Eye on Extremism, August 10, 2016
“Between 2002 and 2015, the Islamic State was either directly or indirectly responsible for terrorist attacks that killed more than 33,000 people and wounded 41,000 more, according to a new analysis from the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Response to Terrorism. It's a startling figure. If attacks with unknown perpetrators are excluded, this means that the Islamic State bore responsibility for 13 percent of terrorist attacks globally during that period, with 26 percent of all terrorist attack deaths, 28 percent of injuries and a further 24 percent of kidnap victims. These figures include not only acts committed by the core Islamic State group, but also the precursor groups that came before it was officially founded — primarily al-Qaeda in Iraq — as well as the affiliates and individuals inspired by the Islamic State who came after.”
“U.S. Special Operations forces are providing direct, on-the-ground support for the first time to fighters battling the Islamic State in Libya, U.S. and Libyan officials said, coordinating American airstrikes and providing intelligence information in an effort to oust the group from a militant stronghold. The positioning of a small number of elite U.S. personnel, operating alongside British troops, in the coastal city of Sirte deepens the involvement of Western nations against the Islamic State’s most powerful affiliate. U.S. officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a mission that has not been announced publicly, said the American troops were operating out of a joint operations center on the city’s outskirts and that their role was limited to supporting forces loyal to the country’s fragile unity government.”
The Wall Street Journal: Pakistan Probes Islamic State Links In Quetta Hospital Bombing
“Authorities in Pakistan said Tuesday they were trying to determine whether Islamic State was behind a suicide bombing that killed at least 72 people the day before—a development that could mark a new and bloody phase in the country’s battle with jihadist terror. The militant group, which controls swaths of Syria and Iraq, said in a statement carried by its media arm on Monday that it was responsible for the assault. A faction of the Pakistani Taliban also claimed to have orchestrated the bombing, which targeted lawyers in the city of Quetta, in Balochistan province. Investigators said it wasn’t clear which group was the perpetrator or if the two had collaborated in the attack, in which a suicide bomber detonated explosives in a crowd of attorneys who had come to a hospital to collect the body of an assassinated colleague.”
Business Insider: ISIS May Have Just Scored A Victory For Its Global Brand
“Once serious enemies, the Taliban and Islamic State militants may have brokered a ceasefire deal amongst each other in Eastern Afghanistan. The Wall Street Journal reports that after a year of fighting amongst themselves, the two had worked out a deal to focus their attacks on the government.”
Voice Of America: UN: 2 Million In Syria’s Aleppo Without Running Water, Electricity
“The United Nations warned Tuesday that more than 2 million people in the Syrian city of Aleppo have no access to running water or electricity, and it called for a halt to the fighting to repair the damaged infrastructure and deliver humanitarian aid. ‘We have supplies ready to roll: food rations, hospital supplies, ambulances, fuel for generators, water supplies and more,’ U.N. humanitarian chief Stephen O’Brien told reporters in New York. ‘We can deliver these within 24 to 48 hours if we have safe access.’ U.N. agencies have repeatedly called for weekly 48-hour humanitarian pauses to provide desperately needed aid to Aleppo’s residents and evacuate them, but these have not materialized. O’Brien called on the U.N. Security Council to use its influence to make the pauses a reality.”
“A video released by the disputed leader of Nigeria-based terror group Boko Haram is proof that there are tensions between the two factions within the Islamist outfit, a security analyst told IBTimes UK. Abubakar Shekau recently released a 24-minute clip vowing he would continue to fight. The video came days after Boko Haram's ally, the Isis terror group, replaced Shekau with Abu Musab al-Barnawi, former Boko Haram spokesperson. Shekau, however, denied he had been replaced and claimed Barnawi was staging a coup against him. He also accused Barnawi of being an infidel who condoned living in a non-Islamic society without waging jihad. Following the new appointment, analysts warned the group had split into two factions, one loyal to Shekau and the other to Barnawi.”
Associated Press: Christians Say Defeating IS Won't Make Iraq Safe For Them
“As operations to retake the militant-held city of Mosul ramp up, Iraqi Christians displaced from the area by the Islamic State group say that even if the militants are defeated militarily, the country will not be safe for minorities. Qaraqosh, the biggest Christian town on the Nineveh plains in Iraq's north, fell to IS more than two years ago and remains under militant control. Most of its displaced inhabitants are living in camps in Iraq's Kurdish region. Hundreds of others fled to neighboring countries, Europe, the United States and further afield. On the edge of Irbil's historically Christian neighborhood of Ankawa, 1,200 identical white trailers arranged in neat rows shelter some 5,000 people. A handful of families here say they will return home the day their town is liberated. But many say they would rather leave for abroad. Despite the string of military defeats suffered by IS, they say the militants' incursion into Iraq has thrown the future of the country's minority groups into further uncertainty.”
The Times Of Israel: Palestinian Woman Held For Attempted Stabbing
“Border Police arrest a Palestinian woman who allegedly threatened them with a knife at a checkpoint near the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron, police say. During a security check, the woman took a knife out of her bag and “threatened to carry out a stabbing attack” against the officers, according to police. Using pepper spray, the officers overpower the woman and place her under arrest.”
“ISIS might be ceding territory in the Middle East, but it hasn't given up the battle for hearts and minds. The terrorist group is playing a long game, working aggressively to indoctrinate children under its control to groom the next generation of jihadis in its image.”
Voice Of America: Kidnappings Prompt American University Of Afghanistan To Suspend Operations
“The privately-run American University of Afghanistan (AUAF) in Kabul has formally announced its campus operations will remain temporarily suspended after Sunday's kidnapping of two of its foreign teaching staff members. Afghan authorities say unknown gunmen Sunday evening abducted the lecturers, an American and an Australian, from Darulaman Road near the university. There have been no claims of responsibility. ‘Campus operations have been temporarily suspended and we expect that operations will resume on August 10, 2016,’ AUAF said in a statement posted on its Facebook page on Tuesday.”
United States
Reuters: U.S. Approves $1.15 Billion Sale Of Tanks, Equipment To Saudi Arabia
“The U.S. State Department has approved the potential sale of more than 130 Abrams battle tanks, 20 armored recovery vehicles and other equipment, worth about $1.15 billion, to Saudi Arabia, the Pentagon said on Tuesday. The approval for land force equipment coincides with Saudi Arabia leading a military coalition in support of Yemeni forces loyal to the exiled government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi who are trying to oust Iran-allied Houthi forces from the capital, Sanaa. Human rights groups have criticized the coalition's air strikes because of the deaths of civilians. The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency, which implements foreign arms sales, said that General Dynamics will be the principal contractor for the sale.”
Syria
Reuters: Syria Talks Should Not Rest On Halt In Aleppo Fighting - Russia
“Russia warned on Tuesday that the next round of Syria peace talks should not be contingent on a halt to fighting in Aleppo after U.N. Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura told the U.N. Security Council he aims to reconvene negotiations in late August. Speaking after a closed door meeting of the 15-member council, Russian U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told reporters: ‘The lower the level of violence the better it is for the talks... but there must be no preconditions for the talks.’ Insurgents effectively broke a month-long government siege of eastern, opposition-held Aleppo on Saturday, severing the primary government supply corridor and raising the prospect that government-held western Aleppo might become besieged. Churkin called on countries with influence over the Syrian opposition to make sure they are prepared for future talks.”
Iraq
Associated Press: 2 Years Of Anti-IS Airstrikes Have Redrawn The Iraqi Map
“Two years ago, the U.S.-led coalition launched the first airstrikes on the Islamic State group, ushering in a deeper phase of intervention that dramatically changed the fight against the militant group in Iraq. Since then, more than 9,400 coalition airstrikes have allowed Iraqi forces to slowly claw back cities, towns, supply lines and infrastructure. But the fight — which continues to be largely waged from the air — has also leveled entire neighborhoods, displaced millions and redrawn the Iraqi map. The U.S.-led coalition estimates that since the airstrikes began on Aug 8, 2014, IS has lost more than 40 percent of the territory it once held in Iraq. But while coalition airstrikes paved the way for Kurdish and Iraqi ground forces to retake territory, in many cases the result is a ruined prize.”
Turkey
Reuters: Militants Kill Two Soldiers In Turkey's Mainly Kurdish Southeast
“Kurdish militants killed two soldiers and wounded two others in a firefight on Tuesday in Turkey's strife-ridden southeast, security sources said. Members of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) opened fire on the soldiers in the countryside outside the town of Kulp in Diyarbakir province, they said. Reinforcements had been deployed to the area to pursue a group of guerrillas. The Diyarbakir governorate earlier in the day declared round-the-clock curfews in 13 villages near Kulp and two other towns in the mainly Kurdish province. Security forces use the curfews to stage operations to root out fighters from the PKK, listed as terrorists by Turkey, the United States and European Union, since July 2015, when a ceasefire collapsed and a three-decade conflict reignited.”
Deutsche Welle: Turkey To Halt EU Migrant Deal If Visa-Free EU Travel Drags On
“Turkey has threatened to stop implementing a deal with the EU designed to stem the flow of refugees. Several Turkish politicians have said that the EU is failing to provide a set date to grant visa-free travel to Turks. In an interview with Turkey's Habertürk television, Turkey's EU Affairs Minister ?mer Celik said that Europe would endanger its own security by refusing visa-free travel to Turkish citizens, as Turkey would then annul its refugee agreement with the EU. This would allow refugees to arrive in Europe without undergoing any checks and clearances, he said.”
BBC: Putin Mends Broken Relations With Turkey's Erdogan
“The leaders of Russia and Turkey have patched up a damaging quarrel, pledging to restore close economic relations. Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russian trade sanctions on Turkey would be phased out ‘step by step’. ‘The priority is to get back to the pre-crisis level of co-operation,’ he told Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in St Petersburg. Their relations soured last November when Turkey shot down a Russian bomber on the Syrian border. It is Mr Erdogan's first foreign visit since an attempted coup last month. He has since launched a far-reaching purge of the armed forces and other state institutions.”
Afghanistan
Reuters: Afghan Officials Raise Alarm As Taliban Gain In Helmand Province
“The Taliban are tightening their noose around the capital of disputed Helmand province in southern Afghanistan which has seen sustained fighting, residents and local officials say. Security officials and local leaders offered differing assessments of the risk of the city of Lashkar Gah falling, with military commanders asserting that the situation has stabilized. But officials in the besieged city are increasingly pessimistic. ‘If we don’t receive support from the central government, the province will collapse soon,’ said provincial council chief Karim Atal. The Taliban are seeking to make Lashkar Gah the second provincial capital they have captured since their extremist Islamic rule was toppled in a U.S.-led campaign in 2001. The insurgents briefly held the northern city of Kunduz last October before being driven out by U.S.-backed Afghan troops.”
Reuters: Market Blast Kills Two, Wounds 15 In North Afghanistan
“A bomb in a crowded in market in the north Afghanistan city of Mazar-i-Sharif on Tuesday killed at least two people and wounded 15, police officials said. Mazar-i-Sharif, an important commercial center near the border with Uzbekistan, has generally been spared the violence unleashed by insurgent groups battling the NATO-backed government in Kabul. The attack on Tuesday was carried out by a suicide bomber, said police commander Baba Jan. ‘The bomber detonated his explosives in the main market and all the victims are civilians,’ he said. The Ministry of Interior, however, reported that a bomb had been hidden in a cart.”
Reuters: U.S. Soldiers In Afghanistan Abandoned Equipment Under Fire: General
“American soldiers helping Afghan troops fight Islamic State in Afghanistan were forced to abandon equipment and weapons when their position came under fire, a U.S. military official said on Tuesday. Islamic State fighters have circulated photographs of a rocket launcher, grenades, ammunition, identification cards, an encrypted radio and other equipment that they said they had seized. U.S. military spokesman General Charles Cleveland said the loss had happened during fighting in Nangarhar, a province in eastern Afghanistan, in July in which at least five special forces soldiers were wounded, but he denied that any American positions were overrun.”
Middle East
The New York Times: Israel Accuses U.N. Worker Of Aiding Hamas In Gaza
“Israeli prosecutors on Tuesday charged a Palestinian employee of the United Nations in the Gaza Strip with providing material assistance to Hamas, the Islamist group that controls the territory, including helping to build a jetty for its military wing. The accusations against the employee, Waheed Al Bursh, came after Israel leveled charges Thursday against a Palestinian employee of World Vision in Gaza, saying he had funneled millions of dollars to Hamas. Mr. Bursh, an engineer with the United Nations Development Program since 2003, was detained on July 3 by Israel’s internal security agency, the Shin Bet. Israeli news organizations reported that he had confessed to being instructed by Hamas officials to use his position to benefit the group. But Mr. Bursh’s relatives in Gaza insisted he was not involved with Hamas.”
Libya
Voice Of America: Libya Getting More US Help In Fight Against Islamic State
“Increased U.S. airstrikes in Libya could be the start of an effort to smother the Islamic State terror group as it tries to cling to a key North African stronghold. U.S. Africa Command announced eight new strikes Tuesday against IS positions in Sirte, a key coastal city that has served as a base for the terror group’s operations. A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told VOA that U.S. special forces are also in the area ‘doing some coordination,’ though the official was unable to elaborate. The U.S. has now carried out a total of 28 airstrikes against IS as part of Operation Odyssey Lightning, which began August 1 following a request from Libya’s Government of National Accord (GNA).”
United Kingdom
BBC: Two Men Arrested In Coventry Over Syria Terror Offences
“Two men have been arrested on suspicion of Syria-related terrorism offences in Coventry. The men, aged 25, and 35, were arrested earlier on Tuesday on suspicion of financing terrorism, police said. They were arrested at two separate addresses where officers are continuing to carry out inquiries. ‘The arrests were part of a continuing investigation and were intelligence led. There was no immediate threat to public safety,’ a force spokesman said.”
Germany
The New York Times: German Police Detain Asylum-Seeker Suspected Of Plotting Terrorist Attack
“A German special police unit has detained a Syrian asylum-seeker who they said they suspected of plotting a terrorist attack during the opening of the national soccer league season, German officials said Tuesday. Officers from the special unit arrested the 24-year-old suspect on Friday in the city of Mutterstadt, in the western state of Rhineland-Palatinate, after the authorities in Duisburg received a tip about a possible attack, the Interior Ministry in neighboring North Rhine-Westphalia said. The suspect has been questioned and will remain in detention pending the outcome of the investigation, the ministry said. Michael Maurer, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, said there had been indications that the suspect was plotting an attack directed at the opening of Germany’s top soccer league, the Bundesliga, later this month.”
France
Newsweek: France Charges 16-Year-Old Girl Suspected Of Preparing Isis-Inspired Attack
“A French court has charged a 16-year-old girl with extremism offenses including supporting the Islamic State militant group (ISIS) and preparing an attack inspired by the radical Islamist cult. The judge charged the teenager, unidentified because of her age, with participation in ‘criminal terrorist association’ and ‘inciting to commit terrorist acts through an online communication medium.’ Authorities are holding her in custody after arresting her in the Paris suburb of Melun. According to the Paris prosecutor’s office, the girl had been using Telegram to spread ISIS propaganda that called for attacks, acting as an administrator of a chat group, describing her as ‘extremely radicalized.’”
CNN: France's Super Jihadi And The Teenage Girl Trapped In Syria
“Omsen -- a.k.a. Omar Diaby -- is France's ‘super jihadist.’ Through his series of online videos, released under the name "19HH" (a tribute to the 19 perpetrators of the September 11 attacks), French authorities say he is responsible for recruiting about 80% of French-speaking jihadis heading to Syria and Iraq. The clips fuse Hollywood special effects, rap music, religion and conspiracy theories in an attempt to convince young French Muslims to join the fight. Omsen, 41, was born in Senegal, but moved to France as a child, and grew up in Nice. According to French media reports, he became radicalized during several spells in prison. He moved to Syria in 2013, to head up a French ‘katiba,’ or brigade, of jihadis. Among his followers, who listen rapt as he preaches with messianic fervor, Omsen is treated as a spiritual leader.”
Europe
Sputnik News: Poll: Most Europeans Believe Brussels Is Losing The Fight With Terrorists
“Shocked by recent terrorist attacks in the European Union, citizens are demanding that authorities take a more aggressive stance to provide security, as roughly three quarters of Europeans see the actions of Brussels in dealing with terror threats insufficient, according to a new survey posted Tuesday. According to a poll commissioned by the European Parliament, some 82 percent of EU residents seek urgent action to tackle terrorism. The highest demand for enhanced efforts to deal with terrorism comes from the southern flank of the EU, heavily affected by the ongoing migrant crisis. In countries including Cyprus, Portugal and Italy, over 90 percent of the population voted for an increased engagement by the EU to counter the problem.”
Australia
Reuters: Australia Sets Up Specialist Cyber Unit To Trace Terrorism Payments
“Australia has set up a cyber-intelligence unit to identify terrorism financing, money laundering and financial fraud online, the government said on Tuesday, because of ‘unprecedented’ threats to national security. The measure expands on a major platform of conservative Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who narrowly won re-election last month after promising to improve Australia's cybersecurity and transform the economy into a tech-savvy business hub. Justice Minister Michael Keenan said the new unit, set up under money-tracking agency the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC), would investigate online payment platforms and financial cybercrime to crack down on money-laundering and criminal networks.”
Combating the Financing of Terrorism
Ennahar Online: Australia Sets Up A Special Unit To Detect Terrorist Financing
“The Australian government announced on Tuesday that it was establishing an electronic intelligence unit to detect terrorist financing, money laundering and financial fraud on the Internet. The move comes after authorities claimed the existence of unprecedented threats to national security. Media sources quoted Australian Minister of Justice, Michael Keenan, who stated, "This unit will track and investigate areas of interest related to financial activities over the Internet, as well as cyber-crimes, in order to combat money laundering and criminal networks."”
Gulf Eyes: 10-Year Prison Sentence For Saudi Financier Of Terrorism
“Saudi Arabia's Special Criminal Court of First Instance sentenced a Saudi citizen to 10 years in prison. He was also banned from traveling abroad for a similar period after his imprisonment term expires. It was proven that the accused arranged the travel of several of his companions, while failing to report others who traveled to war zones. It was also proven that he was linked to militants who adopted extremist ideology and had received 203,000 Euros from a person seeking to use him as a courier to transfer this sum abroad. He also handed 3000 Saudi riyals ($800) to another Saudi citizen to help him reach "sedition zones", an act which is considered to be terror financing.”
ISIS
Mana Drama: ISIS Moves Headquarters To Secret Houses In Mosul
“A security source in the Iraqi Nineveh province disclosed on Tuesday that the Islamic State organization has moved its "important" files, including the database of its militants and its secret plans, from Mosul in Iraq to the Syrian city of Raqqa. The source was quoted as saying that "the Islamic State Organization in the city of Mosul transported computers and important files containing the database of its militants and its operational plans to the Syrian city of Raqqa." The source stressed that the organization also moved its key headquarters to secret houses in Mosul.”
Muslim Brotherhood
The Seventh Day: Muslim Brotherhood Attempts To Block IMF Loan To Egypt
“Muslim Brotherhood leaders revealed their newest scheme, aimed at thwarting the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) negotiations with Egypt [regarding a possible loan]. They urged their supporters to send letters to representatives of the IMF in Egypt to block these negotiations. An American activist supporting the Brotherhood confirmed that a message had been sent to IMF officials threatening to attack institutions that would benefit from this loan. Ahmed Abdul-Aziz, an adviser of ousted Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi, dispatched a memo to the Brotherhood cadres, saying: "Express your rejection of the policy of dumping debts on Egypt. Voice your protest, with all your might, regarding the $12 billion loan from the IMF, and send it to the mission chief for Egypt, Chris Jarvis. He has the authority to enforce the Fund's economic policies in Egypt."
Veto: Egypt: Illicit Gains Authority Probes Wealth Amassed By Muslim Brotherhood Leaders
"A judicial source in Egypt's Illicit Gains Authority confirmed that the Authority and other regulatory agencies are in the process of examining the wealth of Muslim Brotherhood leaders, who held executive positions in the government during the regime of ousted President Mohammed Morsi. The source disclosed that the Illicit Gains Authority decided to take action against these leaders because they are subject to the Illicit Gains Law. The probe is also checking their financial disclosures to ascertain whether they obtained their wealth illegally. If such suspicions are proven, the case of these leaders will be forwarded to the judicial system for speedy prosecution."
Hamas
Gulf Eyes: Qatar Supports Hamas In Palestinian Elections
“The $31 million Qatari grant to Hamas for payment of its employees' salaries in the Gaza Strip has raised many eyebrows inside Arab and Palestinian political circles. The gift comes just ahead of municipal elections in the West Bank and Gaza, to be held in October for the first time in 10 years. "Palestinian Papers", a TV program, posed four questions related to the hottest topic in the Palestinian arena. The questions are: What is Qatar's interest in supporting the Hamas movement, which is suffering from intense regional isolation? Why is the Qatari grant being provided at this particular time? Why did Israel approve it without raising any objections to its details and timing? Why will the grant pay salaries for only one month?”