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Old 08-22-2018, 10:52 AM
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Arrow Eye on Extremism: August 22 Updated

Eye on Extremism: August 22 Updated
RE: https://www.counterextremism.com/rou...sm-august-22-1

New York Times:

Facebook Fueled Anti-Refugee Attacks In Germany, New Research Suggests

“Little Altena exemplifies a phenomenon long suspected by researchers who study Facebook: that the platform makes communities more prone to racial violence. And, now, the town is one of 3,000-plus data points in a landmark study that claims to prove it. Karsten Müller and Carlo Schwarz, researchers at the University of Warwick, scrutinized every anti-refugee attack in Germany, 3,335 in all, over a two-year span. In each, they analyzed the local community by any variable that seemed relevant. Wealth. Demographics. Support for far-right politics. Newspaper sales. Number of refugees. History of hate crime. Number of protests. One thing stuck out. Towns where Facebook use was higher than average, like Altena, reliably experienced more attacks on refugees. That held true in virtually any sort of community — big city or small town; affluent or struggling; liberal haven or far-right stronghold — suggesting that the link applies universally.Their reams of data converged on a breathtaking statistic: Wherever per-person Facebook use rose to one standard deviation above the national average, attacks on refugees increased by about 50 percent.

Associated Press:

Syria’s Al-Qaida Leader Vows To Fight On In Rebel Province

“The leader of Syria's al-Qaida affiliate has vowed to fight on in Idlib province, the country's last major rebel stronghold, in the face of a possible government offensive. Abu Mohammed al-Golani of the militant Levant Liberation Committee says state-sponsored surrenders of rebel groups, similar to those that recently occurred in southern Syria, won't happen in Idlib. His comments came as government forces have been sending reinforcements into Idlib, in the country's northwest along the border with Turkey. Syrian government forces captured rebel-held suburbs of the capital, Damascus, earlier this year as well as the southern provinces of Daraa, Quneitra and Sweida.

Associated Press:

Army Soldier To Admit To Attempt To Support ISIS, Lawyer Says

“A Hawaii-based Army soldier accused of attempting to support the Islamic State (ISIS) group will plead guilty, one of his lawyers told The Associated Press on Tuesday. Sgt. 1st Class Ikaika Kang has agreed to plead guilty, but Alexander Silvert, an assistant federal defender representing him, won't say what charges he'll be pleading to. "We've agreed on a sentence," Silvert said, declining to elaborate. He referred further questions to Kang's other attorney, Birney Bervar, who couldn't immediately be reached. Court documents allege Kang provided classified military information to undercover agents whom he believed were part of ISIS. Court records show that Kang is scheduled to withdraw his not guilty plea Thursday. The hearing was moved from the afternoon to the morning because of concerns about a hurricane headed for Hawaii, Silvert said. A plea agreement hasn't been filed in court yet. According to court documents, a confidential informant told authorities Kang watched videos depicting beheadings and other violence in his room for hours every day. Kang told the informant that if he became an ISIS member, he would be a suicide bomber and attack Schofield Barracks, a sprawling Army base outside Honolulu, according to an affidavit filed in court. Kang began researching the Muslim religion in 2014, couldn't wait to move to the Middle East to "join the cause" and was "only in the military for a paycheck," the informant said, according to the affidavit. When Kang met with the undercover agents at a home in Honolulu, he pledged allegiance to the group and kissed an ISIS flag, according to court documents.

Voice Of America:

IS Claims Mortar Strike On Kabul During Eid Festivities

“Islamic State's Amaq News Agency issued a statement Tuesday claiming responsibility for what it called a mortar strike on the presidential palace earlier in the day. A barrage of rockets hit Kabul, just as President Ashraf Ghani was on television delivering his address for the Muslim holy festival Eid-al-Adha in a special ceremony at the presidential palace. At least one rocket landed near the palace in Kabul’s green zone. Kabul police said a group of five suicide bombers hid behind Kabul’s Eidgah mosque and fired multiple rockets from there towards various parts of town. A security source confirmed at least 10 rockets were fired, but local media reported more. Four of the suicide bombers have died in clashes with the local security forces. Ghani, who continued his address, said Afghans cannot be cowed by such attacks. He also said the government was prepared for such an incident on Eid. Hashmatullah Stanikzai, a spokesman for Kabul police, said the police seized a vehicle belonging to the attackers. Tuesday is also the International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism established last year by the United Nations General Assembly. In its message, the U.N. said victims of terrorist attacks are too soon forgotten. “We rarely hear about those who were killed and injured; the ordinary women, men, girls and boys, who were going about their daily business when their lives ended or were changed forever.

The Jerusalem Post: Report:

IRGC Officer Confirms Helping Houthis Fire Rockets At Saudis

“In a recent interview, a senior Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps officer became the first top official to confirm it is helping Yemen’s Houthi rebels fire rockets at Saudi Arabia’s oil interests, the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center has reported. In statements to The Jerusalem Post and its report on Monday and Tuesday, the Meir Amit Center revealed a surprising, and likely accidental, admission by Nasser Shaabani to the Iran state-sponsored Fars media outlet on August 7. According to the report, Shaabani told Fars that Iran not only supported Yemen’s Houthis with weaponry but gave them directives to attack two Saudi Arabian oil tankers on July 25. While only one of the ships was minimally damaged, the incident has caused the Saudis to completely reevaluate its oil shipping routes and its vulnerability to rocket attacks in other areas. While Israel and the West have taken it as conventional wisdom that Iran is supplying the Houthis with rockets to attack the Saudis, the Islamic Republic has been careful to deny all involvement in any public statements. Public denial of involvement is Iran’s way of avoiding any undesired diplomatic or legal consequences. It is also an opportunity to prop up its narrative that there are revolutionary pro-Iran and anti-Sunni movements erupting spontaneously throughout the Middle East – meaning not as part of an Iranian-directed plot. Iran and Saudi Arabia are supporting rival warring sides of a Yemen civil war.

United States

ABC News:

Trump Set To Posthumously Award Medal Of Honor To Airman Who Saved Teammates From Al-Qaeda Attack

“President Donald Trump is set to posthumously award the Medal of Honor to Air Force Tech Sgt. John Chapman Wednesday for his valiant actions during a 2002 mountainside battle in Afghanistan. Chapman will be just the 19th airman to be awarded the Medal of Honor since the creation of the Air Force in 1947, and the first airman to receive the award for actions occurring since the Vietnam War. Chapman was part of a rescue team looking for a teammate who had fallen out of a Chinook helicopter during a mission to destroy al-Qaeda and Taliban forces fortified in mountainous positions in eastern Afghanistan in March 2002. Chapman and his team were dropped from a helicopter at nighttime, onto a deep snow-covered mountain at 11,000 feet altitude, and were immediately fired upon by al-Qaeda fighters from three sides.

Al Monitor:

Congress Ratchets Up Pressure On Trump, Russia Over Syria

“President Donald Trump used his controversial summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Finland last month to discuss Moscow’s role in facilitating the removal of Iranian forces from Syria. Putin reportedly told Trump that this would be a tough sell — and Congress agrees. Now lawmakers are teeing up a new batch of wide-ranging Russia sanctions in a bill that highlights Moscow’s support for Iran and the Bashar al-Assad regime while repudiating Trump’s plan to cooperate with the Russians in Syria. A bipartisan group of six senators led by Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Bob Menendez, D-N.J., introduced the Defending American Security from Kremlin Aggression Act earlier this month. Building upon sanctions legislation Congress passed last year, the new bill requires the Trump administration to submit an assessment of whether Russia belongs on the State Department’s infamous state sponsors of terrorism list, in part because of its actions in Syria. The bill would also require a report on the feasibility of Moscow’s “willingness and capacity” to remove Iran from the war-torn country.

Syria

Voice Of America:

US, UK, France Vow To Act Against New Syria Chemical Attacks

“The United States, Britain and France vowed on the fifth anniversary of a chemical weapons attack that they blame on the Syrian government to take action as they have in the past against any further attacks by President Bashar Assad's regime. A joint statement issued late Tuesday called the Aug. 21, 2012 sarin nerve gas attack that killed hundreds of people in the Ghouta suburb of Damascus "horrific.'' The use of sarin led to a U.S.-Russian agreement to eliminate Assad's chemical weapons, which averted U.S. military strikes against Syria. Since then, the three Western powers have accused Syria of resorting to the use of chemical weapons during military offensives in Khan Sheikhoun, Ltamenah, Saraqeb and Douma. Following the suspected chemical attack in Douma in April, the U.S., U.K., and France launched punitive military strikes in Syria.

Reuters:

Trump Adviser Bolton Says Russia 'Stuck' In Syria, Iran Must Leave

“Russia is “stuck” in Syria and looking for others to fund post-war reconstruction there, U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton said, describing this as an opportunity for Washington to press for Iranian forces to quit the country. Bolton, speaking to Reuters while on a visit to Israel, said U.S. contacts with Russia did not include any understanding over a push by Damascus’s forces against the rebels in Idlib. But he warned against any use of chemical or biological weapons there. Under President Donald Trump, the United States has sought to disengage from Syria, where the previous administration deployed some troops and gave limited support to rebel Kurdish forces over the objections of NATO partner Turkey. Bolton sidestepped a question on whether these measures would continue, saying the U.S. was staying in Syria to carry out some specific objectives.

Newsweek:

Ghouta Chemical Attack: Syria’s Assad Remains Unrestrained, Unpunished And Unrepentant Five Years On

“Five years ago, the people of Ghouta, on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, were hit by a brutal chemical weapons attack. Both the eastern and western parts of the rebel-held suburb were targeted with rockets containing sarin gas, leaving residents choking to death. The number of dead is disputed, but estimates range from 281 from French intelligence sources to as high as 1,429 from the U.S., including almost 426 children. Thousands more were wounded, some of whom will likely never fully recover. It is highly likely that President Bashar al-Assad’s regime was behind the bombing. Evidence suggests that even if Assad’s forces did not execute the attack, whoever did had access to Syrian military chemical weapons stockpiles, surface-to-surface rockets and the know-how to deploy a large amount of sarin. Assad and his Russian allies have accused rebel forces of staging the attack, but no evidence has been presented to support these claims. This is also true of multiple other chemical attacks in Syria during the past seven years of civil war, as Assad’s forces continue to brutalize and crush the waning opposition forces with every method at their disposal.

Reuters:

Aid Groups Warn Of 'Catastrophic' Situation As Syrians Brace For Offensive

“A Syrian army offensive in the rebel-held enclave of Idlib would have a “catastrophic” humanitarian impact and cause levels of civilian suffering unprecedented in the seven-year war, aid agencies have warned. The government has said it aims to recapture the northwestern Idlib region, a refuge for civilians and rebels displaced from other areas of Syria as well as powerful jihadist forces. “If there is a large-scale military offensive, what we might see in Idlib in terms of death, injury or displacement is something we haven’t seen before. The war is far from over,” said Joelle Bassoul, spokeswoman for Care International. “People will be stranded with nowhere to go, with no aid -what other word can we use besides catastrophic,” she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone from Beirut on Tuesday.

The Hill:

In The Wake Of ISIS: Seeking To Restore What Is Right And Good For The Yazidis

“In May of 2016, Navy Seal Charlie Keating was embedded with Kurdish Peshmerga forces in an area of Northern Iraq known as the Nineveh Plain. Christians, Yazidis, and the Shabak sect of Shia Islam all call the area home, forming a unique cultural mosaic, a centuries-old tapestry of religious diversity. ISIS targeted these communities for genocidal extermination. In a battle to regain control of the ancient Christian village of Teleskof, Charlie and his team were ambushed by ISIS. Charlie fell to a sniper’s bullet. At this point, America has given so much, lost so much in Iraq, it’s hard to understand why engagement is ongoing and necessary. Much is at stake, especially for beleaguered minorities hanging on for their very survival. Christians in Iraq used to total 1.5 million. Now, in the wake of ISIS, only a few hundred thousand remain. Approximately 400,000 Yazidis are now internally displaced persons living in tent structures. Last year, three Christian Patriarchs traveled from the Middle East to meet with Vice President Pence and respectfully appeal to the collective conscience of America. Their words were formal and dignified, yet tinged with sadness, given the devastation. As a participant in the meeting, I watched the vice president listen intently, take personal notes, and express his deep solidarity with the suffering of the people. He has since been clear. The administration will prioritize direct American assistance.

Iran

CNBC: Senior Cleric Says Iran Will Target Israel And Other US Allies If Trump Attacks

“A senior Iranian cleric warned the United States Wednesday that if it attacks Iran, its allies in the region including Israel would be targeted, according to Reuters. Ahmad Khatami also told worshippers attending Eid prayers in Tehran that President Donald Trump’s offer for direct talks with Iranian leaders was unacceptable. “Americans say you should accept what we say in the talks. So this is not negotiation, but dictatorship. The Islamic Republic and the Iranian nation would stand up against dictatorship,” Khatami was quoted as saying by Mizan news agency. Khatami — who is also a member of Iran’s Council of Experts, which is tasked with designating and dismissing the country’s supreme leader — is known for his hardline positions on a number of issues. He previously supported the call for a death sentence for author Salman Rushdie, denounced student protesters who partook in Iran’s 2009 election protests as “enemies of God,” and in 2006 asked Pope Benedict XVI to “fall on his knees in front of a senior Muslim cleric and try to understand Islam.” For a senior Iranian cleric, his comments are not particularly surprising. After imposing wide-ranging sanctions on Tehran following withdrawal from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which lifted economic restrictions on the country in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program, Trump has offered talks with Iran’s leadership without preconditions.

Iraq

Xinhua:

6 Killed In IS Suicide Attack In Iraq's Salahudin Province

“Five paramilitary Sunni tribal fighters battling the Islamic State (IS) extremists, and a journalist were killed on Tuesday in a suicide attack targeting their base in Iraq's central province of Salahudin, a provincial police source said. A suicide bomber blew up his explosive belt at an outpost manned by the anti-IS fighters at a village near the city of Shirqat, some 280 km north of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, killing five of the fighters and a journalist who was covering their activities, Mohammed al-Jubouri told Xinhua. Up to 30 paramilitary fighters were wounded by the blast, including Adnan al-Ghannam, a former member of parliament, Jubouri said, adding that some of the wounded are in critical conditions. The attack came at the beginning of the four-day holiday of Eid al-Adha festival, also known as the Feast of the Sacrifice, which marks the spiritual peak of the annual pilgrimage. The security situation in Iraq has been dramatically improved after Iraqi security forces fully defeated the IS militants across the country late in 2017. However, small groups and individuals of extremist militants melted or regrouped in urban and rugged areas, and are carrying out attacks against the security forces and civilians despite operations from time to time to hunt them down.

Turkey

The Republic: 2 Detained After Shots Are Fired At US Embassy In Turkey

“Shots were fired from a moving car at the U.S. Embassy in Turkey before dawn Monday, an attack that came during heightened tensions between the two NATO allies. Officials said two people with criminal records were detained. There were no casualties in the fleeting attack, in which three of the six bullets fired hit the embassy gate and a reinforced window in the building in Ankara. The Ankara governor’s office named the suspects as Ahmet Celikten, 39, and Osman Gundas, 38, saying they had confessed. Authorities seized a 9-millimeter gun and a vehicle with Ankara license plates. Celikten had escaped prison and Gundas had several crimes under his belt, including car theft, drugs and threats, the governor’s office said. The U.S. Embassy thanked Turkish authorities, tweeting that it appreciated their “fast and professional action” in arresting the two suspects. Turkish officials are locked in a trade and diplomatic dispute with the United States but they fully condemned the shooting. Presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin tweeted that it was “an attempt to create chaos.” A top official in Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party said the attack was a “clear provocation” and that foreign diplomats are guests of the country. “The utmost sensitivity will be shown to ensure their security,” said the party spokesman, Omer Celik.

Pakistan

NDTV:

On "Positive Trajectory" To Defeat Terrorism: Pakistan's Army Chief

“Pakistan is on a "positive trajectory" to defeat terrorism, Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa claimed today as he vowed to defeat "all inimical forces" which have tried to push the country towards darkness. Terrorism is a global menace and requires collective response, he said as international pressure was mounting on Pakistan to rein-in terror groups having safe havens in the country. He said Pakistan has "remained subjected to this threat for quite some time especially during the last two decades", he said in a message on the 'International Day of Victims of Terrorism'. The "Pakistani nation and its armed forces have bravely and successfully stood up to this challenge and is on a positive trajectory to defeat it effectively," he was quoted as saying by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan armed forces. He expressed solidarity with the courageous families of the victims of terrorism including security forces who fought valiantly against the menace. "Our collective resolve shall defeat all inimical forces which tried to push us towards darkness but are failing in the face of our national resilience and determination," General Bajwa said. He also said that Pakistan strongly condemns terrorism in all its manifestations and extend full support to all the forces of order and peace to bring enduring peace. The US has long been frustrated with Pakistan's overt and covert support to the Afghan Taliban and other terror groups, forcing the Trump administration to warn Islamabad and to slash military aid to the country.

Egypt Today:

Yemen Launches Military Attack On Marran, Al-Houthi's Stronghold

“The Yemeni army, backed by the Arab coalition forces, launched on Wednesday a military attack to storm Marran in Saada, Houthi leader Abdel Malik al Houthi's stronghold. Military sources said large army forces are fighting fierce battles in Marran from four axes. Earlier, the Yemeni forces cordoned off the hideout of al Houthi in Saada province in northern Yemen.

The Independent:

Yemen's Hidden Menace, The Decades-Long Struggle Ahead To Clear The Country Of Landmines

“The Yemeni officer was relieved that he had just a few metres left of Aden's airport to clear, when the ground suddenly buckled, lurched upwards and propelled him into the air. Ali Salah, 55, said his team had already pulled out more than 580 mines and explosives from the terminal, once a battleground between Yemen’s recognised government and the Gulf coalition backing them on one side and the Shia Houthi rebel group on the other. The de-mining team had one last corner to work on before the skeleton carcass of the building could finally be declared safe. But then Salah stepped on something. When he came around, his right leg had vanished. One month later his son Kamel, 20, would suffer a similar fate, ending up in the same hospital. The 20-year-old driver was transporting a mine clearance team around the southern port city when his car clipped an anti-tank mine along the road.

Reuters:

Some U.S. Officials Confident Feared Al Qaeda Bomb Maker Killed

“The United States is confident the top al Qaeda bomb maker, believed to be the mastermind behind a failed bombing of a U.S.-bound airliner in 2009, has been killed, two U.S. officials said even as others cautioned the evidence was not conclusive. Washington has long sought Ibrahim Hassan al-Asiri, a militant with al Qaeda's Yemen branch who is one of the world's most feared bomb makers because of his ability to create hard-to-detect bombs, including some implanted in suicide bombers. Two U.S. officials, including a senior official, said they were confident al-Asiri had been killed. They were speaking on the condition of anonymity. "We are pretty confident that he has been killed," one of the officials said. That official added, however, that the usual fallout from a senior militant being killed, like a eulogy from Yemen's al Qaeda branch, known as Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), had not appeared. Separate U.S. intelligence officials said they do not consider the available evidence conclusive. A report by U.N. experts monitoring Islamic State and al Qaeda for the U.N. Security Council, which was made public last week, said some states had reported that al-Asiri "may have been killed during the second half of 2017." "Given al-Asiri's past role in plots against aviation, this would represent a serious blow to operational capability," the U.N. experts wrote. U.S. officials cautioned that while his death would be a major symbolic blow to AQAP, al-Asiri's bomb-making skills almost certainly have been passed to others, and the threat from the group does not appear to have been significantly reduced.

Nigeria

The Punch:

NAF Fighter Jets Neutralises Boko Haram Camps In Borno

“The Nigerian Air Force says the Air Task Force of “Operation LAFIYA DOLE” has neutralised Boko Haram terrorists camps at Zanari and Tunbun Rego, in Borno. Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, who disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja,said that the operation was carried out on Monday. The NAF ATF of Operation LAFIYA DOLE has recorded further gains in the ongoing air interdiction operations designed to wipe out remnants of Boko Haram Terrorists (BHTs) within the fringes of Lake Chad. This occurred as the ATF on Aug.20 conducted air strikes on BHT camps at Zanari and Tunbun Rego in Borno State. The air strikes at Zanari were planned and executed based on intelligence reports indicating that the BHTs had established a training camp in the village and were converging in an area prior to departing for an attack on own troops locations around the Lake Chad area. “Accordingly, the ATF scrambled II NAF Alpha Jet aircraft for a pre-emptive strike on two specified locations within Zanari, where the BHTs were assembled,” he said. Daramola said that the fighter aircraft acquired and attacked both locations, neutralizing several BHTs, with only few survivors seen fleeing the area, adding that ” these were later mopped up by follow-on rocket strikes”. ” Similarly, another identified BHT rendezvous point and staging area on the outskirts of Tunbun Rego was also attacked and destroyed by the Alpha Jets,” the spokesman said.”

Sahara Reporters:

Police Arrest 'Notorious' Boko Haram Terrorist At Bakassi IDP Camp

“The Police in Borno State have arrested a notorious Boko Haram insurgent inside the Bakassi IDP camp in the state. According to Borno State Police Commissioner, Damien Chukwu, who disclosed this while addressing newsmen in Maiduguri ahead of Sallah celebrations, the officers arrested the insurgent after receiving a tip-off from the civilian JTF. "On Sunday night, we were alerted by working CJTF in Bakassi IDP camp about, a notorious member of insurgents with Bana Modu, 45, who had participated several attacks, including overrunning Gomboru Ngala and others. "He confessed that he belongs to the group. As I am speaking with you, he is helping us in our investigation. I believe that at the end we will get another member of the group, so he has given useful information that will help us to nab others." He also said policemen engaged invaders at Mailari village in Guzamala Local Government Area of the state, where about 40 houses was burnt down.

North Korea

The Wall Street Journal:

North Korea’s Continued Nuclear Work Raises ‘Grave Concerns’ For U.N. Atomic Agency

“North Korea is continuing to develop its nuclear program, the United Nations’ atomic agency said in an annual report this week, despite an agreement reached in June between Washington and Pyongyang to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula. In the report, the International Atomic Energy Agency said that North Korea has continued to advance some of its nuclear facilities and has shown no sign of shutting down critical parts of its nuclear infrastructure. “The continuation and further development of the DPRK’s nuclear program and related statements by the DPRK are a cause for grave concerns,” the report said. President Trump has said his June summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ended the threat from North Korea, which hasn’t conducted a missile or bomb test in months.

Malaysia

The Straits Times: No Terrorism Links To Missing Radioactive Device, Say Malaysian Police

“Malaysian police have established that there are no links between a missing 23kg radioactive dispersal device (RDD) and terrorism. "As of now, there are no indicators to tie the missing equipment with terrorism," said Selangor police chief Comm Datuk Mazlan Mansor in a statement released on Tuesday (Aug 21). The statement, besides recapping how the device had gone missing on Aug 10, also listed health issues associated with unprotected exposure to the material. "According to the Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB), the device, which contains 50 curies (unit of radioactivity) of Iridium-192, can cause health issues depending on the type of exposure. "Anyone exposed to any activities with readings of around 50 curies and at around 120 minutes within a distance of one meter (without protection) will receive exposure levels as high as 500 millisievert (mSv). "Exposures around 500mSv will bring about nausea and headaches and (exposure) above it can lead to burnt skin," he said.

Europe

The Washington Post:

Russia Invites Taliban To Moscow For Afghanistan Peace Talks, Expects Delegates To Attend

“Members of the Taliban are expected to come to Russia in early September for talks on the future of Afghanistan, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said Tuesday, announcing a visit that would mark a turning point in global attempts to publicly bring the insurgents to the negotiating table. “Representatives of the Afghan government and the Taliban movement have been invited,” Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, adding that “the initial response has been positive.” Moscow has invited delegates from 11 countries, including regional heavyweights China, Iran and Pakistan, which border Afghanistan, to attend the Sept. 4 talks in the Russian capital. If the Taliban does come, it would mark its first attendance at such an event. The radical Islamist movement rejected an offer to attend a similar meeting in Moscow last year, as did Washington. The United States indicated Tuesday that it would not attend. “We support Afghan-owned and -led initiatives to advance a peace settlement in Afghanistan,” said a State Department spokesman. “We believe this initiative is unlikely to yield any progress toward that end.” Back-channel diplomacy between the Taliban and a range of countries — including the United States, Turkey and Saudi Arabia — has taken place over several years, often under a shroud of secrecy, in an effort to end the crippling and costly 17-year war. Taliban representatives said they held private talks last month with American diplomats, with no members of the Afghan government present, in the Qatari capital of Doha, where the group maintains a political office, the only one of its kind.
Al Arabiya: ANALYSIS: Hezbollah Is Stronger Than Ever And Closer To Europe Than We Think

“Hezbollah is stronger than at any time since its inception, according to a recent statement by the group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah. The message was part of a television broadcast on the anniversary of a 2006 war with Israel, and in the ensuing 12 years Hezbollah is estimated to have significantly expanded its stockpile of weapons, including rockets and missiles. Much of this increase in capability has taken place because of Hezbollah’s role in the Syrian conflict, where the Iran-backed group has its largest deployment outside of Lebanon (between 7,000 to 10,000 fighters) and is fighting alongside pro-Assad forces. According to the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Hezbollah has increased its weapons reserves, better trained its members and improved its tactical and operational skills during the conflict. Indeed, during the recent broadcast, Nasrallah announced the group would “very soon” celebrate victory in Syria. Yet Hezbollah’s increase in operational capability will no doubt be offset by recently renewed US sanctions on Iran, which is estimated to fund its proxy Hezbollah by up to $200 million a year. These financial pressures are likely to make Hezbollah leverage its significant global network and put more effort into its international funding activities, which range from extortion to smuggling, spanning from South America to and via Europe.

Southeast Asia

Xinhua:

Seven Militants Reportedly Killed In Southern Philippines

“Seven members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) were reportedly killed in government's fresh offensive, Philippines' military said on Tuesday. Army spokesperson Capt. Arvin Encinas said troops bombed the hideout of BIFF in a village of Sultan sa Barongis, a town in Maguindanao province on Monday. "We conducted the surgical operation, utilizing indirect fires, to include our mortars and 105 mm howitzers upon receiving information from concerned civilians on the whereabouts of the group members," he said. He said BIFF militants under leader Esmael Abdulmalik, alias Abu Toraype, were in the village to make improvised explosive devices in the area in preparation for another bombing attack in Maguindanao province. Encinas said the offensive was launched to thwart the BIFF militants' plan to carry out bombing in the province. "Based on initial (information), we are validating reports that there were seven militants who were killed in the offensive. It's not yet confirmed," he said. He added that the military has yet to uncover the bodies of the dead militants. According to the Philippine government and military, there are up to 400 BIFF militants operating in southern Philippines.

Technology

The Washington Post:

Sprawling Iranian Influence Operation Globalizes Tech’s War On Disinformation

“Iran was behind a sprawling disinformation operation on Facebook that targeted hundreds of thousands of people around the world, the social media company said Tuesday night, underscoring Silicon Valley’s increasingly global war on disinformation. The Iranian effort dated to 2011 and had ties to state media operations in that country, Facebook said, involving hundreds of accounts on both Facebook and its sister site, Instagram. It also spread to Twitter and YouTube, with accounts that both companies said they also removed. The fake Iranian accounts bought ads on Facebook and used it to organize events. Facebook also deleted some unrelated fake accounts originating in Russia, which has been the main focus of reporting on disinformation operations targeting the United States. Tuesday night’s revelations were unusual because the disinformation targeted people in many countries -- in the Middle East and Latin America, as well as Britain and the United States, Facebook said -- and involved a nation-state actor other than Russia. Facebook officials said their actions showed that they are moving more aggressively than in 2016, when the company was widely criticized for not more effectively detecting and combating disinformation on its service.

NBC News:

Facebook And Twitter Say They Found Iran-Based Propaganda Effort

“Facebook said on Tuesday it had removed hundreds of Iran-based pages, groups and accounts, alleging that they formed a network linked to Iranian state media that covertly spread political content to people on four continents including in the U.S. Facebook said in a blog post that the 652 pages, groups and accounts were in violation of its terms of service because they were engaged in "coordinated inauthentic behavior." Facebook generally requires people to use their real names on the social network. Twitter followed suit, saying it had suspended 284 accounts for engaging in "coordinated manipulation" on its network and that many of the accounts had originated in Iran. The announcements add to a steady drumbeat of efforts by U.S. tech companies to detect and stop hacking attempts by suspected foreign agents who might want to meddle in the Nov. 6 midterm elections.

Vanity Fair:

Facebook’s Hate-Speech Problem May Be Bigger Than It Realized

“One of the reasons Russia’s 2016 election-meddling campaign was so successful is because the people who implemented it had an intimate understanding of Facebook. They understood how the social-media site’s algorithm worked, boosting posts that garnered strong reactions, and burying content that didn’t. They realized, perhaps even before Mark Zuckerberg, that this made Facebook almost comically easy to game. And they took full advantage of that fact, dispersing a series of vitriolic ads that had alarming real-life impacts, implicating not just shadowy Russian operatives, but unwitting American citizens. As the extent of Russia’s meddling on Facebook has gradually become clear, Zuckerberg has moved to crack down on the mechanisms that enabled it, overhauling the News Feed, hiring additional moderators, and even following in Apple’s footsteps to ban one of the site’s most notorious purveyors of fake news. But perhaps Facebook’s problems run deeper than misinformation or conspiracy theorists—perhaps the platform itself is the problem.

Counter Extremism

Al-Hayat: Extremist Groups Exploit Eid Prayers For Recruitment Purposes

“Egypt's Ministry of Awqaf (Endowments) and Religious Affairs recently formed an operations room to monitor the outdoor yards designated for Eid prayers and to detect any irregularities and deal with them immediately. This measure aims to prevent extremist groups from exploiting these mass prayers to serve their agendas, particularly in the field of recruitment. It's noteworthy that the Endowments Ministry, which is assigned with supervising the mosques across Egypt, has designated more than 6,000 of these yards for holding the festive Eid prayers. Maher Farghali, a researcher of political Islamic movements, asserted that religious movements such as the Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiya (Islamic Group) and the Muslim Brotherhood have traditionally taken advantage of the mass attendance at these prayers to gain new sympathizers. These organizations would hand out gifts, recruitment bulletins and other leaflets to worshippers, the specialist added.

Muslim Brotherhood

Balad News: Muslim Brotherhood's Arm In Yemen Seizes Resources Of Ma'rib

“A recently published economic report revealed that the general revenues of the Ma'rib Governorate have been subject to criminal looting, as they had become a major income source of the Muslim Brotherhood's arm in Yemen. The Islamist group completely controls all positions of power and economic resources in the governorate, the report noted. The Yemeni Muslim Brotherhood arm dominates Ma'rib's oil and gas income, which is estimated at YR 1.8 billion ($7.1 million) per day or YR 54 billion ($215.7 million) per month. In addition, it seizes all of the taxes, customs and other revenues of Ma'rib, the report added. Ma'rib is no longer transferring any public revenues to the Central Bank's treasury in Aden, Prime Minister Ahmed Obeid bin Daghr revealed recently.

Hamas

Wattan: Hamas Collects Most Of The Public Revenues In Gaza In Lieu Of The Palestinian Authority

“A recently issued study indicates that the revenues of the Palestinian Authority (PA) are generally distributed as follows: 27.9% local revenues, 16.5% foreign aid and 55.6% tax clearance via the Israeli mechanism. Nonetheless, these important figures do not reflect the reality in the Gaza Strip, where the revenues from tax clearance are not being remitted to the PA. In addition, it is Hamas, and not the PA, which collects most of the local public revenues (i.e., vehicle license fees, driving license fees, traffic fines, transaction fees and other taxes). In other words, the Islamist movement has in fact taken over the PA's second-largest income source in Gaza. Hamas also receives foreign financial assistance sent directly to the Gaza Strip. Nobody knows the precise revenue value of Hamas or how the movement disburses these funds. Yet, some sources estimate Hamas' income at several hundred millions of dollars annually.

Hezbollah

Yemen Akhbar: Hezbollah Transfers Money To Houthis Via Currency Exchange Companies

“Yemeni intelligence sources have confirmed that the funds that reach Yemen from Iran pass through Hezbollah, which in turn transfers the money via Yemeni and Lebanese currency exchange companies and not via the banks. The number of currency exchange firms has increased in areas controlled by the Houthis, while Yemenis face dire living conditions under the rule of the militant group. The sources pointed out that Iran relies on Hezbollah as a link to aid and abet the Houthis in the war in Yemen. This derives from several reasons, most notably because the Yemeni Houthis regard Hezbollah as a formidable force and part of the axis of resistance. In addition, Hezbollah embraces the group's leadership outside the country, as well as its media inside Lebanon.
Houthi

Marib Press:

Houthis Prevent Al-Kuraimi Bank From Paying Public Employees

“A local official said Monday that the Houthis have prevented employees in the province of Hodeidah (western Yemen) from receiving the salaries paid {to them} by the international recognized government. The Houthi militants prevented Al-Kuraimi Bank from completing the actions necessary for paying public employees' salaries in the province of Hodeidah after the process had already begun. The Houthis explained their decision on the pretext that these funds originate from the {legitimate} government. Hodeidah's Deputy-Governor Walid al-Qudeimi confirmed that the Houthi militants and local Houthi authorities had blocked Al-Kuraimi Bank's efforts to allow payment of its employees' salaries, which had been enroute from the Yemeni government to the province's various directorates.
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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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