Eye on Extremism: October 3, 2018

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Eye on Extremism: October 3, 2018
RE: https://www.counterextremism.com/rou...october-3-2018

The Jerusalem Post: Islamic State Claims Election Rally Attack In Afghanistan

“The Islamic State claimed responsibility for an attack on an election rally in the Afghan province of Nangarhar on Tuesday, according to a statement on the group's Amaq news agency. The militant group said a bomber had killed 35 and wounded more than 50 after detonating his suicide vest. Afghan officials earlier said at least 13 were killed and more than 30 wounded, warning the toll was likely to rise. The Islamic State has claimed a series of attacks this year that have killed scores of people in Nangarhar, on the border with Pakistan.”

Time: Pentagon Mail Quarantined After Traces Of Deadly Poison Found On Envelopes

“Mail screeners at the Pentagon uncovered two suspicious envelopes that initially tested positive for ricin, a deadly poison made from castor beans, a Defense Department official said. The envelopes, which arrived Monday, were given to the FBI for further analysis and all U.S. Postal Service mail received at the screening facility “is currently under quarantine,” according to Christopher Sherwood, a Pentagon spokesman. The mail facility is located near the Pentagon, but not inside the five-sided military headquarters building. Therefore the discovery of ricin “poses no threat to Pentagon personnel,” Sherwood said. The envelopes were addressed to Defense Secretary James Mattis and to Chief of Naval Operations Admiral John Richardson, according to a CNN report.”

The New York Times: France Ties Iran To Bomb Plot, And Freezes Spy Agency Assets

“France publicly linked Iran’s intelligence services to a foiled bomb plot that targeted a June meeting near Paris of an Iranian opposition group, and announced that it would freeze the assets of the Iranian spy ministry. A plot of “such extreme seriousness on French territory could not be let go without a response,” France’s ministers of foreign affairs, interior and finance said in a joint statement on Tuesday. “France has taken preventive, proportionate and targeted measures,” the ministers said. “In taking this decision France reiterates its determination to fight terrorism, especially on its own territory.” The decision was particularly notable because it suggested that France, unlike the United States, believes that it is possible to punish Iran for hostile actions at the same time that it tries to preserve the Iran nuclear deal, which allowed the lifting of sanctions jointly applied by the European Union and the United States. President Trump pulled out of the nuclear accord this year, pronouncing the Iranian government a rogue actor and the 2015 deal as wholly insufficient to rein in its ambitions, as well as doing nothing to halt its meddling and support of regional conflicts."

Associated Press: Has A New, Moderate President And Shiite Prime Minister

“Iraq’s new president has tasked veteran Shiite politician Adel Abdul-Mahdi with forming a new government nearly five months after national elections were held, state TV reported late Tuesday. Abdul-Mahdi is an independent who previously served as vice president, oil minister and finance minister. He is not allied with either of the two Shiite-led blocs that each claim to have the most support after May’s elections, in which no party won an outright majority. He was previously a member of the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council, a large Shiite party with close ties to Iran. He was tasked with forming a new government by Barham Salih, a Kurdish politician who was elected to the largely ceremonial role of president in a parliamentary vote earlier Tuesday. Under an unofficial agreement dating back to the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, Iraq’s presidency — a largely ceremonial role — is held by a Kurd, while the prime minister is Shiite and the parliament speaker is Sunni. The prime minister-designate will have 30 days to submit his cabinet to parliament. Iraq held elections May 12. State TV said Salih, of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, won 220 votes out of the 273 lawmakers who attended Tuesday’s session."

The Independent: Anjem Choudary Prison Release Could Worsen Both Islamist And Far-Right Extremism, Experts Warn

“The release of hate preacher Anjem Choudary could worsen extremism among both Islamists and the far right, experts have warned. Choudary was jailed for inviting support for Isis in 2016 but is expected to be imminently freed under tight licence conditions aiming to prevent the revival of his banned extremist group al-Muhajiroun. The government vows that MI5 will be watching the cleric “like a hawk” but there are fears that his release will invigorate his supporters, and far-right groups like the English Defence League (EDL). The Faith Matters counter-extremism network warned that Choudary was part of a “dance of hate where the only ones to profit have been the extremists.”

Deutsche Welle: Killings Of High-Profile Women In Iraq Spark Outrage

“Iraqi society is growing anxious after several recent murders of renowned women. The most recent killing was Tara Fares, an Instagram beauty star and former Miss Baghdad, who was gunned down by two motorcyclists while at the wheel of her white Porsche convertible on Thursday. More than 2.7 million people followed her Instagram account, where she often modeled Western outfits and criticized double standards regarding women in Iraq, which made her a target of insults from some. Just two days before Fares was killed, the rights activist Suad al-Ali was shot at an outdoor market in the southern city of Basra. In August, Rafif al-Yasiri, a plastic surgeon, and Rasha al-Hassan, a cosmetologist, were found dead in their homes, with the causes of their deaths remaining officially undetermined. On Saturday, Shimaa Qasim, a model who was former Miss Iraq, uploaded a video where she tearfully said that she had received text messages saying "you're next" after the killing of Fares. "The views towards the killing of these women is mixed," Alison Pargeter, a Middle East expert and senior research associate at the Royal United Services Institute in the UK, told DW. "While many Iraqis are dismayed and horrified at the attacks, others are not overly perturbed, with some believing that these women somehow deserved what they got for transgressing social norms," she said. Pargeter added that the Iraqi media are also trying to link some of the women to the sex industry in order to justify the killings.”

United States
Reuters: Number Of U.S. Diplomats Doubled In Syria As Islamic State Nears Defeat: Mattis

“The number of U.S. diplomats in Syria has doubled as Islamic State fighters near a military defeat, U.S. Defense Secretary Mattis said on Tuesday. The U.S.-led coalition, along with local partners, has largely cleared the militant group from Iraq and Syria but remains concerned about its resurgence. “Our diplomats there on the ground have been doubled in number. As we see the military operations becoming less, we will see the diplomatic effort now able to take (root)” Mattis said. He did not give a specific number. A U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Mattis was referring to State Department employees, including diplomats and personnel involved in humanitarian assistance, and the increase was recent. The United States does not have an embassy in Syria. In a sign of the threat still posed by the militant group, security forces in northern Syria’s Raqqa said on Sunday they had uncovered an Islamic State sleeper cell which was plotting large attacks across the devastated city. Raqqa served as the de facto capital of Islamic State’s self-proclaimed caliphate until it was retaken by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) militia alliance last October. In June, the SDF imposed a three-day curfew in Raqqa and declared a state of emergency, saying Islamic State militants had infiltrated the city and were planning a bombing campaign.”

CNN: US Special Agent Shared Classified Info With Terror Suspect Lover, Prosecutors Say

“An alleged forbidden romance with a suspect in a terrorism probe has landed a special agent with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service behind bars on charges related to obstructing a federal investigation and sharing classified information. Special agent Leatrice Malika De Bruhl-Daniels was warned by contacts at the US State Department and the Department of Homeland Security to "stay away" from Nadal Diya, a Syrian national who was trying to obtain a tourist visa to the US, according to newly released court documents. Instead, she became romantically involved with Diya despite learning he was part of a DHS probe and an FBI counterterrorism investigation being run out of Houston, an affidavit from an FBI special agent says. According to prosecutors, Bruhl-Daniels met Diya in June 2016 while she was working at the US Consulate in Dubai and eventually not only told him about the investigations but also warned him he would be arrested if he traveled to the US.”

Forbes: Hate Preachers Like Anjem Choudary Remain A Threat After Prison: Here's Why

“Later this month, we will witness the release of Anjem Choudary, a notorious Islamist hate preacher and a key node in the banned terrorist organisation Al-Muhajiroun (previously known as “Al Ghurabaa” and “The Saved Sect”). He will be freed from jail after serving what is half of a five-and-a-half-year prison sentence for encouraging Muslims to join Islamic State, via a series of YouTube talks published online. Choudary’s reach was powerful. He is believed to have motivated at least 100 people from the United Kingdom to pursue terrorism. Followers of Al-Muhajiroun included Khuram Butt, one of the London Bridge attackers who murdered eight people in June 2017, and Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale, the killers of Fusilier Lee Rigby in 2013.”

Syria
The Washington Examiner: Last Pocket Of ISIS Fighters Surrounded In Syria, Says US Military

“U.S.-backed fighters are closing in on the “last pocket of ISIS resistance” in Syria, and remaining ISIS fighters are becoming increasingly desperate, the U.S. military said Tuesday. The final offensive against ISIS in Syria is dubbed “Operation Roundup” and was started three weeks ago by the Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, a coalition of Arab and Kurdish fighters trained, equipped, and advised by the U.S. “As ISIS retreats, they're employing improvised explosive devices along routes and booby-trapping houses to inflict casualties as the SDF fighters clear through the terrain,” said Col. Sean Ryan, a U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad. He said ISIS has been firing mortars indiscriminately in an attempt to distract the pursuing forces. “These tactics clearly demonstrate the growing desperation of ISIS as the SDF slowly closes in on the last group of remaining fighters in Syria," he said. The U.S. says the ISIS fighters have nowhere to run, and are methodically being captured or killed the anti-ISIS fighters. More than 2,300 men, women, and children have been taken into custody by the SDF forces, including about 700 adult male combatants. The fighting is centered in Syria’s Middle Euphrates River Valley, or MERV, near the Iraqi border in the far east of the country. In the past week, two more cities have been liberated by the SDF as they push northward.”

BBC News: S-300 Missile System: Russia Upgrades Syrian Air Defences

“Russia says it has delivered new anti-aircraft missiles to Syria, two weeks after a Russian reconnaissance aircraft was shot down in the country. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said four S-300s launchers had arrived in Syria on Monday. Fifteen Russian servicemen died when their Il-20 plane was accidentally downed by Syrian forces during an Israeli air strike in Latakia province. Russia blamed Israel for the incident - a charge denied by Israel. Israel, which insists Syria's military was to blame, has warned that giving the S-300 to "irresponsible actors" would make the highly volatile region even more dangerous. US national security adviser John Bolton had said Russia's decision to deliver the S-300s would cause a "significant escalation" in Syria's civil war and had urged Moscow to reconsider. Russia has an airbase in Syria from which it carries out air strikes in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces. What did the Russian defence minister say? At a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Mr Shoigu said: "We have completed the delivery of the S-300s systems." He said that 49 pieces of equipment had arrived in Syria, including four launchers, locators and control vehicles.”

The Los Angeles Times: Turkey And Russia Work To Avert A Bloodbath In Syria's Last Major Rebel Bastion

“The best hope for averting a bloodbath in the northwest Syrian province of Idlib — home to 2.6 million people and the last major bastion of rebels fighting the government — depends on cajoling tens of thousands of militants there to lay down their weapons. That job falls to neighboring Turkey, which in an eleventh-hour deal last month brokered with Russia put on hold a Syrian government offensive to take back the province and end the long insurgency. Under the agreement, all rebels must surrender their rocket launchers, tanks and other heavy weapons by Oct. 10 to create a demilitarized zone. The dominant rebel group, the Organization for the Liberation of Syria, which controls about 70% of the province and was once affiliated with Al Qaeda, would then have five days to withdraw from the zone along with other jihadi groups.”

Irin News: US And UK Halt Key Syria Aid Shipments Over Extremist “Taxes”

“The freeze puts at risk supplies that help to support hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people in Idlib, which is controlled by a patchwork of armed groups opposed to President Bashar al-Assad and faces the prospect of an assault by al-Assad’s Russian-backed forces. The unexpected instruction to aid agencies, communicated by USAID on 26 September and Britain’s aid department DFID shortly after, forbids shipments from passing into Syria through the main Bab al-Hawa border point with Turkey. A spokesperson for USAID said its “partners” should “immediately cease all use of the Bab al-Hawa (BAH) border crossing between Syria and Turkey under USAID-funded awards.” USAID took the step as a “sanctioned terrorist group” is “likely incurring financial benefits from Syrian trucks accessing the BAH border crossing.”

Iran
Amnesty International: Iran: Victim Of Domestic And Sexual Violence, Arrested As A Child, Is Executed After Unfair Trial

“Responding to the horrific news that 24-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman Zeinab Sekaanvand was executed early this morning in Urumieh central prison, West Azerbaijan province, Philip Luther, Amnesty International’s Research and Advocacy Director for the Middle East and North Africa, said: “The execution of Zeinab Sekaanvand is a sickening demonstration of the Iranian authorities’ disregard for the principles of juvenile justice and international human rights law. Zeinab was just 17 years old at the time of her arrest. Her execution is profoundly unjust and shows the Iranian authorities’ contempt for the right of children to life. The fact that her death sentence followed a grossly unfair trial makes her execution even more outrageous. “Zeinab Sekaanvand said that, soon after she was married at 15, she sought help many times from the authorities about her violent husband and alleged that her brother-in-law had raped her repeatedly. Instead of investigating these allegations, however, the authorities consistently ignored her and failed to provide her with any support as a victim of domestic and sexual violence.”

Al Arabiya: ISIS Murder Kidnapped Woman In Damascus After Hindering Negotiations

“ISIS has murdered a woman they had kidnapped in Sweida, south of Damascus, following hindering negotiations with reconciliation committees. Activists on social media said that the murdered woman was named Thuraya Abu Ammar. According to the Suwayda24 news site, the woman was 25 years old, and was kidnapped on July 25 during an ISIS attack on the Al-Shubky village east of Sweida. The murder was carried out hours after a statement was released by the negotiating committee that stated it would withdraw from negotiating with ISIS about abductees, according to Russia Today, and that it feared ISIS would kill all those kidnapped after the release of the statement.”

Turkey
Agence France Presse: Turkish Troop Convoy Enters Syria Rebel Zone

“A Turkish military convoy entered rebel-held northwestern Syria early on Wednesday, an AFP correspondent reported, as the deadline for establishing a buffer zone between rebel and government forces draws closer. At least 40 vehicles, including trucks and armoured personnel carriers, were seen moving slowly south along a main highway under the cover of darkness. The troops they were carrying are expected to be deployed at "observation posts" Turkey has already set up in rebel-held areas of Idlib and Aleppo provinces. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said the vehicles were heading to Turkish monitoring posts, including in the southwestern parts of Idlib. There was no word from Turkey on any reinforcements to the area. It last sent a similar troop column into northern Syria just over a week ago. Wednesday's convoy entered as the deadline for implementing a Turkish-Russian accord on the future of Syria's last major rebel bastion draws closer. Last month, Moscow and Ankara agreed to set up a demilitarised zone ringing rebel territory to avert a threatened government offensive. All factions in the zone must withdraw heavy weapons by October 10, and radical groups must leave by October 15.”

Afghanistan
The Wall Street Journal: Suicide Bomber Attacks Afghan Election Rally

“A suicide bomber killed at least 13 other people in an attack on an election rally in Afghanistan on Tuesday, local officials said, highlighting security challenges ahead of parliamentary elections later this month. At least 30 people were wounded in the attack in the eastern province of Nangarhar, according to local officials. Several of the wounded are in critical condition, said Attaullah Khogyani, a spokesman for the provincial governor. “A 7-year-old child died on the way to hospital,” a provincial health official said. “It was very painful.” According to Mr. Khogyani, the bombing took place in Kama district, where supporters of Abdul Nasir Momand, an independent candidate, gathered to pledge their support for him in the elections. Located less than an hour from the provincial capital, Jalalabad, Kama is considered one of the safer districts of Nangarhar. It has largely been spared from the violence that has overrun Jalalabad, which has become a central target for Islamic State militants over the past year."

Voice Of America: Taliban Gain Stronghold In District Near Kabul

“The young man and three older men agreed to talk under the condition that neither their names, nor pictures would be used, as any identifying markers could put their lives at risk. In this area near Kabul, the Taliban have gained a stronghold. The younger man said the Taliban come regularly to this village to shop. The village is Khak-e-Jabbar, a district of Kabul province, less than an hour’s drive from Afghanistan’s capital. It has dozens of small villages, with populations ranging from 100 to several hundred people each. For years the Taliban had tried to get a foothold in this area. This year, they appear to have succeeded. Some blamed it on the cease-fire between the government forces and the Taliban in June, the first of its kind in 17 years of conflict, that allowed Taliban fighters to freely roam the area. According to the U.S. military newspaper Stars and Stripes, the Afghan Defense Ministry acknowledged in July that “Khak-e-Jabar was the only area where the recent cease-fire exacerbated the security situation.” A local TV channel, Tolonews, quoted Khak-e-Jabar Police Chief Mohammad Edris Yadgari in August as saying the number of Taliban had increased four-fold since the cease-fire. In a different story, Tolo quoted residents as saying the Taliban had gained influence in dozens of villages.”

Khaama Press: Drone Strikes Target ISIS-K Hideouts In Nangarhar Province

“A series of airstrikes were carried out on ISIS Khurasan (ISIS-K) hideouts in eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan, leaving at least six members of the group dead. The 201s Silab Corps of the Afghan Military in the East in a statement said in the airstrikes were carried out Wazir Tangi area of Khogyani district by coalition forces. The statement further added that the airstrikes left at least six ISIS militants dead, including a commander of the group identified as Sher Alam. The security forces and local residents did not suffer casualties during the airstrikes, the 201st Silab Corps added. The anti-government armed militant groups including ISIS loyalists have not commented regarding the airstrikes so far. Nangarhar is among the relatively calm provinces in East of Afghanistan but the Taliban militants and ISIS loyalists have been attempting to expand their foothold and activities in this province. However, the Afghan and U.S. often conducted counter-terrorism operations and airstrikes to suppress the anti-government armed militants.”

Pakistan
Pak Tribune: Pakistan-US Held Two Rounds Of Talks In Washington

“Pakistan and the United States held two rounds of talks in Washington on Tuesday and agreed to stay engaged for rebuilding a relationship both regard as important. The first set of talks began at the White House where Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi met National Security Adviser John Bolton for 40 minutes before heading to the State Department for another meeting with his American counterpart, Secretary of State Michael Pompeo. The second meeting too lasted 40 minutes. While the media expected a joint statement, both sides released separate statements, explaining how far this attempt to “reset” had gone. The cautious silence on both sides, however, indicated that the talks were not as successful as expected. “During the meeting, Mr Qureshi and Mr Bolton discussed Pakistan-US relations and the regional situation in South Asia,” said a brief statement. These two major issues also dominated the talks between Mr Qureshi and Secretary Pompeo. Diplomatic sources, however, interpreted “the regional situation” as the situation in Afghanistan, adding that much of the discussion focused on the US effort to ensure the continuity of the current setup in Kabul. To ensure this continuity, the US has invited the Taliban to participate in this setup through the Afghan peace process and wants Pakistan to persuade the Taliban to do so.”

Yemen
Agence France Presse: Children Orphaned By Houthi Land Mines In Yemen

“For Imad and his sister Alia, life will never be the same after their father was killed by a land mine and they had to leave their endangered home in Yemen’s western Hodeida province. The two children and their mother left Al-Dunain village and headed for shelter at Al-Waara camp in the Khokha district, about 30 km from the town of Hays. Withdrawing Iran-backed Houthi militias had dotted the area with mines, their mother Fethiyeh Fartout said. And it was while her husband made his way to market that he was killed on a road riddled with land mines. “The Houthis then told us to either leave the house or risk being killed,” she said. “I asked them, where can we go when the breadwinner of the family was killed by a land mine?” For Fartout and her children there is no way to return home, even if they tried, said her father Jamal Fartout. “The Houthis planted land mines everywhere, and their explosives destroyed the roads. All the roads leading back to our home are lined with explosives.” Human Rights Watch said in June that land mines in Yemen were hindering aid access and entrapping people. “Houthi forces have repeatedly laid anti-personnel, anti-vehicle and improvised mines as they withdrew from areas in Aden, Taez, Marib and, more recently, along Yemen’s western coast,” the group said. Land mines “will pose a threat to civilians long after the conflict ends.” In June, Saudi Arabia launched a new project for land mine clearance in Yemen, but “land mines will remain a formidable challenge in the postwar era,” the Washington Institute said.”

Saudi Arabia
Anadolu: Coalition: Houthis Fire 200 Missiles On Saudi Arabia

“The Houthi rebels have fired around 200 ballistic missiles towards Saudi Arabia over the last three years, the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen announced Monday. In his address of journalists on the latest developments of military operations in Yemen, Colonel Turki al-Maliki, the spokesperson of the coalition, said Houthi rebels continue their "violations" to the maritime navigation. “Houthi militias continue to threaten maritime navigation, ..., there should be stricter measures against their violations," he said, without any specification. At least 112 civilians died, hundred others were injured by the rockets fired by the Houthis on the Kingdom since 2015, al-Maliki said earlier. Impoverished Yemen has remained wracked by violence since 2014, when Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including the capital, Sanaa. The conflict escalated in 2015 when Saudi Arabia and its Sunni-Arab allies launched a massive air campaign in Yemen aimed at rolling back Houthi gains.”

Associated Press: Amid Currency's Freefall, Yemen Receives Cash Injection

“Yemen's weak Central Bank is getting a $200 million cash infusion from Saudi Arabia to shore up its reserves after the currency went into freefall, sparking further concerns for the world's worst humanitarian crisis. The state-run Saudi Press Agency said the "donation" will help "achieve stability of the Yemeni economy and boost the local currency" in the war-torn country. The Yemeni rial traded between 700 to 800 rials to the dollar on Monday and Tuesday, sending food and fuel prices soaring. Before the civil war erupted in 2015, the rial was around 215 to $1. Yemen's conflict pits a Saudi-led coalition backing the country's internationally recognized government against the Shiite rebels, known as Houthis. The government controls the south, where its Central Bank is located, while the Houthis control northern Yemen. The fighting has killed over 10,000 people and pushed Yemen's population of 29 million to the brink of famine. With 8.4 million not knowing where their next meal is coming from, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warned last month that a further slide by the rial could make an additional 3.5 million Yemenis insecure about food, and that over 2 million are "likely to be at a heightened risk of famine." Even in cities and town where food can be found in marketplaces, many do not have the cash to pay for it.”

Egypt
Reuters: Islamic State Announces Death Of Senior Militant In Egypt's Sinai

“Islamic State announced on Tuesday the death of a senior member of the group in Egypt’s Sinai peninsula, according to a social media posting, dealing a blow to militants behind a wave of attacks on Egyptian military and civilian targets. The notice, published under the heading “caravan of the Shuhada” or martyrs, showed a picture of a smiling young bearded man it identified as Abu Hamza al-Maqdisi. Maqdisi, a Palestinian, was in charge of the group’s planning and training operations in Sinai, it said without giving any detains on how he was killed, when or where. There was no immediate comment from the Egyptian military on the report, but security sources said Maqdisi died along with two other people early on Monday in an air strike on their vehicle near Sheikh Zweid in northern Sinai. The Egyptian military and police have been conducting an operation in Sinai since February to crush militants affiliated with Islamic State. The operation came after an attack on a mosque last November that killed hundreds of worshippers. The military has said hundreds of suspected militants have been killed as well as dozens of soldiers in the operation, which involves thousands of troops backed by heavy weapons and the air force.”

Libya
The Washington Post: Surge In Fighting Among Libya’s ‘Super Militias’ Imperils Western Peace Efforts

“The rise of “super militias,” which last month month triggered the worst spasm of violence in the Libyan capital Tripoli in four years, has exposed the weakness of Western efforts to stabilize Libya while creating an opening for the Islamic State to resurrect itself in North Africa. Since late August, clashes between rival armed groups have shattered Tripoli. Rockets and heavy artillery have destroyed residential neighborhoods, forcing thousands of families to flee their homes. The violence has killed more than 115 and injured hundreds more, pushing the United Nations to declare a state of emergency in the capital. Another cease-fire was declared Wednesday. But few observers expect the violence to vanish while the militias’ long-standing rivalries and economic ambitions persist. Previous cease-fire agreements have repeatedly broken down. The recent violence is the starkest evidence yet of how the strategy adopted by the United Nations and Western powers after the ouster and death of Libyan dictator Moammar Gaddafi during the 2011 Arab Spring revolts has faltered. That strategy involved installing the Government of National Accord, a U.N.-endorsed interim authority, in 2016 as a way to bring peace and stability to the country. From the beginning, that government has been largely reliant on heavily armed militias to exert control, and many Libyans have seen it as an authority imposed on them by outside powers. Today, those militias are battling for the capital.”

Nigeria
Bloomberg: Islamist Fighters Step Up Attacks With Nigerian Vote Looming

“Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari’s early gains against the Islamist-militant movement Boko Haram are fading as a faction affiliated with Islamic State intensifies its attacks, clouding his campaign for re-election in February. The jihadists hit military bases last month in several northeastern towns including Gudumbali, once a showcase of Buhari’s success since taking office in 2015. The scale and precision of the assaults signaled the growing strength of Islamic State West Africa Province, an offshoot of Boko Haram that’s emerged as the dominant militant force in the region. “Rather than the rag-tag army they’re portrayed as, this group is ideological so their fighters are ready to die,” said Idayat Hassan of the Abuja-based Centre for Democracy and Development. “They also have the backing of the global jihadi movement, with reports of several foreign nationals sighted in their camps.” Modu Kolo, a 50-year-old farmer, said he and dozens of other civilians fled their homes on Sept. 8 when the militants overran the army base in Gudumbali in the late afternoon and remained there until 2 a.m. the next day before withdrawing.”

Africa
Voice Of America: Report: African Countries Struggle To Contain Terror Groups

“Amid a decline in terror incidents worldwide in 2017, African countries struggled to prevent the expansion of terror groups in parts of the continent, according to a U.S. State Department report on terrorism. "African countries expanded their efforts to develop regional counterterrorism solutions while they struggled to contain the expansion of terrorist groups, affiliates, and aspirants involved in attacks or other activities in 2017," according to the report, released last week. Experts offer different explanations as to why terror groups have been able to expand in the continent. Jacob Zenn, a terrorism expert with the Washington-based Jamestown Foundation, said he believes that when it comes to ideology and development, the former should be given more attention. "When it comes to extremism, intolerant religious teachings need to be countered. If not, jihadists would exploit intolerance and encourage people to express grievances through violence," Zenn said. "Thus, countering the ideology must be paramount.”

South America
PJ Media: Hezbollah South Of The Border: A Rare U.S. Government Update

“As a working journalist in 2007, I traveled to Nicaragua to find out why Iran had just set up shop in the country after the election of U.S nemesis President Daniel Ortega. In Managua, I found the Iranian compound in a posh neighborhood, guarded by a coterie of Nicaraguan troops. For about three days, I episodically knocked on the tall metal gates asking to interview the new Iranian ambassador. “Soon, very soon, but not today,” a polite aide always told me. Frustrated that all I was getting to see was the peak of a limp Iranian national flag jutting up over the tall gates, I clambered up to the roof of a tall neighboring building and shot some photos of the compound’s interior, spy-like, then went off to interview Sandinista leaders and regular citizens about the Iranians encamped in their country. Then, just as now, there was good reason for public interest and inquiry. What Iran and its terrorist proxy Hezbollah were doing at that time in Venezuela, Bolivia, and the Tri-Border Area of South America mattered on several American security and foreign policy counts. For one thing, as the 1992 and 1994 Hezbollah bombings of Jewish facilities in Argentina demonstrated, Iran and Hezbollah in America’s backyard projected a credible threat of physical retaliation against American interests and allies should saber-rattling ever go military over Iran’s nuclear program.”

France
The Times Of Israel: French Police Raid Islamic Center Founded By Hezbollah Supporter

“French police detained three people and seized weapons during raids of a dozen homes and the headquarters of a Muslim association based outside the port city of Dunkirk during an anti-terrorism operation early Tuesday, officials said. Authorities froze the funds of the Centre Zahra France, along with those of three other organizations and four men linked to the groups. Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said the prefecture of the region was in the process of closing the prayer room of Zahra France, headquartered in Grande-Synthe. He said the three detained were taken in for illegal weapons possession. Police didn’t say what types of weapons were found. About 200 police officers searched homes and the headquarters of the association. Some French media reports said that Zahra France was a leading center for Shiite Islam in Europe and is suspected of links to Iranian-backed Hezbollah, based in Lebanon, and to the Palestinian Hamas. The information couldn’t be immediately confirmed. One Zahra France official cited in the order to freeze funds, Yahia Gouasmi, 68, told CNews TV channel that the weapons were solely “for the security of the center” and mainly belonged to Zahra France’s security detail. “Everything is false,” said Jamel Tahiri, 43, also among the four whose funds were being frozen. “We’re transparent. Everything is on [the] Internet.”

Germany
Deutsche Welle: Revolution Chemnitz: Why A German Neo-Nazi Group Was Charged With Terrorism

“The seven neo-Nazis arrested in the German state of Saxony are facing more serious charges than previously expected. After some bad press, German prosecutors are now much quicker to reach for terrorism charges. For many, the escalation seems incredible, or — for right-wing social media trolls who have grown mistrustful of the state — even implausible. Members of a far-right "vigilante" group arrested in Chemnitz in mid-September for breaching the peace were arraigned this week on suspicion of forming a terrorist organization calling itself Revolution Chemnitz. According to federal state prosecutors, investigators had upgraded the charges from criminal to terrorist after evaluating the group's internal communications (it was not revealed what form these communications took, or when investigators had obtained them). Prosecutors' spokesperson Frauke Köhler said on Monday that Revolution Chemnitz had been planning an attack on foreigners and "people with differing political views" on October 3, Germany's Unity Day holiday. Indeed, Köhler said, there was evidence that the mid-September incident had been a "practice run" for October 3, which suggested that the authorities had swooped in just in time.”

The New York Times: The Right-Wing Rot At The Heart Of The German State

“Right-wing protests in Germany these days are an unusual spectacle: The police sometimes seem more like uniformed extras than able keepers of public order. This summer, scenes played out that were nearly unimaginable a few years before. In the eastern Saxon city of Chemnitz, thousands of people joined a right-wing protest spurred by suspicions that an Iraqi and a Syrian had killed a German man. Several protesters gave the illegal “Heil Hitler” salute and chanted, “We are fans, Adolf Hitler hooligans,” while outnumbered police officers looked on. Packs chased people of questionable skin color through the streets with little hindrance by the authorities. Chancellor Angela Merkel denounced what she referred to as a citywide “hounding” and called for due process of the accused, who were charged with manslaughter. In response, more protests were organized by Pro Chemnitz, the latest of the right-wing street movements that have sprung up across Germany.”

Europe
Deutsche Welle: Spain Dismantles 'Islamic State' Ring Operating In Jails

“Spain's Interior Ministry on Tuesday said police had dismantled a network of jihadists operating in more than a dozen prisons across the country. The ministry said the ring consisted of 25 prisoners "accused of being part of a group close to the 'Islamic State' (IS), which was dedicated to radicalizing other prisoners." "Although the investigation began by focusing on an inmate in a particular prison, to date the illegal activity of the group extended to 17 prisons, which account for 55 percent of jails that house prisoners linked to jihadist terrorism," the ministry said. The network attempted to radicalize other inmates in order to establish a "prison front." A source at the interior ministry told AFP news agency that although there was no "concrete plan" to carry out an attack, the ring had created a "belligerent state of mind towards prison staff." The ring also attempted to bypass mechanisms aimed at monitoring and preventing radicalization within Spain's prison system. "The very existence of the group is viewed as a potential security risk, even more so given the upcoming release of several of the inmates who were targeted by the investigation," the ministry said. Incubators of terrorism' Studies have shown that several criminals who go on to become jihadists have been radicalized in prison.”

Southeast Asia
CNN: Palace: Gov't Is Ready Amid Report ISIS Fighters 'Have Returned' To Mindanao

“The government is ready to thwart ISIS threat, Malacañang said Tuesday amid reports that members of the international terrorist network have entered the country. "We assure the public that we are in a better position to deal with terrorists," Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a Palace press briefing. "Hayaan niyo silang magtangka na magkalat ng lagim, handa naman po tayo para ipatupad ang mga batas ng Pilipinas," he added. [Translation: "Let them try to sow terror, we are ready to implement the laws of the Philippines." Roque was reacting to a September 30 Washington Times report that ISIS fighters fleeing the war in Iraq and Syria "have returned" to Mindanao. The report cited figures from Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies that show there were more ISIS fighters in Southeast Asia, particularly in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao now, than there were in Afghanistan and Iraq during the height of wars led by the United States there. The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has yet to release an official statement on the matter. Malacañang recognized the ISIS threat, but highlighted the country's achievements in counter-terrorism, as reported by the U.S. State Department. "Ang mabuting balita naman po bagamat may ganyang banta (The good news is, despite that threat), the U.S. State Department said, and I quote, 'the Philippines improved its counter-terrorism capabilities,'" Roque said.”

Technology

Belfast Telegraph: Britain First Using Northern Ireland Laws To Sue Facebook Over Censorship Claims

“Britain First is suing Facebook for "political discrimination" using special Northern Ireland anti-discrimination laws to bring the social media giant to court. The party's legal team has launched legal proceedings at Belfast County Court after Facebook closed down a series of its pages over the last year. Britain First leader Paul Golding, speaking outside the court, said the party is seeking an injunction demanding that Facebook Ireland Ltd reinstate its Facebook fan page and also "pay damages on several fronts". "For too long now social networks have censored certain political viewpoints and thus interfered with the political process," he said. "Back in March, 2.6 million Britain First supporters were denied their freedom of belief and expression when Facebook abruptly closed our fan pages. "Other pages, like 'Death to Israel' and 'F*** Christianity' are allowed to post all manner of hateful and abusive content, but Britain First is beyond the pale and must be silenced? "Up until now, it has all been 'demands' and 'talk', but now Facebook are going to know 100% that we are deadly serious." The party has asked for donations to help fight the legal case. Facebook removed the Britain First page from its platform in March, along with those of its party leaders, Golding and Jayda Fransen, on the grounds of hate speech.”

The New York Times: Silicon Valley’s Keystone Problem: ‘A Monoculture of Thought’

“Not long ago, it was Jessica Powell’s job to defend Silicon Valley from those who would question its worldview. As the head of public relations at Google, she ran a sprawling team that sought to buff the search company’s image and to keep criticism of the world-dominating, do-everything tech behemoth to a minimum. A year ago, Ms. Powell left Google. Her departure did not follow the Silicon Valley script; instead of decamping to a Google rival or a hot start-up, she decided to go to graduate school for a master of fine arts in creative writing. Now the digital publisher Medium is publishing Ms. Powell’s debut novel, “The Big Disruption,” a zany satire set inside a tech giant that bears more than a passing resemblance to a certain internet search company. (The novel is Medium’s first full-length book; it can be read online free.) The book is no tell-all cri de coeur against Google; Ms. Powell still regards the search company with fondness, and she notes that her book was inspired as much by an earlier, harrowing experience she had at Badoo, a European dating start-up where she was the chief marketing officer.”

The New York Times: Facebook Hack Puts Thousands Of Other Sites At Risk

“When Mark Zuckerberg introduced an online tool called Facebook Connect in 2008, he hailed it as a kind of digital passport to the rest of the internet. In just a few clicks, users would be able to log in to other apps and sites with their Facebook passwords. The tool was adopted by thousands of other firms, from mom-and-pop publishing companies to high-profile tech outfits like Airbnb and Uber. Now those outfits could have been exposed to the consequences of an attack on Facebook’s computer systems. On Friday, the company said the account entry keys of at least 50 million Facebook users had been stolen in the largest hack in the company’s 14-year history. But the impact could be significantly bigger since those stolen credentials could have been used to gain access to so many other sites. Companies that allow customers to log in with Facebook Connect are scrambling to figure out whether their own user accounts have been compromised.”

Counter Extremism

Akher News: Egyptian Judge: Social Media Platforms Contribute To Widespread Proliferation Of Extremism

“Hassan Farid, a judge at the Cairo Criminal Court, stated that the terrorism that threatens Egypt today is being sponsored both regionally and internationally. Certain countries and organizations abet terrorism in terms of financing and training, the judge added. Furthermore, these states and organizations recruit youth to terrorist groups through brainwashing and "misuse" of religion via the Internet and social media websites, the Cairo Criminal Court's judge stressed. Judge Farid called upon Muslim and Christian clerics not to let eager youngsters fall prey to militant movements, which won't hesitate to enlist them into their ranks by exploiting their poverty and religious ignorance. The judge urged religious leaders to expedite and intensify their counter extremism activities, consistent with the rapid advancements in technology, since social media platforms are contributing to the widespread proliferation of extremism.”

Terror Financing
Elkhabar: Tunisia Dismantles Terror Financing Cell In Syria

“The Tunisian Interior Ministry announced on Monday the dismantling of a network implicated in the financing of Tunisian terrorists operating in Syria. In a statement issued yesterday, the ministry announced that the National Unit for Research on Terrorist Crimes affiliated with the National Guard, in coordination with two terror watchdog groups in the provinces of Kef and Zaghouan, had uncovered the network. It went on to say that "five terrorists belonging to this network were apprehended, while a significant sum of money in the form of Tunisian and foreign currencies was seized." The statement pointed out that the suspects have been referred to the anti-terrorism judiciary. It is not known how many Tunisians are {serving} in the ranks of terrorist organizations in battle zones. "The number of Tunisians fighting in the ranks of terrorist organizations in the hotbeds of tension is estimated at 3,000, 60% of them in Syria, 30% in Libya, and the remainder in other parts of the world," Tunisia's former Interior Minister Hadi al-Majdoub told parliament back in April of last year (2017).”

Almasry Alyoum: Major Funding Sources Of Terrorist Organizations In Africa

“Violent religious extremism in Africa has been the foremost threat facing the "black continent" over the past few years. Terrorist movements have gone too far in perpetrating attacks and searching for diverse funding sources, by exploiting the poverty, illiteracy and unemployment of local inhabitants to expand their disputed territories. There are many similarities between the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), a heterodox Christian cult in Uganda, the Islamist Boko Haram militant group in western Africa, and the Al-Shabab terrorist organization in Somalia. As a result of their activities, Africa has paid a heavy price in which hundreds of thousands of its sons and daughters have been killed. These extremist groups have financing sources in common, including abduction, protection money, robbery, human trafficking, arms trade and drug smuggling to Europe via the Sahara Desert.”

ISIS
Sout Alomma: Probe Reveals How ISIS Financial Empire In The Sinai Was Built

“Members of the Takfiri organizations were hit hard after suffering successive defeats in northern Sinai on all levels. From the military point of view, they were crushed by Egyptian security services in confrontations that broke out in some villages. Judicial investigations have revealed the moves taken by the remnants of ISIS since the beginning of 2018, which included a change in the leadership of armed groups following the successes of the security forces. The task of reviving the organization was given to the wanted Takfiri militant Salman al-Darz, who began building the illegal money empire. This later served to tighten the control of ISIS remnants especially after the collapse of the Wilayat Sinai Group. This empire was built in cooperation with drug traffickers and tramadol smugglers into the Gaza Strip, using tunnels on the Gaza border to smuggle weapons, explosives and equipment to ISIS in Sinai. One of those involved in the construction of the Gaza border tunnels is currently in prison for the attempted assassination of Egypt's President al-Sisi. In prison, Ahmed al-Sayyed Mansour, revealed the steps taken by Al-Darz to build his own no-man's land empire, which helped him earlier this year to buy the loyalty of ISIS militants.”

Houthi
Alomanaa Net: Yemeni Economists Blame Houthis For Currency Plunge

“Yemeni economists attribute the recent severe plunge in the exchange rate of the Yemeni currency to illicit gains practices by influential Houthi leaders. These top Houthi figures have amassed foreign currencies from local markets with the aim of importing large quantities of petroleum products and attaining record profits in the wake of the latest rise in oil prices, the experts explained. The rising petroleum prices have whetted the appetite of the "Corruption Lobby" consisting of rebels who rushed to order new oil shipments from abroad in order to maximize their sales in the black market. It's noteworthy that the per liter price of fuel soared to YR 1,000 ($4) in the local black market for petroleum, which is already monopolized by the Houthis.”