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Old 05-01-2019, 06:14 AM
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Arrow Eye on Extremism - May 1, 2019

Eye on Extremism
May 1, 2019
RE: info@counterextremism.com

As of May 1, 2019 >

Fox News: Synagogue Shooter Struggled With Gun, Fled With 50 Bullets

“After a 19-year-old gunman fired at least eight rounds into a California synagogue, he stopped to fumble with his semiautomatic rifle and then fled with 50 unused bullets, prosecutors said Tuesday. In his first court appearance, John T. Earnest pleaded not guilty to murder and attempted murder in the shooting that killed a worshipper and injured three others at the Chabad of Poway synagogue on the last day of Passover, a major Jewish holiday. He also pleaded not guilty to burning a mosque last month in nearby Escondido. Earnest fired eight to 10 shots inside the synagogue near San Diego on Saturday, hitting Lori Kaye, 60, twice as she prayed in the foyer, prosecutors say. Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein lost an index finger. Then Earnest turned toward a room of children and some adults, where Almog Peretz tried to protect his niece and other kids, prosecutors said. He and his niece Noya Dahan, 8, suffered shrapnel wounds. It was unclear if the weapon jammed or malfunctioned or if the gunman didn't know how to reload.”

The Financial Times: ISIS Leader Seeks To Refocus On Spreading Global Terror

“Barely a month ago Isis was at its lowest ebb, its battle-hardened fighters abandoning makeshift tents, rusted vehicles and their final scrap of territory in Syria. But its leader has this week re-emerged unbowed, seeking to refocus the group’s mission on spreading international terror. Appearing in an Isis-branded propaganda video for the first time in five years, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, head of the Sunni extremist group and the world’s most wanted man, claimed responsibility for the suicide bombings in Sri Lanka, which he labelled as revenge for Isis’s losses in Syria. He said Isis was waging a “long battle” against Christians, who he described as “the nation of the cross”, and incited more violence against France in particular. He said Isis had units poised to attack in eight countries, including Mali, Burkina Faso and Libya, while threatening Saudi Arabia’s ruling al-Saud dynasty, which is viewed by Isis as a dictatorship. “This is part of the revenge which awaits the people of the cross,” said Mr Baghdadi of the Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka. “Thank God there were Americans and Europeans among the dead.” At its most powerful in 2014 and 2015, Isis murdered, raped and enslaved thousands of Syrians and Iraqis, exploiting Syria’s civil war and a weak Iraqi state to seize a swath of territory as large as Britain.”

Voice Of America: Iran Designates All US Troops In Middle East As Terrorists

“Iranian President Hassan Rouhani signed a bill into law on Tuesday declaring all U.S. forces in the Middle East terrorists and calling the U.S. government a sponsor of terrorism. The bill was passed by parliament last week in retaliation for President Donald Trump's decision this month to designate Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards a foreign terrorist organization. It was not clear what the impact of the new Iranian law might have on U.S. forces or their Middle East operations. Rouhani instructed the ministry of intelligence, ministry of foreign affairs, the armed forces, and Iran's supreme national security council to implement the law, state media reported. The law specifically labels as a terrorist organization the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), which is responsible for U.S. military operations in the Middle East and Afghanistan. “These two forces (Guards and CENTCOM) that are designated as terrorist groups reciprocally might confront (each other) in the Persian Gulf or any other region. The United States will surely be responsible for such a situation,” Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi was quoted as saying by state news agency IRNA on Tuesday.”

The Los Angeles Times: For Weeks, A U.S. Army Veteran Planned A Terror Plot Across L.A., Authorities Say

“The targets kept changing, but investigators say Mark Steven Domingo’s mission remained as bloody as it was simple. In one conversation, prosecutors said, the 26-year-old U.S. Army veteran spoke of spraying a Los Angeles police cruiser with bullets. Other times, his rage allegedly redirected toward a nearby synagogue. Sometimes he wanted to kill Christians, authorities said, and at least once, he considered bombing the Santa Monica Pier. Domingo believed he should “start small,” considering one killing practice for the next, according to court documents. He hoped to learn about police response times and build toward a large-scale attack, possibly an explosion that would end with “hundreds and maybe thousands of U.S. citizens injured.” “And then what?” an informant asked Domingo. “Then the fun starts,” Domingo responded. Domingo finally set his sights on a right-wing rally that was scheduled to take place Sunday in Long Beach’s Bluff Park, authorities said; he hoped to detonate an explosive device and gain vengeance for Muslims killed in other corners of the globe. But after receiving what he believed to be a pressure-cooker bomb while scouting the attack site, Domingo was arrested Friday by the FBI before his violent fantasies could become reality.”

WTOP: The Hunt: The Significance Of ISIS Leader Baghdadi’s Re-Emergence

“CEP Senior Director Hans Jakob Schindler discusses the continued importance of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. "His sole role now is to be the focal point, the symbol of the Islamic State."

The Wall Street Journal: Sri Lankan Islamist Called For Violence On Facebook Before Easter Attacks

“A charismatic leader who allegedly helped plan and execute Sri Lanka’s Easter bombings called before the attacks for killing non-Muslims in Facebook posts that remained online despite complaints from moderate Muslims who say they asked the company to take them down. “Non-Muslims and people who don’t accept Muslims can be killed along with women and children,” said Islamic preacher Zahran Hashim in one video posted on Facebook in September, which was still publicly viewable until Tuesday. “We can kill women and children with bombs. It is right,” the bearded preacher said, wearing a black cap and speaking in front of a large photo showing the Twin Towers being struck by jetliners on Sept. 11, 2001.”

United States

The Wall Street Journal: Trump Administration Seeks To Designate Muslim Brotherhood As Terrorist Organization

“The Trump administration is seeking to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a foreign terrorist organization, the White House said, a move that could complicate relations with U.S. allies where Muslim Brotherhood affiliates currently serve in parliament and other government roles. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders on Tuesday said that President Trump had “consulted with his national security team and leaders in the region who share his concern, and this designation is working its way through the internal process.” The move comes weeks after Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi met with Mr. Trump at the White House, where the two leaders discussed “the threat posed by the Muslim Brotherhood,” the White House said. Under a designation as a foreign terrorist organiztion, companies and individuals could be banned from providing any type of material support or resources to Muslim Brotherhood officials, such as financial services, weapons or transportation. It wasn’t immediately known whether the Trump administration’s designation would apply only to the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, or to the set of Islamist movements across the world that are informally referred to as the Muslim Brotherhood.”

Dallas News: Alleged Dallas-Area ISIS Supporter Goes On Trial For Recruiting Jihadists To Kill Nonbelievers

“ISIS will chop your head off.” That was how Taryn Meeks began her opening statement Tuesday to a federal jury in Dallas that's hearing testimony in the international terrorism trial of a Richardson man. Meeks, a trial attorney with the Justice Department's National Security Division, said those were among the words Said Azzam Mohamad Rahim uttered during his lengthy online campaign to recruit others to join ISIS and kill nonbelievers at home and abroad. “Smash his head on the wall,” the government also quoted Rahim as saying on Zello, a social media platform. “Think of a way to kill the biggest number of people possible.” Rahim, 42, sporting a bald head and thick beard, is charged with lying to the FBI about his support for the Islamic State and with plotting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. He has been locked up since his March 2017 arrest. The trial is expected to last about a week. Details from his indictment and two detention hearings revealed how Rahim allegedly used the internet to mobilize people to engage in jihad, or holy war. Rahim, a U.S. citizen who owns or used to own an Oak Cliff convenience store, told listeners on Zello to kill as many “infidels” as possible, court records say.”

The Daily Beast: America Under Attack By White Supremacists Acting Like ISIS

“The alleged killer at a Southern California synagogue this weekend worked alone, according to law enforcement, but behind him is a sprawling, digital network of white supremacists spurring each other on to murder. Moments before allegedly opening fire at worshippers in Chabad of Poway on Saturday, white supremacist John Earnest previewed his plans on 8chan, just as his supposed inspiration did. Last month, a white supremacist in Christchurch, New Zealand used 8chan to share a link to a livestream of him killing 50 Muslims at a mosque. In between the attacks, the anonymous forum with a large fascist presence called for people to carry out more shootings. The calls for violence also spread across fringe platforms like Gab, and messaging apps like Telegram. It’s reminiscent of calls online for followers of ISIS and al Qaeda to strike out at the enemy, counter-terrorism experts said. After the New Zealand shooting, 8chan users decorated the alleged killer as a “saint” and encouraged each other to commit shootings of their own, including against synagogues, to prepare for the “third world war” against Jews, or to kill a journalist critical of the forum.”

U.S. News: Would-Be Subway Bomber Who Cooperated Hopes For 2nd Chance

“When Najibullah Zazi pleaded guilty to being the ringleader in a foiled plot to bomb New York City's subway system, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said he was responsible for "one of the most serious terrorist threats to our nation" since the 9/11 attacks. Nearly a decade later, Zazi has a shot at an improbable second chance. The 33-year-old is finally scheduled to be sentenced Thursday in federal court in Brooklyn, and prosecutors are expected to credit him with switching sides after his arrest and volunteering valuable intelligence about other al-Qaeda trained terrorists. The cooperation could earn him a far lighter term than the possible life sentence he faces. It might even give him a chance at freedom. The full extent of Zazi's cooperation has yet to be publicly disclosed. Both prosecutors and his attorney declined to be interviewed in advance of the sentencing hearing. But some elements of his assistance with U.S. counterterrorism efforts have become public through his testimony in other terror prosecutions.”

U.S. News & World Report: Coast Guard Officer Called 'Terrorist' Due Back in Court

“A Coast Guard lieutenant whom prosecutors describe as a domestic terrorist is due back in court next week for a hearing on the conditions of his possible release from federal custody. During a detention hearing Thursday in Maryland, U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles Day said 50-year-old Christopher Hasson is entitled to be freed pending trial on firearms and drug charges. But the magistrate didn't immediately order Hasson's release. On May 7, Day is scheduled to preside over another detention hearing to weigh several proposed release options presented by Hasson's attorney. Justice Department prosecutors plan to oppose any conditions for Hasson's release and plan to appeal if Day does order his release. Prosecutors have said he created a hit list of prominent Democrats and network TV journalists. They also say Hasson targeted two Supreme Court justices and two social media company executives, searched online for their home addresses in March 2018, within minutes before and after searching firearm sales websites. Day said he still has “grave concerns” about Hasson based on information prosecutors have presented. But the judge noted that Hasson hasn't been charged with any terrorism related offenses since his Feb. 15 arrest.”

NBC News: The Poway Synagogue Attack Brought The Terror I Experienced In Israel Home To America

“I moved to Jerusalem 15 years ago this spring, drawn by a coveted position as a Middle East bureau chief and a chance to live life in one of the most exciting cities on Earth. At the time, it was also a place where terrorism made you think twice about doing mundane things like meeting a friend in a cafe, going to a festival or a market — or really, anything that put you in the midst of a large crowd that could be an enticing target for a suicide bomber. When I made plans to eat out with friends or go on dates, the question wasn’t how well-reviewed the restaurant was, but how well-guarded. Violent attacks against the Jewish community in the United States doubled last year. Over time, Israel became my second home. I married and gave birth to my two children there. But covering another mini-war between Israel and Gaza, as I did in the summer of 2014, felt extraordinarily different with two toddlers in tow. Having adventures as a journalist was one thing — I had only myself to be responsible for. Though I cared deeply about Israelis and Palestinians, the brunt of the conflict was borne by people whom I didn’t know.”

The Guardian: San Diego Terrorist Attack Was A Reminder That Antisemitism Is Alive And Deadly

“The terrorist attack on a San Diego synagogue, six months to the date after the terrorist attack on a Pittsburgh synagogue, was yet another painful reminder of two disturbing facts: (1) antisemitism is alive and deadly; and (2) antisemitism is part of the polarized partisan debate. As three victims were still being cared for in a San Diego hospital, conservatives from Meghan McCain to the Zionist of America (ZOA) president, Morton Klein, were trying to link the terrorist attack to Muslim members of Congress – even though the suspected terrorist is both antisemitic and Islamophobic. Antisemitism is too serious to either ignore or instrumentalize. Often dubbed the “oldest hatred”, it is also still one of the most widely spread. According to a much-quoted 2014 survey by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), more than 1 billion people in the world “harbor antisemitic attitudes”. In western Europe the levels of antisemitism varied from 5% in the Netherlands to 69% in Greece, while in North America the range was from 9% in the US to 24% in Mexico. While the ADL study has been criticized for its methodology, the findings overall are consistent with other antisemitism studies, at least in terms of which countries are relatively high and low.”

Syria

The Sun: ABU Bakr Al-Baghdadi Has Risen From A Shy, Polite And Talented Schoolboy To Being A Mass Killer With A $25 Million Bounty On His Head

“The 47-year-old has been seen for the first time in five years in a new video released by ISIS to prove that he is still alive. Some say he was already a militant when the US and its allies invaded Iraq. Baghdadi founded the Jamaat Jaysh Ahl al-Sunnah wa-l-Jamaah - Army of the People of the Sunna and Communal Solidarity), a militant Sunni group. He also became influenced by the Muslim Brotherhood, the Counter Extremism Project says.”

The Washington Post: My Organization Is Still Working To Save Lives In Syria — Even Though The World Looks Away

“I recently arrived in Washington to accept the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Elie Wiesel Award on behalf of my fellow volunteers at the Syria Civil Defense, better known as the White Helmets, the search-and-rescue organization that has saved more than 115,000 people. This is not my first time in the United States, but it still feels strange to travel to a country where airstrikes and bombings are not part of daily life. The conflict in my country has dragged on for eight long years and shows no sign of abating. In my hometown of Idlib, in northwest Syria, where I was just a few days ago, the situation is dire. Since February, the Syrian regime and Russia have escalated airstrikes on the region, killing at least 190 people and displacing 106,000 more. The attacks violate a demilitarized zone agreed to by Turkey and Russia last year aimed at protecting the region’s civilians.”

The Jerusalem Post: U.S. Air Force F-35s Carry Out First Combat Mission Against ISIS Targets

“Two weeks after the United States Air Force (USAF) deployed several F-35 fighter jets to the Middle East, the jets carried out their first combat mission in Iraq against Islamic State targets. The first American combat sortie of the stealth fighter jet came a day after Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi appeared in a video for the first time in five years - since he declared the caliphate in a now infamous speech in Mosul. The USAF said the two F-35As conducted air strikes with a Joint Direct Attack Munition against an Islamic State tunnel network and weapons cache in the Hamrin Mountains in Wadi Ashai, Iraq. “We have the ability to gather, fuse and pass so much information, that we make every friendly aircraft more survivable and lethal,” a USAF statement quoted 4th Fighter Squadron commander and F-35A pilot Lt. Col. Yosef Morris as saying. “That, combined with low-observable technology, allows us to really complement any combined force package and be ready to support AOR [Areas of Responsibility] contingencies.”

The Wall Street Journal: He Lost A Daughter To Islamic State. Can He Save His Grandchildren?

“For his journey to Syria, Patricio Galvez packed a suitcase full of children’s clothes, including a tiny yellow T-shirt emblazoned with the word “Sweden.” Five years ago his daughter Amanda González, a Swedish convert to Islam, also traveled to Syria. Ms. González and her husband were among tens of thousands of foreigners who gravitated toward Islamic State after it proclaimed a modern-day caliphate spanning Iraq and Syria. Both were killed as the caliphate crumpled under assault by U.S.-backed forces. Their seven children—aged between 1 and 8—survived and are now trapped in a squalid camp in northeast Syria. “I wasn’t able to save my daughter,” Mr. Galvez said a week before setting off for Syria. “But I have a chance of rescuing her children, and that will be my salvation.” Mr. Galvez is just one of many desperate relatives caught up in the messy aftermath of Islamic State’s experiment, with all the odds stacked against them. Nearly 7,000 minors from more than 30 countries face an uncertain future in Syria, according to the charity group Save the Children. Authorities in northeast Syria warn that unless they are repatriated, they will grow up as outcasts vulnerable to indoctrination and recruitment by Islamic State.”

The Guardian: ISIS Leader’s Video An Attempt To Shore Up Control, Say Experts

“The propaganda video of the Islamic State leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was released in an attempt to convince Isis followers that the elusive leader remained in control of the global terror group and unfazed by increasing dissent within its ranks, intelligence officials believe. Baghdadi’s return to public view in his first video appearance in five years has sparked a fresh examination of his standing within Isis. Some observers claim his grip on power has dramatically weakened as the group has lost the land it once held, as well as its leaders and loot. Western and regional officials say Baghdadi was trying to relaunch himself on a global stage with the 18-minute video and audio released by Isis’s media arm on Monday. While Baghdadi spoke at length about the group’s defeat in March in eastern Syria, he devoted much of his appearance to discussing other conflicts and political events: the Easter attacks in Sri Lanka, the electoral return of Benjamin Netanyahu and the fall of longtime autocrats in Sudan and Algeria. Baghdadi’s efforts to establish himself as in control of a global organisation include his references to battles in Libya and Saudi Arabia, and pledges of allegiance allegedly given to his group in Burkina Faso, Mali and Afghanistan.”

Voice Of America: US Urges Russia To End 'Escalation' In Syria's Idlib

“The United States on Tuesday urged Russia to abide by its commitments and end an "escalation" in Syria's northwestern Idlib region after a monitor said air strikes killed 10 civilians. "The violence must end. The United States reiterates that any escalation in violence in northwest Syria will result in the destabilization of the region," State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement. "We call on all parties, including Russia and the Syrian regime, to abide by their commitments to avoid large-scale military offensives, return to a de-escalation of violence in the area, and allow for unhindered humanitarian access to address the humanitarian disaster created by the ongoing violence," she said. Idlib is under the control of a former al-Qaeda affiliate in one of the last areas that President Bashar al-Assad has not taken back in his ruthless, Russian-backed campaign to crush an uprising against his rule.”

Middle East Monitor: 3 Killed In Attacks On Syria’s De-Escalation Zones

“A total of three civilians were killed and nine others injured in regime’s attacks on residential areas in Syria’s northern de-escalation zones on Tuesday, local sources said, reports Anadolu Agency. Rocket and mortar attacks by regime forces and allied Iran-backed foreign terrorist groups targeted Idlib province’s Hobait village, Hama province’s Qalaat Al-Madiq town and the villages of Kafrnabuda, Al-Huwaiz, Al-Huwaija, Al-Tuwayna and Al-Kirkat, the sources said. One civilian lost his life in Kafrnabuda and six others were injured in Hobait and Al-Huwaiz villages, according to the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media. A health centre was targeted by a regime warplane in Hobait village which left it out of service, according to the same sources. A school has also been targeted by an airstrike in Idlib province’s Al-Kassabiya village.”

Iraq

Reuters: Iraq Says I.S. Remains Threat, Leader Baghdadi Filmed Video In 'Remote Area'

“Islamic State remains a potent threat around the world despite reduced capabilities, Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi said on Tuesday, adding its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi had made his latest video appearance in a “remote area”. Abdul Mahdi did not say which country that area was in. A video released late on Monday by Islamic State’s media network showed a man it said was Baghdadi in what would be his first appearance since he declared the jihadists’ now-defunct “caliphate” five years ago. The authenticity and date of the recording could not be independently verified. Abdul Mahdi said Baghdadi’s appearance was an attempt to boost militants and that Islamic State would attempt to carry out more attacks. ”Regarding the location of Baghdadi, we can’t give intelligence information right now but it’s clear from the video that he’s in a remote area,” Abdul Mahdi said at a news conference on a visit to Berlin. Baghdadi, an Iraqi, is believed to be hiding out in an isolated area of either Iraq or Syria, part of vast desert regions Islamic State once held and from where it is thought the jihadists are now waging regular insurgent-style attacks against security forces in both countries.”

The Defense Post: Coalition And Iraqi Forces Attack ISIS Sleeper Cells In Hamrin Mountains

“In what it described as the largest combined operation since the March capture of Baghuz, Islamic State’s last bastion in eastern Syria, the Coalition said CJTF-OIR and Iraqi forces on April 24 attacked ISIS sleeper cells in northern Iraq. Separately, in the first acknowledged combat employment of the aircraft by the U.S. military, two U.S. Air Force F-35A joint strike fighters conducted an airstrike in the same area on April 30. Combined attack in Hamrin “Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve supported an Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service attack on Daesh sleeper cells and its support base in the Wadi Ashai area of northern Iraq on April 24” the Coalition said in an April 30 release. Wadi Ash Shai is in the Hamrin mountains in northern Iraq “in an area where Daesh is generally believed to be moving materiel and people in an attempt to support its resurgent operations,” the release said. In a combined operation, Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve supported an Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service attack on ISIS sleeper cells and support base in the Wadi Ash Shai area of northern Iraq on April 24, 2019.”

The Washington Examiner: First Airstrike By Air Force F-35s Targets ISIS Tunnels And Weapons In Iraq

“In a first for the Pentagon’s most expensive weapons system ever, two Air Force F-35A joint strike fighter jets dropped satellite-guided bombs on ISIS tunnels and weapons caches in the Hamrin Mountains, marking the A model's first combat attack mission. The strikes targeted ISIS positions deep in the Hamrin Mountains, southwest of Kirkuk, where the terrorist group is attempting to reestablish a foothold. U.S. Air Forces Central Command touted the milestone for the A model of the plane, flown by the Air Force, in a press release shortly after the strikes were carried out successfully. The B model of the plane, flown by the Marine Corps, conducted an airstrike last year in Afghanistan. The cost of the F-35 program totals more than $400 billion, with the sticker price of the cheapest model of the plane running about $89 million a copy. But the price has been gradually coming down as more of the stealthy planes are produced by Lockheed Martin, and the Pentagon hopes the A model will eventually cost closer to $75 million. Besides its stealthy design, the F-35's big advantage is its ability to share information from its many sensors with other U.S. aircraft flying nearby.”

Iraqi News: Iraqi Security Arrest Seven Islamic State Terrorists In Nineveh

“Iraqi intelligence forces arrested on Tuesday seven Islamic State terrorists during a security operation in the province of Nineveh, a security expert said. Speaking to IKH News, Fadel Abu Regheef said that intelligence forces carried out a security operation in al-Baaj district in Nineveh province, arresting seven Islamic State terrorists. The seven were wanted for trial by Iraqi judiciary, he added. Iraq declared the collapse of Islamic State’s territorial influence in November 2017 with the recapture of Rawa, a city on Anbar’s western borders with Syria, which was the group’s last bastion in Iraq. IS declared a self-styled “caliphate” in a third of Iraq and neighboring Syria in 2014. A government campaign, backed by a U.S.-led international coalition and paramilitary forces, was launched in 2016 to retake IS-held regions, managing to retake all havens, most notably the city of Mosul, the group’s previously proclaimed capital.”

The Independent: ‘Human Timebomb’: 45,000 Children May Soon Become Stateless In Post-ISIS Iraq, Warns Rights Group

“At least 45,000 children in Iraq born into the so-called Islamic State may soon become stateless, in what right groups are calling a ”human timebomb”. Unless they are formally recognised, tens of thousands of minors – one in every five living in Iraqi camps – are barred from medical care, attending school or receiving food rations warned the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) in a new report on Tuesday. At its peak the jihadi group controlled nearly a third of Iraq and children born under the militants’ rule are now missing vital documentation, such as birth certificates. Any papers issued by Isis are not recognised by the Iraqi state. Others have also lost their documentation or had it confiscated when they fled their homes. The NRC’s report, Barriers from Birth, found that it can take up a number of years for these children to receive documentation, but warned it is “nearly impossible” for those whose families are perceived to be have been affiliated with Isis to secure paperwork. They said it resulted in collective punishment for thousands of innocent children. “Children are not responsible for crimes committed by their relatives, yet many are denied their basic rights as Iraqi citizens,” said Jan Egeland, NRC’s secretary general.”

Afghanistan

The New York Times: U.S. Military Stops Counting How Much Of Afghanistan Is Controlled By Taliban

“The American military command in Afghanistan has halted regular assessments of how many people and districts the government and insurgents there control, it emerged on Wednesday — eliminating what has long been an important public measure of progress in the war. The military said the assessments had “limited decision-making value” for commanders. As recently as November 2017, the previous American commander in Afghanistan had called them “the metric that’s most telling in a counterinsurgency.” The decision to end the assessments, which have been produced in various forms since at least 2010, was published in the latest quarterly report by the American special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction. “We’re troubled by it,” the inspector general, John F. Sopko, said in an interview. “It’s like turning off the scoreboard at a football game and saying scoring a touchdown or field goal isn’t important.” The military command in Afghanistan told the inspector general that the assessments, which had covered each of the country’s 407 districts, were “subjective” and were plagued by “uncertainty in the models” that produced them, the report said. “We are focused on setting the conditions for a political settlement to safeguard our national interests,” Col. Dave Butler, a spokesman for the American-led military mission in Afghanistan, said in a statement to The New York Times.”

Bloomberg: Afghan Forces Unable To Dislodge Taliban As U.S. Looks For Exit

“Afghanistan’s government is making no headway in rolling back territory controlled by the Taliban, a Pentagon watchdog found, even as the Trump administration tries to negotiate a peace agreement that would let the U.S. withdraw troops after 18 years of war. Afghan army casualty rates, an erosion of force levels and increased civilian deaths at the hands of U.S. and Afghan forces are all preventing President Ashraf Ghani’s government from breaking a stalemate with the Taliban. Both sides have incurred “more casualties as they seek greater leverage at the negotiating table,” according to the latest assessment by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction. Casualties among Afghan National Defense and Security Forces rose 31 percent from December 2018 to February 2019 over the same period a year earlier, while troop levels fell short again of authorized strength for the first quarter of this year. “If negotiators fail to secure a peace agreement, the ANDSF will be hard pressed to increase its control over Afghanistan’s population, districts, and territory,” the inspector general said. From November 2016 through October 2018, “the Afghan government controlled or influenced between 64 percent and 66 percent of the population.”

Reuters: Afghan Forces Launch Attacks To Clear Warring Militants From East Afghanistan

“Afghan government forces have launched attacks in a bid to clear rival militants who have been battling each other for territory near the Pakistan border in fighting that has forced thousands of villagers from their homes, officials said on Tuesday. Taliban and Islamic State militants have been fighting for more than a week in the eastern border province of Nangarhar, since Islamic State fighters seized six villages in an area where the mineral talc is mined. There has been no comment from Islamic State or information about casualties it has sustained in the clashes, some of the heaviest between the rival Islamist factions over the past year. The Taliban said in a statement on Tuesday that Afghan soldiers backed by U.S. forces had killed seven civilians in raids in Nangarhar, decrying their “ruthless savagery”. The statement did not give details about the continuing clashes. Late on Monday, Afghan government forces launched attacks including air strikes to push the militants out of the area, officials said. The main government intelligence agency, the National Directorate of Security, said in a statement that 22 Islamic State fighters had been killed and two of their weapons caches destroyed.”

Reuters: U.S., Taliban Resume Talks As Afghan Government Seeks Role In Peace Process

“American and Taliban officials resumed talks in Qatar to end a 17-year war in Afghanistan on Wednesday while the Afghan government hosted a rare assembly in Kabul to ensure its interests are upheld in any peace deal. Afghan representatives were not allowed to attend the sixth round of U.S.-Taliban talks in the Qatari capital, Doha, said Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the insurgent group. “There will be no other side except the U.S. and Taliban representatives in the meeting, but some Qatari officials will remain present as hosts,” he told Reuters. The talks are part of President Donald Trump’s efforts to end America’s longest war, which began when U.S.-backed forces ousted the Taliban weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. Since October, U.S. and Taliban officials have held several rounds of talks aimed at ensuring a safe exit for U.S. forces in return for a Taliban guarantee that Afghanistan will not be used by militants to threaten the rest of the world. In this round, U.S. special envoy for peace in Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad and his delegation are expected to focus on a declaration of a ceasefire as a first step to end the fighting, said a western diplomat in Kabul.”

Pakistan

BBC News: Kashmir Attack: Tracing The Path That Led To Pulwama

“The suicide attack that killed more than 40 Indian soldiers in February was carried out by a young Kashmiri from Pulwama. Ahead of voting in the region in India's general election, Sameer Yasir reports on the rise in youth militancy over the past two years. Around 15:15 local time (09:45 GMT) on 14 February, Adil Ahmad Dar drove a vehicle packed with explosives into a convoy of 78 buses carrying Indian paramilitary police in Pulwama, on the heavily guarded Srinagar-Jammu highway. It was a devastating attack - the worst carried out against Indian forces in decades. It shocked the country, as newspapers and TV screens were filled with stories of soldiers and their shattered families. Some had just returned from a visit home; others had called a family member hours before the attack; a few were speaking to them on the phone when the explosives went off. Adil Ahmad Dar was identified hours later, when the Pakistan-based militant group, Jaish-e-Mohammad, released a video online saying it had carried out the attack. In the video, Dar appears to show no remorse for what he is going to do. He said he joined the group in 2018 and was eventually “assigned” the task of carrying out the attack in Pulwama.”

Yemen

Reuters: Amnesty Urges Yemen's Houthis To Free 10 Journalists Held For Spying

“Amnesty International called on Yemen’s Houthi movement, which controls the capital Sanaa, to free 10 journalists held for nearly four years on what the rights group described as trumped-up spying charges. The Iran-aligned Houthi group ousted the internationally recognized Yemeni government from power in Sanaa in late 2014, prompting a Saudi-led Sunni Muslim military coalition to intervene in the war in 2015 to try to restore the government of Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. Amnesty said the 10 men have been held since the summer of 2015 and that they were formally charged in December 2018 with a series of offences, including spying and aiding the coalition, by a specialized court that handles terrorism-related cases. “It is completely outrageous that these men could face the death penalty simply for doing their jobs. The charges against them are false and should be dropped immediately,” Rasha Mohamed, Amnesty’s Yemen researcher, said in a statement.”

Qatar

The New York Times: Taliban And U.S. Start New Round Of Talks In Qatar

“American and Taliban negotiators began a new round of peace talks Wednesday in Doha, Qatar, aimed at securing a lasting peace agreement that would include Taliban guarantees regarding terrorism and a phased withdrawal of American troops. A Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said on Twitter early Wednesday that the talks — the sixth round between American and Taliban officials — had begun in Doha, the Qatari capital. Zalmay Khalilzad, the special envoy leading the American delegation, has said the talks will ultimately focus on four main issues. They include troop withdrawal; guarantees against terrorism; talks between the Taliban and the American-supported government of Afghanistan to establish a path toward political settlement; and a lasting cease-fire.”

Libya

The Libya Observer: Al-Baghdadi Admits ISIS Was Defeated In Libya's Sirte

“The leader of ISIS Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi appeared on Monday in a video for the first time since his last appearance in Mosul, Iraq in 2014. The video went on for 18 minutes in which ISIS leader talked about many countries including Libya and several militants sitting with Al-Baghdadi said they could be effective in Libya despite losing Sirte in 2016. Al-Baghdadi hailed the terrorists' attacks in Fuqahaa town in Libya, saying they were part of the reaction to the attacks on ISIS in Al-Baghuz in Syria. He called on ISIS militants in Libya to carry out a war of attrition so they can destroy logistics, kill people and damage the economy in the country. Several officials at the Presidential Council's government said over the last weeks that Khalifa Haftar's military operations in southern Tripoli had opened door for ISIS sleeper cells who always take advantage of security vacuum caused by the fighting. The Interior Ministry said earlier that it had arrested three ISIS militants, one of whom was a prominent leader for the group in Sirte.”

Asharq Al-Awsat: Exclusive - Libyans Link ISIS Leader’s Surprise Appearance To Tripoli Battle

“The surprise appearance of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in a video recording earlier this week has raised questions in Libya that it may be linked to the ongoing battle for Tripoli. Baghdadi made his first purported appearance in five years in a propaganda video released Monday, acknowledging ISIS's defeat in the Syrian town of Baghouz while threatening “revenge” attacks. He also acknowledged that ISIS supporters had attacked the al-Fuqaha town in southern Libya in October. The attack left civilians and Libyan National Army (LNA) members dead. Libyan MP Ibrahim Abu Bakr told Asharq Al-Awsat that the ISIS leader’s appearance is “damning” evidence that the LNA operation against Tripoli was primarily a battle on terrorism. The LNA, commanded by Khalifa Haftar, had launched its operation to liberate the capital of terrorist and criminal gangs on April 4. It has pitted his forces against militias loyal to the Government of National Accord (GNA). “Baghdadi’s remarks proved that terrorist groups are the main enemy of the LNA,” continued the MP.”

Nigeria

The New York Post: 25 People Killed In Suspected Boko Haram Attack On Nigerian Village

“Victims’ relatives said suspected Boko Haram extremists attacked a village in northeastern Nigeria, killing at least 25 people who had just returned home from a wedding. Rebecca Malgwi said two of her brothers-in-law were killed in the attack on Kuda-Kaya village in Adamawa state on Monday night. She said the attackers went from house to house, and that many people could not escape because the shooting came from all directions. Former local government official Yahaya Muhammed confirmed that 25 people were killed. While there was no immediate claim of responsibility, Boko Haram is known for attacking villages in the area. The insurgent group is also active in neighboring Niger, Chad and Cameroon.”

Africa

The Defense Post: Islamic State Recognizes New Central Africa Province, Deepening Ties With DR Congo Militants

“On April 18, Islamic State claimed its first attack in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Not only did it strike in a new location, but ISIS attributed the attack to an entirely new province, Wilayat Central Africa. Before this claim and even before the fall of the jihadist group’s ‘caliphate’ in Iraq and Syria, there was evidence of growing ties between ISIS and the DRC-based militant group Allied Democratic Forces. Just how lasting this new province will be remains to be seen. In video released by al-Furqan media on April 29, ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, in his first appearance for five years, is seen handling documents about some global affiliates, including one entitled “Wilayat Central Africa.” The April 18 claim issued through the Amaq propaganda agency said that ISIS fighters had killed and wounded several Congolese soldiers in an attack on the town of Kamango, near the border with Uganda. This was followed by a statement from Nashir News Agency and another from Amaq saying ”Soldiers of the Caliphate” had attacked an army base in Bovata, around 5 km from Kamango, killing three Congolese soldiers and wounding five. The Nashir claim attributed this attack to “Wilayat Central Africa,” the first such claim for this province.”

Europe

Fox News: Trump Accuses European Nations Of ‘Refusing’ To Take Back ISIS Prisoners From Their Countries

“President Trump on Tuesday accused European nations of “refusing” to take back ISIS prisoners who originally were from their countries, as he said decisions are “being made” as to what to do with the nearly 2,000 ISIS fighters captured in the final assault on their now-destroyed caliphate. “We have 1,800 ISIS Prisoners taken hostage in our final battles to destroy 100% of the Caliphate in Syria. Decisions are now being made as to what to do with these dangerous prisoners,” Trump tweeted Tuesday. “European countries are not helping at all, even though this was very much done for their benefit. They are refusing to take back prisoners from their specific countries. Not good!” he said. We have 1,800 ISIS Prisoners taken hostage in our final battles to destroy 100% of the Caliphate in Syria. Decisions are now being made as to what to do with these dangerous prisoners.... The president’s tweets come amid a months-long effort to convince European countries to take back their citizens captured on the battlefield in the Middle East. The topic is a complicated one, as Islamic State prisoners held in Syria and Iraq are subject to the death penalty or torture if they remain in jail. The European Union, though, opposes the death penalty.”

Venezuela

The Wall Street Journal: Violence Erupts In Venezuela As Guaidó Calls For Uprising

“Thousands of Venezuelans clashed in the streets with pro-government forces following an audacious call by opposition leader Juan Guaidó to join him and a small group of military officers in overthrowing President Nicolás Maduro’s government. The violence ensued after Mr. Guaidó, flanked by a small group of rebellious National Guard troops outside a Caracas military base, called on the public to help end a punishing economic and political crisis under Mr. Maduro. Mr. Guaidó is viewed by the U.S. and more than 50 other nations as Venezuela’s legitimate leader following a 2018 election that was marred by fraud allegations. Protests continued Tuesday evening, but there was no sign the rebellion had succeeded in ousting Mr. Maduro despite repeated expressions of U.S. support by the Trump administration for Mr. Guaidó.”

Australia

Reuters: Australian Court Finds Man Guilty Of Plotting To Blow Up Airliner

“An Australian court on Wednesday found a man guilty of plotting to blow up an Etihad Airways flight out of Sydney at the behest of the Islamic State militant group, by hiding a bomb in the luggage of his brother. Police had accused the man, Khaled Khayat, and another brother, Mahmoud Khayat, of planning two terrorist attacks that also included a chemical gas attack on the flight to Abu Dhabi in July 2017, police said. The third brother was unaware that he was carrying a bomb, disguised as a meat mincer, in his luggage, as he tried to check in at the airport, police said. But the device was taken out of his luggage when it was deemed too heavy and the bomb never made it past airport security. Khaled and Mahmoud Khayat were arrested weeks later after a series of raids in Sydney. ”The jury this afternoon returned a guilty verdict for Khaled and is still deliberating in respect of Mahmoud,” a spokeswoman for the New South Wales Supreme Court said. Police had alleged that high-grade military explosives used to make the bomb were sent by air cargo from Turkey as part of a plot “inspired and directed” by Islamic state. Khaled’s sentence hearing has been set for July 26. The charges carry a maximum punishment of life in prison.”

Southeast Asia

Reuters: Leave My Country Alone, Sri Lanka President Tells Islamic State

“Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena said a foreign mastermind may have planned the Easter Sunday bombings, claimed by Islamic State, telling the militant group to “leave my country alone”. Sirisena also warned it may be possible Islamic State had launched a “new strategy” by targeting smaller countries, Sky New said on Wednesday. A government source told Reuters on Tuesday police and other security forces across the Buddhist-majority country had been ordered to remain on high alert because the militants were expected to try to strike again, before the holy month of Ramadan which starts on Monday. Sirisena said authorities were aware of “a small group” of Sri Lankans who had traveled abroad to receive training from Islamic State over the past decade. Investigations revealed the bombs used in the Easter attacks were made locally, the president said in the interview. The suicide bombings on hotels and churches killed more than 250 people, including 40 foreign nationals. Police suspect members of two previously little-known groups - National Thawheedh Jamaath and Jammiyathul Millathu Ibrahim - of carrying out the attacks.”

Voice Of America: Bangladesh Police Say They Have Killed 2 Islamist Militants

“Police in Bangladesh say security forces killed at least two people suspected of belonging to an Islamist militant group behind the 2016 attack on a Dhaka cafe. Police say they raided a hideout suspected of belonging to Jamaat-ul-Majahideen Bangladesh early Monday in the capital's Bosila neighborhood after receiving a tip. Officials say when security forces knocked on the door, the residents fired at them instead of opening the door. They say after the firefight, police detained three people, including the owner of the house. Bangladesh launched a crackdown on Islamist extremists after the 2016 cafe attack in which 22 people were killed, most of them foreigners. While Islamic State claimed responsibility for the cafe attack, Bangladesh officials said the attackers were members of Jamaat-ul-Majahideen Bangladesh, a domestic group that has been banned for more than 10 years. Since the attack, Bangladeshi security forces have carried out nationwide raids and say they have killed nearly 100 Islamist militants. Hundreds of suspects have been detained. Bangladesh has experienced a wave of attacks in recent years on secular bloggers, writers, publishers, members of minority groups and foreigners.”

Voice Of America: Terror Attacks On The Rise In Burkina Faso

“Violence fueled by extremists is on the rise in the West African nation of Burkina Faso and appears to be getting worse. In April more than 65 people died in ethnic clashes inflamed by Islamist extremists seeking to gain a stronghold in the Sahel. On Sunday, four worshippers and a pastor were killed when gunmen targeted a church in the small northern town of Silgadji, local security sources said. “What we fight against, what we see every day is like a toxin,” Lt. Col. Kanou Coulibaly of the Burkina Faso Armed Forces told VOA. Burkina Faso has seen more than 230 attacks in just over three years, and the United States is hoping local forces can increase pressure on the militants, even as the U.S. military decreases its force numbers in the region. The attacks began shortly after the country elected its first new leader in decades, Roch Marc Christian Kabore, in 2015. U.S. Ambassador to Burkina Faso Andrew Young tells VOA that the violence has quickly spread across a nation virtually untouched by terrorism just a few years ago. “They're trying to target the resilience of this community, which has lived in harmony for thousands of years.”

Technology

The Atlantic: The Meme Terrorists

“The aim of terrorism is terror. It’s an easy tautology to overlook, for it appears to carry no information. But terrorism’s aims are political and social, even when its methods are violent. When a gunman opened fire in a synagogue in Poway, California, near San Diego, on Saturday, he killed one person and wounded three others. Those figures are low by mass-shooting standards, but the attack has broader implications. Anywhere, everywhere, Jewish worshippers might fear similar violence at their own temples. The same distress descended on Muslims after a deadly attack on three mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, last month. These attacks infect the innocent with suspicion. With no way to know where or when more random violence could erupt, hearts skip a beat with every doorway darkened. In both the California and New Zealand attacks, the shooters posted notice, motive, and evidence on the anonymous message board 8chan. In New Zealand, Brenton Tarrant published a manifesto linked on the website, and live-streamed his attack on Facebook, via a link also posted to 8chan’s /pol/ (“politically incorrect”) board.”

The Washington Examiner: Synagogue Attack Puts Social Media On Front Lines Of War Against Extremism

“In the hours before a gunman opened fire on worshipers at a Southern California synagogue, killing one and wounding three, an anti-Semitic manifesto was uploaded to an online message board. The screed, posted under the name of the 19-year-old shooting suspect, John Earnest, praised the perpetrators of the recent attacks at a mosque in New Zealand and a synagogue in Pittsburgh while advocating for white supremacy. Shared on 8chan, the post garnered the attention of other users of the far-right message board, who reported it to the FBI only minutes before the shooting at Chabad of Poway. In the aftermath, it also heightened scrutiny of whether the site and other social media platforms, largely untouched by government regulation, are taking sufficient steps to combat the proliferation of abusive content and extremism. New Zealand's prime minister promised earlier this year to examine the role of tech platforms in extremist behavior after livestreamed video from mass shootings at two Christchurch mosques went viral, and Sri Lankan authorities temporarily shut down social media sites in that country after Easter Sunday bombings killed more than 300.”
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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"
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