Eye on Extremism - February 16, 2016

Eye on Extremism February 16, 2016 Counter Extremism Project Newsmax: Facebook Creates 'Counter Speech' Tools To Fight Terrorism “In an effort to avoid tipping off terrorist groups, Facebook wouldn't discuss ‘the criteria it uses to determine what material supports terrorism and how many terror experts it has hired.’ However, Facebook's new approach is being praised by some who say the company is more helpful than other tech firms. Mark Wallace of the Counter Extremism Project, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, told The Wall Street Journal that Facebook is ‘the social-media company that's on the greatest trajectory to be a solution to the problem.’” Reuters: Exclusive: Samples Confirm Islamic State Used Mustard Gas In Iraq – Diplomat “Islamic State militants attacked Kurdish forces in Iraq with mustard gas last year, in the first known use of chemical weapons in Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein, a diplomat said, after tests by the global chemical arms watchdog. A source at the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) confirmed that laboratory tests had come back positive for the sulfur mustard, after around 35 Kurdish troops were sickened on the battlefield last August.” Washington Free Beacon: ISIS Gets Syrian Air Defense System “Islamic State terrorists recently captured several Syrian air defense missiles, raising concerns the weapons could be used against U.S. and allied aircraft, according to defense officials. Several SA-6 mobile anti-aircraft missiles were captured near the northeastern Syrian city of Dayr Az Zawr, where in recent weeks U.S. and allied aircraft have conducted airstrikes against oil and gas facilities controlled by ISIS, Pentagon officials told the Washington Free Beacon.” Reuters: Around 50 Dead As Missiles Hit Medical Centers And Schools In Syrian Towns “About 50 civilians were killed when missiles hit five medical centers and two schools in rebel-held Syrian towns on Monday, the United Nations and residents said. The carnage occurred as Russian-backed Syrian troops intensified their push toward the rebel stronghold of Aleppo. Fourteen people were killed in the town of Azaz near the Turkish border when missiles slammed into a school sheltering families fleeing the offensive and a children's hospital, two residents and a medic said.” The Hill: CIA Head: ‘Inevitable’ That ISIS Will Try To Attack US “CIA Director John Brennan on Sunday said in an interview broadcast late Sunday that it is ‘inevitable’ that the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) will try to carry out attacks in the United States. ‘I’m expecting them to try to put in place – the operatives, the material or whatever else that they need to do or to incite people to carry out these attacks, clearly,’ Brennan said on CBS’s ‘60 Minutes.’” Reuters: Saudi Arabia To Send Planes To Turkey For Islamic State Fight - Media “Saudi Arabia will send aircraft to NATO-member Turkey's Incirlik air base for the fight against Islamic State militants in Syria, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu was reported as saying on Saturday. Saudi Arabia has resumed its participation in air strikes against Islamic State in recent weeks and U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter on Thursday welcomed its commitment to expand its role.” Newsweek: U.S.-Led Coalition Targets Isis Banks In Mosul Strikes “The U.S.-led coalition targeting the Islamic State militant group (ISIS) in Iraq destroyed four bank facilities in air strikes in the northern city of Mosul early Sunday, according to the coalition, activists and ISIS’s Amaq news agency. The radical Islamists released a video showing buildings on fire and damage to bank facilities in Iraq’s second-biggest city. They claimed that the strikes targeted the offices of the Central Bank, al-Rasheed Bank, al-Aqari Bank and Abu Tammam Bank.” Al Arabiya: Is ISIS Preparing To Relocate To Libya? “ISIS has made its presence felt in Libya for over a year now and it has consolidated in Sirte, the former hometown of Muammar Qaddafi. Sirte lies on the Mediterranean coast half-way between Tripoli and Benghazi, the respective capitals of the two main factions in the ongoing Libyan civil war. Following the same template as in Syria, they have established a foothold in-between the two main combatants in a civil war and have proceeded to try and recruit as many of the Islamist militias running around the place as they could.” BBC: Five Palestinians Killed 'After Attacking Israelis' “Five Palestinians, three of them teenagers, have been shot dead after trying to attack Israeli security forces, Israeli officials say. Another Palestinian, a teenage girl, was critically wounded in another attempted assault, police said. No Israelis were hurt in any of the incidents. They were the latest in a wave of stabbing, shooting and car-ramming attacks by Palestinians or Israeli Arabs.” AFP: Yemen Loyalists Advance Towards Rebel-Held Capital “Yemeni pro-government forces have advanced to within 40 kilometers (25 miles) of Sanaa in a push towards the rebel-held capital from the northeast, loyalist military sources said on Friday. Loyalist forces took the town of Nihm after overrunning the headquarters of the renegade pro-rebel 312th Brigade of the army earlier this week, the sources said. The advance puts them within striking distance of the heights overlooking Sanaa international airport, where residents said the rebels were digging trenches and laying minefields.” Newsweek: Is Al-Shabab Training Boko Haram Fighters? “Boko Haram and Al-Shabab are possibly the most feared militant groups in West and East Africa respectively. The Nigeria-based Boko Haram has killed more than 17,000 people and displaced more than two million Nigerians during a six-year insurgency. Somali group Al-Shabab, meanwhile, continues to launch deadly attacks on domestic and foreign targets, recently claiming to kill more than 100 Kenyan soldiers in an assault on an African Union base in El Adde, near the Somali border with Kenya.” United States The Guardian: US Intelligence Head Warns Of Isis Chemical Attack Capability “The director of US National Intelligence has warned that Islamic State (Isis) ‘would like to use chemical weapons’ in an attack on America. Speaking alongside Robert Hannigan, the head of GCHQ, at an annual global security conference in Munich on Friday, James Clapper said the terror group has procured chemical weapons, and appears to have used them numerous times in its war to create its self-declared caliphate in Syria and Iraq.” The Hill: US Stepping Up Airstrikes Against ISIS In Afghanistan “The U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan has in recent weeks stepped up airstrikes against former Taliban members who have rebranded themselves as part of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). ‘I can't give you a number, but I can tell you in the last roughly three weeks, we have significantly increased our pressure on Daesh in Afghanistan, particularly in the Nangarhar province,’ said Army Brig. Gen. Wilson ‘Al’ Shoffner, deputy chief of staff for communication for the mission, using another name for ISIS.” Turkey Al Monitor: Turkey threatens fragile Syria peace accord “Turkish military attacks on US-aligned Syrian Kurdish groups and the possibility of Turkish and Saudi ground troops entering Syria could upend the fragile peace accord worked out by the International Syria Support Group last week. The introduction of Turkish and Saudi ground forces would further risk a major escalation in the war and a whole new round of misery for the Syrian people.” Syria Reuters: Syrian army gains ground around Aleppo, looks to Raqqa “Russia said on Saturday a Syria ceasefire plan was more likely to fail than succeed, as Syrian government forces backed by Russian air strikes took rebel ground near Aleppo and set their sights on the Islamic State stronghold of Raqqa province. International divisions over Syria surfaced anew at a Munich conference where Russia rejected French charges that it was bombing civilians, just a day after world powers agreed on the "cessation of hostilities" due to begin in a week's time.” USA Today: A Mind-Boggling Stew Of Nations Is Fighting In Syria's Civil War “Armies and militias from more than a dozen countries have joined the Syria conflict, making for a mind-boggling and dangerous stew of shifting and competing alliances. Even as a proposed cease-fire is scheduled to begin as early as this week, more nations are escalating their roles in the nearly 5-year-old civil war: Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey said they may send ground troops to fight. Here's how different countries are currently aligned.” Newsweek: Russia Killed More Syrian Civilians Than Assad Or Isis In January: Report “Russia killed more civilians than the Syrian army and Islamist group Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria in January, according to the independent watchdog the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR). A report by the organization, which uses Syrian civil servants in the country’s provinces to verify news about deaths, alleges that throughout last month Russian airstrikes killed 679 civilians, of whom 94 were children and 73 were women.” NBC News: ISIS Fighters Seize Civilian Homes, Shave Beards To Avoid Airstrikes “ISIS fighters seeking cover from Western airstrikes have taken to hiding in plain sight by seizing civilian homes and even shaving their beards, according to Syrians who've fled the militants' rule. In the terror group's stronghold of Raqqa, many jihadist fighters have moved out of state buildings in order to blend into the community and dodge drone detection. ‘If your family is in a house, they take your house and they put their family in there,’ said Abu Baraa, 19, who fled last month from Raqqa to Turkey.” Huffington Post: Syrian War Must Burn Itself Out “The fragile ‘cessation of hostilities’ agreement brokered last week shows little sign of halting the fighting in Syria. Government forces supported by Russian airstrikes continue to advance on Aleppo. Turkey has shelled territory occupied by Kurds, the ethnic group backed by the United States. France meanwhile accuses Russia of targeting civilian areas using "dumb" (non-precision guided) bombs. More Syrians are being killed and driven from their homes. In the face of this tragedy, the U.S. has no good options for halting the conflict.” Afghanistan The Hill: In Afghanistan, Things Aren't Getting Better “The number of properly trained Afghan troops has been grossly overestimated. Afghan military and police leaders are collecting salaries for troops and police that don't exist. The government is doing the same for schools, teachers, clinics and doctors. Fraud and corruption are rampant. Contractors are being paid exorbitant amounts of money, but doing little. Intelligence is faulty. Oversight is being done from a distance and without effect. Afghanistan will not survive without help.” Iraq New York Times: Sunni Resentment Muddles Prospect Of Reunifying Iraq After ISIS “When Iraqi ground forces and American aircraft began assaulting the city of Ramadi more than a month ago, Ghusoon Muhammed and her family fled to the government’s front line, as did many other Sunni Arab families who had been trapped for months. Soldiers sent her and the children one way, and her husband another, to be interrogated in a detention facility. She has not seen him or heard from him since. She and her children, who will most likely not be able to go home to Ramadi for months given the destruction, have been left to wait in a ramshackle tent camp here in Anbar Province. She is desperate, and adamant: ‘The innocent people in jail need to be released!’ she said.” Middle East Haaretz: Eight Attacks In 12 Hours Leave No Doubt: Israel Is In The Midst Of An Intifada “The fatal accident on Route 1 naturally preoccupied the media on Sunday; by comparison, the daily string of Palestinian terror attacks already seems almost normal. Only a particularly serious attack still merits live television broadcasts or front-page newspaper headlines. Nevertheless, Sunday was a fairly unusual day, with eight attacks in East Jerusalem and the West Bank over the space of 12 hours – three attempted stabbings, three shootings and two bombings, though none caused Israeli casualties. Soldiers and policemen killed five of the Palestinian perpetrators and critically wounded one. This is an intifada in every respect, even if the authorities still refuse to admit it.” Algemeiner: Israel Police: Arab Attackers Set Out Knowing They Will Be ‘Arrested, Shot, Or Killed” “Another Palestinian stabbing attack was thwarted at Jerusalem’s Damascus Gate outside the Muslim Quarter of the Old City, Israeli media reported on Monday, a day after five other attempted attacks in Jerusalem and the West Bank. Police stopped a teenage Arab girl for an ID check after they determined her to be acting suspiciously. Officers discovered the 15-year-old was carrying a knife in her pocket and arrested her, discovering a second knife in her bag.” Libya Haaretz: ISIS Already Preparing Its Next Battleground - In Libya “A serious dispute broke out within the ranks of the Islamic State last week to the background of the closing siege on the city of Aleppo by the forces of the Assad regime. According to reports by Syrian opposition elements, Syrian-born ISIS fighters decided not to leave the besieged city and pressed for continued fighting against the regime. But foreign-born members of the organization decided to leave the city and not oppose the advancing forces of the regime and Hezbollah.” Nigeria Associated Press: Boko Haram Land Mine Kills 2 In Cameroon Military Convoy “A commanding officer and a soldier with Cameroon's military have died after their convoy hit a land mine as they returned from an anti-Boko Haram operation in Nigeria, officials said Monday. Senior commanding officer Lt. Col. Kwene Belthus died Sunday after his convoy hit the land mine, said Gen. Jacob Kodji who commands the Cameroon troops in the area. The military had finished cross-border raids on bomb factories in Boko Haram strongholds in Goshi, Nigeria, Kodji said. The convoy hit the land mine while returning to Kerawa, Cameroon, injuring eight other soldiers, said Kodji.” Europe AFP: More Major Attacks In Europe 'A Certainty': French PM “More major attacks in Europe are a ‘certainty’, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls told an audience at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday. ‘We have entered -- we all feel it -- in a new era characterised by the lasting presence of 'hyper-terrorism',’ said Valls, whose country was hit by two Islamist attacks last year. ‘We must be fully conscious of the threat, and react with a very great force and great lucidity. There will be attacks. Large-scale attacks. It's a certainty. This hyper-terrorism is here to stay,’ he said.” Technology For Extremists To Evade Detection Tech Worm: ISIS Opens ‘Helpdesk’ To Help Militants Escape Electronic Snooping By Law Agencies “ISIS launches technical ‘helpdesk’ support for jihadis to evade electronic surveillance by authorities ISIS has reportedly has set up an online “helpdesk” on the Telegram app that instructs terrorists on how to evade electronic surveillance and avoid them from committing security mistakes that could threaten their lives. In a new report, the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) said the Electronic Horizon Foundation (EHF) was launched on January 30 as a joint effort of several of the top jihadi’s group cyber security experts.” Arabic Language Clips Financing Terrorism The New Arab: The Libyan Central Bank Denies Financing The Militias The Central Bank of Libya affirmed that it is managing the assets of the State in compliance with the laws and procedures for financing the government's operations in Libya, while denying a British news report suggesting that "the bank was helping to finance the civil war" in the country. The Bank stressed in a statement it released that it will continue striving to ensure that Libyan funds are not diverted in any way that might strengthen political or terrorist acts in the conflict. Additionally, it vowed to continue working closely with the legitimate government in Libya and with the leaders of the international community to achieve these goals. The head of the Central Bank of Libya's media office, Essam Al-Oul, described the British newspaper report as "wrong", accusing it of being "unprofessional." Counter-Terrorism Alarab: Marrakech Security Forum Calls For A Comprehensive Plan To Eradicate Terrorism Western officials and researchers warned against the proliferation of terrorist organizations on the African continent stemming from a lack of modernization and a sense of social marginalization, particularly among the youth. They called for a comprehensive strategy to deal with the phenomenon of extremism. This warning came during the 7th session of the "Marrakech Security Forum," which ended on Saturday. The event underlined the inadequacies in dealing with terrorism faced by the African continent. The participants in the forum, which kicked off Friday, focused particularly on the extended presence of ISIS in Africa. Noha Baker, a professor at the American University in Egypt, asserted that the "attractiveness of extremist groups is in their offering a chance to fulfill a dream of heroism. Recruitment is done mainly on the Internet." She added, "Young people are the most targeted segment, so it is necessary to know how they are being recruited in order to put an end to it." ISIS Al-Ahram: Iraqi Security Source: ISIS Hunts Down One Of Its Officials For Stealing 93 Million Dinars An Iraqi security source in Anbar province revealed on Saturday that ISIS militants were carrying out searches in pursuit of a "security official" of the organization in the district of Hit after discovering he had stolen 93 million dinars ($84,000). The source was quoted as saying: "ISIS carried out search operations today in a number of areas and roadways in the district of Hit, situated 70 km west of Ramadi, in hot pursuit of a local security official named Abu Hamza al-Shami." The source added that "Al-Shami stole 93 million Iraqi dinars and fled to an unknown destination." Alarabiya: ISIS Used Tunnels In Ramadi To Avoid Air Strikes ISIS militants went underground in the Iraqi city of Ramadi through the use of lit tunnels. Iraqi military officials claim that the terror group used tunnels for passage between the various parts of the eastern region of the city before its liberation by the Iraqi army. The underground deployment stemmed from ISIS's fear of air strikes by the international coalition and the Iraqi Air Force planes. These raids limited the mobility of ISIS gunmen on open roads. In this context, Gen. Muhammad Rasheed of the Anbar Provincial Police said, "We found many tunnels there whose purpose was to move explosive devices, ammunition and to deliver funds to militants in other cities, amid intensive air operations, which clearly limited ISIS's mobility." He added that some of the tunnels extended up to 800 meters. Erem News: Egypt .. Destruction Of Secret ISIS Cache Full Of Heroin The Egyptian armed forces destroyed a secret cache belonging to ISIS in central Sinai. It contained weapons, explosives and quantities of heroin, which the extremist organization has been trafficking and exploiting for financing its terrorist operations. Security sources confirmed that troops of the Third Army continue to dry up the sources of terrorism in central Sinai, and to eliminate terrorist hot spots. They disclosed that ISIS's secret depot was uncovered in a desert area near the village of Wadi al-Omar in central Sinai. Security forces uncovered a cannon, large quantities of high explosive TNT materials, along with three boxes of ammunition and a variety of machine guns. Emirates News: (Ex-Jordanian Minister) Al-Majali: More Dangerous Terrorist Organizations Will Appear After ISIS's Disappearance Former Jordanian Interior Minister, Hussein Al-Majali, stated that the domination of the so-called ISIS organization represents a transition period which could last for several years. After this period, other organizations will surface and operate according to diverse diabolical methods. He emphasized that the elimination of terrorist organizations is not limited to ISIS alone, especially with the presence of small extremist groups that control different areas in this region. The ex-minister asserted that the fight against all terror groups should be more comprehensive and based on drying up their sources of financing and money laundering. Muslim Brotherhood Elwatan News: (Egypt's) State Commissioners (Authority): Brotherhood Asset (Freeze Committee) Usurped The Jurisdiction Of The Judiciary With The Decision To Appropriate Abu Treika Funds Egypt's State Commissioners Authority forwarded a report to the Court of Administrative Justice, presided by State Council Deputy Head Judge Mohammed El-Demerdash. The report recommended ruling in favor of retired soccer legend Mohammed Abu Treika, who sued to cancel the seizure of his company's properties. The report emphasized that the decision by the Brotherhood Asset Freeze Committee in this regard was not based on the law, but on the ruling of the Cairo Court for Urgent Matters. The decision was also based on material submitted to the Committee by Egypt's National Security Agency regarding Abu Treika's affiliation with the Brotherhood, without presenting sufficient documentation or evidence. The report concluded that the decision on the seizure of Abu Treika's immovable, movable and liquid properties was issued contrary to the Constitution and the law. The report called to overturn the seizure decision, taking into account the probable consequences. Parlmany: Documents: Brotherhood Corruption In The Millions The acrimonious exchange of accusations in the last few days between the leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood has reached a new peak. This came after youth members, led by Amr Farrag, Chairman of Rassd News Network, spoke out against the widespread financial corruption within the group. Farrag claimed that the group's internal financial corruption and embezzlement are linked predominantly to its media arm. He estimated that the sums implicated in the corruption exceed 10 million Egyptian pounds ($1.28 million). He was quoted as saying, "There is widespread financial corruption valued at over $1 million…I mean over 10 million Egyptian pounds which have been squandered, misused and embezzled." Aljazeera: Closure Of The Muslim Brotherhood Offices In Jordan ... What's Next? Relations between the Jordanian government and the Islamic Action Front (IAF), which represents the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, continue to deteriorate. This came after the city of Aqaba (in the southern part of the kingdom) saw the closure of the offices of IAF and the Group. The governor explained that the offices were shut down because they were violating regulations. The Group reacted by describing the decision as "arbitrary" and opted to appeal in the Administrative Court. It also denied any legal dispute over the ownership of the real estate properties between the Brotherhood Group and "another entity", hinting at the recently formed Muslim Brotherhood Society, which has been officially recognized by the authorities. Parlmany: Surprise… Car Plate Belonging To The Malaysian Embassy Found In Possession Of (Brotherhood) Al-Ma'adi Cell The East Cairo Prosecution recently forwarded the case of two Muslim Brotherhood members to the Supreme State Security Prosecution on charges of receiving funds from a Malaysian national. The suspects were identified only as "Islam M" (18 years old) and "Khaled A" (50 years old). The security services arrested them, following authorization by the Public Prosecutor's Office which had received the findings of National Security investigations. The investigations revealed that the two suspects had obtained huge sums of money from a Malaysia-based member of the Brotherhood. The money was earmarked to wreak havoc in Egypt, by financing demonstrations and purchasing explosives and weapons to be used against security forces. Al Masry Al-Youm: (Case Of) Former Dean Of Alexandria Engineering Forwarded To (Egypt's) Public Funds (Prosecution): "I'm Not A Brotherhood Member The former Dean of Faculty of Engineering at Alexandria University,  Dr. Khaled Al Hagla, claimed he does not belong to any political party, group or movement as alleged by some. He emphasized that what is rumored about his being a Brotherhood sympathizer is "completely false." The case of the former Dean of Engineering was forwarded to the Public Funds Prosecution last week. He is being charged with squandering nearly 1.5 million pounds ($192,000) from the university funds. Mubasher-Misr: Documents... Ezzat Front Deprives The Muslim Brotherhood Offices Of Money Under Its Control The branch offices of the Muslim Brotherhood in Fayoum and Beni Suef called on the "delivery of the group funds to those who deserve them," demanding a clarification of the reasons for the delay in their delivery to date. The statement was directed to "the acting leader, Mahmoud Ezzat, and all officials responsible for disbursing Brotherhood funds to those who deserve to receive them justly and honestly." The statement stressed that "when the crisis escalated in May (2015) the delivery of funds stopped and the branch offices received only a monthly allotment, of even less than the usual amount, in two installments over a period of three months." Dostor: (Egypt's) Culture Minister Admits: Culture Centers Teeming With Brotherhood Books Egyptian Minister of Culture, Helmy al-Namnmam, stated that books by Muslim Brotherhood leader and intellectual Sayyid Qutb and Dr. Yusuf al-Qaradawi are still available in public libraries. Namnmam was quoted as saying: "After I took office last September, I found Qutb's books in the religions' section in the library of a cultural center. I proceeded to demand the removal of these books from all libraries and cultural centers. During celebrations of the Egyptian-Chinese cultural year, I visited "Bahaa Taher Culture Palace" in Luxor. While I found only one book there by novelist Bahaa Taher, I found numerous books by al-Qaradawi. This indicates that the Brotherhood ideology still exists." Shorouk News: Brotherhood Youth Fleeing To Turkey ... All Roads Lead To ISIS It was presented as a paradise of freedom and a safe haven to which they could flee from Egypt. But when they got there they discovered the bitter truth that had lured them into the trap of the terrorist organization. "Hundreds of Muslim Brotherhood youth who fled Egypt and came to Turkey joined ISIS shortly after their arrival," said a young Egyptian identified only by his first name "Mohammad." He fled from Egypt after his name had been placed in the security forces' files on charges of taking part in demonstrations without a permit. He exited Egypt through one of the country's airports after his father had paid 10,000 pounds (roughly $1300) to facilitate his departure. The Seventh Day: Brotherhood Launches New Entity In Turkey To Incite Against Egypt ... Expert: It Reflects The Failure Of The Group The Muslim Brotherhood launched a new mechanism called the "Justice and Democracy Forum" (JDF) in Istanbul, Turkey. Its objective is to breed incitement against Egypt, according to Ahmed Ban, an expert on Islamic movements' affairs. A statement issued by JDF claimed that it condemns all kinds of terrorism and violence to resolve political differences." Despite this claim, it urged Muslim Brotherhood supporters to continue to demonstrate and criticize the Egyptian state. The statement stressed that the participants at the launch ceremony represented 23 countries, including ministers and MPs, political leaders and academicians. They expressed their gratitude to the Turkish authorities, who allowed this event to be organized and held in Istanbul.