia fighters and seven police officers, with 43 others wounded, according to Mohammed Hashim Alokozai, an Afghan senator and member of the Defense Committee in Parliament, who is from Sangin.”

Al Jazeera: Taliban Claim Twin Blasts That Kill Four At Afghan Stadium

“Two explosions went off inside a stadium hosting an agricultural show in southern Afghanistan killing four people and wounding 31, government officials said. The blasts took place in Lashkar Gah, the capital of the volatile Helmand province, as people marked Farmers' Day as part of Persian New Year celebrations, attended by nearly 1,000 people. Local Afghan news website TOLOnews reported that the provincial economic chief in Helmand, Mohammad Khan Nusrat, was killed in the attack. Helmand's governor was also at the stadium but was unhurt. The blasts appeared to have been caused by explosives placed in tents set up for farmers to display their products. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement sent to the media. It said the target was top Afghan officials and claimed that no civilians were harmed in the blasts. Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani condemned the attack. “The terrorists are the enemies of peoples' bright future and development, they are attacking civilian installations, gatherings, and occasions to spread fear and horror, and to hide their defeats on the battlefront,” Ghani said in a statement.”

Xinhua: 16 Militants Killed In N. Afghan Airstrikes

“At least 16 militants were killed and 15 others wounded after Afghan Air Force launched airstrikes against Taliban positions in the country's northern province of Faryab, authorities said Saturday. “The strikes were launched in Qaysar district and those among the killed were two Taliban divisional commanders named Mullah Harif and Ghyas Uddin,” the Afghan army's Corps 209 Shaheen based in the region said in a statement. Large amount of weapons and ammunition and several Taliban's command and control posts were also destroyed following the raids which occurred on Friday, the statement added. The restive district has been the scene of heavy fighting and clashes between security forces and Taliban for long. More than 1,000 families were displaced during the clashes within the past one month, according to local officials. The Afghan National Defense and Security Forces remain in control of most of the country's population centers and all of 34 provincial capitals, but Taliban insurgents control large portions of rural areas, staging coordinated large-scale attacks against Afghan cities and districts since early last year.”

Pakistan

Reuters: The Making Of Militants In India's 'Paradise On Earth'

“Kashmiri farmer Yusuf Malik learned that his son Owais, a 22-year old arts student and apple picker, had become an armed militant via a Facebook post. Days after Owais disappeared from his home in this picturesque valley below the Himalayan ranges, his picture appeared on the social network, posted by a user the family said they did not recognize. The short, thin, curly-haired young man in casual jeans and a T-shirt stared resolutely at the camera, both hands clutching an AK-47 rifle. In blood red font on the photo was scribbled his new allegiance: the Hizbul Mujahideen, or ‘The Party of Warriors’, the largest of the militant groups fighting to free the mostly-Muslim Kashmir from Indian rule. ”He was a responsible kid who cared about his studies,” said Yusuf, 49, staring down at the carpeted floor of his brick home where he sat on a recent winter morning, clasping his folded hands inside his traditional pheran cloak. The family said it has not heard from Owais since. Owais is one of a rising number of local militants fighting for independence of Kashmir - an insurgency being spread on social media amid India’s sustained, iron-fisted rule of the region. Hundreds of thousands of Indian troops and armed police are stationed in this lush region at the foot of the Himalayas.”

Yemen

Al Arabiya: Yemeni Human Rights Groups Protest In Geneva Against Houthi Crimes In Hajour

“The Global Union of Yemeni Communities and other rights groups protested in front of the UN headquarters in Geneva against Houthi atrocities being committed against civilians in the district of Hajour. Protesters on Saturday said they wanted to draw international attention to the situation across Yemen and called on the international community to apply further pressure on the Houthis by imposing sanctions to deter the Iranian-backed militant group. Dr. Hayaf Khalid, president of the Global Union of Yemeni Communities, said that the people of Hajour “suffer from a very harsh Houthi siege that prevents them from water and food.” “Their homes have been bombed, their sheikhs have been killed and their children are being used as human shields on the battlefronts, he added. Since last September, the Houthis had imposed a blockade on Hajour, according to local sources, in an attempt to subdue them.”

Middle East

The New York Times: Hamas Crackdown On Gaza Protests Instills Fear

“The young tea and coffee vendor from northern Gaza said he was not asking for much. He just wanted to get by. So the vendor, Amir Abu Oun, 19, joined the peaceful protests in the Jabaliya refugee camp this month against the daily hardships in the impoverished Palestinian coastal enclave. The first day, he said, security forces from Hamas, the militant Islamist movement that controls the Gaza Strip, beat and punched him. The second day, he was detained and held for five days, during which he said he was slapped, beaten and deprived of food. “Injustice will not last,” he told the security officers. According to Mr. Abu Oun, they replied, “We will show you how injustice will last.” Hamas security forces moved quickly to quell the protests that brought hundreds of people into the streets in at least four camps and towns across Gaza this month to demand better living conditions.”

The Wall Street Journal: Islamic State’s Caliphate Is Gone, But Not Its Violent Extremism

“The collapse of Islamic State’s caliphate has delivered a crushing blow to the extremist group, but the conditions that nourished that insurgency and others in war-shattered Syria and Iraq remain perilously in place. Islamic State rose more than a decade ago from the ruins of Iraq by using public anger over poor governance, poverty and sectarian strife to draw recruits from marginalized communities. Iraq’s lawlessness offered fertile terrain for the insurgency to spread. After five years of war against the group in Iraq and Syria, the caliphate is gone, now that U.S.-backed Syrian forces have captured the militants’ last desert holdout in eastern Syria. And yet seedbeds of extremism remain in both countries, even after the military campaigns aimed at uprooting Islamic State.”

Egypt

Egypt Independent: Sisi Calls For Resuming Arab, International Anti-Terrorism Efforts

“Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Saturday stressed the importance of resuming Arab and international efforts in combating all sources of terrorism, such as funding, weapons, shelters and sympathizers, during a press conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi in Cairo. The President called on the international community to deal with the phenomenon of foreign terrorists spreading from conflict areas into the other Arab countries. Sisi and Mahdi agreed on coordination of situations on the current regional issues. Sisi also said that talks with Mahdi included topics of economic cooperation and reconstruction of the Iraqi areas freed from Islamic State (IS) militants in cooperation with Egyptian companies and businessmen in Iraq. Mahdi stressed that Iraq is a friend to the world and neighboring countries, and looked forward to cooperating with Egypt to combat terrorism. Egypt and Iraq have been fighting IS militants since 2013, after the IS launched hundreds of terrorist attacks targeting governmental facilities in Iraq and Egypt’s Sinai.”

Nigeria

The Punch Nigeria: Boko Haram Kills Seven Villagers Near Nigeria Border

“Boko Haram jihadists killed at least seven villagers in a series of attacks in southeastern Niger near the border with Nigeria, a local official and an NGO said on Sunday. The attackers carried out three separate raids overnight Saturday, said a senior official in the Diffa region, which borders northeastern Nigeria, Boko Haram’s base. In the course of the raids they killed seven people, abducted two women and burned down a market and several houses, the official said. Alternative Espace Citoyen, a group active in the region, posted a message on Facebook saying there had been four attacks in which 11 people had been killed. Already last Thursday, a Boko Haram attack in Karidi, a village on the border with Nigeria, killed eight people including one woman, according to local officials. On March 9, jihadists killed nine Niger soldiers in an attack in the same area. And another seven soldiers perished last month in a Boko Haram attack on their position near the border. Earlier this month, the authorities in Niger said they had killed 33 Boko Haram fighters in an operation in the region. Diffa, which borders northeastern Nigeria, has suffered a string of cross-border raids. An estimated 27,000 people have been killed and two million displaced since Boko Haram launched its insurgency in 2009.”

The Defense Post: Chad: Boko Haram Kills 23 Soldiers In Dangdala Attack

“Twenty-three soldiers were killed in a Boko Haram attack in southwestern Chad on Friday, March 22, a military official told AFP. “Boko Haram elements attacked the Chadian army position at around 1 a.m., killing 23 troops,” the official said. The attack, which took place in Dangdala, on the northeastern bank of Lake Chad, appears to be the deadliest attack on the Chadian military by Boko Haram. The assailants crossed over from Niger before launching the raid and “made off with military equipment,” the source said. It is unclear which faction of Boko Haram carried out the attack, but Islamic State West Africa province is the dominant insurgent force in the Lake Chad area.”

Somalia

Al Jazeera: Somalia: At Least 15 Dead In Al-Shabab Assault On Mogadishu

“A gun battle between Somalia's security forces and the armed group al-Shabab in the capital, Mogadishu, has ended, leaving 15 people dead, including the country's deputy labour minister, police said. Al-Shabab gunmen on Saturday stormed Somalia's ministries of labour and works after detonating a car bomb at the gates of the building, near the headquarters of the country's intelligence agency. Minister Saqar Ibrahim Abdalla was killed in his ground-floor office shortly after the fighters entered the building, police officer Mohamed Hussein told The Associated Press news agency. Al-Shabab said one of its fighters had rammed the ministry building with a suicide car bomb, allowing others to enter it. Eleven people were injured, Abdikadir Abdirahman, the director of Amin Ambulance Service said."

Africa

Associated Press: The Latest: 115 Reported Dead After Attack On Malian Village

“A group representing ethnic Peulhs in central Mali says the provisional death toll from a morning militia attack has risen to 115. Abdoul Aziz Diallo, president of Tabital Pulaaku, gave the figure Saturday after receiving detailed information from authorities at the scene. Initially, witnesses said at least 40 had been slain. Diallo said the victims included pregnant women and small children. Another leader of a local Peulh militia said the village chief of Ogossagou had also been killed along with some of his grandchildren. It was not immediately possible to independently corroborate the death toll. Members of the Dogon group accuse the Peulhs of supporting these jihadists linked to terror groups in the country’s north and beyond. Peulhs have in turn accused the Dogon of supporting the Malian army in its effort to stamp out extremism. Witnesses in a central Malian village say at least 40 people have been slain and dozens wounded after an attack blamed on an ethnic militia. Sekou Allaye Bolly told The Associated Press that the Dogon fighters had descended upon the Peulh village of Ogossagou just after 5 a.m. Saturday. The dead included the village chief and his grandchildren.”

The Washington Post: Burkina Faso Is Fighting For Democracy. Are The Terrorists Winning?

“Burkina Faso was supposed to take an important step Sunday toward democracy. The West African nation was expected to adopt presidential term limits through a long-anticipated national vote, even as Islamist violence gripped the countryside. But days before the polls were to open, the government has postponed that milestoneindefinitely and without explanation. Analysts had called the constitutional referendum a bright spot during turbulent times for the Colorado-size nation. Extremist attacks in Burkina Faso have quadrupled since 2017, according to the Africa Center for Strategic Studies in Washington. “The country appears to be falling apart,” said Michael Shurkin, a senior political scientist at the Rand Corp. “The relevance of the constitutional reforms in light of the security crisis is doubtful.” The former French colony, where 80 percent of people work in farming, once appeared to be heading toward a more peaceful future. After protesters ousted authoritarian ruler Blaise Compaoré in 2014, voter registration increased, and leaders began debating political changes aimed at shaping a more representative government. Now a spreading insurgency appears to be threatening that progress.”

France

Reuters: Macron Hails Islamic State Defeat As Ending A 'Major Danger' For France

“French President Emmanuel Macron said on Saturday that a “major danger for France” had been eliminated, after U.S.-backed forces said they had captured Islamic State’s last shred of territory in eastern Syria at Baghouz. “A huge step has been taken today. A major danger for our country is eliminated,” Macron wrote on Twitter. “But the menace remains and the struggle against terrorist groups must continue,” Macron said, while French Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly posted on Twitter that “Islamic State no longer has any territory, but it has not disappeared.”

Germany

The Washington Post: Cyprus Arrests Turkish Kurd Terror Suspect Wanted By Germany

“Cyprus’ government spokesman says authorities have arrested a Turkish Kurd against whom Germany has launched criminal proceedings for “terrorist activities.” Prodromos Prodromou said in a written statement Saturday that the individual had been recognized by Cyprus as a political refugee and had been granted Cypriot travel documents. He said the person was detained on the strength of a European arrest warrant. Prodromou said a court on Saturday ordered the suspect detained. He said the suspect, whose identity was not released, will remain in custody until a court rules whether to extradite him to Germany within 60 days of his arrest.”

Europe

The Independent: ISIS Plot To Direct New Terror Attacks In Europe Uncovered After Group Loses Last Syrian Stronghold

“An Isis plan to direct new terror attacks in Europe has been uncovered after the group lost the last sliver of its former “caliphate” in Syria. Documents on a hard drive, which was dropped by Isis jihadis killed in a desert battle, detail proposals for a “Bureau of Foreign Relations for the Department of Operations in Europe” to organise, arm and fund atrocities. In a letter passed to The Sunday Times, a senior militant calling himself Abu Taher al-Tajiki told local Isis leaders he was in contact with “individuals who want to work in areas far away from the Islamic State”. Requesting permission to set up the new “bureau”, he added: “Before they carry out the operations, they will send us the targets if the connection is secure. Otherwise, they do the operation. And by the will of Allah we will meet all of their needs, for those who want it.” Other letters saw the same writer offer to use sleeper cells across Syria to assassinate targets named by Isis leaders, following a series of murders and bombings in the group’s former territories. One document detailed the leadership structure of cells hidden in northeastern Syria, including bombmakers and fighters.”

New Zealand

The New York Times: Is It Terrorism? Post NZ Attack, Muslims See Double Standard

“New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has been hailed on social media by Muslims around the world for her response to two mosque shootings by a white nationalist who killed 50 worshippers. She wore a headscarf at the funerals in line with Islamic custom and swiftly reformed gun laws. An image of the prime minister embracing a grieving woman was projected onto the world’s tallest tower in Dubai over the weekend with the Arabic word for “peace.” Yet for many Muslims, Ardern’s most consequential move was immediately labeling the attack an act of terrorism. That stands in contrast to numerous ideologically-motivated mass shootings in North America by white non-Muslim gunmen that were not labeled acts of terrorism, say Muslim leaders and terrorism experts. For too long, terror attacks have been depicted as a uniquely Muslim problem, with acts of violence described as “terrorist only when it applies to Muslims,” said Abbas Barzegar of the Council on American Islamic Relations. He works on documenting and combating anti-Muslim bigotry and Islamophobia. “We’ve got an issue in this country where anytime a violent act is committed by a Muslim, the media starts at terrorism and then works backward from there,” added Colin Clarke, a senior research fellow at The Soufan Center, a New York-based think tank.”

USA Today:

New Zealand Bans Terror Suspect's Racist Manifesto; Citizens Told To 'Destroy Any Copies'

“New Zealand's government on Saturday banned a racist, angry manifesto written by the suspected gunman of two recent mosque shootings in Christchurch that killed 50 people, arguing that the 74-page document “promotes murder and terrorism.” New Zealand's Office of Film and Literature Classification issued a statement officially classifying the manifesto – titled “The Great Replacement” and authored by the alleged 28-year-old shooter – ”objectionable” under the country's law. “There is an important distinction to be made between ‘hate speech’, which may be rejected by many right-thinking people but which is legal to express, and this type of publication, which is deliberately constructed to inspire further murder and terrorism,” New Zealand's Chief Censor David Shanks said in a statement. “It crosses the line.” The alleged gunman, a self-described white supremacist, is accused of fatally shooting 50 people on March 15 in a rampage in two mosques that he live video-recorded on a helmet he wore. He linked the manifesto on his Twitter account and mailed a copy to the office of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.”

Southeast Asia

The New York Times: An ISIS Couple’s Troubling Path To Terror Recruiting

“She was a Catholic math whiz with an M.B.A. from one of the best universities in the Philippines. He was the Muslim descendant of a sultanate family, schooled in computer science. The couple, Ellen Barriga and Mohammad Reza Kiram, could have served as the model of a modern interfaith marriage. Instead, they are poster children for how violent ideology transformed educated Filipinos into agents of death for the Islamic State. In 2015, Ms. Barriga and Mr. Kiram traveled to Syria to join the terrorist group, becoming key recruiters of other Southeast Asians, according to Philippine and American intelligence officials. In January, American-backed Syrian forces announced that the pair had surrendered, joining thousands of foreign militants caught between a crumbled caliphate, which lost its last territory in the region on Saturday, and home countries reluctant to take them back. A year after arriving in Syria, Mr. Kiram, wavy-haired with jutting cheekbones, appeared in a video for the Islamic State. In it, he and a Malaysian and Indonesian urged foreigners to wage jihad in Muslim parts of the Philippines, where the Islamic State has been gaining strength. “Worshipers of the cross,” he warned, “we will use the language of swords and language of bullets.”

Technology

CNN: Inciting Terror On The Internet Can Be Regulated. Congress Needs To Act

“The terror in Christchurch, New Zealand that killed 50 Muslim worshipers joins a growing list of attacks that used the internet to spread the killer's propaganda. Had social networks and internet service providers adequately monitored the suspect's postings, an arrest might have been made and the massacre averted. For example, if 8chan or Twitter had an adequate number of screeners or algorithms capable of identifying that his manifesto explicitly stated his plan to perpetrate terror, either of them could have immediately notified authorities. 8chan said it is responding to law enforcement and always complies with US law. Twitter encouraged users not to share videos of the attack, and asked users to report any videos or images from the attack. The internet, while so important to modern life, can also be used to help perpetrate the greatest evils. Congress can help address the problem, and it's time for lawmakers to act. While the First Amendment protects free speech, true threats — like terrorist statements that express serious intent to commit violent acts against individuals and groups — are not constitutionally protected.”

Radio New Zealand: No Facebook Accountability Or Contrition Over Terror Attack - Privacy Commissioner

“Facebook needs to take accountability for its role in the Christchurch terror attack, which was live streamed on the social media site, the Privacy Commissioner says. Privacy Commissioner John Edwards told Checkpoint Facebook hasn't taken any steps to prevent a copycat from using the platform to live stream their own attack. He said that was something that should be looked into, but Facebook hasn't been willing to talk to him about his concerns. “I received an email from Facebook on Thursday night notifying me of a privacy breach, the storage of the passwords in plain text,” Mr Edwards said. “[There was] no mention in that of the incidents of the previous week, in which Facebook played a central role. “What we haven't seen and what is of real disappointment to me, is any kind of acceptance of Facebook's role, any sort of critical self reflection, any contrition, or response. “I mean, here we are, 10 days after, and you can still live stream, presumably, the same event. “Is that service safe? Is it still offered? Why wasn't it pulled? You know, these are some of the questions you'd expect them to engage with.” In an interview with RNZ on Thursday, Facebook spokesperson Simon Dilner said it could have done better, and it was prepared for regulatory action.”

Forbes: Facebook Attacked For 'Monetizing Neo Nazi Content' -- Even After Christchurch

“Despite the rhetoric and the hand-wringing, Monday's Independent newspaper accuses Facebook of still "allowing Neo-Nazi groups to stay on Facebook because they do not violate 'community standards'", even after recent events and the highlighting of social media's role in radicalizing and then inciting extremists. The newspaper uncovered that "pages operated by factions of international white supremacist organizations including Combat 18 and the Misanthropic Division were reported, but Facebook refused to remove the content and told researchers to unfollow pages if they found them 'offensive'.” Facebook's published 'community standards' say: "We do not allow hate speech on Facebook because it creates an environment of intimidation and exclusion and in some cases may promote real-world violence. We define hate speech as a direct attack on people based on what we call protected characteristics — race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, caste, sex, gender, gender identity, and serious disease or disability.”

Forbes: Facebook Admits It Can't Control Facebook Live -- Is This The End For Live Streaming?

“In the aftermath of Christchurch has come the admission from Facebook that they can’t control Facebook Live. There’s too much content in general but not enough abhorrent content in particular to properly train their AI. And relying on users to report real time infringements has proven wholly inadequate. Which means that the hypothesis for the company, for politicians and for regulators is very simple. Is it damaging to the public interest to provide a broadcast platform for extremists, for murderers, for the vulnerable, for the suicidal? And, assuming so, if you can’t categorically prevent such incidents (of any scale) from being broadcast live in a way that would be prohibited on mainstream media then what’s the public interest in leaving the system as is?”

Nine.com: How Social Media Is Creating Extremists

“But while YouTube is trying to remove violent videos, their site is passively helping in radicalising the disaffected in other ways, according to experts. It does so by creating a rabbit-hole effect, drawing viewers in to related videos with an algorithm specially designed to appeal to them.Joshua Fisher Birch from the New York-based Counter-Extremism Project told nine.com.au YouTube's related videos create a radicalising effect, with the algorithm drawing people in to more and more extreme videos. "The algorithm really locks people into these echo chambers," Mr Fisher Birch said. "A lot of these videos have comment sections where people can reinforce each other's groups.”

BBC: World At One: The Making Of Massacre

“CEP Senior Director Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler discusses right wing extremism and social media's role in creating the environment that led to the New Zealand attacks. The interview begins at the 30-minute mark of the broadcast.”
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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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