Eye on Extremism January 30, 2017

Eye on Extremism January 30, 2017 Counter Extremism Project Science Friday: There’s An Algorithm To Fight Online Extremism “Back in the early 2000s, the internet had a problem with child pornography. Tracking these illegal activities became much more difficult, and removing all trace of the images from the World Wide Web seemed nearly impossible. So government officials turned to Silicon Valley for help. But technology companies dragged their feet. By 2008 little had been done to fix the issue of online child pornography until one tech honcho—Microsoft—contacted Dartmouth College computer scientist Hany Farid. Farid is an expert in photo forensics, techniques used most often to identify fake images. Together Farid and Microsoft built a tool to identify any image by a unique signature, like a photo fingerprint. With that signature Microsoft could compare images—before they got posted on websites—to a database of nearly 30,000 images of child pornography catalogued by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Now Farid is ready to use this same technology to fight another internet specter—terrorist messaging. According to the Counter Extremism Project (CEP), online terrorist videos and images play an important role in radicalizing extremists. Silicon Valley is again dragging its feet to find a solution, even as evidence mounts that content hosted on their websites is in part responsible for recent acts of terrorism.” Mercury: From Cheerleader To Extremist: Database Of Terrorists And Extremists Released “AT FIRST glance it might seem hard to believe these people have anything in common. Two of them are American women, one of whom is a former cheerleader and top student. Others include the world’s most dangerous terrorist leaders. But there’s a reason why Colleen LaRose and Jaelyn Young, along with Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and al-Qaeda frontman Ayman al-Zawahiri, are grouped together. They are among 400 people listed on an updated database of terrorists and extremists released by not-for-profit international policy organisation the Counter Extremism Project. The database, which includes men and women from all over the globe, provides detailed information on the world’s biggest terror networks as well as those who promote or support an extremist agenda. Complete with interactive maps and timelines, the CEP reveal tool also shows where they are believed to be based. The project is led by a group of former world leaders and diplomats and works to combat extremism online. The database is used as a resource for governments, media and the general public.” Fox News: US Navy Seal Killed, 3 Injured In Raid On Al Qaeda In Yemen “A member of U.S. Navy SEAL Team Six was killed and three others were wounded in a raid against a group of senior Al Qaeda leaders in central Yemen, officials said. The U.S. Central Command said in a statement Sunday that another service member was injured in a "hard landing" in a nearby location. An MV-22 Osprey aircraft used in the raid was unable to fly afterward and "was then intentionally destroyed in place." "Americans are saddened this morning with news that a life of a heroic service member has been taken in our fight against the evil of radical Islamic terrorism," President Trump said in a statement. "The sacrifices made by the men and women of our armed forces, and the families they leave behind, are the backbone of the liberty we hold so dear as Americans, united in our pursuit of a safer nation and a freer world.” Reuters: Syria Islamist Factions, Including Former Al Qaeda Branch, Join Forces: Statement “Several Syrian Islamist factions including al Qaeda's former branch in the country said on Saturday they were joining forces, as clashes between jihadists and more moderate rebels raged on in northwestern areas. An online statement issued by the Islamist factions announced the formation of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (Liberation of the Levant Committee). It said the alliance was formed to mend splits among insurgent groups and strengthen opposition to the Damascus government. The signatories were Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly al Qaeda's Nusra Front, the Nour al-Din al-Zinki group, Liwa al-Haqq, Jaish al-Sunna and Jabhat Ansar al-Din.” Time: Iraq Threatens Ban On U.S. Citizens, Putting The Fight Against ISIS At Risk “Iraqi lawmakers said Sunday that they might ban U.S. nationals from entering the country in retaliation against U.S. President Donald Trump's executive order on Iraqis in the U.S., a move that could hinder the fight against ISIS. The Iraqi parliament’s foreign committee issued a statement calling on the Iraqi government to act after President Trump controversially ordered that citizens from Iraq and six other Muslim-majority countries be refused entry to the U.S. for at least 90 days. If a ban is enacted it could impact thousands of American aid workers, contractors and journalists currently working in Iraq, as well as more than 5,000 U.S. military personnel there to aid Iraqi forces in their effort to oust ISIS from Mosul and the country.” The Washington Post: Trump Orders ISIS Plan, Talks With Putin And Gives Bannon National Security Role “President Trump on Saturday ordered the Pentagon to devise a strategy to defeat the Islamic State and restructured the National Security Council to include his controversial top political adviser as he forged a partnership with Russian President Vladi­mir Putin in their first official phone call. Trump and Putin spoke for one hour and vowed to join forces to fight terrorism in Syria and elsewhere, according to the White House and the Kremlin, signaling a potential shift in U.S.-Russian relations that have been marked by high tension. Meanwhile, Trump signed a presidential memo directing the Pentagon to submit a plan within 30 days to defeat the Islamic State, an effort to make good on his campaign promise to more aggressively confront Islamist terrorism than his predecessor did.” The Jerusalem Post: Israel Security Forces Arrest 2 For Weekend West Bank Shooting Attack “Israel Security Forces on Saturday said that they arrested two Palestinians suspected of carrying out a shooting attack near the West Bank settlement of Nili in the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council from the previous day. There were no injuries in the incident, however, the vehicle sustained damage. The suspects were also caught with weapons in their possession. They were taken to a secure location for questioning into the incident.  On Thursday a Palestinian gunman fired shots before fleeing in the West Bank town of Azzun in what the IDF said was an attempted shooting attack. There were no injuries in the incident that occurred in the Palestinian town in the West Bank's Kalkiliya Governorate. IDF forces were searching for the suspect and an investigation has been opened in the background of the incident.” CNN: Six Dead In Quebec Mosque Shooting “Six people are dead after a shooting at a mosque in Quebec City, according to Quebec Provincial Police. Eight people were injured. The attack, which took place at the city's Quebec Islamic Cultural Center, is being investigated as an act of terrorism by police. In what was described as a coordinated attack, witnesses say at least two gunmen wearing black fired indiscriminately into the dozens of worshipers -- including families -- in the mosque. Thirty-nine people who were at the mosque during shooting were unharmed, Christine Coulombe, spokeswoman of National Police of Quebec, said. Of the eight injured, six are described as being in critical condition.” Associated Press: Former Warlord's Return Could Shake Up Afghan Politics “The only insurgent leader to sign a peace pact with Afghanistan's government will return to the country within weeks, his chief negotiator says, in a move that could shake up Afghan politics and complicate the much wider war against the Taliban. Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, a former warlord who battled U.S. forces after the 2001 invasion and nursed a bitter rivalry with other Afghan factions, agreed to lay down arms last year. Amin Karim, his chief negotiator, told The Associated Press earlier this week that he would return to the capital in ‘a matter of weeks, not months.’ Hekmatyar is seen as a potential rival to President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, who have governed the country through a shaky, U.S.-brokered power-sharing agreement since the disputed elections of 2014.” Daily Mail: French Police Charge 'The Man In The Hat' Caught On Camera During The Brussels Airport Attack Over The 2015 Paris Jihadist Massacres “Mohamed Abrini, the 'man in the hat' bombing suspect caught on camera during the Brussels airport attack, has been charged in France over the November 2015 jihadist massacres in Paris, his lawyers said Monday. Belgium handed Abrini over to the French authorities on Monday for a day so that he could face charges related to the deaths of 130 people in the French capital. Abrini was captured in Brussels in April over his suspected involvement in the March 22 Brussels attacks and the Paris killings, both of which were claimed by the Islamic State group. Belgium handed over Mohamed Abrini, believed to be the 'man in the hat' bomber at Brussels airport last year, to France for questioning about the 2015 Paris attacks, federal prosecutors said.” United States CBS News: A Look At How Syrian Refugees Were Vetted Before Trump “Friday, after a whirlwind week, President Donald Trump signed an executive order barring citizens of seven predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States for 90 days.  Last night, after a flurry of legal challenges, a federal judge in Brooklyn issued an emergency stay. The executive order, which sparked protests around the world, also stops all refugees from entering the U.S. for 120 days. Syrian refugees are barred indefinitely, pending a review of the screening process. Once again, Syrian refugees find themselves at the center of a heated debate -- pitting our American tradition of altruism against our fear of terrorism.  Donald Trump won the presidency claiming tens-of-thousands of Syrians -- mostly young men -- were streaming into the U.S. and that the Obama administration had no system to properly vet them.  So, what has the vetting process been?  We went to the region, as we reported last fall, to see for ourselves.” The Wall Street Journal: Countries Under U.S. Entry Ban Aren’t Main Sources Of Terror Attacks “President Donald Trump’s e xecutive order to temporarily ban entry from seven Middle Eastern and African countries states that it is intended to ‘protect the American people from terrorist attacks by foreign nationals admitted to the United States.’ However, few of the dozens of plots in the U.S. during and after 2001 were attempted or carried out by suspects who came from the countries targeted under the ban. Of 180 people charged with jihadist terrorism-related crimes or who died before being charged, 11 were identified as being from Syria, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Yemen, Sudan or Somalia, the countries specified in Mr. Trump’s order, according to an analysis of data on the attacks by The Wall Street Journal.” NPR: One U.S. Service Member Killed, Several Others Injured During Raid In Yemen “A raid in Yemen ended in the death of an American service member and left three others wounded on Saturday. U.S. Central Command announced Sunday that the casualties were sustained in an operation against al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula. ‘We are deeply saddened by the loss of one of our elite servicemembers,’ Commander of U.S. Central Command Gen. Joseph Votel said in a statement. ‘The sacrifices are very profound in our fight against terrorists who threaten innocent peoples across the globe.’ The Pentagon says the three service members were wounded in a raid, and another member of the military was injured when an aircraft had to make a ‘hard landing at a nearby location.’ That aircraft was intentionally destroyed afterward.” BBC: Trump And Putin Make Counter-Terror Top Priority In First Call “Donald Trump held a series of phone calls with world leaders on Saturday - including one with Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin said both sides had agreed to make fighting ‘international terrorism’ - including so-called Islamic State and ‘other terrorist groups’ in Syria - a top priority. The White House said the call was a ‘significant start’ to improving a relationship ‘in need of repair’. Mr Trump also spoke with leaders from Japan, Germany, France and Australia. The Russian account of the call was also notable for its lack of any mention of economic sanctions against Russia by the US, which have been the subject of much speculation in recent days. In a statement in English, the Kremlin provided more details of the first official call between the two leaders since Mr Trump took office.” Reuters: 'Case By Case' Approach For U.S. Green Card Holders Under Trump's New Order “U.S. green card holders from Syria and six other Muslim-majority countries traveling outside the United States need to check with a U.S. consulate to see whether they can return, senior U.S. administration officials said on Saturday. New restrictions on immigrants and refugees in an executive order signed by President Donald Trump will mean legal permanent residents who have passports from the seven countries have to be cleared back into the United States on a case-by-case basis, an official told reporters in a briefing. ‘It's being cleared on a case-by-case basis and being moved expeditiously,’ the official said. The official defended the scope and execution of the new rules, saying it moved with ‘astonishing rapidity’ but worked as intended.” Syria Reuters: Syrian Army Seizes Damascus Water Source As Rebels Withdraw: Pro-Government Media, Monitor “Syrian government forces took back control of an area near Damascus that provides most of the capital's water supplies after reaching a deal for rebel fighters to withdraw, pro-government media and a monitoring group said. The Syrian army and its allies launched an offensive last month to drive insurgents from the Wadi Barada valley, which they have controlled since 2012, and to recapture a major spring and pumping station. Syria's mainstream rebel factions are under intense pressure after losing areas they held in the northern city of Aleppo to government forces at the end of last year, and now face a fierce assault by Islamist militants elsewhere.” The Washington Post: As Trump Bars Syrian Refugees, Life In Their Camps Is Getting Harder “As President Trump suspended the resettlement of Syrian refugees, many of the more than 1 million displaced to Lebanon have found their resources stretched to a breaking point. According to a recent United Nations assessment, conditions for Lebanon’s refugees have deteriorated for a sixth year in a row. Ninety percent of households are taking out loans to afford basics necessities, leaving the average family to survive on less than two meals a day. ‘When people first fled, they may have had some resources and were able to meet their needs,’ said Niamh Murnaghan, Lebanon country director for the Norwegian Refugee Council. ‘As the crisis wore on, their money was used up.’” Iraq The New York Times: Trump’s Immigration Order Jolts Iraqis, U.S.’s Top Allies Against ISIS “President Trump’s executive order on immigration is straining relations with the partner the United States needs most to reclaim the Islamic State’s stronghold in Mosul: the Iraqis. Iraqi officials were taken aback by the directive, which they learned about through the American news media because they had not been consulted first. The order blocks citizens from Iraq and six other predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States for 90 days. That lumps Iraq together with Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen, nations with no strategic alliance with Washington.” Turkey Reuters: Turkish Soldier Killed In Clash With IS Near Syria's Al-Bab: Military “A Turkish soldier was killed in clashes with Islamic State militants near al-Bab in northern Syria on Sunday, the Turkish military said, as fighting between Turkey-backed rebels and Sunni hard-liners grinds on. Syrian rebels, backed by Turkish special forces, tanks and warplanes, have been besieging the Islamic State-held town since December. Turkey has repeatedly said it is close to taking al-Bab, although troops have been bogged down in street battles with Islamic State, slowing progress. The militants have also used car bombs and other tactics to inflict damage on the rebels. One Turkish soldier was killed on Sunday morning in the latest clashes with militants in al Ghuz, west of al-Bab, the military said in a statement.” Fortune: Trump’s Refugee Ban No Solution To Problems, Turkey PM Says “President Donald Trump's sweeping ban on people seeking refuge in the United States is no solution to problems, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Saturday, adding that Western countries should do more to help ease Turkey's refugee burden. The new Republican president on Friday put a four-month hold on allowing refugees into the United States and temporarily barred travelers from Syria and six other Muslim-majority countries, although NATO ally Turkey was not among them.” Afghanistan The New York Times: Under Taliban Siege, A Female Doctor’s Trial By Fire “The Taliban controlled the nearby streets and bullets were popping in the dark when Dr. Marzia Salam Yaftali’s neighbors in Kunduz City turned to her for help. Their relative had gone into labor with twins and was having trouble, the streets to the hospital were blocked, and Dr. Yaftali was their best hope. With urban battle all around, she took the risk of leaving her two young children at home to try to save three lives. But on that evening last fall, the doctor did not feel like a hero — she felt guilty. Her place was at Kunduz Regional Hospital, where she was the chief doctor, directing her staff members as they handled a wave of casualties. But they had begged her to stay home, feeling she would be at risk if the Taliban or even the militiamen fighting them found a woman in charge.” The New York Times: Taliban, Collecting Bills For Afghan Utilities, Tap New Revenue Sources “The Afghan government faces a peculiar problem in at least two major provinces: It provides precious electricity, some of it imported at costly rates from neighboring countries, but Taliban militants collect most of the bills. If the government cuts off power, it will further anger a population that is already disenchanted. If it does not, the revenue from the power will continue to provide more income to an already emboldened Taliban. The Taliban, fighting the Afghan government and a large international military coalition, have long tapped into Afghanistan’s lucrative drug trade and illegal mining, in addition to the streams of donations they receive from supporters abroad, mainly in the Persian Gulf states.” Yemen Associated Press: Yemeni Officials: US Make Surprise Raid, Killing 3 “U.S. forces launched a raid in central Yemen on Sunday, security and tribal officials said, landing troops off of aircraft and killing three alleged senior al-Qaida leaders in a battle that was the third such U.S. ground engagement against the extremist group in Yemen. The surprise dawn attack in Bayda province killed Abdul-Raouf al-Dhahab, Sultan al-Dhahab, and Seif al-Nims, they said. The al-Dhahab family is considered an ally of al-Qaida, which security forces say is concentrated in Bayda province. A third family member, Tarek al-Dhahab, was killed in a previous U.S. drone strike years ago. The fighting lasted around 45 minutes and the U.S. troops killed or wounded some two dozen men, including some Saudis present at the site, according to the Yemeni officials — who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief journalists.” Saudi Arabia Reuters: Saudi King Agrees In Call With Trump To Support Syria, Yemen Safe Zones: White House “Saudi Arabia's King Salman, in a telephone call on Sunday with U.S. President Donald Trump, agreed to support safe zones in Syria and Yemen, a White House statement said. Trump, during his presidential campaign last year, had called for Gulf states to pay for establishing safe zones to protect Syrian refugees. A statement after the phone call said the two leaders agreed on the importance of strengthening joint efforts to fight the spread of Islamic State militants. ‘The president requested, and the King agreed, to support safe zones in Syria and Yemen, as well as supporting other ideas to help the many refugees who are displaced by the ongoing conflicts,’ the statement said.” Middle East Voice Of America: Israel's Netanyahu: US Embassy Should Be In Jerusalem “Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that the American Embassy in Israel should be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, injecting himself once again into a charged campaign trail promise of U.S. President Donald Trump. Netanyahu's comments at his weekly Cabinet meeting appeared aimed at countering reports that Israel was concerned about the fallout of such a move, which is vehemently opposed by the Palestinians and has sparked fears of a renewed outbreak of violence. It comes a day after Netanyahu unilaterally endorsed Trump's call to build a wall along the Mexican border, saying the Israeli model along its border with Egypt has proven successful.” Newsweek: How Much Longer Can Oman Be An Oasis Of Peace In The Middle East? “The desert country of Oman does not have the most stable of neighbors. To its west lies Saudi Arabia, some of whose citizens have been major contributors to Islamist militant groups. To its southwest is Yemen, where Saudi Arabia and Iran are backing different sides of a civil war that has killed at least 10,000 civilians and attracted both Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State militant group (ISIS).Oman has tried to cut itself off as much as possible from these two troubled neighbors. So far, it has managed to avoid being sucked into the sort of conflict that has blighted nearly every other country in the Middle East. Oman has managed to stay out of disputes, maintaining good relationships with Western allies and other Middle Eastern countries, including Iran.” The Times Of Israel: Rafah Crossing Opens As Hamas, Egypt Improve Ties “The Rafah crossing between Egypt and the Hamas-run Gaza Strip reopened Saturday as Cairo and the Islamist terror organization that rules Gaza hailed an improvement in long-tense ties. Israel Radio said the Rafah Border Crossing between Gaza and Egypt reopened on Saturday for three days, the first time it has been open this year. Hamas called the rare visit by Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh to Cairo, the first visit by the group’s top leader in over three years, ‘successful,’ according to Egypt’s state-run news agency.” Libya Deutsche Welle: Libyan Trafficking Camps Are Hell For Refugees, Diplomats Say “Would-be migrants and refugees in Libya are being subjected to torture, rape and even execution by the human traffickers who are holding them, a newspaper report said on Sunday, citing German diplomats posted in Africa. ‘Executions of migrants who cannot pay, torture, rapes, blackmail and abandonment in the desert are the order of the day there,’ the ‘Welt am Sonntag’ quoted an internal report from the German embassy in the capital of Niger, Niamey, as saying. The diplomats' report, intended for the office of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and various ministries, spoke of ‘the most serious, systematic human rights violations,’ the paper said.” United Kingdom The Guardian: Theresa May’s Counter-Terrorism Bill Close To ‘Sinking Without Trace’ “Theresa May’s planned laws for countering extremism and terrorism are close to being shelved because the proposed legislation has failed to provide a clear definition of the problem it is intended to address. Sources say that the former home secretary’s delayed counter-extremism bill, rebranded the counter-extremism and safeguarding bill in the Queen’s speech last May, has been in effect grounded by government lawyers after failing to provide a legally acceptable definition of extremism. The bill details proposed civil orders to tackle extremism, which is defined only as ‘the vocal or active opposition to our fundamental values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and the mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs’.” Germany Reuters: Merkel Says Fight Against Terrorism No Excuse For U.S. Entry Ban “German Chancellor Angela Merkel told U.S. President Donald Trump that the global fight against terrorism was no excuse for banning refugees or people from Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States, her spokesman said on Sunday. Steffen Seibert said Merkel had expressed her concerns to Trump during a telephone call on Saturday and reminded him that the Geneva Conventions require the international community to take in war refugees on humanitarian grounds. ‘She is convinced that even the necessary, decisive battle against terrorism does not justify putting people of a specific background or faith under general suspicion,’ he said.” France Reuters: French Foreign Minister Says Accepting Refugees 'Is A Duty' “Consideration for the plight of refugees is a duty, and fear of terrorism is not a legitimate reason to refuse them sanctuary, the French foreign minister said on Sunday. Jean-Marc Ayrault's statement came after U.S. President Donald Trump signed an order to restrict people from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States. ‘Accepting refugees is a duty of solidarity,’ Ayrault said in a tweet. ‘Terrorism knows no nationality. Discrimination is no response.’ In his most sweeping decision since taking office a week ago, Trump, a Republican, put a four-month hold on allowing refugees into the United States and temporarily barred travellers from Syria and six other countries.” ISIS Voice Of Iraq: Former ISIS Employee Divulges Revenues From Commercial Property “A former employee at ISIS's "Office of Services", nicknamed "Abu Yahya", claimed that income generated from renting commercial property in Mosul during 2015 came to $87 million. The terror group does not publish any documents pertaining to the budgets of its "offices"; however, this figure is close to estimates made by former chief of engineers, Qaim Zuhair. He calculated the average rent of a commercial property at $800 {per month}. This represents an increase of 25% compared to 2013, the last year the city was under control of the Iraqi state. Abu Yahya revealed that the real estate properties that attained the highest rents were plazas used by public transport and parking lots scattered across the city's various districts.” Al-Akhbar: Lebanese Law Student Raised Money To Carry Out Attacks Under The ISIS Banner “Bushra, alias "Umm Aisha", who was detained last week by Lebanon's General Security, pledged her allegiance to ISIS. According to the files of her interrogation by the General Directorate of General Security, the detained law student, under the impact of events in Syria, began to follow Internet news and news groups via WhatsApp. This led her to espouse the ideology of jihadist organizations. Later, she launched a social media account of her own to disseminate news about raids on security barriers. From there she proceeded to the fundraising stage to finance terrorist operations inside Lebanon by purchasing explosives for executing operations against the army. She also raised funds to buy hand grenades to be hurled at {Lebanese} soldiers.” Raya: Gaza: Dire Economic Situation Behind Youth Joining ISIS “Growing numbers of ISIS supporters and militants in the Gaza Strip are the topmost source of concern for Hamas. This phenomenon also affects the Hamas government's relationship with Egypt, with frequent reports of infiltration of militants from the Gaza Strip into the Sinai to attack the Egyptian army. Gaza-based writer Mustafa al-Sawaf explains that the existence of extremist ideology is only natural due to the Palestinian situation and the continuation of the {Israeli-Egyptian}  blockade. Writer Mustafa Ibrahim agrees that the economic situation contributes to the popularity of jihadist groups. Young people from Gaza are lured by Salafi jihadist ideology due to their sense of injustice and the harsh economic situation in the Strip. On his part, Khuddar Muhjaz, an expert on affairs of Islamist movements, said the enrollment to ISIS's fronts in Syria, Iraq, Libya and the Sinai is directly related to the search of livelihood by the unemployed.” Muslim Brotherhood Leaders-News: Egypt: Muslim Brotherhood Funds Might Be Used To Complete Construction Of New Administrative Capital “Amid Egypt's economic crisis, there are several mega-projects the state has embarked on such as "The New Administrative Capital." Reports claim the state may use new sources to complete this project, which could cost Egypt's treasury billions of pounds. Among these sources are impounded Muslim Brotherhood funds, assets belonging to officials of the former regime, as well as millions of pounds seized during investigations of bribery and corruption cases. And topping these income sources are the Muslim Brotherhood assets seized by the Brotherhood Asset Freeze Committee Brotherhood. These include funds belonging to group leaders and affiliated entities, including real estate properties, agricultural land revenues, hospitals, schools and shops. These assets are estimated at more than 10 billion pounds ($534 million).” Asrar 7days: Muslim Brotherhood Accused Of Spending Huge Sums On New TV Channels At The Expense Of Its Prisoners' Families “The Muslim Brotherhood's new TV channels are at the center of a crisis, after its leaders revealed the exorbitant salaries being paid to TV presenters employed by those channels. The salary of Ramy Jan, for instance, totals 5,000 euros {per show}. This is at a time when the group is withholding funds intended for the families of jailed leaders. Sama Mohammed, one of the Brotherhood youth leaders, criticized the group for launching a new TV channel while, at the same time, discontinuing remittances to the families of the group's leaders in jail.” Alnabaa: Source: Muslim Brotherhood Spends $320k Per Month On Al Watan TV “Film director and prominent leader of the Muslim Brotherhood youth, Ezz Eldeen Dwedar, claimed that the international organization, led by Deputy Guide Ibrahim Munir, spends $320k a month on the Al Watan TV channel. According to Dwedar, amid this {tremendous} expenditure, Brotherhood youth are being expelled from their homes in Sudan due to the internal dispute, and families of the detainees are receiving no financial support. This is because the 'young guard' and their families disobey the policy of the group's veteran leaders. The Muslim Brotherhood-owned Al Watan TV channel is broadcast from Turkey and run by Islam Akl.” Tahrir News: Lawyer Accuses Dakahlia Endowments Of Squandering Public Money To Benefit The Muslim Brotherhood “Lawyer Khaled Elbery accused, in an official complaint, the Endowment Authority in Dakahlia Governorate of squandering public funds. This comes following the sale of a piece of land, on an area of 3000 square meters, behind Mit Ghamr's Al-Sayad High-School in the province of Dakahlia. Elbery claimed, "The Endowment Authority has misused public funds by allocating a plot of land to the Union of Workers at the Ministry of Endowment without obtaining the approval of Egypt's National Defense Council for Protecting State Land Properties. Therefore, 3000-sq. meters of land was sold to Brotherhood members at 1000 pounds ($52.6) per meter instead of 8000 ($420) pounds. The sale was carried out without a public bidding process, in violation of the law." The lawyer added, "This has resulted in the squandering of over 20 million pounds ($1.05 million) in state treasury funds." He stressed that Judge Ahmed Issa, director of Bandar Mit Ghamr Prosecution, passed a resolution to investigate the case.” Houthi Hadramout Net: Yemeni Prime Minister Confirms Flow Of Funds To Houthis “Ahmed Obeid bin Daghr, Prime Minister of Yemen, expressed his deep regret that the Houthis and loyalists of the ousted president are still pocketing revenues worth over 300 billion riyals ($1.2 billion) attained from customs and taxes, as well as profits from the telecommunications sector, tobacco, cigarettes and cement factories. Managing directors of these factories face 'severe terrorism' forcing them to hand over billions of riyals {to Houthis}, the Yemeni premier stated. He added: "Whatever the Houthis are doing to the public sector they are applying the same extortion methods on private industrial and service establishments. Their goal is to obtain maximum royalties to support their war effort, which is prolonging the war. They subject commercial banks to arbitrary measures and confiscate a large part of their revenues. All of this is carried out under various banners to cover the expenses of their war and to prolong it.”