Eye on Extremism - 03-21-22

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Counter Extremism Project - 03-21-22
Re: https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#in...TppBjnFhZxMchS

Eye on Extremism - March 21, 2022

1. Associated Press: German Prosecutors: Train Attacker Had Extremist Motive

“German prosecutors said Monday they now believe that the suspect in a knife attack on a train in November that left four people wounded had an Islamic extremist motive. The attack took place on an ICE high-speed train traveling from Passau, on the Austrian border, to Hamburg on Nov. 6. Authorities said that the man attacked his victims apparently at random and showed signs of mental illness, but initially said there was no immediate indication of a terror motive. Munich prosecutors said a few weeks later that they were no longer ruling out an Islamic extremist motive. On Monday, they said that investigations have produced “weighty indications” that the suspect’s actions were based on support for the Islamic State group’s ideology, though there was no evidence so far that he was involved with or “steered” by the group. An expert has concluded that the man could be held criminally responsible for his actions, and he was sent to jail in January. Federal prosecutors, who handle terrorism and national security cases in Germany, have now taken over the investigation. Police have said that the suspect, a Syrian citizen, came to Germany in 2014 and was granted asylum in 2016. He had been living in Passau.”

Reuters: Armed Attackers In Burkina Faso Kill At Least 11 Government Troops, Say Army Sources

“Unidentified armed attackers killed at least 11 Burkinabe soldiers and wounded eight more in Burkina Faso's Est region on Sunday, four sources in the state military told Reuters. The region is among those hit by rising insecurity as jihadist groups with links to al Qaeda and Islamic State seek to gain control over once peaceful territories in West Africa's Central Sahel region. The sources did not share further details on the latest attack and there was no immediate comment from the government. The ruling military junta seized power in a January coup against President Roch Kabore, blaming him for failing to contain surging violence by Islamist militants that has killed thousands of people and forced more than 2 million to flee their homes in the Sahel.”

2. Syria

Al Monitor: Islamic State Takes Advantage Of Ukraine War To Increase Attacks

“The Islamic State (IS) regularly targets military bases and vehicles in the Syrian desert, which extends between the governorates of Homs and Deir ez-Zor on the border with Iraq, the area to which IS fighters have retreated since they lost their last stronghold in Syria in 2019. On March 6, Syria’s official SANA news agency quoted a government military source as saying that “13 soldiers were killed and 18 others were wounded when a military bus was attacked by terrorists in the Palmyra desert in the Homs countryside.” More recently, on March 16, IS militants staged an ambush against military targets belonging to Iranian forces in the Syrian desert, killing three of them. Sources told Al-Monitor that the government forces brought in military reinforcements to Palmyra from other areas in the Homs governorate, including military vehicles, weapons and soldiers from the 14th Special Forces Division. On March 10, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that six members of the government forces were killed and seven others were injured after a landmine left behind by IS exploded near Jabal al-Amour in the Palmyra desert in eastern Homs. The SOHR quoted sources as saying, “The regime forces supported by armed proxies and Russian helicopters that took off from Palmyra military airport have started a combing operation for the Syrian desert from Palmyra and Al-Soukhna en route to T2 and T3 areas in the Syrian desert in search of [IS] cells that have escalated its activities in the region recently.”

Washington Examiner: CENTCOM Commander Says Captured Fighters Must Be Repatriated To Avoid 'ISIS 2.0'

“Gen. Frank McKenzie, the outgoing head of U.S. Central Command, said that he wished during his tenure that CENTCOM did a better job of convincing countries to repatriate captured Islamic State fighters. McKenzie spoke to reporters for the final time in his role on Friday morning, warning that a failure to repatriate captured ISIS fighters would ultimately lead to “ISIS 2.0 down the road.” “One area in Syria that I wish we had been more successful in is motivating international partners to repatriate ISIS prisoners from their countries,” the commander added. “It's a burden that the [Syrian Democratic Forces] had primarily dealt with on their own in the only long-term solution. Actually repatriation. We also need to reintegrate the thousands of [internally displaced people], many of whom are family members of ISIS fighters. We can get them back to their communities in order to prevent vulnerable children from being indoctrinated into the ISIS ideology.” He assumed command of CENTCOM in March 2019, “after the defeat of the so-called caliphate in the end of its ability to hold territory in Iraq and Syria,” McKenzie said, also noting that the U.S. military conducted two successful raids on then-ISIS leaders Abu Ibrahim al Hashimi al Qurashi and Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, both of whom killed themselves as U.S. forces closed in.”

3. Afghanistan

Voice Of America: How Afghanistan's Militant Groups Are Evolving Under Taliban Rule

“Intelligence agencies worldwide are warning that Taliban rule in Afghanistan is radically reshaping terrorist and militant groups in South Asia and around the world. Specifically, intelligence and counterterrorism officials say that despite Taliban promises to sever ties with al-Qaida and oppose terror groups such as the Islamic State's Afghan affiliate, as codified in the 2020 Doha agreement with the United States, there has been scant evidence of progress. “The Taliban is attempting to maintain pressure on ISIS [Islamic State group],” the top general at U.S. Central Command told lawmakers in Washington on March 15. “They're finding it difficult to do.” “They're much less firm on the al-Qaida issue, in terms of opposing them and trying to limit them,” CENTCOM's General Kenneth “Frank” McKenzie added. A recent United Nations report based on member state intelligence echoed those fears. “There are no recent signs that the Taliban has taken steps to limit the activities of foreign terrorist fighters in the country,” the report said. “On the contrary, terrorist groups enjoy greater freedom there than at any time in recent history.” Despite such concerns, some diplomats, such as the U.S. special representative for Afghanistan, have expressed hope the Taliban will crack down. Thomas West told the U.S. Institute of Peace on Feb. 15 that he believed the Taliban were “very sincere in their intent to contain” Islamic State terrorists.”

4. Middle East

The Times Of Israel: Hezbollah Chief Denies Reports Saying Terror Group’s Fighters Going To Ukraine

“Hezbollah terror chief Hassan Nasrallah says none of the group’s members are going to fight in Ukraine. Some Ukrainian reports earlier today said Hezbollah terrorists had been recruited by Russia for the war. Nasrallah says Lebanon’s government should form a body to deal with the repercussions of the war. Russian President Putin has reportedly recruited mercenaries from the Middle East to bolster his invasion force. Hezbollah and Russia have both fought on the side of the Assad regime in the Syrian Civil War.”

5. Egypt

Asharq Al-Awsat: Egyptian Delegation In Indonesia To Discuss Regional Developments, Fighting Terrorism

“Egypt will attend on Sunday the 144th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and its related meetings held in Nusa Dua, Bali. The four-day event is hosted by the Indonesian parliament. Egypt is represented at the Assembly by a parliamentary delegation, headed by Speaker Hanafy Ali El-Gebali. It will discuss regional developments and the fight against terrorism. This year’s IPU meetings carry the theme “Getting to zero: Mobilizing parliaments to act on climate change.” The Egyptian parliament delegation is participating in the meetings of the standing committees of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, such as the “Permanent Committee on International Peace and Security”, which will discuss the topic of “rethinking and reformulating the peace approach with the aim of promoting lasting peace,” reported Egypt’s state news agency MENA. It said the delegation will also attend the IPU’s Standing Committee on Sustainable Development, Finance and Trade and the Standing Committee on Democracy and Human Rights, as well as the meetings of the High Level Advisory Group on Countering Terrorism and the meeting of the Committee on Middle East Issues.”

6. Nigeria

Sahara Reporters: Troops Killed Scores Of Boko Haram/ISWAP Fighters, Rescued 30 Abducted Borno Women, Children – Nigerian Army

“The Nigerian Army says troops of Operation Desert Sanity have killed an unspecified number of Boko Haram (BH) and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists in Borno State. According to the army on its Twitter page, the soldiers also recovered weapons and rescued 30 kidnapped local residents around Ndufu and Musiri villages in the state. It added that various camps of the terrorists were destroyed. Photos posted on Twitter by the army show the rescued persons are mostly women and children, “BREAKING: Ongoing offensive onslaught by troops of Operation Desert Sanity records another feat as troops neutralized several ISWAP/BokoHaram terrorists around Ndufu and Musiri villages in Borno State. “Also, troops recovered weapons and rescued 30 kidnapped local residents. Additionally, troops also destroyed various camps of the terrorists.” Since the death of JAS leader, Abubakar Shekau, ISWAP has been consolidating its grip in locations around Lake Chad. In 2021, it appointed Wali Sani Shuwaram, a 45-year-old as the new Leader (Wali) of ISWAP in Lake Chad. The sect’s membership has swollen with the defection of hundreds of Boko Haram fighters under Shekau.”

Sahara Reporters: Boko Haram Terrorists Plant Explosives In Communities For Attacks, Niger State Governor Laments

“Niger State governor, Abubakar Sani Bello, has revealed that security personnel in the state detected newly planted explosives by Boko Haram terrorists in Galadima-Kogo, Shiroro Local Government Area of the state.

Bello, who made the disclosure during a visit to the internally displaced persons camp in Central Primary School Gwada, Shiroro Local Government, said the police was working to detonate the bombs. The governor also assured the IDPs in the state that the government was working out modalities to ensure that they all return to their homes soon, Daily Post reports. He decried the activities of terrorist informants, who he said had been arrested by security operatives in the state in the last few weeks and would be severely dealt with. According to him, a total of 4,000 IDPs in Gwada camp were made up of those displaced by the activities of bandits and water backwash as a result of work on the ongoing construction of Zungeru Hydro Dam. “Those displaced by the construction of Zungeru Hydro Dam are yet to be compensated by the Federal Government. We are appealing to the Federal Ministry of Power to as matter of urgency compensate the affected communities to enable them to move to highland,” he said.”

7. Africa

AFP: Niger Pushes For Peace With Jihadist Talks

“Niger is pressing ahead with an initiative to talk to jihadists whose attacks have shaken the country's southwest, amid fears that a new wave of bloodshed lies ahead. The impoverished Sahel nation has been fearing a new onslaught in its Tillaberi region since France last month announced its troops would quit neighbouring Mali. A source in his office said President Mohamed Bazoum first reached out to the jihadists “three months ago,” offering “an extended hand” to youngsters who had been recruited to an Islamic State-linked group. Last month, Bazoum announced he had begun “discussions” with jihadists as part of “the search for peace.” He said he had released several militants and received them at the presidential palace. He said he had also dispatched envoys to meet nine “terrorist chiefs.” A presidential aide said the emissaries were local officials, traditional and religious leaders, and relatives of the jihadist chiefs. Tillaberi is located in the flashpoint “three borders” zone of Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali, where jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) operate. The ISGS controls large areas near Burkina and Mali, and its fighters have already come within 100 kilometres (62 miles) of the capital Niamey.”

Al Jazeera: DR Congo: Fourteen Killed In Machete Attack In Ituri Province

“Fourteen people, including seven children, have been killed with machetes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Red Cross has said, as a community leader blamed a notorious armed group for the bloody attack. The attack took place in a displaced people’s camp in the country’s northwestern Ituri province on Saturday, the humanitarian aid group reported. Among the victims were five women aged between 25 and 32 and a two-year-old girl, according to a list shown by the Red Cross to the news agency AFP. Jean D’Zba Banju, a community leader in Ituri’s Djugu area, said the perpetrators belonged to the CODECO armed group, which has been blamed for a string of ethnic massacres in the area. “CODECO militiamen entered Drakpa and started to cut people with machetes. They did not fire shots in order to operate calmly,” Banju told AFP on Sunday. “The victims are displaced people who had fled Ngotshi village to set up in Drakpa,” he said, adding that five others were wounded. Gold-rich Ituri province has been plunged back into a cycle of violence since late 2017 with the rise of CODECO, which has since split into rival factions. The group is a political-religious sect that claims to represent the interests of the Lendu ethnic group.”

8. Germany

The Jerusalem Post: Germany Shuts Hezbollah Entity Promoting Terrorism Against Israel

“After years of declining to crackdown on one of the largest hubs of pro-Hezbollah and pro-Iranian regime activity in Germany, the city-state of Bremen on Thursday closed the Al-Mustafa Community Center due to its support for terrorism against Israel. Al-Mustafa “actively propagates and promotes violence or comparably serious acts contrary to international law such as terrorism against the State of Israel,” read a statement by Ulrich Mäurer, Bremen’s Interior Senator, who added that “the ban of this association is therefore absolutely necessary.” The Bremen interior senator’s statement noted that “it was also proven that there were anti-Israel books and writings in the association's premises, including, for example, a flyer by the political and religious leader of Iran. The flyer contains messages aimed solely at negating the legitimacy of the state of Israel and using violence to resist Israel.” The Jerusalem Post reported in 2018 that a Bremen intelligence agency report stated: “The Al-Mustafa-Community Center supports Hezbollah in Lebanon, especially by collecting donations.” Germany’s Federal Interior Ministry outlawed all Hezbollah activities in 2020. The US, Canada, the United Kingdom, the Arab League, Israel and many European and Latin America have classified the Lebanon-based Hezbollah's entire movement as a foreign terrorist entity.”

9. Canada

NBC News: Man Arrested For 'Possible Hate-Motivated' Attack At Canadian Mosque, Police Say

“A 24-year-old man has been arrested following “a possible hate-motivated crime” at a mosque in Canada Saturday morning, authorities said. Peel Regional Police responded to reports of an assault at the Dar Al-Tawheed Islamic Centre in the city of Mississauga at around 7:00 a.m., according to a press release. The man identified by police as Mohammad Moiz Omar had walked into the mosque brandishing a hatchet and discharging bear spray at mosque members, some of which received minor injuries as a result of the bear spray, police said. When sprayed into a person's face, bear spray can cause temporary loss of sight, nasal congestion, and difficulty breathing. “Our congregants were subject to a violent attack” during Fajr, or dawn prayer, the Dar Al-Tawheed Islamic Centre said in a statement. “Before he could inflict harm on any worshippers, several congregants bravely were able to stop him in his tracks,” the statement reads. “Our community will never be broken and we refuse to be intimidated.” Investigators say they are “considering all possible motivations, including hate-motivation for the incident” as charges against Omar are pending. “At this stage of the investigation, it appears to be an isolated incident,” police said. Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau described the attack as “incredibly disturbing” in a tweet Saturday afternoon.”

10. Technology

Voice Of America: Russia Says YouTube Users Spreading 'Terrorist' Threats

“Russian internet regulator Roskomnadzor has accused Google’s YouTube of “spreading threats against citizens of the Russian Federation” in a statement released Friday. “Earlier it became known that YouTube video hosting users are broadcasting commercials with calls to disable the railway communications of the Russia Federation and the Republic of Belarus,” the statement added. “The actions of the YouTube administration are of a terrorist nature and threaten the life and health of Russian citizens.” Roskomnadzor did not identify the users broadcasting the alleged threats. While the statement did not mention blocking YouTube in Russia, an unnamed official told Russian state media outlet Sputnik that YouTube could be blocked “by the end of next week,” or as early as Friday. If YouTube is blocked, it will be the latest salvo in a battle between Russia and American tech platforms following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Google officials did not provide Reuters with a comment on the latest developments. The Russian government has already blocked or limited access to Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. The country has a Facebook alternative, VKontakte, and domestic photo and video sharing sites are reportedly in the works. American big tech firms have also taken measures to block or limit access to Russian state media on their platforms.”

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Personal talk - but with little response.