Eye on Extremism /April 18, 2019

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Eye on Extremism
April 18, 2019
RE: info@counterextremism.com

April 18, 2019

CNN: US Officials Say More Than 2,000 Suspected Foreign ISIS Fighters Being Held In Syria

“The number of suspected foreign ISIS fighters being detained by US-backed forces in Syria has now surpassed 2,000, with a small number claiming to be US citizens, three US officials told CNN. A US defense official tells CNN that the detainees are being biometrically screened and only a little over 1,000 have been confirmed to be foreign nationals but that the number is expected go up as the screening progresses. “Currently, we can confirm more than 1,000 foreign terrorist fighters from more than 50 countries in SDF custody. We anticipate that number will rise as we work with the SDF to verify the national identities of ISIS fighters in SDF custody,” Pentagon spokesman Cdr. Sean Robertson told CNN. The foreigners are among the more than 9,000 ISIS fighters being held by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, with the majority of those being Syrian and Iraqi nationals. An additional 60,000 of what the US government refers to as ISIS “affiliates” are staying in make-shift camps where the SDF has a security presence. “These are women and children, and the vast majority of these are assessed not to be sort of innocent civilians these are people who have chosen to stay, or were coerced to stay as part of the ISIS caliphate that remained,” a senior US defense official told CNN last month.”

The Hill: Tech Companies Must Act To Stop Horrific Exploitation Of Their Platforms

“It should come as a surprise to no one – least of all the tech companies – that an extremist would weaponize social media. Live streaming capabilities have been used by other extremists to document their shootings, rapes and other unspeakable acts of violence. The Counter Extremism Project has also documented the many ways in which terrorist have used Facebook Live to discuss propaganda, share methods of recruitment, and post hateful and threatening messages. Extremists’ exploitation of social media isn’t a new problem and tech companies must take responsibility for how little they have done to prevent it. And the sooner they take seriously the removal of online extremism, the sooner their platforms will stop being viewed by extremists as a fertile platforms for broadcasting their ideology to the world.”

BBC: EU Struggles Over Law To Tackle Spread Of Terror Online

“The European Parliament approved a draft version of the law on Wednesday evening, which would impose a one-hour deadline to remove offending content. The law would affect social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, which could face fines of up to 4% of their annual global turnover. David Ibsen, executive director of the Counter Extremism Project, said "the easy availability of terrorist content online continues to have a huge impact on radicalisation, recruitment, and incitement to violence. "Police investigations have repeatedly found a critical link between radicalising content online and terror attacks. Nice, France, the Bataclan concert hall attack in Paris, and the Manchester arena bombing are but a few examples of how individuals can be radicalised online.”

Fox News: Pro-ISIS Channel Issues Guide To Buying Weapons On Dark Web, Using Them Against Westerners

“A pro-ISIS Telegram channel has posted a step-by-step guide on how to procure weapons anonymously on the dark web and use them in revenge attacks against the West. The message, which was written in English and directed at militant Muslims, starts off with a Q&A display on how radicals who want to avenge the death of an Islamic State (ISIS) member can do so by buying untraceable weapons. The post also provides a tutorial that “details steps and measures to anonymously access the Deep Web through the TOR browser, anonymous email service and Bitcoins,” according to a report by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI). The dark web is a part of the Internet that is hidden and lies beyond the reach of conventional search engines. Users are mostly anonymous and, untraceable, and they pay for services or goods with cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. Tor was designed as an encrypted browser that uses special coding to keep browsing histories secret. The post on Telegram, an encrypted communication app, seeks out the “lone wolves in the land of unbelievers” and recommends LUCKP47 SHOP: the “best armory in the dark web.”

Euronews: Terrorist Content Removal: “United In Action” Rather Than “United In Grief”

“Today (April 17th), MEPs will be presented with the opportunity to replace the often heard “United in Grief” with “United in Action” through the online terror content file. In opting to remove terrorist content within one hour, lawmakers will ensure tech companies are no longer afforded exceptions in the fight against extremist propaganda. The online terror content file is not relying on untested methods to ensure that extremist propaganda is removed from online sources, nor is it proposing a massive change in internet usage. The technology to remove terrorist content within an hour of it being flagged to content providers is already in existence. It goes without saying that all terrorist threats require the quickest response possible, with an hour making a significant difference. If the European Union really wants to protect European citizens, MEPs must prevent further fuel from reaching the fire with the passing of the online terror content file.”

CNBC: Facebook Says It ‘Unintentionally Uploaded’ 1.5 Million Users’ Email Contacts Without Permission

“Social networking giant Facebook said on Wednesday evening it may have “unintentionally uploaded” the email contacts of up to 1.5 million users on its site, without their permission or knowledge, when they signed up for new accounts since May 2016. Users affected by that incident were not just limited to the United States, according to a source familiar with the matter. Those contacts were not shared with anyone and Facebook is deleting them, a company spokesperson told CNBC. “We’ve fixed the underlying issue and are notifying people whose contacts were imported. People can also review and manage contacts they share with Facebook in their settings,” the spokesperson said. Business Insider first reported the news and said a security researcher noticed the tech giant was prompting some users to type in their email passwords when they opened an account to verify their identity.”

United States

NBC News: 'American Taliban' John Walker Lindh To Be Released From Prison Next Month

“John Walker Lindh, the American man who pleaded guilty to fighting for the Taliban after the 9/11 attacks, is slated to be released from prison next month under terms restricting his internet access. A federal judge in Virginia ordered that Lindh, 38, can't have an internet-capable device without permission from his probation office, can’t view or access extremist or terrorism videos, and must allow the probation office to monitor his internet use. “Given the rare nature of defendant's crime and his unique personal history and characteristics, the probation officer recently filed a request asking the court to impose additional special conditions of supervised release which will govern defendant's behavior post-confinement,” Judge T.S. Ellis III wrote in court papers filed earlier this month. Lindh was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2002 after he pleaded guilty to supplying services to the Taliban and carrying explosives in commission of a felony. Under the terms of the sentence, his probation will last for three years. Lindh is scheduled to be released from federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana, on May 23. In addition to the internet restrictions, the judge ordered that Lindh can’t communicate with anyone online in any language other than English.”

Time: Counter-Terrorism Officers Arrest Man With Gasoline At New York City's St. Patrick's Cathedral

“A New Jersey man was arrested after entering St. Patrick’s Cathedral carrying two cans of gasoline, lighter fluid and butane lighters, the New York Police Department said, just days after flames ravaged the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris. The unidentified 37-year-old man had pulled up Wednesday night in a minivan outside the landmark cathedral on Fifth Avenue in midtown Manhattan, walked around the area, then returned to his vehicle at 7:55 p.m. and retrieved the gasoline and lighter fluid, said NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence and Counterterrorism John Miller. “As he enters the cathedral he’s confronted by a cathedral security officer who asks him where he’s going and informs him he can’t proceed into the cathedral carrying these things,” said Miller. “At that point some gasoline apparently spills out onto the floor as he’s turned around.”

Associated Press: Trump Cracks Down On Cuba, Nicaragua And Venezuela

“The Trump administration on Wednesday intensified its crackdown on Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela, rolling back Obama administration policy and announcing new restrictions and sanctions against the three countries whose leaders national security adviser John Bolton dubbed the “three stooges of socialism.” “The troika of tyranny — Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua — is beginning to crumble,” Bolton said in a hard-hitting speech near Miami on the 58th anniversary of the United States’ failed Bay of Pigs invasion of the island, an attempt to overthrow the Cuban government. The measures seem likely to hit hardest in Cuba, which is at a moment of severe economic weakness as it struggles to find cash to import basic food and other supplies following a drop in aid from Venezuela and a string of bad years in other key economic sectors. Bolton announced a new cap on the amount of money that families in the United States can send their relatives in Cuba. The Obama administration had lifted limits on remittances, but the new limit will be $1,000 per person per quarter. Remittances to Cuba from the United States amounted to $3 billion in 2016, according to the State Department.”

The Washington Post: Man Accused Of Plotting IS-Inspired Attack Due Back In Court

“A Maryland man accused of planning an Islamic State-inspired attack at a shopping and entertainment complex near Washington is due back in court later this month for his arraignment. U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas DiGirolamo is scheduled to preside over the April 29 arraignment for 28-year-old Rondell Henry at the federal courthouse in Greenbelt, Maryland. DiGirolamo previously ordered Henry detained on a charge of driving a stolen vehicle across state lines. Police arrested Henry on March 28 after finding a U-Haul van he allegedly stole and parked at the National Harbor. Authorities say Henry told investigators he planned to carry out a truck attack similar to one that killed dozens of people in Nice, France, in 2016. A defense attorney urged the magistrate to be skeptical of authorities’ claims.”

Pacific Standard: Why Can't The Military Root Out Far-Right Extremism In Its Own Ranks?

“As a recent college graduate in 1995, Daryl Johnson took a road trip from Utah to Virginia where a job at the United States Army's Counterintelligence Center (ACIC) at Fort Meade, Maryland, awaited him. On the way, he stopped in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where, only months earlier, Timothy McVeigh, a U.S. Army veteran radicalized by anti-government rhetoric and interactions with members of right-wing militias, had killed 168 people with a truck bomb. Many had initially believed the bombing was a foreign terrorist attack, but Johnson, from the onset, had possessed a different theory. He had noted the attack had targeted a building housing Federal Bureau of Investigation and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) offices, and that the explosion happened on the two-year anniversary of a botched ATF raid on the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas, that resulted in over 80 deaths. It was a connection the FBI had also made, which ultimately resulted in the arrest of McVeigh and a handful of domestic co-conspirators shortly after the attack. Johnson worked as an analyst at the ACIC from 1995 to 1999, where he coordinated with Military Intelligence units, Criminal Investigations Command investigators, the FBI, and the ATF to collect information on violent far-right extremist groups that posed a threat to the military.”

Syria

The Independent: Jihadists In Syria Turn To Bitcoin To Raise Much-Needed Funds

“A powerful jihadi group in Syria is promoting the use of bitcoin to its followers, calling it one of the most important inventions of the last decade. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a coalition of rebel groups that includes a former affiliate of al-Qaeda, extolled the virtues of the cryptocurrency in its weekly magazine released over the weekend. The article lists a number of advantages of using bitcoin, arguing that it is “safe” because of the anonymity it provides and that there are no restrictions on its use. HTS currently controls most of Idlib province in northern Syria, and is the most powerful remaining opposition force still committed to ousting the country’s president, Bashar al-Assad. The group receives most of its funding through taxes and tariffs on residents in areas under its control. But is also relies on a steady stream of funding from private Gulf donors, according to the Counter Extremism Project. The group has come under increased pressure over the past year from the Syrian government and its ally, Russia, which has long threatened to launch an offensive to recapture the territory.”

Daily Sabah: Syrian Regime Tortured At Least 548 Palestinians To Death: Report

“The Bashar Assad regime has killed at least 548 Palestinians by torture in Syrian prisons, according to a recent report by a London-based human rights monitor tracking the situation of Palestinian refugees in Syria said. The report published by the Action Group for Palestinians of Syria (AGPS) on April 16 said that the Palestinians who have been tortured to death in regime-controlled prisons included women and children. The fate of over 1,748 other Palestinian captives remains unknown, the report added. "Affidavits by ex-detainees provided evidence on the involvement of Syrian government officers in harsh torture tactics, including electric shocks, heavy beating using whips and iron sticks, and sexual abuse against Palestinian detainees, in a flagrant violation of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, commonly known as the United Nations Convention against Torture (UNCAT)," AGPS said.”

Fox News: Newly Found Letter From ISIS Operatives Offers More Clues To Baghdadi Being Alive

“The status of the most wanted man in the world remains unknown, but authorities are continuing to piece together clues indicating that ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is at least alive. Documents revealed this month by The Sunday Times showed that ISIS leadership had not only tasked members with “bringing in migrants” as a means to funnel finances and fighters from the crumpled “caliphate” in Syria into Europe and orchestrate attacks, but one letter in-particular among the document trove was specifically addressed to Baghdadi. The December-dated letter, reportedly signed by six leaders, detailed the terrorist outfit’s blueprint for operations in the wake of lost territory – ranging from bank robberies to computer hacking to vehicle rammings. Another letter to Baghdadi late last year, signed by ISIS commander Abu Taher al-Tajiki, lays out an array of potential target sites for striking in Europe. The letters underscore that not only is ISIS seemingly devoted to overseeing global attacks, but that its shadowy commander still pulls rank.”

Iran

CNN: After US Terrorism Designation, Instagram Begins Banning Some Iranian Generals

“Instagram and its parent company, Facebook, began removing pages and accounts run by people associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps this week after the US government officially designated the IRGC a terrorist organization on Monday, Instagram confirmed to CNN. Iran's semi-official Mehr News Agency reported earlier this week that Instagram accounts belonging to some IRGC generals had disappeared. Reacting to the Instagram bans, Iran's minister of communications and information technology, Mohammad-Javad Azari Jahromi, tweeted a quote from the novelist George R.R. Martin: “When you tear out a man's tongue, you are not proving him a liar, you're only telling the world that you fear what he might say.” President Donald Trump announced earlier this month his plans to formally designate the IRGA a foreign terrorist organization. The step, Trump said in a statement, “recognizes the reality that Iran is not only a State Sponsor of Terrorism, but that the IRGC actively participates in, finances, and promotes terrorism as a tool of statecraft.” Some in the Trump administration opposed the designation over concerns about potential risks to US troops in the Middle East.”

Al Jazeera: Iran's Hassan Rouhani Urges Regional Powers To 'Unite Against US'

“Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has called on countries across the Middle East to unite against the United States during an address at an Army Day parade in Tehran. Speaking at a ceremony on Thursday, Rouhani also urged neighbouring countries to "drive back Zionism", saying the US and its ally Israel were the root cause of the region's problems. He added that Iran's armed forces were not a threat against any regional country. "The region's nations have lived alongside each other for centuries and never had a problem ... If there is a problem, it is caused by others," Rouhani said. "If we have a problem in the region today, its roots are either with Zionism or America's arrogance." Flanked by top generals, Rouhani told Iran's neighbours and countries across the region that its armed forces are "never against you or your national interests" but are "standing against the aggressors". "Let us stand together, be together and rid the region of the aggressor's presence," he added in the speech broadcast live on state television.”

Radio Farda: Iran Guard's Former General Says They Were In Bosnia Disguised As Aid Workers

“Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) on April 17 denied the veracity of remarks by one of its former generals who has claimed to have worn Iran's Red Crescent Society's (IRCS) uniform for "military purposes" during the civil war in Bosnia. Saeed Qassemi (Ghasemi), retired IRGC General, is an outspoken ultraconservative, renowned for his vitriolic attacks on reformist former President Mohammad Khatami, and the incumbent "moderate" President Hassan Rouhani. In an interview with the state-approved internet channel, Aparat, Qassemi maintained on April 14 that he had visited Bosnia in the 1990s to train Bosnian Muslim fighters against the Serbs while wearing the Iranian Red Crescent uniform. In the same interview, Qassemi admits that he is divulging the fact since the Americans had already discovered the ruse and written about it.”

Iraq

The Washington Post: Iraqi War Games: Army Trains In Desert, Defeats ‘Militants’

“The “militants” were holding on stubbornly to their position in the scabrous desert outside Baghdad, blocking the Iraqi troops’ advance when an infantry unit sprung out of the right flank, forcing the enemy into a hasty retreat. At first glance, it looked real, but the scenario playing out this week was not an operation against the Islamic State group but a military exercise. The “militants” were Iraqi soldiers, and the guns were firing blanks. The exercise was the final day in the drill of the 2,000-strong Iraqi brigade, the latest group to receive combat training from Australian, New Zealand, and Singaporean coalition forces at the sprawling Taji military base, north of Baghdad. It’s known as Task Group Taji 8 and the maneuver displayed some of the tactics drilled into the brigade during the eight-week course. Since before last month’s final territorial defeat the Islamic State group in Syria, when the militants lost the last pocket of their so-called caliphate to coalition-backed forces, the U.S.-led international coalition has been training Iraqi forces to secure the country against lingering threats posed by cells of Daesh — the Arabic name for IS — operating in the countryside. “While the physical caliphate of Daesh has been defeated, Daesh is still in insurgency mode at this stage,” said Col. Jason Groat, commander the Task Group Taji 8 force drilling the Iraqi army.”

Al Monitor: Education And Religion To Fight IS Mentality In Anbar

“Women in heavy, black, face-covering niqabs sit on one side while young men in blazers and crisp white shirts sit on the other in classes at Anbar's westernmost institute of higher learning. The Qaim College of Education is located in al-Obeidi near the border between Iraq and Syria, where both experts and locals say better education and knowledge of Islam are needed to reduce extremism. Dean Nasif Jassim Mohamed of Qaim College of Education told Al-Monitor that “there are more women here than men since families in this area may send their sons to Baghdad, Mosul or Ramadi for their education, but will usually not do so with their daughters.” Mohamed noted that “between 2015 and 2018, the classes were held in other cities — Kirkuk, Ramadi, Abu Ghraib,” making it impossible for students who could not afford to leave their home regions to continue their studies during the period under the Islamic State (IS). With state electricity only reaching the area a few weeks ago — almost a year and a half after it was retaken from IS — employment opportunities are few and its current stability is precarious. Though relative calm has been achieved in western Anbar urban areas, various incidents continue. For example, three IEDs exploded on April 11 in nearby Qaim."

Afghanistan

The Wall Street Journal: Afghan Peace Talks Abruptly Stall After Taliban Object To Guest List

“A landmark meeting between the Taliban and senior Afghan political figures has been abruptly postponed over the insurgency’s objections to a list of attendees prepared by the Afghan government, a Western diplomat and people close to the militants said. The postponement of the weekend gathering in Doha, the capital of the Gulf state of Qatar, occurred after the Taliban objected to the list—which included politicians, officials, former anti-Soviet militia leaders, members of Parliament and representatives of civic and women’s groups—the diplomat and Taliban-linked people said. Members of the delegation were notified just hours before their planned departure Thursday aboard a Qatari-chartered plane that the two-day discussion of Afghanistan’s future had been “canceled for today,” the diplomat said. President Ashraf Ghani and his senior advisers were meeting in the presidential palace in Kabul to discuss the situation, the diplomat added. Qatari officials and Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. chief negotiator to the Afghan peace process, also were working to salvage the meeting, the diplomat said. Officials from the Taliban, the Afghan government and Qatar, which is hosting the talks, didn’t know Thursday when the talks would be rescheduled, though one person briefed on the deliberations in Kabul, Doha and Washington said a smaller delegation could travel to Doha as soon as Friday.”

The Wall Street Journal: The Longest War Needs Fresh Thinking

“Three American Marines and a civilian contractor were killed in Afghanistan last week, the latest casualties in America’s longest foreign war. After almost 18 years of fighting, the U.S. still seems to have no clear goals, no clear measures of success or failure, and no clear prospect of victory in Afghanistan or the broader war against terrorism. To refocus and make good on the nearly 7,000 American lives lost combating this threat, Congress should mandate a comprehensive review of U.S. counterterrorism strategy. An important first step is to complete a comprehensive history of the war on terror. The Army recently released a military history of the Iraq war, but a broader accounting is needed, including other theaters as well as diplomacy, reconstruction and stabilization, homeland security and efforts against terrorism financing. To ensure prompt access to information not yet available to the public, Congress should charter the review in a statute. Given the tendency in Washington for every debate to divide along party lines, the review should be conducted by an evenly divided panel, so that recommendations would necessarily be bipartisan.”

Voice Of America: UN: Taliban Enhances Links To Organized Crime In Afghanistan

“The United Nations Tuesday said the Taliban’s involvement in criminal activity appears to have increased in Afghanistan, warning the trend has consequences for peace and security in the war-shattered country. A new study conducted by a U.N. Security Council Committee indicates the scale and depth of this criminal activity is new, and builds on decades of interaction between the Taliban and others involved in criminal behavior, including narcotics trafficking, illicit mining, collusion with mafias and kidnapping for ransom. An official statement released from New York says the U.N. Committee has examined specific cases of cooperation between organized crime syndicates, notably by groups involved in kidnapping for ransom, in the production of and trade in narcotics and in the illegal exploitation of natural resources in Afghanistan. It says that at times, the Islamist insurgency has attempted to generate resources directly by acting as a criminal body.”

Fox News: Taliban Tries To Change Perception Of Its Treatment Of Women Ahead Of Peace Talks

“Ahead of the first ever peace talks between the Taliban and negotiators picked by the government, it is clear the Taliban is trying to soften its image, especially about women. “I think in all of the meetings, the Taliban delegation declared several times that they would protect all the women’s rights and human rights here in Afghanistan, but within the Islamic teachings and the national culture here in this country,” according to Mullah Abdul Hakim Mujahid, currently a Taliban member of the peace council and a former Taliban Ambassador to the U.N. The first line of defense against the Taliban is the Afghan National Army. Basic Training is now taught by Afghan officers. Equipped by Americans, they outnumber the Taliban 10 to 1 but often melt in battle. The Afghan army is plagued by desertion, illiteracy, and a basic failure to obey orders. Without the backbone of 14,000 U.S. forces on the ground, few believe this Army could hold off determined Taliban fighters for long. Other challenges could prove more difficult for the Taliban, most notably trying to gain control of the capital where their medieval views are not shared. When the war first started there were just 1.5 million people here living in Kabul.”

Pakistan

CNN: Pakistan Militants Execute 14 Bus Passengers

“Militants wearing security force uniforms stopped two buses in southwest Pakistan on Thursday and killed 14 passengers after ordering them out of the vehicles, police said. Balochistan provincial police chief Mohsin Ali Butt told CNN that 15 to 20 attackers stopped the buses near the town of Ormara, in the south of the province. The militants ordered 14 out of the total passengers to disembark and shot them at close range before escaping. “This was an act of targeted killing,” he said. An alliance of Baloch separatists, Baloch Raaji Aajoi Sangar (BRAS), claimed responsibility for the killings, saying in a statement sent to journalists that they had targeted passengers who were part of the country's military. In the statement a BRAS spokesman said: “Those who were killed carried identity cards of the Pakistan Navy and Coast Guard, and were killed after being identified.” The buses were en route from Pakistan's largest city Karachi to the port city of Gwadar. Police and other government agencies have launched an investigation into the killings, Butt said. Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed sympathy to families of the victims and vowed maximum efforts “to bring the perpetrators of the barbaric act to justice.”

Nigeria

The Punch Nigeria: Over 50 Boko Haram Fighters Killed In Nigeria Attack – Military

“More than fifty Boko Haram fighters have been killed in an attack on a multi-national force in northeastern Nigeria, a military spokesperson said Wednesday. Two Chadian soldiers belonging to the Multinational Joint Task Force (MMF), an anti-Boko Haram force combining soldiers from Chad, Cameroon, Niger, and Nigeria, died in the assault at Cross Kauwa on Tuesday, Colonel Azem Bermandoa said. Eleven other soldiers were injured. “Fifty-two members of Boko Haram have been killed. Chadian forces have recovered a vehicle equipped with a heavy weapon and several small arms,” Bermandoa said. Boko Haram’s nearly 10-year insurgency has its epicentre in northeast Nigeria, but has spilled over into Chad, Niger and Cameroon. It has left more than 27,000 people dead and about 1.8 million others homeless. In late February, more than 500 Chadian soldiers entered Nigeria to aid the Nigerian army in the fight against the jihadist group. On Sunday night, seven Chadian soldiers were also killed in a Boko Haram attack in the town of Bouhama in Chad.”

Council On Foreign Relations: Boko Haram Evolves and Persists in Northeast Nigeria

“Command and control among Boko Haram factions operating in Nigeria’s Borno state and adjacent territories remains obscure. One faction appears to be led by Abubakar Shekau, well-known for his taunting, bloody videos, and his kidnapping of the Chibok school girls in 2014. Another, the Islamic State West Africa (ISWA), apparently backed by the Islamic State (IS), was once led by Abu Musab al- Barnawi, though Mamman Nur was understood to hold real power. Last year, Nur appears to have been assassinated because he was too “soft.” In March 2019, Abu Musab al-Barnawi was replaced by Abu Abdullah Ibn Umar al-Barnawi. (Al-Barnawi denotes that the person is “from Borno,” so the current and former ISWA leaders do not necessarily have any blood relationship.) The report of a leadership change is based on IS audio recordings, though the extent of IS control over the leadership struggle with ISWA is not entirely clear. If, indeed, Abu Musab and Mamman Nur were “soft,” it is likely that Abu Abdullan Ibn Umar will be “hard.” However, what “hard” and “soft” actually means is obscure, as is the relationship between the Boko Haram factions and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Northeast Nigeria and adjacent regions continue to be the center of Islamist jihadist extremism.”

Somalia

The Defense Post: Car Bomb In Mogadishu Kills 4 Despite Heavy Security Following Al-Shabaab Attacks

“Four people were killed and five injured when a car loaded with explosives detonated on a busy road in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu, police said Wednesday, April 17. “So far we can confirm four dead and five wounded. We offer our condolences to the victims,” Somalia’s deputy police chief Zakia Hussein wrote on Twitter. Abdulkadir Abdirahman Adan, director of the private Aamin Ambulance service, said his team had collected 13 wounded people and one dead body. It was not clear if these victims had been counted by police. “The blast was very huge, and I saw smoke and shrapnel everywhere around the area, the police have cordoned off the road and ambulances were rushing to the scene to collect casualties,” said witness Mohamed Abdikarin. The explosion occurred along the busy Maka Al-Mukarama road despite a recent increase in police checkpoints in the capital following a hike in bomb attacks by the al-Qaeda linked jihadist group al-Shabaab. On March 28, a car bomb ripped through a restaurant on the Maka Al-Mukarama road, killing 15 people just days after Shabaab gunmen attacked a complex housing government ministries, killing 11 people including the deputy labour minister. There have also been several smaller blasts in the capital.”

Africa

Long War Journal: Al Qaeda Group Claims Bombings In Tunisia

“Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb’s (AQIM) branch in Tunisia, the Uqba bin Nafi Battalion (KUBN), claimed responsibility for two separate attacks utilizing improvised explosive devices (IED) earlier today in the Mount Chaambi region near the border with Algeria. “Your mujahideen brothers in the Chaambi company belonging to the Uqba bin Nafi Battalion detonated an IED on a KIRPI armored vehicle this morning, resulting in the destruction of the vehicle,” KUBN’s statement read. Additionally, the jihadist group claimed a secondary bombing as Tunisian soldiers arrived on the scene to assist the first vehicle. The casualties claimed by KUBN have been disputed. KUBN asserted that the explosions resulted in “fatal injuries” to several Tunisian soldiers. Local media, while confirming that the bombings took place, has instead reported that no soldiers were hurt in the explosions. Moreover, the group’s statement also refuted reports made in local media about its members being killed or arrested in a security operation in the city of El Kef yesterday. This is KUBN’s first claimed attack since last October, when it orchestrated another IED blast on Tunisian security forces in the Mount Chaambi area of Kasserine. That bombing left two soldiers dead and five others wounded.”

North Korea

The New York Times: North Korea Tests New Weapon

“North Korea said on Thursday that it test-fired a new type of “tactical guided weapon,” in what appeared to be a warning from Kim Jong-un to President Trump that unless once-promising negotiations with Washington resume, the two countries could again be on a collision course. The North’s official Korean Central News Agency did not specify what type of weapon was involved in the test. But there was no evidence the test involved a nuclear detonation or an intercontinental ballistic missile. The North has observed a voluntary moratorium of those tests since November 2017, and President Trump has repeatedly said that the North’s self-imposed suspension of nuclear and long-range missile tests was one of his administration’s biggest achievements, crediting himself with averting war by first threatening the North with “fire and fury” and then holding two face-to-face meetings with Mr. Kim. But at the latest of those meetings, in Hanoi in February, the two leaders failed to reach an agreement, after Mr. Trump rejected, at the insistence of his top advisers, Mr. Kim’s proposal to lift the harshest sanctions on the North in return for suspending operations at North Korea’s largest nuclear facility. Since then, there has been virtually no communication, much less negotiation, between the two countries.”

Europe

Reuters: Spanish Anti-Terrorism Police Foil Plans For Seville Attack

“Anti-terrorism police foiled a planned attack in Seville, leading to the arrest of a jihadist suspect in Morocco, Spanish police said on Wednesday. Police were raiding the suspect’s flat in the southern Spanish city. The operation was coordinated between Spain and Morocco, they said in a statement. Spanish news website El Confidencial cited unnamed sources as saying the suspect had targeted Easter celebrations in the city. Police said the interior ministry decided last week to beef up security procedures for events including Easter parades and elections. Spain holds a national election on April 28. They declined to comment on the El Confidencial report or give further detail. The Interior Ministry also declined to comment.”

Asharq Al-Awsat: Russian University Student Release After Regretting Marriage To ISIS Militant

“A Russian court has granted parole to a Russian university student, who was jailed for attempting to join ISIS terrorist group in Syria. Varvara Karaulova was studying at Moscow State University and she got married to an ISIS militant. Her story has sparked wide media interest in social, legal, and political circles in Russia and abroad. Her father, Pavel Karaulov, said “we’re over the moon, but it’s still hard to believe.” It dates back to 2015, when her father made a plea through social media to stop the abduction of children and trafficking in human beings. Varvara left home on May 27 heading to the university, and she hasn’t returned yet, he said, describing her as “a good, smart young lady who doesn’t smoke or drink alcohol.” He then suggested that someone had recruited her to join ISIS. Early June 2015, Turkish security forces found her and had her arrested while trying to cross the Turkish border into Syria illegally. They deported her to Russia. Russian security forces first talked to her and advised her not to repeat what she did. They put her under surveillance in addition to her computer, mobile phone, and all means of communications she used. She was arrested several months later after being accused of trying again to communicate with ISIS militants.”

Technology

The Verge: Aggressive New Terrorist Content Regulation Passes EU Vote

“European Union lawmakers today approved controversial legislation that would require platforms to take down terrorist content within one hour of receiving notification from authorities. The European Parliament passed the measure by a vote of 308 to 204, and the text will be further negotiated among lawmakers before becoming law. Under the legislation, called the Terrorist Content Regulation, companies could be fined up to 4 percent of revenue if they consistently fail to remove terrorist content. The plan would apply to major companies like Facebook and YouTube, but much of the debate has focused on smaller platforms, as critics have charged that the plan places an undue burden on those companies. The legislation approved by Parliament ultimately rolled back some of the more controversial parts of the plan, such as a requirement to constantly monitor uploads and filter for terrorist content. The approved plan also gives more leeway to deal with a first removal order, providing platforms with 12 hours to take down the content. The proposal has been under consideration since September, amid fears that terrorist content on social media is contributing to radicalization. The issue took on a new urgency last month following the mass shooting at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, footage of which rapidly spread around the internet.”

Forbes: Fines Of 4% Of Turnover For Facebook And Google If Terrorist Content Not Removed In One Hour

“Last week, the U.K. Government published proposals for "tough new measures to ensure the U.K. is the safest place in the world to be online," claiming these to be the world's "first online safety laws." The U.K. Government wants "social media companies and tech firms to be legally required to protect their users and face tough penalties if they do not comply." Ironically, with Brexit as a backdrop, the European Union now looks set to go even further, with a proposal approved on Wednesday in the European Parliament that will force social media companies to remove terrorist related content within an hour or face substantial fines. EU lawmakers have become the latest to tackle the long-overdue regulation of social media, passing a proposal "to tackle the misuse of internet hosting services for terrorist purposes." The risk for social media is that "companies that systematically and persistently fail to abide by the law may be sanctioned with up to 4% of their global turnover." Their let-off is that "they will not be generally obliged to monitor the information they transmit or store, nor have to actively seek facts indicating illegal activity.”

Motherboard: After Facebook And Web Host Bans, Far-Right Extremists Are Encrypting And Going IRL

“One group illustrating the online evolution of right wing terror groups is a burgeoning extremist network called the Feuerkrieg Division (FKD), which is listed by several terrorism trackers, including the TRAC analysis consortium and the not-for-profit Counter Extremism Project (CEP). Many far-right extremist groups operate completely unabated on Gab, a social media platform that considers itself a free speech champion and is widely used by neo-Nazis. The CEP which keeps a close eye on far-right terrorism, has noticed the power of Gab among rightwing extremists. “Using Gab as an introductory platform before going to secure email is one example of the danger of allowing extremist groups to widely use a platform unencumbered,” said CEP researcher Joshua Fisher-Birch, “especially when it comes to groups that have violent intentions, like the Feuerkrieg Division.”