The Patriot Files Forums  

Go Back   The Patriot Files Forums > Military News > Terrorism

Post New Thread  Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 10-02-2018, 06:13 AM
Boats's Avatar
Boats Boats is online now
Senior Member
 

Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Sauk Village, IL
Posts: 21,784
Arrow Eye on Extremism - October 2, 2018

Eye on Extremism
October 2, 2018

Eye on Extremism
October 2, 2018
The Times: US Takes A Stand Against Iran On Iraq’s Desert Front

A 12-mile stretch of the Iraq-Syria border has become the epicentre of a battle between Iran and the United States for control of the Middle East. Militias backed by Iran have taken control of territory on the Iraqi side of the frontier and just over the border in Syria stands a military base containing thousands of Shia fighters loyal to Tehran, according to analysts. Their presence marks a key staging post on the so-called “Shia crescent” of influence from Tehran, across Shia areas of Iraq, through Syria to the Israeli border and Hezbollah-controlled southern Lebanon. It has prompted President Trump to rethink plans to pull out US troops once Islamic State is defeated.”

Al Bawaba: Assad's Secret Transfer Of ISIS Fighters To Idlib May Sabotage The Ceasefire

“For the ISIS fighters surrounded on all sides in Deir Ezzour, Syria, they likely understand that they are making their last stand in the desert. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, backed by U.S. and Iraqi airpower, have launched their final operation to unroot ISIS from southeastern Syria, and are slowly closing in. But on the night of September 23, hundreds of ISIS fighters were reportedly spared and secretly bused out of the conflict zone according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Driving to Idlib through the night from Deir Ezzor, 400 ISIS members were saved by Syrian regime forces in a move experts say is intended to undermine the demilitarization deal brokered by Russia and Turkey for Idlib and provide a justification for violently re-taking the region. Syrian regime forces were preparing for an all-out assault on Idlib, the last major opposition holdout left in the wartorn country, but were stopped by a last-minute deal brokered by Turkey and Russia, which called for a buffer zone to be created inside the region. Turkey was given the onus of removing opposition groups from the frontlines and disarming others by October 15. But as the deadline approaches, Assad’s transfer of 400 ISIS fighters threatens to destabilize the demilitarization deal, further dividing already splintering opposition and jihadi groups in Idlib.”

Reuters: Turkey Will Resist U.S. Sanctions Over Pastor, Erdogan Says

“Turkey will resist U.S. efforts to impose sanctions on Ankara over the trial of a Christian pastor who has been detained for two years, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday, accusing the preacher of having “dark links with terror”. The case of evangelical pastor Andrew Brunson, whose next court hearing is on Oct. 12, has plunged ties between Ankara and Washington into crisis, leading to U.S. sanctions and tariffs which helped push Turkey’s lira to record lows in August. Brunson is charged with links to Kurdish militants and supporters of Fethullah Gulen, the cleric blamed by Turkey for a failed coup attempt in 2016. He has denied the charges and Washington has demanded his immediate release. Relations between the two NATO allies were already strained by disputes over U.S. support for Kurdish fighters in northern Syria, Turkey’s plans to buy a Russian missile defense system, and the jailing of a Turkish bank executive for violating U.S. sanctions on Iran.”

The Wall Street Journal: Iraq Lawmakers Delay Vote To Elect New President

“A parliamentary vote to elect Iraq’s new president was postponed by a day on Monday after rival political factions failed to agree on a candidate nearly five months after a parliamentary election that heightened rivalry between the U.S. and Iran. The presidency is a largely ceremonial position, but the vote begins a two-week countdown until the constitutional deadline, by which time a prime minister must be chosen to form the next government. Under the political system that took shape after 2003, Iraq’s presidency is reserved for the Kurds, while the speaker is Sunni and the prime minister is from the Shiite majority. Those positions are typically decided by quid-pro-quo deals among Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds, but unprecedented division within each of those groups have complicated the process. In the past, the Kurds agreed on a candidate among themselves, but this time they have fielded multiple candidates. The two front-runners are Barham Salih, a former prime minister of the semiautonomous Kurdistan region, and Fuad Hussein, chief of staff to former President Masoud Barzani. Both have held meetings with Shiite political leaders in Baghdad in recent days to win support for their candidacies and met with the Iranian ambassador, highlighting Tehran’s important role in forming Iraq’s government.”

The National: Rival Houthi Factions Battle For Leadership In Yemen

“A quarrel over leadership led to fighting between rival Houthi factions in northwest Yemen on Saturday, reportedly leaving several dozen fighters dead. The clashes continued into Sunday in the Magash district of Sada city, a stronghold of the rebel group which has controlled large parts of Yemen since 2014, according to a spokesman in the media centre of the Yemeni army in Sada governorate, where some pockets have been retaken by pro-government forces. According to the spokesman, a Houthi religious figure named AbdulAdheem Al Houthi had challenged the movement’s leader Abdulmalik Al Houthi for leadership of the movement. In return, supporters of the Houthi leader attacked homes Al Humaidan, an area affiliated with the religious leader AbdulAdheem. The spokesman claimed dozens were also wounded in the fighting. Schisms within the Houthi movement have reportedly led to fighting in the past.”

Bloomberg: France Freezes Iranian Assets After Attempted Terror Attack

“The French government imposed sanctions on two Iranian individuals and Iran’s interior security intelligence service for what it said was an attempted attack against a meeting of an Iranian opposition group near Paris. In a joint statement issued Tuesday by the foreign, interior and finance ministries, France said, “an act of such gravity planned on our territory can’t be left without response.” It named the individuals as Assadollah Asadi and Saeid Hashemi Moghadam. The office was identified as the Direction of Internal Security at Iran’s Intelligence Ministry. Monday, Agence France-Presse reported that Germany extradited to Belgium an Iranian diplomat suspected of being part of a plot to bomb a June 30 gathering by about 25,000 of the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq, or People’s Mujahedeen of Iran, at Villepinte near Paris. That same day, two Belgians of Iranian descent were arrested near Brussels with explosives that inspectors believe were being brought to the rally, and an Iranian diplomat posted to Vienna was arrested in Germany on suspicion of directing the operation. “The foiled attack at Villepinte confirms the necessity of a demanding approach in our relations with Iran,” Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said in the statement.”

United States
Sunshine State News: Marco Rubio Wants Maduro Regime Designated As State Sponsor Of Terrorism

“From his perch on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.. is calling on the U.S. State Department to designate the Maduro regime in charge of Venezuela as a State Sponsor of Terrorism. Countries determined by the Secretary of State to have repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism are designated pursuant to three laws: section 6(j) of the Export Administration Act, section 40 of the Arms Export Control Act, and section 620A of the Foreign Assistance Act,” the State Department defines State Sponsors of Terrorism. “Taken together, the four main categories of sanctions resulting from designation under these authorities include restrictions on U.S. foreign assistance; a ban on defense exports and sales; certain controls over exports of dual use items; and miscellaneous financial and other restrictions. Designation under the above-referenced authorities also implicates other sanctions laws that penalize persons and countries engaging in certain trade with state sponsors.” At the end of last week, Rubio joined U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Col., in sending a letter to U.S. Sec. of State Mike Pompeo urging him to include the Maduro regime on the list, pointing to its support of terrorist groups in the region and across the globe.”

Syria
Voice of America: US Calls Iranian Missile Strike Targeting Syrian Militants 'Reckless'

“The United States has criticized an Iranian missile attack on purported militant targets in eastern Syria, calling it “reckless, unsafe and escalatory.” In a statement sent to VOA on Monday, Pentagon spokesman Cmdr. Sean Robertson said Iran took no measures to notify other military powers operating in Syria of Monday’s predawn missile strike. Unlike Iran, he said, “professional” military forces such as those of the U.S.-led coalition in Syria and of Russia deconflict their operations to ensure maximum safety. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said six missiles launched from the northwestern province of Kermanshah flew over central Iraq and struck targets in the eastern Syrian town of Albu Kamal, near the Iraqi border. The IRGC said the targeted militants included “takfiris” – a term Iran often uses for Islamic State fighters – and Arab separatists, whom it blames for a Sept. 22 attack on an Iranian military parade in the southwestern city of Ahvaz, an assault that killed at least 24 people.”

Reuters: Syria Rebels Deny Withdrawal From Idlib Buffer Zone

“The Failaq al-Sham rebel faction in northwest Syria has denied a report saying it withdrew forces and heavy arms from a demilitarized zone agreed by Turkey and Russia. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Sunday the group was the first to start pulling out of the buffer zone in the Idlib region. Under the deal between Ankara and President Bashar al-Assad’s key ally Moscow, the zone will run along the contact line between insurgents and government forces, and will be patrolled by Turkish and Russian forces. “What was cited of our withdrawal from the demilitarized zone is a lie,” Sheikh Omar Huziefa, a Failaq al-Sham leader told Reuters on Sunday night. Another commander in the National Front for Liberation alliance said he visited a front in the Aleppo countryside on Sunday and there was no change in the situation on the ground. The alliance of Turkey-backed Free Syrian Army rebel factions includes Failaq al-Sham.”

PBS: This Syrian Mother Fled ISIS While Pregnant. Her Courage Has Stayed With Me Ever Since

“It was the tiny baby in her lap — a little girl with a shock of black hair who wasn’t yet big or strong enough even to lift her neck — that first led our team to meet Batoul just over one year ago. She sat there, holding her recently born daughter, not even 2 weeks old, like an island of maternal calm amid the sea of those fleeing the fight against the Islamic State group in a makeshift camp for the displaced in Ain Issa, in northern Syria. All around was chaos and a swirl of humanity, everyone trying to find a place after having lost theirs. And then there was Batoul. Smiling, welcoming us to sit down and talk with her. Happy to be holding her baby. Relieved that they both were alive. I sat down to speak with her, sweat from the 100-plus-degree heat soaking through my shirt, my jacket, through my head scarf. She looked as if she barely noted the temperature. Just then the fight to retake Raqqa from the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) was in full swing. The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces battled street-by-street to take the city from ISIS; tens of thousands of families fled Raqqa.”

Iran
Fox News: Agency Works To End Iran's Manipulation Of Iraq, Temper China's Growing Influence

“As the Trump administration takes an increasingly tough stance against Iran, a country it calls the world’s number one state-sponsor of terrorism, one small government agency is working strategically to untangle other countries who have developed a deep dependency on Tehran - namely Iraq. “Iraq currently gets one hundred percent of their electrical power from Iran. We are helping to finance power plants and transmission grids to make them independent of Iranian electricity,” Ray Washburne, President and CEO of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) which functions as a “self-sustaining” U.S agency that assists American businesses in emerging markets. “Iraq having its own power means the industry can build up. Right now Iranians can shut them off at any time.” Exaclty that happened over a sweltering Middle East summer. Tehran suddenly stopped supplying electricity to Iraq in July due to unpaid bills, and a spike in Iran’s own needs. The move sparked unrest and protests across Iraq, with people taking to the streets to protest Iran's burgeoning influence.”

Iran News Update: Iran-Backed Hezbollah’s Failure In Bahrain

“For nearly four decades, Iran has continued its attempts to simulate the Lebanese Hezbollah experience in Bahrain. After the Islamic Revolution in 1979, the Khomeini regime had attempted to establish the Bahraini Hezbollah. Still, even with the financial, logistic, and political support this project continues to receive from Iran, it is failing. The first attempt was a coup led by the Shiites and their allies in 1981, just two years after Khomeini’s arrival. A second attempt to establish a Bahraini Hezbollah was to try to overthrow the regime and establish a pro-Iranian regime. Coinciding with the Arab Spring in 2011, a third attempt uncovered Bahraini political associations who had disguised themselves as part of the reform project of the King of Bahrain.”

Express: Iran Oil Crisis: Iranian Navy Speedboats Chase Giant US Ship In Shock Video

“A DRONE has captured shock footage of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard navy speedboats chasing one of the world’s largest oil carriers, the USS Theodore Roosevelt, in the Strait of Hormuz amid tensions over oil sanctions. Two small speedboats can be seen closing in on the US carrier in a display of strength presumably over mounting pressures over the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf, a strategic waterway for the export of almost a third of all oil traded by sea. Twitter users were quick to tear apart the video branding it as “feel good” footage that emphasises the “naval might that Iran doesn’t have”. In the video Iranian sailors warn the Americans over the radio communication to “keep well clear” of the Guard patrol boats and advise them to “refrain from the threat or use of force in any manner”. One person commented on the video saying that the carrier has “massive fire power and these tiny boats are no match."

Iraq
Iraqi News: 75 People Killed, 179 Others Injured Due To Violence, Terrorism In September: UNAMI

“Over 70 civilians were killed, while more than 170 others were injured due to acts of terrorism, violence and armed conflict during the month of September, according to casualty figures recorded by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI). A report by UNAMI issued on Monday said a total of 75 Iraqi civilians were killed and another 179 injured in acts of terrorism, violence and armed conflict in Iraq in September. “The figures include ordinary citizens and others considered civilian at the time of death or injury, such as police in non-combat functions, civil defence, personal security teams, facilities protection police and fire department personnel,” the report said. “Of the overall figures recorded by UNAMI for the month of September, 71 ordinary civilians were killed. Baghdad came on top of the worst affected Governorate, with 101 civilian casualties (31 killed, 70 injured), followed by Anbar (15 killed and 37 injured) and Salahuddin (09 killed and 38 injured).”

The Times: Cold War On Iraq’s Frontier With Syria Is Hotting Up

“The last checkpoint before the border was different: the scale, the delay but most of all the flags. During our long drive across the Iraqi desert in a convoy of United Nations jeeps and army pick-up trucks we had been swiftly waved through. Not here. Instead, we were stopped by militiamen whose black, green and white banners gave the post away as belonging to the “Popular Mobilisation Units”, militias controlled by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. It took a call from the mayor of the border town, al-Qaim, to let us through. The abrupt change of control over the road was not random. This border is the most sensitive 12-mile patch of territory in the world.”

Iraqi News: Iraqi Security Apprehend 27 Islamic State Militants In Mosul

“As many as 27 Islamic State militants were arrested Monday during a security campaign in Hamam al-Alil district in Mosul, a policeman in the Nineveh Operations Command said. Speaking to the Iraqi Basnews website, Lieutenant Colonel Roshdy Abbas said that “the Nineveh Operations Command launched a security campaign after receiving intelligence reports about the presence of Islamic State infiltrators in the central island in Hamam al-Alil, 20 km south of Mosul.” “The troops, backed by the Iraqi Air Force, raided the whole area and arrested 27 IS militants,” he said, adding that the arrestees were later taken into the headquarters of the Nineveh Operation Command for interrogation. Last year, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced liberation of the second largest Iraqi city of Mosul from IS militants, who had captured it in 2014. More than 25,000 militants were killed throughout the campaign, which started in October 2016. In December, Abadi declared final victory over Islamic State three years after the militant group captured about a third of Iraq’s territory. Abadi’s announcement came two days after Russia announced a similar victory over Islamic State militants in neighboring Syria.”

Turkey
Reuters: Turkey Will Strengthen Observation Posts In Idlib, Erdogan Says

“Turkey will strengthen its observation points in Syria’s northwest and work with Russia against radical groups, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday. Speaking to members of his AK Party in parliament, Erdogan also said that Turkey will hold a summit with Russia, Germany and France in October or November to discuss Syria, adding that Turkey will continue to seek a solution with the Syrian people, not the Russian-backed Syrian government.”

Channel NewsAsia: US And Turkey Begin Training For Joint Patrols In Syria's Manbij

“The United States and Turkey have started training together to carry out joint patrols soon in northern Syria's Manbij area, U.S. Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said on Monday, despite tense relations between the two countries. PARIS: The United States and Turkey have started training together to carry out joint patrols soon in northern Syria's Manbij area, U.S. Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said on Monday, despite tense relations between the two countries. As agreed by the two NATO allies in June, Turkish and U.S. forces are currently carrying out patrols in Manbij, but those are independent of each other. Training is the last step before the two countries carry out joint patrols. Last month, Ankara said joint patrols and training for those would begin soon. "The training now is under way and we'll just have to see how that goes," Mattis told a small group of reporters travelling with him to Paris.”

Reuters: Turkey's Erdogan Says To Secure East Of Euphrates In Syria

“Turkey aims to secure control of the region of northern Syria east of the Euphrates river, removing the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia from the area, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday. Speaking at the opening of parliament, Erdogan said Turkey also aimed to clear Iraq’s Sinjar and Qandil regions of Kurdish militants. Ankara regards the YPG as a terrorist organization, closely tied to the militant PKK which has fought a decades-old insurgency in southeast Turkey.”

Afghanistan
Bloomberg: ‘Father Of The Taliban’ Calls On China To Aid Afghan Peace Talks

“A Pakistani Islamic cleric who taught the Taliban’s leaders has called on China to play a larger role in negotiations to end the 17-year Afghan conflict. Beijing’s stake in regional peace is larger than America’s, Maulana Samiul Haq, who is known as the ‘Father of the Taliban,’ said in an interview at his seminary near the northwestern city of Peshawar. Haq, who is believed to be in close contact with the Afghan Taliban and schooled its present chief, Haibatullah Akhundzada, said China would be welcomed as an arbitrator in negotiations and shouldn’t “leave matters of such a great importance solely to the U.S.” China has long been concerned about Afghanistan’s instability spilling across its border. The East Turkestan Islamic Movement, a separatist militant group formed by members of China’s Muslim Uighur community, has in the past operated in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. Now Beijing is allegedly cracking down on ethnic Uighurs in its vast Xinjiang province that borders both nations. As U.S. President Donald Trump tentatively renews direct talks with the Taliban in a bid to end America’s longest war, Haq said peace negotiations can succeed if Washington announces a troop withdrawal date. His comments illustrate the conflict’s complexity and influence wielded by Pakistani actors. Although Islamabad has acted against militants that threaten Pakistan domestically, the U.S. accuses the country of supporting insurgents who strike inside Afghanistan.”

Khaama Press: Drone Strike Target Taliban’s Red Unit Commanders In Kunar Province

“The coalition forces based in Afghanistan have carried out airstrikes in eastern Kunar province of Afghanistan, targeting a vehicle that was carrying commanders of the Taliban’s Red Unit. The 201st Silab Corps of the Afghan Military in the East in a statement said the airstrike was carried out on Monday in the vicinity of Asmar district. The statement further added that the unmanned aerial vehicles of the coalition forces targeted the vehicle of Taliban’s Red Unit commanders in Kandar area, leaving two commanders of the group dead. The two Taliban commanders killed in the airstrike have been identified as Mohammad Yousuf adn Mullah Ayoub, the 201st Silab Corps said, adding that the vehicle was also destroyed along with several light and heavy weapons. According to 201st Silab Corps, the security forces and local residents have not suffered any casualty during the airstrike. In the meantime, the 201st Silab Corps said a new military operation, Qahr Silab (2//9), has kicked off in Ghaziabad and Asmar districts of Kunar to suppress the militants and pave the way for the upcoming elections. The statement by 201st Silab Corps added that the operations are jointly being conducted by the Afghan army, Afghan police, border forces, and the Afghan intelligence forces.”

Xinhua: Clash Leaves 6 Dead Including 4 Taliban Fighters In N. Afghanistan

“At least six people including four Taliban affiliated insurgents have been killed as a clash flared up in Qara Hindi area outside Taluqan, the capital of northern Takhar province on Monday, provincial police spokesman Abdul Khalil Asir said Tuesday. The clash, according to the official, occurred after a group of Taliban militants attacked the pro-government militia in Qara Hindi area outside Taluqan city on Monday evening, triggering a gun battle. As a result, four Taliban fighters and two pro-government militia were killed. Three more pro-government militia sustained injuries in the fighting, the official said. Taliban militants haven't commented yet.”

Yemen
Asharq Al-Awsat: Dozens Of Militants Killed In Houthi In-Fighting In Yemen

“Zaidi cleric, Mohammad Abdulazem al-Houthi, mobilized on Monday his forces in Houthi-controlled areas following fierce clashes between his forces and others backed by Abdulmalek al-Houthi. “Mohammad Abdulazeem mobilized his forces in Sanaa, Amran and Dhamar to protect their comrades who are currently present in Houthi-controlled areas in Saada,” Yemeni tribal sources told Asharq Al-Awsat on. Asharq Al-Awsat reported on Monday that 40 members of the Iran-backed Houthi militias were killed over the weekend in internal fighting between rival factions over a drugs shipment. The clashes erupted between gunmen loyal to Houthi leader Abdulmalek al-Houthi and others loyal to his uncle, Mohammed Abdulazem. On Monday, Mohammad Abdulazem called on all his followers to quickly intervene to rescue the families of al-Hmeidan region from the rival Houthis, describing the militias as “thieves, criminals and insurgents.” The militias had bombarded the homes of Mohammed Abdulazem’s followers in Saada with heavy weapons. “The attacks are an insidious and cowardly aggression,” he said in a statement. He added that members of the rival faction were surrounding his followers in al-Hmeidan region, pounding their homes with heavy, medium and light weapons and attacking children, women and the elderly.”

Al Arabiya: Arab Coalition: We Refuted Houthi Violations With A Message To The UN

“The spokesman of the Arab coalition backing the legitimate Yemeni National Army, Colonel Turki al-Malki said on Monday that the coalition refuted the Houthi militia’s violations through a message directed to the United Nations. In his weekly press conference, al-Malki added that all ports in Yemen are fully operational. Al-Malki renewed the coalition and the Yemeni government’s rejection of the experts’ reports on human rights in Yemen. He also stressed on the need to take a tougher stance when it comes to the Houthis’ violations, adding that they are increasing the suffering of the Yemeni people. Colonel al-Malki further said that the coalition is addressing the Houthis’ attempts to disrupt maritime navigation.”

Al Arabiya: Yemeni Army Confirms Death Of Top Houthi Leader Allied To Iran

“The Yemeni army announced the death of Iran-allied Houthi militia leader Hussein Yahya Ksheima and around 40 fighters. The army said that an Arab coalition strike was able to target them in the West Coast front in Hodeidah district. Military sources said that Ksheima is considered one of Iran’s major frontline leaders, and that he was an expert in planting mines and explosive devices. The Houthi leader also received military training in Lebanon and Iran in the years 2011 and 2012.”

Lebanon
The Washington Post: Lebanon Puts On A Tour Of Alleged Hezbollah Missile Sites To Prove Israel Wrong

“Lebanon’s foreign minister escorted dozens of foreign ambassadors and diplomats to visit a soccer field, a warehouse and a golf course adjoining Beirut’s airport Monday to counter allegations by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Hezbollah has stored precision guided missiles at the sites. No evidence of missiles or their production was seen. The allegations and the Lebanese response have come, however, as a reminder of the real risk of another Israel-Lebanon war as the conflict in Syria winds down. This has left Lebanon’s Shiite militia Hezbollah, which is allied with Iran and has fought for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in a more powerful position than ever. Netanyahu made the allegations at the United Nations last week, unveiling a satellite map showing three sites near Beirut’s airport where Hezbollah purportedly has hidden advanced missiles that could be used to target Israel. The presentation raised concerns across Lebanon that Israel is planning an attack on the sites. The tour was organized to demonstrate that Netanyahu is an “international liar,” said Lebanon’s foreign minister, Gebran Bassil, who accompanied the dignitaries and whose political party is allied with Hezbollah.”

Libya
Reuters: Fighting Forces Libya To Close Tripoli Airport Again

“Libya has closed the only functioning airport in the capital Tripoli again after rockets were fired in its direction, officials said on Tuesday, days after flights had resumed following a earlier shutdown. Matiga airport, a former air base used for commercial flights since the main international airport was destroyed in 2014 by militia fighting, said all flights had been suspended. It has closed and opened several times since a flare-up in violence in late August. Rival armed groups based in and outside the city have fought over territory and resources in the OPEC oil producer since the toppling of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.”

Nigeria
The Washington Times: Nigerian President Faces Skepticism About Boko Haram Claims As Vote Looms

“Baba Goni, 35, trekked about nine miles to escape from Boko Haram fighters who were laying siege to Gudumbali, a city in rural northeastern Nigeria. Led by Abu-Mosad Al-Barnawi, the leader of the Islamic State’s branch in West Africa, the militants used gun trucks to storm the town where a military base is located, engaging Nigerian soldiers in a fierce battle for several hours. An air force helicopter gunship helped repel the fighters — part of a movement that the government had promised would be defeated long ago. “It was raining bullets when I ran out of my home around 3 a.m.,” said Mr. Goni, a farmer. “I have yet to trace the whereabouts of my wife and two children.” Mr. Goni was among hundreds of residents of Gudumbali who lives in a displaced persons camp in Maiduguri around 75 to the south in the wake of renewed violence, clear evidence that the radical Islamist movement that has pledged allegiance to Islamic State remains a potent force in the field. Boko Haram fighters in recent months have resumed attacks on military bases and communities in northeastern Nigeria and parts of Cameroon, casting fresh doubts on Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari’s claims of “decimating” the insurgents.”

The Nation: Air Force Jets Destroys Boko Haram Meeting Venue

“The Nigeria Air Force (NAF) said on Monday that Boko Haram meeting place at Jabullam in Borno state has been destroyed with air strikes. The Spokesman of the NAF, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola said in a statement that the strikes were conducted through the Air Task Force of Operation Lafiya Dole after an intelligence report had established the presence of the terrorists in the buildings. Air Commodore Daramola also said some terrorists were killed during the air strikes. The statement reads: “The Air Task Force (ATF) of Operation LAFIYA DOLE has destroyed a Boko Haram Terrorist (BHT) meeting venue at Jabullam in Northern Borno State. “The attack was carried out on September 28, 2018 following credible human intelligence reports indicating that some buildings within the settlement were being used for meetings attended by BHT leaders. “Accordingly, following confirmatory Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions which identified the target building and surrounding structures, the ATF detailed a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Alpha Jet aircraft, which attacked the location and recorded direct hits on the target leading to the obliteration of the building and neutralization of the BHT occupants.” “The NAF, working in concert with surface forces, will sustain the momentum of operations with a view to destroying remnants of the terrorists in the fringes of Lake Chad and other areas in Northern Borno.”

Somalia
OCCRP: Trekking Through Hell To Flee From Al-Shabab

“Said, a young Somalian man, left his home in 2015 to escape recruitment by jihadist group al-Shabab. After journeying for nearly a year — during which he was tortured in a Libyan slave camp, saw many of his fellow travellers die, and crossed the Mediterranean in a rubber boat — he finally made it to Belgium. This is his story. Said was enjoying the February sunset and drinking tea with his family in his small Somalian village when the local imam approached his hut with two guards with an instruction: The 22-year-old was to join the Salafist jihadist group al-Shabab as soon as tomorrow. It was almost a death sentence. “They just take you to the front and give you a gun. If you don’t shoot, you die,” Said explained. After the imam left, the family sat speechless. Said’s mother was the first to say it: “You have to leave the country! Tonight!”

Daily Nation: Somalia's Shabaab Attack EU Military Convoy, Two Wounded

“A suicide bomber on Monday rammed a vehicle loaded with explosives into a vehicle carrying a European Union military convoy, injuring two civilians, police said. Al-Shabaab Islamists claimed responsibility for the attack against "European Union Christians", which targeted vehicles carrying Italian soldiers, in a statement on a pro-Shabaab website. "The attacked convoy was coming from the ministry of defence when targeted along the industrial road and ... two civilians were wounded. The military truck in the convoy that was struck was badly damaged," police officer Ahmed Ibrahim told AFP. The Italian army said in a statement that five Italian vehicles were in the convoy, and a vehicle with four soldiers onboard was "slightly damaged and able to return to the base". "No Italian soldiers were injured in the event", which took place some 700 metres from the defence ministry. The European Training Mission in Somalia (EUTM) was launched in 2010 to strengthen the country's transitional government by offering military advice and training.”

North Korea
The Wall Street Journal: North Korea Ramps Up Pressure On U.S. In Nuclear Talks

“Emboldened by praise from President Trump, North Korea is moving to squeeze more concessions out of the U.S., signaling a tougher negotiating stance ahead of a possible second meeting between the countries’ leaders. Pyongyang on Tuesday suggested it might walk away from denuclearization talks if the U.S. continues to resist making a declaration to end the 1950-53 Korean War. The North has sought a declaration to replace the armistice that halted the conflict, though Washington worries such a step may lead to pressure on the U.S. to remove its forces from the Korean Peninsula. “But, if the U.S. doesn’t want the end of war,” the North “will also not particularly hope for it,” the regime said via state media. An end-of-war declaration “can never be a bargaining chip,” it added. The statement appeared aimed at gaining leverage over the U.S. before a planned visit to Pyongyang this month by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and as both sides prepare for a potential second summit between President Trump and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.”

France
Reuters: French Police Raid Muslim Club In Counter-Terror Swoop

“French police raided the premises of a Muslim club before dawn on Tuesday as well as the homes of members of the club, in a swoop that the local government prefect's office said was prompted by serious suspicions of pro-Islamist militancy. The operation involving some two hundred police began around 6 a.m. targetted a club known as Centre Zahra France and 12 of its members in an area called Grande Synthe, near Dunkirk and not far from Calais on France's northern coast. France, home to Europe's largest Muslim community, remains on maximum security alert after attacks over recent years in which Islamist militants and assailants inspired by militant groups such as Islamic State have killed close to 250 people. "This is a counter-terrorism operation," said a statement from the prefect's office. "The activities of Centre Zahra France are under particularly close watch given its leaders' clear support for several terrorist oganisations and movements espousing ideas contrary to (French) republican values," it said.”

Germany
The New York Times: Suspected Far-Right Terrorism Ring Leads To 7 Arrests In Germany

“Seven Germans described by the authorities as belonging to the “hooligan, skinhead and neo-Nazi scenes” in eastern Germany have been arrested on suspicion of building a far-right terrorist organization called Revolution Chemnitz — named for the city that was rocked by recent street clashes — the country’s federal prosecutor said Monday. Six men, all Germans aged 20 to 30, were arrested on Monday. They are suspected of acting under the leadership of the seventh man, who has been in police custody since Sept. 14, when the federal authorities opened their investigation, the prosecutor, Peter Frank, said in a statement. The group was at first seen only as a criminal organization, he said, but further evidence, including the intent to procure semiautomatic weapons, led investigators to suspect terrorism. The arrests come just weeks after violence broke out in Chemnitz, where far-right extremists clashed with the police at demonstrations after a German man was fatally stabbed after trying to intervene in a dispute between two recent immigrants. A Syrian man remains in detention on suspicion of the killing. It was not clear when the group began referring to itself as “Revolution Chemnitz,” or whether the men chose that name because of the unrest there.”

Southeast Asia
Manila Bulletin: Three Suspected Members Of ISIS-Inspired Group Nabbed

“Three suspected members of Ansar Khilafah Philippines (AKP), a local terror group which pledged allegiance to Islamic State (ISIS), were arrested by police in Tupi, South Cotabato before dawn Monday. Chief Supt. Eliseo Rasco, regional director of Soccsksargen Police Regional Office (PRO-12), identified the three suspects as Akmad Bulacon, and his sons Muktar and Zandro, all of Purok 1, Barangay Palian, Tupi, South Cotabato. Rasco revealed that the arrested suspects were not really the target of an operation jointly conducted by the local Special Action Force (SAF) unit in the region, the South Cotabato Police Provincial Office, and the Tupi Municipal Police Station. He said the troops initially served an arrest warrant against two of Akmad’s sons — Arafat and Mohammad — around 2 a.m. for the crime of murder. The two suspects were implicated in the shooting to death of Police Officer 1 Achiles Tablazon on Sept. 15, 2018. However, the two suspects managed to elude arrest during the operation, Rasco said. The suspects were said to have escaped to a mountainous area in the nearby Barangay Lunen. Consequently, Akmad, Muktar and Zandro also tried to flee but they were held by the policemen. Rasco said a backpack was recovered from their possession and when police searched it, they found two black emblems with an ISIS printing on it. Police also found from their possession two blasting caps, ammonium nitrate, a bandolier with 5.56 M16 rifle ammunition, a fragmentation grenade, three rifle grenades and two motorcycles believed to have been used in Tablazon’s killing.”

Technology
TechCrunch: Facebook Can’t Keep You Safe

“Another day, another announcement from Facebook that it has failed to protect your personal information. Were you one of the 50 million (and likely far more, given the company’s graduated disclosure style) users whose accounts were completely exposed by a coding error in play for more than a year? If not, don’t worry — you’ll get your turn being failed by Facebook . It’s incapable of keeping its users safe. Facebook has proven over and over again that it prioritizes its own product agenda over the safety and privacy of its users. And even if it didn’t, the nature and scale of its operations make it nearly impossible to avoid major data breaches that expose highly personal data. For one thing, the network has grown so large that its surface area is impossible to secure completely. That was certainly demonstrated Friday when it turned out that a feature rollout had let hackers essentially log in as millions of users and do who knows what. For more than a year.”

Terror Financing
Hakaek Online: Tunisia: Relatively High Risk Of Money Laundering And Terror Financing

“The Tunisian Financial Analysis Commission has defined the level of risk of money laundering and terrorism financing in Tunisia as relatively high. This comes following a national self-assessment of the risks of money laundering and terrorist financing, which began in 2014 and ended in 2017, according to a governmental document. The document shows that the strategic analysis of the money laundering and terrorist financing cases forwarded to the judiciary contained more than 460 files, 200 banking accounts and thousands of transactions, including bank deposits, withdrawals and money transfers at a value exceeding 10 billion Tunisian dinars (equivalent to $3.57 billion). The national assessment process, which included more than 150 entities in the private sector, took over 30 months to complete. More than 160 questionnaires were distributed and thousands of financial, security, judicial and educational data and statistics were collected.”

Muslim Brotherhood
Almesryoon: Muslim Brotherhood Activist: Group Raised Membership Fees From 7% To 10%

“"H.A.", a young-guard activist of the Muslim Brotherhood, revealed that the present-day financial sources of the outlawed organization are the same as the pre-crisis ones. However, the scale of these sources has shrunk perceptibly due to the recent unpleasant circumstances, from the standpoint of the Islamist group, noted the activist. As the son of an imprisoned Muslim Brotherhood leader, H.A. preferred to remain anonymous to protect his personal safety and that of his father. He disclosed that the organization's membership fees had risen from 7% of each working member's salary {which existed} before the Muslim Brotherhood’s removal from power, to 10% in recent times. In addition to membership fees, some members are channeling their "Zakat" {obligatory alms-giving tax} to the group, the activist noted. He also said that some of the Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated families who work and conduct business abroad are financially supporting their penniless colleagues’ families as a form of social solidarity. The number of Muslim Brotherhood members who fully meet their financial obligations toward the group is no less than one million, H.A. claimed.”

Sout Al-Omma: Muslim Brotherhood Dissident: Qatar Backs Media Channels In Turkey Through Mediators

“Emad Abo Hashim, an ex-member of the Muslim Brotherhood, recently unveiled how Qatar finances the Muslim Brotherhood media networks in Turkey. The banned group's dissident stressed that Qatar is the major financier of the Muslim Brotherhood in every shape and form, and in every place. This includes the group as an entity, its media channels based in Turkey, and any allies that perpetrate hostile activities against Egypt, Abo Hashim explained. The Muslim Brotherhood defector disclosed that the tiny Gulf state is funding these media channels via mediators and indirect means, which makes it very difficult to trace the sources of this money.”

Shorouk News: Egypt: 13 Persons Suspected Of Financing Muslim Brotherhood Released With Precautionary Measures

“Chaired by Judge Hassan Farid, the Cairo Criminal Court ruled to uphold an earlier order to release 13 suspects with precautionary measures, pending investigation in connection with the case known as "Financing of the Muslim Brotherhood." These individuals face charges of joining a terrorist organization, leading an illegal group, supporting a terrorist group with foreign funding, financing and supporting terrorism in Egypt, attempting to topple the state, inciting violence against police, army and judiciary, creating chaos, inciting demonstrations, targeting public establishments, jeopardizing the society’s safety and aiding and abetting the purchase of weapons and explosive materials for terrorist operations.”

Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF)
Sky News Arabia: Iran Is The Most Important Source Of Funding For PMF

“Noura al-Bajari, an Iraqi parliament member from the Coalition of Iraqi Forces, said that she had concluded, on the basis of information gleaned from faction leaders and official statements, that the state allots a monthly salary of 750k (about $630) to those affiliated with the PMF. This is before the recent {salary) increase approved by Prime Minister Haidar Abadi. "Prior to the PMF Law, which approved and enacted channeling part of the state budget towards financing these factions, the PMF had been active in Iraq without public knowledge of the sources of its weapons, vehicles and salaries," she said. Iran's funding for these militias is no secret to anyone who follows the events in Iraq, but the successive economic crises plaguing the mullahs' regime pose a logical question: "Is Iran still backing these militias?" "Of course, most of the funding comes from Iran," asserted al-Bajari.”
__________________
Boats

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"
sendpm.gif Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On

All times are GMT -7. The time now is 06:04 AM.


Powered by vBulletin, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.