Eye on Extremism - October 25, 2021

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Eye on Extremism - 10/25/21
By: Counter Extremism Project
Re: https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?og...gxZtpHlbCpWJGX

As of October 25, 2021:

The Washington Post: Pakistan Using Informal Intelligence Channels To Prop Up Taliban Fight Against ISIS

“As the Islamic State-Khorasan is ramping up attacks in Afghanistan, Pakistan is using a network of informal channels to feed intelligence and technical support to the Taliban to combat the threat, according to two Taliban leaders. Pakistan is passing the group raw information as well as helping it monitor phone and Internet communication to identify Islamic State members and operational hubs, according to a senior Taliban leader who, along with a Taliban commander and others in this report, spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. A Pakistani official described the communication between the two sides as informal discussions, rather than an established intelligence-sharing partnership. Pakistan appears to be one of the few foreign governments directly aiding the Taliban in the Islamic State fight, despite concerns from the United States and other countries that Afghanistan could once again become a haven for militants to carry out attacks on international targets if the Taliban is unable to contain them. Regional rivalries, deep-rooted distrust and the Taliban’s counterterrorism shortcomings have also complicated intelligence sharing with the group, according to current and former U.S. officials.”

Associated Press: Israel Outlaws Palestinian Rights Groups, Alleging Terrorism

“Israel on Friday effectively outlawed six prominent Palestinian human rights groups by declaring them terrorist organizations, a major escalation of its decades-long crackdown on political activism in the occupied territories. The declaration appeared to pave the way for Israel to raid their offices, seize assets, arrest staff and criminalize any public expressions of support for the groups. Most of the targeted organizations document alleged human rights violations by Israel as well as the Palestinian Authority, both of which routinely detain Palestinian activists. Israeli and international rights groups condemned the move as an assault on civil society and expressed solidarity with the targeted organizations. Many noted that Israel already outlaws even peaceful political activities in the occupied West Bank. Palestinians want the territory — which Israel captured in the 1967 war — to form the main part of their future state. The designated groups are Al-Haq, a human rights group founded in 1979, as well as the Addameer rights group, Defense for Children International-Palestine, the Bisan Center for Research and Development, the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees and the Union of Agricultural Work Committees.”

United States

The Washington Post: Washington Post Publishes Full Interview With ISIS Militant Linked To Killings Of Western Hostages

“The Washington Post is publishing the full, unedited video of a 2019 interview with an accused Islamic State militant, El Shafee Elsheikh, saying that contrary to Elsheikh’s assertions in federal court, the raw footage does not bolster his claim that he was tortured while in custody overseas. Elsheikh’s lawyers demanded the video and other materials from The Post in a subpoena issued in advance of his scheduled trial in January. He is being prosecuted in U.S. District Court in Alexandria in the killings of four American hostages of the Islamic State, at least three of whom were beheaded several years ago. In an Oct. 1 court filing, the defense attorneys said that previously unpublished video from the interview, conducted on camera by Post journalists while Elsheikh was being detained in Syria, could help prove that he was tortured. Elsheikh was being held at the time by the Kurdish-led, U.S.-allied Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The subpoena also seeks copies of emails, text messages and other communications between The Post and “any agents of the United States” who helped set up the interview. Elsheikh’s lawyers said in the court filing they are seeking the correspondence “as part of the defense investigation into a joint venture or working arrangement” between U.S. officials and the SDF related to the alleged mistreatment.”

Associated Press: 3 Years After Pittsburgh Synagogue Attack, Trial Still Ahead

“As the three-year mark since the massacre at the Tree of Life synagogue approaches, survivors are planning now-familiar annual rituals of remembrance, the criminal case involving the suspect plods on, and the site is in line for restoration. The landmark synagogue in Pittsburgh’s leafy Squirrel Hill neighborhood remains dormant, but a renowned architect is among those working to transform the site where 11 people were killed in America’s deadliest antisemitic attack. No trial date is in sight for the suspect, Robert G. Bowers. Nor is there any indication the U.S. Justice Department is heeding the calls of some members of the targeted congregations to avert a trial by dropping its quest for a death penalty and accepting a guilty plea accompanied by a life sentence. In the coming days, members of the three congregations whose Sabbath services were underway during the Oct. 27, 2018, attack will join with supporters to pay quiet tribute, gathering for community-service projects and studying the Torah. And on Wednesday afternoon, three years to the day since the shooting, they will assemble outdoors for a memorial service at Schenley Park, among 11 trees planted there to remember the slain. “People are having a really difficult time in this COVID era,” said Maggie Feinstein, director of the 10.27 Healing Partnership, formed to help those affected by the synagogue shooting and hate crimes.”

Syria

Al Jazeera: US Kills Senior Al-Qaeda Leader In Syria With Drone Strike

“The US military has killed senior al-Qaeda leader Abdul Hamid al-Matar in a drone strike in Syria, a US Central Command spokesman said. “The removal of this al-Qaeda senior leader will disrupt the terrorist organisation’s ability to further plot and carry out global attacks threatening US citizens, our partners, and innocent civilians,” US Army Major John Rigsbee said in a written statement late on Friday. There were no other known casualties from the strike, he said, adding it was conducted using an MQ-9 aircraft. The strike comes two days after a US outpost in southern Syria was attacked. “Al-Qaeda continues to present a threat to America and our allies. Al-Qaeda uses Syria as a safe haven to rebuild, coordinate with external affiliates, and plan external operations,” Rigsbee said. Rigsbee did not say if the US drone strike was carried out in retaliation for the attack. He also did not say which area of Syria the strike was conducted. In September, the Pentagon also conducted a strike in rebel-controlled northwestern Syria, killing another senior al-Qaeda leader, Salim Abu-Ahmad. The earlier airstrike was conducted near the governorate of Idlib. Large parts of Idlib and neighbouring Aleppo remain in the hands of Syrian armed opposition, dominated by armed groups including the once al-Qaeda linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.”

Asharq Al-Awsat: 870 ISIS Women, Children Repatriated From Syria

“Eleven Swedish nationals were repatriated from northeastern Syria in response to UN calls urging Western countries and governments to take back their citizens who have been living for years in the camps of ISIS families and fighters. The Swedish Ambassador, Fredrik Floren, received three women and eight children living in al-Roj camp in the countryside of Hasakah Governorate. They were sent to Kurdistan to be deported to Sweden, in the fourth extradition of foreign nationals this month after UK, Germany, Denmark, and Ukraine. The British Special Envoy to Syria, Jonathan Hargreaves, met last Tuesday with the head of Rojava’s foreign relations department, Abdulkarim Omar, in Qamishli. He received three children who had been living in Kurdish-controlled camps in northeast Syria. Last month, the UN launched a humanitarian appeal to Western and Arab countries and governments to address the situation of thousands of foreign children and families in detention centers and camps. “At least 42,000 foreign women and children, most under the age of 12, currently remain in squalid and overcrowded conditions inside camps in northeast Syria,” read its statement. The Ukrainian government received several women and children from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the fourth evacuation operation of its citizens.”

Afghanistan

Associated Press: Roadside Bombing Targets Taliban, Kills Afghan Civilians

“A roadside bombing targeting a Taliban vehicle in eastern Afghanistan killed at least two civilians Saturday, including a child, Taliban and health officials said. Four others were wounded. Two bombs detonated as a Taliban vehicle was passing by, killing one child, district police chief Ismatullah Mubariz said, adding that no Taliban fighters were harmed. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack but the Islamic State group is active in eastern Nangarhar province, where it has launched frequent attacks targeting the Taliban. A local hospital official said two bodies and four wounded civilians were transferred to the hospital after the attack. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media. Recently, IS has shown signs of expansion in Afghanistan, with attacks in the north, the south and the capital of Kabul. The group’s ability to launch frequent attacks has cast doubt over the Taliban’s ability to maintain security and stability in the embattled country. Last week, IS claimed responsibility for a deadly suicide bombing on a Shiite mosque in southern Afghanistan that killed 47 people and wounded scores more. It was the deadliest since the dramatic U.S. exit from the country, which allowed the Taliban to seize control of the Afghan capital.”

Asharq Al-Awsat: ISIS Says It Attacked Kabul Power Lines

“ISIS group's Afghan branch on Friday said it was behind an explosion that brought down electricity lines and plunged Kabul into darkness. The power cut on Thursday was a further blow to Taliban efforts to stabilize Afghanistan two months after they seized control. In a statement published on its Telegram channels, ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K) said “the soldiers of the caliphate detonated a bomb on an electricity pylon in Kabul” to damage the electricity sector. The explosion hit a high-voltage line supplying imported power to Kabul and some other provinces. Afghanistan is largely reliant on electricity imported from its northern neighbors Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, making cross-country power lines a prime target for insurgents. The Taliban has promised to fight ISIS-K but the group has continued to carry out devastating atrocities. Earlier this week, ISIS-K said it was behind a suicide bombing of a Shiite mosque in the southern city of Kandahar on October 15 that killed 60 people.”

Nigeria

Reuters: Nigerian Gunmen Attack Jail, 575 Detainees Missing

“Gunmen attacked a jail in Nigeria's Oyo State late on Friday and freed over 800 inmates by force, the third such major attack this year, prison service said in a statement on Saturday. The prison service said the attackers were heavily armed and after an exchange of gunfire with prison officers, gained entry to the prison yard by blasting the walls with dynamite. Some 575 inmates, who were all awaiting trial, were missing while 262 escapees had since been recaptured, it said, adding that the jail housed only 64 convicts, who did not escape. “While all the awaiting trial detainees were forced out of custody, the cells housing the convicts and the female inmates were not vandalised,” the prison service said. Nigeria is struggling with security problems across its vast territory, including a spate of abductions of students for ransom by criminal gangs in the northwest and an Islamist insurgency in the northeast. The jail attack in Oyo follows similar attacks in Imo state in April where more than 1,800 inmates were freed, while another 266 prisoners were forcibly released in Kogi state last month.”

Somalia

Voice Of America: Detained Former Al-Shabab Commander Says Detention Political

“A former al-Shabab commander who is under house arrest in Somalia says he is being held to prevent him from seeking elected office. Mukhtar Robow Ali, popularly known as Abu Mansour, was the deputy leader of al-Shabab and had been sought by the United States, which once had a $5 million bounty on his head. He defected from the terror group after violently clashing with them in August 2017. The Somali government initially hailed his defection but later arrested him to stop him from running for president of the Southwest region back in 2018, when it held its last leadership election. Speaking from Mogadishu, where he has been under house arrest since 2018, Abu Mansour told VOA Somali that his detention was politically motivated. “I was detained to stop me from running,” he said. “I was detained in order to hijack the Southwest election,” he added. His comments, made last Thursday, come as Somalia is in the middle of elections to choose lawmakers for parliament's lower and upper chambers. The 275 lawmakers from the Lower House and 54 senators from the Upper House will choose a national president at the end of the current election process. Southwest is one of five regions that plays a major role in the election of lawmakers who choose the head of state.”

Africa

Reuters: IS Claims Responsibility For Bomb Attack In Uganda

“Islamic state claimed responsibility for a bomb attack that killed at least one person in Uganda's capital Kampala on Saturday night, the militant group said in a statement posted in an affiliated Telegram channel late on Sunday. The group said that some of its members detonated an explosive device in a bar where “members and spies of the Crusader Ugandan government were gathering” in Kampala. The bomb, packed with nails and shrapnel, targeted a pork restaurant on the outskirts of the capital, police said on Sunday. Information gathered indicated that three men, disguised as customers, visited the restaurant, placed a polythene bag under a table and left moments before the explosion, police said. The explosion killed a 20-year-old waitress and injured three people, two of whom were in critical condition, police said, adding all indications suggest an act of domestic terror. President Yoweri Museveni said the attack “seems to be a terrorist act”. In 2010, the Somali Islamist militant group al Shabaab killed dozens of people in Kampala in a bomb attack, saying it was punishing Uganda for deploying troops in Somalia.”

Reuters: Islamic State Claims Responsibility For Attack In Congo

“Islamic State claimed responsibility for an attack on a village this week in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, according to a statement published on Friday on its affiliated Telegram channels. Residents of Kalembo village told Reuters that rebels killed 16 people and torched houses in an attack on Wednesday that a local human rights group blamed on the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan armed group active in the region. The statement said Islamic State was responsible for the attack in the village about 40 km (25 miles) east of the city of Beni. The ADF has operated in the dense forests near the Ugandan border for more than three decades and began killing civilians in large numbers in 2014. The group has publicly aligned itself with Islamic State, but a June report from the United Nations found no evidence of direct support from Islamic State to the ADF.”

United Kingdom

BBC News: Right-Wing Terrorism Suspects Deny 3D-Printed Firearm Charges

“Two men and a woman who were arrested as part of an investigation into right-wing terrorism have denied possessing components of a 3D-printed firearm. The three people, from Keighley, West Yorkshire, appeared at the Old Bailey charged with terror offences along with a fourth defendant from Anglesey. The four were arrested at homes in West Yorkshire, North Wales and Wiltshire. Appearing in court via video link, they entered not guilty pleas in relation to multiple terror and firearms charges. Daniel Wright, 29, Liam Hall, 30, and Stacey Salmon, 28, deny possession of components of a 3D-printed firearm for terrorist purposes. All the offences are alleged to have taken place between January and May, with all three - plus fourth defendant Samuel Whibley, 28 - remanded in custody. They are due to go on trial in January at Sheffield Crown Court. Mr Wright, of Whinfield Avenue, Keighley, West Yorkshire, is charged with disseminating a terrorist publication, possessing articles for terrorist purposes, the collection of information contrary to section 58 of the Terrorism Act, possession of a firearm and manufacturing a firearm.”

The Independent: Anjem Choudary Orchestrating Online Campaigns In Support Of Extremists Despite Isis Conviction

“Anjem Choudary is openly orchestrating online campaigns in support of hate preachers and extremists despite his terror conviction, it can be revealed. Choudary has organised a series of “Twitter storms” from the encrypted messaging app Telegram, where he is directing followers under his own name. Research by the Community Security Trust (CST), which works to protect Jewish people in Britain, found that over two months his efforts had resulted in around 43,000 mentions on Twitter. It comes as measures to prevent online hate and legal powers to tackle extremism face increased scrutiny following the murder of Conservative MP David Amess. Dave Rich, the CST’s director of policy, told The Independent: “Choudary has spent decades finding loopholes in our legislation that still haven’t been closed. “It feels like we have turned the clock back 20 years to a time when Choudary could spread his hateful views and attract new followers with impunity – except now he has the megaphone of social media to help him do it.” Mr Rich said it was vital that the new online safety bill takes the responsibility for combating extremist activity away from social media companies that have been “either unwilling or unable to prevent well-known extremists from exploiting their technology.”

Express: Terror Warning: Expert Dismantles 'Lone Wolf' Myth– 'These People Don't Operate In Vacuum'

“The comments come days after Home Secretary Priti Patel said that the terrorism threat level to Members of Parliament was now deemed “substantial” after lawmaker Sir David Amess was stabbed to death at a public meeting in his constituency. A 25-year-old man, Ali Harbi Ali, was arrested at the scene and has been charged with Sir David's murder. Police are treating it as a possible terrorist attack linked to Islamist extremism. The Home Office assessment means the direct threat to politicians is the same as the overall national threat level, which means an attack is considered “likely”. Liam Duffy, advisor at the Counter Extremism Project, has warned the UK is going in “the wrong direction” to understand how to manage the threat due to a string of common misconceptions. Mr Duffy told Express.co.uk: “One of the biggest misconceptions is that these people are alone, this myth of the lone wolf launching an attack. “Most of the time they are definitely lone actors, but even in the rare instances that they are radicalised mostly online and self-activated, they still do perceive themselves to be part of a much broader movement.” He explained that a ‘lone actor’ may be at the centre, but wider analysis reveals an intricate ecosystem that allows that individual to commit acts of terror.”

France

Business Insider: Former French Politician Charged With Terrorism In Right-Wing Plot To Attack Vaccine Centers: Report

“A former French politician was charged with terrorism in connection with a plot to attack vaccine centers, according to reports. Rémy Daillet-Wiedemann was charged on Friday after authorities said he was involved with a right-wing plan to attack vaccination centers and other targets, including a masonic lodge, AP News reported. Daillet is known in far-right circles for calling for the French government to be overthrown, as well as speaking out against vaccines, masks, and 5G technology, Radio France Internationale reported. The politician has been seen as an example of how conspiracy theories like QAnon can have a global impact. Jean-Christophe Basson-Larbi, Daillet's lawyer, referred to his client as a “political prisoner” who has called for the end of the French political system, AP reported. Basson-Larbi did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Daillet, who has said he would run for president in upcoming elections, was a regional leader in France's centrist MoDem party up until 2010, according to RFI. The politician was previously arrested following his alleged involvement in a kidnapping plot earlier this year to reunite an eight-year-old child with her mother, who had lost custody of her, AP News reported. The child, who was abducted from her grandmother's home in eastern France, was recovered in Switzerland a few days later, according to RFI.”

Technology

AFP: Children As Young As 13 Helping Coordinate Terror Attacks Via The Internet

“The Australian Federal Police have revealed that children as young as 13 years old have been caught planning catastrophic terror attacks via the internet. AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw told a Senate estimates hearing on Monday that religiously motivated violent extremism coordinated online was Australia’s biggest terrorism threat. “The AFP and our partners are protecting Australians from terrorism on a number of fronts, including the concerning trend of young children occupying the attention of law enforcement agencies,” he said. “Children as young as 13 years old – not even old enough to get their learner's’ driver’s licence – are planning and negotiating with others online to carry out catastrophic terror attacks. “Some of these youth feel isolated or do not feel like they belong, and so they retreat to the online world, looking to connect with someone, including RMVE (Religiously Motivated Violent Extremism) and IMVE (Ideologically motivated violent extremism) individuals.” Mr Kershaw warned that Covid-19 lockdowns had allowed online terrorism circles to expand their membership. “There have been some significant shifts, in the diversity and complexity of the environment since the pandemic started almost a year and a half ago,” he said.”