The Patriot Files Forums  

Go Back   The Patriot Files Forums > Military News > Terrorism

Post New Thread  Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 02-27-2019, 06:26 AM
Boats's Avatar
Boats Boats is offline
Senior Member
 

Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Sauk Village, IL
Posts: 21,784
Arrow Eye on Extremism / February 27, 2019

Eye on Extremism
By: Counter Extremism Project / February 27, 2019
RE: https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#in...mlNnWnMprXZBzj

The Wall Street Journal: Pakistan, India Say They Have Shot Down Each Other’s Fighter Jets

“Pakistan and India clashed in the skies over the nuclear-armed rivals’ disputed border on Wednesday, with each side saying it had downed at least one warplane belonging to the other, in a sharp escalation of hostilities that ended with Pakistan capturing at least one Indian pilot. Pakistan instigated the encounter, sending fighter jets to attack Indian positions in disputed Kashmir in retaliation for an Indian attack on Pakistan on Tuesday. Beyond that, New Delhi and Islamabad offered differing accounts of the encounter. India said it shot down a Pakistani fighter jet and lost one of its own planes. Pakistan said it downed two Indian planes, and that none of its planes were shot down.The skirmish followed an Indian attack that sent warplanes deep inside Pakistan for the first time since the two countries were in a full-scale war in 1971.”

Voice Of America: Thousands Evacuate Last Islamic State Hold-Out In Syria

“The United Nations says in the last three days some 9,000 people have evacuated the final piece of land still held by the Islamic State terror group in Syria. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Syria (OCHA Syria) said of those fleeing the Syrian village of Baghuz, 99 percent are women and children, and 6,000 civilians have been brought to the nearby al-Hol camp for displaced persons in northeastern Syria. Just last week, U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces estimated there were only about 1,000 civilians still left in the village, along with about 300 of the “most-hardened” IS fighters. And on Monday, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said a total of about 1,400 people had left Baghuz since Sunday, including dozens of suspected IS fighters. The number of civilians, both IS family members, as well as prisoners and slaves, still holed-up in a tiny pocket of territory has shocked the SDF, which has been leading the ground campaign against the terror group. OCHA Syria reports the population of al-Hol is now more than 47,000, with women and children under five years of age making up 75 percent of the displaced. Commanders now worry that thousands more may still be hidden in a network of tunnels and caves beneath the village, which also may hold an unknown number of IS fighters.”

Reuters: Air Strikes Up Sharply In Rebel-Held Northwest Syria: Monitors

“Air strikes have been stepped up against rebel-held northwestern Syria, the last major bastion of opponents of President Bashar al-Assad, prompting thousands of civilians to flee the town of Khan Sheikhoun, war monitors said on Tuesday. The area near the Turkish frontier is under a ceasefire brokered last year by Assad’s main battlefield ally Russia, and Turkey, one of the main supporters of rebels who have fought to topple him for eight years. Hundreds of thousands of people who fled other parts of Syria are sheltering in the enclave, protected by the truce which was aimed at averting an all-out government assault. Any suggestion that the ceasefire is under new strain is closely watched by the warring parties and their allies. Rami Abdulrahman, the director of the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said government forces had intensified artillery shelling and air strikes, which have been ramping up over the past 10 days. “The bombing is focused mainly on towns along the Damascus-Aleppo international road,” he said. “Khan Sheikhoun has turned into a ghost town.” The ‘White Helmets’ rescue organization that operates in opposition areas of Syria said five people were killed by shelling and air strikes on Tuesday, including three children.”

The Wall Street Journal: President Trump Meets North Korea’s Kim Jong Un At High-Stakes Summit

“President Trump kicked off a round of high-stakes summitry with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in his trademark improvisational style—with a one-on-one pre-dinner chat at a hotel in the Vietnamese capital on Wednesday. The two leaders’ meetings here present a serious test of their ability to make tangible headway toward curbing Pyongyang’s nuclear programs, after their first meeting last year in Singapore yielded plenty of bonhomie but little concrete progress. After shaking hands with Mr. Kim, Mr. Trump said he had a “great relationship” with the North Korean dictator. He said he would help North Korea rapidly become an economic powerhouse—if only it would give up its atomic weapons and the facilities to develop them. “Your country has tremendous economic potential, unbelievable, unlimited,” Mr. Trump said, sitting next to his North Korean counterpart. “I look forward to watching it happen and to helping it to happen and we will help it to happen.”

Fox News: California ISIS Supporter Who Bragged Of Bomb Plots Gets More Than 15 Years In Prison

“A California man who admitted to setting up social media accounts to support the Islamic State (ISIS) and told an undercover FBI agent that he wanted to attack bars and nightclubs in the Bay Area was sentenced Tuesday to 15 years and eight months behind bars by a federal judge. Amer Alhaggagi, 23, pleaded guilty in July to one count of attempting to provide services and personnel to ISIS, one count of possessing an identity theft device, one count of unauthorized identity theft and one count of aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer ordered Alhaggagi to serve 10 years of supervised release in addition to his prison term. The Justice Department said in a statement that Alhaggagi admitted to creating Facebook, Twitter and Gmail accounts for two ISIS supporters he met online in the fall of 2016, and created similar accounts for other people that “he believed were ISIS supporters.” Prosecutors said Alhaggagi posted a series of threats online in which he promised to “redefine terror” and vowed that “the whole Bay Area [gonna] be in flames.” Authorities say one of his plans called for the detonation of a car bomb outside a gay nightclub in San Francisco and the planting of backpack bombs on streets used by emergency vehicles in a bid to kill first responders.”

The Washington Post: US Military Says Airstrike Kills 20 Al-Shabab In Somalia

“The United States military says it has killed 20 fighters from the al-Shabab extremist group with an airstrike in central Somalia, a day after another airstrike in the area killed 35. The U.S. military command for the African continent says the attack occurred on Monday near Shebeeley in the Hiran region and targeted a training camp used as a staging area for attacks. The U.S. has dramatically increased airstrikes against the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab, Africa’s deadliest extremist group, since President Donald Trump took office. The U.S. has carried out 23 strikes this year. Authorities and experts acknowledge that it will take more than airstrikes to defeat the extremist group, which holds large parts of rural central and southern Somalia and carries out deadly suicide attacks in the capital, Mogadishu.”

United States

CNN: An American Became An ISIS Bride. Now What?

“I received an interesting call from my oldest daughter earlier this week. Kathryn (“Casey” to everyone but me) is a dedicated inner-city elementary school teacher in Denver whose self-described progressive politics are far to the left of my own more centrist approach. Kathryn happily advised me that she had finally found a controversial news story about which both she and I might agree. This would be a rare event -- our only consistent shared views relate to the enduring superiority of classic rock. She had concluded that Hoda Muthana, the US-born ISIS bride -- a widow and mother of an innocent toddler -- should be stripped of her American citizenship and denied admittance to the United States for her treasonous acts. Much to Kathryn's surprise, I had to disagree. As a lawyer, however much I might share the instinct that Ms. Muthana richly deserves banishment for her betrayal of country, I recognize the Constitution of the United States does not permit such a sanction. If Muthana is, as she claims, a “birthright” citizen of the United States, she cannot be involuntarily stripped of her citizenship for any reason. She should be returned to the United States and granted due process in facing whatever legal proceedings are warranted against her.”

CBS News: Teen Arrested For Making Terrorist Threats To Area High Schools On Instagram

“A Sacramento teen is under arrest for making terrorist threats to area high schools. Police said this is a wakeup call for parents to remain vigilant when it comes to smartphones and computers in the hands of children. Any threats on social media are taken seriously by the police. They said in most cases, if the threats are made on a computer or smartphone, they can be tracked down. “I saw McClatchy, I saw a Legion, I saw Valley, I saw a couple others I think. And it made me wonder what would make anyone just want to do that,” said American Legion student Paul Bowa. Using the Instagram handle @Aimbotsfordays, the messages threatening to shoot up or bomb several high schools in the Sacramento Area. Bowa said the threat was real enough for him as he read the stories on Monday.”

The Atlantic: This ISIS Citizenship Case Could Set A Terrifying Precedent

“Hoda Muthana’s story is not unlike that of other children of immigrants. She was born in New Jersey and raised in Alabama, where she was studying for a business degree. Her father described her as religious, but worried that she might be surreptitiously talking to boys. That’s why few would have predicted that she would withdraw from the University of Alabama in 2014 and make her way to ISIS-controlled territory in Syria. Now, with ISIS confined to a tiny pocket of Syria, Muthana says that she wants to return to the United States with her 18-month-old son. In doing so, she has triggered a dispute that could have far-reaching implications for American citizens the world over. Muthana, who now lives in a displaced-persons camp in Syria, says she is prepared to face justice for her actions, which include sending tweets that exhorted Americans to commit acts of violence. The Trump administration argues, however, that not only is Muthana not an American citizen, but she was never eligible to be one, and so she cannot enter the United States. A lawsuit filed last week by Muthana’s father on her behalf at the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia challenges that assertion, setting up a legal battle.”

The Atlantic: The Dangerous Spread Of Extremist Manifestos

“Nearly eight years ago, the Norwegian extremist Anders Behring Breivik set the bar for what an individual terrorist could accomplish—detonating a truck bomb in Oslo that killed eight, then murdering 69 more, mostly teenagers, with semiautomatic weapons in another nearby location. All this was done in the name of a twisted ideology he had compiled largely from the internet, cobbled together into a sprawling, 1,518-page tract titled “2083: A European Declaration of Independence,” in which he raged against multiculturalism, liberalism, and Muslims, while describing his attack preparations in considerable detail. Breivik was not the first high-profile, lone-actor terrorist to publish his motivations at length—that distinction belongs to Ted Kaczynski, better known as the Unabomber. Breivik’s innovation was operational rather than ideological: the deadliest lone-actor terrorist attack in history. Breivik’s success was always destined to cast a long shadow, and its implications are now becoming depressingly clear. The most recent manifestation came last week, with news that U.S. Coast Guard Lieutenant Christopher Hasson was charged with planning a mass-casualty attack modeled in significant part on Breivik’s strategy, and bearing the marks of his belief system.”

Voice Of America: Task Force: US Efforts To Battle Extremism 'Unsustainable'

“The United States will need to significantly change its approach to fighting terrorists and extremist groups or face the prospect of more never-ending wars in the Middle East, Africa and beyond, according to a new report that is already resonating with key lawmakers. The blunt assessment, issued by the bipartisan Task Force on Extremism in Fragile States in a report released Wednesday, is the result of a comprehensive look at U.S. military campaigns against terror groups such as Islamic State and al-Qaida. But after nearly two decades and an estimated $5.9 trillion spent on various campaigns and initiatives, the report concluded no amount of success on the battlefield will ever be enough to stop the spread of extremist ideology. “Terrorism is a symptom, but extremism — an ideology calling for the imposition of a totalitarian order intent on destroying free societies like ours — is the disease,” the report warns. “The United States thus finds itself trapped in a seemingly endless cycle of crisis response.” Prevention over military solutions Instead, the task force said, the U.S. and its partners have no choice but to prioritize prevention over military solutions. “Even modest preventive investments — if they are strategic, coordinated and well-timed — can reduce the risk that extremists will exploit fragile states,” the report added.”

Syria

Al Jazeera: Russia, Syria Urge US To Withdraw Its Troops

“Russia and Syria have called on the United States to leave Syria and to allow people inside a refugee camp in the southeast of the country to be evacuated by Russian and Syrian forces. A joint statement released on Wednesday by Russia's Ministry of Defence said Russian and Syrian forces had prepared buses to relocate refugees at the camp in the Rukban area and would guarantee them safe passage so they could start new lives. Tens of thousands of Syrian refugees are facing harsh living conditions at the Rukban camp near the Syria-Jordan border, despite Russian attempts to set up “humanitarian corridors” through the region last week. “We also call on the United States, whose military units are on Syrian territory illegally, to leave the country,” the joint statement issued on Wednesday read. The US had said earlier this month it would leave about 400 US troops split between two different regions of Syria, a reversal by US President Donald Trump that could pave the way for US allies to keep troops in Syria. The move to keep a small fraction of the more than 2,000 US forces currently fighting the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS) armed group in northeastern Syria came amid fierce criticism of Trump's decision to withdraw all US soldiers from the war-torn country.”

ABC News: Warrior, Mother, Cancer Survivor: Navy Cryptologist Killed In Syria Laid To Rest At Arlington National Cemetery

“On Mariah Smith's wrist is a bracelet that reads "F*** ISIS" in all capital letters. It was a gift she received during a memorial at the U.S. Naval Academy to honor her sister, Senior Chief Petty Officer Shannon M. Kent, one of four Americans killed in an Islamic State suicide attack at a restaurant in northern Syria on Jan. 16 -- the deadliest day for U.S. forces since entering the country in 2015. "I think you need this more than me right now," Kent's Navy teammate told Mariah as he handed her the bracelet. More than a thousand people crowded into the Annapolis, Maryland, chapel that day to honor Kent, who served as a Navy cryptologic technician, collecting valuable information for special operations missions. The 35-year-old from upstate New York was a master of languages and intelligence collection, a wife and mother of two, a cancer survivor, marathon runner, Congressional lobbyist and a deeply patriotic warrior with a passion for serving her country.”

Iran

CNN: Iran's President Rejects The Resignation Of His Foreign Minister

“Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has rejected the resignation of Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, according to the country's semi-official Fars news agency. “The presidential office said the resignation had not been accepted,” Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi said, Fars reported Tuesday. The nation's top diplomat announced his intention to step down from his post, which he has held since 2013, on Instagram on Monday evening. Rouhani is required to accept the resignation in order for the move to go into effect, according to Iranian law. Qasemi said any speculation about the reasons for Zarif's resignation beyond what appeared on his Instagram page is incorrect, reported Fars. “I sincerely apologize for the incapacity to continue serving and all the shortcomings during the service,” Zarif wrote on Instagram, adding, “Be happy and upbeat.” In an interview with the semi-official ISNA news agency, Zarif said he hoped his sudden resignation would act as a “wake-up call for restoring the Foreign Ministry to its real and legal position in foreign affairs.” Zarif was the key architect in the landmark 2015 deal aimed at reining in Iran's nuclear program, which US President Donald Trump withdrew from last year.”

Iraq

The National: Iraq Prime Minister Says Country Could Take Non-Iraqi ISIS Detainees From Syria

“Iraq could help to transfer non-Iraqi ISIS detainees held by the Syrian Democratic Forces in Syria, Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi said on Tuesday. Iraq will either help to repatriate those citizens to their home countries or prosecute on its own those suspected of having committed crimes, he said at his weekly news conference. “Some countries could ask Iraq to help to transfer some of her Daesh citizens to the other country, like France for example,” Mr Abdul Mahdi said, using the Arabic acronym for ISIS. “Iraq might help, would help, helped to transfer those people to their country. It is one battle and Iraq should fulfil its duties and obligations.” Earlier this week, US-backed fighters pushing to take the last piece of ISIS territory in eastern Syria extradited 280 Iraqi militants. “Fighters belonging to Daesh from other countries that their states, their countries refuse to receive – how should we deal with that?” Mr Abdul Mahdi asked. “Each case we should study the names, whether they participated in terrorist acts in Iraq. Then they could be judged by Iraqi tribunals.” Iraqi security forces had received a list of names to be checked against a database in co-ordination with the judiciary, which has issued warrants against the extremists.”

Rudaw: ISIS Resurgence In Iraq Hampers Humanitarian Aid Work: NGO

“A major humanitarian organization warned Tuesday the Islamic State group’s apparent resurgence in Iraq threatens to create “aid deserts” – areas considered too dangerous for NGO workers to cover. “The rise in insurgency threatens humanitarian operations in parts of Iraq as access and safety are increasingly precarious,” Mercy Crops warned in a statement. “What we are reading in the media and what we are seeing on the ground in Iraq simply doesn’t add up,” said Tanya Evans, Iraq Country Director for Mercy Corps. “If anything, extremist groups are growing in confidence. As the reconstruction efforts continue to stall, groups like ISIS are filling the cracks.” ISIS militants conquered a third of Iraq’s territory in the summer of 2014, even threatening the capital Baghdad. The biggest Iraqi city conquered by the group was Mosul, which was finally liberated by Iraqi, Kurdish, and coalition forces in 2017.”

Iraqi News: Iraqi Troops Arrest Three IS Militants While Infiltrating From Syria

“Iraqi security forces arrested on Tuesday three Islamic State militants while trying to infiltrate from Syria into the Iraqi territories, a security source said. Security forces spotted three members of the Islamic State terror group trying to sneak into Anbar province in western Iraq coming from Syria to carry out terrorist attacks against Iraqi civilians and troops, the source told the Arabic-language Almaalomah news website. The source said that the three militants were successfully arrested and moved to a detention center for interrogation, adding that the security forces acted on precise intelligence data as they made the arrest. Iraq declared the collapse of Islamic State’s territorial influence in November 2017 with the recapture of Rawa, a city on Anbar’s western borders with Syria, which was the group’s last bastion in Iraq. IS declared a self-styled “caliphate” in a third of Iraq and neighboring Syria in 2014. A government campaign, backed by a U.S.-led international coalition and paramilitary forces, was launched in 2016 to retake IS-held regions, managing to retake all havens, most notably the city of Mosul, the group’s previously proclaimed capital.”

The Daily Beast: On The Run From ISIS In Iraq’s ‘Bandit Country’

“Night has fallen as Haitham Alwan enters his cousin’s house in a quiet suburb of Mosul. It will be his home for a few days, then he will move on. Perhaps to his godparents', who have already taken in his two children. The 44-year-old former soldier is cloaked in a worn-out winter coat which he wears over a filthy thobe. A man on the run, he has neither time nor money to improve his appearance. “I never stay in one place for very long. I’m scared that ISIS will find me,” he says. When talking, Haitham’s left eye scans the room nervously. The right eye stares ahead rigidly, its pupil blotted white. It is a memento of his time fighting the so-called Islamic State in Mosul, where he spearheaded attacks in an armored bulldozer to clear barricades and mines in the claustrophobic battle for the city. Heavily wounded by an RPG that hit his vehicle and penetrated the driver’s cabin, he left the army before the battle was out. Haitham was back in his native village near Mosul when then-Prime Minister Haider Abadi declared the war against ISIS won. But in the remote, barren countryside of northern Iraq, the war was never really won. Soon, marauding bands of surviving ISIS fighters began setting ambushes, planting mines and attacking soldiers and civilians.”

Afghanistan

Reuters: U.S., Taliban Talk Troop Withdrawal, Counter-Terrorism At Peace Talks

“American and Taliban officials looking to end a 17-year war in Afghanistan began their most detailed and high-level discussions yet on foreign troop withdrawals and counter-terrorism on Tuesday, officials close to the peace negotiations said. The talks, which kicked off in Doha on Monday with a meet-and-greet lunch, are seen as the most promising yet between the warring parties after the Taliban’s newly-appointed political chief Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar joined for the first time, flying in from Pakistan. The two sides are looking to hammer out a timeline and logistics for a potential troop withdrawal, as well as guarantees that the Taliban will not host militant groups as the U.S. winds down its presence, sources close to the talks said. “The Taliban knows foreign forces are committed to withdrawal, but we have the responsibility to ensure that Afghanistan does not get used as a base to launch terror attacks on foreign nations,” one of the officials said. Some 14,000 U.S. troops are based in Afghanistan as part of a U.S.-led NATO mission to train, assist and advise Afghan forces. Some U.S. forces also carry out counter-terrorism operations.”

Al Jazeera: Pullout And Guarantees Dominate Talks With US: Taliban Spokesman

“Two main issues being discussed in the high-level talks between the Taliban and the United States in Qatar are US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan and assurances that the country not be used for further attacks in the future, a Taliban spokesman told Al Jazeera. At the site of the second day of the talks in Doha, Al Jazeera's Stefanie Dekker asked Suhail Shaheen what guarantees the Taliban could offer to end their military operations once an agreement is reached. “When the occupation has ended, there is full withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan and there is an Afghan-inclusive Islamic government in the country, I think there is no need for military operation and war,” Shaheen told Al Jazeera. “So, there will be sustainable peace in the country, and all the military people and our people, they will be included in a national army,” he added. One of the founders of the Taliban, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, is attending the talks for the first time as the new head of the Taliban team. He is the highest-level representative to take part in negotiations with a US delegation led by Zalmay Khalilzad, the US special envoy for peace. Khalilzad said “This could be a significant moment.” in a tweet before talks began on Monday.”

Military Times: Airdrops Increase 20-Fold As Taliban Threaten Afghan Roadways And Provincial Capitals

“The Taliban continue to threaten Afghanistan’s provincial capitals, particularly Ghazni and Farah cities, both of which came under siege during the 2018 fighting season, according to the Department of Defense Inspector General. Although those attacks were repelled, the insurgents have reconstituted their forces in rural districts and continue to attack, and in some cases control, major traffic routes in the country. U.S. supplies being airdropped into Afghanistan also skyrocketed in 2018, growing nearly 20-fold. In 2017, 33,423 pounds of supplies were airdropped into the country. That increased to 667,880 pounds in 2018, according to Air Forces Central Command figures. The increase in airdrops represents a joint effort. On May 10-11, for example, a C-17 with the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, based at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, completed the first combat-airdrop mission in 18 months over southern Afghanistan. U.S. soldiers augmented the airmen by preparing the airdrop pallets at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan. “Our tasking and the aircraft selection for this mission really comes down to the C-17’s larger cargo capacity,” Maj. Nicholas Coblio, a mission aircraft commander from the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, said in an AFCENT news release.”

Pakistan

The New York Times: Pakistani Military Says It Shot Down 2 Indian Warplanes, Capturing Pilots

“Pakistan’s military said Wednesday that it shot down two Indian fighter jets that had entered Pakistani airspace, capturing a pilot, in an escalation of hostilities just a day after Indian fighter jets crossed the disputed Kashmir region to launch an airstrike within Pakistan. India’s government confirmed later Wednesday that one of its MiG-21 fighter jets had been “lost” as it thwarted an attempt by Pakistan’s air force to strike an unspecified target inside India. In the engagement, a Pakistani aircraft was shot down by an Indian fighter jet, New Delhi claimed. “We have unfortunately lost one MiG-21. The pilot is missing in action. Pakistan has claimed that he is in their custody. We are ascertaining the facts,” Raveesh Kumar said at a news conference in New Delhi, the chief spokesman for India’s Ministry of External Affairs.”

Yemen

BBC: Yemen Crisis: UN Gains Access To Vital Hudaydah Grain Store

“UN aid officials have for the first time in six months reached a vast store of desperately-needed food on the frontline in Yemen's Hudaydah port. The Red Sea Mills facility holds enough grain to feed 3.7 million people for a month, but the UN had warned the grain was at risk of rotting. The Yemeni government and the rebel Houthi movement agreed a ceasefire around Hudaydah in December. But they have yet to implement a UN-brokered plan to pull out of the port. UN Secretary General António Guterres announced that a World Food Programme evaluation mission had been able to reach the Red Sea Mills at the start of an aid pledging conference in Geneva on Tuesday.”

Arab News: Iranian-Backed Houthis Responsible For Yemen Woes: UK Envoy

“The Houthi militia’s occupation of parts of Yemen has increased people’s suffering, which has been falsely blamed on a “Saudi blockade,” said the British ambassador to Yemen. “It’s no coincidence that the number of people in need of aid, now at a staggering 24 million, has increased enormously since the Houthis took over parts of the country,” Michael Aron told Arab News in an exclusive interview. The British diplomat, who was appointed ambassador to Yemen in February 2018, said the UK supports the internationally recognized government of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, who “was forced to flee Sanaa following a rebel insurgency that took the capital by force (in September 2014) and overthrew the legitimate government. This is a fact.”

Lebanon

The National: Hezbollah-Aligned Lebanese Minister Says British Designation Won't Affect Health Ministry's Work

“Lebanon's Hezbollah-aligned Health Minister has said that the UK’s plans to designate the entirety of the party as a terrorist group will not impact the work of his ministry. On Monday, the British government said that it will end its decades-long distinction between Hezbollah’s political and military arms. Jamil Jabak was appointed to the ministry last month when Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced the new government after nearly 9 months of deliberations. The US – who also do not distinguish between the political and military arms of Hezbollah – warned Mr Hariri over the appointment, saying that if Mr Jabak was seen to be using the ministry to bankroll Hezbollah then there would be repercussions. “My work at the ministry is to provide services [to people] and isn’t related to the political and military work of Hezbollah,” Mr Jabak, who is close to Hezbollah but who the party insists is not a member, told local radio on Tuesday. On Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron said that he would not be following the UK by designating the political and military arms of Hezbollah as a terrorist group. “France and no other power has the right to decide what Lebanese political parties are good and which are not. This is up to the Lebanese people,” he said at a press conference with Iraqi President Barham Salih in Paris.”

Middle East

Times Of Israel: Israel Arrests Former Terrorist Leader, Citing ‘Serious’ Current Activities

“Israeli security forces on Wednesday arrested Zakaria Zubeidi, a former Palestinian terrorist leader long sought by Israeli law enforcement, on suspicion that he was engaged in “serious and current terrorist activities,” the Shin Bet said. In addition to Zubeidi, Israeli forces also arrested on similar charges the attorney Tarek Barghout, who often represents terror suspects. “This morning, in a joint operation by the Shin Bet security service, Israel Defense Forces and Israel Police, Zakaria Zubeidi and Tarek Barghout were arrested in connection with their involvement in serious and current terrorist activities,” the Shin Bet said in a statement. The security service refused to elaborate on the nature of the suspicions against Zubeidi and Barghout. The two men were arrested in the Ramallah area of the central West Bank, the Shin Bet said. According to Palestinian media, Israeli forces also confiscated Barghout’s car in Ramallah. During the Second Intifada, Zubeidi served as the commander of the Jenin region of Fatah’s military wing, the al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades. He was also suspected of being one of the chief architects of several terror attacks during the early 2000s. Zubeidi, who also helped found Jenin’s Freedom Theatre in 2006, evaded capture by Israeli forces for years, before the Israeli government offered him and several other al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades members amnesty in 2007.”

Somalia

Reuters: U.S. Says Air Strike Killed 20 Militants In Somalia

“A U.S. air strike in central Somalia on Monday killed 20 al Shabaab fighters, the U.S. Africa Command said on Tuesday. The United States carries out regular air strikes in Somalia in support of a United Nations-backed government there, which has been fighting against an al Shabaab insurgency for years. The Africa Command (Africom) said U.S. forces targeted an al Shabaab training camp near Shebeeley, Hiran Region, that was used to stage attacks. “It is assessed this airstrike killed 20 terrorists and destroyed one vehicle,” it said. No independent confirmation was available. While the pace of strikes has increased recently, it is unclear what lasting impact, if any, the strikes are having on the militant group. Al Shabaab wants to overthrow the weak, U.N.-backed Somali government and impose strict Islamic law.”

Africa

Associated Press: Tunisian Attacks Suspect Assaults Judge At Hearing

“Tunisian authorities say a man suspected of several extremist attacks has assaulted a judge with his gavel during his trial at a Tunis military court. The 33-year-old Adel Ghandri was brought to court Tuesday alongside several other suspects accused of attacking a military station in Ben Guerdane, near the border with Libya, where assailants allegedly tried to create an emirate on behalf of the Islamic State group two years ago. According to a statement from Tunisia’s military justice system, Ghandri managed to seize the judge’s gavel and hit him on the head. It was not clear if the judge was injured in the incident. Ghandri is suspected of involvement in the Ben Guerdane attack and of playing a role in two other attacks in Tunisia that killed 60 people, mainly tourists, in 2015."

United Kingdom

The Express: British ISIS Terrorist 'Disappears' After Court Finds Him 'Not Guilty' Despite Confession

“A BRITISH ISIS terrorist arrested in Syria has reportedly been released as fears grow he is at large. Shabazz Suleman, 23, from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, was freed by a Syrian court. Jihadi suspect Shabazz was being held by the Free Syrian Army (FSA) after being caught trying to flee ISIS territory in October, 2017. Last month, a Syrian opposition-run court found Shabazz not guilty even though he admitted joining the terrorist group, The Daily Telegraph claimed. Abu Sleiman, a commander with the rebel Syrian Liwa al-Shimal brigade, told the newspaper the British suspect was released and handed over to a Syrian-based charity as there was insufficient evidence to convict him. Following the ruling of the court - which has no international recognition - Shabazz vanished.”

The National: British Terrorist Jailed After Botched Bid To Join ISIS

“The friend of a failed ISIS suicide bomber has been jailed after police uncovered his plan to use a martyr’s video to sign up to the terror group. Mohammad Imran, 23, was sent a video by a man plotting to kill UK prime minister Theresa May in a suicide attack so he could use it as a calling card when he travelled to meet extremists in Libya. The attempt unravelled after would-be bomber Naa’imur Rahman was arrested shortly before a mission to detonate a bomb at the gates of Downing Street and then kill Mrs May with a knife or gun. Rahman, 20, was stopped after meeting a handler to pick up a jacket and bag that he thought had been rigged with explosives. His contact turned out to be a member of the British security service MI5 who was posing as an ISIS operative. The subsequent police investigation revealed that Rahman had met with Imran and sent him a ‘sponsor’ video that he could use to gain acceptance with senior ISIS members. Imran also tried to get a false passport because he feared his mother would stop him if he tried use his own to travel to Libya. Police found the video message on a phone belonging to Imran and a terrorist guide book on another of his electronic devices.”

BBC News: Labour Row Erupts Over Hezbollah Ban

“Labour MPs have criticised their own front bench during a debate in the Commons over the proscribing of Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation. Parts of the Lebanese group have been proscribed since 2001, with its military wing banned since 2008. The government has said it can no longer distinguish between the group's military and political wings, and will ban it in its entirety. But earlier, a Labour spokesman questioned the government's evidence. Shadow home office minister Nick Thomas-Symonds said Labour would not be opposing the motion on Tuesday night and it passed without a vote. If the decision is approved by the House of Lords, supporting Hezbollah will become an offence carrying a sentence of up to 10 years in prison. Mr Thomas-Symonds was criticised by Labour colleagues for not taking a stronger stance, and he declined to respond to Home Secretary Sajid Javid when asked to be clear if he supported the ban. Hezbollah - translated as the Party of God - is a Shia Muslim political, military and social organisation that wields considerable power in Lebanon. It was formed as a resistance movement during the Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon in the early 1980s.”

France

Reuters: Macron Says French Islamic State Detainees Should Be Tried Where They Face Charges

“France’s President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday that French Islamic state detainees in Iraq and Syria should be tried in the countries where they face charges and that France would ask for potential death penalties to be converted to life sentences. Two Iraqi military sources told Reuters on Sunday that the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces handed over French Islamic detainees last week. Although Macron did not comment on the handover specifically on Tuesday, he said that French citizens arrested in the region were entitled to consular assistance “In these instances, we ensure that their right to defend themselves is protected and that, ... if they are sentenced to the death penalty, that it be converted to life imprisonment,” Macron said during a debate with mayors in Paris. “There is, however, no return scheme in place,” he said in a reference to possible repatriations to France of detainees arrested in Iraq or Syria.”

Germany

Fox News: German Far-Right Party Wins Injunction Over Extremism Probe

“A court has ruled that Germany's domestic intelligence agency shouldn't have publicly announced that it is investigating the country's biggest far-right party. An administrative court in Cologne on Tuesday granted an injunction sought by Alternative for Germany against the BfV intelligence agency. The agency announced last month that it was increasing its scrutiny of the party, known by its German acronym AfD, amid concerns that it is flirting with extremism. The Cologne court ruled that publicly describing the party as a “case to be investigated” was disproportionate and breached its constitutional rights. The court did not rule on the probe itself. AfD welcomed the injunction, which can be appealed.”

Technology

BestTechie: Major Brands Are Pulling YouTube Ads Over Child Exploitation Fears

“Yet again, YouTube has found itself facing public outrage online and a dent to its revenue streams. Major brands like Nestle, AT&T, Epic games have pulled their Ads from the social platform. This is after Matt Watson (a video blogger), posted a 20-minute clip detailing how soft-core pedophile rings were using the comment section to highlight and share of videos featuring minors. The clip has gotten over 2 million views since it was posted to YouTube. You can see a sharp decline in YouTube’s revenue at Social10x, over the time the scandal transpired. The intentions of the people that post the videos are innocent, but the pedophiles use the comment section to pass lewd comments and highlight the periods in the videos where the minors appear to be in suggestible or compromising positions. The pedophiles comment on various types of videos but seem to prefer videos where the minors are engaged in activities like gymnastics, yoga, or working out.”

Counter-Terrorism

Al Arab: Egypt: There's No Way To Distinguish Between Extremist Groups

“Egypt has stressed the seriousness of the phenomenon of terrorism in general, and the challenges posed by foreign militants in particular. This was {conveyed} during the regional conference on countering terrorism, kicked off in the city of Luxor on Tuesday. The 3-day event, attended by 120 Arab and international parliamentarians, is being held in cooperation between the Egyptian Parliament and the Inter-Parliamentary Union of the United Nations. Egypt's Parliament Speaker Ali Abdel-Aal said at the opening of the conference that this event reflects the importance signified by the issue it addresses. He asserted that extremism should be tackled with unified and consistent steps and strategies internally, regionally and internationally. Abdel-Aal highlighted the role that parliaments can play in this field. He went on to say that extremism leads to terrorism, and there is no way to distinguish between extremist groups in this regard, adding "all of them will end up with the same outcome, the practice of terrorism.”

Counter Extremism

Nessma TV: Expert: Cybernetic World Is The Largest Space For Recruiting Tunisian Youth And Children To Extremism And Terrorism

“A forum entitled "Countering Violent Extremism…Theoretical Framework and Exchange of Useful International Practices" was held in the Tunisian capital on Tuesday, February 26th. Addressing this gathering, Mondher Afi, a Tunisian sociology lecturer, warned that the virtual {cyber} world is, today, the largest space for recruiting Tunisian youths and children into extremism and terrorism. The sociologist stressed that the school and the family are equally responsible for protecting the youngsters by constantly monitoring their online interactions and their use of technologies. Mondher also called to set up alternative balanced educational platforms to promote patriotism, national identity and moderation among the youth.”

Muslim Brotherhood

Almesryoon: Egypt: Ration Card System Excludes Muslim Brotherhood Followers

“Amr Madkour, Advisor to the Egyptian Supplies Minister, disclosed that the Supplies Ministry aims to exclude the followers of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood from the Supplies Ration Card System. This system helps the poorest to cope with the adverse effects of the economic reform measures. Yet, it is extremely difficult to pinpoint Muslim Brotherhood's supporters, as no precise list of names exists, Madkour explained during an interview on Sada El-Balad TV. He added that the Food Ration Card System automatically removes the names of whoever enters prison or leaves the country.”

Libya Akhbar: Libya: Controversial Appointment Of Muslim Brotherhood Figure As New Member Of LIA’s Board Of Directors

“Mustafa Al-Sarraj, Chairman of the Presidential Council of Libya and Prime Minister of the Government of National Accord (GNA), recently appointed Mustafa Al-Manea, a Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated figure, as a new member of the board of directors of the Libyan Investment Authority (LIA). The appointment of Al-Manea stirred controversy in Libya since it tightens the grip of the Islamists on key economic and monetary institutions in the country, such as the Central Bank and the Libyan National Oil Corporation (NOC), according to local media sources. On his part, Nasro Maikel, Head of the "94 Group" bloc and Chairman of the Libyan Foreign Investment Committee at the General National Congress (GNC), stated that the Presidential Council ought to distance itself from Libya's Money and Sovereign Wealth Fund by selecting highly qualified, patriotic and accountable persons to run the Libyan Investment Authority (LIA), especially at this highly sensitive and critical period.”

Houthi

Almashhad Alaraby: Reward Offered For Recruiting Children To Houthi Ranks

“The Houthis have been luring and recruiting children and high-school students to be dispatched to the front lines in the areas under their control. The Houthis appear to be in dire need of these youngsters after allocating YR20,000 ($80) to every teacher who succeeds in persuading students to participate in the war, which has been underway since 2014. Educational sources in Sana'a have disclosed that the Houthis have appointed teachers in most of the schools, especially for Islamic education and history, with the aim of primarily promoting the ideology of sectarian beliefs adopted by the group. The task of these teachers is to encourage fighting on behalf of the Houthis, especially attracting and dispatching children to fight in the ranks of the militia.”
__________________
Boats

O Almighty Lord God, who neither slumberest nor sleepest; Protect and assist, we beseech thee, all those who at home or abroad, by land, by sea, or in the air, are serving this country, that they, being armed with thy defence, may be preserved evermore in all perils; and being filled with wisdom and girded with strength, may do their duty to thy honour and glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

"IN GOD WE TRUST"
sendpm.gif Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On

All times are GMT -7. The time now is 01:57 AM.


Powered by vBulletin, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.