Eye on Extremism - July 21, 2016

Eye on Extremism July 21, 2016 New York Times: Military Leaders Discuss Plans To Counter ISIS Beyond The Battlefield Officials from the United States and its allies in the fight against the Islamic State hammered out details on Wednesday about how to stabilize and govern the cities of Mosul in Iraq and Raqqa in Syria — the last big strongholds held by the extremist Sunni militancy — in the event that Iraqi and Syrian fighters retake the cities in the coming months. But even as the officials were mapping out the day-after scenarios, they faced a bigger question, particularly in the aftermath of an attempted coup in Turkey and an attack the Islamic State says it inspired in France: Is the United States-led coalition winning the battle but losing the larger war? Washington Post: Is Al-Qaeda’s Affiliate In Syria No Longer A ‘Sideshow’? “The Obama administration has begun to see Jabhat al-Nusra, ­al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Syria, as a global threat that could eventually ­rival the Islamic State, echoing a Russian argument that it has long resisted. A new U.S. proposal to coordinate counterterrorism operations in Syria with Russia, discussed by President Obama last week with President Vladi­mir Putin, is partly designed to stop Moscow’s Syrian government ally from bombing ­civilians and U.S.-backed moderate opposition ­forces.” Reuters: Nusra Front Executes Captive Pro-Syrian Government Soldiers: Video “Al Qaeda's Syrian offshoot, the Nusra Front, said it had executed around a dozen pro-Syrian government captives on Wednesday in retaliation for a government advance near Damascus. A video distributed by the group showed at least 12 men who gave their names before kneeling down in a line and being shot simultaneously in the back of the head. Nusra Front said in a statement the executions were a punishment for a government advance into Harira village in the Wadi Barada area northwest of the Syrian capital Damascus and near the Lebanese border. Wadi Barada is a mountainous valley held by rebels, but the Syrian government controls much of the surrounding territory. It contains a water spring which supplies much of Damascus.” Reuters: 100 Jihadis Still Entering Syria From Turkey Each Week - Le Figaro “French military intelligence estimates that about 100 foreigners continue to enter Syria from Turkey each week to join Islamic State, French daily Le Figaro reported on Wednesday. France's foreign minister said on Sunday that questions needed to be asked on whether Turkey was a viable partner in the fight against Islamic State in Syria and would raise the issue in a coalition meeting in Washington this week ‘According to the Direction for Military Intelligence (DRM) in Paris, each week, about 100 foreigners continue to cross Turkey into Syria to join Islamic State,’ Le Figaro reported, citing sources.” Fox News: Iraq's 'Black Devils' Strike Fear In The ISIS Terrorists They Hunt “Within the Kurdish people’s rugged army is an elite unit that specializes in rooting out ISIS sleeper cells and responds first when the black-clad jihadist army strikes in northern Iraq’s no-man’s land. They are called the ‘Black Devils’ by the terrorists they hunt, and they embrace the name. Made up of 400 of the Kurdish forces known as Peshmerga, the Black Devils boast a high enemy body count, a Spartan regimen and the ability to induce panic in the dark hearts of their foes. Their fierce tactics and effective intelligence gathering make them as feared as they are despised.” CNN: What Does Arresting 9,000 Officers Do To Turkey's Military Readiness? “More than 9,000 military officers are in detention already and the number keeps climbing. The question is, when does this NATO ally hollow out its armed forces to the point of failure? The simple answer: No time soon. But that belies the details of precisely who has been arrested. Turkey has a conscript army and is estimated to have over 500,000 people in its armed forces. The current detentions you might assume barely scratch the surface of a force with such a deep bench strength. But the reality is, among those thousands detained are over 100 top generals and admirals -- that's one third of the military's command, which has NATO allies worried. Many of their long-time military partners are gone, raising concerns around who they deal with and whom can they trust.” International Business Times: UN Fears Relocation Of Isis Militants In Libya After Sirte Defeat “UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has warned of a ‘distinct possibility’ of Islamic State (Isis) militants' activities spreading across Libya and other regions. He said he was concerned that the Islamist group could set up new cells in other parts of the North African country as they are being driven out of their stronghold of Sirte. Ban highlighted the threats from foreign jihadist militants in Libya in a new report to the UN Security Council that was seen by the Associated Press. The number of IS fighters from the north of Africa — Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, Mali, Morocco and Mauritania — is said to be anywhere between 2,000 and 7,000, as estimated by UN member states. The Wall Street Journal: German Officials Seek To Calm Terrorism Fears After Ax Attack On Train “The German government on Wednesday sought to calm fears about the terror threat as new details emerged about the perpetrator of Monday’s attack—the first claimed by Islamic State in the country—that suggested he would have been very virtually impossible to detect. The fresh elements painted the 17-year-old assailant as a model immigrant who kept out of trouble and, in all appearance, was well on his way to becoming integrated into German society. The attack by the teenager, who registered as a refugee traveling alone from Afghanistan in 2015, has rattled a country that had so far been spared a major terror attack despite welcoming over one million refugees, many from war-torn countries, last year.” Associated Press: Threat Of Islamic Extremism To Europe On The Rise, EU Police Say “More than 200 terror attacks were planned, thwarted or carried out in Europe last year as the continent faced a mounting threat from violent extremism. There were 211 ‘failed, foiled or completed’ terrorist strikes reported by six member states - with the highest number logged by the UK, according to Europol. Some 151 people died and more than 360 were injured as a result of terrorism - with the vast majority of fatalities in France, which was hit by the Charlie Hebdo and Paris atrocities in 2015. The figures are ‘markedly higher’ than in 2014, when four people were killed and six wounded, Europol said.” Sputnik News: Kuwait Refuses To Hold Yemeni Talks If Deal Not Reached Within 15 Days “Kuwait will stop hosting Yemen peace talks if the parties fail to settle matters in 15 days, Kuwait’s Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Al-Jarallah said. EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini met with Jarallah on Tuesday, discussing ways of promoting a swift and inclusive political settlement in Yemen. Since 2014, Yemen has been engulfed in a military conflict between the government headed by President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi and Shiite Houthi rebels, the country’s main opposition force, who have been supported by army units loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh. In late June, UN Special Envoy for Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmad announced that the UN-brokered talks to end the Yemeni conflict, which started in Kuwait on April 21, were suspended and would resume in July.” United States NPR: Defense Secretary: Turkey's Turmoil Shouldn't Harm Battle Against ISIS Defense Secretary Ash Carter is hosting a meeting this week with his counterparts from other nations in the coalition against the Islamic State. The gathering comes at a particularly turbulent time. Turkey, a key member in that coalition, is still reeling from an unexpected coup attempt. Meanwhile, ISIS appears to be on the defensive, having steadily lost territory over the past year or so. “We didn't know this was coming and so it did come as a surprise to us, but I don't think it's going to affect our campaign against ISIL. And, in fact, I spoke to my Turkish counterpart earlier today [Tuesday] and he told me as much. As far as we know, the entire military wasn't involved. This was a faction or a group within the military. And the Turkish military is a very large, very professional organization. They are a NATO ally, we've worked with them for decades and I expect our relationship there to continue.” Reuters: Kerry Warns Of New Challenge In Securing Iraq After Islamic State “The battlefield momentum in Iraq and Syria has shifted against Islamic State, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Wednesday, but the international community must now also confront the challenge of stabilizing newly liberated areas. ‘The momentum has shifted,’ Kerry told an international conference to raise funds for Iraq at a critical juncture in the military campaign. ‘The new challenge that we face is securing and aiding for the recovery of a liberated area.’ Lise Grande, the United Nations' humanitarian coordinator for Iraq, warned that military victories will prove transient if the needs of Iraqis displaced by the conflict are not addressed.” Voice Of America: US Hosts 30-Nation Anti-IS Coalition Talks “Defense ministers from more than 30 countries are joining Defense Secretary Ash Carter outside Washington to plan the next steps in the war against the Islamic State. Officials say Carter will use Wednesday's meeting at Joint Base Andrews to determine strategies to accelerate the campaign in Iraq and Syria, especially now that the Iraqis are setting up their push to retake Mosul, the largest Iraqi city controlled by the terror group. A second counter-IS meeting of both foreign ministers and defense ministers will be held on Thursday at the U.S. State Department. Officials say leaders will concentrate on ‘what comes after’ battles are won, so that peace and stability can follow the fights. The coalition has established an ‘immediate stabilization’ fund, which officials say contains about $100 million at any given time.” Syria Reuters: Explosions Hit Syrian Town Near Golan Heights “Syrian rebels and a monitoring group said two explosions that struck a Syrian town near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Wednesday were caused by an Israeli air strike but Lebanon's Hezbollah blamed rocket fire by al Qaeda-linked militants. At least one blast struck near the governorate building in Baath City, capital of the southern province of Quneitra which borders the Golan region. The town is held by pro-Syrian government forces, including the army and Hezbollah fighters. The Nusra Front, Western-backed rebels, and groups which have pledged allegiance to Islamic State also operate in the region.” Iraq BBC: Iraq Seeks More Help As It Sets Sights On Mosul “Black banners of so-called Islamic State (IS) flap in the scorching heat of northern Iraq. Fighters' corpses lie where they fell, wrapped in dust, in parched wheat fields. An Iraqi military convoy hurtles along dirt tracks, kicking up a haze which shrouds deserted shells of houses with a ghostly pallor. The only speck of colour on this terrain is Iraq's red, white and black tricolour raised on rooftops and tank turrets. Village by village, battle after battle, Iraqi forces are slowly advancing towards the northern city of Mosul. In this area, captured in recent weeks, they're now about 60km (37 miles) south of IS's de facto Iraqi capital, where the creation of an Islamic ‘caliphate’ was proclaimed two years ago.” Turkey Fox News: Will Massive Government Purge Send Turkey To Grinding Halt? “Turkey's massive crackdown on tens of thousands of government workers may achieve what the coup attempt could not: bringing the entire nation to a grinding halt. Nearly 50,000 soldiers, judges, academics, police officers and civil servants have been rounded up, detained, fired or suspended in the aftermath of Friday’s failed coup, leaving key government offices and universities staffed with terrified skeleton crews, sources told FoxNews.com. Those detained or sacked include 30 provincial governors, more than 100 military generals and admirals, 8,000 police officers, 6,000 soldiers, almost 8,000 Interior Ministry workers, key finance and domestic ministers, and intelligence officials.” The Washington Post: Turkey Declares A State Of Emergency For Three Months “Turkey declared a state of emergency on Wednesday, a move that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said would enable the state to act faster against those who plotted a failed coup. In a late-night televised address, Erdogan, who has been carrying out a large-scale purge of the country’s institutions, sought to reassure the country that the measure — which would be in force for three months — will protect democratic freedoms. But the move consolidates more power in the president’s hands, allowing him to rule by decree. For the state of emergency to be implemented, the decision must be approved by parliament. The United States and Europe have urged Turkey to follow the rule of law and maintain democratic order in the wake of the attempted power grab that saw a renegade part of the armed forces hijack aircraft and attack key military and government buildings last week.” Reuters: Turkey Scrambles Fighter Jets After Reported Sighting Of Missing Vessels “Turkish F-16 fighter jets scrambled on Wednesday to check reports that missing Turkish coastguard vessels had appeared in Greek waters in the Aegean Sea, Turkish military sources said. They gave no further details. Some Turkish military hardware was seized and used in last weekend's failed coup in which more than 230 people were killed. Officials have said no military equipment remains unaccounted for. Turkey's government and military General Staff say they are fully in control of the situation in the country but tensions remain high as the authorities purge tens of thousands of suspected coup supporters from state institutions, including in the armed forces.” Afghanistan Newsweek: Afghan Taliban Reject Reports Of ‘Weakening’ “The Afghan Taliban on Tuesday rejected assertions that the movement had been weakened after its leadership transition, saying the recent lull in operations was due to the holy fasting month of Ramzan. But Afghan and NATO officials have hailed growing success against the Taliban since U.S. forces were last month granted greater powers to strike at the insurgents, as President Barack Obama vowed a more aggressive campaign. Officials have also cited the apparent fragmentation within the Taliban since Mansour’s death as one of the reasons the insurgents have been slow in intensifying their traditional fighting season, which began in April.” Sputnik: At Least 50 Daesh, Taliban Militants Killed In Eastern Afghanistan “Afghan military and security forces have killed 50 militants from the Taliban Islamist movement and Daesh terrorist group in the country's eastern province of Nangarhar, local media reported Thursday. Afghanistan's TOLOnews broadcaster reported, citing local authorities, that the series of air and ground force operations took place on Wednesday night. The media outlet added that 18 more Daesh terrorists were injured in the operations. Afghanistan is in a state of political and social turmoil, with government forces fighting the continuing Taliban insurgency, while other extremist groups, such as Daesh (also known as Islamic State/ISIL/ISIS/IS), outlawed in many countries including the United States and Russia, have also expanded their activities both in the country and in neighboring states.” Yemen Reuters: Yemen Explosion Kills Four Soldiers: Security Forces “A blast in the southern Yemeni city of Aden killed four soldiers and wounded six, the city's security administration said, in an attack claimed by Islamic State. The militant group said it had detonated an explosion among a group of soldiers in the port city, according to a statement posted to its online news agency Amaq. One eyewitness told Reuters the bomb, which hit a checkpoint in the central Caltex area of the city, was planted in a plastic bag by a roadside. Security officials and other witnesses said the blast was set off by a suicide bomber detonating an explosive vest. Aden has been beset by attacks on troops claimed by Islamic State and Al Qaeda, and the two groups have gained strength as the government - backed by a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia - has fought against Yemen's dominant Houthi movement.” Middle East Haaretz: Israeli Jet Reportedly Strikes Syrian Army Near Golan, Rebels Say “An air strike said to have been carried out by an Israeli jet hit a Syrian army post near the Syrian side of Golan Heights on Wednesday, two Syrian rebel sources told Reuters. The Israeli army refused to comment on the report. Hezbollah, meanwhile, said that the explosions in the Golan Heights were caused by Nusra Front and not an Israeli strike. Later, Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV said Syrian government troops retaliated, hitting a Nusra Front vehicle from which the rockets were fired. In recent weeks, there has been increased fighting in the Syrian border town of Quneitra. Israel has never publicly admitted to carrying out any such attacks in the past.” The Times Of Israel: Hamas Turns Gaza Terror Tunnels Into Summer Tourist Attraction “The Gaza-based Hamas terrorist group appears to branching into the field of local tourism, turning underground tunnels constructed to carry out cross-border attacks on Israeli communities into the latest summer attraction for Gazan youth. Video footage posted to Facebook by Afaq, a pro-Hamas media outlet in Gaza, shows lines of children walking through the tunnels decorated with posters of Hamas operatives apparently killed by Israel. In one shot, a guide wearing a florescent yellow jacket can be seen directing the children. According to the post, the tunnel tours are taking place in the Shejaiya neighborhood of Gaza City, and form part of a Hamas exhibition displaying weapons and methods used in the ‘resistance’ against Israel.” Nigeria Voice Of America: Cameroon Divided Over Report On Boko Haram Fight “Cameroonians have been expressing mixed opinions over the credibility of investigations carried out by the rights organization Amnesty International after a recent report accused the central African state of gross human rights violations in its fight against the terrorist group Boko Haram. The report entitled ‘Right Cause, Wrong Means’ published July 14 states that more than 1,000 people accused of supporting Boko Haram and arrested arbitrarily are held in horrific conditions and some are tortured to death, while some are dying from disease and malnutrition. It adds that Cameroon arbitrarily arrested hundreds of individuals accused of supporting Boko Haram, often with little or no evidence, and detained them in inhumane, often life-threatening conditions.” United Kingdom Daily Mail: Britain Targeted With More Than 100 Terror Attacks In Just One Year Amid Fears Over Rise In Extremism Across Europe “Some 103 terror attacks were carried out, planned, or foiled in Britain last year, a report has revealed. The figure for the UK was the highest in the EU, with six member states reporting 211 in total, according to Europol. Some 151 people died and more than 360 were injured as a result of terrorism - with the vast majority of fatalities in France, which was hit by the Charlie Hebdo and Paris atrocities in 2015. The figures - which have emerged less than a week after the deadly truck attack in Nice - are significantly higher than in 2014, when four people were killed and six wounded. The UK number did not specify terrorist affiliations, but figures for the other countries showed attacks specifically classified as separatist terrorism accounted for the largest proportion, followed by jihadist attacks. The report added that there was an increase in right-wing attacks.” RT: UK Tops Europe For Number Of Terrorist Attacks In 2015 “Britain suffered more terrorist attacks in 2015 than any other EU country, with the majority linked to Northern Irish separatists. More than 103 terrorist attacks were carried out on British soil last year, according to Europol, the European law-enforcement agency. Some 151 people died and more than 360 were injured as a result of terrorist attacks in the EU, with France suffering the most terror-related deaths. However, France came second in terms of the number of attacks committed, with 72, followed by Spain, with 25. A record number of terrorist attacks were planned, foiled or carried out in the EU last year, according to the report.” Germany Haaretz: Jewish Leaders Demand 'Early Warning System' After ISIS-Inspired Germany Attack “German Jewish leaders warned that all German institutions, not just Jewish ones, should take extra precautions against terrorism in the wake of an ISIS-inspired ax attack on a train in Wurzburg. ‘[We] are just as concerned about such attacks as are non-Jews here,’ Josef Schuster, head of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, told JTA following the Monday night attack, which left five people injured, including four members of one family visiting from Hong Kong. Two of the victims are in serious condition. The perpetrator, a 17-year-old Afghan refugee, was shot dead by police. He reportedly had shouted ‘Allahu Akbar,’ Arabic for ‘God is great,’ before launching the attack.” France Associated Press: French To Extend State Of Emergency; Paris Cancels Events “French lawmakers voted Wednesday in favor of extending the nation's state of emergency for another six months and jittery Paris officials cancelled some summer events due to security issues. The moves came as authorities said all 84 people killed in the Nice truck attack have finally been formally identified. No official list naming the dead from the July 14 Bastille Day rampage in the southern French city has been released but it's known they include French, Americans, Germans, Ukrainians, Swiss, Tunisians, Polish and a Russian. President Francois Hollande said 15 truck attack victims are still hospitalized in life-threatening condition.” The Washington Post: France Says 3 Soldiers Were Killed During Mission In Libya “Three French soldiers were killed in Libya ‘while on a mission,’ the French Defense Ministry announced Wednesday, in the first official confirmation that French special forces have been active in Libya in apparent operations against the Islamic State. The Defense Ministry declined to confirm the reported details of the soldiers’ deaths, but President François Hollande, addressing a military training center in southwestern France, specifically mentioned a ‘helicopter crash.’ The Associated Press, quoting Libyan officials, reported that the soldiers were killed Sunday in an attack on their helicopter. An Islamist militia known as the Defending Benghazi Brigade asserted responsibility for the downing.” Europe The Wall Street Journal: European Terrorism Arrests Rise As Jihadist Groups Focus On Urban Attacks “European arrests in terrorism cases were up sharply last year, as law enforcement moved to address a shift by jihadist groups to carry out mass casualty attacks on the continent, according to a new report. The threat of terrorism in Europe remains on an upward trajectory, as jihadist terrorists have shifted to a strategy that seeks to inflict high numbers of deaths, a report by Europol, the European Union police agency, said. ‘The attacks in Paris in January and November 2015 represented a clear shift in the intent and capability of jihadist terrorists to inflict mass casualties on urban populations,’ the report said.” Brazil Reuters: Brazil Not Underestimating Terror Threat, Says Minister “Brazil's sports minister said on Wednesday the Olympic host country was not underestimating the threat of terrorism and was taking all necessary measures ahead of next month's games in Rio de Janeiro. The minister's comments, less than a week after a truck massacre in France raised fears of an attack at the Games, is the latest reassurance by a Brazilian official that the country is actively working to buttress security plans and review intelligence and possible threats with foreign partners. Last week, after the attack in Nice, Brazilian security officials said they would increase security perimeters, ramp up inspections of visitors and use more roadblocks throughout Rio de Janeiro, even if it means longer lines during the Olympics, which start Aug. 5.” ISIS Alhurra: Social Networking Companies Exhibit "Indifference" Toward ISIS “A French parliamentary report, concluded on Wednesday after research lasting six months on the topic of ISIS and its mechanism of action, asserts that major Internet companies including social networking websites are "indifferent" toward the jihadi propaganda. These companies are not taking the threat seriously. The report also indicates that "the social networks explain this by protection of the freedom of expression and the right to access information. Some of the people who were interviewed by the research authors spoke about the "impunity in social networks used by ISIS to recruit fighters and raise funds amid the indifference of companies in this field.” Libya Alwasat: "Derna Shura Council Of Mujahideen" Seizes Funds Of The City's Banks “The head of the Libyan National Army’s "Omar Mukhtar operations room for Derna", Brigadier Kamal Al-Jabali, accused the so-called “Derna Shura Council of Mujahideen” of stealing cash from the city's banks. He claimed that this organization "provided the money as Diyyah (blood money compensation) to the relatives of people who were killed by its militants in the city of Derna." Brigadier al-Jabali called on the people of Derna City to "expel terrorist groups from inside their city so as to avoid war and preserve their livelihood and safety." He also warned the people of the schemes "being made by the Derna Shura Council of Mujahideen, Ansar al-Sharia, and the Battalion of Abu Salim.” Egypt 24: Muslim Brotherhood In Libya Smuggled Money To Aid Turkey “WikiLeaks has published a series of cables exchanged between Turkish officials and Abdelhakim Belhaj, an official of the Muslim Brotherhood in Libya. Through these messages, Belhaj asks for help in transferring millions of dollars to Turkey. According to correspondence conducted in 2013, Belhaj asked the Turkish official to assist in the transfer of $15 million to Turkey. This sum was his share of the $75 million discovered by an armed group in Bab al-Azizia. It is believed that it was former Libyan ruler Gaddafi who had hidden this money. The correspondence revealed that Belhaj told the official to go to Spain, where he had deposited the money with a local company there, and then to transfer it to Turkey in the form of investments, in exchange for a 25% commission.” Baladna Elyoum: Egyptian Economist Accuses Muslim Brotherhood Of Inflating The Rate Of The Dollar In Egypt “Economist Abderrahman Taha, noted that the rise in the dollar rate in Egypt is due to the expansion of imports from abroad, especially leisure goods which Egyptians consume on a regular basis. He added that the dollar reserve built up by the Muslim Brotherhood in recent years has also contributed to the unexpected rise in dollar rates.” Hezbollah Asharq Al-Awsat: Lebanon's Central Bank Governor: We Are Monitoring The Compliance Of Banks To The Hezbollah Financing Prevention Act Asharq Al-Awsat “The Governor of the Central Bank of Lebanon, Riad Salameh, announced he would make sure "local banks comply with the US Act on Hezbollah financing prevention." He called for activating the US law in order to keep the Lebanese banks in line with the global financial system and to stabilize its debt-ridden economy.” Houthi Yemen Akhbar: Houthis close businesses under pretext of Zakat non-payment Yemen Akhbar “Houthi militia closed a number of private enterprises and companies in Dhamar province, south of the Yemeni capital Sanaa. It not only forced them to shut down but recently also abducted some of their employees, under the pretext of non-payment of zakat. Local sources confirmed that a Houthi official in the region had ordered the closing of several private companies under the pretext of non-payment of Zakat to the group during the recent month of Ramadan. The Houthis have doubled the zakat taxes imposed on Dhamar businessmen, local businesses and shops within the province.”