Eye on Extremism September 22, 2016

Eye on Extremism September 22, 2016 Counter Extremism Project Fox News: Exclusive: Federal Complaint Against Bombing Suspect Omits Journal's ISIS References “Pages from the bloody journal of the New York and New Jersey bombing suspect Ahmad Khan Rahami show he was a follower of Al Qaeda as well as the Islamic State terror group, yet federal investigators made no reference to ISIS in their complaint charging him on Tuesday. Rahami's screed also praised 9/11 mastermind Usama bin Laden and Nidal Hasan, the former Army officer who went on a deadly shooting rampage in 2009 at Fort Hood, Texas.  Hasan was also a follower of Awlaki. The Counter Extremism Project’s research counted 77 extremists — 43 U.S. extremists and 34 European extremists — with ties to Anwar al-Awlaki. They include the Pulse nightclub shooter Omar Mateen in June, as well as Syed Farook, one of the shooters in the San Bernardino massacre in December 2015.” New York Times: Flagged Two Times In 2014, Ahmad Rahami Passed Scrutiny “When Ahmad Khan Rahami returned in March 2014 from a nearly yearlong trip to Pakistan, he was flagged by customs officials, who pulled him out for a secondary screening. Still concerned about his travel, they notified the National Targeting Center, a federal agency that assesses potential threats, two law enforcement officials said. It was one of thousands of such notifications every year, and a report on Mr. Rahami was passed along to the F.B.I. and other intelligence agencies.” CNN: First On CNN: ISIS Suspected Of Mustard Attack Against US And Iraqi Troops “ISIS is suspected of firing a shell with mustard agent that landed at the Qayyara air base in Iraq Tuesday where US and Iraqi troops are operating, according to several US officials. The shell was categorized by officials as either a rocket or artillery shell. After it landed on the base, just south of Mosul, US troops tested it and received an initial reading for a chemical agent they believe is mustard. No US troops were hurt or have displayed symptoms of exposure to mustard agent. One official said the agent had ‘low purity’ and was ‘poorly weaponized.’ A second official called it ‘ineffective.’ A US defense official said troops had gone out to look at the ordnance after it landed. Based on seeing what they thought was a suspect substance, two field tests were conducted. The first test was positive and the second was negative, the official said. The substance is now being sent to a lab for further examination.” The Wall Street Journal: U.S. Military Seeks More Troops For Iraq “The U.S. military is requesting authority to send up to 500 new troops to Iraq ahead of a much-anticipated campaign to take back Mosul from Islamic State, according to U.S. officials, adding to an expanding American presence in the country. The new deployment, if approved by the White House, would assist Iraqi and coalition forces in preparing for the battle to capture the northern city, the extremist group’s last major stronghold in Iraq. That fight is expected to begin as early as mid-October, U.S. officials have said. The U.S. move would come in the wake of an operation that began Tuesday by Iraqi forces in Shirqat, a town north of Baghdad, to further degrade Islamic State supply lines into Mosul.” The New York Times: Obama Administration Considers Arming Syrian Kurds Against ISIS “The Obama administration is weighing a military plan to directly arm Syrian Kurdish fighters combating the Islamic State, a major policy shift that could speed up the offensive against the terrorist group but also sharply escalate tensions between Turkey and the United States. The plan has been under discussion by the National Security Council staff at a moment when President Obama has directed aides to examine all proposals that could accelerate the fight against the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL. Mr. Obama has told aides that he wants an offensive well underway before he leaves office that is aimed at routing the Islamic State from Raqqa, the group’s de facto capital in northern Syria.” ABC News: Inside The Failed Syria Cease-Fire “It was the moment of truth for the feeble week-long ceasefire in Syria, and it went up in flames. A humanitarian aid convoy of 31 trucks carrying water, food, sanitation and hygiene supplies for 78,000 people in opposition-held Aleppo came under attack in a prolonged airstrike Monday night, killing about 20 people, according to Physicians for Human Rights, and destroying 18 trucks. The unimpeded delivery of aid was a linchpin of the cease-fire deal brokered by the United States and Russia on Sept. 9. It was the last of the three pillars of the deal that still had a standing chance. The United States blamed Russia for the attack. Russia denied any involvement, advancing a series of increasingly implausible scenarios, including that the convoy caught fire on its own, and that a U.S. drone was to blame.” Voice Of America: Will Upcoming Fight In Syria Usher In Armageddon? “There's a small town in Syria where ancient Islamic prophecies say a fierce battle will bring about the end of days, and Turkish troops, U.S. military advisers and vetted Syrian opposition fighters appear to be heading straight for it. Dozens of U.S. special forces are advising Turkish troops and Syrian opposition forces as they push farther into Syria, specifically into an area that includes the town of Dabiq, defense officials told VOA on Wednesday. According to early Muslim prophecies, Armageddon will be ushered in with a major Muslim victory against ‘Romans’ in either Dabiq, less than 15 kilometers from the Turkish border, or al-Amaq, another town near Syria's border with Turkey.” Reuters: Iraqi Forces Close In On Town South Of Mosul “Iraq's military closed in on Wednesday on the center of Shirqat, a northern town held by Islamic State seen as a stepping stone in the campaign to recapture the jihadists' stronghold of Mosul. The army, backed by local police and Sunni Muslim tribal fighters, have taken 12 nearby villages since launching the operation on Tuesday morning, said Ali Dawdah, the mayor of Shirqat currently based in Erbil. With air support from a U.S.-led coalition, the troops are now less than 3 km (2 miles) from the town center, according to Dawdah, who said he expected the campaign to be concluded within 48 hours. Five security personnel and one civilian have been killed in the battle for Shirqat, where they face hazards including roadside bombs, mortars and snipers, said the mayor and a source in the Salahuddin Operations Command which oversees military operations in the area.” Reuters: Afghanistan Says To Sign Peace Deal With Warlord Hekmatyar “Afghan authorities will sign a peace accord on Thursday with Hezb-e-Islami of Afghanistan, a party led by one of the country's most prominent Islamist warlords, the government's media office said. The long-expected deal with Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, a veteran of almost 40 years of fighting in Afghanistan, follows months of negotiations aimed at bringing his group, which has long been allied with the Taliban and al Qaeda, into the political fold. The accord, which officials say was largely concluded at the weekend after a preliminary deal in May, will be formally signed at a ceremony at the office of the High Peace Council at 1100 a.m (0630 GMT), the government media office said.” The Jerusalem Post: Attempted Stabbing At Israeli Embassy In Turkey; Assailant Shot “A man armed with a knife approached Israel's embassy in the Turkish capital of Ankara on Wednesday, and was shot in the leg after trying to attack a local police officer. According to the Foreign Ministry, none of the Israelis at the embassy were involved or hurt in the incident. ‘The staff is safe. The attacker was wounded before he reached the embassy,’ a ministry spokesman said in a text message. A security guard at the embassy, who witnessed the attack on the police officer, shot toward the ground, and then a retired policeman who happened to pass by the scene – with a license to carry a gun -- shot the attacker in the leg.” Reuters: Nigeria Says Would Welcome U.N. Help In Negotiation Schoolgirls' Release “Nigeria's president said on Thursday he would be open to U.N. bodies coming in to act as intermediaries in any talks with Boko Haram Islamist militants on the release of about 200 kidnapped schoolgirls. Muhammadu Buhari has vowed to free the girls, whose abduction almost two and a half years ago from the northeastern village of Chibok triggered international campaigns and piled pressure on his predecessor Goodluck Jonathan. Nigeria would "welcome intermediaries such as U.N. outfits, to step in", Buhari told U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on sidelines of the annual U.N. General Assembly in New York, a statement issued by the president's office said.” United States CNN: New York Bombing: Investigators Seek 2 Witnesses “Investigators searching for evidence after a bomb exploded in New York say they're looking for two witnesses who could help them in the case. The FBI wants to speak with two men allegedly seen on surveillance video removing a pressure cooker with wires and duct tape on it from a piece of luggage left in New York's Chelsea neighborhood Saturday. The agency released a photograph of the men Wednesday and asked for the public's assistance locating them. The men are witnesses and are not accused of wrongdoing, NYPD Counterterrorism Bureau Chief James Waters told reporters. ‘We're very much interested in speaking to them,’ he said. ‘There are no criminal charges. They are not in jeopardy of being arrested.’” Daily Caller: First ISIS Link Found To NYC Bombing “Suspected New York City bomber Ahmad Khan Rahami referenced now-deceased Islamic State spokesman Abu Muhammed al-Adnani in his journal, a purported picture of the journal obtained by ABC News reveals. The bloodstained journal clearly makes reference to seeking ‘guidance’ from leading terrorist figures Anwar al-Awlaki and ‘Brother Adnani.’ Adnani rose to chief spokesman of ISIS, frequently encouraging lone wolf attacks in the West, particularly on non-believers. After the announcement of Adnani’s death, Rita Katz, of Site Intelligence group, tweeted that ISIS supporters calling for lone wolf attacks cite Adnani more than any other terrorist.” Voice Of America: Kerry Calls For Limiting Warplane Flights Over Syria “If the deteriorating cease-fire in Syria is to be salvaged, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Wednesday, warplanes must stop flying over ‘key areas’ of the country, including places where humanitarian agencies are trying to deliver food and medicine. After flagrant violations of the Syrian cease-fire agreement forged earlier this month by the United States and Russia — in particular, the deadly airstrike that destroyed an aid convoy Monday, which the U.S. has blamed on Russia — Kerry said all sides in the conflict are at ‘a moment of truth.’ The top American diplomat's proposal was worded diplomatically, not singling out Russian or Syrian planes, which have been blamed for most of the deadly attacks on civilian areas during the past year of war. Kerry said it would apply to all aircraft in specified areas of Syria, including planes flown by the United States and its coalition partners.” The Daily Caller: FBI Omits Mention Of ISIS Connections In Criminal Complaint Of NYC Bomber “The FBI omitted a clear ISIS link in the criminal complaint against suspected NYC bomber Ahmad Rahami. The criminal complaint only notes that Rahami makes references to terrorists Usama Bin-Laden, Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan, and al-Qaida in the Arabian peninsula leader Anwar Al Alwaki. All three terrorists are affiliated with al-Qaida. A released photo of the journal to ABCNews, however, shows a clear reference to ‘Brother Adnani.’ A law enforcement official confirmed the picture of the journal was authentic to The New York Times. Adnani rose to chief spokesman of ISIS, frequently encouraging lone wolf attacks in the West, particularly on non-believers. In his last public speech, Adnani advised would-be terrorists in the West that attacks on civilians were ‘dearer and better for us’ than battlefield victories for ISIS.” Reuters: 'No Tolerance' For Repeat Of Abuses In Upcoming Iraq Campaign: U.S. Envoy “The U.S. envoy to the anti-Islamic State coalition said on Wednesday there would be ‘no tolerance’ for sectarian torture and other abuses resulting from the planned offensive to recapture the group's de-facto Iraqi capital of Mosul. Brett McGurk, speaking at a meeting on the sidelines of the annual U.N. gathering of world leaders, said the coalition was already taking steps to ensure there would be no repeat of the abuses seen in the wake of the recapture of Iraq's Falluja in June, when Shi'ite militias detained, abused and tortured scores of Sunni civilians. Improved screening of people fleeing the city was crucial, he said, to ensure that ordinary residents received assistance and did not face abuses. ‘We must make sure the screening process in Mosul is done professionally with some third-party observers at the screening centers, that is what we hope to have,’ McGurk told the meeting.” Associated Press: German Expert Says De-Radicalizing Radicals Can Work In US “A German expert who evaluated six Minnesota men who pleaded guilty to trying to join the Islamic State group has developed counseling plans for each of them aimed at keeping them off the path of violence. He has also trained 20 to 25 local probation officers in his techniques. Daniel Koehler, who directs the German Institute on Radicalization and De-radicalization Studies in Stuttgart, sat down with a small group of reporters Wednesday to discuss his work. Koehler said it can if offenders are willing, but he acknowledged there's insufficient data for reliably calculating recidivism rates because the number of cases is too low. He also noted there's a risk that people going through the program will simply lie and tell authorities what they want to hear.” Reuters: Senate Clears Way For $1.15 Billion Arms Sale To Saudi Arabia “The U.S. Senate cleared the way for a $1.15 billion sale of tanks and other military equipment to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, defending a frequent partner in the Middle East recently subject to harsh criticism in Congress. The Senate voted 71 to 27 to kill legislation that would have stopped the sale. The overwhelming vote stopped an effort led by Republican Senator Rand Paul and Democratic Senator Chris Murphy to block the deal over concerns including Saudi Arabia's role in the 18-month-long war in Yemen and worries that it might fuel an ongoing regional arms race. The Pentagon announced on Aug. 9 that the State Department had approved the potential sale of more than 130 Abrams battle tanks, 20 armored recovery vehicles and other equipment to Saudi Arabia.” International Business Times: US Congressmen Seek To Label Pakistan As 'State Sponsor Of Terrorism' “Two US lawmakers have moved a bill in Congress to label Pakistan as a state sponsor of terrorism. It has come days after India blamed Pakistan for the latest attack on its military base in Kashmir that killed 18 soldiers. The move is reported to be a humiliating setback for Islamabad as it has come at the time when its rival neighbours on either side – India and Afghanistan – have been accusing the country of waging war in South Asia. Afghanistan even called on India and other states to boycott the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) summit to be held in Islamabad in November. ‘It is time we stopped paying Pakistan for its betrayal and designate it for what it is: a state sponsor of terrorism,’ Republican Congressman Ted Poe from Texas was cited as saying. He is the chairman of the House Subcommittee on Terrorism.” Syria Time: ‘A Circle Of Hell’: Eyewitness Accounts Of The Attack That Broke The Syria Truce “It began with barrel bombs, continued with rockets and ended with the dead. Both Syrian government and Russian aircraft participated in an attack on U.N.-backed aid convoy over the course of three hours near the Syrian city of Aleppo on Monday night, according to a rescue worker who responded to the scene. ‘It was like a circle of madness, a circle of hell,’ says Ammar al-Selmo, head of the local branch of the Syrian Civil Defense, also known as the White Helmets, describing the bombardment of the area on Monday night. At least 12 people were killed in the attack on Monday night, which took place moments after the Syrian military declared an end to a tenuous week-old ceasefire brokered by the United States and Russia. U.S. officials have blamed Russia for the attack, while Moscow has denied responsibility.” CNN: Russia To Send Aircraft Carrier To Syria As Ceasefire Hangs In Balance “Russia has announced it is sending its only aircraft carrier to waters off Syria's coast, as diplomats met at the United Nations in an effort to revive Syria's failing ceasefire. Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said the Admiral Kuznetsov, carrying dozens of military aircraft, would be sent to the eastern Mediterranean to join other Russian ships off the war-torn country's coast, state news agencies reported. The announcement -- a potential contingency plan for the failure of the ceasefire -- came in the wake of surging violence, including the deadly bombing of a Syrian Arab Red Crescent aid convoy on Monday night. ” Turkey CNN: Attacker Shot Outside Israeli Embassy In Turkey “A man was shot in the leg during an attempted attack Wednesday on the Israeli Embassy in Ankara, Turkey. The Turkish man, named as Osman Nuri C. by state-run news agency Anadolu, approached the embassy just after noon local time carrying a bag and a 30-centimeter (11-inch) knife. The statement from Ankara authorities did not give his last name. The man started chanting slogans while walking closer to the embassy. When police asked him to stop, he did not -- at which point an officer shot near his legs, Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon told CNN.” Reuters: Thirteen Detained In Turkey Cemetery Assassination Plot: Security Sources “Turkish authorities detained 13 people including municipal officials on Wednesday on suspicion of trying to assassinate a senior politician by planting explosives at a cemetery where his relatives are buried, security sources said. Police found 640 kilograms (1,411 pounds) of explosives at a cemetery plot for relatives of Mehdi Eker, deputy chairman of the ruling AK Party and a former agriculture minister, in the largely Kurdish southeastern province of Diyarbakir, they said. The security sources said the explosives were detected a day before Eker was due to make an annual visit to the cemetery ahead of last week's Eid al-Adha holiday. Some of the 13 people detained were municipal officials in Diyarbakir province, they added, giving no further details.” Afghanistan Deutsche Welle: Afghan Government's Control Over Kunduz Remains Fragile “Last September, Taliban insurgents briefly captured Kunduz city, the first time they overran an Afghan provincial capital since the group was ousted from power in 2001. After days of heavy fighting, Afghan government forces - backed by their international allies - managed to push back the Taliban and retake control of the city. But a year later, the Afghan government's control over the territory still remains fragile, while the Taliban continue to pose a major threat. In fact, the militants control districts as close as only a few kilometers to Kunduz city. Chahar Dara is one of such districts which have witnessed intense clashes between government troops and armed insurgents. Both sides seem unable to keep control over districts and villages for a longer period of time and are therefore making advances and retreats on a regular basis.” Voice Of America: Pakistan’s Sharif: Only Kabul-Taliban Talks Can Bring Peace “Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif reiterated Wednesday that only a dialogue between the Afghan government and the Taliban can end decades of conflict and suffering in neighboring Afghanistan. Speaking to the annual United Nations General Assembly, Sharif said his country has been helping the Afghan reconciliation in response to requests from Afghan President Ashraf Ghani. ‘There have been setbacks,’ Sharif said. ‘That, however, is not a sufficient reason to abandon the path of peace and rely on the military option, which has failed, for the past decade and a half, to stabilize Afghanistan.’ Sharif said that years of conflict and chaos in Afghanistan have had grave security and economic consequences for his country because of the nearly 3 million Afghan refugees there.” Yemen  Reuters: Gunmen Abduct American Teacher In Yemen: Colleagues “Gunmen abducted an American teacher on Tuesday from an English language school in Sanaa, capital of wartorn Yemen, witnesses said, in the latest of a series of kidnappings of foreigners. Armed men in civilian clothes entered the school and forced the teacher into their car as bewildered colleagues and students looked on. ‘We were shocked when the armed group entered the building. They got to his office and took him to an unknown location,’ a Yemeni teacher at the school said. Local security officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. ‘We are aware of reports of U.S. citizens being held in Yemen. Privacy considerations prevent us from commenting further on this case,’ a U.S. State Department spokeswoman told Reuters. Dozens of foreigners were abducted in the years before a civil war erupted in March 2015 when the armed Houthi movement, drawn from Yemen's Zaydi Shi'ite sect, seized Sanaa.” Egypt BBC: Egypt News Chief Fired After Airing Wrong Sisi Interview “The head of news at Egyptian state television has been sacked after the channel mistakenly aired an old interview of the country's President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi. Channel 1 was expected to broadcast a recent interview the president granted to the US network PBS. But it instead aired a year-old interview with the same network. The transmission was halted when staff realised the mistake. Mostafa Shehata confirmed he was fired. But he told AFP news agency that it was ‘illogical’ as other people had been involved in the transmission as well, putting it down to ‘fate’. State television's Safaa Hegazy later apologised for the ‘grave mistake’ and said an investigation was under way to identify those responsible.” Reuters: Boat Carrying 600 Migrants Sinks Off Egypt, Killing At Least 43 “A boat carrying almost 600 people capsized off Egypt's coast on Wednesday, killing at least 43, in the latest disaster among migrants trying to reach Europe. The boat sank in the Mediterranean Sea off Burg Rashid, a village in the northern Beheira province. Officials said 31 bodies had been found, 20 men, 10 women and one child. A Reuters correspondent later saw a fishing boat bring in 12 more bodies, bringing the total so far to 43. Rescue workers have so far saved 154 people, officials said, meaning about 400 could still be missing. ‘Initial information indicates that the boat sank because it was carrying more people than its limit. The boat tilted and the migrants fell into the water,’ a senior security official in Beheira told Reuters.” Middle East Associated Press: Iran 'Determined' To Boost Military After US-Israel Deal “Iran's chief of staff of the armed forces said Wednesday a $38 billion aid deal between the United States and Israel makes Iran more determined to strengthen its military. In comments broadcast live on Iranian state TV, Gen Mohammad Hossein Bagheri said the U.S.-Israel aid deal ‘will make us more determined in strengthening the defense power of the country.’ He spoke at an annual military parade. Last week the U.S signed an unprecedented new security agreement with Israel that will give the Israeli military $38 billion over 10 years. Iran does not recognize Israel and supports anti-Israeli militant groups such as Palestinian Hamas and Lebanon's Hezbollah.” BBC: MPs Warn Islamic State Could Pose Global Threat “MPs have warned of the risk of so-called Islamic State proliferating into an ‘international movement’ if it is forced out of Iraq and Syria. The Commons Defence Committee said there was a danger of IS, also known as Daesh, forming regional offshoots, like al-Qaeda before it, in Africa and Asia. IS-backed fighters are active in Libya and have mounted attacks in Turkey. Speaking in Iraq, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said the UK would not ‘walk away’ once Daesh was defeated. During a visit to Baghdad, Mr Fallon said militants controlled less than 10% of Iraqi territory and could be pushed back beyond Iraq's borders within months. The UK has been taking part in air strikes against Islamist militants in Iraq since 2014 and Parliament authorised their extension to Syria last year.” Nigeria Reuters: Nigerian Army Says Battling To Push Boko Haram Out Of Northeast Town “Nigeria's army said it had launched an offensive to push Boko Haram militants out of a remote northeast town near the border with Niger, as it fought to end a seven-year insurgency destabilizing the region. The military said it had killed several militants in Mallam Fatori near Lake Chad but Boko Haram had called in reinforcements. ‘The operation is continuing,’ said army spokesman Sani Usman. There was no immediate comment from Boko Haram, which does not speak to the media and only releases video statements. But Islamic State, to whom Boko Haram pledged loyalty last year, said militants had attacked an army convoy in the area on Monday and killed 40 troops, in a statement on its affiliated news agency Amaq, picked up by SITE which monitors jihadist announcements.” United Kingdom Daily Mail: 'This Threat Will Last A Lifetime': MI6 Chief To Recruit 1,000 New Spies As He Warns ISIS-Style Terrorism Will Not Disappear “MI6 is to recruit 1,000 new spies following a stark warning from its chief that the threat from Islamic State-style terrorism will last a 'professional lifetime'. Alex Younger – known as 'C' – said IS-style terrorism posed a 'persistent threat', driven by the internet revolution and the breaking down of international barriers. In a rare public appearance at a security conference in Washington DC, he said 'deep social economic and demographic drivers' meant there was little sign of the 'enduring' danger disappearing soon. And he warned of the damage done by the theft and leaking of US and UK secrets by Edward Snowden. His warning came as it emerged that MI6, the Secret Intelligence Service, is to dramatically expand its staff with another 1,000 spies – a 40 per cent rise by 2020 to 3,500.” BBC: UK To Increase Aid To £100m To Help War-Torn Yemen “The UK is to increase the humanitarian aid it gives to Yemen to help millions who are suffering in the war-ravaged country, International Development Secretary Priti Patel has said. She told the BBC that the government would spend an extra £37m this year, bringing the total to £100m. It comes as the UK is facing criticism for selling arms to Saudi Arabia which could be used in Yemen's civil war. Ms Patel said the UK has ‘a robust policy and position’ on arms controls. Last year the British government approved more than £3bn worth of arms sales to Saudi Arabia.” Germany Associated Press: Police: Syrian Held In Germany Had Contact With IS Recruiter “A 16-year-old Syrian refugee who was arrested in western Germany had contact with a recruiter for the Islamic State group and instructions for making explosives, authorities said Wednesday. The unnamed suspect was detained Tuesday by a tactical response team at a refugee shelter in Cologne's eastern district of Porz, after fellow migrants and a local mosque raised concerns about the teen's behavior. Records on the suspect's phone showed he had communicated with a person abroad linked to the Islamic State group ‘who wanted to win the young Syrian over for Islamist activities,’ police said. Investigators found that the teen had chatted about when Muslims are allowed to kill somebody, received instructions on how to construct an explosive device and discussed traveling to the Middle East.” Voice Of America: German Government Warns Against Rising Xenophobia “Growing xenophobia and rightwing extremism in the ex-communist east of Germany could threaten peace and risk its image as a place to do business, a German government report warns, urging civil society to take a stronger stand against anti-migrant actions, Releasing the report in Berlin, the commissioner for eastern German affairs, Iris Gleicke, said ‘determined action from the government, the states, communes and civil societies is necessary to ensure peace in eastern Germany.’ Attacks were more frequent in eastern German states with 58.7 cases of far right-motivated violence per one million inhabitants last year, compared to the average of 10.5 cases in western German states, the report said.” Daily Mail: Outrage Over Angela Merkel’s Migration Policy Is Blamed For Rising Violence Across Germany By Her Own Government  “Growing xenophobia and right-wing extremism could threaten peace in eastern Germany, according to her own government.  In a report urging mainstream society to take a stronger stand against anti-migrant action, the government today said in many demonstrations against asylum seekers, the line between popular protest and far-right agitation was becoming 'blurred'.  It comes following a string of attacks on asylum seekers, including a number of refugee houses being targeted by arson.  'Right-wing extremism in all forms poses a very serious threat to the societal and economic development' of eastern Germany, said Iris Gleicke, who is the government's point person for national unity.” Europe The New York Times: Arson At Belgian Forensic Lab May Set Back Terrorism Cases “The whole operation took less than 10 minutes. Three people drove a van up to Belgium’s main forensic storehouse at 2 a.m., cut through a perimeter fence, smashed the ground-floor windows, and placed bottles of accelerant inside. The fire they set destroyed much of the nation’s chief forensic laboratory, including its entire cache of hair samples and thousands of other pieces of evidence critical to the prosecution of hundreds of criminal and terrorism suspects. The Aug. 29 arson, in which no suspects have been publicly identified, has cast the troubled criminal justice system of this tiny country — the biggest per capita exporter of foreign terrorists in Western Europe — into even deeper turmoil." Technology The Wall Street Journal: Facebook Plans To Expand Program To Fight Against Online Hate-Speech “Facebook Inc. plans to broaden a program that gives free advertising to online activists who fight back against online hate speech, the latest expansion of tech-industry efforts to undermine internet propaganda from Islamist terrorists and far-right radicals. The social-networking company said Wednesday that its Berlin-based Online Civil Courage Initiative, founded in January, will expand from a pilot phase focused on Germany, France and the U.K. to offer advertising credits, money and marketing advice to a broader array of groups. Since its creation in January, the program has helped organizations that use Facebook to counteract hateful or extremist messages reach more than two million people with a total of €10,000 ($11,152) in advertising credits, the company said. Facebook has pledged €1 million in credits over two years.” Financing of Terrorism  Alghad: Moroccan Hashish And Terrorist Financing “The questions troubling the political and security services in Europe, and also being put forward by Moroccan media are: Is Moroccan hashish financing terrorist organizations? Is there a direct link between terrorism and drugs? These questions shed light on Moroccan hashish, in an Arab country regarded as a prominent global producer and the top African exporter and producer of Indian hemp. Roughly 27% of the lands in northern Morocco are dedicated to growing hashish. Moroccan hashish is regarded as one of the best and most expensive types in the world. This may explain why Moroccan hashish has become a booming trade by jihadist terrorists, who easily obtain funding due to its strong worldwide demand. According to classified security reports prepared by Italian, Spanish, and French police, the smugglers of Moroccan cannabis have opened up a new route for the transfer of this drug via cargo vessels and fishing boats. Quantities of hashish are concealed inside these ships and unloaded at unofficial outlets in Libya, Malta, Syria and Egypt.” Muslim Brotherhood Dostor: General Department Of Public Funds Negates The Muslim Brotherhood's Accountability For The Dollar Crisis In Egypt “Essam Saad, head of the Egyptian General Department of Public Funds, refuted the responsibility of the Muslim Brotherhood for the dollar crisis. He explained that the crisis occurred due to circumstances in the country, which affected the foreign exchange revenue sources. Saad maintained that in the matter of foreign exchange, Egypt relies on several sources, including remittances of Egyptian expatriates and the tourism sector. However, the events experienced by Egypt {in recent years} have affected the flow of foreign currency revenues. Saad attributed the worsening dollar crisis to exploitation by citizens of the current circumstances in the country, including involvement in illegal currency trading in addition to transferring overseas foreign currency to Egypt in illicit ways.” Albawabh News: Salafis And Muslim Brotherhood Use Mosque Donations To Support Militants “Albawabh News website obtained reliable information and details, published for the first time, concerning the arrival of donations from mosques, which are still under the control of the Salafis, to militants belonging to terrorist and other armed factions in Syria, Iraq and Libya. The source revealed that security services within the {Egyptian} Interior Ministry, especially National Security, Public Security, Public Funds Investigation and other watchdogs, have opened extensive investigations about donations from several mosques in the areas of Helwan, Olive Gardens, Giza, and Misr Al Qadimah. The investigation is being carried out simultaneously in several provinces, mainly Qqalyubiya, Dakahlia, Al Sharqia and Alexandria. According to the source, these mosques are under the control of the Salafists and the Muslim Brotherhood. They exploit mosque donations to support insurgents in different places, in addition to defraying the travel costs of members of the Brotherhood youth and Salafists to Syria and Iraq to join terrorist groups.” Albawabh News: Muslim Brotherhood Buys Land For Two Million Euros To Build School In Spain “A Spanish newspaper revealed that the Muslim Brotherhood plans to open its first school in Valencia, the third largest city in Spain. The group acquired the land for the project in exchange for two million euros. The Spanish newspaper reported that the Brotherhood-affiliated "Fieci Fund" (Fundación Islámica en España, Convivencia e Integración or the Spanish Islamic Fund for Living and Integration) is overseeing the school project. The newspaper indicated that completion of the project will require additional funds, to cover construction costs and salaries for teachers and other staff employed in the school. It reported that the school is being planned to take in 800 pupils, including children of pre-school age. The location of the site is a 15-minute walk from the center of Valencia. In addition to the general curriculum, the school will teach the Arabic language and Islamic religious contents.” Al-Qaeda Alyamania News: Confessions Of Senior Al-Qaeda Commander Regarding Funding In Southern Yemen “A senior leader of al-Qaeda (in Yemen) admitted that ousted president Ali Saleh and leaders of the Yemeni Reform Party are providing the financing for terrorist operations carried out by al-Qaeda in the southern provinces, especially in the provisional capital of Aden. The financing is done through proxies for Saleh and the Reform Party, namely Yahya Qabidha and Sadiq al-Zindani, alias Abu Baraa. The al-Qaeda leader dubbed Said Abu al-Mihdhar, who turned himself in to Adel Alhalmi, the director-general of Lahij Police, claimed he received millions of Yemeni riyals to carry out terrorist acts, disrupt security and eliminate leaders and cadres of the Resistance.”