Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Eye on Extremism August 17, 2016

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Eye on Extremism

August 17, 2016

Fox News: US Officials: Up To 100,000 Iran-Backed Fighters Now In Iraq
“As many as 100,000 Iranian-backed Shiite militia are now fighting on the ground in Iraq, according to U.S. military officials -- raising concerns that should the Islamic State be defeated, it may only be replaced by another anti-American force that fuels further sectarian violence in the region. The ranks have swelled inside a network of Shiite militias known as the Popular Mobilization Forces. Since the rise of Sunni-dominated ISIS fighters inside Iraq more than two years ago, the Shiite forces have grown to 100,000 fighters, Col. Chris Garver, a Baghdad-based U.S. military spokesman, confirmed in an email to Fox News. The fighters are mostly Iraqis.”
Reuters: Libyan Forces Say Advancing Towards Recapture Of Sirte From Islamic State
“Libyan forces said on Tuesday they had taken one of the last districts in central Sirte held by Islamic State militants, battling snipers and car bombs in their campaign to recapture the entire city. Forces aligned with Libya's U.N.-backed government in Tripoli are three months into a campaign to oust Islamic State from their former North African stronghold and have encircled the militants in a shrinking section of the city centre. Since Aug. 1, their progress has been aided by U.S. air strikes on Islamic State vehicles, weapons and fighting positions. The U.S. Africa Command said it had carried out a total of 48 strikes as of Sunday. The Libyan forces are composed mainly of brigades from the western city of Misrata. After they secured key sites south of central Sirte last week, fighting shifted into neighbourhood Number 2, which the brigades said they had now captured.”
The Washington Post: Strikes From Iranian Air Base Show Russia’s Expanding Footprint In The Middle East
“Russian bombers flying from an Iranian air base struck rebel targets across Syria on Tuesday, Russian and Iranian officials said, dramatically underscoring the two countries’ growing military ties and highlighting Russia’s ambitions for greater influence in a turbulent Middle East. The long-range Tu-22 bombers took off from a base near Hamadan in western Iran and launched raids in the Syrian provinces of Aleppo, Deir al-Zour and Idlib, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement. The ministry said the bombers were accompanied by Russian fighter jets based in Syria. Both countries are staunch allies of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, but the flights marked the first time Russia has launched strikes from Iranian territory.”
BBC: Radical Cleric Anjem Choudary Guilty Of Inviting IS Support
“One of the UK's most notorious radical clerics has been convicted of inviting others to support the so-called Islamic State, it can now be reported. Police said Anjem Choudary, 49, had stayed ‘just within the law’ for years, but was arrested in 2014 after pledging allegiance to the militant group. Many people tried for serious terror offences were influenced by his lectures and speeches, police said. Choudary was convicted alongside confidant Mohammed Mizanur Rahman. Counter-terrorism chiefs have spent almost 20 years trying to bring Choudary, a father of five, to trial, blaming him, and the proscribed organisations which he helped to run, for radicalising young men and women.”
Reuters: Afghan Air Force Needs More Pilots, As Well As More Planes
“The Afghan air force is limited not only by its size. Despite numbering only 130 aircraft, there are not enough pilots and crews to fly them all. The shortage is hampering Afghan security forces' ability to fight Taliban militants, who are once again gaining territory in the north and south of the country. Troops on the ground are crying out for more air support, which ranges from firing on the enemy to evacuating casualties from the battlefield. The day Afghan aircraft can meet the high demand is still a long way off. The roughly 130 aircraft are not enough, according to Major General Abdul Wahab Wardak, commander of the Afghan air force. And the problem is now compounded by a lack of trained crews for existing aircraft.”
The Jerusalem Post: Hezbollah Cells In West Bank Busted By Israeli Security Forces
“The Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) on Tuesday announced that it had taken down a number of terrorist cells in the West Bank whose members had been recruited through Facebook by elite Hezbollah Unit 133 in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip. It also has cracked down on efforts by Hezbollah to recruit Arab Israelis. The arrests included a cell from Kalkilya in the West Bank that was ordered to carry out an attack on an IDF patrol. The cell’s leader, Mustafa Kamel Hindi, 18, was recruited by a Hezbollah agent named Bilal through Facebook and was given instructions via email, according to the Shin Bet.”
Associated Press: Turkish Prosecutors Seek 2 Life Sentences For Gulen
“Prosecutors in western Turkey have demanded a life sentence for U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Turkey accuses of masterminding the failed coup in the country, the state-run news agency reported Tuesday. Concluding a yearlong investigation into his movement's financial dealings, prosecutors in the city of Usak demanded that Gulen be punished with two life sentences plus 1,900 years in prison, the Anadolu Agency reported. In the more than 2,500-page indictment accepted by the court in Usak on Tuesday, Gulen and 111 other suspects are accused of transferring funds obtained through charities or donations to the United States via ‘front’ companies, Anadolu said. It said the indictment also makes reference to Gulen's alleged role in the July 15 coup.”
Associated Press: Court Documents: Maine Man Died Fighting For Islamic State
“An Iranian man who came to Maine as a refugee in 2009 was fighting for the Islamic State group when he was killed last year in Lebanon, investigators said. Details about Adnan Fazeli, 38, were revealed in newly unsealed court documents filed in federal court in Portland, the Portland Press Herald reported. Fazeli, a Muslim who was most recently a Freeport resident, became radicalized while living in Maine, the newspaper reported. He came under FBI investigation for his connection to Islamic State shortly after leaving his job at a Portland auto dealer and flying to Turkey in August 2013. He never came back. Fazeli died in battle in January 2015 as a member of an Islamic State force of about 150. The group was turned away by the Lebanese army.”
Voice Of America: Latest Boko Haram Video Reignites Debate Over Negotiations
“It has been two days since the jihadist sect Boko Haram released a video that showed as many as 50 of the missing Chibok schoolgirls still alive, and the Nigerian government has yet to reach out to the family of the girl who was singled out in the video. The lack of contact has again left the families of the Chibok girls feeling neglected. Boko Haram's latest video has sparked a fierce debate within Nigeria about the possibility of negotiations between the federal government and the jihadist sect. Last year, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said he was open to talking to a credible Boko Haram leader.”
Daily Mail: Three Extremists With Links To Hate Preacher Anjem Choudary Are Facing Jail
“Three extremists with links to Britain's most notorious hate preacher Anjem Choudary are facing jail for a series of speeches in support of ISIS. Mohammed Istiak Alamgir, Yousaf Bashir and Rajib Khan gave speeches which 'infected the minds of young people' in Luton during Ramadan last year, attended by up to 80 people. He is the older brother of Junead Khan, 25, the delivery driver who was jailed in May for life for plotting to murder an American serviceman near a base in East Anglia, inspired by the horrifying killing of Fusilier Rigby. He wanted to cause a car crash and coax soldiers from their vehicles before hacking them to death with a hunting knife.  The men were alleged to be supporters of the banned group al-Muhajiroun - headed by Choudary - and which has links to a staggering 15 terror plots, including the murder of Lee Rigby and the 7/7 attacks.”
The New York Times: Is Terrorism Getting Worse? In the West, Yes. In the World, No.
“If it feels as if terrorism deaths are rising in the West, it’s because they are. Yet the numbers remain relatively small, and globally, deaths from terrorism appear to be declining, not rising. According to two big databases, the number of people who died in terror attacks in North America and Western Europe rose markedly in 2015, claiming more than 200 lives. This year, according to one count, it is on track to be even worse. But terrorism in the West is rare. In the parts of the world where it is more common — deaths in those regions are in the thousands rather than the dozens — terror attacks appear to be decreasing.”

United States

Voice Of America: US Coalition Clears Russian Warplanes' Path Through Iraq
“The U.S.-led coalition fighting Islamic State in Iraq and Syria cleared the way for Russian bombers to pass through Iraq on their way to Syria via an airbase in Iran. Col. Chris Garver, the coalition spokesman, told reporters via teleconference from Baghdad that the Russians notified the coalition about their planned movement through Iraqi airspace as per a memorandum of understanding for flight safety made between Russia and the United States months ago. Russia announced earlier Tuesday that a group of its warplanes took off from an Iranian airbase for the first time to carry out airstrikes against militants in Syria.”
The Hill: US Held Fire On ISIS Convoy In Syria Over Civilian Casualty Concerns
“U.S. and Syrian forces decided not to strike a convoy carrying as many as 200 Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) fighters fleeing the northern Syrian city of Manbij out of concern for civilian casualties, a spokesman said Tuesday.  A ‘significant number’ of vehicles carrying ISIS fighters fled north after U.S.-backed Syrian forces retook the strategic city from the terrorist group last weekend. ‘We did not conduct any strikes because [every vehicle] had civilians in it or on it, and so we watched, we kept track,’ said Army Col. Chris Garver, spokesman for the coalition. ‘They went north.’ Garver said the fighters are still being tracked. He would not specify their locations as part of an ‘ongoing operation.’”
Associated Press: US Airstrikes Hit IS In Libya, Marking 48 Strikes In August
“Airstrikes launched by the United States have hit an Islamic State group vehicle and four militant positions in Libya, raising to 48 the number of U.S. airstrikes against the extremist group since Washington launched its anti-IS campaign in Libya on Aug. 1. In a statement Tuesday, U.S. Africa Command says it conducted the strikes in the coastal city of Sirte ‘at the request of, and in coordination with,’ Libya's United Nations-backed government. Sirte is the Islamic State group's last remaining stronghold in the country, and Libyan troops have been forcing the militants into ever-smaller bits of territory there, backed by the U.S. airstrikes.”

Syria

BBC: IS Conflict: Syria's Kurds Set Sights On Al-Bab After Fall Of Manbij
“After months of preparation and 10 weeks of fierce fighting, a US-backed alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), took full control of Manbij on Friday after driving Islamic State (IS) militants from the strategic town. Manbij is the second largest town in the northern province of Aleppo and is situated close to the River Euphrates and the Turkish border. For two-and-a-half years, foreign jihadists travelling into and out of Syria passed through the town, which sits on the main road linking the de facto IS capital of Raqqa to Turkey. The road was also used by the group to smuggle weapons and goods. The Kurdish-led SDF could have retaken Manbij in early June, when its fighters encircled the town, but concern over the fate of its civilian population prevented them from advancing rapidly.”
Reuters: Russia Uses Iran As Base To Bomb Syrian Militants For First Time
“Russia used Iran on Tuesday for the first time as a base from which to launch air strikes against Syrian militants, widening its air campaign in Syria and deepening its involvement in the Middle East. In a move underscoring Moscow's increasingly close ties with Tehran, long-range Russian Tupolev-22M3 bombers and Sukhoi-34 fighter bombers used Iran's Hamadan air base to strike a range of targets in Syria. It was the first time Russia has used the territory of another nation, apart from Syria itself, to launch such strikes since the Kremlin launched a bombing campaign to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in September last year. The Iranian deployment will boost Russia's image as a central player in the Middle East and allow the Russian air force to cut flight times and increase bombing payloads.”
Voice Of America: Iran Forces Kill IS-linked Fighters Near Iraq Border, Tehran Says
“Iranian forces killed three men allegedly linked to the Islamic State group Tuesday in a border town near Iraq, Iranian media reported. The men were reportedly found hiding in a house in Kermanshah province, about 60 miles from the Iraqi border. Iranian forces also arrested six men accused of sympathizing with IS and seized belts armed with explosives and a weapons cache, Kermanshah province Governor Asadollah Razani was quoted as saying by state news agency IRNA. Iranian Intelligence Minister Seyed Mahmoud Alavi told Iranian media that forces had killed an ‘instrumental’ IS member and had prevented an IS cell from infiltrating from Iraq.”

Turkey

Reuters: Turkish Court Orders Closure Of Pro-Kurdish Newspaper Ozgur Gundem
“A Turkish court ordered the closure of a leftist pro-Kurdish newspaper on Tuesday for spreading terrorist propaganda, saying it had acted as the ‘de facto news outlet’ of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group, a court document showed. Ozgur Gundem, whose print version has a daily circulation of around 7,500, focuses on the conflict with Kurdish militants in Turkey's southeast and has faced dozens of investigations, fines and the arrest of correspondents since 2014. The newspaper had been used to ‘make propaganda for the PKK and act as its de facto news outlet’, according to the court document seen by Reuters. Ozgur Gundem has in the past featured the writing of Abdullah Ocalan, the PKK's jailed leader, and has published columns by senior rebel commanders.”
BBC: Turkey Coup Inquiry: Police Raid Companies And Target Ceos
“Turkish police have raided 44 companies and are seeking the arrest of 120 company executives, as part of the investigation into last month's failed coup, state media report. The companies in Istanbul targeted by prosecutors are suspected of channelling funds to the movement of US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen. The cleric is accused of organising the botched coup. His followers are alleged to have set up a parallel state. The co-ordinated raids, backed up by riot police, took place in the Uskudar and Umraniye districts of eastern Istanbul, Anadolu news agency said. Some 240 people died resisting the coup on 15 and 16 July, as rebel parts of the military tried to seize control of Turkey, sending tanks into Ankara and Istanbul.”

Afghanistan

Voice Of America: Airstrikes Near Afghan Border Kill 14 Militants, Pakistan Says
“Airstrikes near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border have killed at least 14 militants and wounded 11 others, Pakistan's military said late Tuesday. The air and ground operation targeted a remote valley in the Khyber tribal district and destroyed nine hideouts, army spokesman Lieutenant General Asim Bajwa said. ‘An operation has been launched along the Pak-Afghan border to reinforce troop deployment in [the] Rajgal Valley to effectively check and guard against terrorist movement along high mountains and all-weather passes in Khyber Agency,’ he said. Khyber is one of Pakistan’s seven semiautonomous tribal areas along the Afghan border. They have long been condemned as safe havens for militant and criminal networks blamed for terrorist attacks on both sides of the frontier.”
Associated Press: Breakaway Taliban Faction Names New Leader In Afghanistan
“A breakaway Taliban faction in Afghanistan has appointed a new leader for the group, the nephew of the faction's longtime leader who was killed in fighting with rivals last year. The development reflects the complex layers of the insurgency in Afghanistan, where though dominant, the Taliban are not the only militant group waging war. At a gathering Monday in southern Zabul province, Mullah Emdadullah Mansoor was named leader of the faction known as Mahaaz-e-Dadullah. The meeting was attended by tribal and religious leaders, as well as the group's local commanders. Associated Press video of the gathering shows Mansoor accepting the leadership position among a crowd of gunmen, mostly young guards. He is the nephew of Mullah Mansoor Dadullah who was killed in Khak-e-Afghan district of Zabul last year, fighting with rival Taliban.”
Deutsche Welle: Hafiz Saeed's Death 'Not A Knockout Punch' For IS In Afghanistan
“Hafiz Saeed Khan (center in photo) was killed in a US drone strike on July 26 near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, US and Afghan officials confirmed Friday, August 12. Khan was responsible for the so-called province of the ‘Islamic State’ (IS), which includes Pakistan, Afghanistan and parts of neighboring countries. The death of the regional chief is a major blow to the militant group, which has sought to expand its sway from the Middle East to Afghanistan and Pakistan. A number of former Taliban fighters have switched loyalty to IS and are now fighting under its banner in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Afghan security forces have launched a where the group has captured some territory.”

Yemen

Reuters: Houthi Shelling Kills Seven In Saudi Arabia, Nine Yemenis Die In Air Strike
“Shells fired by Yemen's Houthi group killed seven civilians in southern Saudi Arabia, Saudi state television reported, while an air strike by an Arab coalition destroyed a house east of the Yemeni capital killing nine family members, residents said. Saudi Ekhbariyah television said projectiles fired by the Iran-allied Houthis landed at an industrial area in the southern city of Najran, close to the Yemeni border, in one of the deadliest attacks on Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia's foes during more than a year of war, the Houthis are Yemen's dominant political force and are fighting against Saudi-backed loyalists of the country's exiled government in the Nehm district, where the strike occurred.”

Nigeria

Boko Haram: Chibok Girls Prisoner Swap A ‘Political Decision,’ Says Nigerian Defense Chief
“Nigeria’s military is continuing with operations against Boko Haram, despite the militants offering to return the kidnapped Chibok girls in a prisoner swap, the country’s chief of defense staff has said. Boko Haram released a video on Sunday purporting to show scores of girls who were abducted from their school in Chibok, in Nigeria’s northeast Borno state, in April 2014. The girls’s abduction sparked a global campaign under the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls, but the vast majority remain in captivity. In the video, one of the girls—who names herself as Maida Yakubu— pleads with the government of President Muhammadu Buhari to release members of the militant group from custody, claiming that Boko Haram would release the girls in return.”
Reuters: Exclusive: 'I Just Want To Go Home', Says First Chibok Schoolgirl Rescued From Boko Haram
“The first of more than 200 abducted Chibok schoolgirls to be rescued from Boko Haram after two years in captivity in northeast Nigeria said on Tuesday in her first interview that she just wants to go home. Amina Ali and her four-month-old baby were rescued in May near Damboa in Borno state by soldiers and a civilian vigilante group, more than two years after being kidnapped by the Islamist militants from a school in Chibok in northeast Nigeria. After her rescue sparked a blaze of global media attention, the 21-year-old and her child have since been hidden away in a house in the capital Abuja for what the Nigerian government has called a ‘restoration process’. ‘I just want to go home - I don't know about school,’ she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in an exclusive interview.”
BBC: Nigerian University Tackles Extremism And Hunger
“Yola, desperately poor, sits on the edge of the Sahara Desert, and for the past three years on the porous border between safety and security, at the edge of the territory seized by Boko Haram terrorists. The American University of Nigeria (AUN) was established in this unlikely spot, founded by the former Nigerian Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, who was orphaned in this area as a young boy. Four years ago, with a growing number of unemployed youth just outside the gates of the university, and the hungry and hopeless in flight from Boko Haram flooding into our small city, the American University of Nigeria (AUN) began to implement our vision of a ‘development university.’ We reached out to local religious and community leaders to see how we might partner with them in peace, food security, and education programmes.”

Germany

Politico: German Govt: Turkey Supports Terror Groups In Middle East
“Turkey has worked with Islamist groups and has supported militant organizations in the Middle East for years, according to the German government, state broadcaster ARD reported Tuesday. The view was expressed in a confidential response from the interior ministry to parliamentary questions from left-wing party Die Linke. The response was seen by ARD. The ministry added that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has actively supported cooperation with Islamist and terrorist organizations, such as Hamas. ‘The many expressions of solidarity and support actions for the Egyptian MB [Muslim Brotherhood], Hamas and the armed Islamist opposition groups in Syria by the ruling AK Party and President Erdoğan emphasize the ideological affinity with the Muslim Brotherhood,’ the ministry statement said.”

France

BBC: Burkini Beach Row Puts French Values To Test
“This is a controversy France could have done without. Burkini or bikini, French commentators have asked, ironically, about this summer's choice of beachwear. It is no coincidence that the ban on Islamic burkinis - full-body swimsuits - should arise from French Riviera beaches, a few kilometres from Nice, a city struck by a militant Islamist attack that killed 85 people on Bastille Day, just a month ago. The town of Cannes was the first to pass the summer ban, which was confirmed by the courts on 13 August. And Cannes was soon followed by the towns of Villeneuve-Loubet, near Nice, and Sisco in Corsica. Even the mayor of the northern seaside resort of Le Touquet is said to be about to pass a similar ban: no burkini will be tolerated on public beaches.”

Europe

The Times Of Israel: Bulgarian Court Okays Extradition Of French Terror Suspect
“A French citizen with family ties to the jihadists who attacked the Charlie Hebdo satirical newspaper in Paris last year will be extradited to France to face terror charges, a Bulgarian court ruled Tuesday. Mourad Hamyd, 20, whose sister was married to Charlie Hebdo gunman Cherif Kouachi, was barred from entering Turkey late last month — allegedly after trying to join the Islamic State in Syria — and handed over to Bulgaria’s border authorities. France requested Hamyd’s extradition on July 29, accusing him of ‘conspiring to prepare of acts of terrorism.’ He initially was suspected of a role in the attack. His high school classmates launched a successful social media campaign to clear his name, saying he was in class at the time.”
Combating the Financing of Terrorism
MAP News: Transfer Of Funds May Expose Travelers To Charges Of Financing Terrorism
“The Saudi Interior Ministry has confirmed that its Financial Investigation Unit has completed preparations to combat suspicious financial transactions that might attempt to exploit the pilgrimage season. The Interior Ministry stated that any transfer of funds by travelers, even on behalf of others, could result in punishments outlined in the regulations regarding anti-money laundering, counter-terrorism crimes and terror funding. The Ministry added that it would detain any traveler who does not declare the amounts of money which, according to Saudi regulations, must be authorized by the Customs Department. The Ministry stressed that according to the regulations in force, all passengers must take the initiative and declare cash or other available financial instruments valued at 60,000 riyals ($16,000) or more”

ISIS

Libya Akhbar: ISIS Finances "Shura Council Of Benghazi"
“The Presidency-militiamen, who are fighting in Sirte, seized documents from the 'Ouagadougou Conference Center' which reveal the ties between the ISIS terrorist organization in Sirte and extremist groups in Benghazi, known as the "Shura Council of Benghazi." Media sources close to the Presidency-militias reported that among the documents found in ISIS headquarters are details of financial transfers made by ISIS to the families of militants and leaders of the "Shura Council of Benghazi." These transfers were carried out when the families left the (Benghazi) city for Sirte, after armed forces in Benghazi tightened the noose on them.”

Muslim Brotherhood

Albawabh News: Investigation Into Inflated Wealth Of Ousted President Mohammed Morsi
“Judicial sources within the Egyptian Illicit Gains Authority revealed that over the past few years it has conducted several investigations into the inflated wealth of ousted President Mohammed Morsi, along with other Muslim Brotherhood leaders. The investigations were launched following complaints accusing these leaders of obtaining their wealth illegally by unduly exploiting their influence during the Morsi regime. The Authority contacted the Central Bank and other regulatory agencies requesting information pertaining to their bank accounts. The probes did not find any evidence that Brotherhood leaders, who served at the time as state employees, owned real estate or liquid or movable assets. The sources explained that Brotherhood members do not deposit their money in banks. Investigations further showed that they conceal their belongings in boxes and bury them in places only they know. In addition, Brotherhood members register their real estate under names of individuals affiliated with the group whose loyalty is guaranteed.”
Loma Zoma: Muslim Brotherhood Promotes Its TV Channels To Egyptians' Mobile Phones Via Text Messages
“The Muslim Brotherhood recently launched a promotional campaign for its TV channels broadcasting out of Turkey, via text messages sent by its supporters in Egypt to local citizens' phones. Each SMS urges phone users to watch Al-Sharq TV and Al Watan TV. The messages also incite against President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and state institutions. A number of recipients of the Brotherhood's messages demanded that the authorities respond speedily to this campaign.”
Alarabya News: Egyptian Technology Expert: It's Hard To Stop The Spread Of Muslim Brotherhood "Lies" In Wikipedia
“Dr. Zakaria Issa, media and IT expert, said that Wikipedia is open to anyone who wants to document, write or publish whatever he/she wants. He stressed that the reason it is difficult to secure objectivity is the fact that it is a platform open to diverse views. The expert added that the Wikipedia publication about the Rabaa dispersal and description of the current Egyptian regime as "a coup" are not unusual. Issa explained that Egypt's intervention (in Wikipedia's contents) is prohibited because the right to intervene exists only in instances in which contents and news run contrary to public humanity, morality and ethics.”

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