Eye on Extremism - June 22, 2021

[Boats]

Eye on Extremism - June 22, 2021
By: Counter Extremism Project 06-22-21
Re: info@counterextremism.com

As of June 22, 2021:

Associated Press: Taliban Take Key Afghan District, Adding To String Of Gains

“Taliban fighters took control of a key district in Afghanistan’s northern Kunduz province Monday and encircled the provincial capital, police said, as the insurgent group added to its recent battlefield victories while peace talks have stalemated. The Taliban’s gains came as the Pentagon reaffirmed the U.S. troop withdrawal was still on pace to conclude by early September. Fighting around Imam Sahib district began late Sunday and by midday Monday the Taliban had overrun the district headquarters and were in control of police headquarters, said Inamuddin Rahmani, provincial police spokesman said. Taliban militants were within a kilometer (.6 miles) of Kunduz, the provincial capital but had not entered into the city, he said, although there were reports of small bands of Taliban near the outskirts and residents trying to leave for Kabul. Dozens of districts have fallen to the Taliban since May 1, when U.S. and NATO troops began their final departure from Afghanistan. Like Imam Sahib district in northern Kunduz, their significance often lies in their proximity to roads and major cities. Imam Sahib is strategically located near Afghanistan’s northern border with Tajikistan, a key supply route from Central Asia.”

Reuters: Suicide Bomber Wounds French Troops In Central Mali

“A suicide bomber in a car attacked a French reconnaissance mission in central Mali on Monday, wounding six of the soldiers and four residents, the French army said. The state of the injured was not immediately clear. No group claimed responsibility for the attack. Islamist militant groups linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State operate in the area. “The detonation was so loud it blew out the windows of some houses,” said Moussa Ag Almouner, the mayor of the town of Gossi, near where the attack took place. “We still hear shots, planes flying over the place.” The attack comes as France winds down its 5,100-strong Barkhane military mission that has operated in West Africa's Sahel for years but struggled to uproot violent jihadist groups. About 55 French soldiers have died in the region since Paris intervened in 2013 to drive back al Qaeda-linked militants that had seized cities and towns in northern Mali a year earlier. Mali is in the middle of a political crisis. Malian army Colonel Assimi Goita this month took power following his overthrow of a second president in nine months. The French army said on Monday that the car laden with explosives detonated near a French military armoured vehicle. The wounded soldiers and residents were flown to hospital for treatment and air support was sent to help the ground forces in the area.”

United States

Homeland Security Today: Leaked Chats Show Ex-Marine Wants To Make Maine Safe Space For Neo-Nazis

“…According to the transcripts, provided by the Counter Extremism Project, Pohlhaus (who says he lives in Texas) and his followers see Maine as a perfect spot: already one of the whitest places in America, with favorable gun laws allowing them to arm up and prepare for the collapse of society. Inside a private chat room on Telegram—an app combining a secure messaging function and a publishing capability that allows it to work as a sort of Twitter knockoff, and is popular among the far-right—Pohlhaus and several others (under aliases) have discussed the merits of moving to one of America’s remotest states, and singled out specific areas of Maine for future settlement.”

Syria

Al Monitor: Islamic State Revives Religious Police In Northeast Syria

“The Islamic State’s religious police — known as Hesba — has made a comeback in the areas under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces in northeast Syria, spreading fear among the residents. The Hesba’s emergence comes as the SDF is preoccupied with events in Manbij in the eastern countryside of Aleppo and in the countryside of Hasakah. In early June, the Hesba called on all residents of the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor not to engage with the SDF and the US-led international coalition and to resign from the local councils of the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, threatening to kill anyone who violates their instructions. Hesba members stopped a taxi carrying women to work on farmland in the countryside of Deir ez-Zor and demanded they not wear makeup. They also called on all public transportation operators not to transport women who do not abide by a Sharia-compliant dress code. They threatened to burn the vehicles of violators or give them heavy fines. The forces also urged, through local intermediaries, all traders and farmers to pay the zakat (Islamic charity) to IS to avoid “severe” penalties. Orabi Abdel-Hay Orabi, a Syrian journalist specializing in Islamic and jihadist groups and residing in Turkey, told Al-Monitor, “IS has restructured its cells since mid-2019.”

Iraq

Voice Of America: Turkish Operation Increases Conflict Among Kurds In Iraq

“In recent weeks, Turkey has intensified its military operation against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) bases in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, leading to skirmishes and increased tensions between two significant armed Kurdish groups in the mountainous enclave. While the possibility of another Kurdish civil war such as the one Iraqi Kurds witnessed in the 1990s seems remote, the deaths of several Kurdish Peshmerga soldiers in an alleged PKK attack earlier this month have raised alarms among observers. The slain officers were affiliated with the Kurdistan Democratic Party, which rules the autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in the north. The source of the renewed tension, analysts say, is escalation by the Turkish military, which has deployed ground troops and sophisticated weapons such as drones, and pressured PKK militants to seek safer hideouts under the KRG's jurisdiction. The PKK blames the KRG for advancing its troops to areas long understood to be PKK zones.”

The National: Four Years After ISIS, Reconstruction Of Mosul Sites Remains A Priority

“Four years after Mosul’s Al Nuri Mosque was blown up by ISIS, the Iraqi government, the UN, the UAE and the EU remain committed to efforts to restore the city’s identity and cultural heritage. The 12th century mosque and its famous leaning minaret were destroyed by ISIS in 2017 as government forces closed in on the last fighters from the terrorist group that once controlled the city and much of north-west Iraq. “Four years after the destruction of Mosul, Unesco, the UAE and the European Union are working to safeguard the city’s heritage through the construction of landmark monuments,” said Unesco, the UN's cultural agency. “The heritage of Mosul is a history of the entire world. “We are restoring Al Hadba Minaret, which once defined the city’s skyline, and rebuilding Al Nuri Mosque complex as a haven of peace and reconciliation.” Unesco launched the project in 2018 to “revive the spirit of Mosul'' by focusing on restoring its religious heritage. Plans included rebuilding Al Nuri Mosque, the 800-year-old Al Tahera Church and Al Saa’a Monastery. The Emirates donated $50.4 million to fund the project, which will also create employment and training opportunities for local residents.”

Afghanistan

Foreign Policy: The Taliban Are Winning The War Of Words In Afghanistan

“As Afghanistan’s armed forces cede and regain ground in the searing summer offensive against the Taliban, they are losing a propaganda war that is affecting the morale of a fearful population waiting for reassurance that the insurgents won’t overrun their country. Over the weekend, Taliban militiamen stormed districts in the north of the country, furthering the widespread perception that the insurgents are winning against a government that lacks strategy and leadership. Since May 1, the Taliban have stormed 60 districts, with active fighting now going on in some 64 percent of Afghanistan’s territory, according to the Institute of War and Peace Studies, though eight districts have been retaken by Afghan forces. Security sources said that Afghan forces often retreat in order to save civilian lives. The Taliban onslaught, coupled with the looming withdrawal by Sept. 11 of the remaining U.S. troops, is escalating concerns that Afghan government forces may not be able to prevent Taliban battlefield gains without the presence of international forces. Close air support, in particular, has given ground forces the edge over their enemy but could be significantly curtailed with the withdrawal of U.S. troops and private contractors who work with the Afghan Air Force.”

The Defense Post: Taliban Say ‘Islamic System’ Only Way To Afghan Peace, Women’s Rights

“The Taliban said Sunday they remain committed to peace talks but insisted that a “genuine Islamic system” in Afghanistan was the only way to end the war and ensure rights — including for women. Talks between the militants and the Afghan government have been deadlocked for months and violence has surged across the country since May when the US military began its final withdrawal. Fears are also growing that if the Taliban return to power, they will reimpose their harsh version of Islamic law, under which girls were banned from school and women accused of crimes such as adultery were stoned to death in stadiums. Despite the rise in violence, Taliban co-founder and deputy leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar said Sunday that the group was committed to the peace talks. “Our very participation in the negotiations… indicates openly that we believe in resolving issues through (mutual) understanding,” Baradar said in a statement. He said the only way to end the conflict in Afghanistan was to establish an Islamic system after the departure of all foreign forces. “A genuine Islamic system is the best mean for solution of all issues of the Afghans,” Baradar said. His statement acknowledged the fears in Afghanistan and abroad about the kind of system that would emerge — and its impact on women — saying that fell “within the ambit of the intra-Afghan negotiations.”

Pakistan

The New York Times: First They Lace Up Their Skates. Then They Fight Terrorism.

“Syeda Aiman has learned to shoot while she skates. She isn’t a hockey player, but an officer on a counterterrorism unit in Pakistan. The 20-member unit carries out counterterrorism surveillance and community policing on in-line skates. It also has an equal number of male and female officers. Both facts are rarities in this city of at least 15 million, where the roads are crumbling and nearly every institution is male-dominated. Police officials say the unit, which first appeared in public in December, is a success. Critics call it a gimmick. But most Karachiites can at least agree that it’s been odd to see armed officers skating through their shopping malls. “It’s a new concept for the public,” Ms. Aiman, 25, said. “When we started skating we were excited, but also nervous about falling. But the fear goes away when you’re in the field.” To some degree, the unit is a response to a public relations crisis. Police departments in Pakistan are among the country’s “most widely feared, complained against and least trusted government institutions,” the advocacy group Human Rights Watch said in a 2016 report. Pakistan’s prime minister, Imran Khan, rose to power in 2018 in part by promising police reform.”

Middle East

The Times Of Israel: Arab Man Charged With Terror, Attempted Murder For Acre Stoning Attack

“An Acre man has been indicted on charges of attempted murder and terror for his role in violent rioting in the city last month. Habib Abu Habib, 41, is accused of throwing a stone at the head of Mordechai Katz from only a few feet away on the night of May 12, knocking him to the ground, where he was kicked and stoned before being rescued by locals and a police official who fired his gun into the air. Prosecutors say Abu Habib is seen on a video picking up the stone in the street, running at Katz and throwing it at him. He is also accused of taking part in the stoning of the car of another man in the city later that night. The rioting came amid intense ethnic violence that rocked Israeli cities for several days during the Operation Guardian of the Walls conflict in Gaza.”

Nigeria

The Punch Nigeria: We Killed 20 Suspected Terrorists In Borno –Army

“The Nigerian Army on Monday said its troops killed over 20 suspected members of Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province in Lambom forest, Borno State, on Sunday. The Director of Army Public Relations, Onyema Nwachukwu, disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists on Monday. He said troops in collaboration with the task force component of the air force carried out a simultaneous land and air offensive, penetrating deep into the forest. Aside from killing the insurgents, he said the troops also recovered weapons, including three anti-aircraft guns, three AK-47 rifles and two gun trucks, besides two other gun trucks destroyed by the troops. The statement, which was titled, ‘Troops neutralise several BHT/ISWAP terrorists in Lambom forest, capture heavy fire weapons,’ read, “Troops of Sector 2 Joint Task Force, North-East, Operation Hadin Kai, in conjunction with the air task force, on Sunday, inflicted heavy casualties on Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province terrorist groups, who were camping around Wartek in the general area of the Lambom forest.”

All Africa: Nigeria: NAF Kills Scores Of Insurgents In Borno

“Air strikes conducted by jet fighters and helicopter gunships of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) killed scores of insurgents in Lamboa in Kaga Local Government Area of Borno State. The air interdiction came as the Chief of Army Staff, Maj.Gen. Faruk Yahaya, visited wounded soldiers in Maiduguri and assured them of support of the army headquarters in meeting their health and welfare needs. Spokesman of the Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, confirmed that the air strikes were delivered by Alpha jets and helicopter gunships, killing scores of insurgents. A notorious ISWAP Logistic Commander, Modu Sullum, was also feared killed in the combat mission. Sulum was believed to be the mastermind of destructions of power transmission towers at Malanari along Maiduguri-Damaturu Highway and attacks on travellers in Auno and Jakana axis of the state. The terrorists, reportedly came in a convoy of eight gun trucks, preparatory to launch attacks in Lamboa. Following the development, the air force deployed fighter aircraft in collaboration with ground troops, decimating many of the terrorists. “I can confirm to you that we conducted successful air strikes in Borno Sunday afternoon”, he said.”

Africa

Voice Of America: Nearly 6,000 Displaced Return Home After Niger Jihadist Attacks

“Nearly 6,000 people who fled jihadist violence in 2015 have returned home to the town of Baroua in southeast Niger's troubled Diffa region, local authorities said Monday. They are the first group to go home as part of a operation to return people to 19 towns and villages in the region, which has been ravaged by jihadists from neighboring Nigeria. “It is a voluntary return of 1,187 households totaling 5,935 people” who returned on Sunday to Baroua, a town of some 15,000 near Lake Chad, said Yahaya Godi, a top official in the Diffa region. Between 8,000 and 10,000 people are expected to return to Baroua in total. State television showed images of around 20 trucks loaded with food, water, beds and building materials, with the returnees perched on top, arriving in Baroua. Diffa is home to 300,000 refugees and internally displaced people (IDPs) who have fled attacks by the Nigeria-based jihadist group Boko Haram and its breakaway faction Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), according to the UN. Niger's government gave the go-ahead for the return of IDPs “given positive changes in the (security) situation on the ground,” said Diffa regional governor Issa Lemine, who was in Baroua to welcome the returnees.”

The North Africa Journal: Sahel: Burkina Faso Army Raids Jihadist Bases, Kills Nearly Dozen Militants

“Burkina Faso soldiers killed 11 jihadists and destroyed three “terrorist” bases last week in security operations after the deadliest massacre in the country’s six-year jihadist insurgency, the army said Monday. The operation between June 14 and 16 targeted areas in the country’s east and “was based on specific intelligence, leading to the dismantling of terrorist bases,” the army staff said. It said three bases were destroyed in Nokortougou, Ouro Seni, and Bouraignima, 11 jihadists killed and arms, ammunition, motorcycles and communication equipment recovered. It said three improvised explosive devices were also discovered and destroyed last week. More than 7,000 people have fled northern Burkina Faso after the attack on the village of Solhan in early June left at least 132 people dead, according to the government. Local sources put the death toll at 160. The army had earlier said that “around 10 terrorists” had been “neutralised” during operations around Solhan between June 7 and 13. The Solhan attack is the deadliest since Burkina Faso’s jihadist insurgency emerged in 2015, leaving at least 1,400 dead and forcing an estimated one million people to flee their homes. The Sahel country has been hit by increasingly brutal attacks in recent years by groups affiliated with the Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda.”

United Kingdom

Yahoo News: Shamima Begum's Classmates: 'She Was The Cool Girl With A Terror Badge'

“Classmates of former Isis bride Shamima Begum have said she was a “cool girl” who wore a badge to signify her allegiance to the militant Islamic group. Begum, now 21, fled east London for Syria in 2015 with two friends – Kadiza Sultana and Amira Abase – and married a Dutch jihadi. She had three children, all of whom died of disease or malnutrition. In 2019, then home secretary Sajid Javid stripped Begum of her British citizenship after she said in an interview that the Manchester Arena bombing was “justified”. She has fought a long legal battle against the ruling, but the Supreme Court backed the move to strip her of her citizenship. Rabia – not her real name – remembers Begum and her friends from the corridors of Bethnal Green Academy, where they all studied. A shy girl from a Muslim background, Rabia was impressed by the confidence of the older girls, who also wore the hijab to school. “These were three girls we all kind of looked up to,” she said. “We saw them around, talking to teachers, talking to each other; so cool, so confident. “[I thought] I want to be like those cool hijabi girls.”

Canada

Global News: Ontario Man Pleads Guilty To Trying To Join ISIS, Charges Against Wife To Be Dropped

“An Ontario man admitted Monday he left Toronto with his wife almost two years ago to join the so-called Islamic State. At a court appearance in Brampton, Ont., Ikar Mao, 23, pleaded guilty to leaving Canada to participate in the activities of a terrorist group. But federal prosecutors dropped a second count against Mao, and also said they would be staying charges against his wife Haleema Mustafa. The couple left Canada together in 2019 and were caught near the Syrian border. Both had faced the same two terrorism charges after returning to Canada. “Mao undertook the trip to Turkey in July 2019 with the express purpose of crossing the border into Syria, and eventually moving to ISIS controlled territory,” according to an agreed statement of facts. “Mao did this with the intention of making himself available to ISIS and/or for the benefit of ISIS.” In a statement, the Public Prosecution Service of Canada said staying the charges against Mustafa was “appropriate in the circumstances given her role, the evidence against her, and the public safety protection assessment.” “The RCMP was consulted. Ms. Mustafa was in custody for approximately eight months pending resolution.” But the agreed facts also she had paid for most of the trip, having transferred more than $3,000 from her personal account to a join account shortly before they left Canada.”

PRI: For The First Time, Canada Applies Terrorism Charges To Acts Of Islamophobia

“Canadian man Nathaniel Veltman has been charged with murder in the case of the Azfaal family in London, Ontario. Veltman deliberately rammed his truck into them when they were out for a stroll in early June in what police called a premeditated attack. Four people were killed and a nine-year-old boy was injured. Now, for the first time in Canada, prosecutors say they plan to charge a person with terrorism in a case that involves an alleged Islamophobic act. Some legal experts say that adding the terrorism charge signals a shift in how Canada prosecutes those accused of terrorist activity. Canadian Muslims welcomed the news that Veltman would be charge with terrorism. “It says to the Muslim community, we value the Muslim community and we will push for accountability,” said Nawaz Tahir, a spokesperson for the London mosque. Terrorism has been a criminal offense in Canada since the 9/11 attacks on the United States. The law has been used almost exclusively to prosecute people with ties to Islamist groups. Tahir said that’s left many Muslims feeling frustrated. “The frustration is, well, when Canadian Muslims are being killed and it appears to be an act of terror, why haven't terrorism charges been used?” he said.”

New Zealand

NBC News: New Zealand Mosque Massacre Response Movie Sparks Fierce Backlash

“Plans for a Hollywood movie about New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s response to the Christchurch mosque attacks in 2019 have sparked fierce backlash after Muslim groups say the victims and survivors weren't consulted. “They Are Us” is expected to focus on Ardern's role during the mass shooting at a pair of Christchurch mosques, Al Noor and the Linwood Islamic Center. With a death toll of 51 people, it is the country’s deadliest terrorist attack. Ardern’s decisive response to the massacre was praised internationally. The film's title is taken from a line in a speech she gave in the wake of the attack, referring to the victims. Adern is set to be played by Australian actress Rose Byrne, according to Deadline. The killer, Australian white supremacist Brenton Harrison Tarrant, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in August 2020. But some members of New Zealand’s Muslim community, which is still grappling with the attack more than two years later, have expressed anger over both the film's reported narrative and its timing. The National Islamic Youth Association started an online petition, now with more than 72,000 signatures, calling on FilmNation Entertainment, the producers of the movie, to shut the project down for allegedly sidelining the victims and centering its narrative on a white woman — Ardern.”