Eye on Extremism - July 13, 2016

Eye on Extremism July 13, 2016 The Daily Caller: US May Deploy More Troops To Iraq To Help Liberate Mosul From ISIS “The Obama administration will authorize further troop deployments to Iraq to help support the retaking of the Iraqi city of Mosul from the Islamic State should they be required, according to Secretary of Defense Ash Carter. ‘We will defeat ISIL, I don’t have any doubt about that. But as and when [General MacFarland] determines that there are additional capabilities that he needs, again in the enabler role, we will provide them,’ Carter told reporters Tuesday during a press conference in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad. ‘I will ask the president for them and I have every expectation he will give them.’ U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Sean MacFarland, the commander of Operation Inherent Resolve, joined Carter in the press briefing to help outline the strategy the coalition intends to use to retake Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city and the de fact ISIS capital in Iraq.” Reuters: Syrian Rebels Say Russian Jets Hit Refugee Camp Along Jordan Border “Jets believed to be Russian on Tuesday struck a refugee camp along Jordan's north-eastern border with Syria, killing at least 12 people and injuring scores in the first such Russian strike near the Jordanian border, rebels said. Several jets flying at high altitudes struck at noon a makeshift camp where a few hundred, mostly women and children, are stranded in a no-man's-land on the Syrian side of the border, they said. The Russian Defence Ministry was not immediately available for comment. Said Seif al Qalamoni, a rebel spokesman in a brigade that belongs to the Western-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA), said the raids were close to the Hadalat refugee camp, one of two large camps in the area.” The Washington Post: Inside ISIS: Quietly Preparing For The Loss Of The ‘Caliphate’ “Even as it launches waves of terrorist attacks around the globe, the Islamic State is quietly preparing its followers for the eventual collapse of the caliphate it proclaimed with great fanfare two years ago. In public messages and in recent actions in Syria, the group’s leaders are acknowledging the terrorist organization’s declining fortunes on the battlefield while bracing for the possibility that its remaining strongholds could fall. At the same time, the group is vowing to press on with its recent campaign of violence, even if the terrorists themselves are driven underground. U.S. counterterrorism experts believe the mass­casualty attacks in Istanbul and Baghdad in the past month were largely a response to military reversals in Iraq and Syria.” Al Arabiya English: Dutch Woman Escapes ISIS Held Northern Iraqi City Of Mosul “A Dutch woman has surrendered to Kurdish Peshmerga fighters near the ISIS-held city of Mosul in northern Iraq, saying she had been trying to escape the “hell” she was living in “all the time.” Laura Angela Hansen told Kurdistan 24 television that her father helped her escape with her two children - four-year-old Iman and Abdullah, one. She gave no details. Born in 1995 in the Netherlands, she said her husband, who is Dutch of Palestinian origin, had told her he was taking her on a “vacation” when they entered ISIS-held areas in Syria. She lived for several months in Raqqa, de facto capital of the “Caliphate,” before they moved to Mosul.” New York Times: Administration Rebuts Soldier's Suit That Calls ISIS Fight Illegal “The Obama administration, arguing that Congress’s funding of the fight against the Islamic State amounts to a ratification of President Obama’s power to wage that war, has urged a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit that says the military action is illegal. In a 45-page legal brief filed in Federal District Court for the District of Columbia, the administration offered its most extensive public explanation yet of its war powers theory.” Associated Press: French Intel Chief Predicts New, Deadlier Model For Attacks “France's intelligence chief predicts that Islamic extremists like those who carried out two waves of attacks in Paris last year will look to increase their capacity to kill by using booby-trapped cars and bombs. Testimony by Patrick Calvar, who heads the internal security agency DGSI, and other top security officials was made public Tuesday in a 300-page report by a parliamentary commission that examined French means to fight terrorism. The report revealed numerous intelligence lapses that paved the way for the attacks in January and November 2015 that together killed 147 people.” The Guardian: The Next Boko Haram? Nigerian Attacks Raise Fears Of New 'Terror' Threat “More than 80 people are thought to have been killed in a series of brutal attacks in Benue State in central Nigeria, which locals say were perpetrated by groups of nomadic herdsmen. Although northern herdsmen have fought with locals over land and grazing rights for decades, what was a low-level conflict has recently spiralled into a full-blown crisis, leading to claims the men are ‘the new Boko Haram’. On Monday #Benuemassacre began trending on social media on Monday as Nigerians criticised the government’s delayed response to the escalating conflict. Reliable statistics on the total number of people killed are scarce, but according to the Global Terrorism Index, 1,200 people were killed in 2014 by herdsmen, and in 2015 the Index claimed they were ‘the fourth deadliest terror group in the world’.” Deutsche Welle: Survey: Europeans Fear Refugees Raise Terror Threat “The Washington-based Pew Research Center published a survey on Monday that found roughly half of Europeans fear the arrival of refugees raises the threat of terrorism in their country. At least half of the public in eight out of the 10 countries, representing 80 percent of Europe's population, believe that ‘incoming refugees increase the likelihood of terrorism in their country,’ said the survey. Hungary and Poland had the strongest views from respondents, with 76 and 71 percent respectively. In Germany, 61 percent of respondents shared the view, while 52 percent voiced the same fears in the UK. However, only 46 percent of respondents in France, which was hit by multiple terrorist attacks in 2015, believed refugees made terrorism more likely.” Fox News: New ISIS Videos Surfaces Suggesting John Cantile May Still Be Alive “A new video from the Islamic State has surfaced that suggests British journalist John Cantlie may still be alive. In the propaganda message—which was thinly veiled as a news report by ISIS’ Amaq news agency—Cantlie, 45, is seen looking frail and gaunt as he stands in front of Mosul University as he “reports” on the bombing of the school about three months ago.” United States Associated Press: US To Base Hundreds Of Troops Outside Afghanistan “The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan said Tuesday that ‘some hundreds’ of U.S. forces — in addition to the 8,400 that President Barack Obama announced would stay in the country last week — will be based outside Afghanistan, but will be ready to quickly deploy into the warzone if needed. The decision to place troops outside the country raises questions about the actual reduction in troop totals, since any number of the hundreds could be moved quickly in and out of the country on any given day. Army Gen. John Nicholson told reporters that about 400 of the forces deployed outside Afghanistan will be part of the U.S. commitment to the NATO advise-and-assist mission.” Reuters: New Powers Let U.S. Forces Take Fight To Taliban: Carter “The senior U.S. commander in Afghanistan will have greater freedom to strike at the Taliban under broad new powers approved last month by President Barack Obama, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Tuesday. Carter, on an unannounced visit to Afghanistan, said the powers granted General John Nicholson would allow ‘much more efficient use and effective use of the forces we have here as well as the Afghan forces.’ Afghan forces, fighting largely on their own since the NATO-led mission ended most combat operations in 2014, have frequently asked for more combat assistance from their allies, particularly for close air strikes.” Syria NPR: The Siege That Keeps A Rebel Town In Syria Desperate For Food Aid “When the United Nations asked to deliver aid, President Bashar Assad's government repeatedly denied permission. But as the circumstances grew increasingly grim this year, the government finally allowed aid to go to Daraya in May. Ravenous residents gathered to wait. As local leader Shadi Matar explained in a Facebook call: ‘At the same time, [government] artillery shelling began in a very big way. Of course, it was targeting the people who had gathered to wait for the aid. That day, a man and his son were killed and about 10 people were wounded, including women and children.’ The aid did not get in. Activists say aid deliveries have also been accompanied by government bombs in other besieged areas.” BBC: Syria Conflict: Rebels Launch Attack In Divided Aleppo “Syrian rebel fighters have launched an assault on government-held districts of Aleppo, after troops cut their only route into the divided northern city. The rebel operation began at dawn on several fronts, with hundreds of shells being fired at western areas. State media said eight people were killed and dozens hurt by the barrage. The attack follows a failed attempt by rebels to re-open the Castello Road, the only way out of the rebel-held east for some 300,000 people living there. Large parts of Aleppo, once Syria's commercial and industrial hub, have been destroyed since fighting erupted there in 2012.” CNN: US, Moscow Set To Discuss Syria Pact Pentagon May Not Want “When Secretary of State John Kerry meets with Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Moscow this week, the big loser may be the man who isn't there: Defense Secretary Ash Carter. Kerry and Lavrov are expected to discuss in detail the possibility of the first U.S.-Russian agreement to share intelligence and targeting data for airstrikes over the battle in Syria, something Carter has largely opposed. The Pentagon wants some assurances the Russians will live up to the terms of any agreement in which the U.S. makes concessions. Defense officials told CNN that, internally, Carter has expressed skepticism the Russians can be trusted.” Iraq Reuters: Iraqi Forces Link Up South Of Mosul, Tightening Noose Around Islamic State “Iraqi government forces advancing on the Islamic State-held city of Mosul retook a village from IS on Tuesday and linked up along the Tigris river with army units pushing from a separate direction, Defence Minister Khalid al-Obeidi said. The territorial gain, which followed the recapture of a key air base nearby at the weekend, further isolated Mosul in preparation for a government assault to recover Iraq's second largest city 60 km (40 miles) to the north. ‘Forces from the 9th Armoured Division and the counter-terrorism service liberated Ajhala village north of Qayara base,’ Obeidi said on Twitter.” CNN: British Hostage John Cantlie Appears In Another ISIS Video “British hostage John Cantlie appears in a new ISIS video that was distributed online Tuesday. In the video, dated July 12, Cantlie refers to the bombed site of the University of Mosul -- some of which was targeted by coalition planes in March -- behind him. Cantlie also shows a neighborhood destroyed by what he calls coalition bombing, and in another segment shows people shopping for the Eid festival, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan. That section appears to have been filmed several days ago; Eid ended on Sunday. In March, reports surfaced that the university, which was considered a base for ISIS fighters, was hit. CNN confirmed the strikes with two sources: someone inside the university and with Athil Al Nujayfi, the former governor of Nineveh province, where Mosul is located.” Turkey Reuters: Turkey PM Yildirim Says Aims To Develop Relations With Syria, Iraq “Turkey aims to develop good relations with Syria and Iraq, and both countries need to be stable for counter-terrorism efforts to succeed, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Wednesday. Turkey has long been one of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's staunchest opponents, arguing that only his departure could stabilise Syria. The stance set it at odds with Assad's ally Russia and distanced it from a U.S.-led coalition more focused on fighting Islamic State. Since taking office in May, Yildirim has repeatedly said that Turkey needs to ‘increase its friends and decrease its enemies’ - an apparent tacit admission that past policies have left Ankara sidelined.” Saudi Arabia Reuters: Saudi Arabia's New Jihadists: Poorly Trained But Hard To Stop “Technical hitches limited the death tolls in three suicide attacks in Saudi Arabia but the apparent coordination of the blasts suggests jihadis have the tools to sustain their bombing campaign. Three young Saudis detonated explosive vests near a Shi'ite mosque in Qatif last Monday, killing only themselves, while an attack by another young Saudi suicide bomber at the Prophet's mosque in Medina killed four policemen. Before dawn the same day a 34-year-old Pakistani driver had blown himself up in a car park outside the U.S. consulate in Jeddah but only injured two security guards.” Egypt Reuters: Egypt Orders Muslim Preachers To Deliver Identical Weekly Sermons “Egyptian authorities said on Tuesday Muslim clerics would be required to read out identical pre-written weekly sermons as part of the government's campaign against extremism, drawing angry criticism from some preachers. The ministry of religious endowments has since 2014 been providing imams with topics for their sermons at Friday prayers but the latest move confines preachers across the country to reading from the same script. ‘No one disagreed during the meeting (of officials on Tuesday) and all the undersecretaries received the new instructions on pre-written unified sermons without incident,’ said the ministry's First Undersecretary for Qalyubiya province Sabry Dowaidar.” Middle East The Jerusalem Post: Israel Warns UN: Hezbollah Has 120,000 Missiles Aimed At Us “Hezbollah now possesses 17 times the number of missiles it did 10 years ago when UN Security Council Resolution 1701 was adopted at the end of the Second Lebanon War, Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon told the Council Tuesday. Hezbollah now has ‘more missiles below ground in Lebanon than the European NATO allies have above ground,’ Danon said as he presented recent IDF intelligence about the terrorist organization to the Security Council, including aerial photographs revealing Hezbollah positions and statistics about the organization’s weapons stockpiles.  Hezbollah now possesses about 120,000 missiles, compared to 7,000 10 years ago, Danon said.” Libya Reuters: Shelling, Air Strikes In Libya Siege On Islamic State In Sirte “Libyan forces allied with the U.N.-backed government have been shelling and carrying out air strikes on the center of Sirte city in a siege of Islamic State militants there, an official said on Tuesday. Militants defending Islamic State's last stronghold in Libya have been keeping Libyan forces back with sniper fire and mortars in Sirte where they are now surrounded after a two month campaign to take the city. The fall of Sirte would be a major blow to Islamic State, which took over the city a year ago in the chaos of a civil war between rival factions who once battled Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.” Nigeria Bloomberg: Cameroon Reopens Far North Nigeria Border As Boko Haram Retreats “Cameroon is reopening its border with Nigeria in the Far North region because the threat of attacks by Boko Haram militants subsided sufficiently to resume commercial activities, according to the region’s governor. Schools will also resume teaching when the new academic year starts in September, Bakari said. Cameroon closed the border amid at least 200 attacks by the Nigeria-based militant organization which killed as many as 480 people since July 2015, according to Amnesty International. The attacks have forced over 33,000 pupils to abandon schooling, the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund said.” United Kingdom BBC: Ofsted Warning On Colleges Extremism “There are warnings from Ofsted that further education providers are ‘falling short in protecting learners from risk of extremism’. The education watchdog has been examining how well colleges implement the Prevent counter-extremism strategy. In one case, inspectors said a student had watched a ‘terrorist propaganda video’ in a resource centre. Ofsted's Paul Joyce said there was ‘poor practice that I've no doubt would shock parents and learners alike’. The report from Ofsted, based on visits to 37 further education and skills providers and 46 regular inspections or monitoring visits, concluded that too many students were at risk of ‘radicalisation and extremism’.” Germany The Wall Street Journal: Germans’ Fears About Terrorism, Migration Overshadow Economic Worries “Germans’ perceived insecurity has reached levels never seen before, with concerns about terrorism and migration taking center stage, according to a survey released on Tuesday. The survey of 2,421 Germans conducted between April 8 and May 13 put fear of terrorism at the top of Germans’ concerns for the first time. Some 73% of respondents said they were concerned about an attack, up 21 percentage points from the previous survey. The results were unprecedented in the 25 years in which insurance group R+V has polled Germans about their deepest fears, the company said. A shift of focus away from economic concerns such as inflation and unemployment toward security-related fears was notable, it said.” CNS News: Germany’s Role in Anti-ISIS NATO Operation At Risk Over Turkey Tensions “An upcoming NATO mission against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS/ISIL), in which Germany and Turkey were pegged to work together, is under threat of German withdrawal over Ankara’s refusal to allow German lawmakers to visit soldiers at the Incirlik airbase. German lawmakers are considering whether the German soldiers working at the airbase in southeast Turkey should return home over the row – thought to be a result of Turkish pique over a German parliamentary ‘Armenian genocide’ resolution. In response to Turkey’s stance, the Bundestag’s defense committee threatened to block Germany's participation in reconnaissance flights over Syria. About 250 German troops are stationed at the base, from where they are meant to Tornado planes on reconnaissance missions to locate ISIS jihadists in Syria.” RT: Germany, Intl Migration Body To Create Global Databank For Tracking Refugees “A global migration databank to track migrants and refugee movements is set to be established under the guise of the German government. The move was announced by the International Organization for Migration (IOM). ‘Especially in critical times, such as those we are facing today, it is our task to ensure that responses to migration are based on sound facts and accurate analysis,’ IOM Director General William Lacy Swing said on Tuesday in the German capital. The system, financially backed by Germany, will collect the data on all movements by migrants from various organizations and countries and store them in the IOM’s Global Migration Data Analysis Centre in Berlin.” France Politico: France’s Mutating Terror Threat “France faces a mutating threat as Islamic State-backed terrorists update their techniques and aim to avoid being killed during future operations, the head of French domestic security warned. Attacks in Paris and Brussels relied heavily on suicide missions that left most assailants dead. Now terrorists will probably seek to use car bombs and remotely-detonated improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in order to save operatives and strike repeatedly, Patrick Calvar, the head of France’s main ‘DGSI’ domestic security agency, told a closed-door parliamentary hearing in May, according to Le Figaro, which published a report on the testimony Tuesday.” Reuters: Paris Attack Victims To Sue French State Over Surveillance Lapses: Lawyer “Victims of last November's Islamic State assault on Paris plan to sue the French state for failing to avert a killing spree by militants who had drawn scrutiny from police and intelligence services, a lawyer for the group said on Tuesday. Earlier in the day a court in a separate case found the French state partly at fault over the killing of a French soldier in 2012 by Mohamed Merah, a militant whose activities had also been tracked for some time by police and security services. Merah was killed in a shootout with police that year. Samia Maktouf, a lawyer representing 17 victims of the Paris attacks, said she would take legal action against the state on the grounds that some of the assailants were also people the police and judicial authorities had been keeping tabs on.” Europe Telegraph: Anti-Muslim Sentiment On Rise In Europe Due To Migration And ISIL As Continent Rejects Multi-Cultural Society “Europe is rejecting the idea that multi-culturalism is beneficial to society following a year in which the migrant crisis and Isil-inspired terror attacks have boosted anti-Muslim sentiment across the continent, a new Europe-wide survey has shown. The data from Pew Research, the leading non-partisan US social attitudes survey company, will serve as another sharp warning to Europe’s political elites about the growing strength of grassroots sentiment over the migration issue. It also highlights Europe’s stark political and geographical divisions, with Hungary, Poland and Greece all showing themselves to be fiercely anti-Muslim, while a rising base of Right-wing parties are hugely more anti-Muslim than supporters on the European Left.” Australia Reuters: Australian Convicted Of Recruiting Foreign Fighters For Islamic State “An Australian court on Tuesday convicted Sydney man Hamdi Al Qudsi of recruiting seven young men to travel overseas and fight alongside Islamic State and al Qaeda affiliates in Syria, a spokeswoman for the court said. Al Qudsi, 42, was found guilty by the New South Wales state Supreme Court in Sydney of aiding the men to fight with extremist groups in 2013, the spokeswoman told Reuters. ‘The charges were give money/goods to promote/support foreign hostile acts,’ she said. Each of the seven charges carries a 10 year prison sentence. Al Qudsi is yet to be sentenced. Prosecutors alleged that Al Qudsi made arrangements for the men to travel to Syria in 2013 for the purpose of fighting alongside groups listed by the Australian government as terrorist organizations.” Technology International Business Times: Facebook Sued For $1bn By Families Of Terror Victims In Israel Over Hamas Attacks “The families of Israeli and American victims killed in recent Palestinian attacks in Israel, the West Bank and Jerusalem have filed a $1bn (£765m) lawsuit against Facebook, alleging that the company has ‘knowingly provided material support and resources’ to terrorist group Hamas. Filed in New York on 10 July, the suit claims that the social media giant violated US anti-terror laws by knowingly allowing Hamas to use its platform to incite violence and terrorist attacks. ‘For years, Hamas, its leaders, spokesmen, and members have openly maintained and used official Facebook accounts with little or no interference,’ the lawsuit reads. ‘Despite receiving numerous complaints and widespread media and other attention for providing its online social media platform and communications services to Hamas, Facebook has continued to provide these resources and services to Hamas and its affiliates.’” Arabic Language Clips Financing of Terror Juhaina: Saudi Arabia Bans Prepaid Card So As To Avoid The Financing Of Terrorism And Money Laundering The Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) earlier this week banned the use of prepaid CASHU cards. The card is widely used for online shopping and purchases without the need to charge a credit card. The Saudi move is aimed at making the process of online transactions safer and avoiding the card's misuse for money laundering and terrorist financing. SAMA stressed in its circular to the Ministry of Commerce that only banks are allowed to issue prepaid cards in the Kingdom, in accordance with specific rules and regulations issued by SAMA. It should be noted that SAMA, which serves as the Saudi Central Bank, fears the misuse of prepaid cards for money laundering or terrorist financing purposes and operations. This is due to the difficulty of correlating CASHU transactions with banking accounts. ISIS Abarah Press: ISIS Diesel The Cheapest Commodity Despite this year's unprecedented rise in prices of various commodities in areas controlled by Syrian rebels in southern Syria, the price of fuel originating from areas under ISIS control is not affected. In fact, the opposite is true as ISIS diesel prices have declined in recent weeks to the point of being almost the only product unaffected by rising prices. Samer Hamad, a fuel dealer in Deraa province, said that fuel originating from areas under ISIS control has not been affected by the recent price hikes. He added that the fuel supplied from ISIS areas, coined by locals as "Anbari diesel", is moved through a number of crossing points—until arriving to areas under rebel control. Diesel fuel originating from northern parts of Syria is priced at 110 Syrian pounds ($0.50) per liter. Muslim Brotherhood Alwafd: Muslim Brotherhood Controls Drinking Water Facilities In Villages In Response To Residents’ Thirst The Muslim Brotherhood organization never misses the chance to exploit any crisis in order to strengthen its presence in areas of Egypt. The drinking water shortage in most Egyptian governorates has deteriorated recently, which represents a golden opportunity for the organization to regain its influence by building water treatment facilities throughout Egypt under the name of the Freedom and Justice Party—the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood. Al-Wafd newspaper managed to take photos showing that the Freedom and Justice Party controls the drinking water sector in many Egyptian districts. Eyewitnesses from various regions gave assurances that the group obtains money from local residents every noon in exchange for the water. No one knows how the money, which is collected through the “Donations Fund”, is being spent or to whom it goes. Elghad: Director Of Teba Center For Political Studies: Resala Charity Organization Belongs To The Muslim Brotherhood Dr. Khaled Refaat, Director of the Teba Center for Political Studies, claimed that the Resala Charity Organization belongs to the Muslim Brotherhood. In an interview on the ”TEN” satellite TV channel, Dr. Refaat added that the Resala Charity was founded by Dr. Sherif Abdel Azeem, who previously took part in the presidential election campaign of Dr. Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh, an ex-Muslim Brotherhood leader. Furthermore, the official spokesman of Resala Charity, Mr. Moataz Mohammed, had a photo of himself and leading Muslim Brotherhood official Mohamed Al-Beltagy published, with a caption saying “My brother and my dear friend.” Similarly, the official spokesman for Resala Charity has previously published a photo of himself with Abdul Razzaq Tlass, the founder of the Free Syria Army and a defector from the Syrian army. It is worth noting that Resala Charity has collected money from Egyptian residents claiming that it sends the money to help the Syrian people. Albawabh News: International Organization Of The Muslim Brotherhood Attacks NCHR Website A group of computer hackers affiliated with the “International Organization of the Muslim Brotherhood” has attacked the Internet website of the National Council for Human Rights (NCHR). The Council managed to reload its website and to re-circulate its data and reports concerning human rights in Egypt and the Arab region. It is worth noting that the Council, during the course of its participation in a UN minority rights forum in Geneva, recently criticized the spread of ISIS and its allies. NCHR has also required the classification of the Muslim Brotherhood as a terror organization in the wake of crimes committed by some of the group’s members, particularly since the group did not disown those members.