Eye on Extremism August 24, 2016

Eye on Extremism August 24, 2016 Counter Extremism Project Fox News: CEP Spokesperson Tara Maller Discusses The Attack At A Wedding In Gaziantep, Turkey That Killed More Than 50 People And The Growing Use Of Children As Suicide Bombers BBC: Turkey Begins Anti-IS Campaign In Syria “The Turkish military has launched an operation to clear the Syrian border town of Jarablus of so-called Islamic State (IS) militants, officials say. Turkish special forces inside Syria were supported by Turkish and US-led coalition air strikes, the government said. The operation comes as Syrian rebels prepare to launch an assault on the town from Turkish territory. Turkey has vowed to ‘completely cleanse’ IS from its border region. Turkey blames IS for a bomb attack that killed dozens of people in the south of the country at the weekend.” Reuters: Special Report: Massacre Reports Show U.S. Inability To Curb Iraq Militias “Shi’ite militias in Iraq detained, tortured and abused far more Sunni civilians during the American-backed capture of the town of Falluja in June than U.S. officials have publicly acknowledged, Reuters has found. More than 700 Sunni men and boys are still missing more than two months after the Islamic State stronghold fell. The abuses occurred despite U.S. efforts to restrict the militias' role in the operation, including threatening to withdraw American air support, according to U.S. and Iraqi officials. The U.S. efforts had little effect. Shi’ite militias did not pull back from Falluja, participated in looting there and now vow to defy any American effort to limit their role in coming operations against Islamic State.” CNN: US Service Member Killed In Afghanistan A US service member was killed Tuesday by an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan's Helmand Province, NATO coalition authorities said. The US service member who was killed in Lashkar Gah was part of the existing 500 troops already in Helmand Province working to do counter terrorism training and advise missions, according to a coalition official. One other US service member and six Afghan soldiers were injured in the blast. Officials have not yet identified the service member who was killed, pending next-of-kin notification. CNN: Battle Looming: Iraqi Troops, Militia Inch Toward ISIS-Held Mosul “The Iraqi Army Humvees barreled across the Nineveh province moonscape toward the town of al-Qayyara, the next front line in the military quest to dislodge ISIS from the sprawling city of Mosul. ISIS tries to decrease the advancing soldiers' visibility by burning up oil tankers and flooding the air with smoke. But the troops pushed forward despite black apocalyptic skies, street after street of decimated buildings, torn electric cables whipping across the road, and hot searing winds. Now they're just a couple of kilometers away from the town center and about 60 kilometers from Mosul. By the end of the year, they say, they will liberate Iraq's second-largest metropolitan area seized by ISIS two years ago.” The Wall Street Journal: Syria Shifts Stance Toward Kurds “After years of tacitly allowing the creation of an autonomous Kurdish region in northern Syria, President Bashar al-Assad ’s regime is treating the ethnic minority’s growing power as a threat. Syria is now describing the Kurds in terms similar to those used by Turkey, which has been a staunch supporter of Syrian rebels fighting against Mr. Assad. Forces loyal to the regime clashed with Kurds in the northeastern Syrian city of Hasakah for more than a week, though a Russian-brokered cease-fire went into effect Tuesday with Kurds mostly controlling the city. The regime’s shift comes amid a warming of relations between Turkey and Mr. Assad’s allies Russia and Iran.” Associated Press: Israel Uncovers Illegal Palestinian Weapons-Making Network “Israel has uncovered an illegal Palestinian weapons manufacturing network in the West Bank in one of its largest raids during a months-long crackdown on illicit arms, the military said Tuesday. Since the start of the year, Israel has seized dozens of weapons, shuttered arms-making factories and arrested weapons dealers in a clampdown in the West Bank meant to quell a spate of Palestinian violence. The military said that the latest raid overnight found seven weapons factories, 22 weapons-making machines and dozens of arms, which it said was a significant haul since it began targeting illegal weapons manufacturers. Among the seized arms were crude guns based on the Swedish ‘Carl Gustav’ submachine gun, which the military says has been a preferred weapon for Palestinian attackers. The military says that since January, it uncovered 29 weapons factories and seized 49 weapons-making machines and more than 300 firearms.” The Wall Street Journal: France, Germany Push For Access To Private Internet Messages In Terror Probes “France and Germany Tuesday urged the European Union’s executive body to propose new rules that would compel operators of internet messaging services to help authorities decrypt private communications as part of terror investigations. French and German intelligence services are struggling to intercept messages of Islamic State militants and other terrorists, who increasingly use chat apps like Facebook ’s WhatsApp, Apple Inc.’s iMessage or privacy-centric app Telegram to plan their attacks. These apps use encryption that can make it almost impossible for investigators to access a suspect’s communications, even with a court order.” The Washington Post: Inside The Brutal But Bizarrely Bureaucratic World Of The Islamic State In Libya “When the Islamic State’s religious police arrived at his door, Ahmooda Abu Amood feared he would never see his family again. The two militants drove up in a beige sport-utility vehicle, Abu Amood said, the kind used to transport anyone who broke the rules to an office to pay a fine, to get a whipping — or to jail. But the men didn’t come to arrest him that cool February evening. They offered him a job. They told Abu Amood, who had been a traffic police officer in the city before the group seized it last year, that they were launching a new traffic police department, and they wanted him to be its head. It would evolve, they said, into a Department of Motor Vehicles.” Newsweek: Germany Plans Facial Recognition At Airports And Train Stations “Germany is planning to introduce facial recognition software to cameras at transport hubs as part of new anti-terrorism measures, the country’s interior minister has announced. Thomas de Maiziere told German newspaper Bild am Sonntag that the technology would be able to identify suspects following two attacks by Islamist militants in the past month. ‘I would like to use this kind of facial recognition technology in video cameras at airports and train stations,’ de Maiziere told the paper. ‘Then, if a suspect appears and is recognized it will show up in the system.’ German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been under increased political pressure to introduce stricter measures since the recent attacks, however, privacy advocates have criticized proposals for increased surveillance.” The New York Times: Boko Haram Leader Is Wounded in Airstrike, Nigeria’s Military Says “The Nigerian military said on Tuesday that airstrikes had killed and wounded several top Boko Haram commanders in the Sambisa Forest in the country’s northeast, where militants have been hiding for months. Among the wounded was Abubakar Shekau, who took the helm of the group after the death of its founder in 2009, according to Col. Sani Usman, a military spokesman. The military’s attack took place on Friday. At least three other top commanders were killed in ‘the most unprecedented and spectacular air raid,’ the military said in a news release.” CBS News: "Hey ISIS, You Suck" Billboard Turning Heads In Phoenix “A new anti-ISIS billboard is turning heads on a major Phoenix highway, and organizers say they hope to bring the campaign to more cities. CBS Phoenix affiliate KPHO reports the billboard is located on eastbound Interstate 10 west of 67th Avenue. Reading “Hey ISIS, you suck,” the billboard is signed, From: #ActualMuslims.  A quote from the Quran, “Life is sacred,” is imprinted on the billboard.  According to multiple reports, the same billboard appeared in Chicago recently along a major highway.” United States The Hill: Pentagon Chief: Casualties Show Afghanistan Still A 'Dangerous Place' “Defense Secretary Ash Carter on Tuesday said he was ‘deeply saddened’ by the death of a U.S. service member while on an advisory mission in southern Afghanistan. ‘I was deeply saddened to learn one of our service members was killed today and another wounded while engaged in our mission to train, advise and assist Afghan forces,’ Carter said in a statement. The U.S. troops were on patrol when they encountered the roadside bomb, or improvised explosive device. They were part of NATO's Resolute Support mission to train, advise and assist Afghan forces. Six Afghan forces were also injured. President Obama announced the end of the U.S.'s combat mission in Afghanistan in 2014 but has continued its training mission there, as well as a counterterrorism mission. Obama has also twice revised his original troop drawdown schedule.” The Wall Street Journal: U.S. Eyes Aiding Turkish-Backed Rebels Against Islamic State In Syria “The U.S. is considering providing military support for hundreds of Turkish-backed rebels massing at the border with Syria for a major offensive meant to sever Islamic State’s supply routes there, officials from both countries said. Turkish artillery units have been pounding Islamic State forces holding a strategic border town in Syria for two days ahead of the looming fight as the military—shaken by last month’s thwarted coup attempt—looks to re-establish its role as a key player in the fight on its doorstep. ‘We are providing all support to cleanse Islamic State from the border,’ Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Tuesday.” Business Insider: The US Marines Are Dropping The Hammer On ISIS In Libya “Beginning in early August, the US Marines aboard the USS Wasp have conducted airstrikes against ISIS' Libyan stronghold of Sirte from the Mediterranean. This has forced the group to retreat to a point where the Marines can now use the big guns: AH-1W SuperCobra attack choppers. While drones and Harrier jump jets launched from the deck of the USS Wasp helicopter carrier had been attacking ISIS targets in Libya for weeks, the use of the SuperCobra represents a change in tactics. Because helicopters can hover, loiter, and maneuver easily, they are ideal for seeking out hidden targets in urban areas. ISIS has been forced to retreat as Libyan and US forces drive the group into the ‘densest, most built-up part’ of Sirte, a Defense Department official told The Washington Post.” Syria Reuters: U.S., Russia Make 'Headway' In Syria Talks, But No Deal Yet: State Department “The United States and Russia continue to make ‘headway’ in talks on advancing cooperation to ease the Syria conflict, but haven't reached a final deal yet, the U.S. State Department said on Tuesday. ‘We are continuing those discussions. We continue to make headway. We're not quite there yet,’ State Department spokesman Mark Toner told a news briefing.” Iraq Voice Of America: Sectarian Abuses In Iraq Help Ensure IS Survival “In its frenzy to clear Iraq of Islamic State and erase any trace of the extremists' self-declared caliphate, Baghdad is running the risk of laying the foundation for the terror group's resurgence. Human rights groups already have voiced repeated concerns about the treatment of civilians from areas once controlled by IS, and point to a growing anxiety among Iraqi Sunnis living under IS that they will be targeted no matter what. ‘A large number of people have simply disappeared, who were picked up when they left ISIS,’ Donatella Rovera, Amnesty International's senior crisis response adviser, told VOA, using an acronym for the terror group.” Turkey USA Today: Turkey Hunts Alleged Coup Plotter Who Was Clinton Donor “An Istanbul-based college professor, who has been accused by the Turkish government of coordinating last month's failed coup attempt, is at the center of a group of suspicious 2014 contributions to a super PAC supporting Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, a USA TODAY analysis shows. Adil Oksuz is the subject of a massive manhunt in Turkey. Two years ago, an apparently fictitious company that Oksuz created made a $5,000 donation to the Ready for Hillary PAC, a group preparing for Clinton's presidential campaign. The Clinton campaign did not provide a response to USA TODAY's questions about the donations. The campaign did not control the operations of the super PAC.” The Wall Street Journal: Turkey Struggles With Wedding Bombing Probe As Threats Mount “Investigators are struggling to identify those behind the weekend wedding bombing, the nation’s deadliest terror attack this year, amid questions about possible intelligence failures as its deepening entanglement in the Syrian conflict stokes security threats at home. Officials have blamed Islamic State for the attack against a crowd of mostly women and children who were attending a marriage ceremony on Saturday night, though there has been no claim of responsibility—in line with all previous attacks Turkey blamed on the extremist organization. The largely Kurdish neighborhood where the bride and groom were supposed to be celebrating still bore the scars of the blast that turned their party from joy to anguish.” Reuters: Turkey Cuts Length Of Military Officers' Service: Defense Ministry “Turkey's Supreme Military Council decided on Tuesday to reduce the length of military officers' service to 28 years in order to reduce the accumulation of high-ranking officers, the Defence Ministry said. It also said in a statement that the council, meeting for the second time within one month after the July 15 attempted coup, decided to put into retirement 586 colonels while extending the period of service of 434 colonels by two years.” The Washington Post: Turkey’s Migrant Deal With Europe May Collapse Under Post-Coup-Attempt Crackdown “The landmark agreement that halted a torrent of migrants flowing from Turkey into Europe is nearing collapse in the wake of the Turkish coup attempt and the subsequent nationwide crackdown. Turkish and European leaders are threatening to abandon the deal — the Europeans because they say they are worried about widespread human rights ­abuses; the Turks because of European reluctance to fulfill a promise to drop visa restrictions for Turkish nationals. Now, even as it detains tens of thousands of people in response to last month’s coup attempt, Turkey has given the European Union an October deadline over the visa pledge — or it will walk away from its commitment to stem the flow.” BBC: Turkey Evacuates Town Amid Anti-IS Syria Campaign “Turkey has ordered residents in the town of Karkamis to evacuate after it was hit by mortars from so-called Islamic State militants in Syria. Karkamis lies just across the border from Jarablus, an IS-held town which Turkish-backed rebels are expected to try to capture in the coming days. A rebel force is massed in the area and preparing the offensive. Turkey blames IS for a bomb attack that killed dozens of people in the south of the country at the weekend. It says the group must now be cleared from the border region, and has been bombarding targets across the border in northern Syria ahead of an expected ground attack. Turkey's increasing entanglement in Syria's war has added to the strain on its administration and security services following an attempted coup in mid-July.” Afghanistan Business Standard: Three Afghan Taliban Killed As Their Mine Goes Off “At least three Taliban militants died when a mine planted by them on a road in Afghanistan's Ghazni province went off on Tuesday, police said. The incident occurred at 10 a.m. in Andar district where Taliban insurgents are active. ‘Three Taliban rebels were killed as a mine planted by them went off and struck their motorbike, killing the trio on the spot,’ Xinhua news agency quoted provincial police chief Aminullah Omarkhil as saying.” Middle East The Times Of Israel: Israel Targeted ‘Key Hamas Strategic Assets’ In Sunday’s Barrage “In Sunday night’s bombardment, the Israel Defense Forces struck ‘key Hamas strategic assets’ in the northern Gaza Strip, military sources said Tuesday, shedding more light on the harsher-than-expected response to a rocket attack from the coastal enclave. After a projectile from Gaza landed in the southern Israeli town of Sderot on Sunday, the IDF retaliated with what has become the routine response of a limited strike, hitting two Hamas installations in the northern Gaza Strip, the army said. Hours later, the IDF conducted another, considerably larger barrage, carrying out approximately 50 strikes against Hamas infrastructure in the Gaza Strip, using both tanks and aircraft.” United Kingdom Daily Mail: Ministers Refuse To Ban Muslim Friday Prayers In Jails Which Extremists Are 'Abusing And Misusing' To Convert Fellow Inmates Because Of Fears Over Discrimination “Calls for communal Friday prayers to be carried out in cells due to fears that some prisoners are being radicalised by extremists have been rejected by ministers. Former prison governor, Ian Acheson, wrote a report which said terrorists have been able to spread their poison behind bars for far too long without intervention.  And Steve Gillan, general secretary of the Prison Officers Association, backed the report and also called for Friday prayers to be carried out in cells instead of communally.  He said: 'Friday prayers are putting immense pressure on the already pressed prison service. 'In France and Germany they do Friday prayers from their cells. 'This report says we should do the same and there is no reason for the Government not to accept this recommendation.' But the recommendation has been rejected by officials who fear the new rules would disrupt the wider jail population.” France NBC: A Rare Glimpse Inside France's Anti-ISIS Unit “The assault team advanced in a line, stacked up behind the point man. He was carrying a 60-pound shield capable of stopping rounds from a Kalashnikov-style assault rifle, equipped with a sophisticated infrared camera and viewscreen. Behind him was a line of men with weapons at the ready, raindrops glistening on the barrels of their customized assault rifles. Despite their heavy body armor, the officers were taking no risks. Lining up behind the shield allowed the team to expose as little of themselves as possible: a bulletproof python bristling with automatic weapons, lights and sensors. There was no shouting of commands, no furious rush of the door. The python moved forward silently and smoothly, inexorably advancing.” Voice Of America: Paris Tourism Chiefs Demand Rescue Plan As Attacks Scare Off Visitors “Islamist attacks have scared off thousands of tourists from Paris and its top attractions, helping rob the region of about 750 million euros ($850 million) in revenues, officials said on Tuesday. Strikes and floods have also taken their toll, overshadowing the boost from the Euro 2016 soccer championships and leaving the tourism industry in need of massive new investment and a rescue package, they added. ‘It's time to realize that the tourism sector is going through an industrial disaster,’ the head of the Paris region tourist board, Frederic Valletoux, said in a statement. Visitors to the Arc de Triomphe fell more than a third in the first half of 2016 from the same period a year earlier, the board added. The Grand Palais museum reported a 43.9 percent slump and the Palace of Versailles, outside the city, just short of 20 percent.” BBC: Muslim Frenchwoman 'Fined For Veil On Cannes Beach' A Muslim Frenchwoman says she was fined and faced racial abuse for wearing a hair-covering veil on a Cannes beach. The woman, a Toulouse native named only as Siam, was strolling on the beach while on holiday with her two children. She said she was told by three police officers that her clothing was ‘not correct’. Meanwhile, she says, a crowd gathered, some shouting: ‘Go home!’ The Cannes mayor earlier this month banned full-body swimsuits known as ‘burkinis’ from the beach. David Lisnard said they were a ‘symbol of Islamic extremism’ and might spark scuffles, as France is the target of Islamist attacks.” Europe The Daily Caller: Europeans Are Tired Of Terrorism And Ready To Fight, Just Not With Weapons “Europe has been hit hard by terrorist attacks over the past year, and a new poll shows that many Europeans are fed up. Seventy-six percent of individuals from the top 10 European nations said they view the Islamic State as a major threat to their respective nations. While their anger is palpable, Europeans disagree on the best ways to fight terrorism. Fifty-three percent think the use of force would be counterproductive and lead to hatred that might drive further attacks. Just 41 percent were ‘convinced that using overwhelming military force was the best strategy,’ according to Pew Research.” Combating the Financing of Terrorism Akhbar Alaan: Algeria: Involvement Of Wealthy Individuals And Businessmen In The Financing Of Terrorist Activities “Speedy efforts are being made by the Algerian state in the fight against terrorism and drying up the sources of its funding. In a report published by the Algerian al-Fadjr newspaper, quoting a security source, it was revealed that the Algerian Security Services had launched an investigation into the involvement of numerous wealthy persons and businessmen in the financing of terrorist acts in Algeria. More than 50 personal bank accounts appearing on a preliminary list were frozen, on charges of financing terrorism, illicit gains and money laundering. In addition, the businessmen are suspected of amassing their wealth during the "black decade". Today, the Algerian judiciary is beginning to solve the mystery of the funds they obtained back then, as well as the financing of terrorists to protect their own interests.” Veto: Egyptian President Calls To Eliminate Terror Financing Sources Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met with Mr. Jeff Fortenberry, US Congressman, member of the House Appropriations Committee, and the Subcommittees on State and Foreign Operations, to discuss ways to combat terrorism. The Egyptian leader stressed the importance of countering terrorism and extremist ideology through a comprehensive perspective which is not limited to military confrontations and security cooperation. It should include also intellectual and cultural aspects, he said. Al-Sisi underscored the importance of amending the religious discourse, purifying the image of Islam from impurities which are completely contrary to the essence of true Islam and the true tenets of the faith. The talks also touched on the importance of concerted international efforts to dry up the funding sources serving terrorist organizations and extremist groups. Muslim Brotherhood Albawabh News: Egypt: Request To Lift Ban On Funds Owned By Conservation Of The Holy Quran Society In Dakahlia “Kamal Amin Sherif, Head of the Financial, Administrative and Procurement Affairs Department of the (Egyptian) Ministry of Social Solidarity in Dakahlia, submitted a memorandum to Dr. Mohamed Yasser Abu El-Fotouh, Secretary General of the Muslim Brotherhood Asset Freeze Committee, asking to lift the ban on funds belonging to the Conservation of the Holy Quran Society. The document confirmed that the Society replaced its Chairman and members of the Board of Directors in accordance with a Ministerial Resolution No. 302 dated June 18th, 2016. Therefore, the Society requested lifting the ban on its funds at the Bank of Cairo, Mansoura Branch, following a decision by the Central Bank. The money is needed to pay July's salaries and insurance fees for the Society's 1,200 employees. It should be noted that the decision to confiscate funds owned by the Conservation of the Holy Quran Society was taken during the June 30th Revolution, following the overthrow of the Muslim Brotherhood regime. The decision was part of the overall seizure of Muslim Brotherhood funds. In addition, hundreds of associations were closed in this effort.” Albawabh News: Egypt: Detention of four members of the Muslim Brotherhood in Al Sharqia “On Monday, security forces belonging to Al Sharqia Directorate of Security, in coordination with the National Security [agency], detained four suspects belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood. Among them were a journalist working for the London-based "Al-Hayat" magazine and a lawyer. The four are suspected of running a printing house that produced images of ousted President Mohammed Morsi as well as pamphlets used in rallies organized by the Muslim Brotherhood.” Houthi Aljazeera: Yemen's Government Stops Dealing With The Central Bank Which Is Under The Houthis' Control “The Yemeni government has begun taking steps to economically stifle the Houthi rebels and their ally, ousted President Ali Abdullah Saleh, with the aim of crushing them financially. At the same time, the national army forces together with the Popular Resistance continue military operations, with air support from the Arab coalition. The government, led by Yemeni Prime Minister Ahmed Obaid Bin Dagher, has decided to stop any and all dealings with the Central Bank which is under the control of the rebels. The government bans the transfer of money to the Central Bank from branches in liberated governorates. Previously, the government officially asked international monetary institutions and banks to prevent the Central Bank from managing state accounts abroad.”