The Patriot Files Forums  

Go Back   The Patriot Files Forums > Military News > Terrorism

Post New Thread  Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 09-26-2018, 07:18 AM
Boats's Avatar
Boats Boats is offline
Senior Member
 

Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Sauk Village, IL
Posts: 21,783
Arrow Eye on Extremism September 26, 2018

Eye on Extremism
September 26, 2018

Eye on Extremism
September 26, 2018
France 24: Trump Administration Messages Open-Ended Syria Presence

“Six months after President Donald Trump said he wants US troops out of Syria, his top officials are hammering home what has become increasingly obvious: the US isn't going anywhere. Trump administration members say there can be no troop pull-out until the Islamic State is permanently defeated -- a subjective metric for a stubborn insurgency where the jihadists have shown tenacity in clinging to their last pockets of terrain. The US military has been involved in Syria since late 2014 and now has more than 2,000 troops in the country, mainly working to train and advise local Kurdish and Syrian Arab fighters. With broad gains on the battlefield and the defeat of IS looking inevitable, Trump in March said he wanted US troops out of Syria "very soon," later adding the mission would come to a "rapid end.”

World Politics Review: Europe’s Prisons, Already Hotbeds of Radicalization, Are Filling Up With ISIS Recruits

“One morning in November 2015, Ahmed Khaddine, then 25, was in his apartment in central Brussels, typing away on his computer at his desk, when the front door flew open. Before he really knew what was happening, two policemen burst in, grabbed him, pushed his face down onto the wooden floor and handcuffed him before taking him to the police station. For Ahmed, a son of Moroccan immigrants who was born and raised in Brussels, the arrest had been a long time coming. Many years earlier, during his final years of high school, he had begun attending a local mosque in an attempt to establish a stronger connection to his Moroccan roots. As he became more religious, he decided to travel to Egypt to learn Arabic. Over time, Ahmed fell in with worshipers who were sympathetic to militant groups, including at least one who traveled to Syria to join the self-styled Islamic State, which by then was seizing territory and attempting to establish a caliphate governed by Sharia law. In 2014, Ahmed left his job as a restaurant worker and, along with his wife, made the trip to Syria himself. Ahmed stayed in Syria for almost six months. Life under the caliphate failed to live up to his lofty expectations, he says, and the violence especially put him off. He decided that he had made a mistake and that he needed to return to Belgium, even if it meant being killed trying to leave or being arrested once he reached Belgian soil.”

The New York Times: Bolton Warns Of ‘Terrible Consequences’ For Those Doing Business With Iran

“The Trump administration issued a stark warning to the United States’ closest European allies on Tuesday, promising to sharply penalize European governments or companies that continue to do business with Iran. “We do not intend to allow our sanctions to be evaded by Europe or anybody else,” John R. Bolton, the national security adviser, said in a speech Tuesday at a forum sponsored by a group intensely critical of the Iran nuclear accord. Mr. Bolton promised “terrible consequences” for anyone who continues to do business with Iran after Nov. 4, the day the United States will reinstate the remaining sanctions it had lifted under the deal. Many European countries, including Britain, France and Germany, have announced their intention to continue doing business with Iran. The European Union has passed a law forbidding European companies from complying with American sanctions. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said at the same forum that the Trump administration was “disturbed and deeply disappointed” by plans announced Monday night by Britain, France, Germany and other countries committed to the Iran nuclear accord to create an unspecified economic channel that would be protected from American sanctions.”

Progress Online: Big Tech And Extremism: From Dream To Nightmare?

“Like the investment banks, today’s big tech is focused on profit at the expense of its responsibility to society. Our research at the Counter Extremism Project has uncovered how tech companies fail to enforce their terms of use, which forbid their platforms being used to promote terrorism or incite violence. For example, we developed a web-crawler to search YouTube for known extremist content. Using a set of 229 previously-identified ISIS videos to compare against, and our e-GLYPH hashing technology, we found videos in that set had been uploaded 1,348 times, and were viewed 163,391 times. But what is needed are not so much new restrictions on content, but the impartial and transparent application of existing law and the companies’ own terms of service. They already claim that their platforms ban terrorism, incitement, and violent extremism. What is required is for some of the richest companies in the world to start enforcing their own standards.”

The New York Times: Face Paint, Balloons And ‘White Power’: German Neo-Nazis Put On A Pretty Face

“The children came colorfully dressed to the family festival. They tumbled around an inflatable bounce house and in neon-colored sacks, wearing face paint and bright smiles. Scattered amid the children’s games and guitar-strumming folk singers, though, were unwelcoming messages. “Stop the asylum flood” on a brochure. “Asylum traitors not welcome” on a T-shirt. “White Power” on an album. This was the eighth annual Eichsfeld Day, a gathering of the National Democratic Party, which is a political party of avowed neo-Nazis better known as the NPD. Recent violent demonstrations in the eastern German city of Chemnitz drew worldwide attention. In Germany, they set off a new round of soul-searching over identity, immigration and an emboldened far right.”

United States
KALB: Ft. Polk Soldier Sentenced Over 11 Years For Illegally Manufacturing, Using Chemical Weapon

“A Fort Polk soldier was sentenced on Monday to 135 months in prison for manufacturing and detonating a chemical weapon in the Kisatchie National Forest adjacent to the Fort Polk Army installation. Ryan Keith Taylor, 24, of New Llano, Louisiana, was sentenced for producing, possessing, and using a chemical weapon in violation of federal law. He was also sentenced to five years of supervised release. According to the June 11, 2018, guilty plea, Taylor detonated an explosive device containing chlorine gas on the morning of April 12, 2017, in the Kisatchie National Forest near Fort Polk. Three U.S. Army soldiers who were conducting a training exercise nearby heard the explosions and found Taylor standing near his vehicle filming the explosion with his cell phone. They then questioned Taylor and reported the incident to military police. Upon arriving at the site of the explosion, Fort Polk military police investigators examined the scene and began collecting samples at the blast site. One investigator filled a plastic bag with a rock coated in an unknown substance. The bag immediately popped, and the investigator’s plastic gloves and boots began to melt. He also began to experience difficulty breathing and his skin started burning. Law enforcement later detained Taylor at Fort Polk and searched his vehicle. During the search, investigators found remnants of the explosive device and chlorine residue, which one investigator inhaled and touched, causing him to be hospitalized.”

Syria
CNN: Russia Upgrades Syria's Defense System In Blow To Israel

“Russia will upgrade Syria's air defense system after a series of statements over the past week chastising Israel for the downing of a Russian aircraft. The move, announced by the Russian Defense Ministry on Monday, has drawn criticism from Israel, which regularly conducts airstrikes in Syria against what it says are Iranian targets. In a tweet Monday, United States National Security Adviser John Bolton called the Syrian government's purchase of Russia's S-300 air defense missiles "a significant escalation." Russia's Defense Ministry has said the system would be transferred to Syria in the next two weeks. The ministry said that Israel was "solely" to blame for bringing down the IL-20 aircraft last week. The plane was inadvertently shot down by Syrian forces during an Israeli airstrike in the Syrian coastal province of Latakia. Russia's military accused Israel of maneuvering its aircraft to use a Russian plane "as cover," putting it in the line of fire of Syria's antiaircraft system. Russia's military also said that Israel provided misleading information about the airstrike over a military hotline. The two countries follow a de-confliction mechanism, keeping each other informed about their military actions in the country.”

Haaretz: What Russia And Turkey Really Want In Syria

“Tensions between Israel and Russia hit fever pitch in recent days as Russia officially blamed Israel for the downing of a Russian airplane over Syria. The two countries, with Turkey, the U.S. and Iran in the mix, have carefully tip-toed around one another for years in order to avoid this very situation. But, as the war winds down each of the different world powers in Syria begin to reveal their endgame, with Russia and Turkey poised to reshape Syria's future. Here’s a look at the conflicting objectives of countries near and far with a stake in Syria’s future, as Idlib holds its breath and the seven-year civil war approaches a likely end. When it comes to Syria’s future, Russia is in the driver’s seat. Russian forces turned the tide in the international fight against Islamic State extremists — and then Moscow clinched victory for Syrian President Bashar Assad by sending warplanes, generals and alleged mercenaries to cripple and dissipate the Syrian rebellion. After reshaping the Syrian battlefield, Russia is now trying to design the peace. Its unlikely alliance with Turkey and Iran has sidelined or subsumed parallel Western peace efforts.”

Iran
The Wall Street Journal: Europe’s Bad Iran Bet

“President Trump will lead a United Nations Security Council session Wednesday on weapons of mass destruction and Iran, and European leaders are signaling that they’re more than willing to disagree with the U.S. Meanwhile, Europeans are looking for ways to duck U.S. financial sanctions—without much success. On Monday European Commission foreign-affairs chief Federica Mogherini unveiled a new “special-purpose vehicle” to facilitate trade with Iran after U.S. sanctions go back into effect in November. Restoring Iran’s access to the global financial system and trade was a central plank of the 2015 nuclear pact. Ms. Mogherini and the three European co-signers of the deal—Germany, France and Britain—have been scrambling to keep those commercial benefits and they view trade as the main carrot for Tehran to comply. Recent months have shown what a diplomatic mistake this has been. European companies have withdrawn from Iran to avoid U.S. sanctions, despite the European Union’s so-called blocking statute barring compliance with this U.S. pressure. Access to the U.S. market and financial system are too important no matter how noisily European diplomats complain about the Trump Administration.”

Reuters: Pompeo Criticizes EU Plan For Special Iran Payment Channel

“The European Union’s plans for a “special purpose vehicle” (SPV) designed to circumvent U.S. sanctions against Iran’s oil exports is deeply counterproductive, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Tuesday. “Unfortunately, just last night I was disturbed and indeed deeply disappointed to hear remaining parties in the Iran (nuclear) deal announce they are setting up a special payment system to bypass U.S. sanctions. This is one of the most counterproductive measures imaginable for regional global peace and security,” Pompeo said at conference. “By sustaining revenues to the regime you are solidifying Iran’s ranking as (the) No. 1 state sponsor of terror.”

Human Rights Watch: Iran: Targeting Of Dual Citizens, Foreigners

“Iran’s security apparatus has escalated its targeting of Iranian dual citizens and foreign nationals whom they perceive to have links with Western academic, economic, and cultural institutions, Human Rights Watch said today. Human Rights Watch has documented and reviewed the cases of 14 dual or foreign nationals whom Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) Intelligence Organization has arrested since 2014. In many cases courts have charged them with cooperating with a “hostile state” without revealing any evidence. People interviewed about the cases said they believed that in the cases of those targeted, authorities perceived these individuals shared an ability to facilitate relationships between Iran and Western entities outside the control of Iranian security agencies. “At a time when Iran was getting ready to open its door to international trade and cultural exchanges, security authorities were apparently throwing in prison some of the people best suited to rebuild relationships with the international community,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “This targeted campaign against foreign and dual nationals sends a threatening message to Iranian expatriates and foreigners interested in working in Iran, that their knowledge and expertise are a liability if they visit the country.”

Haaretz: Iran Video Threatens Missile Strikes On UAE, Saudi Capitals

“An Iranian media outlet close to the country’s hard-line Revolutionary Guards published a video Tuesday threatening the capitals of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates with missile attacks, further raising regional tensions after a weekend militant attack on a military parade in Iran. The video tweeted and later deleted by the semi-official Fars news agency comes as Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei blamed Riyadh and Abu Dhabi for the attack in the city of Ahvaz on Saturday, which killed at least 25 people and wounded over 60. The threat amplifies the unease felt across the greater Persian Gulf, which is seeing Iran’s economy upended in the wake of America’s withdrawal from Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers and Saudi and Emirati forces bogged down in their yearslong war in Yemen. Meanwhile, Iranian officials on Tuesday identified the five men who carried out the parade attack, which authorities have blamed on Arab separatists. At least two of the men identified have appeared in a video distributed by the Islamic State group in its own claim of responsibility for the Ahvaz attack. This further complicates the process of determining who exactly was behind the assault. The Fars video shows file footage of previous ballistic missile attacks launched by the Guards, then a graphic of a sniper rifle scope homing in on Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia.”

Irish Times: Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Vow Revenge For Humiliating Attack

“Soldiers in dress uniform lay prone in the street. Others, apparently heavily armed, faced the assailants, then threw themselves to the ground without firing back. Some just ran for their lives. Captured on video and widely shared on social media, the attack over the weekend on an Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps parade in Iran was a humiliating blow. A local Arab separatist group claimed responsibility, but Iran said the perpetrators were backed by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the United States. On Monday, Iranian officials vowed revenge against all three countries and Israel. The attack has escalated tensions between Iran and the Persian Gulf states and their US allies. The Trump White House has taken a hard line against Iran, withdrawing from a nuclear agreement and imposing sanctions that have damaged Iran’s flailing economy. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have clashed with Iran over Yemen, Qatar and Syria. The attack on Saturday in Ahvaz killed at least 25 people, including some children and other civilians who had been among the spectators, according to Iran’s state news agency, IRNA, and a dozen members of the elite Revolutionary Guards.”

The New Arab: Iran Says 'Jihadist Separatists' Behind Attack As Probe Points To ISIS

“Iran on Tuesday identified the perpetrators of a deadly attack on a military parade as "jihadist separatists", announcing a series of arrests and appearing to tie the Islamic State group to the bloodshed. The intelligence ministry published photos of the five men it said carried out the assault on Saturday in the southwestern city of Ahvaz that killed at least 24 people, including a four-year-old child and other civilians. "The five members of a terrorist squad affiliated to jihadist separatist groups supported by Arab reactionary countries were identified," the ministry said in a statement. "The terrorists' hideout was found and 22 people involved (in the attack) were arrested," it said, adding that explosives were seized along with military and communications equipment. The attack targeted a parade in Khuzestan province commemorating the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war The border region, which has a large ethnic Arab community, was a major battleground of the conflict and saw ethnic unrest in 2005 and 2011. Iranian officials initially blamed Arab separatists, who they claimed were behind previous unrest, for the latest attack, saying they were backed by Gulf Arab allies of the United States. This version was bolstered when a movement called "Ahwaz National Resistance", an Arab separatist group, claimed responsibility shortly after the assault. But the Islamic State group (IS) was also quick to claim responsibility and later posted a video of men it said were the attackers. Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Monday linked the attackers to Iraq and Syria, where IS once had major strongholds.”

The Washington Examiner: Pompeo: European Allies Are Financing Iranian Terrorism

“European allies are adopting policies that will help Iran finance terrorism, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo charged Tuesday as he condemned new efforts to preserve the 2015 nuclear deal. “This is one of the most counterproductive measures imaginable for regional and global peace and security,” Pompeo told an audience of regime critics on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. President Trump withdrew from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal in part to deprive the regime of economic relief that the administration believes is being used to fund terrorism and military activities in Yemen and Syria. But the other parties of the deal — especially the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the European Union — credit the pact with defusing a nuclear crisis. Those countries announced a plan late Monday to facilitate business with the regime despite the looming threat of U.S. sanctions, which Pompeo criticized.”

Iraq
The Mainchi: After IS: Yazidi Woman Sold As Slave By Islamic State Struggled To Protect Her Children

“In a town in the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan here, there lies an open field crowded with makeshift homes made of concrete blocks and plastic sheets, the area littered with garbage. "There is no future for us living here," said 31-year-old Laila Twalo Khidher, a member of the Kurdish Yazidi religious minority who gave the Mainichi Shimbun permission to use her real name in this article. Like others belonging to the group, she ended up in the town after being driven from her home by the so-called Islamic State (IS) militant group. She lives with her son Salar, 6, and her daughter Sara, 5. Laila is from Sinjar, an area home to a large Yazidi community close to the Syrian border. On Aug. 3, 2014, IS fighters launched a series of surprise attacks on the local villages, and Laila tried to escape by car with her children. However, they were stopped by bearded men with guns and taken prisoner. For the next nine months or so, the family was moved from one school or prison in IS-held territory to another. Laila had been separated from her husband Marwan, then 30, but was allowed to see him again after agreeing to convert to Islam. Then one day, all the Yazidi men were rounded up and taken away -- Marwan included. Laila and her children were then taken to the IS "capital" of Raqqa, Syria, where she was put on sale at a slave market. She says that virgins fetched especially high prices. She made sure not to wash and smeared mud on her children, hoping to make all of them unappealing.”

The Washington Post: The U.S. And Iran Are Competing To Shape Iraq’s New Government. Both Are Failing.

“American and Iranian officials have taken unusually visible roles in trying to influence the makeup of the new Iraqi government, but both sides have so far come up short, failing to place their allies in key positions. Since Iraq held national elections in May, White House envoy Brett McGurk and Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, chief of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps’ elite Quds Force, have competed with each other to assemble support behind their favorites for parliament speaker, president and prime minister. McGurk and Soleimani have both spent much of the past few months meeting with powerful Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish politicians in rival bids to build a parliamentary majority. “That foreign influence has canceled itself out,” said Abbas Kadhim, an Iraqi historian and political analyst. “At the end of the day, the U.S. and Iran work against each other, and they both made each other fail in getting what they want.” After previous Iraqi elections, the United States and Iran engaged in furious backroom dealmaking until both sides were satisfied with the selection of prime minister, Kadhim said. “All prime ministers were prime ministers agreed to by both the U.S. and Iran,” he said. But this year, American and Iranian officials have been unable to find their footing in shaping Iraq’s incoming government. The Iraqi political scene has been roiled by a boiling over of public frustration with government incompetence and by the bellicose rhetoric between Washington and Tehran. Soleimani has been spending his time urging Shiite parties to set aside their differences and merge to form a parliamentary majority, thus winning the right to nominate the next prime minister. Soleimani has long been involved in the country’s Shiite politics and with armed groups backed by Iran.”

Iraqi News: Two Islamic State Members Killed In U.S.-Coalition Airstrike, West Of Kirkuk

“Two Islamic State members were killed in an airstrike carried out by the U.S.-led Coalition, west of Kirkuk, a security source said on Tuesday. Speaking to Baghdad Today website, the source said, “the strike targeted a hideout, where militants were hiding on the banks of Tigris river near Sobeih village, west of Kirkuk.” Two militants were killed, according to the source. Last week, the Iraqi Interior Ministry said two prominent Islamic State leaders were arrested in Hawija.Two people were killed, while a civilian was injured on Saturday in an attack carried out by Islamic State in a village in Hawija. Islamic State continues to launch sporadic attacks across Iraq against troops. Security reports indicate that the militant group still poses threat against stability in the country. The group still has dormant cells, through which it carries out attacks, across Iraq like it used to do before 2014. Thousands of Islamic State militants as well as Iraqi civilians were killed since the government campaign, backed by paramilitary troops and the coalition was launched in October 2016. In December, the Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi announced gaining control on all the territories that were captured by Islamic State, since 2014.”

Afghanistan
Khaama Press: U.S. Airstrike Target Taliban’s IED Factory In Paktia Province

“The U.S. forces in Afghanistan have carried out an airstrike on Taliban factory which was used to manufacture improvised explosive devices, the local officials said. The provincial government media office in a statement said late on Monday that the airstrike was carried out in the vicinity of Mamozai the airstrikes. area of Zurmat district. The statement further added that the IED manucfacturing factory was destroyed and two militants were killed during. According to the provincial government, the two militants killed in the airstrike were IED experts and were identified as Hekmatullah and Hamas. Hundreds of kilograms of explosives, equipments, and spares used in landmines were destroyed during the airstrike, the provincial government added. Taliban and other militants often use IED as the weapon of their choice to target the security forces and government but in majority of such attacks ordinary civilians are targeted, besides such attacks often claims the lives of the militants as well. The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) in its latest report stated that 1,692 civilians were killed in the first six months of 2018. According to UNAMA, the use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in attacks by Anti-Government Elements remained the leading cause of civilian casualties. “The combined use of suicide and non-suicide IEDs caused nearly half of all civilian casualties. Continuing trends first documented last year by UNAMA, the majority of IED casualties were caused by suicide and complex attacks, which again were responsible for record high civilian casualties, resulting in 1,413 civilian casualties (427 deaths and 986 injured), a 22 per cent increase,” UNAMA said.”

Yemen
Asharq Al-Awsat: UK Expresses Concerns Over Houthi Persecution Of Baha’i Community In Yemen

“The UK expressed deep concern over the collective trial of the Baha'i community in Yemen's Houthi-held areas. “The UK is deeply concerned by reports that the Houthi authorities in Sanaa, Yemen, have held a mass trial of members of Yemen’s Baha’i community. 24 people – including eight women and a child – are facing charges that could result in death sentences,” a statement issued by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office said. “The persecution of members of the Baha’i community in areas of Yemen under Houthi control due to their religious beliefs is a serious violation of international human rights law. New cases of arbitrary detention and continuing reports of the abuse of detainees by the Houthis are deeply concerning, and we wholly condemn this mistreatment. Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion and Belief,” Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon said. “We are working closely with our partners to raise these concerns directly with the Houthi authorities and press for the release of detained individuals. We also call on our partners to take a strong stance on this matter during the Human Rights Council this week,” he added.”

Al Jazeera: HRW Accuses Yemen's Houthis Of Torturing Prisoners

“Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused Yemen's Houthi rebels of torture, hostage-taking, and other serious abuses against people in their custody. The New York-based watchdog said in a report released on Tuesday that it had documented 16 cases of illegal imprisonment by the rebels, "in large part to extort money from relatives or to exchange them for people held by opposing forces". "Houthi officials have treated detainees brutally, often amounting to torture," HRW said, adding that former detainees described being beaten with iron rods, wooden sticks, and assault rifles. It said prisoners were shackled to walls, caned, and threatened with rape, noting that hostage-taking "is a serious violation of the laws of war and a war crime". Former detainees described terrible conditions in Houthi custody: poor hygiene, limited access to toilets, which caused some to defecate on themselves; and lack of food and healthcare. "Some Houthi officials are exploiting their power to turn a profit through detention, torture, and murder," HRW's Middle East director Sarah Leah Whitson said. The Association of Mothers of Abductees, a group run by Yemeni women who advocate for their arrested or disappeared civilian relatives, sent HRW accounts from 10 cases in which Houthi officials demanded money as a condition for release. According to the association, which holds regular public protests, nine families paid. Houthi officials released only three of the men, including one in a prisoner exchange for Houthi fighters.”

Al Jazeera: Emirati Official: UAE Will Support UN Proposal For Talks On Yemen

“An Emirati official has said the United Arab Emirates will support UN proposals for new peace talks on Yemen. UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash tweeted on Tuesday: "very productive discussions on Yemen today in NY with Special Envoy Martin Griffiths. Reaffirmed our strong support for UN-led political process after Geneva setback. Will fully support UN proposals for new talks soon".The comments come just two weeks after UN-sponsored peace talks collapsed before they could officially start and as a Saudi-UAE led alliance advances on densely populated areas of the Houthi-held Hodeidah city. The failed talks, which would have been the first in nearly two years, were scheduled to take place in the Swiss city of Geneva on September 6 but the Houthi delegation failed to arrive, accusing the Saudi-UAE alliance fighting in Yemen of blocking them from travelling. Fighting has since intensified in the war-ravaged country, most significantly with a fresh offensive to retake the strategic western city of Hodeidah from the Houthis. The UN has spent the past few weeks scrambling to mediate between the warring sides, with Martin Griffiths, the UN special envoy for Yemen, holding separate, face-to-face talks with the Yemeni government and Houthi rebels.”

Lebanon
Associated Press: Lebanon’s Parliament Approves Arms Trade Treaty , Angering Hezbollah

“Lebanon’s Parliament has ratified the international Arms Trade Treaty, angering Hezbollah legislators, some of whom walked out in protest. The 2014 treaty seeks to regulate international trade in conventional arms and prevent illicit trade. Hezbollah legislator Ali Ammar walked out of the Parliament on Tuesday, saying it “infringes on the weapons of the resistance.” After Lebanon's 15-year civil war ended in 1990, Hezbollah was allowed to keep its weapons since it was fighting Israeli forces occupying parts of southern Lebanon. Hezbollah today has a massive arsenal including tens of thousands of rockets and missiles. The group sent thousands of its fighters to Syria to fight along President Bashar Assad's forces. Prime Minister designate Saad Hariri said after the treaty was approved that it has nothing to do with Hezbollah’s weapons.”

Middle East
Al Jazeera: Bahrain Charges 169 For Forming Another 'Hezbollah'

“Bahrain has detained and accused 169 people of forming "Bahrain's Hezbollah", a local version of the armed Shia group based in Lebanon. The announcement follows scores of arrests and harsh penalties imposed in the Western-allied Gulf state on defendants accused of armed rebellion, while activists say they are peaceful opposition members. The small but strategic Arab kingdom has been dogged by persistent low-level violence since 2011 when its Sunni-minority rulers violently suppressed Shia activist-led protests for a constitutional monarchy with an elected prime minister. Authorities have repeatedly accused Iran and its allies, including Hezbollah, of fomenting the unrest, a charge denied by Tehran. Attorney General Ahmad al-Hamadi said 169 people, 111 of whom are in custody, will be tried for "forming a terrorist organisation ... under the name Bahrain Hezbollah", in collaboration with Iranian intelligence services. Hamadi did not specify when the trial would open or when the defendants were arrested. It was also not clear if they had legal counsel. He said some of the detainees were accused of travelling abroad to receive training in weapons and explosives from Iran and its regional allies. Analysts have expressed scepticism about previous Bahraini allegations of Iranian and Hezbollah involvement.”

Nigeria
Voice Of America: Cameroon’s Nigerian Refugees Return To School As Boko Haram Worries Fade

“Nigerian refugee children have returned to schools on Cameroon’s northern border as the threat of attacks from Boko Haram Islamist militants has reduced. But some feel it is still not safe enough to return home. On a bright Monday morning at the government primary school in the Minawao Refugee Camp, thousands of children gather for their morning assembly. They pray and listen to news about their school, the camp, their host country Cameroon, and their country of origin — Nigeria. They are among some 75,000 Nigerians, most of them women and children, who fled Boko Haram Islamists to live along Cameroon’s northern border. But even inside the refugee camp, the fear of Boko Haram attacks kept school enrollment last year to around 10,000 children. Many students were too traumatized to study while security forces also worried the militants could infiltrate the schools.”

Daily Nigerian: At UN, Buhari Reveals Why Boko Haram Attacks Increase

“President Muhammadu Buhari Tuesday in New York unfolded Nigeria’s positions on international matters before the global audience. Presenting Nigeria’s National Statement during the opening day of the General Debate of the 73rd Session of the United Nation’s General Assembly (UNGA73), the President first paid glowing tributes to the late seventh UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, for his invaluable contributions to global peace. According to him, “We in Africa, while mourning the loss of this great son of ours and citizen of the world, take pride in the way he served humanity in a truly exemplary manner. He demonstrated, in his calm but determined manner, the virtues of compassion, dedication to the cause of justice, fairness and human rights. He was a visionary leader who inspired hope even in the face of the most daunting challenges. He devoted his entire life’s career to the UN and the pursuit of its ideals and goals. The world is indeed a better place thanks to his exemplary service.”

Somalia
MENAFN: Somalia: 35 Al-Shabaab Militants Die In Clashes

“Officials declared that up to al-Shabab militants have died as many more were wounded after clashes between Somali national military, supported by African Union forces, and the militants in Qoryoley, a town in lower Shabelle region, in southern Somalia. Qoryoley Deputy Governor Abdi Ahmed Ali confirmed that one Somali trooper has died as two more were wounded amid intense battle with the militants overnight. He added: "Our forces killed 35 al-Shabab militants and injured several others after defeating the enemy who attacked the town." "We had prior intelligence that the terrorists are going to attack us and this caused more casualties on the enemy side," according to Ali."

Africa
Daily Nation: Imam Among 11 Arrested Over Al-Shabaab Links

“Police in Nanyuki, Laikipia County, have arrested 11 men on suspicion that they are linked to terror group Al-Shabaab. Laikipia East Police Commander Kizito Mutoro said the suspects were handed over to the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) after they were interrogated at Nanyuki Police Station for two days. “We received information that 40 suspicious people were being taken through Madrassa classes in Kabiru, which neighbours Nanyuki military barracks, last weekend," he said. "The suspects were being taken through sessions so as to convert to Islam. After questioning them, we eliminated 11 adults and handed 29 children to their parents." The 11, who included the mosque’s Imam, were first taken to Isiolo town by the ATPU officers as police widened their scope on clergymen who could be involved in radicalisation programmes. Mr Mutoro said those found at the Kabiru Mosque were from 14 communities and that none of those arrested hails from Laikipia. “We have to be keen since we cannot tell the reason for gathering individuals from across the country to undergo religious teachings here, “said the police boss. He added that the arrested Imam is not registered with the Council of Imams, the body that registers Madrassa teachers.”

Agence France Presse: At Least 12 Dead In Mali Attack Near Nigeria: Sources

“At least 12 Touareg civilians died Tuesday in an attack by gunmen in eastern Mali, a region hit by chronic unrest between local tribes and jihadist militants, sources said. About 200 people, many of them civilians from the Fulani and Tuareg tribes have been killed in the area this year as militants claiming allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) clash with local groups backing a French security force and the Malian army. The attack took place 45 kilometres west of Menaka according to a local official, a security source, and a statement by ex-rebels in the Movement for the Salvation of Azawad (MSA). "Armed men on motorcycles killed at least 12 civilians," the official told AFP, citing a resident of the town who claimed to have seen the bodies. The official, who asked to remain anonymous, added that "for now we do not know exactly who did it. I don't know if it was the result of a dispute between tribes or a terrorist act." The security source said some of his sources spoke of 12 dead, while others put the toll at 16. The MSA statement said "armed individuals on motorcycles had executed 17 civilians" from two Tuareg camps. Mali's unrest stems from a 2012 Tuareg separatist uprising which was exploited by jihadists in order to take over key cities in the north. The extremists were largely driven out in a French-led military operation launched in January 2013.”

Germany
CNN: Germany Convicts Member Of Western-Backed Syrian Opposition For 'War Crimes'

“A German court sentenced a member of a Western-backed Syrian armed opposition group on Monday to life imprisonment for "war crimes," according to court documents. The convict, identified as Ibrahim A., was found guilty of "torture and killing persons protected under international humanitarian law" as well as "murder, extortionist kidnapping and the commission of war crimes under the International Criminal Code." The 43-year-old commanded a 150-member armed group known as Ghoraba as-Sham which operated under the Free Syrian Army (FSA) umbrella group, according to court documents. Over the course of Syria's nearly eight-year war, Western nations have aided and trained members of the FSA, who have been considered "moderate opposition" amid a rebel landscape that has become increasingly dominated by extremists such as ISIS and al Qaeda. The FSA, which began as a group of Syrian soldiers and officers who defected from the Syrian army, is an association of over a dozen rebel groups fighting the Russian-backed government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The group has taken over whole neighborhoods, and sometimes cities and provinces, during the war. Many FSA-held territories have been recaptured by Syrian government troops over the years.”

Europe
France 24: Jihadists, But No Terror Attacks: The Case Of Italy

“Italy is regularly named as a target by the Islamic State (IS) group and has been confronted with the presence of jihadists for several years. An estimated 130 foreign fighters have left Italy to join the IS group in Iraq and Syria. Does the geographical location of the country make Italy a crossroads for jihadists? Are there specific features to jihadist activity in Italy? Our correspondents report.”

Rudaw: ISIS Widow Tells Native Belgium: ‘I Made A Mistake, Take Me Home’

“Kasandra Bodagh, a Belgian national who moved to Syria to live under the Islamic State (ISIS), now admits she made a mistake and wants her native country to take her back. Bodagh describes her journey into Syria from Turkey, her early doubts, and the culture of fear in Raqqa during her four years in the de facto ISIS capital. Eventually, following the death of her husband – a bomb maker – Bodagh was able to surrender to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). She now lives in a camp controlled by the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ). Rudaw: First of all I want to know how did you hear about the Daesh organization. And how did you join it? You are originally from Belgium and you had a dream to establish an Islamic state in the Middle East. Kasandra Bodagh: My husband was in to jihad and the Islamic faith for a while. Then he wanted to take jihadist path. One of his friends had gone to Syria and then contacted my husband, telling him: ‘We want you to come to Syria.’ He guided him through what to do. Then my husband went to Turkey and from there to Syria. After one month, I went to Syria as well.”

Asia
The Washington Times: Recognizing the threat of the new Central Asian jihad

“Last July 29, five terrorists in Tajikistan rammed a car into a group of seven Western cyclists and then attacked them with knives. Four of the killed cyclists included a couple from Washington, D.C., who were on a worldwide cycling adventure. The other fatalities were males from Switzerland and the Netherlands, and three others were wounded. The Islamic State (also known as ISIS or ISIL) claimed responsibility for the attack, releasing a video showing the attackers pledging allegiance to the group. This was the first terrorist assault by local ISIS adherents against Western tourists in Tajikistan, who were part of the terrorist group’s regional branch, which is known as IS-Khorasan (IS-K). As explained by Antonio Giustozzi in this important and extensively detailed account, the IS-K envisions Khorasan as the Islamic State’s regional caliphate, encompassing Afghanistan, Pakistan, Central Asia, Iran, parts of India and Russia. Even China is not immune, as an IS-K suicide bomber attacked the Chinese Embassy in Bishkek, Kyrgkystan, on Aug. 30, 2016, which was also intended to attract Chinese Uyghur jihadists to join its ranks. The IS-K first emerged in Afghanistan in 2014 as part of the Islamic State’s ambition to overtake al Qaeda as the world’s pre-eminent jihadi terrorist group.”

Technology
Merion West: When Facebook Spills Blood

“A common response to concerns about our digital darkness—Russian astroturf campaigns, psychographic targeting, and “fake news”—is that social media is just a noise machine with limited impact. But a massacre in Burma shows that the opposite is true. If we are going to combat extremist violence, we need to acknowledge that a new front has opened in the information war. Last summer, Burmese government troops and militia members swarmed into Rohingya villages on the country’s western coast. Aid giant Doctors Without Borders reported that several thousand ethnic Muslims were murdered, including over 700 infants and young children. More than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled their homes and become refugees since the attacks. New reporting shows that this violence was fueled by poorly-monitored Facebook posts. Facebook should have known better. In fact, in 2014, Facebook performed extensive testing to prove that what its users see and read influences how they think and feel. The social network famously worked with researchers to manipulate over half a million of its users’ news feeds, later tracking how the tone of their unwitting subjects’ posts and online conversation shifted. The study proved “emotional contagion”: people who saw happier posts tended to say happier things on the platform, and those exposed to what the study called “negative emotional content” tended to say more pessimistic things. In poor countries, this problem is exacerbated by the social network’s monopoly power. As the world’s largest social media platform with a market cap in the hundreds of billions of dollars, Facebook relies on acquiring new users developing countries.”

The Wall Street Journal: Facebook’s Messing With Instagram Prompted Co-Founders’ Departure

“When Facebook Inc. FB -0.30% bought Instagram in 2012, the app’s executives say, they operated under a simple understanding with the parent company: “Don’t mess with Instagram.” Over the past year, that began to change. Instagram’s co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger frequently clashed with Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg over a range of issues, including the extent to which Messrs. Systrom and Krieger could chart their own course, according to people familiar with the relationship. The co-founders also were upset about some product tweaks to the photo-sharing app that seemed designed to promote Facebook growth at Instagram’s expense, some of the people said. Many Instagram executives were caught off guard in May when a management shake-up appeared to give Mr. Systrom less access to Mr. Zuckerberg, according to a person familiar with the matter. Until then, Mr. Systrom often discussed product plans directly with Mr. Zuckerberg. The change appeared to insert a layer between Messrs. Systrom and Zuckerberg, the person said.”

Terrorist Financing
Al-Hayat: Egypt: Terrorist Entities’ Funds Seizure Committee Confiscates Assets Of Local Newspaper

“Accompanied by officials from the state committee tasked with confiscating and managing the funds and assets of the entities and persons classified as "terrorist," police forces yesterday stormed the offices of the Almesryoon newspaper in Cairo. This step was intended to take over the head office of the Cairo-based newspaper, based on a decision issued by the said committee earlier this month. It's noteworthy that the terrorist entities' funds seizure committee had earlier decided to freeze the properties of Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated persons (1,589), companies (118), NGOs (1,133), schools (104), hospitals (69) and online newspapers (33), including the Almesryoon newspaper. In a previous official statement, the committee claimed it had obtained accurate evidence {revealing} that Muslim Brotherhood leaders were plotting to replenish the organization’s financial resources and use them to finance terrorism.”

Muslim Brotherhood
Elfagr: Financial Expert: Muslim Brotherhood Still Carries Clout In The Investment Sector

“Mohammed Jaballah, a financial market specialist, described last week as a "sad week" for the Cairo Stock Exchange after losing EGP 77 billion ($4.3 billion) of its market capital. During an interview on Egyptian television, the expert explained that negative news sows panic and drives people to sell their share holdings. This is precisely what happened when the state committee tasked with confiscating and managing the funds and assets of the entities and persons classified as "terrorist" decided to freeze properties of certain Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated persons. In spite of this seizure decision, the outlawed Islamist group still has influence in all aspects of investments in Egypt, Jaballah claimed. The Muslim Brotherhood has {infected and} spread into everything in Egypt "just like cancer spreads," the financial specialist added.”

Gomhuria Online: Muslim Brotherhood-Linked Center Is Shut Down In Mauritania

“The Mauritanian Police, on Monday, shut down a center affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood in the Arafat Governorate in Southern Nouakchott. Local media sources revealed that the center, which is called "du Centre de Formation des Oulémas" (or the Center for the Formation of Imams), is chaired by Mohammed Hassan Ould Dedew, a prominent Islamic spiritual leader. The same sources added that the said Dedew promoted Muslim Brotherhood ideology during last Friday's sermon, which prompted security authorities to {summarily} close the center.”

Hezbollah
Alankabout: Beginning Of Tight US Financial Controls On Hezbollah?

“The discussions held a few days ago in Lebanon between Director of the FBI, Christopher Wray, and senior Lebanese officials were kept secret. There were no leaks of the contents of the talks, except for a public announcement that "Wray's visit comes as part of an effort to identify US partners in the fight against terrorism, smuggling and money laundering. Washington also plans to activate the FBI office at the US Embassy in Lebanon." Note that Hezbollah’s media have ignored the American official's visit. But with regard to the US interest in tracking the financial activity of Hezbollah in Lebanon and abroad, sources close to the issue are speaking about a significant development that occurred during the last few days in Washington and several Western capitals. The sources claim that these countries have imposed tight controls on all Western spending in Lebanon, whether related to aid or loans from international financial institutions such as the World Bank and others. Relevant officials in Lebanon were notified about the new rules of business that Westerners are seeking to adopt. These rules aim to monitor the route of aid and loans and their beneficiaries. The measure, which is the first of its kind, according to these sources, will forbid any party in Lebanon from being lenient towards anyone affiliated with Hezbollah.”

Houthi
Yemen Akhbar: Houthi Group Sells Gasoline At Black Market Prices

“The Houthi group has barred several filling stations from selling fuel to citizens in Sana’a. Meanwhile the group permits the stations owned by its leaders to sell fuel at black market prices. "We are surprised by the ban on gasoline sales imposed by Houthi militants, on the grounds that the situation has become so chaotic that they are acting to arrange matters to get rid of the {problem of the} lack of oil derivatives," said Abdullah al-Ra'i, a local fuel station attendant. Meanwhile, residents say that the Houthis have permitted only certain stations to sell, which has resulted in extremely long lines {to the gas pump}.”
__________________
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 02:50 AM.


Powered by vBulletin, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.