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Eye on Extremism
October 31, 2016
CNN:
Human Shields In Iraq: The New ISIS Strategy In Fight For Mosul
“The reports are disturbing: Tens of thousands of men, women and
children snatched from their homes and forced into the center of Mosul as
the battle intensifies to drive ISIS out of Iraq's second-largest city.
The intent is sinister: Using civilians as human shields is ISIS's
attempt to hold onto the city, the jewel of its self-proclaimed
caliphate. No one expected the militants to surrender Mosul without a
hellish fight. But for Iraqis still living under ISIS control in the city
and surrounding areas, every option now is grim. They can try to flee but
be branded by ISIS as ‘apostates,’ for which the penalty is death. Or
they can potentially be seen as ISIS sympathizers in a new place and risk
becoming victims of revenge crimes.”
The
Wall Street Journal: Islamic State Will Try To Spread Terrorism Once
Mosul Falls, U.S. General Says
“After Mosul falls to Iraqi and Kurdish forces, Islamic State
militants will try to transition to insurgent and terrorist attacks both
in Iraq and across the globe, a top American general said in an
interview. Islamic State has already moved to terrorism and insurgency in
parts of Iraq it has been pushed out of, said U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Gary
Volesky, the commander of the 101st Airborne Division, who has been in
Iraq since March. ‘We see the enemy transitioning in the middle to lower
portions of Iraq to this high-profile attack terrorism model,’ Gen.
Volesky said. ‘It is an insurgency mold to maintain relevance in the
Euphrates River Valley and just try and take attention away from their
losses, which have been fairly significant over the last two months.’”
BBC:
Mosul Iraq Battle: Shia Militias Aim To Take Tal Afar
“Iraq's Shia militia groups say they have launched an attack against
Islamic State militants west of Mosul, as the offensive to retake the
city continues. The Hashid Shaabi groups say their aim is to oust IS from
the town of Tal Afar, cutting jihadist supply routes to Mosul from Syria.
Tal Afar had sizeable Shia community before IS overran it in 2014. Mosul
is a Sunni city, and the Shia militias have pledged not to enter it. Iraq
began the offensive last week. Iraqi, Kurdish and allied forces, backed
by US air power, have advanced in their push to retake Mosul, IS's de
facto capital in Iraq.”
Reuters:
Aleppo Fighting Spreads Amid Accusations Of Gas Attack
“Syrian rebels opened a new front in Aleppo as fighting spread on the
third day of a major insurgent counter-attack to break the government's
siege of the opposition-held part of the city, and each side accused the
other of using poison gas. The rebels, including both Free Syrian Army
factions and jihadists, are seeking to end the siege by seizing
government-held areas of Aleppo, in an effort to link the city's
rebel-held east with rebel-held rural areas to the west of the city.
Syrian state media said militants had fired shells containing chlorine
gas at a residential area of the government-held western part of the
city, al-Hamdaniya. Rebels denied that, and said government forces had
fired poison gas on another frontline. State media cited an Aleppo
hospital director saying three dozen people - civilians and soldiers -
had suffered suffocation in the alleged rebel gas attack, but did not
report any deaths.”
Voice
Of America: Afghan Forces Suffered 15,000 Casualties In First 8 Months Of
2016
“Afghanistan’s security forces battling the resurgent Taliban have
suffered around 15,000 casualties, including 5,523 fatalities in the
first eight months of 2016, says a U.S. government monitoring agency. The
agency has also warned of eroding gains the war-shattered country has
made with the help of the international community. The Special Inspector
General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) in its quarterly report
published Sunday noted the Afghan government lost 2.2 percent territorial
control during this year’s fighting. Of Afghanistan's 407 districts, 258
districts were under government control or influence, 33 districts were
under insurgent control or influence, and 116 districts were
‘contested.’”
The
Wall Street Journal: Saudi Arabia Arrests Suspects Linked To Islamic
State
“Saudi Arabia has arrested more than a dozen suspects linked to
Islamic State, the Ministry of Interior said Sunday, moves intended to
head off attacks inside the kingdom that would have echoed recent
assaults in Europe. Four people were arrested on October 10, one day
before a soccer match between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates
at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in the coastal city of Jeddah, where
more than 60,000 spectators had gathered to watch the 2018 World Cup
qualifier game. The people—two Pakistanis, a Syrian and a Sudanese—were
planning a suicide car bomb attack during or after the match, ministry
officials said. The plot was similar to an attack carried out by Islamic
State last November in France where three suicide bombers targeted the
Stade de France in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis, part of a wider range
of attacks the same day. Four people were killed in the stadium attack,
including the three bombers.”
New
York Times: Fire, Film, Tweet: The Taliban's New Way Of War
Taliban fighters posed for the camera, their shawls and bandannas
covering their identities but not their jubilation, as they captured the
main roundabout in the northern Afghan city of Kunduz early this month in
what could have been called “operation hoist the flag and pull out a
smartphone.” The shaky cellphone video directly contradicted Afghan and
American military spokesmen, who were promising that Kunduz was safe from
falling for a second time in one year. During the invasion, insurgents
live-tweeted their victory and flooded social media with videos, often
shot by fighters narrating their movements in close to real time. In the
video from the roundabout, one of the many fighters in the background is
heard saying into a phone: “I will call you back. The flag is going up. I
have to film it.”
Reuters:
Israel Says Troops Kill Palestinian Who Injured Three In Car Attack
“Israeli troops shot dead a Palestinian who had rammed three border
policemen with his car in the occupied West Bank on Sunday, Israeli police
said. The three officers were lightly injured when they were struck by
the car near the West Bank town of Beit Ummar, a police spokesman said.
Troops at the scene opened fire and killed the driver. The Palestinian
Health Ministry identified the driver as a 23-year-old from the town.
Over the past year, Palestinians, many acting alone and often using
rudimentary weapons and cars, have killed at least 35 Israelis and two
visiting Americans in similar attacks. During the same period, at
least 224 Palestinians have died in violent incidents in the West Bank,
East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. Of those, Israel has identified 152 as
assailants, while others were killed during clashes and protests.”
Deutsche
Welle: UNICEF Frees 876 Children Held By Nigeria Army For Possible Boko
Haram Ties
“According to the UNICEF, it was not immediately clear how long the
children had been held because the army often detains civilians to check
whether they have links to Boko Haram militants. ‘We fear there are still
kids who are being at least temporarily detained because they are being
released from Boko Haram areas by the army but then kept for a while,’
Manuel Fontaine, the UNICEF's regional director for Western and Central
Africa, told reporters on Friday. ‘Once we get children out, there is a
major issue of stigmatization in the communities…There is a sense that
children who have been associated with Boko Haram for a while, could be,
and in some cases we have some evidence, rejected by community and people
around them.’ Fontaine added.”
Reuters:
Al-Shabaab Seizes Town From Somali Government
“The Islamist group al Shabaab seized a town northwest of Somalia's
capital from government forces on Sunday, the latest small center taken
by the militant group trying to topple the country's Western-backed
government. Al Shabaab, which once ruled much of Somalia, has been
fighting for years to impose its strict interpretation of Islam on
Somalia. African Union and Somali troops have driven it from major urban
strongholds and ports, but they have often struggled to defend smaller,
more remote areas from attacks. "Many al Shabaab fighters attacked
us this morning and after brief fighting we left the town for tactical
reasons," Somali army Major Hussein Edin told Reuters from the
nearby town of Baidoa. One Somali soldier was killed, he said.”
New
York Post: Ex-Jihadi Explains ISIS Brainwashing: 'It Kind Of Takes
Control Of You'
“A convicted jihadi from Minnesota says he was so brainwashed that he
would have had no qualms about carrying out brutal ISIS executions — as
he warned other young Muslims against turning to terror. “I say it’s not
worth it. It’s not worth your family going through all the pain and
suffering just because you believe in something that is total nonsense,”
said Abdirizak Warsame. “That doesn’t make sense. It’s not worth your
life.” The 21-year-old faces up to 15 years behind bars for helping other
Muslim youths join ISIS and for trying himself to join the terror group,
where he said he intended to commit the kind of atrocities that have made
the organization so notorious, such as beheadings, drownings and burning
prisoners alive. “Yeah, I was going to be, I was going to be participating
in those activities,” Warsame told “60 Minutes” in an interview that
aired Sunday night.”
Daily
Caller: Syrian Refugees: Mosques In Germany Are Too Extreme
“Syrian refugees in Germany have a hard time finding mosques to
attend, as the available ones are more conservative than what they’re
used to. Islamist extremists are trying to capitalize on the refugee
crisis by recruiting migrants to their networks. Around 90 mosques
suspected of having ties to extremism are currently under surveillance in
Germany. The lack of moderate Arab-speaking mosques have become a problem
for the hundreds of thousands of Syrians that came to the country in
2015. Salam — a 36-year-old refugee from Damascus — was told ‘good
Muslims grow beards, not mustaches’ outside his local mosque in Cologne.
He recalls a man getting kicked out of a sermon for wearing shorts in the
mosque, which Salam found shocking in comparison to what he’s used to in
Syria.”
United
States
CNN:
Turkey: US Orders Istanbul Consulate Staff Families To Leave
“The US government has ordered all civilian family members of its
Istanbul consulate staff to leave Turkey because of increasing threats
from terrorist organizations, according to a travel warning issued
Saturday by the US State Department. ‘The Department of State made this
decision based on security information indicating extremist groups are
continuing aggressive efforts to attack US citizens in areas of Istanbul
where they reside or frequent,’ the warning said. The warning goes beyond
the one issued Monday that urged Americans to avoid traveling to
southeast Turkey, especially urban centers near the Turkish-Syrian
border, because of recent terrorist attacks. Turkey has become
increasingly volatile in the past year because of terrorist attacks at
home and its involvement in the Syrian civil war.”
Syria
Associated
Press: Syrian Airstrikes On Aleppo Amid Intense Clashes
“Syrian government forces launched a counteroffensive Saturday under
the cover of airstrikes in an attempt to regain control of areas they had
lost to insurgents the day before in the northern city of Aleppo as
insurgents launched a fresh offensive on the city, activists and state
media said. The offensive came a day after Syrian rebels launched a broad
ground attack aiming to break a weeks-long government siege on the
eastern rebel-held neighborhoods of Syria's largest city. The insurgents
were able to capture much of the western neighborhood of Assad where much
of Saturday's fighting was concentrated, according to the Syrian army and
the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The Observatory
said the new offensive by Syrian troops and their allies was ongoing
under the cover of Russian and Syrian airstrikes.”
Associated
Press: Russia Blames Us For Near-Collision Of Planes Over Syria
“A Russian military spokesman is blaming the United States for a
near-collision of the countries' warplanes in Syrian airspace.
Major-General Igor Konashenkov said in a statement Saturday that the Oct.
17 incident involved a Sukhoi-35, Russia's most advanced fighter jet, and
an American E-3 radar plane near the city of Deir al-Zour. Konashenkov
said Russia had informed the U.S. military of the Su-35's intent to fly
in the area. But , Konashenkov says the American plane unexpectedly
descended by about one kilometer (0.6 miles) and came within 500 meters
(0.3 miles) of the Russian plane. The incident was first reported on
Friday by a U.S. military spokesman, who said it had been raised with
Russian commanders but deliberately not made public. Konashenkov said the
Americans apologized for the incident.”
Iraq
Reuters:
Iraqi Villagers Escape Islamic State Snipers, Leave Family Behind
“Iraqi troops and Kurdish fighters have cleared dozens of villages as
they press towards the city of Mosul for an offensive against the Islamic
State's last main stronghold in the country. The momentum has encouraged
Iraqis like Ahmed to take a risk, despite warnings from the world's most
feared and violent Islamist militant group that anyone who attempts to
flee their self-proclaimed caliphate will be shot dead. They are slowly
emerging from villages and towns with accounts of Islamic State's
ferocity in imposing their ultra-hardline interpretation of Islam.”
The
New York Times: Tal Afar, West Of Mosul, Becomes Center Of Battle For
Influence In Iraq
“The city of Tal Afar, a former Ottoman outpost not far from Mosul
that has a mostly ethnic Turkmen population and has been home to a corps
of Islamic State leaders, on Saturday became the focus of a growing
struggle between Turkey and Iran for influence in northern Iraq. That is
because Iraq’s Shiite militias, some of which receive support from Iran,
began on Saturday to move west of Mosul, a trajectory that would
essentially cut off Islamic State fighters in the city from their bases
in Syria. The Shiite militias’ move toward Tal Afar could also draw
Turkey deeper into the already complex battlefield around Mosul.”
Turkey
Deutsche
Welle: Turkish Opposition Lawmaker Injured In Gun Attack In Southeast
Turkey
“Turkey's Anadolu news agency reported that the deputy leader of the
Republican People's Party (CHP), Bulent Tezcan, was in a stable condition
following the attack on his life. Tezcan was shot in the leg with a
handgun, Anadolu said. The injuries were reported to be not
life-threatening. According to the Haberturk news channel, the attack
happened in the city of Aydin, Tezcan's constituency. The motives of the
assailant or assailants were not clear. There were conflicting reports
over a single gunman operating as opposed to more than one. Police were
reportedly pursuing the perpetrator. Tensions in Turkey's southeast
have been on the rise since the failed coup attempt in July 2016 and
after a series of deadly attacks on civilians this year, which have
been blamed both on the outlawed Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) as well
as on the self-styled "Islamic State" (IS) group.”
Reuters:
Turkey's Erdogan Says Ankara Aims To Reinforce Troops On Iraq Border
“Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey was aiming to reinforce
its troops deployments in its Iraqi border town of Silopi and that it
would have a ‘different response’ for Shi'ite militia groups if they
cause terror in the Iraqi city of Tal Afar. Iranian-backed Iraqi Shi'ite
paramilitary groups have said they have started an offensive against
Islamic State positions west of Mosul, which will target Tal Afar. Speaking
to reporters at a reception marking Republic Day in Ankara, Erdogan said
the information he received had not confirmed such movement. He gave no
details on the numbers of reinforcements, or what the different response
would be.”
CNN:
Turkey Fires More Than 10,000 Public Officials
“Turkey continues its crackdown on government opponents following a
coup attempt in July. Under a legislative decree published Saturday,
Turkish authorities fired more than 10,000 public servants for alleged
ties to the movement affiliated with exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen, and
shut down 15 Kurdish media companies for alleged ties to militant Kurdish
groups, state-run news agency Anadolu reported. The new decree ‘made it
easier to sack public officials believed to be members of terrorist
organizations or groups involved in activities against the country's
national security,’ Anadolu reported. The 10,131 dismissed government
employees were alleged to have ties to Gulen, a US-based Turkish cleric,
and his movement, which Turkey blames for the failed July coup and
considers a terrorist organization.”
Afghanistan
Bloomberg:
Afghan Women See Little Gains 15 Years After Taliban’s Ouster
“Fifteen years after the U.S. ousted the Taliban regime, Afghanistan
remains one of the worst places in the world to be a woman, said the U.S.
government watchdog who monitors the country’s reconstruction. Improving
the lives and opportunities of Afghan women has been a policy goal of the
U.S. rebuilding effort, and at least $1 billion has been committed for
activities to improve their condition, John Sopko, the U.S. special
inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction, said in a quarterly
report. Yet corruption and lack of security remain major roadblocks.
Inadequate security ‘not only makes it dangerous for women to go to school,
work outside the home, and access health services, but also perpetuates
social attitudes that women are vulnerable and thus should not leave the
home,’ Sopko said in the report.”
The
New York Times: Taliban Gain Ground In Afghanistan As Soldiers Surrender
Their Posts
“Besieged Afghan officials in the southern province of Oruzgan said on
Sunday that scores of regular Afghan soldiers had surrendered in the past
week to the Taliban, a trend also occurring recently in other provinces.
The latest case involved 41 Afghan National Army soldiers who surrendered
and turned their base, the Mashal base in Chora District, over to the
insurgents on Saturday night, according to Dost Mohammad Nayab, the
spokesman for the province’s governor. He said it was the third Afghan
Army post in the province to surrender to the Taliban in the past week.
Significant surrenders have been reported in Kunduz and Helmand Provinces
as well.”
The
Guardian: Armed Men Burn Down Girls’ School In North Afghanistan
“Armed men have burned down a girls’ school in northern Afghanistan,
officials said Saturday, with police blaming the Taliban for the assault
as the militants expand their foothold across the country. The attackers
burst into the school in northern Jawzjan province on Friday night, beat
up the security guards and set the building on fire, a local government
official told AFP. ‘The armed men entered the school at around 10 p.m,
beat the guards and set chairs, books and classes ablaze,’ the provincial
governor’s spokesman, Reza Ghafoori, said.”
Reuters:
Afghan Government Loses 2 Percent Of Territory In Three Months: Watchdog
“The Afghan government lost control or influence between May and
August over two percent of the territory it controlled, the U.S.
government's top watchdog on Afghanistan said in a report on Sunday, a
sign of the precarious security situation in the country and challenges
posed by the Taliban and other militant groups. Fifteen years after the
United States invaded Afghanistan to topple the Taliban rulers who had
harbored al Qaeda militants who attacked the United States, the Taliban
have made major gains and are estimated to control more territory than at
any time since 2001. The report, published by the Special Inspector
General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), said the area under
Afghan government ‘control or influence’ had decreased to 63.4 percent by
the end of August from 65.6 percent near the end of May, based on data
provided by U.S. forces in Afghanistan.”
Yemen
Reuters:
War Pushes Yemen To Partition, Thwarting Peace Efforts
“Yemen has endured thousands of air strikes and the deaths of more
than 10,000 people in a 19-month war that has also unleashed hunger on
the desperately poor country - but its biggest challenge may be yet to
come. The conflict has led to Yemen's de facto partition, with rival
armies and institutions in the north and south, and could mean the map of
the Middle East will have to be redrawn. A three-day truce to allow in
more humanitarian aid and prepare a political settlement collapsed last
week, reflecting deadlocked efforts to end the stalemated war. But behind
the combatants' disagreements over how to share power, Yemen's future as
a unified state appears increasingly in doubt.”
Saudi
Arabia
Associated
Press: Saudi Arabia Says It Breaks Up 2 Militant Plots
“Saudi Arabia says it has broken up two militant plots, one targeting
police officers and the other a plan to bomb a soccer match between the
kingdom and the United Arab Emirates. The Saudi Interior Ministry
announced Sunday it had disrupted the plots. It said the first plot
involved killing police officers and that four Saudis who received
instructions from an Islamic State leader in Syria were arrested. The
ministry said the second plot involved planting a car bomb at the soccer
match between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates at a stadium in
Jiddah.”
Voice
Of America: Saudi Arabia: Attack On World Cup Qualifier Foiled
“Saudi Arabia says it foiled a plot to bomb a World Cup 2018
qualifying match earlier this month and has arrested terror suspects
linked to the Islamic State militant group. An alleged terror cell had
planned to place a car bomb outside the Al-Jawhara stadium in Jeddah
during an October 11 match between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab
Emirates, Saudi authorities announced Sunday. The sports complex can seat
62,000 spectators. Four foreigners - two Pakistanis, a Syrian, and a
Sudanese national - were detained a day before the attack was to take
place. Officials have not said whether they are tied to Islamic State.
Saudi officials say a separate group of four Saudi citizens planned to
target police officers in Shaqraa province under the direction of an
Islamic State leader, but were also arrested before carrying out the
plot.”
Egypt
Reuters:
Egypt Gives Life Sentences To Brotherhood Supporters For 2013 Riot
“An Egyptian court sentenced two Muslim Brotherhood supporters on
Saturday to life in prison and 16 others to 15 years in jail for a
violent assault on a Cairo neighborhood in 2013 after the ouster of
former president Mohamed Mursi. The attack, which left seven dead, was
part of a wave of violence that swept across Egypt after the army removed
elected Islamist president Mursi from power in July 2013 following mass
protests against his rule. Since deposing Mursi, the authorities have
held mass trials for thousands of Muslim Brotherhood supporters, with
hundreds receiving death sentences or lengthy prison terms. Mursi has
been sentenced in four cases since his ouster, including a death penalty
for a mass jail break in 2011.”
The
Times Of Israel: Egypt Marks Year Since Plane Downed By IS Over Sinai
“Egypt on Sunday commemorated the first anniversary of the Metrojet
Russian airliner crash in the Sinai that killed all 224 people on board.
The aviation minister and the Russian ambassador were among those who
attended a ceremony in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el Sheikh, from which
the plane took off last October 31 before crashing 24 minutes later. The
Egyptian affiliate of the Islamic State jihadist group said it downed the
plane with a bomb hidden in a soft drink can. Civil Aviation Minister
Sherif Fathy reiterated the government’s condolences to the relatives of
victims, expressing ‘our feelings of sorrow and sadness over the lives we
have lost.’”
Reuters:
Roadside Explosion In Egypt's North Sinai Kills Senior Military Officer
“A senior military officer and one soldier were killed on Saturday by
a roadside explosion in Egypt's North Sinai where the government faces an
Islamic State-led insurgency, security sources told Reuters. Hundreds of
soldiers and police have been killed in the insurgency and there have also
been attacks in Cairo and other cities. Militant groups appear to be
stepping up attacks with the emergence of a new group calling itself the
Revolution Brigade which claimed responsibility for the killing of a
brigadier general, a commander in North Sinai, outside his home on the
outskirts of Cairo last week. That attack came just one week after
Islamic State guerrillas ambushed a military checkpoint killing 12
Egyptian soldiers in the town of Bir al-Abd, the first major attack in
the central Sinai area, which had so far escaped the militant Islamists'
campaign.”
Middle
East
The
Times Of Israel: Elite Border Cops Train For Islamic State Attack Inside
Israel
“An elite Border Police unit is training for the threat of terrorists
affiliated with Islamic State infiltrating Israel from across the border
with the Sinai Peninsula to carry out an attack. In an Israeli TV report,
an officer said the fear was of cells of 15-30 terrorists, armed with
anti-tank and a variety of other weapons. He noted the immense danger
terror groups in the Sinai pose to Egyptian Army forces. The desert
peninsula has long been fertile ground for terror groups including the
Sinai Province fighters, which has pledged allegiance to the Syria- and
Iraq-based Sunni Islamic State. The desert peninsula has long been
fertile ground for terror groups including the Sinai Province fighters,
which has pledged allegiance to the Syria- and Iraq-based Sunni Islamic
State.”
The
Times Of Israel: 3 Palestinians Jailed For Plan To Stab Israelis
“Three Palestinians from the northern West Bank city of Jenin were
sentenced to jail Sunday for plotting to carry out a terror attack last
year in the northern Israeli city of Afula. The three, two of whom were
minors, were sentenced at Nazareth District Court after they were earlier
convicted of illegally possessing a knife, obstruction of justice, and
illegally entering Israel. The two minors received prison terms of two
years and three months, while the adult was jailed for two and a half
years.”
Libya
Reuters:
Libyan Officials Squabble, Residents Protest As Cash Crisis Hits Home
“When the doors of a Tripoli bank open, hundreds of frantic customers
surge forward, desperate for money they have been waiting weeks or months
to withdraw. The scene, now commonplace, is a stark sign of Libya's slide
towards economic collapse despite oil wealth, and a U.N.-backed
government's lack of headway towards ending years of political turmoil
and armed conflict that have splintered the country. Over the past week,
frustration has spilled over into renewed street unrest and a public spat
between Prime Minister Fayez Seraj and Central Bank Governor Sadiq
al-Kabir over who is to blame for acute cash shortages. The dispute shows
the U.N.-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) struggling to control
Libya's finances even after a recovery in oil production raised the
prospect of economic pressures easing.”
Reuters:
Sixteen Migrant Bodies Washed Up In Western Libya: Red Crescent
“The bodies of 16 migrants have washed up on shore at the western
Libyan city of Zuwara, a Red Crescent spokesman said on Sunday. Al-Khamis
al-Bosaifi said the bodies, which were recovered on Saturday, were all
men who appeared to be from sub-Saharan Africa. ‘The bodies are decomposed
and we have no idea when they drowned,’ he said. Libya is a common
departure point for migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean to Europe.
They travel in ill-equipped boats that often break down or sink. More
than 3,740 migrant deaths have been recorded this year in the central
Mediterranean, most of them on the route between Italy and Libya.”
Reuters:
Ten Bodies Bearing Signs Of Torture Found In Libya's Benghazi: Official
“The bodies of 10 men who appear to have been tortured and shot dead have
been found in a suburb of Libya's eastern city of Benghazi, a security
official said. The bodies were found overnight between Thursday and
Friday in Benghazi's Shabna district, said Milad al-Zwai, a spokesman for
Benghazi's special forces. For the past two years Benghazi has been the
site of a military campaign led by eastern commander Khalifa Haftar
against Islamists and other opponents. After long struggling to make
progress, Haftar's forces seized several key neighborhoods earlier this
year, though they still have not brought the city under full control.”
Nigeria
CNN:
Female Suicide Bombers Suspected In Deadly Nigeria Blasts
“Female suicide bombers are suspected to be behind the twin explosions
that rattled the northeastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri on Saturday near
a refugee camp and a fuel depot, officials said. The attacks targeted the
city's Bakassi Internally Displaced Persons camp and the Nigerian
National Petroleum Corp.'s Mega Filling Station, the Nigerian army said in
a statement. At least nine people were killed and 24 injured in the two
explosions, according to the country's National Emergency Agency (NEMA).
In the first attack the suspected bomber ran into a crowd at the entrance
of the Bakassi IDP camp, killing five people, the army said. Ten minutes
later and a mile away, a second blast killed three occupants on a
motorized rickshaw at the entrance of a fuel depot owned by the National
Oil Company. The army puts the total number of dead at 8.”
BBC:
Nigeria Boko Haram: Army 'Releases Child Suspects'
“The UN says it has negotiated the release of 876 children in Nigeria,
who were being held by the army over possible links to Islamist
militants. The children, who had previously lived in areas controlled by
Boko Haram, were held in a military barracks in the north-eastern city of
Maiduguri, a UN spokesman told the BBC. Details of the children's ages
and the length of their detention have not been given. The army has not
made any comment. Human rights groups argue that there is no proper legal
process for civilians, including children, who are detained by the army
as part of their counter-insurgency operations.”
Voice
Of America: Troops Kill Bomber Outside Camp Of Refugees From Boko Haram
“Troops shot and killed a man with explosives boldly showing strapped
to his torso Sunday, as he tried to enter a refugee camp in northeastern
Maiduguri city where another suicide bomber killed five people a day
earlier. The Sunday morning bombing is the fifth explosion in three weeks
in Maiduguri, the birthplace of the Boko Haram Islamic extremist group
blamed for the bombings. Maiduguri is also the headquarters of the
military campaign to halt the insurgency. The recent bombings have
created a new wave of fear at Bakassi camp, which houses more than 16,000
people terrorized by Boko Haram into fleeing their homes.”
United
Kingdom
Daily
Mail: Police Foil At Least 10 Terror Plots In Two Years And Are Dealing
With 550 ‘Live’ Investigations At Any Time
“Police and the security services have foiled at least ten terror
plots in the last two years, a top counter-terrorism officer has
revealed. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu, Scotland Yard’s new
anti-terror chief, said the authorities are dealing with around 550
‘live’ investigations at any one time. Mr Basu wrote in an internet post,
published by the National Police Chiefs’ Council, that 850 Britons
regarded as a security threat are believed to have taken part in the
Syrian conflict, of which around half have returned to the UK. ‘The
counter-terrorism network and security services have foiled at least ten
attacks in the last two years,’ he added, ‘with 294 convictions for
terror-related offences. ‘As soon as Daesh [Islamic State] started
to lose on the battlefields abroad, it was clear their tactics would be
directed closer to home.’”
Daily
Mail: Up To 50 UK Families Have Had Their Children Taken Into Care Over
Fears They Were Being Radicalised By Jihadi-Supporting Parents
“Children are being removed from families and taken into care over
fears their radicalised parents plan to carry out terror attacks. Mark
Rowley, head of national counter terrorism policing, said up to 50
radicalised families have been taken to court since last year. The
police boss said parents had tried to take teenagers and even young
children to Syria to join ISIS and other terror groups. Last week a
couple were arrested on suspicion of attempting to fly their five
children to Syria from Luton airport. Since 2004, more than 700 British
people have travelled to Syria and Iraq to join ISIS.”
The
Guardian: 'It Wasn't About Killing People': What Drove A British Farmer
To The Syrian Frontline?
“But that night, Evans became the second British citizen killed in
Syria while fighting Isis. Evans’s final hours weren’t spent in a
military-grade tank with RAF air cover or advanced medical support; he
was fighting with a multinational group of ill-equipped militiamen loyal
to the People’s Protection Units (YPG) of Syrian Kurdistan, a guerrilla
group in which officers are elected by troops, and men and women fight
side by side. A dairy farmer from Warminster, Wiltshire, Evans had
smuggled himself into Syria on his own, having been recruited by Kurdish
activists on Facebook. He had no proper body armour, and fought with a
black-market rocket launcher that could jam at any moment.”
Germany
Voice
Of America: 4 People Stabbed In Attack At Frankfurt Train Station
“Four people were stabbed Saturday in an attack inside the Hauptwache
rail and subway station in downtown Frankfurt, German police said.
Frankfurt police confirmed via Twitter that all four victims had been
taken to the hospital with stab wounds, without giving further details of
their condition. Police were investigating how many people were involved
in the stabbing. The motive for the attack was not clear, officials said.
Germany was struck by a series of attacks this summer. The Islamic State
group claimed responsibility for two attacks in late July, one on a train
near Wurzburg and another at a music festival in Ansbach that wounded 20
people. Police fatally shot the assailants in both incidents. Two other
attacks, including a deadly mall shooting in Munich, were unrelated to
Islamic extremism, according to police.”
Fox
News: ISIS Claims Responsibility For Germany Stabbing That Killed Teen
“The Islamic State terror network on Saturday claimed responsibility
for a deadly stabbing attack earlier this month in Germany that left one
teen dead and another undergoing psychiatric treatment. ‘A solider of the
Islamic State stabbed 2 individuals in Hamburg city on the 16th of this
month. He carried out the operation in response to calls to target the
citizens of coalition countries,’ a ‘source’ told the ISIS-related media outlet
Amaq. German police couldn't independently verify the claim, which
differs from actual events in that only one person was stabbed. ‘We are
aware of the statement and have to check the content thoroughly in regard
to its reliability,’ said a spokesman for the prosecutor's office who
spoke on condition of anonymity.”
Europe
RT:
Fall Of ISIS In Mosul May Push Terrorists To Launch Attacks In Europe –
German Spy Chief
“The defeat of Islamic State militants in their Iraqi stronghold Mosul
may spark terrorist attacks across Europe, the head of the German Federal
Office for Protection of the Constitution (BfV), Hans-Georg Maassen, has
said. Speaking to German media outlet Deutschlandfunk, Maassen
acknowledged that the jihadists ‘possibly stand with their backs to the
wall’ and can ‘effectively face defeat’ in the Iraqi city, adding that
the BfV is ‘closely watching the situation in Mosul.’ The Iraqi Army and
allied militias backed by the US-led coalition launched an operation to
retake the country’s second-largest city on October 17. ‘That is good.
But this can lead to the consequence that this situation may alert its
[IS] supporters in Europe, that it can lead to violent attacks,’ the BfV
chief warned.”
Combating
the Financing of Terrorism
Alkalima:
Arab Initiatives To Combat The Financing Of Terrorism
Chairman of the Union of Arab Banks (UAB) and President of the
Lebanese Banks Association, Joseph Tarabay, stated over the weekend that
"the majority of funding used by {terror} organizations and militant
gangs does not go through the banking sector." He made this comment
during the opening session of the sixth annual forum of the heads of the
Arab units of anti-money laundering and combating terror financing, which
was held in Beirut. For his part, the Secretary-General of the UAB, Wissam
Fattouh, spoke about four initiatives being promoted by UAB to combat the
financing of terrorism: "Raising awareness, through
conferences and training courses to comply with international laws and
regulations concerning anti-money laundering and terrorist
financing." The second initiative includes "partnership between
the public and private sectors to establish strong ties with security
services and governmental legal departments to follow {relevant}
developments." The goal of the third {initiative} is to
"encourage the financing of small and medium-size enterprises and
creating job opportunities." He stressed that the fight against
unemployment "is one of the most powerful ways to fight terrorism
indirectly." The fourth initiative calls for "financial
inclusion to combat terrorist ideology."
ISIS
New
Sabah: Iraq: Disappearance Of ISIS's "Financial Mastermind"
“According to a local source in Nineveh province, the so-called
"financial brain" of ISIS, together with an official in charge
of recruiting female suicide bombers, have vanished under mysterious
circumstances. The two had in their possession millions of dollars as
well as documents related to the group's financial transactions in the
province. The source revealed that the "Hisbah Diwan official known
as Abu Moataz Al-Qahtani, an Arab national, disappeared under mysterious
circumstances, accompanied by the official, a {female} German national,
who recruits foreign suicide bombers {for the organization}."
Buratha
News Agency: Iraq: 90 Million Dinars Vanish From ISIS Coffers
“A source in Anbar Operations Command said Sunday that "an armed
clash broke out this morning, between ISIS terrorists following the
disappearance of 90 million dinars ($78,000) from the coffers of the
terror organization in the Rawa district (180 km west of Ramadi). Six
members of the organization were killed." The source, who asked not
to be named, disclosed that the ISIS terrorists in Rawa split into two
factions. One is led by the terrorist Amer Tawfiq Zubai aka Abu Tammam
and the other by the terrorist Muhannad nicknamed Abu Deraa al-Muhajer.
The same source added that ISIS militants in the districts of Rawa, Anah
and al-Qaim carried out search and inspection operations in all regions
looking for the militants suspected of stealing the money. The source
claimed that the funds stolen from Rawa were earmarked to cover the
payment of salaries and allowances of sexual jihad.”
Muslim
Brotherhood
Veto:
Egypt: Brotherhood Member Attempting To Smuggle 47 Spying Devices
Detained At Cairo Airport
“Cairo International Airport Customs authorities, on Saturday morning,
apprehended a Brotherhood passenger arriving from Saudi Arabia. According
to the authorities, he was attempting to smuggle 47 eavesdropping devices
in the form of watches and office clocks as well as audio recording
devices. Customs sources at Cairo International Airport reported that
during inspections of Saudi Arabian Airlines Flight no. 305 arriving from
Jeddah, a customs agent became suspicious of an Egyptian passenger.
During the search, in his possession were found 25 watches with {tiny}
video cameras, 10 audio recording devices, 8 small office clocks with
{concealed} cameras, and five night-vision video cameras. In addition,
authorities found 2500 tiny memory cards, which military authorities had
banned for civilian use in decision No. 3 of 1998.”
Albawabh
News: Partisan Activist Warns Against Muslim Brotherhood Efforts To Take Control
Of Local Councils In Egypt
“Alaa Essam, the media manager of the Egyptian National Progressive
Unionist Party (NPUP) {commonly known as "Al-Tagammu"} lamented
that his party is impoverished and therefore cannot launch large
propaganda campaigns during the next local council elections. He added
that the party depends on the efforts of its members in the advertising
campaigns. He said during an interview with "Sky News Arabia"
on Saturday that the Muslim Brotherhood plans to promote unknown
candidates in the local elections to take control of local councils at
the provincial level with funding from donors from abroad.”
The
Seventh Day: Egypt: Public Prosecutor Investigating The Case Of Muslim
Brotherhood Media Committee
“Egypt's Public Prosecutor decided to detain a photojournalist for 15
days pending investigations related to case No. 10383 of 2016. This case
is publicly known as "the file of the Muslim Brotherhood's media
committee." Investigations have so far revealed that defendant
Abdel-Rahman Ali worked as a photojournalist. Prosecutors charged him
with joining an outlawed group and publishing false news. Investigations,
undertaken by the Public Prosecutor, identified several suspected Muslim
Brotherhood-affiliated companies, which are involved in running websites
promoting hostile contents against the Egyptian regime. Among these
companies: "Media House Egypt", "Islamstory",
"White Media", N.K.D, and "Fekra Advertising Agency."
All of these companies are suspected of "involvement in hostile acts
threatening national security.”
The
Seventh Day: Egypt: Cairo Airport Customs Chief Denies Affiliation Of
Officer With The Muslim Brotherhood
“Chairman of the Central Administration of Cairo Airport Customs, Sami
Abdul Rahman, denied what was published by some media outlets alluding to
the affiliation of a customs officer with the Muslim Brotherhood. He
claimed these allegations causing agitation among members of police force
and customs, just days before protests called by the Brotherhood
scheduled for November 11th. Abdul Rahman stressed that what was
published is "completely untrue." Specifically, he emphasized
there was not a single incident involving a customs officer who urged his
colleagues to oppose the police or disobey orders delivered by their
bosses during their work in the airport terminal. Abdul Rahman concluded
by saying, "There is no Customs officer belonging to Muslim
Brotherhood group inside Cairo's airport customs area.”
Elwatan
News: Tourism Expert: Muslim Brotherhood-Affiliated Human Rights Groups
Publish "Lies" About Egypt
“Tourism expert, Adel Abdelrazek, accused human rights groups
"directly linked to the Muslim Brotherhood" of exploiting
satellite TV channels and European news agencies for generating negative
public sentiment abroad towards Egypt with the aim of harming the tourism
coming into the country. He criticized the failure of Egypt's State
Information Service (SIS) to address such "flagrant lies." He
also lashed out at SIS for its inability to present the reality of what
is happening in Egypt. He attributed this failure to the fact that many
states announced travel bans to Egypt for "purely political
reasons.”
Houthi
Treckat:
Experts: Houthis Worked To Build Financial Empire And Parallel Economic
Entity In Yemen
“The Houthi war in Yemen for control of state institutions is not just
military. Another war is taking place against the official economy, in
order to tear it down and set up parallel entities to become a future
financing and supply source. Economists claim that the Houthis have been
working on the creation of a financial empire and parallel economic
entity ever since the destruction of the formal private sector. This new
entity is based on the wealth of state resources and black market
revenues. Mohammed Alhakimi, editor of the Economy Now magazine, stated:
"The war has produced a new bourgeois class from the merchants of
war. After boasting in battles, they are now the stars of the
recession." Alhakimi added that "there are hundreds of Yemeni
business owners and merchants who went bankrupt. For some of them,
businesses ceased operations as a result of the war, while others left
Yemen or their businesses were exposed to extortion by the militia. Amid
these developments, Houthi merchants have emerged out of nowhere. Their
investments include new currency exchange companies which have opened in
Sanaa, private electric power stations supplied with giant generators,
and gas stations operating without licenses.”
Arabi21:
Russia To Print 400 Billion Yemeni Riyals For The Benefit Of The Central
Bank Under Houthis' Control
“An official at the Central Bank of Yemen disclosed on Sunday that its
management had decided to print 400 billion Yemeni riyals (about $1.03
billion) in Moscow. The bills {designated} to contend with the Bank's
liquidity crisis are expected to reach Yemen in the upcoming days. The
crisis, caused by the transfer of the headquarters of the Sanaa-based
Central Bank which is under the Houthis' control to the city of Aden by
the "legitimate government", resulted in the non-payment of
salaries for state employees for three months in a row.”
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