Eye on Extremism - March 23, 2016

Eye on Extremism March 23, 2016 Counter Extremism Project The Star: Security Failures Surface As Europe Suffers Another Terror Attack “Roberta Bonazzi was on her way to a meeting in Brussels Tuesday when she heard the startling news of two airport terrorist bombings. Ironically, Bonazzi heads the Counter Extremism Project’s Brussels office — situated close to the Maelbeek metro station that was targeted by the next blast of the two-pronged attack which took at least 32 lives in the European capital. The subject of her meeting: ‘jihadi radicalization.’ ‘There was panic and a lot of confusion,’ Bonazzi said in a phone interview. ‘Not even six months after Paris we had another major attack in Europe.’” Washington Post: Belgian Authorities Capture Suspect In Brussels Attacks “Authorities captured a suspect linked to the Brussels bloodshed Wednesday following a massive manhunt, as details emerged of the suicide attackers: two brothers who brought chaos and bloodshed to the city at the heart of European unity, according to two senior European officials. The identity of the arrested suspect was not immediately released. Belgian media reported that the suspect was 24-year-old Najim Laachraoui, whom European security officials had previously described as a suspected Islamic State bombmaker. One senior Belgian official said that an arrest had been made in connection to the probes into Tuesday’s attacks that left at least 31 people dead in bombings at the Brussels Airport and a metro station. The Islamic State claimed responsibility.” CNN: Brussels Attack: ISIS Says It's Behind Terror That Killed 30 In Belgian Capital “ISIS claimed to strike yet again on European soil Tuesday, saying its "fighters" launched attacks on the airport and a subway station in Belgium's capital that killed at least 30 people and wounded about 230 more. The atmosphere in Belgium has been tense for months, with the authorities warning of possible threats and pursuing terrorists. Tuesday's attacks followed on the heels of last week's capture of Europe's most wanted man, Salah Abdeslam, in a bloody raid in Brussels. ‘We were fearing terrorist attacks,’ Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel told reporters Tuesday. ‘And that has now happened.’ A Belgian government representative told CNN that 20 people died at the Maelbeek metro station and 130 were wounded, plus 10 more were killed and 100 wounded at Brussels' international airport.” Bloomberg: U.S. Toughening Air Security After Brussels Terror Attack “The U.S. government is stepping up security measures in response to Tuesday’s bombings in Brussels as President Barack Obama pledged to do ‘whatever is necessary’ to help bring the perpetrators to justice. Even though the U.S. has received no specific threats, security will be tightened at airports, rail stations and ports in the U.S., with additional law enforcement personnel assigned to those areas, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Brussels became the latest European city to be targeted in a terrorist attack as three coordinated blasts killed at least 31, injured more than 230 and deepened the sense of crisis across the continent.” The Wall Street Journal: Brussels Attacks: Bloodshed Exposes Growing Divisions Over Border Security “The Brussels attacks provoked expressions of shock and solidarity throughout Europe, as well as renewed accusations of weak border security and immigration policies that reflect growing divisions across a continent in crisis. In London, Paris, Berlin, and elsewhere, leaders said they were standing by Belgium on one of the country’s darkest days. French President François Hollande said: ‘Terrorism has struck Belgium, but it was Europe that was targeted and everyone is affected.’ But even in the first hours after the explosions at the Brussels airport and in its subway system, politicians who have called for tougher EU policies on migration, asylum and border protection said the attacks proved them right. Though it wasn’t initially clear Tuesday whether the assailants were Europeans already on the continent or people who had arrived within the EU’s stream of migrants, the Brussels attacks appeared set to exacerbate tensions as the bloc struggles with some of the biggest rifts in its history.” Voice of America: US Sets Up First All-American Fire Base In Iraq “The U.S. military has built the first all-American fire base in Iraq. A fire base is an area in a war zone where artillery can be massed to provide firepower in support of other military units. The fire base is near the town of Makhmur, in northern Iraq. About 200 U.S. Marines have been assigned to the base. Their mission is to protect American advisers and Iraqis who are at a nearby Iraqi military base. An American spokesman, Colonel Steve Warren, said: ‘This is the first time that we’ve established a spot that’s only American.’  Warren continued to say deploying the Marines to a U.S.-only base was ‘a tactical decision’ made ‘because of space’ restrictions.” Haaretz: Hamas Denies Links With Muslim Brotherhood In Egypt And Elsewhere The Hamas spokesman in Gaza yesterday denied any formal connection between his organization and the Muslim Brotherhood anywhere in the Arab world, including the original group in Egypt. ‘Hamas’ decisions are made by the political bureau of the organization from the Palestinian perspective, without any link to another country or organization,’ said Sami Abu Zuhri, in an interview with the Saudi television network Al-Arabiya. Abu Zuhri said that while, from an ideological perspective, Hamas has things in common with the Muslim Brotherhood, it operates solely on behalf of the Palestinian people. The Hamas security apparatus has arrested dozens of fundamentalist Salafi Muslims over the past few days, including senior members of Salafi groups that had abandoned Hamas, according to reports in Gaza yesterday. The arrests began after meetings that a Hamas delegation held with senior Egyptian intelligence officials last week, sources said.” Business Standard: Nigerian Troops Kill 58 Boko Haram Militants “Government forces in Nigeria have killed 58 Boko Haram fighters in the latest military operation in the country, Nigerian Army spokesman Sani Usman said on Tuesday. Two hand grenades, 52 motorcycles, several bags of foodstuff were also recovered during the operation carried out by troops in Nigeria's northeast Borno State late Monday, said Usman, adding that the military also lost a soldier in the gunfight, Xinhua reported. The announcement followed the killing of at least 27 Boko Haram terrorists in separate raids last weekend by the military. With the latest development, the Nigerian government said it is winning the war against terrorism and has ‘technically defeated’ Boko Haram.” The Economist: France Is Realising That Its State Of Emergency May Last A Long Time “Freshly painted in pale turquoise, ‘La Belle Equipe’, a bistro in eastern Paris, reopened this week after months of anguish. During last November’s terrorist attacks, 20 people were shot dead there. Four months on, the French are trying to turn the page after the worst-ever terrorist attack on their soil. But the latest attacks in Brussels are a bloody reminder that France, and all of Europe, will have to learn to live with terrorism. After two deadly terrorist attacks in 2015, France, home to Europe’s biggest Muslim minority, has been more alert to the threat than any other European country. Manuel Valls, the prime minister, regularly takes to the airwaves to remind the French of their vulnerability. In Munich last month, he warned fellow Europeans: ‘We have entered a new era, marked by the long-term presence of hyper-terrorism.’ It was the end, he said, of ‘insouciance’.” United States The Wall Street Journal: After Brussels Terrorist Attacks, Security Ramped Up In U.S. Cities “U.S. and local law-enforcement moved quickly Tuesday to step up security at airports, train stations and other public places in the wake of terrorist attacks at a Brussels airport and subway station. The Department of Homeland Security and officials in major U.S. cities said there were no specific or credible threats but that the measures, including increased patrols and, in some cases, bag checks, were put into place out of an abundance of caution. The Transportation Security Administration ‘is deploying additional security to major city airports in the United States, and at various rail and transit stations around the country,’ DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson said. TSA also is ‘working closely with state and local law enforcement, airport and transit authorities, and the aviation industry’ to augment security, he said. The initiatives, however, didn’t include immediate changes to airline passenger screening procedures or access to terminals, according to two people familiar with the details. DHS officials urged agencies, where feasible, to post personnel outside terminals as well as at checkpoints or along roadways leading to airports, according to the two people briefed on the specifics.” Politico: Obama Vows To 'Go After' Islamic State President Barack Obama on Tuesday vowed to ‘go after’ the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, in the first apparent official confirmation that the U.S. believes the terrorist group was indeed behind the Brussels attacks that left at least 34 dead. ‘The notion that any political agenda would justify the killing of innocent people like this is something that's beyond the pale. We are gonna continue with the over 60 nations that are pounding ISIL, and we're going to go after them,’ Obama said, speaking to ESPN at the top of the third inning in a historic baseball game in Cuba. ‘In the meantime, obviously our thoughts and prayers are with those who've been lost and hoping for a speedy recovery or those who've been injured.’” Syria Reuters: U.N. Envoy Turns To U.S., Russia To Give Impetus To Syria Talks “The U.N. special envoy on Syria said he hoped a meeting between the U.S. and Russian foreign ministers on Wednesday would give impetus to peace talks where the divisive issue of a political transition is stalling progress. Syria's government delegation has rejected any discussion of the future of President Bashar al-Assad, who opposition leaders say must go as part of any transition. Damascus has repeated its long-held view that ‘counter-terrorism’ - its reference to rebel foes of Assad - should be the main focus of the process. ‘We are looking with great interest, expectation, hope that the talks in Moscow will be productive,’ U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura said after meeting the opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC) in Geneva.” Turkey The Washington Post: Turkey Detains 13 Suspects Amid Fear Of New Attack “A Turkish state-run agency says authorities detained three men, including two foreigners, suspected of planning another attack in Istanbul. Security forces also captured 10 men suspected of being linked to the Islamic State group in southern Turkey. Anadolu Agency says security operations targeted three different Istanbul addresses based on information gathered by the Turkish anti-terrorism agency and German intelligence services. A Turkish national, an Iraqi and a Syrian were detained. In the southern province of Gaziantep, 10 men were detained after being caught trying to enter the country illegally from Syria. One was wearing a suicide vest. The arrests come after a suicide bomber in Istanbul killed two American-Israelis, another Israeli and an Iranian. Authorities blamed IS for Saturday’s bombing, which ripped through an iconic pedestrian street. It was the second attack this year that killed tourists in Istanbul.” The Jerusalem Post: Turkey's Erdogan: No Difference Between Terror, Whether Ankara Or Brussels “Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan condemned the attacks in Brussels that killed at least 26 people on Tuesday and said there was no difference between terror organizations, whether they were Kurdish militants targeting Ankara or the attackers in the Belgian capital. ‘The heinous attacks in Brussels have reiterated that terror cannot be a method of struggle for freedom, and once again underlined the need for common struggle against all types of terror,’ Erdogan said in a written statement. At least 26 people were killed in twin attacks on Brussels airport and a rush-hour metro train, triggering security alerts across western Europe and bringing some cross-border transport to a halt.” Al-Monitor: Is Turkey Swaying Back Toward Iran?  “The dynamics of the Iran-Turkey relationship are changing. A cursory glance at the Turkish prime minister’s March 4-5 visit to Tehran — including the way he behaved and was treated — gives the impression of a change in tone and intentions. Ahmet Davutoglu headed a major delegation consisting of five ministers and dozens of Turkish companies and businessmen — one of the largest such missions in the past decade. Two weeks later, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif visited Turkey, expressing Tehran’s readiness to enhance economic ties and regional cooperation. The question is whether these visits indicate a turning point in relations between these two important neighbors. The Arab Spring added new dynamics to Iran-Turkey ties. Prior to the uprisings, the relationship was defined by cooperation — both political and economic — in the absence of ideology. The emergence of the Syrian crisis, however, brought ideology to the forefront. Turkey, feeling the urgency to lead the Muslim Brotherhood’s momentum across the region, reduced its choices to backing the Syrian opposition. Meanwhile, Iran, assessing developments in Syria through the lens of a strategic rivalry that saw its competitors arm a peaceful uprising, clung to the status quo. Iran was preserving its regional influence while Turkey was enhancing its sway.” Yemen Reuters: Yemen Peace Talks Expected In Kuwait Next Month -Government Official “Talks aimed at ending Yemen's war are expected in Kuwait next month along with a temporary ceasefire, a senior Yemeni government official said, raising the prospect of an end to violence that has killed thousands. There have already been several failed attempts to defuse the conflict in Yemen, which has drawn in regional foes Saudi Arabia and Iran and triggered a humanitarian crisis in the Arab world's poorest country. On Tuesday Saudi-led airstrikes targeting al Qaeda-linked militants in eastern Yemen killed and wounded dozens of people, a provincial governor and medics said. A Saudi-led coalition began a military campaign in Yemen a year ago with the aim of preventing Iran-allied Houthi rebels and forces loyal to Yemen's ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh from taking control of the country. There was no immediate response from the Houthi militia regarding the prospect of talks. A prisoner swap and pause in combat on the border with Saudi Arabia earlier this month had raised hopes of a push to end the war.” The Jerusalem Post: 'Israeli-Houthi Secret Deal' To Airlift Yemenite Jews Arouses Furor In Yemen “The arrival of a final group of Yemenite Jewish immigrants in Israel Monday morning aroused widespread criticism from Yemenite citizens on social media networks, claiming that the move was a result of a secret understanding between Israel and pro-Iran Houthi militias.The opponents to this ‘secret deal’ between Israel and the Houthis launched a social media campaign defaming Houthis as traitors under the hashtag, ‘The Houthis are Israeli agents’. On Monday morning a group of 19 Yemenite Jews that lived in the Houthi-ruled cities of Sana'a and Raida landed in Israel after being airlifted from Yemen in a secret mission reportedly administered by the Jewish Agency, in collaboration with the US State Department.” Egypt Reuters: Egypt Close To 1 Billion Euro French Arms Purchases - Paper “Egypt is preparing to buy French warships and a military satellite in deals worth more than 1 billion euros (£790 million), La Tribune newspaper reported on Tuesday. The four naval vessels to be built by French naval shipyard DCNS include two Gowind corvettes, the newspaper reported, without citing sources. The military satellite would be supplied jointly by Airbus Space Systems, part of Airbus Group, and Thales Alenia Space, owned by French arms firm Thales and Italy's Finmeccanica, recently renamed Leonardo. Thales also owns 35 percent of the DCNS shipyard. None of the companies agreed to comment.” Middle East Associated Press: Israel Seizes Militant Propaganda At Palestinian University “Israel's military says troops have raided a Palestinian university in the West Bank and seized militant propaganda linked to Hamas and other groups. The military says the raid on Tuesday ‘confiscated inciting propaganda’ as part of a crackdown to curb violence that Israel says is fueled by Palestinian incitement. Fathi Omour, a spokesman for the Arab American university in Jenin, says the Israeli troops took a computer, papers and flags. Palestinians have killed 28 Israelis and two Americans in near-daily attacks since mid-September. During that time, about 185 Palestinians have died by Israeli fire. Israel says most of them were attackers.” The Hill: Netanyahu Links Brussels Violence To ‘Daily Attacks In Israel’ “Tuesday morning’s deadly terrorist attacks in Belgium are part of the same string of violence that has touched California, Turkey and Israel, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday.‘The chain of attacks from Paris to San Bernardino to Istanbul to the Ivory Coast and now to Brussels, and the daily attacks in Israel — this is one continuous assault on all of us,’ Netanyahu told American Israel Public Affairs Committee's (AIPAC) annual policy conference via video feed.‘In all these cases, the terrorists have no resolvable grievances,’ Netanyhau told the pro-Israel lobbying organization. ‘It’s not as through we could offer them Brussels or Istanbul or California or even the West Bank. That won’t satisfy their grievances, because what they seek is our utter destruction and their total domination. Their basic demand is that we should simply disappear. Well my friends, that’s not going to happen.’ Netanyahu’s comments came hours after a series of blasts in Brussels killed at least 34 people and injured more than 100. The explosions at an airport terminal and a subway stop steps from the European Commission's headquarters rocked Belgium’s capital and served as a dark reminder that public spaces even deep within the heart of Europe are vulnerable to violent attacks.” Libya Associated Press: Head Of UN Mission To Libya: Unity Gov't In Tripoli In Days “The head of the U.N. mission to Libya says the new unity government will install itself in Tripoli within days. Martin Kohler told reporters on Tuesday that he doesn't have the exact date but, ‘I know it's a matter of days not weeks.’ In Libya, where chaos reigns and the Islamic State group has a new foothold, two rival governments compete. Kohler said ‘it is urgent to stop the expansion’ of the IS group into neighboring countries, like Tunisia. The head of the new government, Faez All-Sarraj, said that ‘we must react quickly’ to stop the ‘cancer.’ He called on Libyans to set aside differences and build a new, safe Libya. The two spoke after a ministerial meeting of Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, Chad, Sudan and Niger, all threatened by extremists.” Reuters: Tunisia Forces Break Up Islamic State Recruiting Cell “Tunisian police have broken up a cell recruiting fighters for Islamic State in Libya, authorities said, part of a security crackdown on jihadists crossing the border. Tunisian security forces are on high alert after dozens of Islamist militants stormed through the border town of Ben Guerdan earlier this month attacking army and police posts and triggering street battles in which troops killed about 50 militants over three days. Twelve soldiers and seven civilians were also killed in the worst such attack in Tunisia's history. ‘Our counter-terrorism unit forces dismantled a cell which included 12 extremists who were recruiting young people to send into Libya to join Daesh (Islamic State),’ the interior ministry said in a statement late on Monday.” United Kingdom International Business Times: Brussels explosions: Armed Police Boosted At Possible Targets In London And Rest Of UK “Armed police are to be deployed to key locations across London and the rest of the UK after explosions occurred at Brussels airport and at the city's Maalbeek Metro station. At least 21 people are now thought to have been killed in the blasts, and transport into and out of the city has been cancelled. Belgian authorities have responded by sending 225 military personnel to the scene and increasing security across the country. In the UK, the police presence has been increased at Gatwick and Heathrow airports while the Met Police has deployed officers to locations across the capital, including transport hubs and major train stations such as London Bridge, Victoria and Waterloo. Specialist search dogs have also been deployed at key ports including St Pancras and Dover.” The Guardian: What Is The Risk Of A Brussels-Style Attack By Islamic State In The UK? “The British security agencies worry that Islamic State is plotting large-scale terrorist attacks in the UK by coordinated commando-style groups similar to those in Brussels and Paris. Isis propaganda videos have frequently identified the UK as a major target and intelligence officers have repeatedly said, as a caveat, that it is only a matter of time before there is a successful attack in the country, whether lone wolf-style or a large-scale assault. The agencies stopped seven plots last year but have emphasised again and again that they do not believe their luck – and operational efficiency – is going to hold forever.” Germany Reuters: Merkel Says Germany To Help Belgium Capture Brussels Attackers “Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday that Germany would work with Belgium to find and punish the perpetrators of bombing attacks in Brussels. She added that the German cabinet would convene on Wednesday to discuss the implications for Germany of the attacks on Brussels airport and a metro train in the Belgian capital that killed at least 30 people. ‘We will work in every way with ... the Belgian security services to find, identify and punish the perpetrators of today's crimes,’ Merkel said.” Europe The New York Times: Brussels Attacks Fuel Debate Over Migrants In A Fractured Europe “It did not take long. Almost as soon as the bombs went off in Brussels on Tuesday morning, the new act of terrorism in the heart of Europe was employed in the bitter debate about the influx of migrants from the Middle East and North Africa. The murderous attacks in another European capital — just days after the Belgians finally tracked down the sole surviving suspect in a series of similarly coordinated attacks that killed 130 people in and around Paris in November — prompted new questions about European solidarity and security. And they came during a period of severe self-doubt about the European Union, with low growth, high unemployment, and the threat of a British exit from the bloc, to be decided in a June referendum.” Technology The New York Times: U.S. Says It May Not Need Apple’s Help To Unlock iPhone “The Justice Department said on Monday that it might no longer need Apple’s assistance in opening an iPhone used by a gunman in the San Bernardino, Calif., rampage last year. The disclosure led a judge to postpone a court hearing over the issue and temporarily sidesteps what has become a bitter clash with the world’s most valuable company. In a new court filing, the government said an outside party had demonstrated a way for the F.B.I. to possibly unlock the phone used by the gunman, Syed Rizwan Farook. The hearing in the contentious case — Apple has loudly opposed opening the iPhone, citing privacy concerns and igniting a heated debate — was originally set for Tuesday. While the Justice Department must test this method, if it works ‘it should eliminate the need for the assistance from Apple,’ it said in its filing. The Justice Department added that it would file a status report by April 5 on its progress.” Arabic Language Clips Terrorist Financing New Sabah: The (Iraqi) Judiciary: 163 Countries Refuse To Extradite Wanted (Suspects) And We Are Investigating Money Transfer Companies On Charges Of Terror Financing The Iraqi judiciary is set to hold a meeting soon with the Board of Supreme Audit, the Office of Inspectors General and others to expedite the rulings in corruption cases. While the Iraqi judiciary emphasized that foreign countries have refused to hand over 163 wanted persons of interest, it reported investigating charges brought against 35 money transfer companies for supporting terrorism in war zones. It also revealed the formation of a joint committee with the parliamentary legal committee to legislate laws, especially the Law of the Federal Supreme Court. The official Spokesman for the Federal Judiciary, Judge Abdul Sattar Bayrakdar, stated at a news conference that "the Supreme Judicial Council held a regular session on Tuesday and took a number of decisions concerning the work of the judicial system." Muslim Brotherhood Egypt Today: The International Arm Of Brotherhood Plots To Tarnish The Image Of Egypt And Its President, In Collaboration With International Agencies Nabil Naim, former leader of the Islamic Jihadist movement in Egypt, disclosed that a Muslim Brotherhood leader named Mohammed Ghanem has signed contracts with media agencies, including "Code Pink." The assessed worth of these contracts comes to $100 million. The goal is to tarnish the image of the Egyptian regime and to defame its venerated symbols. Naim added that Ghanem is in charge of the media portfolio within the international arm of the Muslim Brotherhood; therefore, he is authorized to sign contracts with media agencies. Code Pink started as a youth movement promoting values of peace, love and coexistence between peoples, and opposing wars. It currently runs several media companies in America and Europe. Researchers and experts in the fields of media and Islamic movements have found evidence of a media scheme by the international arm of the Brotherhood to tarnish the image of Egypt and its president, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, during his visits abroad. The Seventh Day: (Egyptian) Solidarity Minister: Dissolving Six Muslim Brotherhood Associations And Ousting Three Others Egyptian Minister of Social Solidarity, Ghada Wali, recently issued decisions to dissolve six associations and oust the Board of Directors of three others. These associations are located in six different Egyptian provinces. Wali's decisions were adopted in enactment of the resolutions taken by a committee formed to carry out the Cairo Court for Urgent Matters ruling to ban activities and seize the properties of Muslim Brotherhood associations. The decision to dissolve these associations was taken following a review by the General Federation of Associations and NGOs. Cairo News Online: Extending The Detention Of Six Brotherhood On Charges Of Harming The (Egyptian) Economy Judge Khaled Al-Shabasi, head of the Giza Criminal Court, extended the detention on Tuesday of six members of the Muslim Brotherhood for 45 days pending investigation. They are being charged with the "formation of a terrorist cell plotting attacks on public installations for the purpose of harming the Egyptian economy." According to investigations by security services, among the defendants are relatives of two leaders in the Brotherhood. Houthi Inponews: Lack Of Money For Wages Sets Off A Confrontation Between Houthis And Forces Loyal To Saleh Severe financial disagreements have surfaced between Houthi militia and forces loyal to the ousted Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh due to a lack of funds. The disputes deepened even further when the Houthis refused to pay salaries to many of Saleh's loyalists. A Yemeni security source said that Houthi militia halted the disbursement of wages to employees in the public sector to secure financial sources "for the next phase". This decision included members of the Republican Guard loyal to Saleh in some of Yemen's districts.