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Old 10-26-2018, 08:58 AM
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Arrow Eye on Extremism October 26, 2018

Eye on Extremism - October 26, 2018
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Eye on Extremism - October 26, 2018

The Wall Street Journal: Hunt For Mail-Bomb Suspect Focuses On Florida, New York

“Investigators hunting for the terrorist behind 10 suspected bombs addressed to prominent Democrats and outspoken critics of President Trump have zeroed in on Florida and New York, federal officials said Thursday. At least some of the packages were sent from Florida, according to two federal officials briefed on the investigation, and it appears that most went through the postal system, one said. Early Thursday, three more packages were found—two addressed to former Vice President Joe Biden in Delaware, where he lives, and one to actor Robert De Niro in New York City. They all had the telltale signs associated with the seven others: manila envelopes with six U.S. flag stamps and the return address of a Florida office of Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, with her last name misspelled, officials said. “These devices should be considered dangerous,” said William Sweeney, assistant director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He said the probe is “in its early stages,” and the agency is working quickly to analyze clues from the packages at its facility in Quantico, Va. Investigators are trying to determine whether the suspected bombs were operational, officials said.”

The Washington Post: US Sanctions On Iran Pressure Tehran’s Regional Allies

“Giant posters on the streets of Beirut’s southern Shiite suburbs display an armed Hezbollah fighter in uniform, holding the group’s yellow banner and Lebanon’s national flag, along with phone numbers where supporters can make donations to the Shiite guerrilla force. “He who equips a warrior is part of the battle,” the posters declare, quoting a saying from Islam’s Prophet Muhammad. Hezbollah’s calls for donations have intensified in past months as the group and its main backer Iran come under increasing financial pressure under sanctions from the Trump administration. Washington has imposed sanctions on the militant group for decades. But a new wave this year appears to be more serious about targeting Hezbollah’s top leadership as well as businessmen and companies that Washington says are funding the group. On Thursday, President Donald Trump signed legislation imposing new sanctions against Hezbollah at a White House event marking the 35th anniversary of the Beirut barracks bombing that killed 241 Marines. The bill expands the list of those who can be sanctioned for doing business with Hezbollah. On Oct. 15, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions designated Hezbollah as one of five groups considered top transnational organized crime threats.”

The Hill: Ohio Man Charged With Attempting To Join ISIS

“A 19-year-old Ohio man has been arrested and charged with attempting to provide material support for the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), the Justice Department said Thursday. Naser Almadaoji, a U.S. citizen born in Iraq, was arrested Wednesday and accused of attempting to travel to Kazakhstan and then Afghanistan, where he planned to fight for ISIS-aligned forces in the region, according to a Justice Department press release. “Naser Almadaoji allegedly attempted to seek terrorist training in weapons and tactics and discussed a willingness to conduct terrorist ‘projects’ in the United States on behalf of foreign terrorist groups,” Assistant Attorney General John Demers said in the release. “Protecting America from terrorist activity, including conduct like this, remains the highest priority of the Department of Justice.” The arrest on terror-related charges is the third in just over a week, according to assistant FBI Director Michael Garrity, who added in the release that "the threat posed by terrorism remains extremely serious." Almadaoji traveled to Egypt and Jordan in February of this year, after which he reportedly began conversing online with someone he believed to be an ISIS recruiter. He eventually sent the unnamed person a video of himself pledging allegiance to ISIS. The online attempts followed a failed attempt to join a terrorist organization while abroad, the release states.”

Radio Free Europe: UN Investigating Whether Iran Supplied Weapons Seized By U.S. Navy Near Yemen

“UN inspectors are examining more than 2,500 AK-47 rifles and other guns seized by the crew of a U.S. destroyer off the coast of Yemen to determine whether the weapons originated in Iran or Somalia. U.S. authorities said they invited the UN inspectors on board on October 25 to determine whether the weapons provide proof that Iran is smuggling arms to allied Shi'ite Huthi rebels that are battling the Yemeni government in a four-year civil war. Iran has denied providing weapons to the Huthis. The United States -- in debates at the United Nations -- has repeatedly charged Iran with illegally smuggling weapons to the Huthis, in violation of UN resolutions against arming the Huthis. Yet U.S. forces patrolling the waters around Yemen have managed to seize only a handful of weapons caches like the one seized by the USS Jason Dunham in late August. "It's one big traffic corridor," Vice Admiral Scott Stearney, commander of the U.S. 5th Fleet, told reporters on board the vessel on October 25, speaking of the Gulf of Aden and other waterways around Yemen. Stearney declined to say if he thought Iran was responsible for the weapons seized by the Dunham's crew, but he said the UN inspectors were experts on illicit weapons from Iran, Yemen, and Somalia.”

Civil Rights Groups Call For Tech Companies To Crack Down On Hate Speech

“A group of civil rights organizations is pushing technology companies to create policies to more effectively address hate speech and extremist groups. The six organizations, joined by 40 other organizations who echoed the call, wrote in a report that they want the platforms to take firmer stances against “racism, sexism, xenophobia, religious bigotry, homophobia and transphobia” and enforce policies against hate speech and extremist groups more strictly. The groups, which include the Center for American Progress, Color of Change, Free Press, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the National Hispanic Media Coalition and the Southern Poverty Law Center, said that they plan to release report cards next year for how social media firms are handling the recommendations. “It is not enough for companies to apologize after incidents like last year’s Charlottesville rally and last week’s Proud Boys attacks,” said Brandi Collins, senior campaign director at Color of Change. “They must quickly, assertively, and proactively remove the forces who threaten our democracy by adopting and implementing these policies.”

The Washington Times: Secret U.S. Cybercampaign Snuffs Out ISIS' Once-Vaunted Media Empire

“But some analysts caution that the figures Gen. Dunford cited are relative and that the Islamic State’s online presence still must be taken seriously. In addition to the magazine, propaganda videos and the group’s periodic Amaq News Agency videos have decreased in number, though new content still regularly appears. “ISIS’s official propaganda videos, which frequently contain executions, recruitment efforts and calls for the viewer to commit attacks, have declined in number since this time last year; however, ISIS still released 12 videos in September 2018,” said Joshua Fisher-Birch, a project research analyst at the Counter Extremism Project. “Two official ISIS propaganda videos were just released” this week, he said. Mr. Fisher-Birch said much of the terrorist group’s old content also remains available online. Multiple high-profile terrorist strikes around the globe have been carried out by those who were at least partly radicalized by online content. “There is still a significant amount of ISIS propaganda out there, as well as ISIS online supporters who are sharing unofficial propaganda, urging violence and sharing ‘how to’ manuals on topics such as bomb-making information, poisons, and advice and tips on truck and knife attacks,” Mr. Fisher-Birch said. “ISIS and their unofficial support groups are still creating new material as well.” He stressed that leading social media companies still can do more to combat Islamic State propaganda, including more aggressive banning of IP addresses associated with extremist content and flagging and removing posts more quickly.”

United States

Associated Press: Trump Signs New Hezbollah Sanctions Bill In Anti-Iran Push

“President Donald Trump has signed legislation imposing new sanctions against Hezbollah, the Iran-backed terrorist group behind the 1983 Beirut barracks bombings. Speaking Thursday at a White House event marking the 35th anniversary of the attack that killed 241 Marines, Trump said, “No terrorist group other than al-Qaida has more American blood on its hands.” Trump is also taking credit for reimposing sanctions on Iran after he pulled out of the 2015 Iran nuclear accord, in part by citing its support for international terrorist groups. Trump is promising even tougher actions against Iran after most sanctions against the country return to effect on Nov. 5. The bill expands the list of those who can be sanctioned for doing business with Hezbollah.”

Reuters: FBI Focuses On Florida In Hunt For Sender Of Package Bombs

“Federal authorities investigating the pipe bombs sent to prominent Democrats and critics of U.S. President Donald Trump are focusing on Florida, where they believe at least some of 10 packages originated. A police bomb squad and canine units joined federal investigators on Thursday to examine a sprawling U.S. mail distribution center at Opa-Locka, northwest of Miami, Miami-Dade County police said. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen confirmed that Florida appeared to be the starting point for at least some of the bomb shipments. “Some of the packages went through the mail. They originated, some of them, from Florida,” she said during an interview with Fox News Channel. “I am confident that this person or people will be brought to justice.” All the targets were figures frequently maligned by right-wing critics. They included Democratic Party donor George Soros, former President Barack Obama, former Secretary of State and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, former Attorney General Eric Holder, former CIA director John Brennan and California Representative Maxine Waters. Two packages were sent to her.”

NPR Michigan: Flint Terrorism Suspect Insists He's Not Guilty, Turns Aside Plea Offer

“On Thursday, the man charged with stabbing a police officer at Flint’s Bishop International Airport last year says he said “no” to a plea deal because he’s “not guilty.” Amor Ftouhi, wearing a brown shirt and faded orange pants, sat shackled in a federal courtroom in Flint during his final pre-trial conference before his trial next month on terrorism charges. During the brief hearing, federal prosecutors revealed they had offered the defense a plea deal. The deal would require Ftouhi to serve life in prison. Through an interpreter, Ftouhi told the judge he did not want to discuss a plea, because he’s “not guilty.” Ftouhi is facing several counts, including committing an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries.”

WHIOTV7: Beavercreek Man Accused Of Trying To Join ISIS, Faces Terrorism Related Charge

“Federal prosecutors in Dayton's U.S. District Court have charged a man with attempting to provide material support and resources to a foreign terrorist organization. Naser Almadaoji, 19, of Beavercreek, was arrested at the Columbus airport Wednesday and had tickets to travel to Kazakhstan, Benjamin Glassman, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, said Thursday. “He was planning to then be smuggled into Afghanistan to go join ISIS Khorasan, the affiliate of ISIS that’s in Afghanistan,” Glassman said. “He intended to obtain training to use on behalf of ISIS.” Defense attorney James Fleisher, who is representing Almadaoji, offered a brief statement today after Thursday’s court hearing. “I can only say that my client is a 19-year-old citizen of the United States who is presumed by our law to be innocent of this charge, and that we intend to vigorously defend his case,” Fleisher said by email. Beavercreek police assisted the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force in Almadaoji’s case Wednesday at a home in the 1500 block of North Fairfield Road, according to Beavercreek police.”

Washington Times:

Secret U.S. Cybercampaign Snuffs Out ISIS' Once-Vaunted Media Empire

“At its peak, the Islamic State’s online propaganda machine was one of the group’s most potent weapons, a calling card that distinguished it from any other terrorist organization that the world had ever seen. But U.S. military officials and extremism analysts say that once-vaunted media empire largely has crumbled as a result of the group’s rapid loss of most of its physical base in Iraq and Syria and an aggressive counterstrategy in cyberspace led by the U.S. and its allies. Its slick, signature online magazine, long cited as proof of Islamic State’s media sophistication, hasn’t put out an edition in more than a year. Analysts are quick to stress that online terrorist recruiting efforts remain a problem and that popular platforms such as Facebook and YouTube need to do more to combat the messages, but the days of the Islamic State’s state-of-the-art propaganda and recruiting mission online seem to have ended. Across the board, analysts say the organization, also known as ISIS, has lost much of its online presence, largely because its battlefield defeats at the hands of a U.S.-led coalition have crushed its ability to mount a coordinated Web-based strategy. “We like to imagine [terrorist groups] are somehow ghostlike entities existing in cyberspace, but in fact they need a physical presence somewhere,” said Peter Mansoor, a retired Army colonel and chair in military history at Ohio State University who studies online extremism.”

Syria

Reuters: Turkey's Erdogan Issues 'Final Warning' On Syria

“Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Friday issued what he said was a “final warning” to those who would endanger Turkey’s borders, saying Ankara was determined to focus its attention on Syrian Kurdish fighters east of the Euphrates. Erdogan, who was speaking to a group of provincial leaders of his AK Party in Ankara, said Turkey would focus its attention east of the Euphrates in Syria, rather than the Manbij area, citing the presence of the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia. Turkey regards the YPG as a terrorist group.”

The Wall Street Journal: To Rebuild A Syrian City, Men First Dig Up And Rebury The Dead

“By 11 a.m., eight blue body bags had been laid out on the concrete. Their contents had been dug up by hand from row after row of mostly anonymous corpses hastily buried in a public park. Donning surgical masks, a squirt of pink disinfectant on their hands, and plastic gloves, the men of Raqqa’s civil-defense team returned to the trench. They balanced on the slippery edge in work boots or running shoes and resumed their work: another day of digging through Panorama Park, a makeshift cemetery that filled as the U.S.-backed coalition fought last year to capture the de facto capital of Islamic State’s self-declared caliphate. First they pulled out a man’s bottom half. His thick belt and cargo pants suggested he was a fighter, most likely from Islamic State. His torso followed. And then, finally, his skull. “In some of the graves we find three or four people buried on top of each other,” said Hassan Muhammad, a former interior decorator and house painter, taking a break from the sun in the shade of a dry fountain in the shape of a large, red flower. “Pressed together because it was done in such a rush.”

The Star Online: IGP: 11 Malaysians Desperate To Flee Horrors Of Islamic State War In Syria And Return Home

Eleven Malaysians are keen to return home from the horrors of the Islamic State (IS) terror group’s war in Syria, said Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun (pic). The Inspector-General of Police said the Malaysians, four adults and seven children, have contacted Bukit Aman for help in coming home. “This is still in the planning stages. We have to take into account several aspects of security and risks faced by them and the team sent to ensure their safe return,” he told a special press conference in Bukit Aman on Thursday (Oct 25). The Special Branch Counter Terrorism Division has so far identified 54 Malaysians - 23 men, 11 women, 12 boys and eight girls - who are still in Syria, the IGP added. “Since 2013, we discovered that 102 Malaysians have gone to Syria. 11 of them have returned home while 37 men have been killed in Syria and Iraq. “The remaining 54 are still in Syria with the Islamic State (IS) militant group,” he said. Mohamad Fuzi said some of those still in Syria were trapped in the Deir Ez Zour and Al Bukamal districts. “They are moved around a lot based on the offensive operations by Syrian and Russian forces on IS and rebels’ strongholds. “Some of them are even at refugee camps in northern Syria while others are imprisoned by Syrian rebels,” he said, adding that authorities are quite worried about the plight of Malaysians in Syria. The country’s top cop advised those still in Syria to return to Malaysia given the volatile situation in the Arab nation.”

Iran

NDTV: US Will Not Allow Iran To Develop World's "Deadliest Weapons": Trump

“US President Donald Trump has said all sanctions against Iran lifted by the 2015 nuclear deal will be back in "full force" from November 5 and promised more in the future to prevent Tehran from developing the world's deadliest weapons. In May, the Trump administration withdrew the US from the Iranian nuclear deal and re-imposed a series of tough sanctions on Iran, citing the Islamic nation's 'malign activities'. While the first phase of sanctions is already in place, the sanctions would come into full force on November 4 and the US expects all countries, including India, to bring down their import of Iranian oil to zero by then or face secondary sanctions. To avoid this, India either needs a waiver from the US or has to bring down the purchase of Iranian oil to zero. "On November 5th, all US sanctions against Iran lifted by the nuclear deal will be back in full force, every sanction that we had on their originally, which would have -- if they would have just left it a little bit longer, would have been so much easier than what we've been through over the last number of years," Trump said at a White House event.”

Economic Times: Iran’s Likely Attempt At Skirting Sanctions Is A Threat To Global Banking

“At many banks, November 5 will be a scary day. That’s when broad US sanctions are set to be re-imposed on Iran, thereby placing new pressure on its struggling economy and increasing the regime’s desperation for hard currency. A crucial side effect of this effort has gotten too little attention: Iran will likely attempt to skirt these sanctions through cyber enabled money laundering — and banks will be a prime target. Cyber-enabled money laundering is a fairly simple concept. Hackers use a bank’s computer system to execute a prohibited financial transaction by altering critical information or disabling anti-money laundering controls. It’s effective because it’s subtle: One need only disguise the illicit purpose or sanctioned participant of an otherwise allowable transaction.”

Middle East Eye: European Visas Don't Come Cheap On Iran's Latest Black Market

“As the economy has continued to slide under renewed US sanctions, Iranians have found a smattering of products, like diapers and tomatoes, in short supply. But perhaps the most difficult of all items to get one's hands on? A European visa. From taxi drivers to university students, more Iranians are thinking of leaving the country for a better life free from the pressure of sanctions. Although official statistics haven’t been released, a government adviser and economist put the figure of those trying to emigrate at 1.5 million, which he said was “a scary number”. That was back in December, before US President Donald Trump cancelled the nuclear deal and slapped sanctions back on the country, sending the value of the rial into a tailspin. Obtaining a visa, however, causes an entirely new set of obstacles. Lines of people have been wrapped around the block at European embassies in Tehran.”

Asharq Al-Awsat: Qatar Accused Of Working With Iran To Thwart Int’l Condemnation Of Houthis

“A Yemeni minister accused on Thursday Qatar of seeking to obstruct any UN condemnation of the Iran-backed Houthi militias’ crimes in his country. Minister of Human Rights Mohammed Askar told Asharq Al-Awsat that Doha was employing its financial and logistic capabilities to hinder such condemnations. It has also struck alliances with a number of agencies that are hostile to the legitimate government. Moreover, he charged it of paying some $4 million to the a team of experts that had compiled a report on rights violations in Yemen. The government had accused the experts of being biased against the legitimacy forces and of turning a blind eye to Houthi crimes. Qatar has struck a strategic partnership with Iran to falsify facts on the ground and the human rights conditions in Yemen, Askar continued. Tehran is attempting to employ lobbies in Europe and some UN agencies in order to divert their attention from the developments in Yemen and push them to stand against its legitimate government, he added. Millions of dollars are being paid to fund actions that are directed against the legitimacy and Saudi-led Arab coalition, he revealed. His ministry is exerting efforts to counter such actions and challenges, he said. It is clear that the issue is no longer restricted to the Houthis, but a western and regional bloc has emerged to work against the government and Arab coalition, Askar stressed.”

Iraq

Iraqi News: Six Islamic State Members, Involved In Terrorism Charges, Arrested In Mosul

“Six Islamic State members have been arrested in Mosul, the Iraqi Interior Ministry said on Thursday. In a statement, Maj. Gen. Saad Maan, spokesperson for the ministry, was quoted as saying that troops managed to six Islamic State members. Who are involved in terrorism charges. “Three of them used to work for the group’s security department. They used to confiscate houses of the christians and security conscripts.” The militants were arrested in al-Mushahda, al-Mu’allemin and Wadi Hajar regions. On Tuesday, Iraqi troops arrested an Islamic State militant who was tasked with providing the group with foodstuffs in Mosul city. 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.”

The Print: Islamic State ‘Executioner’ Sidhartha Dhar Reported Dead In Iraq

“Sidhartha Dhar’s family remembered him as a shy, sensitive young British man not unusual from other boys of his age, reported the Daily Mail in 2016. That’s before he fell in love with a woman, Aisha Tariq, converted to Islam at 19 and married her four years later. Last week, British counter-terrorism expert Charles Lister tweeted that Dhar or Al-Rumaysah, the name he took when he joined the now-banned terror group Al-Muhajiroun and subsequently fled to Syria in 2014, had died. The intervening years is the story of a young British man of Indian origin who became an internationally wanted terrorist. Dhar, once the spokesperson of Al-Muhajiroun, which drew its inspiration from the Salafi-Wahabi sect of Islam, was arrested at least six times in the UK for his association with the group. He is said to have been an executioner for the Islamic State, which had taken over large parts of Iraq. A 2016 video, which documented the killings of those who had betrayed the Islamic State, portrayed Dhar as a key executioner. Like ‘Jihadi John’, the white British citizen who left the UK to join IS and was noted for his extreme, unflinching cruelty, Dhar was believed to have been nicknamed ‘Jihadi Sid’. Another terrorism expert, Amarnath Amarasingam, however, believes that Dhar may have actually been killed in 2017, based on information from a militant named Abu Turab.”

Turkey

Anadolu Agency: 5 Daesh-Linked Suspects Arrested In Southern Turkey

“At least five people were arrested in southern Turkey early Friday for suspected links to the Daesh terrorist organization. Police counter-terrorism squads carried out raids to apprehend the suspects in their homes in Adana province, said a security source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media. Security forces have been involved in a long-running campaign to clear Daesh terrorists from Turkey. More than 300 people have lost their lives so far in Daesh-claimed attacks in Turkey, where the terror organization has targeted civilians in suicide bombings and rocket and gun attacks.”

Afghanistan

ABC News: US General Wounded In Afghan Attack Transferred To Walter Reed

“The U.S. general wounded during last week's insider attack in Kandahar has been transferred to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, a spokesman for the NATO mission in Afghanistan confirmed on Thursday. Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Smiley was the only U.S. service member injured during the attack, which killed two top Afghan officials in the province. The top U.S. military commander in Afghanistan was also present during the attack but was unharmed. Smiley, who suffered a gunshot wound, was first treated at a Resolute Support hospital in Kandahar before being transferred to Walter Reed in Bethesda, Maryland, according to Resolute Support spokesman Cmdr. Grant Neeley. In the days following the attack, Smiley remained commander of TAAC-South, the Train Advise Assist command in southern Afghanistan. However, Neeley told ABC News in a statement on Thursday that an Australian Army general has since assumed the role of TAAC-South's acting commander. Resolute Support is not commenting on the status of Smiley's injuries. Smiley is a general with the California National Guard, in command of the Guard’s 40th Infantry, which is one of the lead units in Kandahar.”

Xinhua: Over 2 Dozen Killed In 24 Hours In Afghanistan

“More than two dozen militants and security personnel have been killed for the control of the strategically important Kuran-o-Munjan district in northern Afghanistan's Badakhshan province over the past 24 hours. Government forces had been fighting to evict the insurgents from the beleaguered district, provincial government spokesman Nik Mohammad Nazari said Thursday. "A total of 24 insurgents and two security personnel have been killed and 12 others including 10 rebels and two security personnel injured in Kuran-o-Munjan district since Wednesday evening," Nazari told Xinhua. Taliban militants, according to local officials, launched attacks on some security checkpoints in Kuran-o-Munjan district on Friday night and since then fighting continues between security forces and the militants in the strategically important district. According to local observers, if the attacking militants were able to overrun Kuran-o-Munjan district, they could easily open their way to the neighboring Nuristan, Kunar and Panjshir provinces to expand their influence. Taliban control over Kuran-o-Munjan district could facilitate the insurgent group to extend its control over Lapis stone mine in Badakhshan province, local observers say.”

Pakistan

The New York Times: Taliban Deputy Is Released Amid Push For Afghan Peace Talks

“A longtime deputy in the Taliban who was arrested in a joint intelligence raid by American and Pakistani agents eight years ago has been freed, the insurgent group confirmed on Thursday. The release of the deputy, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, who is in Pakistan, appeared to be the most tangible result of talks held recently by the Taliban and American diplomats. Mullah Baradar, who seemed interested in exploring peace negotiations before his capture in January 2010, was the Taliban’s most senior military leader at the time. American diplomats held talks this month with the Taliban in the Gulf state of Qatar for a second time since the White House ordered direct engagement with the insurgents. “Mullah Baradar reached his relatives last evening,” Zabihullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman, said. “This is the result of the recent contacts with the Americans.” Just how much impact Mullah Baradar’s return to the insurgency, which has gone through two leadership transitions while he was in detention, will have over any peace talks remains unclear. His release comes days after Gen. Abdul Raziq, the police chief of Kandahar who led the resistance against the Taliban in the south, was killed in a brazen insider attack. Mullah Baradar, before his arrest, led the operations in the southern provinces where the Taliban movement originated and which remain central to the group’s recruitment and financing.”

India
The Tribune: One Held For Helping Man With ISIS Links Get Passport

“A native of Pattukottai in neighbouring Thanjavur district has been arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on charges of helping a man having links with ISIS obtain a passport, police said here on Thursday. M Shafeek Ahmed was arrested here on Tuesday and later produced before a NIA court in New Delhi, which remanded him to seven-day custody, they said. Ahmed had allegedly helped VK Shajahan alias Mohamed Ismail Mohideen with ISIS links get a passport with forged documents. Shajahan had been deported by Turkish officials for his alleged involvement in ISIS activities in 2017 and arrested at the Delhi airport. Later, the case was handed over to the NIA, which carried out a probe and arrested Ahmed for his involvement in it, sources said. PTI”

Yemen

The National: Battle For Hodeidah Erupts As Pro-Government Forces Strike Houthi Rebels

“Clashes between Houthi rebels and government forces near Yemen's port city of Hodeidah broke out late on Wednesday, residents told The National. The renewal of violence in the contested city saw UAE Apache helicopters target Houthi vehicles on the road stretching from Hodeidah airport to the university inside the city. According to a resident, the exchange of fire took place in Kilo 10, east of Hodeidah, where Iran-backed Houthi fighters were shelling from within residential areas. The resident, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of repercussion, said rebel fighters had been shelling pro-government areas indiscriminately while taking cover in residential areas. The Arab Coalition cautioned residents to avoid Houthi gatherings and to stay indoors, worried that civilians would get caught in the crossfire. The renewed offensive follows the deployment by the Arab coalition of new forces near Hodeidah, including highly trained brigades equipped with "new modern military equipment," said Colonel Mamoon Al Mahjami the spokesman for the Giant Brigade. "Thousands of trained fighters including thousands of Sudanese soldiers were transported to the southern areas of the port city of Hodeidah as a part of big preparations for a wider offensive aimed to be launched in the two weeks to take full control over the city and its ports," Col Al Mahjami said.”

Al Arabiya: Houthi Militias Detain 20 Journalists, Activists Meeting In Sanaa

“Houthi militias have detained former head of Yemen’s journalists union Abdelbari Taher, and a number of journalists, writers, and activists on Thursday. Media sources close to the detainees have confirmed that the Houthis broke into a seminar discussing how to face hate speech and incitement of violence, which was being held in a hotel in the capital, Sanaa. The pro-Iranian Houthi militias detained all 20 figures who were attending the seminar, taking them to an unknown location. Abdelbari Taher, formerly head of the Yemen’s journalists union, is an independent political analyst and a highly-regarded Yemeni writer and commentator. It is worth mentioning that the Houthi militias’s record is full of arbitrary arrests and violations against detainees in the coup militias detention centers.”

Asharq Al-Awsat: Legitimacy Holds Houthis Responsible For Famine In Yemen

“Yemen's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Marwan Ali Noman held Iranian-backedHouthi militias responsible for the deterioration of the humanitarian condition in the country and subjecting half Yemenis to famine, based on the latest reports of UN Aid Chief Mark Lowcock. "There is now a clear and present danger of an imminent and great big famine engulfing Yemen: much bigger than anything any professional in this field has seen during their working lives," Lowcock said during a UN Security Council session in New York. Some 14 million people could soon be on the brink of famine and completely relying on humanitarian aid for survival, he added. Lowcock said that last month, he called for an urgent and substantial injection of foreign exchange, and the resumption of payments to pensioners and key public sector workers, like teachers and health professionals. He welcomed the announcement by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates of $70 million to cover allowances for 135,000 teachers across Yemen. For his part, Noman stressed that the Yemeni suffering is caused by the Houthi militias, which are executing the agenda of Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah party in the region. He added that the militias practiced all kinds of murder, torture and forced displacement in all Yemeni cities that they invade.”

Middle East

Rudaw: Foreign ISIS Fighters Must Face Prosecution For Yezidi Genocide: Report

“ISIS militants, especially foreign fighters, must be prosecuted on genocide and sex crime charges in order to bring justice to Yezidis, a new report stated, condemning prosecution thus far that have been relied on anti-terror laws. “The focus should be on ensuring effective criminal investigations and prosecutions, where the rights of Yezidi victims to truth, justice and reparation can be fully addressed,” read the report from the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and Kinyat, an organization that documents crimes against Yezidis. “As history has shown, this is the only way to ensure effective guarantees of non-repetition for the gravest crimes,” read the report that was published Thursday. The report singles out the need to prosecute foreign fighters in national and international courts “on charges of sexual crimes amounting to genocide and crimes against humanity.” These crimes were “carefully planned, institutionalized and highly organized” by ISIS with foreign fighters playing a major role. FIDH and Kinyat, speaking with Yezidi survivors, documented that the women were “gifted or bought” to fighters from the nations of Saudi Arabia, Libya, Tunisia, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Yemen, France, Germany, USA, and China.”

KZN Bomb Attacks: More Evidence Links Accused To ISIS

“Photographs and videos which "clearly indicates his support and commitment to ISIS" were found on the cellphone of the "leader" of a group of men accused of the fatal Verulam mosque attack and the placement of several explosive devices at Durban shopping centres and businesses. This emerged in an affidavit submitted to the Verulam Family Court on Thursday afternoon in the bail application of the 11 men accused in the case. The men are applying for their release on bail. In the supplementary affidavit of Warrant Officer Benedict Chonco, who is the investigating officer in the case, it emerged that businessman Farhad Hoomer's phone contained a photograph of him with an ISIS beanie, ISIS magazines and newsletters with manuals for how to make a cellphone detonator, bomb-making plans and recipes.”

Nigeria

Voice Of America: AU Force Says Key Al-Shabab Commander Killed

“A "chief finance controller" for the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab extremist group has been killed in an ambush on a meeting of its fighters in southern Somalia, the African Union peacekeeping mission announced Thursday. The unnamed commander, the head of tax collection in Lower Shabelle region, was killed Monday in Bariire, the AU mission said. The extremist group funds its deadly activities by taxing the communities under its control. It also collects taxes on millions of bags of charcoal that make their way out of the country despite a ban on the exports, according to the latest report by U.N. sanctions monitors. Another seven al-Shabab fighters were killed Sunday when their attack on a forward operating base was "botched," the AU mission said. The multinational AU force in the coming few years is expected to draw down and hand over responsibility for Somalia's security to the country's military, though U.S. military officials and others have warned that Somali forces are not yet ready.”

The Wall Street Journal: Boko Haram Put A Bounty On My Head

“I received a phone call several years ago saying that someone had found my wallet, and I could pick it up at an abandoned racetrack. I don’t carry a wallet. Shortly thereafter, while investigating a story about a massacre of Christians in the Middle Belt of Nigeria, I saw a charcoal message emblazoned on a wall: “Hassan, we know about you and will meet you one day.” A Muslim friend confirmed that Boko Haram had put a bounty of $700 on my head. Such is life for a pastor in modern Nigeria. Nigerian Christianity is under siege from radical Islam. The country’s importance to Africa, and to Christianity as a whole, makes this siege particularly noteworthy. With a population of nearly 200 million—about 50% Christian, 40% Muslim and 10% animist—by 2050 Nigeria will become the third most populous country in the world, the United Nations estimates. No wonder Nigeria has been a strategic target for radical Islamists for several decades. Boko Haram, a radical Islamic movement whose name roughly translates to “Western education is forbidden,” has ramped up attacks on Christians this year. Since 2009 when Boko Haram began its rampage, about 20,000 Nigerians have been hacked with machetes or shot. Two million have been displaced. Pastors and their families have been specifically targeted for death.”

The Punch: Boko Haram: Army Frees 28 Juveniles From Custody

“The Nigerian military on Thursday handed over 28 juveniles associated with the terrorist group, Boko Haram, to the Borno State Government and the United Nations Children’s Fund. The juveniles were said to have been rescued from Boko Haram insurgents and kept with the army before they were released on Thursday. Northern City News learnt that the released teenagers would be de-radicalised, rehabilitated and reintegrated into the society. The head of the military counter-insurgency operation in the North-East, Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj Gen Abba Dikko, while handing over the teenagers, said their release was in deference to all international standards on human rights. He said the army had abided by its Rule 28 on how children or minors associated with armed groups should be treated. He gave the assurance that the military would ensure that people return to their localities to resettle and go back to their normal lives. The 28 released teenagers comprise 24 males and four females, with the oldest being 17 years and the youngest being 13 years old. The theatre commander pointed out that it was high time people embraced peace. He said he was impressed with the large size of farmlands cultivated across the North-East by the returned IDPs and residents of host communities with the return of relative peace and agricultural activities.”

Somalia

American Military News: A Top ISIS Affiliate Leader In Somalia Has Been Killed, Officials Say

“A top figure of the ISIS faction in northern Somalia is dead, according to the region’s authorities. Last week his body was discovered by a Mogadishu beach, Fox News reported. Officials who asked not to be identified said Mahad Moalim was covertly visiting the region when he was abducted. However, Moalim’s family blames other ISIS top leaders. Others cite reports that he was sick and was killed by those interested in becoming his replacement. In Feb., the U.S. labeled Moalim a “specially designated global terrorist,” and issued sanctions against him, according to Strategic Intelligence. The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control said he was enabling weapons to be shipped and aiding fighters to cross from Yemen into the Gulf of Aden. The faction that was led by Moalim was founded by British terrorist Abdiqadir Mumin. The group, who gets their capital from extorting citizens, has claimed responsibility for attacks in Mogadishu, Somalia, and in northern Puntland where they are grounded. Analyst Caleb Weiss said, “It is unclear exactly how many claims made by the group are legitimate, as few are reported by local media or proven with visual evidence. Some assassination claims, however, are followed up with photo or video proof.”

Africa

Eyewitness News: Case Against 11 Accused Of Isis Links Adjourned

“The case against 11 accused of having links to the Islamic State (Isis) in South Africa has been adjourned to allow them time to respond to a supplementary affidavit. The accused appeared in the Verulam Family Court on Thursday afternoon, where their case stood down after the investigating officer submitted additional documents. The men were handcuffed during a police raid two weeks ago at a house in Reservoir Hills in connection with the planting of bombs at several shopping centres in Durban and the deadly mosque attack in Verulam earlier in 2018. Isis paraphernalia was recovered from the scene along with incendiary devices matching those found in KwaZulu-Natal. In a brief court appearance on Thursday, the 11 men were told to respond to a supplementary affidavit submitted by investigating officer Khwezi Chonco. His affidavit contains an amendment to the original document, which details how the type of cellphone used to assemble the bombs was recovered during the police raid and matches incendiary devices found at Woolworths stores in Gateway, Pavilion and West Street. At the same time, one of the 11 accused has also been positively identified as having attacked and slit Abbas Essop’s throat during the mosque attack in May 2018. Magistrate Irfaan Khalil has granted a request by the State to include the latest affidavit and give the defence time to respond to any new information.”

Asharq Al-Awsat: Tunisia Sentences Man To 8 Years In Prison On Terrorism Charges

“A Tunisian court sentenced a citizen to eight years in prison on terrorism charges. The court of first instance charged Nessim al-Hafsi with planning a terrorist attack in the Tunisian capital, Tunis, specifically targeting a shopping center. He was accused of joining a terrorist organization inside Tunisian territory and promoting terrorism. Security agencies were alerted to Hafsi in 2015 after the counter-terrorism units found out that he had set up several pages on social media and was in contact with terrorists belonging to Jund al-Khilafah battalion located in al-Kef mountains, northwest of Tunis. The terrorist group included Algerian terrorist Ayman al-Wahrani and Tunisian Saif al-Din al-Jamali, dubbed Abu al-Qaaqaa. According to the security investigations, the defendant acted as the media official of the Jund al-Khilafah battalion and was working to recruit young people and facilitate their involvement in terrorist organizations. Hafsi planned to carry out a terrorist attack in the center of the capital inside a huge shopping complex by detonating himself with an explosive belt, which would have caused a massacre. Counter-terrorism units also revealed the involvement of the terrorist in the targeting of the US consulate in the Libyan city of Benghazi. He also joined al-Faruq, a terrorist military battalion located in the city of Misrata and active in Libya. Hafsi traveled to Derna, Libya, where he received military and physical training and specialized in making explosives and how to use weapons.”

China

The Wall Street Journal: China Cuts Iran Oil Purchases Ahead Of U.S. Sanctions

“China is cutting some of its oil trade with Iran after vowing for months to resist U.S. sanctions on the exports, providing Washington with an unexpected boost to its efforts to isolate the Islamic Republic. The move comes as Saudi Arabia, seeking to damp a foreign-relations crisis, said this month that it would increase oil supply, pushing down prices and giving traders further options outside Iran. The shift by Beijing, Iran’s top customer, gives the U.S. a building block in an economic barrier around Iran as it prepares to renew sanctions on the country’s energy sector in early November. China’s largest oil refiners, China National Petroleum Corp. and China Petrochemical Corp., haven't booked any Iranian cargo for November, according to people familiar with the matter. China has been importing about 600,000 barrels of Iranian crude a day.”

United Kingdom

TV: British Women And Children Detained In Syria After Leaving IS Plead With Government To Allow Them To Return Home

“The one-time women of so-called Islamic State who travelled to Syria from Britain to join the terror organisation have spoken to ITV News, issuing pleas to the UK Government to allow them and their children to return home. "This is not life... I don't want my children to stay in a refugee camp... I want them to go back to the UK, I want them to have a good education," one woman said. At least two British women and their children are being held in a camp in northern Syria, having been arrested while trying to leave the country after travelling there to join so-called Islamic State. However, the UK will not repatriate detainees, meaning they are stuck indefinitely in the camp. Kurdish authorities say they are overwhelmed and frustrated by the lack of co-operation from other countries, and in the case of the two women who spoke to ITV News, say they are Britain's problem and not theirs. However, UK authorities have so far refused calls to take back any of its nationals detained in Syria, for example, going to great lengths in the case of two British terror suspects nicknamed "The Beatles” by stripping them of their citizenship.”

Germany

ABC News: Germany: Syrian Goes On Trial For Alleged IS Membership

“A 26-year-old Syrian man has gone on trial in southern Germany for allegedly having been a member of the Islamic State group. The man, identified only as Faisal A. H. due to German privacy rules, appeared before the Stuttgart regional court on Thursday. He is charged with "membership in a foreign terrorist organization." German prosecutors say he joined a paramilitary group fighting the forces of Syrian President Bashar Assad in 2013 and later switched to IS. They say the extremist group imprisoned him as a suspected government spy. But after undergoing "re-education" and swearing loyalty to IS, H. allegedly was allowed to rejoin and made to clear seized houses and spy on residents of Tabqa. The defendant left Syria for Germany at the end of 2014.”

Southeast Asia

The Diplomat: A Year After Marawi, What’s Left Of ISIS In The Philippines?

“October 23 marked one year since the Philippine armed forces declared an end to combat operations in Marawi, bringing a brutal five-month urban siege that pitted government troops against radical Islamic State-linked militants to a close. The conflict devastated the city, cost more than 1,000 lives, and prompted more than 300,000 terrified residents to flee their homes. Many are yet to return, while the large Muslim-majority southern island of Mindanao – on which the historic Islamic city of Marawi sits on the shores of Lake Lanao in the northwest – has remained under a state of martial law ever since. A year on, the rebuilding of Marawi’s central Banggolo district – which bore the brunt of the fighting – is about to begin, with an initial ground-breaking ceremony due to be held on October 31. But what became of the radical militants who wreaked such carnage on behalf of the Islamic State (ISIS)? Those who fought in the siege came primarily from four ISIS-aligned groups based in the region: the Mautes, Abu Sayyaf, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and Ansar Khalifah Philippines (AKP). What fate befell these groups after the fighting in Marawi subsided? And could a similar siege happen again? ISIS-Aligned Groups’ Combined Assault on Marawi To better understand the trajectories of these groups over the past year, it is first essential to retrace what happened in Marawi. In the mid-afternoon of May 23, 2017, a contingent of Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) troops moved into the center of Marawi in an attempt to capture one of Southeast Asia’s most wanted militants – notorious Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon.”

Technology

Daily Caller: Vice News Able To Purchase Ads On Facebook Listed As ‘Paid For’ By Isis

“Despite Facebook’s promises to crack down on hateful content and fake news, Vice News was able to purchase political advertisements that they claimed were “paid for” by ISIS. Vice revealed the con in an article published Thursday, explaining that they submitted fake advertisements on behalf of several prominent politicians and the “Islamic State.” All of the ads were approved. “In May, Facebook added a mandatory ‘Paid For’ disclosure for every ad that relates to politics or what Facebook calls an ‘issue of national importance,'” Vice explained, noting that Facebook announced the measure in the wake of controversy over Russian-bought ads during the 2016 election. Vice submitted an ad to Facebook several times with different persons in the “paid for” category. Facebook denied the ad when Vice claimed it was “paid for” by Hillary Clinton, but accepted it when Vice submitted it as “paid for” by Vice President Mike Pence, DNC Chair Tom Perez, and the Islamic State. “To be able to submit political ads on Facebook, we were required to submit a valid ID and proof of residence. That means Facebook knew who was behind the ads internally, but externally, Facebook users would see was completely made up Paid For information,” Vice said. A representative for Facebook said that approving the ads was a mistake.”

WHIO: Social Media Can Make ISIS Recruitment Easy, Expert Says Of Beavercreek Man

“The 19-year-old Beavercreek man accused by federal authorities of attempting to provide material support and resources to a foreign terrorist organization is an ideal recruit for ISIS, an associate professor of international studies said Thursday. "They [ISIS] have a very effective rercuiting tool and it tends to hit younger men between 15 nd 30 years of age," said Glen Duerr, the associate professor at Cedarville University. "It's had a lot of success unfortunately." Authorities arrested Naser Almadaoji at the Columbus airport Wednesday, Benjamin Glassman, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, said Thursday. The young man had tickets to Kazakhstan, where authorities believe he was to be smuggled into Afghanistan to go join the ISIS Khorasan, the affiliate of ISIS in Afghanistan, Glassman said. Undercover agents said Almadaoji told them he wanted to bring down the United States. Duerr, in an interview with WHIO-TV’s Kate Bartley, said that more than likely, the young man would have been used on a suicide mission in the Middle East. "He could have killed U.S. service members or people attending markets or mosques in Pakistan or Afghanistan," the associate professor said."
__________________
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"
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