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Eye on Extremism
May 31, 2016
BBC:
Iraq Troops In 'Final Assault' On Islamic State In Falluja
“The Iraqi army is facing fierce resistance and counter-attacks as it
attempts to storm Falluja, a bastion of so-called Islamic State (IS). The
army's dawn offensive came a week after it began efforts to retake the
city, just 30 miles (50km) west of Baghdad and held by IS since 2014. An
estimated 50,000 civilians are trapped inside, with only a few hundred
families escaping so far. Meanwhile IS militants launched a wave of
bombings in and around Baghdad. The attacks in the Iraqi capital killed
at least 21 people.”
Daily
Beast: Elite U.S. Soldiers And Kurdish Troops Moving On ISIS Near Mosul
“The pickup trucks on their way to this village in northern Iraq on
Sunday kicked up the dry earth on the dirt track, clouding the air and
limiting the visibility for the drivers approaching the hamlet just
wrested from the so-called Islamic State with the help of elite American
soldiers operating now in both Iraq and Syria.”
Reuters:
Turkey's Erdogan Accuses Russia Of Arming PKK Militants
“Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has accused Russia of providing
anti-aircraft weaponry and rockets to militants of the outlawed Kurdistan
Workers Party (PKK), government officials said on Monday, confirming
reports in local media. Speaking to reporters on board his airplane after
a visit to the southeastern province of Diyarbakir over the weekend,
Erdogan accused Moscow of transferring weaponry to the PKK via Iraq and
Syria, the pro-government Star newspaper said. ‘At this moment,
terrorists are using anti-aircraft guns and missiles supplied by Russia.
The separatist terrorist organisation is equipped with these weapons.
They have been transferred to them via Syria and Iraq,’ the newspaper
reported Erdogan as saying.”
The
New York Times: Libyan Forces Advance In Push On Islamic State
Strongholds
“Libyan forces loyal to the U.N.-brokered government advanced on
Monday against two key Islamic State strongholds, with several officials
saying the troops had taken a town from the extremists. The forces
entered Bin Jawad, 160 kilometers (99 miles) from the central city of
Sirte, the main IS bastion in Libya. Salem Jedran, mayor of the nearby
town of Ajdabiya, said troops with the so-called Petroleum Facilities
Guards had advanced on Bin Jawad, which fell to IS in January. The unit's
spokesman, Ali Alhassi, later said the troops had liberated the town
after five were killed and 16 wounded. Saad Abu-Sharada, a representative
from the area, confirmed the area was liberated Monday afternoon.”
Business
Standard: UN Says 4,000 Foreign Fighters In Syria, Iraq
“At least 4,000 foreign fighters have travelled from European Union
countries to fight IS and other militant groups in Syria and Iraq, the EU
said in a new report on Monday citing data from 12 countries. Of the
foreign fighters, five to 10 per cent were killed in combat and between
10 and 30 per cent returned home from war zones or were in a transit
country, the EU's Agency for Fundamental Rights said in its 2016 report.
The greatest number of foreign fighters were from France (1,550) followed
by Germany and Great Britain (700 each) and Belgium (440), the
Vienna-based agency said. A total of 80 foreign fighters were from Italy,
said the report.”
Reuters:
Saudi Says Intercepts And Destroys Ballistic Missile From Yemen
“Saudi Arabia has intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile fired
from Yemen and a Saudi-led military coalition said in a statement late on
Monday it may be forced to reconsider a truce that has been place since
April. Saudi state news agency SPA quoted the statement as saying that
the missile, the second such strike this month, was destroyed in mid-air
without causing any casualties. The air force also destroyed the platform
from which the missile was fired, it said. Saudi Arabia, leading a
coalition of Arab states, intervened in Yemen in March last year mainly
with air strikes to try to restore President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.
Houthis, backed by forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh,
had advanced on Hadi's temporary headquarters in the southern city of
Aden, forcing him to flee the country. The war has killed more than 6,200
people and displaced more than 2.5 million people.”
Australia
Network News: Sex Slaves For Sale: ISIS Use Facebook To Sell 1,800 Women
For Brutal Rape
“The Islamic State is using Facebook as a platform to sell women as
sex slaves to fellow terrorists. The price tag on the women being traded
over the social networking site is determined by the demand and supply.”
Haaretz:
Israel's Interior Minister Moves To Revoke Citizenship Of Arab Terror
Suspect
“Interior Minister Arye Dery said on Sunday he was taking steps to
revoke the citizenship of a man from Umm al-Fahm who has been charged in
connection to a terror attack in Israel in October. Ala’a Ziwad confessed
to deliberately ramming his car into two soldiers and then stabbing two
additional people, at the Gan Shmuel intersection near Hadera, before he
was subdued. Two soldiers, a 19-year-old woman and a 20-year-old man,
were admitted to hospital in serious and moderate condition,
respectively, after Ziwad hit them. In addition, a 14-year-old girl was
hospitalized in moderate condition with stab wounds, while a 45-year-old
man was treated for minor stab wounds.”
Deutsche
Welle: Exclusive: Boko Haram Victim Tells DW Of Captivity Near Chibok
Girls
“Christina Ijabla was held kidnapped by Boko Haram for two years.
She's told DW about life in an Islamist militant prison camp and how she
had seen the elusive Chibok girls, whose seizure sparked international
outrage. ‘About a year ago, the fighters in Madagali took us to the
Sambisa Forest [a Boko Haram stronghold near the border with Cameroon] It
was a four-day forced march. They tried repeatedly to coerce us into
marriage. We refused and they became even more violent and brutal. They
said that they would kill us and our families and that they had complete
control over us. Then they blindfolded one of the girls - one of us - and
shot her before our very eyes. Then we did what they asked. From then on,
the fighters slept with us, mostly in the evenings. We hardly saw them at
all during the day. And if we put up any resistance, they would simply
hit us.’”
Syria
CNN:
Airstrikes In Syria Kill 23; Hospital Hit
“At least 23 people were killed in airstrikes Monday night in the
Syrian city of Idlib, according to a humanitarian group. Among the places
hit was a local hospital, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human
Rights. Video posted by the Syrian Civil Defense, a volunteer search and
rescue operation in the country, showed responders digging through the
rubble, searching for survivors. One rescuer could be seen lifting the
body of a young boy in his arms, his face covered in dust. Syria has been
one of the more dangerous places in the world for doctors to operate in.
As of December, 57% of public hospitals and 51% of public health centers
in Syria are either partially functioning or closed down, according to
the World Health Organization. About 15,000 doctors have fled Syria,
according to the NGO Medics Under Fire, and those that remain risk their
lives on a daily basis.”
Reuters:
U.S.-Backed Syrian Alliance Widens Offensive Near IS Capital
“A U.S.-backed alliance of Syrian militias is widening an offensive
against Islamic State near its de facto capital of Raqqa, targeting an
area where the group controls a disused air base, a monitoring group and
a Kurdish official said on Monday. The Syria Democratic Forces (SDF),
which includes the Kurdish YPG militia, launched an attack against
Islamic State-held areas north of Raqqa city last week. The city itself
is not a target of the current offensive however, the SDF has said. In an
expansion of the operation, the SDF is now targeting the IS-held area of
Tabqa, some 60 km (40 miles), to the west of Raqqa city. IS captured
Tabqa air base from government forces in 2014 at the height of its rapid
expansion in Iraq and Syria, killing scores of Syrian soldiers there.”
Reuters:
Heavy Air Strikes On Syria's Idlib Kill And Injure Dozens: Monitor
“Heavy air strikes in Syria's rebel-held city of Idlib on Monday
evening killed and injured more than 150 people, the Syrian Observatory
for Human Rights said. The war monitor said it believed the planes were
Russian. At least seven strikes hit the western Syrian city, it added.
Some struck the area where the national hospital is located, the war
monitor said, noting that it did not think the strikes hit the hospital
itself.”
Iraq
Voice
Of America: Iraq's Lawmakers Prepare To Negotiate As Bombs Hit Baghdad
“Iraq's lawmakers are said to be preparing to begin a fragile process
of negotiation aimed at cracking the country's month-long political
paralysis. But ahead of their expected gathering on Tuesday, Islamic
State militants attacked Baghdad with a double bombing and a third
explosion just north of the capital, killing at least 20 people. Monday's
bombings were a reminder of the dangers of a drawn-out political
stalemate. Previous bombings led to a wave of street protests and angry
calls for the government leadership to step down. Prime Minister Haider
al-Abadi on Sunday addressed parliament, calling on lawmakers to set
aside their differences until the ongoing fight for Fallujah was over.”
CNN:
Families Flee As Battle For Falluja Rages On
“Iraqi forces started their operation to retake the ISIS stronghold
with the help of Iraqi and coalition air support, Iraqi military
spokesman Yahya Rasoul said on Iraqi state TV. Iraqi forces retook the
village of Nuaimiya, just south of Falluja, closing in on the city
itself, al-Iraqi TV reported. Earlier Monday, Iraqi military units and
supporting militia captured a handful of settlements from ISIS near
Falluja, including the town of Saqlawiya, about 10 kilometers (6.5 miles)
northwest of the city, and the villages of al-Buaziz, al-Bu Efan and
al-Shiha, north and west of Falluja, state-run TV reported. Iraqi
government troops, backed by Shiite militias known as the Popular
Mobilization Units and an air campaign by the U.S.-led anti-ISIS
coalition, launched the offensive last week to retake the ISIS
stronghold, about 65 kilometers (40 miles) west of Baghdad, first
targeting outlying settlements.”
CNN:
Teen Launches Suicide Attack In Iraq Marketplace
“A teen suicide bomber blew himself up in an outdoor market on Sunday,
a strike that killed at least five people, an Iraqi official said. The
incident took place in Muqdadiya and a claim of responsibility by ISIS
was posted on social media. Col. Mohammed Ibrahim, the spokesman of
Iraq's Joint Operations Command, said the mother of the 14-year-old
suicide attacker informed security officers in Muqdadiya that her son was
planning to carry out the attack. Muqdadiya is 60 kilometers, or more
than 37 miles, north of Baghdad and is in Diyala province, the scene of
steady violence over the years.”
Turkey
Reuters:
Turkish Shelling Kills 28 Islamic State Fighters North Of Aleppo: TV
“Turkey's military killed at least 28 Islamic State fighters in
shelling north of the Syrian city of Aleppo on Sunday in retaliation for
the latest attacks against a Turkish border town, broadcaster CNN Turk
said, citing a military statement. The attack hit 58 Islamic State
targets with artillery and rocket launchers, CNN Turk said on Monday. The
pro-government Sabah newspaper reported five people were injured on
Friday when rockets fired from Islamic State-controlled territory in
northern Syria hit the Turkish border province of Kilis, which is about
60 kilometers (37 miles) north of Aleppo. Kilis has been hit by rockets
from Islamic State-controlled territory more than 70 times since January,
killing 21 people including children, in what security officials say has
gone from accidental spillover to deliberate targeting.”
Bloomberg:
Turkey Stalls Offensive On Islamic State By Opposing Kurds
“A proposed rebel assault to retake two Islamic State strongholds
in northwestern Syria is bumping up against Turkey’s opposition to
Kurdish participation in the campaign. The U.S. and Turkey both advocate
such an offensive to clear the jihadist group from a 98-kilometer
(62-mile) area along the Turkish border, including its bastions in the
towns of Jarablus and Manbij, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu
said. While the U.S., in conjunction with Turkey and other nations, has
been bombing Islamic State from the air, Syrian Kurdish fighters have
been its chief partner on the ground. But Turkey regards the Syrian
Kurdish fighters as closely affiliated with the outlawed Turkish Kurdish
PKK group that’s been waging a separatist war for more than three
decades. Only if they pull out of the rebel assault force can it launch
an attack on Jarablus from Turkish soil, according to Cavusoglu.”
Associated
Press: Turkey Says It Could Seize IS Stronghold With US
“Turkey's foreign minister suggested his country could carry out joint
military operations with the United States to oust the Islamic State group
from Syria. Speaking in Antalya late Sunday, Foreign Minister Mevlut
Cavusoglu said that operation could ‘easily advance to Raqqa,’ the main
IS bastion in Syria. American special operations forces and a coalition
known as the Syria Democratic Forces have begun clearing areas north of
Raqqa in preparation for an eventual assault on the city. A major player
in the coalition is the Kurdish People's Protection Units, or YPG, which
Turkey — unlike the United States — views as a terrorist organization.
Turkey is part of the U.S.-led coalition against IS and a Turkish air
base is being used to launch bombing runs against IS.”
Deutsche
Welle: Six Dead In Attacks On Security Forces In Turkey's Southeast
“A Kurdish bomb attack in southeastern Turkey killed at least four,
and injured up to 19, in the predominantly Kurdish town of Silopi on
Monday, according to the country's state-run news agency. They detonated
the bomb as a police vehicle was passing. The police vehicle was reportedly
patrolling the streets, a month after security forces ended military
operations aimed at flushing out Kurdish militants in Silopi linked to
the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Silopi and several other
towns and districts in southeastern Turkey were placed under curfew as
Turkey's security forces fought Kurdish militants. The Silopi attack was
carried out with improvised explosive device hidden inside a manhole, the
Anadolu Agency said. Earlier in the day near the eastern city of Van, the
PKK detonated a roadside bomb by remote control hitting a passing armored
vehicle. Two police officers were killed and a third was wounded, sources
said.”
Afghanistan
Voice
Of America: Security Experts: Taliban Likely To Increase Attacks During
Ramadan
“The Taliban in Afghanistan is likely to increase attacks during the
Muslim holy month of Ramadan in an effort to demonstrate that the recent
death of the group's leader has not affected it in any way, Afghan security
experts say. Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansoor was killed in a U.S.
drone strike in Pakistan last week. ‘In order to show the world that they
are not dead, Taliban will surge their attacks in the month of Ramadan’,
said retired Afghan National Security General Wahid Taqat. The
Muslim holy month begins June 6. Afghan security officials insist they
are prepared for any increase in attacks during Ramadan or any other
time.”
Voice
Of America: Taliban Kills Around 57 Afghan Forces
“Taliban militants in Afghanistan have intensified battlefield
attacks, killing around 57 Afghan security forces and wounding 37 others
in the restive southern Helmand province. Afghan officials say fierce
fighting has raged since Saturday, when the Taliban launched a string of
coordinated assaults on three districts, including Nad Ali, Gereshk and
Marjah. Most of the casualties occurred in Nad Ali and Gereskh, said
Major General Asmatullah Dawlatzai. The insurgents also overran four
security outposts on the main road linking Marjah to the provincial
capital of Lashkardah in the overnight fighting.”
The
New York Times: Taliban Overrun Afghan Police Checkpoints In Helmand
Province
“Taliban militants overran several checkpoints in southern Helmand
Province and killed at least 25 policemen over the past two days,
officials said on Monday, in the first major assaults in the province
since the insurgents named a new leader last week. While the Taliban made
major inroads in Helmand last year, the violence had seemed relatively
contained in recent months, after broad changes by the Afghan Army there
and a new influx of American troops and advisers. But the fighting has
again intensified, with an increased tempo of attacks in the districts of
Nad Ali, Gereshk, Sangin and Marja, as well as in Babaji, a suburb of the
provincial capital, Lashkar Gah. Gul Agha, a commander of Afghan Local
Police militia forces in Gereshk, said Taliban fighters had overrun five checkpoints
in the district bordering the provincial capital, killed 12 fighters and
executed their unit commander.”
Yemen
Voice
Of America: Fighting Between Yemeni Forces, Rebels Kills 48
“Two days of fighting between Yemeni government forces and Houthi
rebels have killed at least 48 people, Yemeni military officials said
Sunday. The Iranian-backed rebels attacked in a region between central
Marib and Shabwa provinces, and were beaten backed by loyalist solders. A
Yemeni general says his forces will not stop fighting until they have
retaken the entire region from the Houthis. A cease-fire between Yemeni
forces and the rebels has largely held, despite occasional flare-ups of
fighting. A cease-fire between Yemeni forces and the rebels has largely
held, despite occasional flare-ups of fighting. The truce is aimed at
reaching a permanent settlement in Yemen during ongoing U.N.-sponsored
talks in Kuwait.”
Associated
Press: Yemen Rebels Launch Missile Into Saudi Arabia
“Yemen's Houthi rebels have launched a missile over the border into
Saudi Arabia for the first time in weeks in the latest violation of a
shaky truce between the insurgents and the Saudi-backed Yemeni
government. Pro-Houthi television channel al-Masirah said Monday that the
rebels had launched a long-range missile into Saudi territory. Saudi
Arabia's military said in a statement that several missiles had hit the
Jizan border region, the first such strike in over a month, without
wounding anyone. A truce between the warring parties that began April 10
has been deteriorating in recent days, with violations by both sides. The
conflict in Yemen pits Shiite Houthi rebels and supporters of a former
president against Yemen's internationally recognized government,
supported by a Saudi-led, U.S.-backed coalition.”
Egypt
CNN:
Muslim Brotherhood Spiritual Leader Mohamed Badie Receives Life Sentence
“An Egyptian criminal court on Monday handed down a life sentence to
the spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood along with 35 other
members of the outlawed Islamist group, a state-run news agency reported.
Mohamed Badie, the group's ‘Supreme Guide,’ was among those found guilty
of engaging in violent acts in the northeastern governorate of Ismailia
in the wake of protests over the 2013 ouster of former Egyptian President
Mohamed Morsy, Egypt's state-run MENA reported. The court found the men
guilty of killing three citizens in Ismailia governorate and attempting
to kill 16 others, and attempting to occupy an official building in July
2013, Egyptian state media agency Al-Ahram reported.”
Reuters:
Egypt Journalist Union Chiefs Charged With Harboring Wanted Colleagues
“Egyptian prosecutors on Monday ordered the head of the journalists
union and two board members to be tried on charges of harboring
colleagues wanted by the law, judicial sources said, a move that drew
condemnation from rights groups. The trial of Yehia Qalash, Khaled
al-Balshy, and Gamal Abdel Rahim will begin on Saturday at a Cairo
misdemeanors court, the judicial sources said. The charges of harboring
fugitives and spreading false news about a police raid of the union
premises carry a maximum sentence of three years in jail, according to a
legal expert. The prosecutors have not said what sentence they will seek.
The journalists' lawyer Sayyed Abou Zeid told Reuters they denied the
charges, which relate to a May 2 police raid on the Egyptian Journalists
Syndicate to arrest two opposition journalists who had sought shelter
from arrest inside.”
Middle
East
The
Times Of Israel: East Jerusalem Teens Nabbed In Stabbing Of Elderly Women
“The Israel Police and Shin Bet security service arrested three
underage East Jerusalem residents in connection with a stabbing attack
earlier this month, in which two elderly Jewish women, one of them a
Holocaust survivor, were moderately injured, officials said Monday. On
May 10, a group of five elderly Israelis were walking along the Armon
Hanatziv promenade in the capital — in an area of the park known as the
Peace Forest — when two Arab teenagers wearing masks pulled out knives
and the ‘wooden handle of an ax’ and attacked two of the women before
fleeing the scene, police said. The victims, aged 82 and 86, were
hospitalized in moderate condition. According to police, the attack was
premeditated, and the suspects had discussed it ‘while they were at
school through social media, specifically Facebook.’”
The
Jerusalem Post: Soldier Lightly Wounded In Likely Tel Aviv Terror
Stabbing
“A 19-year-old Palestinian stabbed and lightly wounded a soldier in
Tel Aviv Monday evening in what police and the Shin Bet (Israel Security
Agency) are investigating as a likely terrorist attack. Tel Aviv District
Police said that at 7:05 p.m. they received a report of a stabbing
outside 132 Yigal Allon Street. Police said a Palestinian teen with a
screwdriver stabbed and lightly wounded a 19-year-old soldier at the
scene, before he was cornered by bystanders in an apartment building
nearby. A cellphone video showed the attacker handcuffed at the top of a
stairwell, with the two policemen detaining him shouting at an irate
crowd of civilians to clear the area. Magen David Adom paramedic Roi
Engel treated the wounded soldier.”
Libya
Reuters:
Libyan Oil Guard Says Captures Coastal Town From Islamic State After
Clashes
“A force that controls oil terminals in eastern Libya said it had
captured the town of Ben Jawad from Islamic State, pushing the militant
group back along a coastal strip they control east of their stronghold of
Sirte. Spokesman Ali al-Hassi said five Petroleum Facilities Guard (PFG)
fighters had been killed and 18 wounded in fierce clashes in the coastal
town, and that fighting was continuing in the nearby town of Nawfiliyah.
A Ben Jawad resident told Reuters that PFG forces had entered the town
and were combing the area to secure it. If the PFG can hold Ben Jawad it
could prove significant, signaling the start of a new front in the
campaign against Islamic State. The PFG has declared its support for
Libya's U.N.-backed unity government. Other brigades that back the
government advanced last week to the outskirts of Sirte from the west.”
United
Kingdom
The
Guardian: Music Fans Could Be Target Of Next UK Terror Attack - Security
Chief
“Music fans and nightclubbers could be the target of the next major
terrorist attack in Britain, a top counter-terrorism officer has warned
ahead of the country’s festival season. Music executives were
invited alongside Premier League football bosses to a recent
anti-terrorism briefing at Wembley stadium to hear the warning from Neil
Basu, deputy assistant commissioner with the Metropolitan police, who is
in charge of the country’s protective security. Many stadiums already
have strict security measures in place to protect against the risk of
terrorist attacks. But, Basu said in an interview with the Sunday Times,
there were concerns over the risk to the night-time economy.”
France
The
Telegraph: Euro 2016: The Five Key Areas The French Security Effort Will
Focus On
“Earlier this month the French government announced that at Euro 2016
almost 100,000 police, soldiers and private security personnel would be
deployed for the duration of the month-long tournament. ‘Such a unique
event in exceptional circumstances requires extra security measures,’
said interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve. Law-enforcement authorities –
many of whom will be heavily armed – will also have additional powers
under a state of emergency that has been in place since November’s Paris
attacks and was extended for a third time this month to
cover the Euros. They include being able to place under house arrest
anyone considered ‘a threat to security and public order’ and also permit
a tightening of border controls and bans on public gatherings.”
Technology
Daily
Mail: Terror Links To Migrants Revealed In Secret Report By Police Who
Carried Out Security Checks In Refugee Camps
“Two potential links to terrorists have been found by European police
sent to carry out security checks on the thousands of migrants arriving
in Greece, a top secret report reveals. The leaked Europol file reveals
officers made 68 ‘hits’ on their database of criminal suspects while
searching new arrivals. At least one terror case is linked to people
smugglers helping Syrian refugees cross the Mediterranean to Turkey. It
will heighten fears that Islamic State chiefs are using the migrant
crisis to smuggle battle-hardened jihadis into Europe where they can
carry out devastating attacks on civilians. At least one of the suicide
bombers who blew himself up in Paris last year had entered Greece on a
migrant boat with a fake Syrian passport.”
Arabic
Language Clips
Counter
Extremism Project
Afrigatenews:
CEP: Europe Will Face More Terrorist Attacks
A new study by the Counter Extremism Project (CEP) warns that European
countries will face further terror attacks unless authorities
significantly change their policies and actions. Researchers indicated
that since the end of World War II, extremist groups have carried out
numerous acts of violence in Europe in the pursuit of political and
religious objectives. The policy responses on the part of European
governments to these terrorist acts have, however, too often been weak
and off-the-cuff, and have failed to deter future attacks or dismantle
terrorist networks.
Financing
of Terrorism
Norden
Arab: Increasing Number Of Suspicious Cases Related To Terrorist
Financing From Outside Sweden
The number of cases suspected of being related to the financing of
terrorism from outside Sweden rose last year. The main reason for this
rise is the growing number of complaints filed by Swedish banks and
financial institutions to the financial police regarding suspicious
cases. Angelica Wallmark, head of the police section for financial
crimes, was quoted as saying, "The number (of complaints) has nearly
doubled, and this is a result of the growing activities by informants.
This is related, for example, to young men who are unemployed but
suddenly start collecting money and asking for bank loans or financial
aid. The intensity of their activity triggers suspicions of terrorism,
which are reported by informants." Wallmark noted that the annual
police report for 2015 indicates an increase in the number of cases last
year, and there is a clear link to the fact that in recent years more
Swedes have travelled overseas to join terror groups that incite violence.
RTV:
Study: 65 Percent Of Young Tunisians Lured By Terrorist Organizations Are
Aged 17-19
A recently published Tunisian study indicated that 65 percent of young
people who are being lured by terrorist organizations fall within the
ages of 17-19. Lilia Bouguera, a Tunisian expert in teen psychology, who
also authored the study, noted that it included about 200 young men and
women between the ages of 13 and 25 who were arrested in Tunisia on
charges of committing terrorist acts. The study further revealed that 85
percent of the targeted youth belong to low-income families. These
findings correspond to the data reported in global studies conducted on
the recruitment of youth to terrorist groups.
Al-Akhbar:
The Sale Of Shares Of Credit Libanais: Shareholders Being Monitored By
Washington On Suspicion Of Financing Terrorism
The Central Board of the Bank of Lebanon is scheduled on Wednesday to
discuss several topics on its agenda, most notably the request by the
Bank of Credit Libanais to approve an increase in the bank shares of CIH
Bahrain International Holding SAL from 23.52% to 35.06%. The discussion
on this matter, which has been delayed for several weeks, is a source of
great embarrassment to the Governor of the Bank of Lebanon, Riad Salameh.
This comes amid calls to apply the US law against Hezbollah. The
abovementioned company is a subsidiary of Capital Investment Holding
Company, whose majority shares are owned by the heirs of Khalid bin
Mahfouz, namely Abdul Rahman, Sultan and Iman. They are all suspected by
the US Administration of bankrolling al-Qaeda and ISIS. Their names appear
on two blacklists circulated recently by Lebanon's Special Investigation
Commission to all banks and financial institutions operating in Lebanon,
requesting scrutiny of their accounts.
ISIS
Akhbar
Libya: ISIS's Zakat Official Flees Sirte In Possession Of 100,000 Dinars
An ISIS financial officer managed to flee the Libyan city of Sirte in
possession of huge sums of money, after being aided and abetted by a
Libyan member of the organization there. A media source close to the
terrorist organization was quoted as saying that ISIS's "Prince of Zakat
Fund and Charity," who is an Eritrean national, fled Sirte in
possession of a sum estimated at more than 100,000 dinars ($75,000). This
money was collected from the people of the city by the so-called ISIS's
"Diwan al-Hisbah." They added that the ISIS fugitive had
escaped with the help of a Libyan member of ISIS from the city of Sirte.
Sputnik:
ISIS Conveys Its Treasure-Chest From Fallujah To Mosul
The sense of impending defeat by ISIS in western Iraq, following the
advance of Iraqi forces in the city of Fallujah, compelled it to relocate
its money and gold to Mosul, its last stronghold in the north of the
country. The first batch of Fallujah assets, including gold, was shipped
on the second day of the battle launched to liberate the city on Monday
of last week. According to sources in Mosul, ISIS transferred "up to
$8 million."
Hezbollah
Aljazeera.Net:
US Eager To Punish Hezbollah Financially
The visit to Lebanon by Daniel Glaser, the Assistant Secretary for the
US Department of the Treasury, presented an opportunity for him to demand
that local officials abide by the principles and procedures of the law
for drying up Hezbollah's financial sources. For its part, the Shiite
group stated that carrying out such procedures would be tantamount to an
assault on Lebanese sovereignty. Glaser met with a number of Lebanese
officials, following which informed sources claimed that he had told his
hosts that "the law against the illegal funding of Hezbollah should
be applied for the benefit of Lebanon and its interests." He also underscored
"the need to protect Lebanon's banking system through the
fulfillment of its international obligations."
Sabr:
United Arab Emirates: Defendant In Hezbollah Cell Received $2 Million
Dollars In Exchange For Spying
The State Security Chamber of the UAE Federal Supreme Court in Abu
Dhabi discussed several cases yesterday. It heard arguments of the public
prosecutor in the case of seven Arab defendants accused of divulging
classified information pertaining to a government department to the
Lebanese terrorist group of Hezbollah and to a foreign state. The prosecutor
disclosed that the first defendant had consented to cooperate with
Hezbollah in exchange for $2 million. In addition, he was granted lavish
gifts, including a top luxury watch brand and gold jewels for his wife.
In another case, the Federal Supreme Court acquitted four defendants
yesterday accused of financing and cooperating with terrorist
organizations.
Muslim
Brotherhood
Elfagr:
Flight Of The Muslim Brotherhood Owner Of Assets For Real Estate Company
To The United Arab Emirates After Robbing 500 Million (Egyptian Pounds)
From His Victims
The Egyptian Public Funds Investigations (PFI) is looking for a
Brotherhood businessman, identified as Ahmed G. A, after he allegedly
stole 500 million pounds ($57 million) from unsuspecting citizens. Ahmed
promised to build them chalets and apartments on the northern coast of
the governorate of Marsa Matrouh. His duped victims later discovered that
the project has been at a standstill since 2014 and the land is not owned
by the Muslim Brotherhood conman. The PFI seized the offices of
"Assets for Real Estate Co.," owned by Ahmed G. A., who also
owns SWANI North Coast Co. It did so to protect the rights of the
company's customers. It also issued an international alert to Interpol to
follow his movements and place him on their wanted list.
The
Seventh Day: (Egypt's) Brotherhood Asset Freeze Committee Seizes Currency
Exchange Company That Collected And Smuggled Dollars Abroad
Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood Asset Freeze Committee, headed by Dr.
Mohammed Yasser Abu El-Fotouh, decided to close all "Al-Nouran for
Exchange" Company's branches. The committee announced that the
decision was taken after proving that the company's employees, who are
members of the Brotherhood, were involved in speculative trading of
foreign currencies. In addition, the company collected US dollars and
manipulated the US currency's rate beyond the official rates announced by
the Central Bank of Egypt. The committee seized nine million Egyptian
pounds ($1.02 million) found in Al-Nouran Company's offices. It also
recommended deleting any mention of the company from the Central Bank of
Egypt's records for deliberately causing damage and detriment to the
national economy.
Anadolu
Agency: Egyptian Authorities Seized Funds Of 65 Individuals Belonging To
The Muslim Brotherhood
Egyptian authorities announced on Sunday the seizure of funds owned by
65 individuals belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood. The governmental
judicial committee declined to divulge details about the names of the
individuals whose funds were appropriated.
Elwatan
News: (Egypt's) Brotherhood Asset (Freeze Committee) Restructures 110
Seized Schools And Appoints New Principals To Run Them
Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood Asset Freeze Committee, in coordination
with the board managing Muslim Brotherhood schools, known in the Ministry
of Education as "June 30 Schools", announced the restructuring
of all seized schools. The ministry claims the number of seized schools
comes to 110. The Committee decided to appoint "qualified and
trained" principals to run these schools ahead of preparations for
the 2016/2017 academic year.
Albawabh
News: Knockout To The Terror (Group)… Brotherhood Asset Freeze
(Committee) Seizes 26 Foreign Exchange Companies And 29 Million Egyptian
Pounds
Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood Asset Freeze Committee, headed by Judge Dr.
Mohammed Yasser Abu El-Fotouh, leveled a painful blow to the group by
appropriating 26 of its foreign exchange companies. According to the
Committee, these companies were implicated in financing several terrorist
operations in Egypt, through receipt of funds from the international arm
of the organization. The Committee is expected, in the near future, to
monitor numerous forex companies being surveilled by the security authorities
for their alleged involvement in supporting the group and obtaining
outside funding to commit terrorist acts against the Egyptian army and
police forces.
Parlmany:
(Egyptian MP) Ahmed Farghali: Manipulation By Brotherhood Currency
Exchange Companies Does Not Affect The Egyptian Economy As Rumored
MP Ahmed Farghali, Member of the Economic Affairs Committee of the
Egyptian Parliament, stated that the trading being manipulated by Muslim
Brotherhood-affiliated foreign exchange companies has had little to no
effect on the Egyptian economy. This comment by Farghali came in response
to the decision by Muslim Brotherhood Asset Freeze Committee to close all
the offices of "Al-Nouran for Exchange" Company. The Committee
claimed the decision was adopted after proving that the company's employees,
who are members of the Brotherhood, were involved in speculative trading
of foreign currencies. In addition, the company was implicated in
collecting US dollars and manipulating the US currency's rate beyond the
official rates announced by the Central Bank of Egypt. Farghali noted
that if the involvement of Brotherhood-affiliated companies is indeed
proven, the damage will be limited and will not impact the economy of
Egypt as a whole.
Houthi
Ababiil.Net:
Houthi Militias Loot Money Changers And Blackmail Merchants
The Houthi terror group, which controls the Yemeni capital of Sanaa,
has turned to "security solutions" in dealing with the
devaluation crisis in the local currency. This was reflected by the
recent detention of dozens of money changers. The group is also forcing
merchants to announce price cuts in their products. A few days ago Houthi
gunmen raided the offices of a Sanaa-based currency exchange company and
robbed the cash they found there. They later captured the company's
owner. Almasirah TV Channel, the Houthis' mouthpiece, quoted a Houthi
source as saying that their security forces had detained the owner of the
"Ben Amir for Exchange" in possession of large sums of hard
currency after verifying his involvement in speculative trading of foreign
currency.
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But I should like
to focus on a small illustrative example from a United Nations
institution: The 
Be the first of your friends to like this.
The University of California's R.
Stephen Humphreys notes "the extraordinary range of his scholarship
[and] his capacity to command the totality of Islamic and Middle Eastern
history from Muhammad down to the present day." And, as the late Fouad
Ajami of Johns Hopkins University put it on Lewis' 90th
birthday, he is "the oracle of this new age of the Americans in the
lands of the Arab and Islamic worlds."
It launched my career. Over the next 47
years, Lewis continued to exert a profound influence on my studies. Although
never his formal student, I absorbed his views, reading nearly all his
writings and favorably reviewing seven of his books (in 1982, 1986, 1988,
1989, 1994,
1996,
and 2000),
far more than those of any other author. His name appears on 508
pages of my website. Beyond numbers, he more than any one else influenced
my understanding of the Middle East and Islam.
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