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Old 05-28-2019, 06:38 AM
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Arrow Eye on Extremism - May 28, 2019

Eye on Extremism
May 28, 2019
RE: info@counterextremism.com

Date - May 28, 2019

Voice Of America: Militants Kill 25 Nigerian Soldiers, Some Civilians, Sources Report

“Islamist insurgents killed at least 25 soldiers and a number of civilians in an ambush in northeast Nigeria on Saturday morning, two security sources said, the second deadly attack on the army this week. Militants opened fire as the soldiers were escorting a groups of evacuees from a village in Borno state, where Boko Haram and other militants have been fighting for a decade. ”They ambushed and surrounded the vehicles of both the soldiers and the civilians and opened fire on them,” said one of the sources, part of a vigilante group that fights alongside the military against the insurgencies. “They exchanged fire for some minutes before the Boko Haram militants overpowered the soldiers.” Nigeria's government has said the Boko Haram insurgency and the rival Islamic State West Africa Province group are on their last legs. But sustained efforts to eradicate the militants have failed and the military continues to suffer heavy losses. The war has killed more than 30,000 people and displaced millions more. The soldiers were evacuating villages in the region on Saturday to carry out operations against Boko Haram, the sources said. One said the civilian convoy had as many as 50 vehicles. Nigerian military spokesmen did not respond to requests for comment.”

Kurdistan24: ISIS Bombing Kills 5, Injures 10 Who Were Extinguishing Fire In Disputed Kirkuk: Source

“An alleged Islamic State bomb late Saturday killed five people who were going to their farm fields in the disputed province of Kirkuk to put out fires that had also been started by the terrorist organization, local media reported. “An improvised explosive device (IED) exploded in the evening, in the al-Abbasi sub-district of the al-Hawija district of Kirkuk, killing four civilians and wounding two others,” Alsumaria reported, quoting a security source. One of the injuries seemed to have been fatal as shortly after another source told Kurdistan 24 that five “farmers and firefighters” had died in the incident. It added that 10 others had been injured. All were transported to the nearest hospital in Hawija city. The victims were attempting to put out a major fire at an agricultural farm, which Islamic State members had set ablaze, the source added. The flames had spread quickly, carried by strong winds in the rural area.”

The New York Times: Attacks By Extremists On Afghan Schools Triple, Report Says

“Attacks on Afghan schools tripled from 2017 to 2018, a Unicef report said Tuesday, as the Taliban and other extremist groups in Afghanistan continue to wage a campaign of violence against so-called softer targets, far from the battlefield. The number of attacks increased to 192 from 68, a surge not seen since 2015, according to the report by the United Nations agency for children. The number of children not attending school also increased last year for the first time since 2002. It is yet another sign of the deteriorating security situation across Afghanistan. To some Afghans, the report offered concrete evidence that the repressive Taliban regime is again on the rise, even as the United States attempts to negotiate a peace settlement with the group. Nooria Nazhat, a spokeswoman for the ministry of education, said the government did not have any specific statistics to back up the Unicef report. But she added: “Every week we have a report about schools getting attacked in Afghanistan.” In the last several months, 431 schools for both boys and girls have closed for “security issues,” Ms. Nazhat said, and the government is trying to reopen them. The Unicef report noted that the use of schools as polling centers during the 2018 parliamentary elections was one reason for the uptick in attacks.”

NBC News: Inside The U.S. Military's Battle With White Supremacy And Far-Right Extremism

“Coast Guard Lieutenant Christopher Hasson spent five years in the Marine Corps and two years in the Army National Guard before entering the Coast Guard. During that time, at his enlistment ceremonies, promotions, and when commissioned as an officer he undoubtedly swore an oath to ”…support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” But Hasson violated that oath. On Feb. 15, 2019, he was arrested on drug and firearm charges while serving at Coast Guard headquarters in Washington, D.C. Soon it was discovered that unauthorized weapons were just the tip of the iceberg. Hasson was also a self-described white nationalist. He was an admirer of far-right terrorist Anders Breivik — just like Brenton Tarrant, an Australian white supremacist who has been charged with 50 counts of murder for his attack on a mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand. Both had carefully studied Breivik’s 1,500-page manifesto, which he had used to justify two attacks that resulted in the death of over 70 Norwegian civilians in 2011. Investigators discovered that over a two-year period Hasson conducted thousands of searches of neo-Nazi and neo-fascist websites on his work computer.”

The National: Yemen’s Houthis Launch Fundraising Drive For Cash-Strapped Hezbollah

“A Yemeni radio station broadcasting in support of the Yemeni rebel Houthi movement has launched a fundraising drive on behalf of Hezbollah, which has come under pressure from ramped-up sanctions. Sam FM (99.1) on Friday called on its listeners to “support the masters of the mujahideen in this world, the purest people, Hezbollah” and donate to the “From Yemen the Faithful to the Resistance of Lebanon” campaign during the final 10 days of Ramadan. The pro-Houthi station’s effort presents an unusual about-face in the relationship between the Houthis and Hezbollah, which is usually the provider of support to its Yemeni allies. Last July, an Arab diplomat told The National on condition of anonymity that Hezbollah fighters and advisers were working alongside the Houthis in parts of Yemen. Meanwhile, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has voiced support for the Iran-backed Houthi insurgents. On Sam FM, broadcaster Hamoud Mohammad Sharaf said his station’s fundraising efforts for Hezbollah would “have a significant impact in strengthening the Axis of Resistance,” in reference to the Tehran-led alliance that includes Syria, Hezbollah and Hamas.”

The Washington Post: Facebook Defends Decision To Leave Up Fake Pelosi Video And Says Users Should Make Up Their Own Minds

“There is no dispute that the Facebook video of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) viewed by millions is a fake, deliberately altered to make her appear drunk. YouTube acted fast and removed duplicates. Other social media outlets have not made the same call. Facebook acknowledged the video is “false” but said the videos would remain on the platform. Amid fierce calls across the public and government for Facebook to remove the video — which has been viewed 2.6 million times — and others like it, a Facebook official took to CNN on Friday to defend its decision. Monika Bickert, a company vice president for product policy and counterterrorism, said the video was reviewed by fact-checking organizations, and after it deemed the video a hoax, the company “dramatically” reduced its distribution. But Facebook did not remove the video, Bickert said.”

United States

The Washington Post: A Nazi Sympathizer Pleaded Guilty To Defacing A Synagogue. His Lawyer Says Conservatives Helped Radicalize Him.

“After Nolan Brewer pleaded guilty to charges in connection with painting swastikas on an Indiana synagogue’s property and setting the yard ablaze, his attorney argued in court documents that the 21-year-old man did not deserve prison time. He had been influenced heavily by his wife, Kiyomi Brewer, his attorney wrote in a sentencing memo filed last week, and putting Nolan Brewer in prison would only further stoke the prejudiced beliefs that had inspired the couple to commit those acts. Prisons are hotbeds for brainwashing by white supremacists, Nolan Brewer’s lawyer, Samuel Ansell, wrote in a sentencing memo filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana. Probation and significant community service were more appropriate punishments, Ansell wrote. But a federal judge sentenced Nolan Brewer to three years in prison for conspiring to violate the civil rights of Congregation Shaarey Tefilla in Carmel, Ind., a crime to which Brewer pleaded guilty. Brewer’s case has found its way to the national spotlight since the ruling not because of discourse over the length of his sentence — but because of a name Ansell mentioned in his sentencing memo: conservative commentator and Daily Wire editor in chief Ben Shapiro.”

The New York Times: In Baltimore And Beyond, A Stolen N.S.A. Tool Wreaks Havoc

“For nearly three weeks, Baltimore has struggled with a cyberattack by digital extortionists that has frozen thousands of computers, shut down email and disrupted real estate sales, water bills, health alerts and many other services. But here is what frustrated city employees and residents do not know: A key component of the malware that cybercriminals used in the attack was developed at taxpayer expense a short drive down the Baltimore-Washington Parkway at the National Security Agency, according to security experts briefed on the case. Since 2017, when the N.S.A. lost control of the tool, EternalBlue, it has been picked up by state hackers in North Korea, Russia and, more recently, China, to cut a path of destruction around the world, leaving billions of dollars in damage. But over the past year, the cyberweapon has boomeranged back and is now showing up in the N.S.A.’s own backyard.”

The Wall Street Journal: New York Police Record 83% Rise In Hate Crimes

“New York politicians and community leaders are pushing Mayor Bill de Blasio for more funding to eradicate hate crimes, as police record a dramatic rise in bias complaints. The New York Police Department had 176 complaints of hate crimes from Jan. 1 to May 19, the most recent date for which the data is available, according to figures provided to The Wall Street Journal. That is an 83% increase in hate-crime complaints across all categories, compared with the same period in 2018. A spike in anti-Semitic hate crimes accounted for a majority of the increase, with those complaints rising from 50 to 103, or 59% of all hate crimes during that period, according to the NYPD. The New York City Council created the Office of Hate Crime Prevention in January to coordinate city agencies’ efforts to address illegal bias incidents.”

The Washington Times: Once A Terrorist Always A Terrorist

“Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called the release of self-admitted “American Taliban” member John Walker Lindh ”unexplainable and unconscionable.” Lindh, who was paroled last Thursday from a federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana, served 17 years of a 20-year sentence for illegally aiding Taliban forces. Lindh had joined the terrorist organization before Sept. 11, 2001. He was in Afghanistan at the time and was also there when a group of Taliban prisoners murdered CIA officer Johnny Micheal Spann. Spann’s daughter, who was 9 when her father died, called Lindh’s early release “a slap in the face” to everyone who died on 9-11. After his capture and return to the United States, Lindh struck a plea bargain, admitting to illegally providing help to the Taliban, but denying any role in Spann’s death. Lindh is barred from traveling and using a cellphone or the Internet. He could still borrow a phone and possibly use someone else’s computer and sign-in information, so it is difficult to see how those limitations will be enforced. Lindh stated he would not have joined the Taliban if he had known what it was about, but that doesn’t stand up given his statements after he was sent to prison.”

Syria

NPR: In The Face Of Brutal Fates, Many Women Still Cling To ISIS

“Author Gayle Tzemach Lemmon has also just returned from Syria, where she's been working on a book about the roles of women in the fight against ISIS. We last spoke with her in December after President Trump announced that U.S. forces would withdraw from the country. At the time, he said that the U.S. had, quote, “won the war against ISIS,” unquote, a claim many immediately disputed. He has since decided to leave hundreds of troops in Syria. But we wanted to check back in with Gayle after her latest reporting trip there, and she is with us now from Los Angeles. Gayle, welcome. Thanks so much for joining us. Oh, great to join you. So could you just tell us where you went on this trip, and who are some of the people that you spoke with? And. Of course, I want to know what's changed since you were last there. I was in Raqqa, in Kobani, in a number of towns. And what I have seen is that the people I've been following for the past two years - one mom, who came out of Raqqa eight and a half months pregnant, led her entire family facing ISIS snipers, ISIS mines and coalition airstrikes designed to rout ISIS from the city. After having given birth, she's now supporting her whole family.”

Iran

Asharq Al-Awsat: 40 Years Of Iran’s Sponsorship Of Terror

“The escalation of Iran and its Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) in the Middle East has become apparent. It has mobilized the Houthi militias in Yemen to launch attacks against Saudi Arabia through the firing of ballistic missiles and explosives-laden drones. Four commercial vessels were victims of sabotage off the coast of the United Arab Emirates and two Saudi Aramco oil pumping stations were attacked. Iran’s involvement can be confirmed given that the developments took place as tensions between it and the United States are on the verge of spiraling into a military conflict. On Thursday, the Pentagon outlined proposals to the White House to send military reinforcements to the Middle East to beef up defenses against Iran. This confirms that Iran is pressuring extremist militias to launch attacks against powers that oppose its interests, demonstrating the terrorism it practices in the region. Being a “state-sponsor of terrorism” means that a country often resorts to systematic violence to create a climate of fear among the people to achieve a certain political goal. A country would also employ terrorism or support terrorist groups as part of its international policy against another country by launching direct or indirect attacks through these groups, which are offered weapons, logistic support, training and even safe haven.”

YNet News: Hezbollah Paying The Price Of Iranian Obstinance

“Hezbollah is facing its worst economic crisis yet, after U.S. sanctions on Iran imposed last year resulted in funding cut to Tehran's Lebanese proxy organization. The latest round of American sanctions targeted Iran's oil revenue, with the aim of cutting them down to zero. Hezbollah's concern is that its annual income from Iran, totaling $700 million, which comes mostly from Iranian oil revenue will stop. Monthly air shipments of cash from Tehran have already been cut in half. Hezbollah's troubles stem not only from Iran's economic woes. The organization itself is now sanctioned by the U.S., their financial transactions are under strict scrutiny with all bank accounts and fundraising being monitored.”

The New York Times: Iran Slams U.S. After Middle East Troop Buildup Is Announced

“Iranian officials lashed out at the United States on Saturday after the Trump administration said it would allow the sale of weapons to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan and deploy about 1,500 additional troops to the Middle East to counter Iran. “If they commit the slightest stupidity, we will send these ships to the bottom of the sea along with their crew and planes using two missiles or two new secret weapons,” Gen. Morteza Qorbani, an adviser to Iran’s military command, told the semiofficial news agency Mizan on Saturday. Iran’s foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, also told the state news agency IRNA that the move to send troops to the Middle East was “extremely dangerous and it threatens international peace and security.” “This should be addressed,” Mr. Zarif added. The pending arms deal had drawn sharp criticism from American lawmakers angry over civilian deaths from the Saudi-led air campaign in Yemen. Analysts said that officials in Tehran were likely to see it as a further deterioration in relations between the two countries, already worsening since President Trump’s decision last year to leave the Iran nuclear deal.”

The Wall Street Journal: Amid Tensions, Iran’s Crude Buyers Jump Ship

“One month after the Trump administration said it would tighten its ban on Iran’s oil sales, the country’s direct crude buyers have all but vanished, traders and executives in the Islamic Republic say. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced in late April the end of exemptions to eight countries that had been allowed to buy crude despite a U.S. ban on Iran’s exports. Since then, China, India, Turkey, South Korea and Japan have ended all direct purchases of Iranian crude and condensates, they said. Three others—Taiwan, Greece and Italy—had been unable to use the waiver due to banking and insurance issues. The exempted buyers bought up to 1.6 million barrels a day of Iranian crude in March combined, Rahim Zare, a member of the economic commission at Iran’s parliament, told The Wall Street Journal.”

Reuters: Iran Can Sink U.S. Warships With 'Secret Weapons', Military Official Says

“Iran can sink U.S. warships sent to the Gulf region using missiles and “secret weapons”, a senior Iranian military official was quoted as saying by the semi-official news agency Mizan on Saturday. The United States on Friday announced the deployment of 1,500 troops to the Middle East, describing it as an effort to bolster defenses against Iran as it accused the country’s Revolutionary Guards of direct responsibility for this month’s tanker attacks. “America.. is sending two warships to the region. If they commit the slightest stupidity, we will send these ships to the bottom of the sea along with their crew and planes using two missiles or two new secret weapons,” General Morteza Qorbani, an adviser to Iran’s military command, told Mizan. The U.S. actions were the latest by the Trump administration as it highlights what it sees as a threat of potential attack by Iran, and follows decisions to speed the deployment of an aircraft carrier strike group as well as send bombers and additional Patriot missiles to the Middle East.”

The Wall Street Journal: Many In Iran Don’t Expect War With U.S., But See Suffering Ahead

“Most money changers here in Iran’s capital, who have long had their finger on the pulse of public sentiment, don’t expect a war with the U.S.—and instead say the economy’s decline will eventually force Iran’s leaders to negotiate with Washington. Concerns rose here after President Trump on Friday said he was sending about 1500 more troops to the Middle East to counter what U.S. military officials describe as new threats from Iran and its allies. On the same day, his administration moved to push through weapons sales to Iran’s rivals Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Iranian officials called the American moves dangerous and touted their country’s ability to defend itself, but have said they don’t want war. In times of trouble, Iranians often rush to buy U.S. dollars in the unofficial currency market to protect themselves against developments that threaten the country and its economy. That helps give money changers insight into sentiment in a country where people seldom freely voice their opinions on foreign affairs.”

The Wall Street Journal: Iran Has Been At War For 40 Years

“The U.S. plans to send 1,500 troops and other military assets to the Middle East to counter the Iranian threat. Those who worry about the possibility of war ignore that Iran is already at war and has been for almost 40 years. Its recent sabotage of commercial vessels in the United Arab Emirates and pipelines in Saudi Arabia continues a long pattern that began with the invasion of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in November 1979. Iran established Hezbollah in Lebanon in the early 1980s. In April 1983, Hezbollah attacked the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, killing 63, including 17 Americans. Six months later it carried out twin suicide bombings, which killed 241 U.S. servicemen and 58 French military personnel. In 1990 Iran’s newly installed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said that the mission of the Quds Force, an elite unit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, is to “establish popular Hezbollah cells all over the world.”

Iraq

The Washington Post: Car Bomb In Northwestern Iraq Kills 5, Wounds 8

“Iraq’s military says a car bomb has killed five people and wounded eight in a northwestern village near the Syrian border. A military statement said the car was parked near a market in the village of Oweinat in Nineveh province. The area was once held by the Islamic State group that controlled large parts of Iraq and Syria. Despite its defeat in Iraq in 2017, IS sleeper cells have been blamed for attacks across the country that have killed and wounded scores of people over the past two years.”

Iraqi News: Iraqi Troops Kill Two Islamic State Terrorists In Nineveh

“Iraqi troops killed on Saturday two Islamic State terrorists, who planned to carry out a motorbike bomb attack in Nineveh province. Maj. Gen. Najim al-Jubouri, the commander of Nineveh Operations, told AlSaumaria News that an army force received intelligence information on the presence of two IS terrorists in Tal Abta district in Nineveh. Backed by federal police and tribal fighters, the army force managed to kill the pair and seized a booby-trapped motorbike, which they planned to use in a terrorist attack, Jubouri said. He added that the motorbike was successfully dismantled by the explosives experts. Iraq declared the collapse of Islamic State’s territorial influence in November 2017 with the recapture of Rawa, a city on Anbar’s western borders with Syria, which was the group’s last bastion in Iraq. IS declared a self-styled “caliphate” in a third of Iraq and neighboring Syria in 2014. A government campaign, backed by a U.S.-led international coalition and paramilitary forces, was launched in 2016 to retake IS-held regions, managing to retake all havens, most notably the city of Mosul, the group’s previously proclaimed capital.”

Turkey

U.S. News & World Report: Turkish Military Launches Operation Against Militants In Northern Iraq

“Turkey's military launched an operation with commandos, backed by artillery and air strikes, against Kurdish militants in a mountainous area of northern Iraq, the defence ministry said on Tuesday. The military action began with artillery and air strikes on Monday afternoon and the operation by commando brigades began at 8 pm (1700 GMT) to “neutralise terrorists and destroy their shelters”, according to a ministry statement. It said the operation targeted Iraq's Hakurk region, just across the border from Turkey's southeastern tip, which also borders Iran. The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group is based in northern Iraq, notably in the Qandil region to the south of Hakurk. Video published by the ministry showed helicopters landing commandos on mountainous terrain. It also shared photos showing shells fired by howitzers and soldiers perched on ridges, surveying hillsides with their rifles. “The operation, with the support of our attack helicopters, is continuing as planned,” the statement said. The military frequently launches air strikes against PKK targets in northern Iraq but ground operations are less common. The PKK launched an insurgency in mainly Kurdish southeast Turkey in 1984 and more than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict.”

Afghanistan

The Washington Post: In Kabul, A Moderate Cleric Was Hailed For Denouncing Extremists. Now, He’s Mourned After Mosque Bombing.

“The killing of a prominent pro-government cleric in a mosque bombing has left the Afghan capital shaken and prompted U.N. officials Saturday to denounce a marked escalation of civilian casualties during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Samiullah Raihan, a Sunni Muslim preacher who often appeared on television and condemned violence as not Islamic, was killed Friday while leading weekly prayers in the Al Taqwa mosque. A hidden explosive device detonated in the sanctuary. Kabul police said Raihan and three worshipers were killed and at least 16 people were injured. No group has claimed responsibility for the blast, but it came amid a surge in attacks by Taliban insurgents and Islamic State militants, both in rural areas and high-profile urban settings. ”Deliberate and indiscriminate attacks against civilians . . . amount to war crimes,” Tadamichi Yamamoto, the U.N. special representative for Afghanistan, said in a statement. “An attack in a mosque, especially at a time of prayer during Ramadan, is particularly heinous.” The bombing followed a protracted spate of violence hitting civilians as well as security forces. It has seen no letup during Ramadan, when Muslims fast from dawn to dusk and are encouraged to avoid provoking others.”

The Washington Post: UN Says Afghan Captives Held By Taliban Subjected To Abuse

“Afghan captives held by the Taliban have been subjected to abuse, ill-treatment and actions that may amount to torture, the U.N. said Sunday — a statement that comes as the U.S. is trying to find a negotiated solution to the country’s protracted war. The U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said it interviewed 13 detainees from a group of 53 recently rescued from the Taliban, mainly members of Afghan forces but also civilians and government officials captured by the insurgents. The group was freed on April 25 when Afghan troops raided a Taliban-run detention facility in the Khas Uruzgan district in southern Uruzgan province. Most of the captives were held since 2018, with three since 2016, the UNAMA statement said, adding they were kept in poor conditions and subjected to forced labor. It cites the detainees as saying that the Taliban killed some of their captives. “I am gravely concerned about these serious allegations of ill-treatment, torture and unlawful killing of civilians and security personnel, as well as the deplorable conditions of detention,” said Tadamichi Yamamoto, the head of UNAMA. The detainees were shackled while in captivity and almost all said they were beaten. The Taliban told them it was punishment for supporting the government, working with the Americans or fighting the insurgents.”

Al Jazeera: Afghan Forces Mistakenly Kill A Family During Taliban Raid

“An Afghan security forces raid against Taliban fighters in eastern Nangarhar province mistakenly killed a family of six, including a woman and two children, on Friday. The forces, who mistook the family for Taliban fighters when they were driving out of the area after the night attack in Sherzad district, opened fire on their vehicle killing all of them, said Attahullah Khogyani, the provincial governor's spokesman. “At least 10 insurgents were also killed in the raid,” he told Al Jazeera. Several villagers on Saturday carried the victims' bodies in a procession in the provincial capital of Jalalabad to demand justice. The United Nations said in its quarterly report in April that between January and March 2019, armed groups killed 227 civilians and injured 736 others. The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said on Saturday it was concerned about the heavy toll on civilians in the conflict during the holy month of Ramadan and urged parties to do more to prevent casualties. In contrast, Afghan and international security forces killed 305 people and injured 303, a 39 percent jump from the same period last year. Aerial operations in the three months by both Afghan and international military forces caused 145 deaths, half of them women and children, UNAMA said.”

Al Jazeera: Taliban Invited To Moscow For Afghan Talks

“A delegation of Taliban officials led by the group's chief negotiator is set to meet Afghan politicians in Moscow this week, officials said on Monday, as fighting continues in Afghanistan and the United States pursues a peace dialogue with the group. The Taliban is to attend a conference marking a century of diplomatic relations between Afghanistan and Russia on May 28, followed by discussions with Afghan politicians about the future of the country on the 29th, the group said in a statement. The 14-member Taliban delegation is led by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, in what will be his first international trip since being freed from a Pakistani prison last October to head the group's negotiating team in Doha, Qatar. Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai will be in the Russian capital his spokesman said. A spokesman for the Afghan president's office told Al Jazeera that the Afghan ambassador in Moscow would attend Tuesday's ceremony but it was unclear whether he would meet the Taliban delegation. It was also not clear what other Afghan politicians or civil society members might take part in the meeting The Taliban, which has been in peace negotiations with the US since last year, has repeatedly refused to meet President Ashraf Ghani's government, calling it a “puppet” of the West.”

The New York Post: Officials: Taliban Attacks Kill 10 Afghan Troops, Four Police

“A roadside bombing claimed by the Taliban killed 10 Afghan soldiers in the country’s west while insurgent attacks on security checkpoints in northern Afghanistan killed four policemen, local officials said Monday. The soldiers were driving back to base after picking up their salaries in the country’s western Farah province. They were travelling in a Humvee when the explosion took place Sunday afternoon in the Bala Buluk district, said Shah Mahmmod Nahimi, a provincial councilman. “The blast was so intense that no one in the Humvee survived,” he added. Elsewhere, the Taliban targeted several checkpoints in northern Sari Pul province on Sunday night, killing four members of the security forces and wounding 22, said Zabiullah Amani, the provincial governor’s spokesman. The attacks took place on the outskirts of the provincial capital of Sari Pul and triggered gun battles that lasted for hours, he said, adding that 15 Taliban fighters were also killed. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the Farah attack in a statement on their website but did not make any announcements about the Sari Pul attack. Meanwhile, a sticky bomb attached to a minibus carrying government workers in Kabul detonated on Monday morning, wounding 10 people, said police spokesman Ferdus Faramarz.”

Reuters: Germany In Push To Resurrect Afghan Talks With Taliban

“Germany, a leading donor and member of the NATO-led coalition in Afghanistan, has been talking with the Taliban and the Afghan government in an effort to restart peace talks to end 18 years of conflict, officials said. While the Taliban have been talking with U.S. officials since October about a withdrawal of international troops, they have so far refused formal talks with the Western-backed government, which they dismiss as a “puppet” regime. Berlin’s special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Markus Potzel, has visited Kabul for talks with the Afghan government and met Taliban officials in Doha at least twice this month. “The current chance for a process towards a more peaceful Afghanistan should not be missed. If the friends of Afghanistan – and Germany is one of them – together can help in this effort, then we should do it,” Potzel said. “In the end only the Afghans themselves, including the Taliban, can decide upon the future of their country.” The chief U.S. negotiator in Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, in March said that a draft agreement had been reached on a withdrawal of U.S. forces in exchange for a commitment by the Taliban to cut ties with militant groups such as Al Qaeda. But there has been no agreement yet on a ceasefire or a start to talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban, both seen as key conditions for a settlement.”

Pakistan

The Washington Post: Militants Hit Army Post In Northwest Pakistan, Kill Soldier

“The Pakistani military said Monday militants attacked an army post in a troubled region bordering Afghanistan where ethnic tensions have recently flared up with minority Pashtuns, triggering a shootout that killed a soldier. It remained unclear who was behind the attack late Sunday on the Makki Garh security post in North Waziristan. Five soldiers were also wounded in the clashes. Just hours earlier, authorities said a minority Pashtun group led by two lawmakers attacked another army post in the same region, the Khar Kamar post, setting off a shootout that killed three activists. According to the army, lawmakers Ali Wazir and Mohsin Dawar were seeking to pressure authorities to release terror suspects arrested recently in North Waziristan. Wazir and Dawar represent a Pashtun rights group that has denounced what it says is the military’s excessive use of force against tribesmen in the region. Wazir and eight others were arrested in the Khar Kamar incident. Dawar said they attacked no one and claimed their convoy was targeted by the security forces while traveling to a planned protest rally in the area. The military later said troops found five bullet-riddled bodies about a mile away from the Khar Kamar post, but it was unclear who the victims were and who killed them.”

Fox News: Pakistan Arrests 6 For Collecting Funds For Militant Groups

“Pakistani police say six people have been arrested for allegedly collecting funds for two outlawed militant organizations. Muhammad Ashraf, an official with the Punjabi police's counterterrorism department, said Saturday that the arrests were part of crackdown against terror financing in the province. He said those arrested were raising money for Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, but did not disclose the amount of money recovered. The Pakistan-based group Jaish-e-Mohammed had claimed responsibility a deadly Feb. 14 suicide attack in the Indian-held portion of the disputed Kashmir region. The bombing sharply raised tensions between India and Pakistan and brought the two nuclear rivals to the brink of war. The leader of Jaish-e-Mohammed was added to the United Nations' sanctions blacklist earlier this month. Lashkar-e-Jhangvi has been involved in the killing of minority Shiites.”

News 18: 3 ISIS And Lashkar-E-Jhangvi Terrorists Arrested In Pakistan

“Three terrorists belonging to the Islamic State (IS) and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) militant groups have been arrested by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) officials in Pakistan's Punjab province. According the CTD of Punjab police, separate teams raided whereabouts of the suspected terrorists in D G Khan and Sialkot districts and arrested the three terrorists on Sunday. In the first raid, the CTD said it arrested an active member of ISIS, Mohammad Sadaqat, in D G Khan, some 400-km from Lahore and recovered hand grenades and weapons. It said Sadaqat along with his accomplices wanted to target officials of law enforcement agencies. It said the suspect is being interrogated and his other accomplices in the area will also be arrested. In the raid in Sialkot, some 130-km from Lahore, two terrorists who were involved in sectarian killings were arrested on Sunday. The CTD said both suspects are members of LeJ and they were involved in killing of some people of Shia sect. Weapons have been recovered from them. They have been shifted to undisclosed location for investigation. The CTD last week arrested six members of the banned Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) and (LeJ) from different parts of Punjab province for collecting funds for “financing terrorism.”

India

NPR: 'God, Please Help Her': Indian Parents Agonize Over Radicalization Of Their Children

“Bindu Sampath listens over and over to a voicemail of the giggling granddaughter she's never met. She wonders if she ever will. Sampath's daughter Nimisha, the child's mother, abruptly left their native India three years ago. She'd gone to dental school a few hundred miles north of their hometown in the southwestern state of Kerala. It was there that she met her future husband. She converted to Islam from Hinduism, and he from Christianity. Authorities say they both joined ISIS. The 29-year-old dentist is believed to be in Afghanistan now. She and her husband are wanted by Indian authorities, who have charged them with conspiracy and ISIS membership. They're among dozens of people who've joined ISIS from northern Kerala in the past five years — more than anywhere else in India, according to a database of ISIS recruitment numbers in India compiled by the Observer Research Foundation, an Indian think tank. Its tally is based on data from India's National Investigation Agency, the country's main counter-terrorism agency. Most terrorism in India — the 2008 Mumbai attacks, for example — has been related to the India-Pakistan or Kashmir conflicts, or to a longtime territorial struggle by domestic Marxist guerrillas.”

Saudi Arabia

Al Jazeera: Saudi Arabia Shoots Down Houthi Drone Targeting Jizan Airport

“Saudi Arabia said on Sunday it shot down a bomb-laden drone deployed by the Houthi rebels in Yemen to attack an airport in the kingdom, the latest in a series of attacks targeting the kingdom. The Saudi air force intercepted and destroyed the drone that targeted Jizan airport, close to the southern border with Yemen, the Saudi-UAE-led coalition fighting the rebels said. "While we confirm our right to defend our country, we stress that the terrorist Houthis will pay a dear price," said alliance spokesman Colonel Turki al-Malaki, according to the official Saudi Press Agency. The Saudi announcement came hours after the Houthis said they used an armed drone to attack warplane runways at Jizan airport. The airport is used by thousands of civilians every day, but the coalition reported no casualties.”

Qatar

Arutz Sheva: Qatar Shows Two Faces To The World

“Four Israelis were buried earlier this month in the wake of nearly 1,000 rockets Hamas and Islamic Jihad fired into Israeli population centers, striking schools, synagogues and homes. The attacks were a massive escalation, showing both the capabilities and determination of the terror groups to strike deeply and indiscriminately within Israeli territory. With new rockets, Israel's main population centers surrounding Tel Aviv were under fire, as was the country's rumored nuclear reactor at Dimona. Israel's anti-missile system, Iron Dome, as well as luck and providence prevented the deaths of Jews on a massive scale. Amid the back and forth, it appeared an Israeli ground invasion was imminent. There's no country in the world that would allow such a threat on its borders to persist, yet a cease-fire between Israel and the terror groups, negotiated in part by Qatar, seems to be holding — at least temporarily.”

Middle East

Forbes: How The Gulf's Appetite For Shisha Is Fuelling One Of The Deadliest Terrorist Groups In The World

“Someone relaxing in a Persian Gulf café by smoking a shisha pipe may not realise it, but the burning coals carefully placed on top of the hookah to heat the tobacco are not just fuelling their pleasure; they are also helping to fund a campaign of violence in one of the world’s poorest countries. Globally, Al-Shabaab may not be as infamous as the likes of Islamic State, Al-Qaeda or the Taliban, but the Somali-based organisation is one of the four deadliest terrorist groups in the world. The militant group first came to prominence in the summer of 2006, as an Al-Qaeda affiliate. Since then it has taken on an identity all of its own and been responsible for a campaign of deadly attacks in Somalia and in neighbouring countries such as Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda. In 2017 it was responsible for the worst terrorist attack anywhere in the world, when a suicide bomber killed 587 people by detonating a truck laden with explosives outside a hotel in the Somali capital Mogadishu.”

Voice Of America: Tensions Grow Between Russia, Iran In Syria

“Russian military police last week reportedly carried out a raid against Iranian-backed militiamen stationed at Syria's Aleppo international airport, local media reported. In the aftermath, several Iranian militia leaders were arrested in what was seen as the latest episode of tensions between Iranian and Russian forces in Syria. Since the beginning of Syria's civil war in 2011, Russia and Iran have built a strong military presence in the country in support of forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime. Iran has since deployed thousands of its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and allied Shiite militias to Syria, while Russia officially entered the Syrian conflict in September 2015 to help Assad's regime. But as the war is waning, with Syrian regime forces reclaiming most of the territory once controlled by rebel forces, Russia and Iran seem to be vying for influence in the war-torn country.”

Libya

The Libya Observer: ISIS Commander Arrested In Libya, Interior Ministry Confirms

“The Ministry of Interior said Sunday that security forces managed to arrest ISIS Amir Al-Hisbah as well as another militant linked to al-Qaeda last month, without disclosing further details. In a statement, the ministry confirmed its cooperation with friendly and neighbouring states in joint programs to combat crime and terrorism. Regarding the war on Tripoli, the ministry said it will present evidence to the UN Security Council proving the involvement of warlord Khalifa Haftar's militias in war crimes and the integration of terrorist and criminal groups into their ranks. The ministry clarified in the statement that it had detected some radical groups involved in the aggression on Tripoli, drawing on a religious fatwa that accuses the party fighting to defend Tripoli as being non-Muslims. It further disclosed that it had identified a number of gang leaders involved in human trafficking, fighting within Haftar's militias.”

Nigeria

Sahara Reporters: Boko Haram Kills 7 Villagers In Borno, Steals Food

“At least 7 persons have been killed and two critically injured when Boko Haram terrorists attacked Jere local council area of Borno state on Monday morning, SaharaReporters can confirm. The terrorists stormed Wulari Bulama-Isa village behind Bakassi IDP camp near Maiduguri at about 2 am is during Moslem Subhi prayer, slaughtering no less than seven persons. Sources in the Civilian Joint Task Force who spoke to SaharaReporters said those who were killed include members of the CJTF. The killing they said was selective and the invaders looted and stole foodstuff from the villagers. One resident Bulama Bashir who confirmed the incident said, “ We could not bath the deceased as a result of the blood stain, they slit their throats; none of them were shot. “We have buried them according to Islamic rites but they were soaked with blood, it is sad that this killing continues.”“

Africa News: Five Dead In Boko Haram Attack On Chadian Army Base

“Four soldiers and a cameraman died on Saturday night from an attack by Boko Haram on the northern shore of Lake Chad. Members of the terrorist group attacked Chadian army base around one o’clock in the morning killing a soldier. Meanwhile a delegation of the army general staff on the ground, had one of the convoy’s vehicles reportedly hit a mine killing two soldiers on the spot, while a third one died a few hours later as a result of his injuries. Obed Nangbatna, a national television cameraman who was part of the mission also die from a hemorrhage. A Boko Haram attack on the northern shore of Lake Chad leaves four soldiers and a Chadian cameraman dead. For several weeks, Boko Haram has been increasing incursions into northern Chad, and seems to have adopted a new modus operandi: the laying of mines on the enemy’s path.”

Somalia

Xinhua: U.S. Airstrike Kills 3 IS Fighters In Northern Somalia

“The United States military said on Saturday that it killed three Islamic State (IS) fighters in Somalia's Puntland region in an air attack on Friday. The U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) said in a statement that no civilians were killed or injured in the strike which was conducted in cooperation with Somali government targeting ISIS (the IS) encampment in the Golis Mountains. The statement said the Golis Mountains are a known area for al-Shabab camps and ongoing fighting between al-Shabab and ISIS Somalia. Robert Huston, deputy director of operations at AFRICOM, said persistent pressure on the network ensures the threat is contained while degrading al-Shabab capabilities. The Friday's attack is the sixth precision airstrike against ISIS Somalia since April 14 in a deliberate campaign to limit and disrupt freedom of movement in the area and to eliminate leaders of the organization.”

BBC News: Somalia's Frightening Network Of Islamist Spies

“Somalia's militant Islamists remain relatively undiminished, despite a 12-year UN-backed campaign against them, largely thanks to its sophisticated web of spies, writes the BBC's Mary Harper. Often, when I return to the UK from Somalia, I get a phone call from al-Shabab. It usually happens even before I talk to my family, while I am waiting for my luggage or in a taxi on the way home. Once, after a trip to the south-western Somali town of Baidoa, I was given a detailed account of what I had done and where I had been. "You walked to a bank but it was shut. You knocked on the doors and tried to open them. You took some photos," said the man from al-Shabab, an affiliate of al-Qaeda. "Your bodyguards were not at all professional. They were wandering about, chatting amongst themselves with their guns slung around their shoulders, instead of keeping watch over you."

Africa

Al Jazeera: Four Killed In New Church Attack In Burkina Faso

“Four people were killed in an attack on a Catholic church in northern Burkina Faso, the latest in a string of assaults on Christian places of worship in the region. “The Christian community of Toulfe was the target of a terrorist attack gathered for Sunday prayers,” the bishop of Ouahigouya, Justin Kientega, said in a statement on Sunday. “The attack left four of the faithful dead.” A security source told AFP news agency “heavily armed individuals attacked the church … as the faithful were celebrating Sunday mass” in the town of Toulfe, 240km northwest of the capital Ouagadougou. “[The attack] caused panic in the village and many residents sought cover in their homes or in the bush,” a local resident said. Last week, gunmen killed four Catholics in a religious procession, days after a priest and five others were murdered at mass. No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks that threaten to upend traditionally peaceful relations between majority Muslims and Christians who make up one-quarter of the country. The government has blamed unnamed armed groups operating in the country and Africa's surrounding Sahel region. Raids began in 2015 in the north before singling out Ouagadougou and other regions, notably in the east.”

Quartz: Ghana Is Getting Pulled Into The Global War On Terror As Local Churches Go On Alert

“The peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid,” reverend father Ekpaa Maalo quotes from the gospel of John as he delivers the homily at an open air Sunday mass. That passage has perhaps never been more important for the attentive congregation at Our Lady Queen of Africa parish (OLA) in Bolgatanga in Ghana’s Upper East region. Ghana is in a state of alert because this staunchly religious country is grappling with a question it has never had to contemplate: how will it keep its places of worship safe—particularly churches? The security concerns have been precipitated by terror attacks in northern neighbor Burkina Faso where extremists have attacked churches. The latest attack occurred on May 26 with four worshippers being killed. Since April, 18 worshippers and two priests have been killed in four separate attacks in Burkina Faso. Since 2015, nearly 400 people have been killed—according to a tally by the AFP news agency. While no group has claimed responsibility for the attacks on churches, the finger is being pointed at Sahelian militants aligned to global terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda.”

United Kingdom

The National: British Tory Party Donor Charged For Funding Terrorism

“A British Conservative Party donor has been charged with funding terrorist organisations, illegal arms dealing, fraud and money-laundering in Bangladesh. Mohammed Shahid Uddin Khan, 55, of Wimbledon, south-west London, was a former colonel in the Bangladeshi army. He is facing jail in his homeland after his Dhaka property was raided by counter-terrorism police in January. According to British paper The Sunday Times, Mr Khan has donated £20,000 (Dh93,395) to the Conservative party and has lived in the UK capital since 2009, when he bought a multimillion-pound “golden visa” to ensure he and his family could stay in the country. Bangadeshi police say they found detonators, weapons, radical literature linked to Al Qaeda and fake Bangladeshi currency in Mr Khan’s home. They say they have uncovered 54 bank accounts held by the donor, which provide evidence of money laundering and funding of terrorism.”

France

ABC News: 3 Arrested In Nail Bomb Attack That Wounded 13 In Lyon, France

“Three suspects have been arrested in connection with a parcel bomb detonated in the French city of Lyon on Friday, authorities confirmed to ABC News. France's Minister of the Interior Christophe Castaner announced a 24-year-old man had been arrested Monday around 10 a.m. on a street in Lyon. The Paris prosecutor's office also confirmed to ABC News that two more suspects, a man and a woman, had also been arrested and placed in detention. The bomb was detonated on Friday afternoon near a bakery on the busy Victor Hugo street in France's third-biggest city, wounding 13. Among the wounded, 11 were treated at a local hospital. Several required operations to remove shrapnel from the blast. Surveillance footage released by police shows one suspect arriving on foot around 5:25 pm and leaving a paper bag on the floor that detonated about three minutes later, smashing the bakery window to pieces. Due to the nature of the attack -- broad daylight, a crowded pedestrian area -- anti-terrorist police took over the investigation Friday evening. More than 90 investigators were mobilized, as well as 30 forensic experts, as police launched a public appeal for information related to the attack.”

Al Arabiya: Iraq Condemns Fourth French ISIS Member To Death

“An Iraqi court on Monday condemned a fourth French citizen to death for joining ISIS, a day after handing capital punishments to three other Frenchmen. Mustapha Merzoughi, 37, was sentenced to death by hanging, according to an AFP journalist at the court. “The evidence and the confession show that you joined ISIS, that you worked in its military branch,” the judge told Merzoughi before handing down his sentence. In recent months Iraq has taken custody of thousands of extremists including foreigners captured in neighboring Syria by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) during the battle to destroy the ISIS “caliphate”. The Iraqi judiciary said earlier in May that it had tried and sentenced more than 500 suspected foreign members of ISIS since the start of 2018. “I’m not guilty of crimes and killings. I’m guilty of going (to Syria),” Merzoughi, wearing a yellow prison uniform, told the judge. “I ask for forgiveness from the people of Iraq, Syria, France and the families of the victims.” Merzoughi told investigators he had served in the French army from 2000 to 2010, including a tour in Afghanistan in 2009. In France, he lived in the southwestern city of Toulouse, the hometown of extremist brothers Fabien and Jean-Michel Clain who claimed the deadly 2015 attacks in Paris and were killed fighting in Syria.”

Germany

The Jerusalem Post: German Jews Demand Ban On Hezbollah After Kippah Warning

“The nearly 100,000-member Central Council of Jews in Germany urged Chancellor Angela Merkel’s administration to outlaw the entire terrorist entity Hezbollah. Just days after Dr. Felix Klein, Merkel’s commissioner to combat antisemitism and support Jewish life in Germany, said it is not safe for Jews to wear kippot in public, the council’s weekly German Jewish paper Jüdische Allgemeine reported on Monday that “The Central Council of Jews in Germany calls for a ban of the Shi’ite militia Hezbollah.” Council head Dr. Josef Schuster said that “a full ban of Hezbollah’s organization has already happened in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom,” adding that “Hezbollah is heavily financed by Iran, and Hezbollah poses, in its entirety, a threat to the entire world.” Germany and the EU merely outlawed Hezbollah’s so-called military wing in 2013. In addition to the Netherlands and the UK, the US, Canada, Arab League and Israel classify all of Hezbollah as a terrorist entity.”

Japan

The New York Times: One Schoolgirl Dead And 12 More Injured In Japan Knife Attack

“A man stabbed at least 16 people, including 13 schoolchildren waiting at a bus stop, before fatally stabbing himself Tuesday morning, according to the police. One of the schoolchildren died in the attack, in a suburb southwest of Tokyo. NHK, Japan’s public broadcaster, reported that all the children were girls. After carrying out the attack, the suspect, described as a man in his 40s or 50s, stabbed himself in the neck and subsequently died, officials told NHK. The attack took place in Noborito-Shinmachi town in Kawasaki City. Toshichika Ishii, 57, was sitting on a park bench near where the attack took place when he heard a child scream, “I’m scared,” and heard the attacker shouting in Japanese, “I’m going to kill you!” The attack took place as the children were at the bus stop waiting for a ride to Caritas, a local Catholic school, witnesses said. Caritas is a private institution run by Canadian missionaries, the only Catholic school in Kawasaki. It was founded in 1961 as a junior and senior high school. In 1963, it added elementary classes. In 2017, the school had 648 students and 51 teachers. After the attack, a steady stream of children were escorted away from Caritas by their parents, who had been told by school officials not to talk to reporters.”

Europe

The Local Sweden: Swedish Woman Sentenced To 15 Years In Iraqi Prison For ISIS Connection

“A Swedish woman was sentenced to 15 years in prison by an Iraqi court on Sunday for her involvement with the terror group Isis. The woman has been imprisoned in Iraq since autumn when she was convicted of entering the country illegally. In October, a Baghdad court acquited her on allegations that she belonged to Isis due to lack of evidence, but that ruling has now been overturned and she faces 15 years imprisonment, according to reports by Swedish broadcasters SVT and TV4. Those media reports were confirmed by the Swedish Foreign Ministry on Sunday. ”We can confirm that she has been convicted of co-operating with Isis, but beyond that we have no comment,” ministry press officer Sofia Naring Bauer told TT. Bauer declined to say whether the case would be appealed. The 29-year-old woman had previously told interrogators she had come to Iraq with her husband and their three children, now aged five, four and three. She said her husband had been killed in 2016 during the bombing of Tal Afar, near Mosul in the north of the country. She has claimed that she has never personally supported Isis nor sympathizes with its views.”

Southeast Asia

The New York Times: Militants Attack Soldiers In Southern Philippines, Leaving 2 Children Dead

“Militants linked to the Islamic State attacked a group of soldiers on the southern Philippine island of Jolo, setting off a clash that left two children dead, the military said on Sunday. Six militants from the insurgent group, known as Abu Sayyaf, were also killed in the gun battle on Saturday in a remote village near the town of Patikul, in Sulu Province, the military said. Five soldiers and two civilians were wounded. The soldiers had been sent to the area, where local Islamist insurgencies have long battled the state, to discuss development projects with village elders. While those discussions were underway, they were attacked by about 30 Abu Sayyaf militants. Capt. Jaime Abibas of the Philippine Army’s Special Forces unit said the troops had held off the militants and tried to protect villagers who were caught in the crossfire. He said the civilians had told him: “Please help us, the Abu Sayyaf will kill us and raze our village if they are allowed to enter.” The two children who were killed were identified as Jahida Usab, 12, and Saiful Abdun, 1. Brig. Gen. Divino Rey Pabayo Jr., commander of Joint Task Force Sulu, said the militants were trying to keep the government from establishing a stronger presence in the area and diminishing the rebels’ sway among locals.”

The Jerusalem Post: Largely Defeated In Middle East, ISIS Creates Presence In South Asia

“Islamic State is creating a presence in South Asia after recent defeats in Iraq and Syria, where it ruled thousands of square miles of territory. Considered a terrorist group by the western world, ISIS announced the formation of bases in nuclear-armed India and Pakistan, two arch-rivals that fought three wars since their independence from Britain in 1947. According to the ISIS-affiliated Amaq News Agency, the terror organization on May 11 officially proclaimed the existence of “Waliyah of Hind,” or India Province. Shortly afterward, on May 15, ISIS said it had established an additional stronghold called “Wilayah Pakistan.” Amaq claimed that Wilayah Pakistan had already inflicted casualties on Indian army soldiers in the village of Amshipora in the Shopian district of India-administered Kashmir. Indian police confirmed the presence of ISIS fighters in the contested area and noted that security forces recently killed Ishfaq Ahmad Sofi, an alleged ISIS operative in the region. According to local media reports, Sofi had been associated for more than a decade with several armed groups in Kashmir before joining Islamic State. The establishment of Wilayah Pakistan sent shock waves through local law enforcement agencies, and on May 16, Islamabad’s security forces raided suspected terrorist locales in Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan Province.”

France 24:

Vietnam Man Jailed For Plotting Terror Attack

“A Vietnamese man has been sentenced to six years in jail for terrorism and weapons possession after he was convicted for smuggling a cache of guns into the country from Cambodia, a court official said Tuesday. Terror-related crimes are rare in the one-party communist state, where a hardline administration in charge since 2016 has waged a crackdown on critics, jailing dozens last year alone. Le Quoc Binh was arrested in August ahead of Vietnam's national day in central Binh Dinh province carrying seven rifles and 500 bullets that he smuggled in from Cambodia. A court on Monday sentenced him to one year in jail for allegedly planning an attack and another five years for weapons possession, according to a court clerk and state media. “Binh used Facebook to share and popularise the use of weapons and violence against the state,” according to a report from Bao Ve Phap Luat, the official mouthpiece of the national procuracy office. The report said Binh was disgruntled because his family was relocated from their land in south-central Quy Nhon city and were unfairly compensated. The official Vietnam News Agency said Binh travelled to Cambodia several times between June and August 2018 to procure weapons. It added Binh asked for leniency in court before his sentence was announced.”

Bangladesh

NDTV: 3 Injured In Blast At Bangladesh's Dhaka, ISIS Claims Responsibility

“A police officer and two others were injured in a powerful blast claimed by ISIS in Bangladesh capital Dhaka. The explosives that led to the blast in a police pick-up van in Dhaka's Malibagh area on Sunday night might have been planted, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia said on Monday. "We think it (the explosive) was kept in the car and not hurled at the police," he said while talking to reporters after visiting the injured at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. "Based on primary investigation, we think it was an improvised bomb, but it was more powerful than the usual ones used here," he said. An assistant sub-inspector and two others were injured in the explosion. He said police have yet to identify the culprits. Meanwhile, US-based SITE Intelligence Group said that ISIS has claimed responsibility for the blast targeting the police van in Dhaka.”

Nepal

BBC: Nepal Explosions Kill Four In Capital Kathmandu

“At least four people died and seven others were injured in three explosions in the Nepali capital, Kathmandu, officials say. The three blasts - one in the centre and two on the outskirts - took place on Sunday afternoon local time. Improvised or crude explosive devices are believed to have been used to set off the blasts, police said. One official told reporters a Maoist splinter group was under suspicion after pamphlets were found nearby. The same group is alleged to have carried out an explosion in February which killed one person in Kathmandu. However, no one has claimed responsibilities for the attacks.”

Technology

The New York Times: Google’s Shadow Work Force: Temps Who Outnumber Full-Time Employees

“Mindy Cruz had an offer for a full-time position at another big tech company when she accepted a temporary job as a recruiter at Google in 2017. The pay was less and the benefits were not as good, but it was one step closer to her dream of becoming a Google employee. Ms. Cruz became one of Google’s many temps and contractors — a shadow work force that now outnumbers the company’s full-time employees. But she never made the jump to full time. She was swiftly fired after a Google manager, whom she said had harassed her for months, told the temp agency that had hired her that he wanted her gone. High-tech companies have long promoted the idea that they are egalitarian, idyllic workplaces. And Google, perhaps more than any other, has represented that image, with a reputation for enviable salaries and benefits and lavish perks.”

The New York Times: Why Privacy Is An Antitrust Issue

“As Facebook has generated scandal after scandal in recent years, critics have started to wonder how we might use antitrust laws to rein in the company’s power. But many of the most pressing concerns about Facebook are its privacy abuses, which unlike price gouging, price discrimination or exclusive dealing, are not immediately recognized as antitrust violations. Is there an antitrust case to be made against Facebook on privacy grounds? Yes, there is. In March, when Representative David N. Cicilline, Democrat of Rhode Island, called on the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Facebook’s potential violations of antitrust laws, he cited not only Facebook’s acquisitions (such as Instagram and WhatsApp), but also evidence that Facebook was “using its monopoly power to degrade” the quality of its service “below what a competitive marketplace would allow.”
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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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