Eye on Extremism - July 8, 2021

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Eye on Extremism - July 8, 2021
By: Counter Extremism Project
Re: info@counterextremism.com

As of July 8, 2021:

ABC News: Bases Housing US Troops In Iraq, Syria Attacked; 2 Injured

“U.S.-backed Syrian fighters and American troops foiled an attack with drones Wednesday on a base housing members of the U.S.-led coalition in eastern Syria, the Syrian Democratic Forces said. In neighboring Iraq, rockets hit a base housing U.S. troops, inflicting two minor injuries. The attacks come as tension has been on the rise between U.S. troops and Iran-backed fighters after American airstrikes in eastern Syria killed four Iraqi fighters late last month in areas along the Syria-Iraq border. The Pentagon said targets attacked on June 27, were facilities used by Iran-backed militia groups to support drone strikes inside Iraq. The spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition Col. Wayne Marotto said that Al-Assad Air Base in western Iraq was attacked early in the afternoon by 14 rockets that landed on the base and its perimeter, prompting the activation of defensive measures. Marotto later tweeted: “100 % accountability at Ain Al-Assad Air Base after rocket attack. Two personnel sustained minor injuries." The damage was still to be assessed, he added without elaborating.”

Reuters: 18 Nigerian Villagers Killed By Suspected Islamist Militants -Officials

“Suspected Islamist militants killed 18 people when they attacked a village in northeast Nigeria on Wednesday, two local officials said. Attacks by Islamist militants have been intensifying in northeast Nigeria in recent months, with dozens of soldiers killed and thousands of Nigerians displaced. Wednesday's attack took place in Dabna, a village near the administrative area of Hong in the state of Adamawa, the officials said. James Pukuma, chairman of the Hong administrative area, told Reuters that 18 people had been killed when a group of gunmen on motorcycles stormed the village and some residents fled. Two churches and a house belonging to a local resident were set on fire, said Mohammed Aminu, the chairman of Adamawa state emergency agency. "The attack took place in the early hours of Wednesday, about 5 a.m," said Aminu. Two residents of Hong said the gunmen proceeded to nearby villages of Kwapre and Garka, where they shot and injured some people. Police spokesman for Adamawa state Sulieman Nguroje said police could not comment. A third resident said an unknown number of people were injured and taken to Hong Federal Medical centre in Yola, the state capital.”

United States

USA Today: Justice IG: Badly Depleted US Prison Chaplain Corps 'Impairs' Safety; Terror Inmates Leading Religious Services

“The chaplain corps serving the vast federal prison system is so badly depleted that officials have allowed inmates convicted of terror-related offenses or with links to terrorist organizations to lead religious services, an internal Justice Department review found. Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz's report found that the chaplain ranks, with 236 serving more than 150,000 inmates, is down by 30% and represents just eight of 24 faith groups recognized by the federal prison system. "We found that a significant shortage in the number of chaplains and other chaplaincy services staff impairs the BOP’s ability to implement a safe and effective religious services program," the report concluded, noting that officials relied on alternate inmate-led programs "without ensuring adequate supervision and oversight..." "For example, we found that some institutions permitted inmates with a known nexus to international or domestic terrorism to lead religious services," according to the report. Justice auditors said prison staffers "consistently" reported that inmate-led services presented "safety and security risks" and the potential for inmates to radicalize others while serving in religious leadership roles.”

Military Times: Proposal Would Push VA Leaders To Address Issue Of Extremism In The Veterans Community

“House lawmakers want Veterans Affairs officials to start talking to veterans about misinformation and extremism online. Included in the House Appropriations Committee’s proposal for more than $270 billion in department funding next fiscal year is language focused on “the unique vulnerabilities that veterans face online,” to include targeting of veterans by extremist organizations and groups focused on sowing division in the military community. “Efforts to spread extremist views and conspiracy theories among the veteran community have had severely damaging effects, such as spreading conspiracies that may have motivated participation in the Capitol insurrection on Jan. 6,” a report on the budget proposal states. It also calls for the department to “establish a comprehensive, evidence-based program to educate veterans about malign influences, transition assistance to include specialized counseling services, as well as research into operations and methods to discern against disinformation.” The specifics of what that will entail remain unclear. The budget bill is likely months away from becoming law, and the provision could be dropped during negotiations with Senate appropriators on the funding measures.”

Syria

The National: Hate Preacher's Regret After Recruiting Dozens For ISIS

“A notorious hate preacher jailed for 20 years for recruiting dozens of Austrians to fight for ISIS expressed remorse for his sermons on Wednesday as he gave evidence in a new terrorism trial, local media reported. Mirsad Omerovic, whose lectures inspired a wave of young people to leave for the battlefields of Syria, told a court in Vienna that his lectures had caused a lot of harm and that he regretted not being able to undo his actions. Omerovic, who was jailed in 2016, was speaking on the opening day of a trial of a group of alleged ISIS sympathisers. They included a Chechen martial arts expert, identified only as Turpal I, who is accused of joining combat units in Syria where he was allegedly involved in killings and beheadings. The preacher, 39, who also faces charges, told the court that he had persuaded Turpal I to go to Syria but could not say what happened when he got there. “I made mistakes, I admit it,” he was quoted as saying by the Austrian daily Kronen Zeitung. “My lectures have caused a lot of harm.” Turpal I appeared for the first day of the trial despite being released from prison in May because of the time taken to bring the case to court. He had spent two years in pretrial detention before he was freed. He told reporters that he had been working as a tiler before the trial.”

Kurdistan 24: 15 Dutch Women With Links To ISIS Escape Camp In Northeast Syria

“Fifteen Dutch women with alleged ties to ISIS have escaped from camps in northeast Syria where they were being held, the Dutch government confirmed on Monday. So far, no male ISIS-affiliated prisoners from the Netherlands are known to have escaped camps or prisons in the area. In an update on the European nation’s contribution to the anti-ISIS Coalition’s mission, Caretaker Foreign Affairs Minister Sigrid Kaag and Defence Minister Ank Bijleveld told the Dutch parliament on Monday that little was known so far regarding the escapees’ identities or age. “It's also often unclear when they escaped,” Kaag and Bijleveld said. The women were living in al-Hol and al-Roj displacement camps, controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which the Dutch ministers characterized as “under pressure due to the high number of persons in the camps and the COVID-pandemic.” “The security within the camps is fragile, and international organizations often report on violence, radicalization and recruitment by ISIS. For this reason, the SDF recently carried out a security operation in which over 100 persons were arrested who were suspected of ISIS-activities.” In November, the Dutch government previously confirmed that other women had escaped from al-Hol camp.”

Iraq

Al Monitor: Iraqi Government Calls Militia's Attack On US Base Terrorism

“For the third day in a row, US bases are being targeted by militias in Iraq. The latest attack is significant due to the number of rockets and the fact that it caused injuries, unlike earlier incidents. The attack took place around noon local time on July 7, when 14 rockets hit the Ain al-Asad base and led to at least two injuries, according to coalition spokesperson Col. Wayne Marotto. The attack was launched from a residential area in Al-Baghdadi city in Anbar governorate. A rocket launcher shot 14 from a small truck carrying dozens of rockets. The rest exploded, damaging nearby homes and a mosque, according to a statement by the Security Media Cell. The attack was immediately claimed by a newly formed militia that is believed to be a new front for one of the main militias. “Our mujahideen were able to target the Ain al-Asad base occupied by the Americans in Anbar province with 30 Grad missiles at exactly 12:33. The targets were hit with high accuracy and we renew our call for the brutal occupation … to leave our land defeated and broken,” read the statement signed by Al-Muhandis Revenge Brigade.”

Turkey

Daily Sabah: Drug Gang Suspects Accused Of Funding Terrorist Groups In Turkey

“Indictments have been handed down in Turkey’s largest operations against international drug smugglers, charging the alleged drug lords with funneling money to the PKK terrorist group and the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ). Nejat Daş and Çetin Gören, the two main suspects in the indictment covering 73 defendants, including a former police chief, face hundreds of years in prison on charges of running a criminal organization and laundering money. The suspects were rounded up in an international operation dubbed “Operation Swamp” last summer. A court accepted the indictment on Tuesday and a hearing has yet to be scheduled at a court in the capital, Ankara. Following the operation, Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu announced that the suspects, who had international connections, had accumulated criminal revenue amounting to more than TL 500 million ($57.6 million). Authorities have seized suspects' assets, which include luxury cars, residences and bank accounts. The operation was carried out after months of surveillance that started in 2019 following an intelligence tip-off from South Africa about the drug dealings of Gören.”

Afghanistan

The New York Times: Taliban Attack A Provincial Capital In Afghanistan’s North, Freeing Prisoners

“The Taliban pushed their way into a provincial capital in Afghanistan’s northwest on Wednesday, freeing prisoners there and threatening to overrun the city itself. Details were murky from the city, Qala-e-Naw, the capital of Badghis Province, where fighting was widespread. Videos posted on social media showed some residents welcoming Taliban fighters on motorbikes as they entered. “The entire city is under control of the Taliban,” said Abdul Rahim Rahin, a member of Parliament from Badghis, though his statement could not be immediately confirmed. Reports from the city in the afternoon said that airstrikes by the Afghan Air Force had helped push back the Taliban fighters. Despite dire reports from the ground, a statement from the Ministry of Defense on Wednesday afternoon said the Taliban were “fleeing” and that “in the next few hours, all parts of the city will be cleared.” The assault on Qala-e-Naw is the latest in the Taliban’s recent offensive, which began in earnest as U.S. and international forces began withdrawing from the country in May. In the span of just over two months, the Taliban have managed to seize at least 150 of Afghanistan’s roughly 400 districts.”

The Washington Post: Taliban’s Rapid Advance Across Afghanistan Puts Key Cities At Risk Of Being Overtaken

“The Taliban’s mounting pressure campaign on key cities across Afghanistan continued Wednesday as fighters battled government forces in the capital of Badghis province, the latest advance in a string of attacks on government-controlled districts since foreign forces began to withdraw in May. Clashes reached the city center Wednesday, but Afghan government officials said the city remains in government control. Videos circulated by Taliban spokesmen showed cheering civilians on the outskirts of Qala-e Nau as dozens of militants sped by on motorcycles. In a video released by the Afghan government, the province’s governor — holding a rifle and wearing an ammunition vest — pledged to defend the city. “The Taliban suffered casualties and were defeated,” Hasamuddin Shams, the provincial governor, said in the video as explosions rumbled in the background. Hours later, Ajmal Omar Shinwari, a spokesman for Afghanistan’s security forces, said the city’s perimeter had been secured. The assault on Badghis comes as the Taliban has besieged the capitals of several provinces across the country by overrunning surrounding districts, according to interviews with local officials.”

Bloomberg: Iran Hosts Taliban Talks With Afghan Officials As U.S. Exits War

“Iran is hosting talks between senior Taliban negotiators and officials from the Afghan government, as the militants make rapid territorial gains ahead of the complete withdrawal of U.S. forces. The Taliban said its delegation was led by Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, deputy head of the movement’s political office in Qatar, where months of formal peace talks between the Afghan adversaries appear to have stalled. Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency on Wednesday published video of the meeting chaired by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in Tehran, without naming any of the Afghans present. “Iran is ready to help in the process of dialog between different factions in order to resolve the current conflicts and crises in Afghanistan,” Tasnim quoted Zarif as saying. The Taliban’s Mohammad Suhail Shaheen, another of the group’s negotiators, said discussions would “touch on the current situation of the country and exchange views on a peaceful solution of the issue.” Iran’s long border with Afghanistan places it on the front lines if fighting escalates and triggers a refugee crisis. The two countries have deep historical and cultural ties, and Iran is already home to almost 3 million displaced Afghans, according to the United Nations.”

Nigeria

All Africa: Nigeria: Boko Haram Killed Over 40,000 Nigerians In 20 Years, Says Report

“The International Committee on Nigeria (ICON) in collaboration with the International Organisation for Peace Building and Social Justice (PSJ) has published a report on genocide, religious persecution, among other crimes in Nigeria. The report titled 'Nigeria's Silent Slaughter: Genocide in Nigeria and the Implications for the International Community,' revealed how the Boko Haram terrorist group killed more than 40,000 Nigerians. It also exposed the ongoing attack by militants, who according to the report, killed many Nigerians, primarily Christian farmers. Based on the data collected between January 2000 and January 2020, deaths resulting from militant attacks are recorded to be 19,101 across the country. Similarly, 52, 861 is recorded to have been killed by the Boko Haram terrorists' group, while 44,303 were documented killed by other actors. The report presents researched and documented data and analysis that highlights the critical need for intervention by the United States (coordinated by an empowered presidential envoy) to address this situation in Nigeria and the Lake Chad region.”

Somalia

The Hill: The Violence In Somalia Needs To Be Addressed

“Somalia’s Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble unveiled the timetable for indirect parliamentary and presidential elections. The timetable schedules elections for the upper house to take place on July 25 and the lower house between August 10 and September 10. Afterward, both houses will convene to vote for the presidency on October 10. The delayed election comes at a tense time and could spiral into widespread violence unless more is done to address the root causes of violence. Since the formation of the Somali National Movement in the 1980s, violence in Somalia has become the norm. Whether it is violent attacks by al-Shabaab, civilian deaths from U.S. drone strikes, the government firing on protesters, or the failure of AMISOM to protect civilians, violence continues to be a daily reality for the people of Somalia. The escalating situation in Somalia is more than a constitutional crisis. The 30-year-old armed conflict has become one of the most complex, multi-dimensional security crises in the world. The way forward needs to include local civil society and peacebuilding actors working alongside security actors to bridge the state-society divide.”

Africa

Africanews: East African Intelligence Chiefs Call For United Front Against Terrorism

“Rebel groups and terrorist forces are in disarray and would soon be neutralised across East Africa. A senior representative of the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Claude Ibalanky Ekolomba declared this Tuesday, at the fourth meeting of Heads of Intelligence and Security services of the DRC, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, and Tanzania in Bujumbura. "The current attacks that you are talking about are groups that are in disarray as they flee, they commit massacres on the way, so it doesn't bother us, especially since we know that they have been uprooted from where they were positioned or based. So, in a short time, we won't talk about it anymore". Ekolomba said. Centered on the theme: "confidence building towards enhanced regional cooperation to neutralize negative forces," the meeting of the heads of intelligence and security services was the fourth edition. Referring to the recent terrorist attacks on Catholic churches in the DRC, he said that the Islamic State wants to settle in the region. Hence the need for a coalition to confront it. "It is no secret that the Islamic State wants to settle in the Great Lakes region using the DRC as their base, but they have already been uprooted in the two bases, the two points where they were centered.”

United Kingdom

The Independent: Convicted Murderer Who Fought Fishmongers’ Hall Terrorist With Narwhal Tusk To Be Released From Prison

“A convicted murderer who fought the Fishmongers’ Hall terrorist with a narwhal tusk is to be freed from prison. Steven Gallant, 44, was among the inmates attending an event held by Cambridge University’s Learning Together rehabilitation scheme on 29 November 2019. He was in a workshop when another attendee, Usman Khan, launched a terror attack armed with two large knives and wearing a fake suicide vest. Inquests into his victims’ deaths heard how Gallant, who was on day release at the time, ran towards sounds of a commotion. He started hitting Khan with pieces of wood and chairs, before trying to stab the terrorist in the chest with an ornamental narwhal tusk. The makeshift weapon snapped but the battle continued, and Gallant and others chased Khan out of Fishmongers’ Hall and onto London Bridge. The inquests heard that Gallant tackled Khan to the ground and subdued him with a punch to the face before armed police arrived and shot him dead. Speaking of the struggle, Gallant told the inquests he had seen Khan’s realistic-looking suicide vest but “chose to ignore it” so he could keep fighting. After Khan was shot, he returned to Fishmongers’ Hall and tried to help injured victims.”

Germany

Deutsche Welle: Vienna Terror Attack: Police Search Suspects' Homes In Germany

“German police announced Wednesday they raided the homes of two alleged accomplices of the November 2020 terror attack in Vienna that left four dead and more than 20 injured. The German Federal Prosecutor's Office in Karlsruhe said the two accused, Blinor S., a national of Kosovo, and Drilon G., a German national, are believed to have had advanced knowledge of the attack and failed to report that such an attack was imminent. The raids were carried out in their homes in Osnabrück and Kassel. Before Kujtim Fejzulai, a dual citizen of Austria and North Macedonia, was killed by police following the attack, the two alleged accomplices visited him for several days in July 2020. Shortly before their visit, Fejzulai acquired the weapon he used in the attack. Both men had been targets of the investigation since shortly after the attack due to DNA traces on the rapid-fire rifle used in the attack. Prosecutors allege that on the day of the attack on November 2, even before the attack got underway, the two men deleted their communications on social media with the attacker. Fejzulai had a previous conviction for trying to join the "Islamic State" in Syria.”

Europe

AFP: ‘Alarming’: Austria Passes Heavily Criticised Terrorism Law

“Austria's National Assembly on Wednesday adopted a heavily criticised anti-terror law that was formulated in the wake of a deadly jihadist terror attack and allows for increased surveillance. After a sympathiser of the Islamic State group (IS) group killed four people in central Vienna in November, the conservative party (OeVP) of Chancellor Sebastian Kurz pushed for new anti-terror laws. Judges, rights groups and the opposition have criticised the legislation, passed on Wednesday for a measures in which released terror offenders would be monitored with electronic ankle bracelets. Some have also criticised a new offence of “religiously motivated” crimes. “Highlighting ‘religious motivation’ for crimes is unnecessary at best, but also worrisome from a fundamental rights point of view,” the president of the Austrian Judges’ Association, Sabine Matejka, told AFP Wednesday. “It’s alarming that other motivations aren’t highlighted as well, like racism,” Matejka said. Although the Justice Ministry did say the criticism would be “examined”, the law passed without further revisions. The new legislation also regulates Islamic religious activity, in particular through a mandatory register of all imams, a measure criticised by representatives of the Muslim community and by church leaders.”

Southeast Asia

The Wall Street Journal: Suicide Attack On Hong Kong Police Officer Highlights Tension Over China’s Rule

“Few people appeared to notice the middle-aged man as he walked up to one of dozens of police officers patrolling one of Hong Kong’s busiest streets on the July 1 anniversary of the city’s return to Chinese rule. The 50-year-old man dressed in gray pulled a knife out of his pocket and stabbed the officer in the back. As the officer staggered toward colleagues, the assailant stabbed himself in the heart and collapsed as officers rushed to subdue him. He died a short time later. The evening attack, which was partly captured on video, signalled a potential shift to more extreme tactics by some government opponents, as police enforce China’s national-security law that has all but eliminated avenues for political dissent. The response to the attack shows the deep divisions that persist in the city after authorities curtailed street demonstrations, jailed opposition figures and silenced dissenting voices. Many have mourned the attacker, who was identified as Leung Kin-fai by a well-known beverage company where he worked as a purchasing manager. Some brought flowers to Causeway Bay, a busy shopping district where the attack took place. Others left messages on social media calling him a martyr.”