Eye on Extremism - June 12, 2020

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Eye on Extremism - June 12, 2020
By: Counter Extremism Project
Re: info@counterextremism.com

As of June 12th 2020:

Voice Of America: Taliban, US Spar Over Al-Qaida Presence In Afghanistan

“The Taliban on Thursday rejected a top American general’s assessment that the al-Qaida leadership is still based in Afghanistan, insisting that no foreign fighters linked to the group are present in the country. The contention, analysts say, underscored a long-running trust deficit between the Afghan insurgency and the United States despite their February 29 landmark agreement aimed at ending the nearly 19-year-old war in Afghanistan. “Those Arab or other (foreign) fighters who were based in Afghanistan under the banner of al-Qaida during the rule of the Islamic Emirate (the Taliban) are no longer here,” said a statement published on the Taliban’s official website. The Taliban reaction comes a day after the commander of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri was still based in the war-ravaged country, though he did not mention him by name. General Kenneth McKenzie told a forum hosted by the Washington-based Middle East Institute on Wednesday that he was not sure if the Taliban would be able to prevent groups like al-Qaida from using Afghan soil for future terrorist attacks against the United States.”

Arab News: US Is Pushing To Stop Iranian Funding To Houthis: Brian Hook

“The US is pushing to stop Iranian funding to Yemen's Houthis, the special representative for Iran Brian Hook said on Thursday. During an interview with Al Arabiya, he added that the US is happy with the results of the sanctions imposed on Iran and that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has laid out conditions for negotiations with Iran. Hook continued by saying that US policy toward Iran has weakened the country and has affected its support for Lebanon’s shiite militia Hezbollah. He also said that the US did not want to see a copy of Hezbollah on Saudi Arabia’s border, in reference to the Houthi militia which is backed by Iran. Hook added that he had seen Iranian weapons provided to the Houthis during a visit to Saudi Arabia.”

United States

NBC News: Man Charged In Deputy Ambush Scrawled Extremist 'Boogaloo' Phrases In Blood

“Steven Carrillo, a California man who was charged with murder after he ambushed two Santa Cruz County deputies, scrawled phrases tied to an online far-right extremist movement in blood on a car shortly before he was detained. Carrillo killed Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller, critically injured another deputy and threw pipe bombs at police on June 6th, Santa Cruz District Attorney Jeffrey S. Rosell alleged on Thursday. Before he was apprehended, Carrillo scrawled the word “boog” and “I became unreasonable” in blood on the hood of a car. “Boog” is short for boogaloo, a far-right anti-government movement that began on the extremist site 4chan and aims to start a second American civil war. The phrase “I became unreasonable” has become a meme in public Boogaloo communities on Facebook, which discuss weapons and fantasize about a second civil war. One recent meme on Facebook shows a man holding a Boogaloo flag at a protest, along with the phrase “Become unreasonable.” “I became unreasonable” is a reference to a quote written by Marvin Heemeyer, an anti-government extremist who bulldozed 13 buildings in Granby, Colorado, in retribution for a zoning dispute. Heemeyer killed himself after the rampage, which occurred on June 4, 2004, almost 16 years to the day of Carrillo’s attack.”
Associated Press: US Holding 3 Accused Of Terror Attack Against Vegas Protests

“Three Nevada men accused of planning a terror attack during recent Las Vegas protests are now in federal custody on firearms and explosives charges, authorities said. U.S. Magistrate Judge Nancy Koppe decided Wednesday that Stephen Parshall and William Loomis, both of Las Vegas, should remain in federal custody. The judge gave attorneys for Andrew Lynam, of Henderson, until next Tuesday to prepare arguments for his release pending trial. The three defendants appeared by video conference from a federal detention center in Pahrump, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. They were arrested May 30 by police and the FBI while allegedly preparing gasoline-and-glass-bottle firebombs on the way to a protest in Las Vegas of the death in Minneapolis of George Floyd, a black man who died after a white officer pressed his knee into his neck for several minutes. Each had been held on $1 million bail each at the county jail in Las Vegas. Parshall’s lawyer has said he’ll challenge accounts of a confidential informant involved in the investigation. Authorities tie the men to the right-wing extremist “boogaloo” movement, a loosely organized internet-rooted network of gun enthusiasts expressing support for overthrowing the U.S. government.”

Iraq

The Washington Post: U.S. And Iraq Begin Talks On American Troop Presence As Militant Threat Grows

“U.S. and Iraqi officials began talks Thursday over the future of the relationship between the two countries, weighing the future of American troops in Iraq as Islamic State militants pose a renewed threat here. The U.S.-led military coalition has been under pressure to withdraw forces from Iraq since January, when President Trump’s decision to kill senior Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad prompted a call from Iraqi lawmakers for an end to the American troop presence. U.S. troops are stationed in Iraq as part of an effort to defeat the Islamic State group. The killing of Soleimani by an American drone on Iraqi territory had plunged the U.S.-Iraqi relationship to its lowest ebb in years. But relations have improved since the selection last month of a new prime minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi. As the country’s former intelligence chief, Kadhimi has good relations with U.S. officials but emphasizes his desire to wrest back sovereignty from foreign powers. “The main principle in these dialogues is to put Iraqi sovereignty first,” he said in a news conference Thursday. “We don’t want Iraq to become a conflict arena. We want Baghdad to be a city of peace.” Travel restrictions caused by the novel coronavirus forced Thursday’s participants to trade a planned two-day meeting for a two-hour Zoom call instead.”

Turkey

Reuters: Turkish Court Jails U.S. Consulate Worker On Terrorism Charges

“A Turkish court jailed a local employee of a U.S. consulate for nearly nine years on Thursday for aiding a terrorist organisation, a ruling the United States said would undermine the trust underpinning bilateral relations. Metin Topuz’s trial has been a major source of tension between the two NATO allies, which are also at odds over Ankara’s purchase of Russian missile defence systems and U.S. support for Kurdish fighters in northeast Syria. Topuz, a translator for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) at the consulate in Istanbul, was sentenced to eight years and nine months for aiding a network Turkey blames for a 2016 coup attempt, state-owned Anadolu agency said. He has already been in jail for 2-1/2 years while on trial, accused initially of espionage and trying to overthrow the government. A prosecutor said in March he should be acquitted on those charges and instead face up to 15 years in prison for membership of a terrorist organisation. Two lawyers for Topuz were not immediately available for comment. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement there was no credible evidence to support the court’s decision and the conviction “undermines confidence in Turkey’s institutions and the critical trust at the foundation of Turkish-American relations.”

Afghanistan

Reuters: Four Killed And 'Many Injured' In Blast In Kabul Mosque - Ministry Of Interior

“A blast in a Kabul mosque during Friday prayers killed at least four people and wounded many more, Afghanistan’s interior ministry said on Friday. “Explosives placed inside the Shir Shah-E-Suri Mosque exploded during Friday prayers,” said a Ministry of Interior statement, adding that the West Kabul mosque’s mullah was among those killed. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. The United States is attempting to broker peace talks between the Afghan government and the insurgent Taliban to end 18 years of war. The Islamic State group also has a presence in the country and has carried out large-scale attacks in Kabul in recent months.”

Voice Of America: Afghan Leader Vows Taliban Prisoner Release To Be Completed

“Afghan President Ashraf Ghani announced Thursday that his government will soon release remaining Taliban prisoners to help a U.S.-led peace process remain on course.  Ghani told a forum hosted jointly by the Washington-based Atlantic Council’s South Asia Center and the United States Institute of Peace that 3,000 insurgent inmates have already been set free. “My colleagues and I have made the decision to release an additional 2,000 prisoners within a very short period. We will announce the date soon,” the Afghan president said. Ghani noted that Taliban members were in Kabul identifying their prisoners being released from jails in exchange for 1,000 Afghan security personnel being held by the insurgents. The prisoner swap, stipulated in the agreement the U.S. sealed with the Taliban in February, must be completed for building mutual confidence before Afghanistan’s warring sides open long-awaited peace talks. “I think now we are on course, and next week we should be able to inform the world of the next step,” said Ghani, who started his second term in March after a controversy-marred presidential election. ”

Lebanon

CNN: Nationwide Protests Grip Lebanon As Currency Tanks

“Anti-government protesters took to the streets in multiple Lebanese urban centers on Thursday, setting up burning barricades and forcing road closures as the country's currency fell rapidly. Demonstrators hurled stones at military forces and some protesters attempted to scale a security fence outside the prime minister's office in the capital city Beirut. Protesters chanted against the country's political elite, which many hold responsible for the country's economic woes. Lebanon's main coastal highway was closed by burning tires in the north and south of the capital, as protests were staged in areas that rarely see demonstrations, such as Hezbollah strongholds in the capital's southern suburbs. In the northern city of Tripoli, protesters pelted the army with rocks and threw Molotov cocktails at the city's Central Bank office. Protests also erupted in the southern cities of Saida and Nabatieh. In recent days, Lebanon's currency has taken a nosedive, losing around 70% of its value since October. The currency's collapse has stirred panic in a country that relies heavily on imports for its basic needs.”

Nigeria

Vice: Nigeria's Military Vow Revenge On Islamic State-Linked Jihadis Who Massacred 81 People

“Nigeria's president instructed his military Wednesday to “extract a heavy price” from suspected Boko Haram militants who killed 81 people in a massacre in the country's remote northeast, kidnapping seven others before they fled. The militants drove into Faduma Koloram village in Gubio district in the northeast state of Borno on Tuesday, opening fire on residents, who said the onslaught lasted for more than two hours. The Nigerian military said many women and children were among the dead. One survivor told CNN that the attackers had told the villagers they were going to deliver a religious sermon, and asked them to hand over any weapons before they started firing. “Suddenly, they started shooting at will. Even children and women were not spared. Many were shot at close range,” said the villager. Malam Bunu, the leader of a local defence group, told the Associated Press that the fighters had returned on Wednesday morning to kill a local who had escaped the massacre, and set the village on fire as they left. Banu said he believed the attackers had launched the assault in retaliation for an earlier clash, in which locals had killed two militants while fighting off a raid on their herd.”

Africa

France 24: Ivory Coast Soldiers Killed In Attack At Border Post Near Burkina Faso

“Dozens of suspected jihadists attacked a frontier post on Ivory Coast's border with Burkina Faso before dawn on Thursday, killing around 10 soldiers, security sources said. It is the first assault by Islamist extremists on Ivorian soil since March 2016, when a raid on the southeastern beach resort of Grand-Bassam left 19 people dead. Thursday's shooting attack “targeted an Ivorian frontier post at Kafolo,” where an anti-jihadist operation had just ended, one Ivorian source said, in an account confirmed by a Burkinabe source. An Ivorian source said 12 people were killed -- 11 soldiers and a gendarme -- while six people were injured and two were listed as missing. Another Ivorian source put the toll at nine dead, while a Burkinabe source said 10 troops, a gendarme and an assailant had been killed, and two people were missing. “There were sounds of rifles toward the river,” an anonymous Kafolo resident said in a telephone interview. “There were sounds of military cars speeding through the village. We are afraid. The sounds of guns have been going on since early this morning. And it's still going on.” “We are hiding in the houses with our families. The military has forbidden us to go out. Everything is closed,” he said, adding that residents are normally in the fields growing cotton and peanuts in the arid area.”

Agence France-Presse: ‘Capture Not Possible’: France’s Desert Operation Against Al-Qaeda Chief

“In a desert wilderness in Mali, close to the Algerian border, pitted with isolated rocks and weighed by oppressive heat, French special forces and combat helicopters begin an operation. At its climax, they claim one of the greatest successes of France’s deployment in the Sahel region of north Africa -- the killing of the head of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) Abdelmalek Droukdel. The French military, for the first time, provided details on Thursday of how late last week it “neutralised” the man it has called “the third deputy” of Al-Qaeda’s leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri. Officials describe the death of the Algerian Droukdel as the fruit of meticulous intelligence work. This was concluded by a military intervention in broad daylight, about ten kilometres (6.2 miles) from the Algerian border, east of the Malian town of Tessalit. A source close to the operation said about fifteen French special forces were dropped by at least two transport helicopters, as well as a Tiger combat helicopter and a Gazelle multipurpose helicopter, with a drone in support. “The capture of Droukdel was not possible,” said the source, who asked not to be named. “The goal is not necessarily to kill,” said the official. But “in combat, the men see just rocks” with combatants cowering behind them.”

United Kingdom

Evening Standard: Jihadi Bride Shamima Begum Who Fled East London To Join ISIS Fights Decision To Revoke British Citizenship

“ISIS bride Shamima Begum was denied a fair hearing when she was stripped of her British citizenship and refused permission to fly back to the UK to fight her case, the High Court heard today. Ms Begum was 15-years-old when she left Britain with two friends to join Islamic State in February 2015, marrying a jihadi fighter in Syria and spending more than three years in terrorist-control territory. After news broke in February last year that she was now in a Syrian refugee camp, then-Home Secretary Sajid Javid revoked her citizenship on national security grounds. A Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) then ruled that Ms Begum, who grew up in east London, had not been rendered stateless by Mr Javid’s decision as she is “a citizen of Bangladesh by descent”. The tribunal also found Ms Begum, who has been denied permission to fly back to the UK to fight her case, could not play a “meaningful part in her appeal”. Taking her case to the Court of Appeal today, Tom Hickman QC said the Home Secretary’s decision to revoke citizenship should be declared “unlawful” as he would have known Ms Begum could not properly take part in any appeal.”

Germany

Associated Press: Blood Trail Leads German Police To Suspected Neo-Nazi Bomber

“Police in Germany say they have tracked down a suspect in an explosives attack on an anti-fascist activist by following a trail of blood that led to his apartment. The attack in the early hours of Wednesday caused considerable damage, and blew fragments of the activist's mailbox into her house in Einbeck, near the central German city of Goettingen. Lower Saxony state's interior minister, Boris Pistorius, condemned the attack Thursday. Police said the 26-year-old suspect, who has been detained, appeared to have badly injured his hand when the explosives detonated early. Officers seized evidence, including weapons, at his home. Authorities say the suspect is linked to the far-right scene. The 41-year-old woman who was targeted had been active in so-called Antifa campaigns against neo-Nazis. Left-wing groups are planning a protest Friday following the attack. German authorities have warned of the growing threat of far-right extremism. Next week sees the start of the trial against two men suspected of involvement in the killing of Walter Luebcke, a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel's party who was gunned down outside his home last year. One of the suspects in the Luebcke case has a long history of neo-Nazi violence.”

Europe

Los Angeles Times: Norwegian White Nationalist Gets 21 Years For Slaying, Mosque Attack

“A white nationalist Norwegian who killed his stepsister and then stormed an Oslo mosque and opened fire, hitting no one, was found guilty Thursday and sentenced to 21 years in prison, the longest jail term under Norwegian law. Philip Manshaus, who had said in court that he regretted not having caused more damage, “has proven to be an extremely dangerous person,” prosecutor Johan Oeverberg said as he demanded the maximum penalty. On Aug. 10, 2019, Manshaus, 22, killed his 17-year-old stepsister, Johanne Zhangjia Ihle-Hansen, by shooting her four times with a hunting rifle at their home in the Oslo suburb of Baerum. Ihle-Hansen was adopted from China as a 2-year-old, and her mother later married Manshaus’ father. Manshaus then drove to a nearby mosque where three men were preparing for Eid al-Adha celebrations. Manshaus fired four shots from a rifle at the mosque’s glass door before he was overpowered by one of the men, Muhammad Rafiq. Manshaus wore a bulletproof vest and a helmet with a video camera in the attack and was armed with a hunting rifle and a shotgun.”