Counter Extremism Project - CEP Roundup -05-08-20

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Counter Extremism Project - CEP Roundup - 05-08-20
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CEP Roundup

Resources And Updates From The Counter Extremism Project

Islamist Extremism

Germany Designates Iran-Backed Hezbollah As A Terrorist Organization In Its Entirety
On April 30, Germany designated Hezbollah in its entirety as a terrorist organization, banning all of its activities in the country. Simultaneously, the German Interior Ministry ordered raids on four mosques and organizations suspected of links to Hezbollah. Germany had previously designated only Hezbollah’s so-called military wing as a terrorist group, allowing Hezbollah’s political supporters to freely operate in the country. Germany joins the Netherlands as the only EU member states to recognize the Iran-backed group as a single entity. The UK also designated Hezbollah in March 2019. As CEP Senior Researcher Joshua Lipowsky wrote in January: “Hezbollah has not hesitated in the past to strike on the European continent. It is responsible for the 1985 hijacking of TWA Flight 847 traveling from Athens to Rome. It is implicated in the 2012 Bulgaria bus bombing. A Cypriot court in 2013 sentenced a Hezbollah operative to prison for planning attacks on Israeli targets. And supporters continue to wave the terror group’s flags in European capitals during annual demonstrations for Quds Day, the anti-Israel rally instituted by the Iranian regime.” Media coverage: Deutsche Welle.

London Attack Again Raises Questions About Abdullah Al-Faisal’s Online Influence
The terrorist attack in Streatham, London, carried out by Sudesh Amman, brought again to the forefront the radicalizing, violent teachings of Islamist propagandist Abdullah al-Faisal. Reports indicate that Amman possessed copies of Faisal’s sermons prior to the attack, which are readily available through Faisal’s Authentic Tauheed website. The website archived more than 700 radical lectures calling for violence against religious minorities and allowed his followers to communicate in a private chatroom. Faisal’s teachings have been linked to numerous other acts of terror, as well as plots to attack U.S. financial institutions and the London Stock Exchange in 2010. CEP’s report Abdullah al-Faisal’s Ties To Extremists examines his global influence and violent radicalization efforts. CEP documented a total of 52 extremists who have been linked to Faisal. Media coverage: Associated Press and Los Angeles Times.

U.S. Designates ISIS Leader As Specially Designated Global Terrorist

On March 24, the U.S. designated Amir Mohammed Abdul Rahman al-Mawli, also known as Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Quraishi, as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. Al-Mawli was appointed the successor to ISIS caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi on October 31, 2019, following the death of the former leader in a U.S. raid on October 26. Al-Mawli, is credited with keeping the terror group intact following Baghdadi’s death. Al-Mawli was previously an officer in Saddam Hussein’s army and was considered one of the most prominent ISIS members in Baghdadi’s circle. In 2015, al-Mawli was reportedly among the people that endorsed the killing and enslavement of thousands of Yazidis in Iraq. Media coverage: The Week, and The Australian.

Ismail Ghaani Appointed New IRGC Quds Force Leader To Replace Soleimani
Following the death of IRGC-Quds Force leader Major General Qasem Soleimani in a U.S. airstrike near Baghdad International Airport on January 3, 2020, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei quickly appointed Brigadier General Ismail Ghaani as his replacement. A close aide and confidante to Soleimani, Ghaani served as an intelligence official and deputy commander to Soleimani for more than 20 years. In 2012, the U.S. Department of the Treasury listed Ghaani as a Specially Designated National for his role in overseeing financial disbursements and weapons shipments to Hezbollah and other IRGC-Quds Force elements. Also killed in the January 3 airstrike was Jamal Jaafar Ibrahimi, known by his nom de guerre Abu Mahdi al-Mohandes. He was the leader of Kata’ib Hezbollah (KH), an Iranian-sponsored Shiite militia operating primarily in Iraq.


As Attacks Against U.S. Personnel In Iraq Increase, Sanctions Are Imposed On Iran-Backed Militias

Iran-backed militias continue to plan attacks against U.S. personnel in Iraq more frequently, according to U.S. officials, as tensions between the U.S. and Iran escalate. The latest series of attacks followed the targeted U.S. strike against IRGC-QF Commander Qasem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Mohandes. The U.S. suspects that the near-constant rockets strikes are linked to KH and IRGC. In an effort to disrupt the financial networks of the militias, the Trump administration on March 26 designated a number of entities providing support to or acting on behalf of KH, the IRGC, and Asaib Ahl al-Haq (AAH).


AQAP Claims Florida Naval Base Shooting

On February 2, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) claimed responsibility for the December 6 shooting at Naval Air Station Pensacola by a member of the Royal Saudi Air Force. Second Lieutenant Mohammed Saeed Al-Shamrani killed three people and injured eight others before he was killed by responding law enforcement officers. On February 2, AQAP released a pre-recorded video by their leader, Qasim al-Raymi, stating that Al-Shamrani was in communication with the group. Raymi also called on Muslims in the U.S. and the U.K. to commit attacks against commerce, politicians, and members of the armed forces. The White House confirmed on February 6 that Raymi was killed in a U.S. airstrike.

Iran-Backed Houthis Suspected Of Ballistic Missile Attack At Yemen

On January 18, 2020, ballistic missiles struck a mosque at the al-Estiqbal military camp in Marib, Yemen, killing at least 116 people. Although there was no immediate claim by the Houthi rebels, Yemen’s government condemned the Iran-backed extremist group for the attack. Two days later, government forces engaged Houthi rebels east of Marib and killed senior Houthi commander Jaber Al Muwaed. Iran has historically supported the Houthi rebels with funding, training, and weapons, with some Yemeni officials believing Iran’s support has been ongoing since the Houthi uprising in 2004. The Houthis have also repeatedly attacked Saudi Arabia with missiles and drones since 2017. In October 2016, the Houthis took direct action against the U.S. through a series of failed missile attacks against the U.S. Navy presence in the region.

Al-Shabab Attacks U.S. Military Airbase, Laying Destruction In Somalia & Kenya
On January 5, 2020, Somali terrorist group al-Shabab launched an attack on a U.S. military airbase in Kenya, near the country’s border with Somalia. The attack at Manda Bay Airfield killed one U.S. military service member and two American contractors as well as five of the attackers. This was the first al-Shabab attack against U.S. forces inside Kenya. On January 7, al-Shabab militants opened fire near Saretho village in Garissa county, killing four children and wounded three others. Their target was reportedly a telecommunications mast. On January 8, al-Shabab militants detonated a bomb at a security checkpoint near the presidential palace in Mogadishu. The attack killed three and wounded 11 others. Media coverage: Fox News, Daily Wire, and Fox News.

U.S. Designates Asaib Ahl al-Haq As A Foreign Terrorist Organization

On January 3, the U.S. Department of State announced it would designate Asaib Ahl al-Haq (AAH) as a foreign terrorist organization along with two of the Iraqi Shiite militia group’s leaders—Qais al-Khazali and Laith al-Khazali. AAH is an Iranian-backed Shiite militia and political party operating primarily in Iraq, as well as in Syria and Lebanon. Formed in 2006 by Qais al-Khazali, AAH has between 7,000 and 10,000 members. Prior to the U.S. military’s withdrawal from Iraq in December 2011, AAH launched more than 6,000 attacks on American and Iraqi forces. AAH and KH, are the only Iraqi Shiite militia groups to be designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the United States. Media coverage: The Wall Street Journal and Voice of America.

Ian Acheson: “Terror Cells: How Britain’s Prisons Became Finishing Schools For Extremists”

CEP Senior Advisor Ian Acheson observes that the U.K. prison system often is fueling radicalism rather than fighting it: “The quantity of years given to an extremist is less important than the quality of the incarceration. Of the 82,000-odd prisoners, only about 220 are terrorists, with hundreds more screened after being deemed at risk of radicalisation. We need to be more assertive in managing the challenge they pose — from the start of their custody to their resettlement in the community.”

Resource: Hurras al-Din

Hurras al-Din (HaD) was formed on February 27, 2018, by a merger of seven hardline Syrian rebel factions. Ten more rebel factions joined the group in the months following, all with a history of ideological and leadership ties to al-Qaeda. At least half of the group’s 700-2,500 members are foreigners. Despite its size, HaD claims to have carried out more than 200 attacks in Syria’s Idlib, Latakia, Hama, and Aleppo provinces, often in conjunction with other Syrian rebel factions. On September 10, 2019, the United States listed HaD and its founding leader, Samir Hijazi, as Specially Designated Global Terrorists. U.S. officials believe that, given enough freedom to plan and prepare, HaD will carry out attacks against American interests domestically and abroad.

Resource: Kurdistan Workers Party

Abdullah Öcalan founded the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Turkey in 1978. While the PKK’s manifesto “…explicitly called for the creation of an independent Kurdish state,” the group embraced Marxism to justify its Kurdish-separatist war as part of a global class struggle and revolution. The PKK also utilizes violence to destroy or subsume any other Kurdish nationalist movement that opposes it or deviates from its specific goals. Like many other Kurdish organizations, the PKK has carried out attacks against the Turkish military and security forces with the long-term objective of the creation of an autonomous region in Turkey similar to the Kurdistan Region in Iraq.

Darlene Cayabyab: “Burkina Faso on the Precipice of Chaos”

CEP Research Analyst Darlene Cayabyab observes that a combination of factors has led to a deteriorating security situation in Burkina Faso: “In January 2020, the U.N. envoy to West Africa reported that terrorist attacks have increased fivefold in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger since 2016. In 2019 alone, there were more than 4,000 deaths from terrorist attacks, compared to 770 in 2016.”

Far-Right Extremism

Career Break Or New Career? Extremist Foreign Fighters In Ukraine

CEP published a new report on May 4 that analyzes the profiles of foreign fighters who joined the conflict in the Ukraine. The report, Career Break or New Career? Extremist Foreign Fighters in Ukraine, examines the motivations of extreme right-wing western foreign fighters, where they come from, what they are likely to do next, and whether they post a security threat. The report was authored by Kacper Rekawek, PhD. Dr. Rekawek interviewed 18 foreign fighters of seven nationalities who took part in the Ukrainian conflict on either side. He also interviewed Ukrainian experts, former officials, and journalists who encountered these fighters, as well as academics, experts, and researchers who follow the extremist right-wing scenes in Europe.

U.S. Designates The Russian Imperial Movement As A Global Terrorist Organization

The U.S. Department of State designated the Russian Imperial Movement (RIM) as a global terrorist organization on April 6. The RIM has reportedly provided training and resources to white nationalist groups around the world and seeks to promote the idea of a “mono-ethnic state” led by a Russian autocratic monarchy. White supremacist groups in the United States and Europe propagate racism, hatred, and violence. Individuals belonging to these groups have been charged with a range of crimes, including murder, civil rights violations, racketeering, solicitation to commit crimes of violence, and firearms and explosives violations. In Russia, RIM runs a paramilitary training course in St. Petersburg, called Partizan.

Seven Suspected Members Of Neo-Nazi Group The Base Arrested For Charges Including Criminal Intent To Commit Murder
Seven suspected members of the neo-Nazi group the Base were arrested on January 15, 16, and 17, in Georgia, Maryland, Delaware, and Wisconsin. The three individuals arrested in Georgia, Luke Austin Lane, Jacob Oliver Kaderli, and Michael Helterbrand, were charged with criminal attempt to commit murder and participation in a criminal gang. They are accused of planning to kill two anti-fascist activists. Reportedly, the Base held a training camp in Silver Creek, Georgia, attended by former Canadian army reservist Patrik Mathews, who was also arrested for entering the U.S. illegally and was being harbored by the group. Mathews was charged with being an “alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition.” On Friday, January 17, on a Telegram channel purporting to belong to the Base, the group’s leader, Roman Wolf (a.k.a. Norman Spear), stated that the arrests were unfair and an attempt by the government to prevent people from taking action against their “dispossession and gradual extermination.” Media coverage: Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Associated Press, NBC News, The Globe and Mail, National Post, Vice News, Thomson-Reuters Foundation, Daily Caller, and Vice News.

White Supremacists Glorify Timothy McVeigh On 25th Anniversary Of Oklahoma City Bombing

White supremacists in April celebrated Timothy McVeigh for his role in orchestrating what remains the deadliest domestic terrorist attack in U.S. history—the April 19, 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. The attack killed 168 people and injured more than 500 others. McVeigh was convicted of the bombing and executed in 2001. During the investigation and McVeigh’s trial, it became clear that he was inspired to attack by The Turner Diaries, a racist, anti-Semitic novel by white nationalist William Luther Pierce about a government overthrow and the extermination of non-white races. White supremacists’ and neo-Nazis’ praise for McVeigh 25 years later underscores the continued threat posed by this ideology.

Far-Right Extremists Advocate Violence In Response To Virginia’s Proposed Gun Control Laws

CEP researchers on January 8 discovered an extreme right-wing user of a chan imageboard advocating violence in response to potential gun control laws advancing in the Virginia General Assembly and several white supremacist Telegram channels that blamed Jewish lawmakers for Virginia’s expected firearms regulation. The channels characterized firearms regulation as a Jewish plot to disarm the population of Virginia. Some Internet users have compared consideration of firearms restrictions to the 1978 white supremacist novel The Turner Diaries by William Luther Pierce, which begins with government mandated firearms confiscations and escalates into a race war that results in the genocide of non-white minorities, Jews, and liberals. Private gun ownership is banned in the U.S. under the novel’s Cohen Act. The Turner Diaries has directly influenced at least three terror attacks—in the United States, Norway, and the United Kingdom—resulting in the deaths of 248 people. Media coverage: New York Times, CNN, Chicago Tribune, Fox News, WTOP, New York Times, BuzzFeed News, International Business Times, and CBS News Richmond.

Extremists Plot Anti-Semitic Harassment Campaign Targeting Philadelphia Jewish Day School

Users on the 8chan successor website posted Zoom links and the online class schedule for a Jewish day school in Philadelphia, encouraging anti-Semitic targeted harassment on April 1. The board where the post was made frequently shares racist, anti-Semitic, and white supremacist content. Posters on the same board have praised the Christchurch terrorist Brenton Tarrant, and similar attacks in Poway, California, and El Paso, Texas. “As more people have switched to virtual meetings, far right extremists have also adapted their harassment and intimidation campaigns to these settings,” said CEP researcher Joshua Fisher-Birch. “Web companies should cease providing services to sites where this kind of behavior is planned and encouraged.” Media coverage: Vice News.

White Supremacists Urge Followers On Telegram To Exploit COVID-19

In late March, CEP research uncovered various white supremacist and neo-Nazi accelerationist Telegram channels urging their followers to exploit COVID-19 pandemic. One specifically anti-Semitic channel with more than 1,200 subscribers stated on March 21 that the virus was part of a Jewish anti-white plot, encouraging the audience to spend time in public even if sick, and declared that deaths from the virus are natural selection. A white supremacist Telegram channel with more than 250 users called for people to disrupt National Guard operations and encouraged using firecrackers and small homemade explosives to cause panic. Media coverage: The National, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Al Jazeera, Vice News, and Mic.com.

Christchurch Terrorist Video Remains Online
The tragic murder of 51 people at the Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Islamic Center in Christchurch, New Zealand on March 15, 2019 shocked the world. The gunman livestreamed his attack on Facebook—the video of which continues to be re-uploaded across the Internet. Sadly, the Christchurch video remains a case study of how sites and platforms continue to be misused by extremists, especially when tech companies fail to take the steps necessary to prevent the hosting or broadcasting of extremist content. CEP found that the video, clips of the video, and content celebrating Brenton Tarrant’s murders remain easily locatable on file hosting websites, chan-style message boards, and video streaming platforms, inspiring others to commit violence, as was the case in the El Paso shooting in August that killed 22 people. Media coverage: Reuters, The Straits Times, and Newsroom.

Josh Lipowsky: “Reflections On The Anniversary Of Christchurch And The Great Replacement”
On the one anniversary of the Christchurch mosque attacks, CEP Senior Research Analyst Josh Lipowsky reflects on the Great Replacement Theory that fueled the murder of 51 people: “To honor the victims of Christchurch, we must loudly reject the ideology that informed the attack and deny any harbor to those who continue to embrace it. On August 3, 2019, Patrick Crusius killed 21 people at a Wal-Mart in El Paso, Texas. Crusius did not belong to these groups but he subscribed to the Great Replacement theory, writing in his manifesto that he supported the Christchurch shooter and warning of a white genocide.”

Extremism & Terrorism Online

Tech Companies Failing To Comply With Germany’s NetzDG Law, Study Finds

CEP Berlin conducted a new study between January 31 and February 14 to test big tech’s compliance with Germany’s 2018 NetzDG online content moderation law. The law in its current form requires online platforms to remove “manifestly illegal” content within 24 hours only after it has been reported by users. CEP’s study, available in both English and German, revealed that YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram removed a mere 43.5 percent of clearly extremist and terrorist content, even after that material was reported for its illegal nature under the NetzDG law. CEP Berlin’s findings suggest that this “notice and takedown” method for removing illegal content can only be effective if platforms are being searched continuously and systemically for such material. Media coverage: Die Welt.

Dr. Hany Farid & UC Berkeley Researchers Release Report On YouTube’s Recommendation Algorithm

In early March, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, including CEP Senior Advisor Dr. Hany Farid, released a new report analyzing YouTube’s policies and efforts towards curbing its recommendation algorithm’s tendency to spread divisive conspiracy theories, which have been known to lead to online extremism and violence. The study, A Longitudinal Analysis Of YouTube’s Promotion Of Conspiracy Videos, found that a more complete analysis of YouTube’s algorithmic recommendations showed the proportion of conspiratorial recommendations is “now only 40 percent less common than when the YouTube’s measures were first announced.” Media coverage: New York Times.

Despite Terrorist Ties, Hizb ut-Tahrir Hosts Khalifa Conference On Facebook Live

On April 5, the American chapter of noted Islamist extremist group Hizb ut-Tahrir (HT) hosted its annual Khilafah (“Caliphate”) Conference using Facebook Live. HT is banned in at least 13 countries worldwide and is most notoriously known as the “conveyor belt” for many individuals who have formed or joined explicitly violent enterprises, including alumni 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and former al-Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. The event has been viewed more than 8,300 times and is still accessible online. HT America’s Facebook page has 30,000 followers. Prior to the Conference, CEP wrote to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg urging him to act to refrain from allowing the extremist group to broadcast its Khilafah Conference via Facebook Live. Neither Zuckerberg nor Facebook responded to the request. Said CEP Executive Director David Ibsen: “Other commercial enterprises have refused to provide services to the group and have prohibited Khilafah conferences from taking place on their premises. Allowing the video to remain online would exacerbate the risk of online radicalization and extremist activity.”

Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler: Democratising Deepfakes
On March 16, CEP Senior Director Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler discussed that growing problem of deepfakes and previewed a new study being spearheaded by CEP Senior Advisor Dr. Professor Hany Farid. Deepfakes are electronically modified videos and photographic images that change or simulate people saying and doing things that did not happen. Due to technical advancements, a much larger number of people can now produce deepfakes and harness the persuasive power of audiovisual media to achieve their desired effect. Media coverage: Knowable Magazine and Washington Post.

Amazon Continues Allowing Sales Of Anti-Semitic, Neo-Nazi Propaganda

In early March, Amazon announced a ban on the sale of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf from its site. However, late in the month, Amazon quietly reversed the policy and once again made the manifesto available for sale under the guise of free speech. The company claimed that it did not want to determine what people are allowed to read. Amazon has official guidelines prohibiting the sale of products that “promote, incite or glorify hatred, violence, sexual or religious intolerance or promote organizations with such views.” Said CEP Executive Director David Ibsen: “Amazon’s policy reversal demonstrates that the company is not serious about enforcing its own guidelines. Unfortunately, the company’s behavior is unsurprising. Amazon has long allowed the sale of anti-Semitic, neo-Nazi manifestos such as The Turner Diaries and Siege on its site, both of which have facilitated the radicalization of white nationalists. If Amazon was truly committed to prohibiting the sale of all products that promote hatred and violence, they would be doing so consistently and transparently.”

Joshua Fisher-Birch: “Atomwaffen Division Claims to Have Disbanded”

CEP Content Review Specialist Joshua Fisher-Birch urges caution in evaluating the March announcement that neo-Nazi extremist group Atomwaffen Division was disbanding: “While it is possible that AWD might officially cease functioning as a group, the ideology that inspired them will live on, as will their members and supporters. AWD has promoted the book Siege as a totalizing ideology, and there is no indication that their members will abandon it or its calls to commit acts of violence.”

U.N. Designated Individuals Maintain Social Media Presence

Facebook has claimed that it refers to international sanctions lists when working to remove terrorist content from their sites. However, CEP researchers discovered that a number of U.N.-designated individuals and organizations that maintain a robust social media presence. Simple searches for social media accounts associated with individuals and entities explicitly identified as being involved in ISIS and/or al-Qaeda financing activities by the U.N. Security Council as per its ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions List resulted in more than a dozen social media pages belonging to and/or clearly in support of at least nine sanctioned individuals or entities. These terror financiers may potentially leverage social media sites to circumvent sanctions and continue their activities in funding death and destruction. The findings of CEP’s analysis are incorporated into a broader policy paper entitled, Financing of Terrorism and Social Media Platforms. Media coverage: The National.

New Resources

CEP Glossary
What is Accelerationism? Or Zakat? CEP’s Glossary defines more than 50 frequently used terms found in CEP reports and analyses on these issues. Accompanying many of the definitions in the guide is a Learn More button that offers the opportunity for readers probe deeper if they wish.

Country Reports: Extremism and Counter-Extremism

CEP continues to update its Areas of Operation map, which includes comprehensive reports detailing the history of extremist movements, major terrorist attacks, and counter-extremism measures country by country. CEP’s latest additions to the map include New Zealand, Syria, and Trinidad and Tobago.