Eye on Extremism - February 25, 2016

Eye on Extremism February 25, 2016 Washington Post: ISIS Attacks Spike In Syria With Help From Russian Air Cover, Report Says “The Islamic State has been taking advantage of Russian airstrikes in Syria, using the newfound air cover to maneuver and reposition fighters, according to a report released by IHS Janes’ Terrorism and Insurgency Center on Wednesday. Despite losing ground in Iraq and being targeted by U.S.-led coalition airstrikes in both Iraq and Syria, the extremist group managed to carry out 935 attacks between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31 2015. Russian warplanes began flying their first sorties in the country during the last week of September. According to the report, the spike in attacks equates to a five percent increase from the prior quarter.” Voice Of America: IS Getting Bomb-Making Materials With Ease, Report Says “Almost two months after Iraqi forces liberated Ramadi from the Islamic State (IS) terror group, much of the city is in ruins. But the structures that still stand pose a deadly threat from an estimated tens of thousands of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), rigged to blow with the opening of a door or a single footstep. U.S. military officials describe it as IS's scorched-earth tactics, but it also shows the ease with which the terror group has been able to procure the necessary components to make its signature explosives.” Reuters: Syrian Opposition Supports Idea Of Two-Week Ceasefire “Syria's opposition indicated on Wednesday it was ready for a two-week truce in Syria, saying it was a chance to test the seriousness of the other side's commitment to a U.S.-Russian plan for a cessation of hostilities. Combatants are required to say whether they will agree to the "cessation of hostilities" in the five-year war by noon on Friday (1000 GMT), and to halt fighting on Saturday. The United Nations hopes the planned halt will provide a breathing space for Syrian peace talks to resume.” Associated Press: ISIS Storms Libya Security Office, Beheads 12 “Islamic state of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) affiliates in Libya briefly took over the security headquarters in the western city of Sabratha, killing and beheading 12 security officers before being driven out early Wednesday morning, two city security officials said. The incident highlighted the enduring presence and unpredictable striking power of the local ISIS militants in this strategic city which serves as a hub for migrants heading to Europe.” Bloomberg: Yemen Accuses Hezbollah Of Helping Houthis In Saudi Border War “Yemen’s government said Wednesday that it has proof Iran-backed Hezbollah militants are helping Yemeni rebels carry out cross-border attacks in Saudi Arabia, fueling the tensions between the regional powers. The Saudi-backed Yemeni government has documents and “concrete evidence” to back up its claim against the Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah, Yemen’s state-run Saba news service cited government spokesman Rajeh Badi as saying. It gave no further details of Hezbollah’s alleged support for Yemen’s Shiite Houthi rebels, but said it would provide the evidence to the United Nations Security Council and the Arab League.” AFP: Anti-ISIS Gains In Syria Clear Way For Raqqa Assault: US “Recent gains by US-backed fighters battling the Islamic State group in northeastern Syria are paving the way for an assault on Raqqa, the militants’ de facto Syrian capital, a US official said Wednesday. A Kurdish-led alliance called the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have encircled the town of Al-Shadadi in Hasakeh province in recent days. The fighters have enjoyed broad support from a US-led coalition conducting air strikes on ISIS targets.” BBC News: Israeli Soldier Shot Dead By 'Friendly Fire' In West Bank Attack “An Israeli military reserve officer has been shot dead, apparently by a fellow soldier, during an attack by a Palestinian in the occupied West Bank. The military said the soldier opened fire as the Palestinian man attempted to stab Capt Eliav Gelman at Gush Etzion Junction. An initial investigation suggested Capt Gelman was fatally wounded as a result of the fire, it added. The assailant was also shot and sustained moderate injuries.” CNN: First On CNN: Government Enlists Tech Giants To Fight ISIS Messaging “Seeking to bolster its effort to counter ISIS messaging on social media, the Obama administration is assembling something of a high-tech dream team to battle the terrorist group online. At a meeting conducted at the Justice Department on Wednesday, executives from Apple, Twitter, Snapchat, Facebook, MTV and Buzzfeed offered their input to top counter intelligence officials, according to an industry source familiar with the meeting.” The Guardian: French Special Forces Assisting Anti-Isis Efforts In Libya, Say Sources “Sources in Libya say French special forces are among those working against Islamic State in the country. A small French detachment has been operating from Benghazi’s Benina airport, the sources have reported, assisting forces of the internationally backed Libyan authorities in Tobruk. According to Le Monde, special forces units, alongside France’s external security directorate, the DGSE, have been in Libya for several months, and coordinated the November US strike on Derna which killed the most senior Isis leader in the country, Iraqi Abu Nabil al-Anbari.” Yemen Al Arabiya: Yemeni Army Recaptures Key Base Near Capital “Yemen’s army and forces from the Popular Resistance were able to recapture a strategic military camp near the capital Sanaa, exclusive photos obtained by Al Arabiya News Channel show. The photos of Fardhat Nahm camp near Sanaa showed destruction of facilities belonging to Iran-backed Houthi militias and forces loyal to ousted former President Ali Abdullah Saleh by the Saudi-led coalition.” Associated Press: Yemen Officials: UAE Troops Pull Out, Aden Airport Is Shut “Yemeni officials say troops from the United Arab Emirates pulled out of the airport in the southern city of Aden, a day after it was stormed by disgruntled pro-government fighters from the country's south. The officials say the Emiratis pulled out on Wednesday. The authorities then shut the airport, the country's main air hub for the internationally recognized government and the Saudi-led coalition, which is helping the government forces fight Shiite rebels in the north. The UAE forces are part of the anti-rebel coalition.” Turkey Reuters: Turkish Air Force Hits PKK Targets In The Southeast, Iraq; Kill 12 “Turkish military helicopters killed 12 Kurdish militants in strikes near the southeastern border with Syria on Wednesday, security sources said, in a conflict becoming increasingly intertwined with developments in Turkey's war-torn neighbor. The Cobra attack helicopters launched the assault at around 6 a.m. (0400 GMT) as a group of Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) fighters traveled through a mountainous area near the Idil district of Turkey's Sirnak province, the sources said.” New York Times: How Turkey Misreads The Kurds “The Turkish government’s hostility toward the Kurds is drawing the country further into the Syrian war, complicating the battlefield and fanning new tensions between Ankara and the United States. The dispute with the Kurds also risks bringing Turkey into direct conflict with Russia, destabilizing the region even more. Turkey has long feared Kurdish aspirations for a separate state. The Kurds are an ethnic group of perhaps 35 million in Syria, Iraq, Iran and Turkey, where about 15 million live.” Syria International Business Times: ISIS Targets Hit By Russian And Syrian Warplanes Days Ahead Of Syria Truce “Russian and Syrian military aircraft hit Islamic State group targets near Aleppo, Syria, Wednesday, in an attempt to regain control of a road strategically important to troops belonging to Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government, according to a human rights group monitoring the conflict. The attempt to clear the road, which links government territory in northwest, central and western Syria, comes just days before the U.S.-brokered truce is due to come into effect.” Wall Street Journal: Vladimir Putin Makes Diplomatic Push Amid Doubts On Syria Cease-Fire “Russian President Vladimir Putin made a diplomatic push Wednesday to build support for a cease-fire in Syria, amid skepticism in Washington over Russia’s commitment to implementing an agreement brokered earlier this week. According to the Kremlin, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad spoke with Mr. Putin by phone and promised to stand by the cease-fire proposed to start Saturday, describing it as an ‘important step toward a political settlement.’” CBS: Syrian Rebels Have "Major Concerns" About Truce Deal “A spokesman for a Saudi-backed alliance of Syrian opposition and rebel factions says the group has "major concerns" that Russia and the Syrian government will continue to strike at mainstream rebels under the pretext of hitting ‘terrorist groups’ during the truce that is to go into effect later this week. Salem Al Meslet says the alliance known as the High Negotiations Committee is holding open meetings in the Saudi capital of Riyadh and is seeking guarantees and clarifications from the United States about the mechanism for the implementation of the agreement.” Daily Beast: ISIS Is Losing Its Capital “This week’s fighting in Syria has seen major changes for the self-proclaimed Islamic State’s grip there, leaving some in the Pentagon wondering if ISIS is trying to expand its territorial hold or is in its last throes. This week, Kurdish forces pushed the terror group out of two cities —al Thawrah and Ash Shaddadi—that sit on supply routes for ISIS’s de facto Syrian capital, Raqqa. In Ash Shaddadi, Kurdish forces received substantial U.S.-led coalition air strike support.” Jerusalem Post: Syrian Government Retakes Town From ISIS “Syrian government forces backed by heavy Russian air strikes have recaptured a town seized by Islamic State near the road used by the army to access Aleppo, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Thursday. The town of Khanaser is located some 50 km (30 miles) to the southeast of Aleppo city. IS captured it two days ago, the Observatory said. In a separate report, Syrian state media said the army had ‘restored security and stability’ to Khanaser.” Afghanistan New York Times: Swedish Aid Group Seeks Inquiry Into Afghan Hospital Raid “A Swedish aid group has demanded an independent investigation of a raid on a hospital in Afghanistan last week in which it said that three people, including a boy, were summarily executed by Afghan forces who were accompanied by NATO troops. Jorgen Holmstrom, country director of the charity, the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan, on Wednesday called for the United States-led NATO military command and the Afghan government to provide ‘a detailed explanation of the incident.’” Reuters: Russia Just Gave Afghanistan A 'Donation' Of 10,000 Automatic Rifles “Afghan officials took delivery of 10,000 automatic rifles and millions of rounds of ammunition as a gift from Russia on Wednesday, another sign of deepening involvement by Moscow in the war-torn country. Dependent almost entirely on foreign aid, Afghan security forces are struggling to secure the country amid a rising insurgency.” Iraq Reuters: Rescued Swedish Girl Says Life Under ISIS 'Really Hard' “A Swedish teenager rescued from ISIS militants in Iraq has said life in the so-called caliphate was ‘really hard’ and that she was duped into going there by her boyfriend. In her first interview since Kurdish special forces recovered her in northern Iraq, the 16-year old told a Kurdish TV channel she had met her boyfriend in mid-2014 after dropping out of school in Sweden.” Reuters: Most ISIS Bombs Built From Civilian Components: Researchers “ISIS relies on commercially available components for most of its bombs, with some parts coming from as far away as the United States and Japan, according to a report released Wednesday by a London-based arms research group. Conflict Armament Research says most components — such as chemicals and detonators — come from companies in Turkey and Iraq, which may not know the parts are being bought by the extremists. Many components are also used for civilian purposes, such as mining, making them relatively easy to get.” Middle East Reuters: Inside The ISIS Supply Chain For Bombs “Companies from 20 countries are involved in the supply chain of components that end up in Islamic State explosives, a study found on Thursday, suggesting governments and firms need to do more to track the flow of cables, chemicals and other equipment. The European Union-mandated study showed that 51 companies from countries including Turkey, Brazil, and the United States produced, sold or received the more than 700 components used by Islamic State to build improvised explosive devices (IEDs).” United Kingdom The Telegraph: Yemen Is Becoming The New Syria – And Britain Is Directly To Blame “Yemen is under siege. A Saudi-led coalition has been bombing the country on a daily basis for nearly a year. For months now, a battle has been raging in Taiz, where the UN has accused Houthi fighters and their allies of blocking desperately needed humanitarian supplies to the town of 200,000. Meanwhile, Aden, the only area coalition forces have so far managed to ‘liberate’ (in July last year), is beset by lawlessness.” Arabic Language Clips Iranian Terror Financing Al-Akhbar: Fatah Freezes Reconciliation (Talks) With Hamas: Iran Plans To Support Families Of The Martyrs Of The Jerusalem Uprising At a press conference yesterday in Beirut, attended by leaders of the various Palestinian factions, Iran's Ambassador to Lebanon, Mohammad Fathali, announced that Tehran will contribute financial assistance totaling $7000 to each family of a "martyr" killed during the current "Jerusalem Uprising". In addition, Iran will give $30,000 to any family whose house is demolished by the Israeli army as retribution for an attack carried out by one of its members against Israelis. Meanwhile, Iran will resume its monthly financial allowances, via the Palestinian branch of the "Martyr Institution", to the families of the Palestinians killed during the uprising. ISIS Alaan: Assad’s Officers Turn ISIS Siege Of The City Of Deir Ezzor Into Profiteering The moment ISIS announced a siege on Deir Ezzor city in early 2015, thus blocking the entry of all forms of commercial, medical, and food supplies, it was obvious that forces loyal to the Assad regime, which control the city, would try to find solutions. Unfortunately, these forces left no rock unturned in their effort to exploit the hardships of the local residents. After ISIS intensified its blockade on Deir Ezzor Airport, and cargo planes were unable to land due to coming under crossfire of the terror group, Assad's officers were forced to resort to other smuggling methods and routes. These turned out to be the trafficking of goods and commodities across the Euphrates River. Each security branch belonging to the Assad regime used certain residents of the city – men and women – who had close ties to several ISIS emirs on the other side of the river to secure the freedom of movement on both sides of it. Muslim Brotherhood Almogaz: Formation Of A Committee To Appropriate (Egyptian) Ceramica Prima Owner's Funds On Charges Of Belonging To The Muslim Brotherhood A security source in Menofia confirmed on Tuesday that a committee had been formed by the Cairo-based Illicit Gains Agency to seize the funds of Sherif Afifi, the owner of "Ceramica Prima" in Sadat City. Afifi is charged with membership in the Muslim Brotherhood. Meanwhile, employees at Ceramica Prima's factories have continued operating the production lines without interruption. The source stressed that a 10-member committee is now managing the company’s production lines and its administrative and financial departments. Elwatan News: Brotherhood Asset (Freeze Committee) Seizes Resala Charity Organization In Damietta And 7% Of Juhayna’s Shares The Muslim Brotherhood Asset Freeze Committee, headed by Judge Ezzat Khamis, declared the seizure of 7.204% of the shares of Egypt's largest dairy, Juhayna Food Industries, owned by businessman Safwan Thabet. The Committee also announced the appropriation of "Resala Charity Organization" in Damietta. Mogaz News: Noah: No One Knows The (Exact) Value Of The Brotherhood's Money," Dissident Brotherhood leader, Mukhtar Noah, stated that no one knows the exact value of funds which are being pumped into the group either inside Egypt or abroad. He made these comments after Brotherhood youth circulated a video clip directing stern criticism towards the leaders of the Guidance Office, urging them to reveal the truth about the financial embezzlements within the group.