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Eye on Extremism
January 31, 2017
Counter
Extremism Project
Fox
News: CEP Spokesperson Tara Maller Joins Host Shepard Smith To Discuss
President Trump’s Appointments To The National Security Council (NSC).
International
Business Times: ISIS Threatens To Execute 350,000 Children Trapped In
Mosul If They Try To Leave
“An estimated 350,000 children are trapped inside the embattled city
of Mosul as the Islamic State (Isis) threatens to execute fleeing
families, aid agencies have said. The Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) have
essentially regained control of the city to the east of the Tigris,
triggering the next stage of conflict, which promises another brutal
battle with the Islamists. Aid agencies estimate that up to 750,000
civilians are believed to be still living in west Mosul which remains
under Isis control, with humanitarian organisations deeply concerned for
their safety.”
The
New York Times: Killings At Quebec City Mosque Force Canadians To
Confront A Strain Of Intolerance
“In a world often hostile to migration, Canada has stood out,
welcoming thousands of refugees fleeing war and seeking a haven. It has
been a feel-good time for Canada, proud of its national tolerance. On
Sunday, that was upended when a man walked into a mosque and started shooting,
killing six people and wounding eight. The man accused of being the
gunman, Alexandre Bissonnette, was charged with six counts of murder on
Monday. The nation quickly rallied after the attack. Prime Minister
Justin Trudeau called it an act of terrorism, and there was a collective
outpouring of remorse and empathy. But the attack also forced Canadians
to confront a growing intolerance and extremism that has taken root
particularly among some people in this French-speaking corner of the
country.”
Fox
News: Hit Squad Reportedly Kills ISIS Madman Who Beheaded Hundreds
“A notorious ISIS executioner who beheaded hundreds of innocent
citizens has been stabbed to death by a hit squad in northwest
Iraq. Sayyaf was infamous for collecting the heads of his victims and
dumping them in the same hole in the region of al-Khasafa. Iraqi
journalist Muhammad Yawar said: ‘Abu Sayyaf was one of the scariest
executioners in Nineveh… He was a reflection of the brutality of this
terrorist group. He was known for his huge body and heavy arms. He was
one of the notorious faces in the ISIS propaganda videos.’”
NBC
News: SEAL, American Girl Die In First Trump-Era U.S. Military Raid
“In what an official said was the first military raid carried out
under President Donald Trump, two Americans were killed in Yemen on
Sunday — one a member of SEAL Team 6 and the other the 8-year-old
daughter of Anwar al-Awlaki, the New Mexico-born al Qaeda leader who himself
was killed in a U.S. strike five years ago. The raid in southern Yemen,
conducted by the supersecret Joint Special Operations Command, was
intended to capture valuable intelligence, specifically computer
equipment, according to a senior U.S. military official. Three al Qaeda
leaders were killed, according to U.S. officials. Contrary to earlier
reporting, the senior military official said, the raid was Trump's first
clandestine strike — not a holdover mission approved by President Barack
Obama. The mission involved "boots on the ground" at an al
Qaeda camp near al Bayda in south central Yemen, the official said.”
Politico:
Iraq Parliament Approves 'Reciprocity' To U.S. Ban
“Two lawmakers say that the Iraqi parliament has approved a
‘reciprocity measure’ after U.S. President Donald Trump's executive order
temporarily banning citizens from Iraq and six other Muslim-majority
countries from entering the United States. The measure, adopted by
lawmakers at a Monday session of parliament, is to apply to Americans
entering Iraq. Lawmakers Kamil al-Ghrairi and Mohammed Saadoun told The
Associated Press that decision is binding for the government. Both say
the decision was passed by a majority votes in favor but couldn't offer specific
numbers. No further details were available on the wording of the
parliament decision. It was also not immediately clear who the ban will
apply to — American military personnel, non-government and aid workers,
oil companies and other Americans doing business in Iraq.”
CNN:
Trump Ban Is Boon For ISIS Recruitment, Former Jihadists And Experts Say
“President Donald Trump's travel ban on seven Muslim-majority nations
will be used by ISIS as a recruitment tool, giving the militant group a
major propaganda boost, former jihadists have told CNN. The executive
order, which blocks all immigrants and visa holders who are citizens of
Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Yemen and Somalia, reinforces ISIS'
narrative, according to former jihadi Abu Abdullah. ‘It can play into
their propaganda, to make it clear for anyone who could be in doubt, that
it's a war on Islam and all Muslims,’ Abdullah told CNN over a messaging
service. The names of the now-defected foreign fighters in this story
have been changed to protect their identities. Another former jihadi said
the wedge being driven between Muslims living in the West and their
governments is exactly what ISIS wants.”
Radio
Free Europe: U.S. Calls Urgent Un Security Council Meeting Over Iranian
Missile Test
“The United Nations Security Council scheduled an urgent meeting for
January 31 to discuss an Iranian ballistic missile test at the request of
the United States. "In light of Iran's January 29 launch of a
medium-range ballistic missile, the United States has requested urgent
consultations of the Security Council," the U.S. mission said late
on January 30. It was the first request made by the United States since
new U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley took office last week. U.S. officials
said they would bring the latest test before the Security Council if they
determined it violated a UN resolution barring Iran from developing
missiles "designed to carry nuclear warheads.”
The
Times Of Israel: Arab Israeli Man Charged With Terrorist Shootings In
Haifa
“After his girlfriend called him a ‘Zionist Jew’ and a ‘Jew lover,’ an
Arab Israeli man allegedly carried out two shooting attacks, which left
one man dead and another seriously wounded, in the northern port city of
Haifa earlier this month, the Shin Bet security service said. On Monday,
the suspect — 21-year-old Muhammad Shinawi — was charged with murder and
attempted murder in a Haifa court for the attacks, along with two other
men accused of helping him. Yehiel Iluz, 48, a senior judge on a Haifa
rabbinic conversion court, was moderately wounded at 9:30 a.m. on January
3, in the first shooting on the city’s Haatzma’ut Road. A few minutes
later, the shooter opened fire at a Jewish woman, but missed. And a few
minutes after that, Guy Kafri, 47, a van driver from Haifa’s Nesher
neighborhood, was shot and killed on the nearby Hagiborim Street.”
New
York Times: Arizona Man Is Convicted Of Helping New York City College
Student Join ISIS
“An Arizona man who prosecutors said helped a college student from New
York City join ISIS, sending him “down that trail to terror” — and to his
eventual death — was convicted Monday of terrorism charges. The man,
Ahmed Mohammed el-Gammal, 44, was found guilty after a three-week jury
trial and faces up to 55 years in prison, according to a spokesman for
Preet Bharara, the United States attorney for the Southern District of
New York. In a statement, Mr. Bharara hailed the verdict as a vindication
of the role of civilian courts in such cases, which some Republicans
lawmakers have argued should be tried in military courts instead.”
Fox
News: Pennsylvania Man Admits He Conspired To Help ISIS
“A little more than a year after he exhorted online followers to
'kill' military personnel and sought to buy a sex slave, a 20-year-old
Pennsylvania man pleaded guilty Monday to trying to help ISIS. Jalil Ibn
Ameer Aziz now faces the potential of up to 25 years in prison and a
$500,000 fine after admitting to a charge of conspiring to provide
material support to ISIS and to transmitting a communication containing a
threat, both felonies. ‘As evidenced here, [ISIS] loyalists need not
travel to the field of battle to threaten lives and do harm,’ said
Michael Harpster, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia
Division. ‘An American citizen provided material support to terrorists
from American soil, while enjoying all the rights and privileges scorned
by ISIL. We are gratified that Mr. Aziz is being brought to justice for
these acts.’”
Reuters:
Rockets Hit U.N. Yemen Ceasefire Office In Saudi Arabia
“A building in southern Saudi Arabia used by United Nations staff to
monitor ceasefire violations in Yemen was damaged by rocket fire on
Monday. Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya TV reported that the entrance of the
building in Dhahran al-Janoub province, near the Yemeni border, had been
hit by Katyusha rockets launched by the Iranian-allied Houthi group who
control Yemen's capital, Sanaa. United Nations special envoy Ismail Ould
Cheikh Ahmed did not attribute blame but said it was ‘especially tragic
that this attack took place at a point in time where we are calling for a
restoration of the Cessation of Hostilities’.”
Wall
Street Journal: Officials Say At Least Seven Killed In Fighting In
Eastern Ukraine
“At least seven Ukrainian troops have been killed in an apparent
uptick in fighting in eastern Ukraine, government officials said on
Monday. An armed conflict between government troops and separatist rebels
has killed more than 9,600 since it began in 2014, according to the U.N.
Human Rights Office. A January cease-fire had until recently helped to
limit the fighting to sporadic shootouts. The government’s press office
for the operation in the east said it recorded an increase in fighting on
several fronts on Sunday which left at least five killed and nine troops
injured. Two more were killed and five injured Monday morning, north of
the rebel stronghold of Donetsk, the press office said.”
Voice
Of America: Taliban Assaults District Center In Afghanistan’s Helmand
Province
“Heavy clashes have erupted in southern Afghanistan, after Taliban
rebels staged a coordinated assault on a district center. Afghan
officials and insurgents have made conflicting claims about Monday’s
fighting in the Sangin district of Helmand, the largest of the 34 Afghan
provinces. Provincial government spokesman Omar Zwak told VOA insurgents
assaulted multiple security outposts, but Afghan forces repulsed the
Taliban. He claimed many assailants were killed and wounded, but would
not say whether government forces also suffered casualties. A Taliban
spokesman claimed insurgents overran more than 25 outposts and bases
around Sangin, saying intense fighting continued in the area.”
United
States
Daily
Mail: Mattis Pleads For Iraqi Military Interpreters And Pilots To Be
Exempt From 90-Day Ban On Entering U.S.
“After not being consulted during crafting of President Donald Trump's
new immigration ban, Pentagon chiefs are drawing up a list of Iraqis who
have assisted the United States who would be exempted from a 90-day
seven-country ban. Those Iraqis who served the United States as drivers,
interpreters, or in other roles would be exempted from the new ban, which
went into effect as soon as it was issued Friday night. A list being
drawn up by the Pentagon under newly-installed Secretary of Defense James
Mattis could number thousands of people, the Los Angeles Times reported.”
BBC:
Will The US Entry Ban Affect The Fight Against IS?
“There is no scientific way of accurately measuring how many people
will be so incensed by President Trump's executive order on immigration
from seven Muslim-majority countries that they feel compelled to carry
out a violent act against a US or Western target. Perhaps dozens, perhaps
none. There is also no scientific way of measuring how many potential
violent extremists have now been shut out of the US because of the
order. But one thing is clear: in the ever-shifting ideological
battle to win hearts and minds, this is one-nil to the extremists of
so-called Islamic State (IS).”
ABC
News: Navy SEAL Killed In Yemen Raid Identified
“The Navy SEAL killed in the raid on senior al-Qaeda in the Arabian
Peninsula (AQAP) leaders in Yemen on Sunday has been identified as Chief
Special Warfare Operator William ‘Ryan’ Owens. According to a Pentagon
statement, Owens, 36, of Peoria, Illinois, died ‘of wounds sustained in a
raid against al-Qaeda.’ ‘I extend my condolences to the family and
shipmates of Chief Petty Officer William "Ryan" Owens,’ said
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis in a statement. ‘Ryan gave his full measure
for our nation, and in performing his duty, he upheld the noblest
standard of military service,’ said Mattis. ‘The United States would not
long exist were it not for the selfless commitment of such
warriors," he added. "I thank our gallant troops and their
families for their dedication to protecting this nation, and I pass our
respects to Ryan's family in this most difficult time.’”
Syria
Reuters:
14 Syrian Soldiers Killed in Islamic State Assault Near Damascus
“Islamic State fighters killed at least 14 Syrian soldiers in a fierce
attack on a military airport northeast of Damascus, the Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group reported. The British-based
Observatory said the ultra-hardline group had launched the assault the
day before near the Dumeir airport some 40 km (25 miles) from the capital,
taking over several positions in the area held by the Syrian army. ISIS
controls vast areas of eastern Syria including most of Deir al-Zor
province and its de facto Syrian capital of Raqqa.”
Reuters:
Hama-Based Rebel Group Withdraws From Syria Ceasefire: Statement
“A rebel group fighting under the Free Syrian Army banner in northwest
Syria has withdrawn from a shaky nationwide ceasefire, blaming the
government and its allies for violations. ‘Due to Russia's lack of
commitment as a guarantor...we announce that, as of today, we are not
bound by this agreement,’ Jaish al-Ezza, a signatory to the deal brokered
by Russia and Turkey, said in a statement on Sunday. The group said its
decision was in response to what it described as heavy Russian
bombardment of its positions and surrounding areas in Hama province.
Fighting and air strikes have plagued the ceasefire between the
government and rebel groups since it took effect in late December, with
the combatants accusing each other of violations. After two days of
negotiations in Kazakhstan last week, Russia, Turkey, and Iran agreed to
ensure full compliance with the fragile truce.”
Reuters:
Syrian Government Denies Rumors Assad In Poor Health
“The Syrian government has denied rumors that President Bashar
al-Assad is suffering from ill health, saying he was ‘carrying out his
duties quite normally’. Speculation swirled in recent days on social
media and some Arab news websites saying Assad, 51, was in critical
condition, citing rumors of stroke, or even that he had been shot. ‘The
presidency denies all these reports. President Assad is in excellent
health,’ his office said in a statement on Friday. ‘They (the reports)
coincide with the changing circumstances in the field and politically,’
it said, without elaborating. The Ikhbariya news channel said on Monday
that Assad had spoken by phone to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro,
the first report from state media to detail Assad's activities since the
health rumors emerged.”
Voice
Of America: Syria Warns Of Setting Up Safe Zones For Civilians As Unsafe
“Syria warned Monday of safe zones for civilians that U.S. President
Donald Trump has expressed interest in creating, saying it would have to
come in coordination with the Syrian government, otherwise it would be
unsafe and violate the Arab nation's sovereignty. The announcement was
made in Damascus by Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem during a meeting
with the head of the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR, Filippo Grandi, who began
an official visit to Syria on Monday. The announcement came about a week
after the Trump administration's expressed interest in setting up safe
zones for civilians in war-torn Syria, an idea that was greeted with
caution by Russia and Turkey, who have taken the lead in the latest peace
efforts to end the Mideast country's devastating six-year war.”
The
New York Times: Syria Reclaims Damascus Water Source From Rebels
“Syrian armed forces appear to have retaken the contested Barada
Valley area north of Damascus, the capital’s main source of water,
signaling a possible end to a war-induced shortage that has left millions
of inhabitants thirsty and dirty for six weeks. Syrian government news
media reported on Monday that hundreds of rebel fighters and their
families had evacuated the Barada Valley, under an agreement reached on
Sunday. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an outside monitoring
group, corroborated the government account, saying ambulances and buses had
been seen taking evacuees to other rebel-held areas, and that government
soldiers and allied militia fighters were in control.”
Iraq
NPR:
Trump's Immigration Order Creates Political Tension With Iraq
“President Trump's immigration order has caused political problems for
one of the country's key allies in the battle against ISIS: Iraqi Prime
Minister Haider al-Abadi. Now we're going to hear what's happening in one
of the countries named in President Trump's executive order on
immigration. That's Iraq. With limited exceptions, Iraqi citizens are
temporarily banned from traveling to the United States under the order.
It's a particularly important case for the U.S. because Iraq is a key
ally in the war against ISIS. There are roughly 6,000 U.S. troops there.”
The
Washington Post: Trump’s Travel Ban Threatens U.S. Partnership With Iraq
Against Islamic State
“A backlash against President Trump’s new immigration rules
intensified Monday, threatening Washington’s relationship with its main
partner in battling the Islamic State as Iraq’s parliament voted for a
reciprocal ban on visas for Americans. The Iraqi lawmakers’
decision is subject to ratification by the government, but it underscores
growing resentment over a U.S. executive order that imposed visa
restrictions on Iraqis and the citizens of six other Muslim-majority
nations. Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari issued a terse
statement describing the ban as unreasonable, given that Iraq is sacrificing
the ‘blood of its sons’ in the front-line fight against the militant
group. He urged the United States to reconsider.”
Turkey
Reuters:
Turkish Soldiers In Extradition Row Seek Release From Greek Police
Custody
“Turkish soldiers caught in an extradition row between Athens and
Ankara appeared before a Greek court on Monday to challenge an order
extending their custody by three months, court officials said. The eight
men landed a helicopter in northern Greece in July after the failure of a
coup against President Tayyip Erdogan and requested asylum, saying their
lives were in danger at home. Greece's top court blocked their
extradition last week, angering Turkey, a NATO ally which alleges the men
were involved in efforts to overthrow Erdogan and has demanded they be
sent home. The men - three majors, three captains and two sergeant-majors
- have been kept in custody pending final decisions on their asylum
applications in Greece. They are challenging a decision by immigration
authorities to extend that custody by three months on public order and
national security grounds.”
Reuters:
Two Pro-Kurdish Lawmakers In Turkey Arrested On Terrorism Charges -
Sources
“A Turkish court ordered the arrest of two lawmakers from the
pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) on Monday, security sources
said, bringing the total of jailed deputies from the Turkish opposition
group to 12. HDP's Adana deputy Meral Danis Bestas was detained by police
at her home in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir, while Ayhan Bilgen,
the head of the party's parliamentary group chief, was taken by security
forces at the city's airport. Both are accused of being members of an
armed terrorist organisation, sources said. Turkish authorities say the
HDP, parliament's third-largest party with 59 seats, is an affiliate of
the militant Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), considered a terrorist
organisation by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.”
Reuters:
Turkey Reopens Embassy In Libya, Vows To Support Unity Efforts
“Turkey reopened its embassy in Libya on Monday, 2-1/2 years after
closing it due to lack of security, becoming the second country to reopen
its diplomatic mission in the divided country. Turkey shut the embassy in
Tripoli in 2014 as rival factions fought for control after the overthrow
of long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi. Italy became the first country to
reopen its embassy in Tripoli earlier this month. ‘The reopening of the
embassy will allow Turkey to make stronger contributions to efforts to
build peace and stability, as well as reconstruction in Libya,’ the
Turkish foreign ministry said in a statement.”
Afghanistan
Sputnik:
Afghan Police Eliminate Taliban Senior Commander In Country's Southeast
“Afghan police eliminated Mawlavi Hamid, a Taliban leader, in the
country's southeastern province of Zabul, local media reported
Monday, citing police officials. According to the Khaama Press news
agency, Hamid was killed along with two other militants around 12:00
p.m. (07:30 GMT) on Sunday. Hamid was reportedly commanding
over the operations of the militants in the province's
Arghandab district. Taliban is a militant group, which seeks
to establish a Sharia law state in Afghanistan. The activities
of the group prompted political, security and economic instability
in the country. In 2016, the group extended the territory
under its control, after the United States started
to withdraw troops deployed there since 2002.”
Saudi
Arabia
Associated
Press: Saudi Arabia Says Yemeni Rebel Boat Rams Frigate In Red Sea
“Saudi Arabia said Monday that a ‘suicide gunboat’ belonging to
Yemen's Iranian-backed Shiite rebels rammed one of its frigates in the Red
Sea, killing two crew members and injuring three. The official Saudi
Press Agency said the gunboat was one of three that attacked the frigate
which was patrolling off the Yemeni port of Hodeida, but gave few
details. The Yemeni rebels, also known as the Houthis, gave a different
version, claiming that the frigate was hit by a rocket they fired,
starting a fire on board the ship. A video clip broadcast by the Houthis'
al-Masirah television showed a warship being hit and a fire on board
starting as a man not shown in the video shouted the rebels' trademark
chant of ‘Allahu akbar (God is greatest), death to America, death to
Israel, a curse on the Jews and victory for Islam.’”
Middle
East
Haaretz:
Israeli Army Kills Palestinian Teen In West Bank Clashes
“A 19-year-old Palestinian man was killed overnight on Saturday and
three others were wounded during clashes with Israeli soldiers in the
West Bank, Palestinian sources said. The Israel Defense Forces did
not immediately acknowledge the death of Mohammed Mahmoud Abu Halifa,
saying only that soldiers fired at residents throwing pipe bombs and that
two Palestinians were wounded. An IDF force entered the refugee camp of
Jenin on Saturday night to make arrests, but was met by dozens of youths
who threw stones and firebombs at them. The soldiers responded by firing
tear gas, sponge-tipped bullets and live bullets. Abu Halifa was shot and
died shortly afterward at Jenin Government Hospital, which also treated
the three wounded people.”
Libya
The
Guardian: German Report Details Libya Abuses Amid Pressure To Stem
Migrant Flows
“Conditions for migrants and refugees in Libya are worse than in
concentration camps, according to a paper sent to the German foreign
ministry by its ambassador in Niger. The German embassy in Niger has
authenticated reports of executions, torture and other systematic rights
abuses in camps on the refugee route in Libya, Die Welt cited the report
as saying on Sunday. The warning came as EU leaders prepare for a summit
in Malta on Friday to discuss ways to control migration across the
Mediterranean from Africa this summer, amid pressure from Italy to take
decisive action.”
Germany
BBC:
100 Days: Germany's Rising Tide Of Populism
“Germany's Baltic coastline can be a bleak place out of season. In the
small fishing village of Freest, boats creak idly against their moorings.
A lone fisherman, stark in his yellow overalls, stands on deck, scraping
the scales from yesterday's catch. It feels a long way from Berlin. And
inside the quayside smokehouse, as she carefully threads sprats on to
long metal skewers, fish factory worker Ines tells me she feels forgotten
by Angela Merkel's government. ‘They just look after the big cities,’ she
says. ‘But these small communities up here - no. Nothing is being done
for us. Nothing gets through to us.’ It can be hard to make a good living
here, especially in the winter. The workers in the smokehouse worry about
unemployment. This is not a rich community and they feel it's time for
political change.”
France
Deutsche
Welle: Suspect In Brussels And Paris Terror Attacks Charged In France
“French prosecutors launched an official terrorism investigation
against Mohamed Abrini on Monday. The prosecutor's office in Paris
confirmed that Abrini was suspected of belonging to a terrorist
organization and being complicit in the terror attacks in Paris on
November 13, 2015, which left 130 people dead. Belgian authorities
‘surrendered’ the terror suspect to French authorities for a day so he
could be charged by an investigating magistrate in the Palais de Justice
in the French capital. Investigators allege that Albrini was part of a
Brussels-based jihadist cell affiliated with the Islamic State that
planned both the Paris attacks and suicide bombings in Brussels on March
22, 2016, in which 32 people died.”
Europe
Reuters:
Italy Smashes Gang That Smuggled Migrants Into France In Vans
“Italian police said on Monday they had smashed a criminal gang that
smuggled migrants packed into vans across the border with France for up
to 1,000 euros (851 pounds) each. Police issued more than 30 arrest
warrants for human trafficking after a two-year investigation that
documented dozens of smuggling incidents. About half the suspects
targeted by the warrants lived outside Italy, the statement said. Citing
one bust, Milan prosecutor Ilda Boccassini said police had found 40
migrants crammed in the back of a van that had been padlocked shut.”
Reuters:
Third Migrant Dies In A Week In Harsh Greek Camp Conditions
“The third migrant to perish in a week was found dead in his tent on
Monday on Greece's Lesbos island, raising alarm about the grim winter
conditions in overcrowded camps that critics have denounced as
deplorable. The dead man is believed to be about 20 and from Pakistan, a
police official on the island said. Another migrant who shared his tent
was critically ill and taken to hospital. The death at the island's Moria
camp follows those of a 22-year-old Egyptian and a 46-year-old Syrian who
shared a tent and died days apart. Greek media reported they had inhaled
fumes from a heater, but authorities would not confirm or deny that.”
Canada
BBC:
Quebec Mosque Attack: Student Alexandre Bissonnette Charged
“Canadian police have charged a French-Canadian student over the fatal
shooting of six Muslim worshippers at a mosque in Quebec. Alexandre
Bissonnette faces six counts of first-degree murder and five of attempted
murder. The 27-year-old briefly appeared in a Quebec City court over
Sunday evening's attack, during evening prayers at the Quebec Islamic
Cultural Centre. Vigils have been held across Canada to commemorate those
killed and injured. More than 50 people were at the mosque when the
shooting erupted just before 20:00 on Sunday. Nineteen people were
wounded - all men - and of five people still in hospital, two were in a critical
condition. A man of Moroccan heritage who was also arrested after the
attack, Mohamed Khadir, is now being treated as a witness.”
ISIS
Elbalad:
Egyptian Expert: Eliminating ISIS Will Take More Than 30 Days
“Maj. Gen. Mohammad Mujahid al-Zayat, the former proxy of Egypt's
General Intelligence Directorate and head of the National Center for
Middle East Studies, stated that the order of US president, Donald Trump
to the Pentagon to prepare a plan for ISIS's elimination within 30 days
is 'complicated'. He mentioned in this context a previous statement by
the US Army's Chief of Staff clarifying that the elimination of ISIS will
require at least three years. Al-Zayat stressed that Trump's executive
order reflects the seriousness of his intention to wipe out this group.
The expert explained that ISIS has a presence in three countries, namely
Libya, Iraq and Syria. Efforts to eliminate it there may merely open the
door for the group to spread into other areas.”
Muslim
Brotherhood
Alshahed:
Kuwait: Muslim Brotherhood Won Substantial Bids In Local Construction And
Oil Sectors
“Muslim Brotherhood has won six hefty bids in the Kuwaiti construction
and petroleum sectors since the beginning of this year. This is in
addition to picking up 15% of all real estate transactions in 2016. The
total value of these transactions came to 2.5 billion dinars ($8.2
billion). This means the Brotherhood made a profit of 375 million dinars
($1.23 billion) from selling and buying properties through its affiliated
companies. Sources disclosed that Brotherhood leaders in Kuwait have been
discussing how to win government tenders worth millions of dinars during
their meetings with parliament members. They are especially interested in
tenders in the petroleum, commerce and import sectors. This is in
addition to deals designated for the food industry, car agencies and real
estate companies. Sources added that the Brotherhood was selling real
estate through one of its companies to attain liquidity. Brotherhood
leaders are still seeking ways to attain liquidity by winning new
tenders, after their financial sources became subject to an external and
local crackdown.”
Moheet:
Egyptian Mps Seek To Lift Abu Treika's Name From Terror List Due To
Brotherhood Affiliation
“Several Egyptian MPs seek to lift the name of Mohammed Abu Treika,
the former soccer player, from the terror list. MPs stressed they will
use all possible measures to remove his name from the list, even if they
need to ask President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to pardon him. The MPs
insisted that what happened to Abu Treika was not based on solid evidence
that proves his 'real affiliation' with the Muslim Brotherhood. They
claimed the decision was based on an investigation which later turned out
to be baseless. The MPs also emphasized that the ex-player was cleared
more than once in the past. The Cairo Criminal Court added Abu Treika to
the terror list based on provisions of the Terrorist Entities Law. His
name will appear on the list for three years together with another 1500
figures whose funds were impounded by the Brotherhood Asset Freeze
Committee.”
Shorouk:
Egypt: Postponement Of Verdict In Case Of "Al-Shater Sons" Till
February 20th
“Egypt's Military Court decided to delay the date for announcing the
verdict in the case of Khayrat al-Shater, the Brotherhood's Deputy Guide,
and other defendants. They were charged with planting spy devices and
trying to hack websites of ministries and sensitive state entities. The
verdict will be announced on Feb. 20th. The officer in charge of the
investigation in the case said, "The cell changed its modus operandi
after the ouster of Mohammed Morsi. It focused on monitoring the
movements of public figures and heads of sensitive state institutions.
The cell tried to hack the military spokesperson's social media account.
In addition, cell members tried to control many social media pages to
disseminate news related to the group and other false rumors concerning the
regime." He added, "Brotherhood members abroad provided the
necessary funds to buy weapons and equipment for the cell. The funds were
transferred through a specialized foreign currency transfer company, with
the belief that the money could not be tracked.”
Hamas
Sawa:
Imposition Of New Taxes On Gazan Citizens Condemned
“The Ramallah-based Palestinian government denounced Hamas' imposition
of additional restrictions and taxes on residents of the Gaza Strip. The
latest move includes new fees and restrictions on the movement and travel
of citizens "in order to raise money." The official government
spokesman, Yusuf Mahmoud, stated in a Sunday evening press release
published by its official news agency: "Hamas' issuance of these
recent decisions is contrary to all laws and rights. Furthermore, this
step intensifies the suffering of our people in the Gaza Strip who have
been subjected to an Israeli siege for many years. Gazans are suffering
not only from harsh living conditions caused by the unjust siege, but
also from the black {Palestinian} division.”
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