Eye on Extremism - 01-29-21

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Eye on Extremism - 01-29-21
By: Counter Extremism Project - 01-29-21
Re: info@counterextremism.com

As of January 29, 2021:

Associated Press: Far-Right Extremist Convicted Of Murdering German Politician

“A far-right extremist in Germany was convicted Thursday and sentenced to life in prison for the murder of a regional politician who had advocated helping refugees — a brazen killing that shocked the country. In its verdict against 47-year-old Stephan Ernst, the Frankfurt state court noted the “particular severity” of the crime, meaning that he will likely not be eligible for release after 15 years as is typical under German law, the dpa news agency reported. During his trial, Ernst admitted to the June 1, 2019 shooting of Walter Luebcke, a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel's party who led the regional administration in the Kassel area of central Germany — though he gave three different versions of events. Luebcke was targeted because he had been outspoken in favor of helping refugees. Prosecutors said Ernst had attended a 2015 town hall event where the politician had defended the German government's decision to allow hundreds of thousands of asylum-seekers into the country. The court found that Ernst “projected xenophobia onto Dr. Luebcke.” Ernst shot Luebcke on the politician's porch and he died hours later. The German government warned after the Luebcke killing and other attacks — including one on a synagogue on Yom Kippur, Judaism's holiest day, in October 2019 — that far-right extremism posed a significant security threat in the country.”

Sahara Reporters: More Victims Kidnapped By Boko Haram, Including Chibok Girls Escape From Captivity

“A number of victims kidnapped by Boko Haram, including some of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls have escaped from their captors, SaharaReporters can confirm. SaharaReporters also learnt that the escapees are still with the military. A source privy to the information confirmed the news to SaharaReporters, saying, “They are many and not only Chibok girls alone; they are made up of a variety of women abducted by Boko Haram terrorists.” It was that some parents had been contacted by government officials and may reunite with their loved ones in Maiduguri, Borno State, soon. According to Daily Trust, some parents had been contacted by officials handling the girls and that they might be invited to Maiduguri on a later date. A source indicated that Halima Ali is one of the girls believed to have escaped five years since the escape of her sister Maryam. Halima was allegedly married off to a commander under the instruction of Abubakar Shekau a few months after their abduction from their boarding school in Chibok. Her father, Ali Maiyanga, could not be reached for comment but a credible source said that friends and family members trooped to his house to congratulate the family on the good news.”

Syria

Voice Of America: US Condemns Killing Of Two Women By IS In Syria

“The United States has condemned the killings of two local female officials who were recently kidnapped by militants affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) terror group in northeastern Syria. The U.S. Embassy in Syria said Thursday that it “was deeply saddened to learn of the deaths of Seda al-Faisal al-Hermas and Hind Latif al-Khidr.” “We condemn their murder by Daesh terrorists and offer sincere condolences to their families,” the embassy said in a tweet, using an Arabic acronym for IS. The U.S. Embassy in Damascus suspended its operations in 2012 following a Syrian government crackdown on protesters during the early days of the country’s civil war. The embassy, however, maintains contact with the Syrian public through social media. Hermas and Khidr reportedly were kidnapped last week from their houses in the town of al-Dashisha, south of the city of al-Hasakah in northeast Syria. Witnesses told local news media that at least eight men, suspected to be part of an IS cell, orchestrated the kidnappings. Hours after their abductions, the bodies of the two women were found decapitated near a main road in the area, local reports said. Hermas was the co-chair of her town’s local administrative council, while Khidr was a board member of the same council.”

Iran

Arab News: Former MEPs Slam Iran’s Terror Campaign Across Europe

“A group of former Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have slammed Iran for its campaign of terror across Europe. A cross-party panel of former European policymakers and experts on Tehran’s use of terrorism criticized the regime for using intelligence assets as terrorists. The panel, hosted by the International Committee in Search of Justice (ISJ), gathered amid a diplomatic crisis between Iran and the EU, with an Iranian diplomat currently on trial for planning to bomb an anti-Tehran rally in Paris. Assadollah Assadi — a senior Iranian diplomat at the embassy in Vienna, Austria — and his three co-conspirators are charged with plotting a terror attack on an annual gathering of the Iranian opposition in 2018. The “Free Iran” gathering was launched to show support for the Iranian opposition leader Maryam Rajavi’s proposed roadmap for the future of Iran, which calls for the universal right to vote, free elections, and a market economy. A court in Belgium is expected to offer its ruling on the case of Assadi and his conspirators on Feb. 4. The ISJ panel included Alejo Vidal-Quadras, former vice president of the European Parliament, Giulio Terzi, former Italian foreign minister, Struan Stevenson, former Scotland MEP, and Paulo Casaca, a former Portuguese MEP.”

Iraq

Associated Press: Iraq Kills IS Commander, A Week After Baghdad Suicide Blasts

“Iraqi security forces have killed a senior commander of the Islamic State group, the prime minister said on Thursday, a week after the rare, twin suicide bombing by IS militants killed dozens in Baghdad. The Islamic State group had quickly claimed responsibility for the Jan. 21 blasts at a busy open-air market in the Iraqi capital. At least 32 people were killed and more than 100 were wounded. Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi tweeted on Thursday that an “intelligence-led” operation in northern Iraq killed 39-year-old Abu Yasar al-Issawi, deputy commander and IS chief in Iraq. The country’s security forces have faced mounting pressure after the Jan. 21 attack in central Baghdad, with many saying the attack — the first to strike the Iraqi capital by the militant group in three years — was a failure of Iraq’s intelligence. “I gave my word to pursue the Daesh terrorists, we gave them a thundering response,” al-Kadhimi said, referring to IS by its Arabic acronym. Al-Issawi, born Jabbar al-Issawi, was killed in an operation west of the city of Kirkuk where IS militants are known to still have a presence. The operation was lead by Iraq's elite Counter-Terrorism Service, in cooperation with Iraqi intelligence.”

Afghanistan

CNN: Pentagon Won't Commit To Afghanistan Troop Withdrawal By May, Says Taliban Are Not Honoring Commitments To US

“The Pentagon said Thursday that the Biden administration would not commit to a full drawdown of troops from Afghanistan by May because the Taliban have not honored the commitments they made in their deal with the United States. That agreement, negotiated under the Trump administration and signed in February 2020, calls for the militant group to reduce violence and cut ties with terrorist organizations, among other demands. If the conditions of the deal were met, US forces would leave Afghanistan by May 2021. The US force level in Afghanistan went down to 2,500 troops just days before former President Donald Trump left office. “The Taliban have not met their commitments,” Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said at a news briefing. “Without them meeting their commitments to renounce terrorism and to stop the violent attacks on the Afghan national security forces, and by dint of that the Afghan people, it's very hard to see a specific way forward for the negotiated settlement.” Kirby told reporters the US remains committed to working toward that negotiated settlement between the Taliban and the Afghan governments.”

Pakistan

The Wall Street Journal: Acquitting Daniel Pearl’s Killer Is Part Of Pakistan’s Dance With Jihadism

“The decision by Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Thursday to acquit four men involved in the kidnapping and beheading of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in 2002 comes at a bad time for Pakistan. Hoping to overcome longstanding allegations of supporting terrorism, Pakistan’s leaders helped U.S. negotiators in their talks with Afghanistan’s Taliban. The acquittal of Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh—mastermind of the Pearl kidnapping—against U.S. advice is likely to attract renewed scrutiny of Pakistan’s terrorist links. It could also jeopardize Pakistan’s efforts to get off the United Nations “gray list” of countries with inadequate controls over terrorism financing. Mr. Sheikh is an unrepentant jihadist terrorist who lured Mr. Pearl on the pretext of an interview and handed him over to al Qaeda associates. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, mastermind of 9/11, bragged about beheading the reporter during a hearing before a military tribunal at Guantanamo Bay. Mr. Mohammed’s boast became grounds for Mr. Sheikh’s appeal in the Pakistani courts. But while Mr. Mohammed may have wielded the sword that killed Mr. Pearl, Mr. Sheikh played the key role in the terrorist kidnapping and brutal murder.”

Arab News: Pakistan Arrests Key Militant Over Iran Terror Links

“Pakistan has arrested a “most wanted” militant linked to the Zainabiyoun Brigade, with investigators saying on Thursday he had received military training in neighboring Iran. The Zainabiyoun Brigade was placed on the US Treasury’s financial blacklist in January 2019 and is believed to have sent young members of the Pakistani Shiite community to fight in Syria. “The arrested terrorist, Abbas Jafri, is a close aide of another most-wanted terrorist, Yawar Abbas, and, much like other members of the Zainabiyoun Brigade, got his military training in neighboring Iran,” Omar Shahid, deputy inspector-general of the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), said. According to an official handout, Jafri, who was arrested in Karachi, was trained in 2014 and, among other skills, taught to carry out intelligence operations and provide medical services. “The arrested terrorist specialized in automatic weapons and received training from a neighboring country,” the handout added. Police said that weapons were confiscated from Jafri following his arrest. Jafri was described as the right-hand man of Yawar Abbas and named in the “Red Book,” an official document that lists the names and profiles of hardened militants. According to police, Jafri helped carry out reconnaissance activities for militants.”

Somalia

Dalsan Radio: Somalia: Civilian Killed In Roadside Bomb On Afgoye-Mogadishu Road Construction Site

“A landmine explosion has hit a vehicle transporting Turkish company workers near ex-control Afgoye in Mogadishu on Wednesday. According to witnesses, one pedestrian was killed and another one injured rushed to the hospital for treatment. Al-Shabaab often targets Turkish workers and engineers building a tarmac road between Mogadishu and Afgoye, and construction is nearing completion near Afgoye. Authorities have not yet commented on the incident. No group has claimed responsibility but Al-Shabaab fighters have on 2 January attacked Mogadishu Afgoye construction site killing five people including two Turkish engineers. Mogadishu Afgoye road construction is funded Qatar project runs and runs 120 kilometres. It will link the capital and the agriculturally productive Lower Shabelle region.”

Africa

All Africa: EU Could Help Mozambique Train Troops Against Militants

“The European Union may train Mozambican troops in order to step up the fight against the insurgency in northern Mozambique, Portuguese Foreign Minister Augusto Santos Silva has said. In 2020, the Filipe Nyusi-led government asked the EU for “support in the area of specialist training for the fight against terrorism and insurgency.” The support, according to reports, could take the form of training, logistics for the forces fighting the insurgency, equipment for medical assistance in combat zones, and technical capacity building. The insurgency, if unchecked, could weaken the whole of the southern Africa region as it has already spilled into Tanzania and so far claimed over 2,000 lives, displacing over 400,000 people in the past few years.”

Sahara Reporters: Exclusive: Boko Haram Terrorists Invade Bassa Communities In Niger, Abduct 50 Residents

“There has been tension in Bassa, Kukoki communities in the Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State after Boko Haram terrorists invaded the areas, abducting no fewer than 50 residents. SaharaReporters gathered that the terrorists, working together with bandits, attacked the areas in large numbers on Wednesday and early on Thursday, from Bassa, Kukoki communities up to Palalli in Gurmana Ward of the same Shiroro LGA. Residents stated that during the deadly invasion, a yet-to-be-ascertained number of persons were also killed as the people continued to live in fear. SaharaReporters was told that last Tuesday, the bandits and terrorists also in “broad daylight attacked Kokki in Gurmana Ward, Magami in Manta Ward and Maguga, Marenje and other adjoining villages using 10 motorcycles,” abducted several persons and killed a few others. A source said, “Bassa is under siege. Terrorists in their large numbers in the early hours of today, Thursday, stormed our town and unleashed mayhem on unsuspecting and defenceless locals. “During the deadly invasion, the criminals carried out armed robbery and kidnapping of an uncertain number of people but there is strong indication that the kidnapped victims are not less than 50 persons.”

Southeast Asia

The Straits Times: Muslim, Christian Leaders Condemn Terror Plot, Reaffirm Mutual Trust

“Christian and Muslim religious leaders here met yesterday to reaffirm the mutual trust and understanding between the two communities and condemn the plot by a Protestant Christian youth to attack Muslims at two mosques. The meeting was held at Yusof Ishak Mosque in Woodlands, one of two sites targeted by the youth, a 16-year-old Singaporean of Indian ethnicity who had been inspired by the 2019 Christchurch shootings. Leaders from the National Council of Churches of Singapore (NCCS) met Mufti Nazirudin Mohd Nasir and Mr Esa Masood, chief executive of the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore. Also present were the chairmen of Yusof Ishak Mosque and Assyafaah Mosque, as well as Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam, and Minister of State for Home Affairs and National Development Faishal Ibrahim. NCCS' president, Reverend Keith Lai, told the media that the Christian community was pained by news of the alarming plot. “We were in shock and disbelief that this could happen, and especially coming from a 16-year-old,” he said, adding that “whatever had been planned by this young man is contrary to what our Bible teaches about love and acceptance.”