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Old 03-20-2019, 06:46 AM
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Arrow Eye on Extremism / March 20, 2019

Eye on Extremism
March 20, 2019
RE: info@counterextremism.com

March 20, 2019


Associated Press: Troops Celebrate As US-Backed Force Seizes IS Camp In Syria

“U.S.-backed Syrian forces on Tuesday seized control of an encampment held by the Islamic State group in eastern Syria, after hundreds of militants surrendered overnight, a spokesman said, signaling the group’s collapse after months of stiff resistance. A group of suspects involved in a January bombing that killed four Americans in northern Syria were among militants captured by the Kurdish-led forces. The taking of the IS camp was a major advance but not the final defeat of the group in Baghouz, the last village held by the extremists where they have been holding out for weeks under siege, according to Mustafa Bali, the spokesman for the Kurdish-led force known as the Syrian Democratic Forces. Still, fighters from the force were starting to celebrate anyway.”

The Washington Post: Suspected Militants Detained In Syria Attack That Killed Four Americans

“U.S. officials have questioned suspected Islamic State militants who Syrian forces believe have links to a suicide attack that killed four Americans in January, an American official said Tuesday. The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly, said the prisoners were being held by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish-dominated group that has been the chief on-the-ground American partner in Syria. The official spoke hours after the SDF announced that it had captured suspects in the attack, which targeted Americans posted to Syria’s northern city of Manbij in order to conduct counterterrorism and intelligence operations. It was the single deadliest incident involving U.S. government personnel in the war against the Islamic State.”

Reuters: U.S. Says Iran Missile Program Destabilizing Middle East

“A senior U.S. arms control official said on Tuesday that Iran’s missile program is destabilizing the Middle East and raising the risk of a “regional arms race” through the provision of such weapons to armed groups in Lebanon and Yemen. U.S. President Donald Trump said when he quit a landmark 2015 deal that lifted international sanctions against Iran in exchange for limits on its nuclear activities that it failed to rein in Iran’s missile program or curb its regional meddling. The United States has accused Iran of defying a U.N. Security Council resolution by carrying out a ballistic missile test and two satellite launches since December. “Iran’s missile program is a key contributor to increased tensions and destabilization in the region, increasing the risk of a regional arms race,” Yleem Poblete, Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control, Verification and Compliance, said in a speech to the U.N.-sponsored Conference on Disarmament. “Iran must immediately cease activities related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons, and halt the proliferation of missiles and missile technology to terror groups and other non-state actors,” she said, denouncing Iran’s support to the Houthi movement in Yemen and to Hezbollah in Lebanon.”

Fox News: New Zealand Telecoms Blast Facebook, Google And Twitter Over Attack Video's Viral Spread

“The despicable video of a gunman's rampage through two New Zealand mosques was seen by thousands of people, thanks to the rapid proliferation on platforms like Facebook, Google and Twitter. Since the incident, the backlash against Big Tech has grown as the Silicon Valley mainstays have struggled to explain how and why the horrible video was able to spread so easily and quickly. On Tuesday, Australia's three main telecommunication companies, Spark, Vodafone NZ and 2degrees, released a scathing letter to the CEOs of the world's largest tech platforms demanding more action to remove such content in advance as opposed to being reactive. “We call on Facebook, Google and Twitter, whose platforms carry so much content, to be a part of an urgent discussion at an industry and New Zealand government level on an enduring solution to this issue,” the letter, which was posted on the companies websites, reads. YouTube announced that its artificial intelligence software didn't work as well as it had hoped. Facebook, which said it removed 1.5 million videos in the first 24 hours after the attack (1.2 million before they were seen by users), also struggled to address the spread of the New Zealand video.”

Stars And Stripes: Of 3 Suspected ISIS Members Charged In Germany, 1 Accused Of Killing US Troops

“German federal prosecutors have filed charges against three suspected Islamic State group members, including one man accused of killing U.S. soldiers in Iraq years ago. The first suspect, identified as Mohammad Rafea Yassen Y., 28, is accused of carrying out 13 attacks on Americans with explosives between 2006 and 2008, and of more recent crimes as a member of the Islamic State group, including public executions. Officials did not release his or the other suspects’ last names for privacy reasons. “In two cases, he secured executions at the village square at which members of the terror organization killed children, women and men,” German prosecutors said of the 28-year-old’s involvement in ISIS, adding that it began in 2014. Before he joined ISIS, the suspect was already involved in the resistance. His first attacks were carried out near his hometown of Rutba in Iraq’s Anbar province, German authorities claimed on Monday. That province ranks among the deadliest for U.S. and allied forces in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion of the country in March 2003. Among those killed in the attacks were “members of the U.S. Army, the local police and civilian bystanders,” the federal prosecutor’s office said.”

The Express: Far Right Fanatics Recruit Terror Army Online

“FAR-RIGHT fanatics could form a "sizeable army of terrorists" on social media, UK experts warned last night. Professor Anthony Glees of the Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies said: "In a particular country, there may be a small minority of maybe hundreds of neo-Nazis. "But if they can communicate with each other in different countries on social media, they could be a sizeable army of terrorists. Joshua Fisher-Birch of the Counter Extremism Project said a video warning of an impending "Islamic invasion" over a background of flames was far more difficult to remove. He said: "It is tying into the idea of a historical opposition to Islam. And this is very powerful because it is talking about someone coming to threaten your way of life and your family.”

United States

The Washington Post: The U.S. Needs To Treat White Supremacism As The Worldwide Killer It Is

“Ideology is not constrained by geography, especially in the Internet age, so it is unsurprising that white nationalism is less national than the name suggests. Notions of ethnosupremacy have always had their roots in transnational traditions of racism, and now online communities allow for actors in any nation to draw inspiration from those in another. The Christchurch massacre is a case in point: allegedly carried out by an Australian, in New Zealand, in the image of a Norwegian and an American. The shooting revealed serious shortcomings in how governments confront right-wing radicalism. In the United States, Islamist extremism, even when it is homegrown, is considered international terrorism — and law enforcement treats it that way. Right-wing radicalism, on the other hand, is called domestic terrorism if it is called terrorism at all. Sometimes, crimes motivated by the same set of values are instead classified as hate crimes or gang violence. Right-wing radicalism kills more Americans than Islamist extremism, and the government should pursue the threat with more vigor. Doing so will require grappling with its domestic and global dimensions alike. The first step to fighting white-supremacist extremism is to understand it, but that’s not possible now, because the Justice Department does not reliably collect the relevant information.”

NPR: White Nationalist Groups Increase Recruiting And Propaganda Across The West

“Authorities are looking into whether the suspect in last week's terror attack on two mosques in New Zealand was inspired by an emerging, European-based breed of white nationalism. The identitarian movement, formed in France in 2016, broadly believes that white people in Europe and North America are being displaced by non-European immigrants. Over the past few months, groups affiliated with similar ideas have protested and put up posters across college campuses in California, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado and Montana. Their members are mostly anonymous, and they espouse racism and hate online. University of Utah senior Mohan Sudabattula recently found white nationalist posters hanging from the side of the art building on campus. The first-generation son of immigrants from southeastern India was surprised but not shocked. He had seen similar posters — the red, white and blue lettering — popping up all over campus. Sudabattula snapped a couple of pictures and sent them to friends. Then he tore the posters down and stuffed them in his pockets. When he got home he hid them in a dorm bathroom cabinet for a week, until he agreed to show three to a reporter. The posters were from a white nationalist group called Patriot Front.”

The New York Times: ‘Replacement Theory,’ A Racist, Sexist Doctrine, Spreads In Far-Right Circles

“Before the massacre of 50 people in New Zealand mosques last week, the suspect released a document called “The Great Replacement.” The first sentence was: “It’s the birthrates.” He repeated it three times. If the phrase about replacement sounded familiar, perhaps that was because it echoed what white supremacists bearing tiki torches shouted in Charlottesville, Va., in 2017: “You will not replace us.” It is also the slogan of the neo-Nazi group Identity Evropa. Behind the idea is a racist conspiracy theory known as “the replacement theory,” which was popularized by a right-wing French philosopher. An extension of colonialist theory, it is predicated on the notion that white women are not having enough children and that falling birthrates will lead to white people around the world being replaced by nonwhite people. And like so many fundamentalist ideologies, the foundation of this one requires the subjugation of women.”

The Daily Star: Pompeo Says Hopes To Distance Aoun From Hezbollah

"U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressed hope that President Michel Aoun will distance himself from his ally, Hezbollah, according to a statement from the State Department Tuesday."

Syria

The Wall Street Journal: Islamic State Uses Propaganda To Rally Supporters As Caliphate Withers

“As Islamic State battles to keep control of its last slice of territory in Syria, the extremist group’s propaganda machine is invoking international acts of terrorism in a bid to rally its remaining supporters. Islamic State spokesman Abu al-Hassan al-Muhajir called for retaliation for the mosque attacks in New Zealand that left 50 people dead, in a speech released Monday and translated by monitoring group SITE Intelligence. He accused non-Muslims of shedding “crocodile tears” for the victims while fighting Muslims in the Arab world, particularly in Islamic State’s last Syrian enclave of Baghouz. Islamic State has traditionally dismissed Muslims who don’t adhere to its radical beliefs as apostates—and framed them as legitimate targets. But following the terrorist attack in Christchurch, New Zealand, which was allegedly carried out by a white, right-wing extremist, the group’s propaganda differed by calling on loyalists to revenge violence against Muslims in general. Most of Islamic State’s own victims have been Muslims. On March 8, the group claimed responsibility for a suicide attack that killed 11 people in a gathering of Shiite Muslims in Afghanistan’s capital. Despite stepped-up efforts by social media companies to evict Islamic State propaganda from their platforms, the extremist group has continued to shift tactics to maintain its mouthpieces.”

CNN: ISIS Fighters Linked To January Attack On Americans Detained

“US-backed forces in Syria have captured a handful of ISIS fighters linked to the January suicide attack in Manbij, Syria, that killed four Americans, according to a US defense official. A spokesman for the SDF, Mustafa Bali, confirmed the capture in a tweet, writing that it occurred “following technical surveillance by our forces.” The US defense official said up to five ISIS members who were involved in the planning and execution of the attack are being detained by the Syrian Democratic Forces. The US has also questioned the militants, who were captured in Manbij. A second defense official says a direct link to the Manbij attack has not yet been fully proven but the belief is the fighters are linked to terror operations in the area so they may “likely” have ties to the attack. The investigation is continuing to see if there are more senior ISIS operatives who may have played a role. Their capture was first reported by Reuters. Following the mid-January attack, ISIS claimed responsibility for the deadly explosion, which killed at least 10 other people in addition to the four Americans. The American deaths included two US service members, a defense contractor and a Department of Defense civilian, the US Central Command said in a statement at the time.”

Iraq

Iraqi News: Iraqi Security Forces Capture Three IS Militants In Mosul

“Iraqi authorities announced on Tuesday the capture of three Islamic State terrorists in Mosul city, the latest in a series of arrests and detentions that target the group’s dormant cells in the country. In a statement, a copy of which was obtained by Alghad Press, the Iraqi National Security Service said that its forces “in Nineveh, acting on intelligence information, managed to arrest three IS members, for whom arrest warrants were issued.” “The trio were members of the group’s self-proclaimed Islamic Police Diwan,” read the statement, adding that they were handed over to the competent authorities for interrogation. Iraqi authorities regularly announce the capture of Islamic State extremists in different parts of the country since the collapse of the group’s territorial influence in December 2017. Despite the group’s crushing defeat at its main havens across Iraq, its militants continue to launch sporadic attacks against troops with security reports warning that the terrorist group still poses a threat against stability in the country. The Islamic State group appeared on the international scene in 2014 when it seized large swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria, declaring the establishment of an Islamic “caliphate” from Mosul city.”

Kurdistan 24: ISIS Attack In North Baghdad Kills Three Iraqi Soldiers, Wounds Five More

“Three Iraqi soldiers were killed and five more injured in an Islamic State ambush during an army search campaign in Tarmiyah district, north of Baghdad, security and health sources said. It is the latest attack by the extremist group that took place in Baghdad province’s Tarmiyah district, which had been an important stronghold for the Islamic State following the fall of the dictatorship system in Iraq in 2003. Local reports claimed eight Iraqi soldiers were killed and 14 others wounded, but security and hospital sources told Kurdistan 24 only three were killed, and five injured. A high military ranking officer was among the casualties, the sources added without offering furthers details. Following the attack, ambulances dispatched to the scene and transferred the victims to nearby hospitals. Iraq declared victory against the Islamic State in late 2017, but the group continues to launch insurgency attacks, ambushes, and kidnappings.”

Turkey

The Washington Post: Recep Tayyip Erdogan: The New Zealand Killer And The Islamic State Are Cut From The Same Cloth

“Fifty innocent people lost their lives in last week’s terrorist attacks in Christchurch, New Zealand. Dozens of other Muslims, who had gathered at local mosques to perform the Friday prayer, survived the assault with injuries. There were many historical references on the murder weapons and in a manifesto that the suspected terrorist published online. The number of times he mentioned both Turkey and myself was both curious and worth deeper consideration. In the wake of the New Zealand attack, Turkish authorities discovered that Brenton Harrison Tarrant, the alleged gunman, had visited Turkey twice in 2016 and spent time in various parts of the country. Moreover, we established that Tarrant traveled to a number of other places — including Morocco, Israel and Croatia. Turkish intelligence and law enforcement agencies, in cooperation with New Zealand and others, continue their efforts to shed light on what happened and to prevent future attacks. The Christchurch massacre’s alleged perpetrator attempted to legitimize his twisted views by distorting world history and the Christian faith. He sought to plant seeds of hate among fellow humans. As a leader who has repeatedly stressed that terrorism has no religion, language or race, I categorically reject any attempt to associate last week’s terrorist attacks with the teachings, morals or maxims of Christianity.”

The Washington Examiner: Turkey's Terror Sponsorship Is Worse Than Imagined

“I have written much over the years about Turkey’s complicity with terrorism over the past decade. Interviews with a captured Islamic State prisoner, however, make clear that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s terror complicity is worse than many imagined, and not just because his son-in-law was dealing in Islamic State oil. Consider this piece from Homeland Security Today based on prison interviews with Abu Mansour al Maghrebi, the Islamic State’s liaison with Turkey’s intelligence service: My job was to direct operatives to receive the foreign fighters in Turkey,' Abu Mansour explains, referring to the network of ISIS-paid people who facilitated foreign fighter travel from Istanbul to the Turkish border towns of Gaziantep, Antakya, Sanliurfa, etc. 'Most of them were paid by Dawlah [ISIS],' Abu Mansour explains, but differentiates them from ISIS members, due to their non-ideological motivations. 'Most of those working on the Turkish side, their goal is money,' he said. Although when asked about ISIS networks inside Turkey, he also admits, 'Many in Turkey believe and give their bayat [oath of allegiance] to Dawlah. There are ISIS guys living in Turkey, individuals and groups, but no armed groups inside Turkey.'“

Afghanistan

NBC News: Afghan Adviser Refuses U.S. Demand To Apologize For Broadside On Trump Envoy

“The United States privately demanded a formal apology from Afghanistan’s national security adviser last week for accusing the Trump administration of selling his country out — and told him he would be cut off from official contacts if he didn’t, several people with direct knowledge of the situation tell NBC News. The Afghan official, Hamdullah Mohib, refused to apologize, according to those familiar with the incident, returning to Kabul amid deepening uncertainty about the future of the U.S. relationship with Afghanistan and the Trump administration’s delicate peace talks with the Taliban. It’s unclear whether high-level communications will continue unabated between Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s government and the U.S., or if so, through what channels. Those with knowledge of the exchange said U.S. officials are no longer in contact with Mohib, who was formerly the Afghan ambassador to Washington. Mohib also has not spoken in recent days to Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. special representative running the peace talks with the Taliban. It was Mohib’s extraordinary public broadside against Khalilzad earlier last week that plunged U.S. ties to Afghanistan to their lowest level since the start of the Trump administration.”

The New York Times: Bombed By ISIS, An Afghan Wrestling Club Is Back: ‘They Can’t Stop Us’

“The Maiwand wrestlers are back, with a vengeance. Last September, the Islamic State bombed their gym and killed dozens of them. This year they have rebuilt it, and their vengeance has been to make it bigger, better and even busier than it was before. Last September, I was watching Tolo TV News as one of its journalists, Samim Faramarz, reported live from the scene of the bombing of the Maiwand Wrestling Club gym, in an ethnic Hazara neighborhood in western Kabul. As he spoke, a second bomb went off, killing Mr. Faramarz and his cameraman, Ramiz Ahmady, on the air. Because we knew and admired Mr. Faramarz and Mr. Ahmady, and because of the shocking nature of their on-camera deaths — and also because the government, as usual, was covering up the true scale of the carnage — our first article highlighted the journalists and mostly left out the wrestlers.”

Pakistan

Fox News: Taliban Kill 6 Paramilitary Troops In Southwestern Pakistan

“Pakistani authorities say militants overran a remote security outpost in southwestern Baluchistan province, killing six members of the paramilitary forces. The Pakistani Taliban — known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan — claimed responsibility for the attack in Ziarat district early on Wednesday morning, saying in an Urdu-language statement that it was revenge for the deaths earlier of their comrades at the hands of the paramilitary Baluchistan Levies Force. Qadir Baksh Pirkani, Ziarat district deputy commissioner, said the assault began in the early morning hours and that an investigation into the killing is underway. Several insurgent groups operate in Baluchistan, including the Pakistani Taliban, a secessionist Baluchistan group and members of an Islamic State affiliate, which is based across the border in Afghanistan.”

Yemen

Asharq Al-Awsat: Houthis Transfer Ballistic Missiles To Hodeidah In Trucks

“The Yemeni Army has revealed that Houthi militias managed this week to smuggle ballistic missiles and heavy artillery to Hodeidah from the northern side of the Red Sea city. “The missiles and artillery, which have been sent by Iran, have entered through the ports of Saleef and Ras Issa,” the Army said. It said the militias disassembled the weapons before transferring them to the two ports. After moving the shipment in trucks specialized in transporting auto parts, a team of Iranian experts were on hand in Hodeidah and Saada to put the missiles and artillery back together. The smuggling was aimed at avoiding Arab Coalition attacks, the Army said, citing previous successes by the Coalition in stopping weapons transfers to the Houthis from militia-controlled ports in the western coast.”

The Miami Herald: AP Interview: Yemen’s Rebels Say They Won’t Give Up Port

“A senior Houthi rebel leader in Yemen said Tuesday that his group will not give up the key port city of Hodeida, the focus of months of U.N.-brokered talks with the government. Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, the head of the rebels' Supreme Revolutionary Committees, accused his rivals from the internationally-recognized government of misinterpreting the deal. He says the Houthis have agreed to withdraw their forces but will remain in control. He said the Saudi-backed government "couldn't get (the port) by force and they won't seize it by tricks." "We agree on the redeployment according to the presented mechanism, but withdrawal as they are promoting, is impossible," he said in an interview conducted in undisclosed location in Sanaa, after relocating to avoid airstrikes. Hodeida is the main entry point for humanitarian aid to Yemen, where nearly four years of war has spawned the world's worst humanitarian crisis.”

Lebanon

Asharq Al-Awsat: US Congress Prepares New Sanctions Against Hezbollah

“Republican and Democrat congressmen are ramping up a new list of sanctions against Hezbollah, expected to be approved next week, revealed US Congress sources Tuesday. Congressional circles have expressed their satisfaction with the results of the latest sanctions recently imposed on Iran. Separately, a high-ranking US official told a close circle of journalists that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is expected to urge Lebanon to take independent decisions on behalf of the Lebanese people. During his upcoming visit to Beirut this week, the US official will directly tackle the current challenges posed by Iran and Tehran’s illegal activities in Lebanon, in addition to Hezbollah’s role. Pompeo’s stop in the Lebanese capital could be very significant amid the escalating tensions between Washington and several Lebanese officials over how to deal with Hezbollah and its political and military roles. “We’ll spend a lot of time talking with the Lebanese government about how we can help them disconnect from the threat that Iran and Hezbollah present to them,” said Pompeo on Tuesday. ”Financial, economic, all the assistance we have provided to the Lebanese Armed Forces, talk to them about those serious issues. And meet with some of the religious leadership of the country as well.”

The Daily Star: Two Lebanese Arrested In Kuwait Over Hezbollah Ties

"At least two Lebanese assistants to a Syrian businessman with close ties to Syrian President Bashar Assad were arrested late Monday in Kuwait over alleged ties to Hezbollah."

Somalia

The New York Times: Report Says U.S. Airstrikes Have Killed 14 Civilians In Somalia

“For years, the Pentagon has maintained that no civilians have been killed in American airstrikes and raids in Somalia. Amnesty International, in a new report released on Tuesday, put the death toll at 14 since 2017 alone. The report linked the killings to President Trump’s decision to relax rules for preventing civilian casualties during American counterterrorism strikes in Somalia. Amnesty said it examined five airstrikes that killed 14 civilians and injured eight. “In the incidents presented in this report, civilians were killed and injured in attacks that may have violated international humanitarian law and could, in some cases, constitute war crimes,” the report said. It called into question repeated claims by United States Africa Command that there have been no civilian casualties from American strikes against the extremist Islamist group known as the Shabab. The report also attributed the discrepancy to failures by the American military and the Somali government to adequately investigate claims that civilians were killed in airstrikes and raids by United States forces. Africa Command disputed the report’s findings and maintained it had killed zero civilians in Somalia. “Our assessments found that no Africom airstrike resulted in any civilian casualty or injury,” the command said in a statement.”

Xinhua: Two Al-Shabab Militants Killed In Clashes In Southern Somalia

“Somali forces on Monday night killed two al-Shabab extremists during confrontation in the southern region of Middle Shabelle, officials said on Tuesday. A police officer who declined to be named told Xinhua that the militants attacked Bal'ad town which was 30 km north of the Somali capital Mogadishu, but were overpowered. “They (al-Shabab) attacked our bases in the town but our forces have managed to foil their attempt and inflicted them heavy casualties killing two of them during the fighting,” the officer said. He added that Somali forces are in full control of Bal'ad denying the claims of al-Shabab that they took over the town. Residents reported sporadic fighting amid sustained gunfire. “We woke up with the sound of gun fire, we were in fear and panic the whole night,” Idman Aways, a local resident told Xinhua by phone. The incident comes a day after al-Shabab militants captured Dhanane town along the coast road in Lower Shabelle region after the government forces withdrew for unpaid salary of two months. Al-Qaida allied group al-Shabab claimed that they had launched an overnight attack on Bal'ad, capturing the town for a while before setting combat vehicles on fire.”

Africa

Reuters: Tunisian Forces Kill Three Islamic State Militants Near Algerian Border

“Tunisian special forces killed three suspected Islamic State militants on Tuesday after clashes in mountains near the Algerian border, a security official told Reuters. Days earlier, Islamic State had released pictures of militants carrying weapons in mountains where they have hidden for years. “Our forces killed three terrorists suspected of belonging to Daesh after clashes in the Saloum mountains in Kasserine,” Colonel Houssem Jbebli told Reuters, using an Arabic acronym for the group. One of the Arab world’s most secular nations, Tunisia became a target for militants after being hailed as a beacon of democratic change with an uprising against autocrat Zine Abidine Ben Ali in 2011. Some militants operate in remote areas near the border with Algeria. Tunisia suffered three major attacks in 2015, including two against tourists, one at a museum in Tunis and the second on a beach in Sousse. The third targeted presidential guards in the capital. All three attacks were claimed by Islamic State. After collapsing, tourism has since gradually recovered.”

United Kingdom

The Guardian: UK To Start Issuing Far-Right Terrorism Alerts

“The UK is to start issuing official threat-level warnings for far-right terrorism amid rising concerns about white supremacist murder attempts, the Guardian has learned. The threat levels will be issued following assessments by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC), an elite Whitehall unit that already produces similar warnings for Islamist and Ireland-related terror. Friday’s attacks in Christchurch, New Zealand, when 50 Muslims were murdered as they prayed, allegedly by a white supremacist gunman, have triggered fresh concerns about whether the threat from the extreme right is being taken seriously enough. Combating far-right violence was once the responsibility of the police but top-level plots and suspects are now being tackled by Britain’s domestic intelligence agency, MI5. Public order issues and hate crime will remain with the police, and JTAC’s formal assessment of the far-right threat is expected to start this year. There have been 18 terrorist plots thwarted in the UK since March 2017, 14 of which were inspired by Islamist extremism, assessed as much the greater threat, and four emanated from the far right. However, counter-terrorism officials believe white supremacist terrorism is an increasing threat.”

Financial Times: Police Enlist Companies To Spot Extremism In Workers

“UK counter-terrorism police are working with companies including McDonald's, Tesco and River Island on a training programme to help staff to spot early signs of violent extremism in fellow workers. Under the Home Office’s contentious anti-radicalisation programme, known as Prevent, state employees from teachers to local government workers and healthcare staff are already under a legal obligation to look out for those at risk of radicalisation and report any individuals showing signs of extremism. The initiative — focusing on a few key areas of the private sector, such as retail, travel and entertainment — is an attempt to address what one senior officer described as a “blind spot”. It is the first time that dedicated training to identify fledgling terrorists has been extended to the private sector. But critics have raised concern that it could lead to some workers being profiled for their religious beliefs and unfairly stigmatised. Nik Adams, the police officer in charge of co-ordinating Prevent across the UK, said retail staff working in warehouses were of particular concern because they spent time with the same people “day in, day out” with little contact from the outside world.”

Europe

The New York Times: Dutch Tram Attack May Be Terrorism, Police Say

“The Dutch police said on Tuesday that they were still considering terrorism as a motive for a deadly shooting on a tram in the city of Utrecht based partly on a note they discovered. The shooting on Monday, which left at least three people dead and seven injured, and an ensuing manhunt prompted heightened security and sent ripples of fear through the Netherlands. A 37-year-old immigrant from Turkey was arrested Monday night. People who know the suspect, Gokmen Tanis, and family members in Turkey quoted by news organizations there, had said on Monday that they believed the assault grew out of some kind of domestic dispute. But the police said they had so far found no links between Mr. Tanis and the three people killed on the tram. “Thus far, a terrorist motive is being strongly considered,” the national police said on Tuesday. “The reason for this, among other things, is a note found in the getaway car,” they said, without elaboration. “Other motives aren’t being ruled out. These are being investigated as well.” The shooting jarred a country where gun violence is rare, and where there has not been the kinds of major terrorist attacks that have rocked Belgium, Britain, France and Germany in recent years.”

The New York Times: He Says His Work As A Jihadist Spy Caused PTSD. Denmark Awarded Him $27,000.

“Describing his work as an undercover agent among a group of heavily armed Qaeda terrorists, Morten Storm said his job as a jihadist-turned-informant was dangerous and grueling. Spy agencies never acknowledged his secret service. But now a Danish state agency, in a breakthrough ruling for Mr. Storm, has awarded him about $27,000 in damages for loss of work ability because of post-traumatic stress disorder, which he said in his claim was a result of his undercover role for the Danish and other intelligence agencies. Labour Market Insurance, a state body, concluded that he had experienced “exceptionally dangerous events” during his tenure, the newspaper Jyllands-Posten reported on Monday. A future review will decide to what extent he may still be able to work, and could award additional compensation. The payout is, in effect, the first formal recognition by the government of his undercover work; it has never been acknowledged by the Danish Security and Intelligence Service, PET, or by other Western intelligence agencies, which generally refuse to comment on secret sources. Hans Jorgen Bonnichsen, a former chief of operations of the Danish intelligence service, said he was stunned when he heard of the decision to compensate Mr. Storm."

France 24: European Intelligence Services See Far-Right Extremism As Growing Threat

“European intelligence services have for years been increasing surveillance of ultra-right groups which are seen as a growing threat and capable of carrying out attacks similar to those that left 50 dead at two mosques in New Zealand. Security services in France, Britain, Germany and Italy have repeatedly warned of the risks associated with growing tensions within Western societies over immigration and Islamist attacks. “Europe is in great danger: extremism is rising everywhere and we, the intelligence services, are busy channelling resources into looking at the far-right,” Patrick Calvar, the then director of French counter-intelligence, said in May 2016. “We have to anticipate and stop all these groups which, sooner or later, would like to spark inter-communal clashes,” he added. Peter Neumann, head of the London-based International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation, told CNN on Friday that “across Western countries we’ve seen an increase for four or five years in the number of hate crimes and also right-wing terrorist violence. “I attribute that to deepening polarisation which has increased extremism not only on the jihadist side but also on the extreme right-wing side,” he added.”

New Zealand

Bloomberg: Mosque Gunman Planned Further Attack, New Zealand Police Say

“New Zealand police say the man alleged to have gunned down 50 people in two Christchurch mosques was on his way to another target when he was detained. “We strongly believe we stopped him on the way to a further attack,” Commissioner Mike Bush said at a press conference on Wednesday. “So lives were saved by our staff” who were “courageous in their intervention,” he said. The shooter walked into a packed central city mosque on Friday and opened fire, killing more than 40 people. He then drove across the city to another mosque and continued the rampage. He was arrested as he fled that scene, with police running him off the road and dragging him from his car. The two officers who made the arrest have been hailed as heroes, given the shooter was still armed and home-made bombs were found in the car. Bush said the police response times throughout the attack were “fantastic.” Armed officers were on the scene less than six minutes after police were first notified, and the offender was arrested within 21 minutes, he said. Brenton Tarrant, a 28-year-old Australian, appeared in court at the weekend charged with one count of murder and is likely to face further charges. Bush said police knew where the gunman was heading, but declined to comment further as the accused has been charged and a prosecution process is underway.”

The Daily Beast: New Zealand Shooting: White Supremacists And Jihadists Feed Off Each Other

“As the world digests the heartbreaking details of last week’s white nationalist terrorist attack against two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, we must once more reckon with the same horrid violence we’ve seen from Dylann Roof, Robert Bowers, and others in recent years—the latest reminder in the post 9/11 West that terrorism is not limited to radical jihadists. Still, even the most direct of comparisons between movements like the so-called Islamic State and neo-Nazis frequently fall short to describe the extent to which these movements mirror each other. Contrary as their movements may seem, white supremacists and jihadists both leech off different ends of a tragedy like Christchurch as seen in the barrages of propaganda from both movements on social media. White supremacists celebrated the Christchurch attack across various venues, from community-specific forums like Stormfront and Vanguard News Network (VNN) to alternative, free-speech-purposed social media platforms like Gab and Minds. Energized users have praised Brenton Tarrant’s alleged attack in the context of other major far-right terrorist attacks, hailing him as a martyr to their cause.”

The Washington Post: Mosque Shootings Renew Fears Of Terror By Lone Attackers

“In his manifesto, the white supremacist charged with attacking two New Zealand mosques praised fellow “freedom fighters” as his role models. In reality, all were terrorists — most notable for acting alone. Investigators’ growing certainty that a single gunman was responsible for the massacre that claimed 50 lives has renewed attention to a longtime concern: terror attacks by ideologically driven lone actors in the U.S. and Europe. The shootings in Christchurch, New Zealand was “a blatant imitation. This is a copycat crime. He’s followed others who have come before him,” said Mark Hamm, a professor of criminology at Indiana State University who has charted such attacks in the U.S. But the public’s stereotypes of such “lone wolves” risk obscuring the fact that many are not nearly as solitary as they might seem, criminologists say. “They may be alone at the time of the attack,” said Noemie Bouhana, a professor of security and crime science at University College London who studies terrorism. “But the ties have existed that have been necessary for the attack to occur, and I would be very surprised if that wasn’t the case here.” Those ties are key not just to prosecuting such terrorist attacks but to finding ways to prevent them, experts say.”

The Wall Street Journal: Mosque Shooter’s Radical Views Fed By Trips To Christian-Muslim Battlegrounds

“In the months leading up to last week’s New Zealand mosque massacre, the suspected gunman traveled through some of history’s most obscure battlegrounds between Christians and Muslims. He stopped off at an 11th-century monastery that was looted and destroyed during the Ottoman Empire. He visited a mountain pass where Bulgarians and Russians defeated the Ottomans in 1877 in a bloody battle. Now investigators are zeroing in on those travels, questioning souvenir shops and tour guides, checking security footage and scrutinizing his online presence, in an effort to understand the mix of medieval history and postmodern extremism they suspect drove accused shooter Brenton Tarrant. Investigators say his movements and elements of his past in Australia and New Zealand paint a picture of a troubled social-media obsessive, fixated on long-ago battles between Christians and Muslims in Europe’s southeast and eager to impress other right-wing nationalists online. “It’s in Europe where we currently believe his radicalization path lies, although the roots of his ideology may be earlier in internet behaviors,” said a senior counterterrorism officer in Australia, which is aiding New Zealand in its investigations.”

Southeast Asia

Xinhua: At Least 10 Foreign Terrorists Lurk In Southern Philippines: Minister

“There are at least 10 foreign terrorists lurking in the southern Philippines, Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said on Tuesday. Lorenzana said that his assessment is that many terrorists who went to the Middles East to join the Islamic State (IS) militants have gone back to their respective countries. Analysts say that many IS cadres have decided to leave the Middle East after losing its major strongholds in Syria and Iraq. The militants have reportedly targeted the Philippines as in their plan to build an IS caliphate in Southeast Asia. “While (IS militants) are losing their territories there (in Iraq and Syria), they are fleeing, they are going back to their own countries. Now, if we have Filipinos fighting there in Syria, then we might expect them to be coming back here,” Lorenzana said. Nevertheless, he said that the Philippines is “intensifying its (security) cooperation” with Malaysia and Indonesia to prevent the militants from crossing borders. Lorenzana further said that Philippine security forces have intensified their operation to eliminate the IS-linked militants in the southern Philippines. “I do not believe that they are growing in number here,” he added. However, a senior military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there are about 40 to 100 foreign terrorists currently embedded with various local terrorist groups in the Philippines.”

Technology

The New York Times: We’re Asking The Wrong Questions Of YouTube And Facebook After New Zealand

“Late Saturday night, Facebook shared some dizzying statistics that begin to illustrate the scale of the online impact of the New Zealand massacre as the gunman’s video spread across social media. According to the social network, the graphic, high-definition video of the attack was uploaded by users 1.5 million times in the first 24 hours. Of those 1.5 million copies of the video, Facebook’s automatic detection systems automatically blocked 1.2 million. That left roughly 300,000 copies ricocheting around the platform to be viewed, liked, shared and commented on by Facebook’s more than two billion users. YouTube dealt with a similar deluge. As The Washington Post reported Monday, YouTube took “unprecedented steps” to stanch the flow of copies of the video that were mirrored, re-uploaded and, in some cases, repackaged and edited to elude moderation filters. In the hours after the shooting, one YouTube executive revealed that new uploads of the attacker’s livestream appeared on the platform “as quickly as one per second.” The volume of the uploads is staggering — for what it says about the power of the platforms and our collective desire to share horrific acts of violence.”

The Wall Street Journal: House Panel Seeks Answers From Tech CEOs Over Shooting Video

“The head of the House Homeland Security Committee asked four technology companies to attend a closed-door briefing next week on their efforts to prevent violent videos from being disseminated in the wake of last week’s mass shooting in New Zealand. Chairman Bennie Thompson (D., Miss.) asked the chief executives of Facebook Inc., Twitter Inc., YouTube and Microsoft Corp. to appear before the committee on March 27 for a private briefing “regarding your response to the dissemination of the video of the New Zealand terrorist attack on your platforms and how your companies intend to prevent this disturbing incident from happening again.” The letter, dated Monday, was publicly released Tuesday. Representatives for Microsoft and Facebook said the companies planned to brief the committee as requested but didn’t commit to which executives they would send. YouTube didn’t respond to requests for comment about how it would respond to the letter, and Twitter declined to comment.”
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