|
|
Eye on Extremism
March 2, 2016
Counter
Extremism Project
Jerusalem
Post: Broaden The Reach Of UN Sanctions
“United Nations Security Council Resolution 2253, adopted unanimously
in December, sends the unequivocal message that the world is aligned
against the criminal brutality of Islamic State (IS) and intends to crack
down, primarily on its financial and military capabilities. However, even
as the international community takes aim at IS, UN sanctions appear
powerless to respond effectively to IS’s most potent weapon: the ability
to recruit, radicalize and incite to violence online. If the
international community is serious about clamping down on the recruiting
pipeline that sustains IS, it will need to take an unflinching look at
its outdated sanctions regime, and broaden the impact of its embargoes.”
CNN:
First On CNN: U.S. Special Ops Team Captures First ISIS Operative
“U.S. Special Operations forces have captured their first suspected
ISIS operative in Northern Iraq as part of a highly secretive targeting
team led by the Army's elite Delta Force, CNN has learned. The detainee
is being interrogated by the U.S. and is expected to be turned over to
Iraqi officials in the coming days, two U.S. officials confirmed. They
provided details to CNN but asked not to be identified due to the
sensitivity of the matter, and they did not identify the location of the interrogation.”
AFP:
IS Suicide Bombers Penetrate Iraq Army HQ, Kill General
“Four Islamic State group suicide bombers infiltrated an army
headquarters west of Baghdad, killing an Iraqi general and five other
soldiers, army and police officers said on Tuesday. The bombers attacked
a regimental headquarters in the Haditha area of Anbar province late on
Monday, killing Staff Brigadier General Ali Aboud, Lieutenant Colonel
Farhan Ibrahim and four others, the sources said.”
Associated
Press: Terrorists Are A Part Of Daily Refugee Flow To Europe: US General
“Terrorists, criminals and foreign fighters are part of the daily
refugee flow into Europe, the top NATO commander in Europe told lawmakers,
‘masking the movement’ of these dangerous elements and heightening the
potential for an attack. In testimony Tuesday before the Senate Armed
Services Committee, US Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove said the Islamic
State extremist group is ‘spreading like a cancer’ within this mix,
‘taking advantage of paths of least resistance, threatening European
nations’ and the United States.”
Jerusalem
Post: Israel Says Syria Used Chemical Weapons During Ceasefire
“Israel said on Tuesday that Syrian government forces have used
chemical weapons against civilians since the start of a ceasefire aimed
at preparing the way for an end to the five-year civil war. The truce,
sponsored by Russia and the United States, began on Saturday and has been
dogged by opposition charges of non-compliance by Damascus - something
President Bashar Assad has denied. It does not apply to missions against
jihadist rebels.”
Reuters:
Jordan Troops Hunt Militants At Syria Border
“Jordanian security forces killed several Islamist militants during a
manhunt on Tuesday that involved hundreds of troops in the northern city
of Irbid, near the border with Syria, security officials said. A police
officer was also killed during the operation. Riot police officers and
special forces took part in the operation, which a security official
described as one of the largest sweeps against sleeper cells of
sympathizers of hard-line Islamist groups in recent years.”
Voice
Of America: Al-Qaida Recruitment In Syria May Jump
“Rebel commanders and opposition activists are warning that jihadist
recruitment of Syrian fighters is likely to jump in the coming months
because of the collapse of some moderate militias and a shake-up of
others in the wake of a Russian-backed Syrian government offensive in
northern Syria. But it is not Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s Islamic State that
will benefit the most, but al-Qaida affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra, they
warn.”
Haaretz:
Israeli Wounded In West Bank Stabbing Attack, Two Palestinian Suspects
Shot Dead
“An Israeli resident of the West Bank settlement of Eli was
lightly wounded early on Wednesday in a stabbing attack. Two
Palestinian suspects were shot and killed by Israeli soldiers after
initially fleeing the scene. According to initial reports, the
Palestinians infiltrated the settlement, located southeast of Ariel, and
waited outside of a home with batons and a knife. The Israeli was
said to have emerged from his house in an IDF uniform on his way to report
for reserve duty when he was attacked.”
New
York Times: Iraq’s Biggest Dam Could Collapse At Any Time, Killing
Thousands
“Anyone who lives on or near the banks of the river — in other words,
a major chunk of the Iraqi population. The United States Embassy
estimates that hundreds of thousands of people who are “at highest risk
from the projected floodwave probably would not survive its impact,” and
that more than one million would swiftly find themselves without homes.
The city of Mosul could be flooded by 45 feet of water in less than four
hours, and ultimately as much as 70 feet; even far downstream in Baghdad,
the river could rise 13 feet within a day of a dam collapse.”
United
States
International
Business Times: ISIS In Iraq: US Delta Force Commence Mosul Operations
Against Last Islamic State Stronghold
“The Islamic State group's existence in Iraq looks to be drawing to a
close as Pentagon officials confirmed Monday that U.S.-led coalition
forces had commenced operations aimed at driving the terror organization
out of its last remaining stronghold in Mosul. Around 200 U.S. Delta
Force troops, in coordination with the Iraqi military, are said to be
conducting raids, seizing territory and plotting to rescue hostages and
prisoners, according to Secretary of Defense Ash Carter and other
Pentagon sources.”
Syria
BBC
News: Syria Conflict: Peace Talks Delayed To Let Truce 'Settle Down'
“The UN's special envoy to Syria has said peace talks have been pushed
back to 9 March to allow the cessation of hostilities to ‘settle down’.
The previous round of peace talks last month collapsed after only two
days. The latest truce has led to a marked reduction in violence, but
both sides have complained of violations. President Bashar al-Assad
insisted on an interview on Tuesday that the government ‘will do our part
so that the whole thing works’.”
Voice
Of America: Russia Says Arms Coming Into Syria From Turkey
“Russia's foreign minister says convoys entering war-torn Syria from
neighboring Turkey have supplied rebel groups with weapons and is calling
for the closure of the border. In Geneva on Tuesday, Sergei Lavrov told
the U.N. Human Rights Council that ‘gangs have received arms across this
border, including from humanitarian convoys.’ Russia, an ally of Syria's
president, has had tense ties with Turkey in recent months.”
Iraq
Associated
Press: IS Suicide Bombers Hit Iraq
“Four suicide bombers disguised as soldiers struck an Iraqi military
headquarters in the western town of Haditha on Tuesday, killing eight
army officers, including a local commander, in an attack claimed by the
Islamic State group. Local councilman Khalid Salman said one of the
bombers attacked the gate of the compound and the others struck after
soldiers gathered to help the victims. He said eight soldiers were
wounded in the attack.”
AFP:
Iraq Launches Major Anti-ISIS Operation North Of Baghdad
“Thousands of Iraqi security personnel launched an operation on
Tuesday aimed at retaking areas north of Baghdad from the ISIS militant
group, officials said. Counter-terrorism forces, soldiers, police and
allied paramilitaries are taking part in the operation, which is backed
by artillery and both Iraqi and U.S.-led coalition aircraft, the Joint
Operations Command announced. An Iraqi army colonel said that more than
7,000 security personnel would take part in the operation, which the
operations command said aims to retake areas west of the city of
Samarra.”
International
Business Times: ISIS Militant Captured In Iraq; US To Hand Over Detainee
To Iraqi, Kurdish Authorities After Interrogation
“U.S. Special Operations forces have captured an Islamic State group
operative in a recent raid in northern Iraq, reports said Tuesday.
American defense authorities described the capture as a vital development
in fighting the militant group also known as ISIS. U.S. Army’s elite
Delta Force reportedly led the highly secretive team to capture the
operative. U.S. authorities are interrogating the detained ISIS militant
in the northern Iraqi city of Erbil, according to the New York Times.”
Turkey
Reuters:
Turkey's Erdogan Offers To Help West Africa Fight Terrorism
“Turkey stands ready to help fight the growing threat of terrorism in
west Africa under a new strategic partnership that aims to boost trade and
other ties with the continent, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday.
Addressing members of Ghana's parliament during a two-day visit to Accra,
Erdogan said Turkey was well placed to help African countries combat
terrorism, an allusion to its decades-long fight against Kurdish
separatist rebels as well as other groups including Islamist militants.”
AFP:
Turkey Shells Islamic State Positions In Syria
“Turkish artillery fired 50 to 60 shells from howitzers positioned in
its southern Kilis region against IS targets in the north of Syria's
Aleppo province, the private Dogan news agency reported. A fragile
ceasefire has taken effect in Syria, but jihadists are excluded from it.
It was the first attack in several weeks since Turkey, a member of the
international coalition against the IS group, stuck jihadist positions in
Syria. Turkish artillery have fired on IS targets in Syria and in Iraq
after a deadly suicide attack in Istanbul's tourist hub of Sultanahmet in
January.”
Associated
Press: Turkey Rolls Back Curfew In Mainly Kurdish Town
“Turkey is rolling back a 24-hour curfew imposed on the mainly Kurdish
town of Cizre nearly three weeks after declaring the successful
conclusion of military operations there. The curfew was lifted at 5 a.m.
on Wednesday allowing residents to return to their conflict-stricken
neighborhoods for the first time since December 14. But it will remain in
effect at night between 7:30 p.m. and 5 a.m. The town near the borders of
Syria and Iraq, is one of a handful of mainly Kurdish districts where
security forces conducted operations against militants linked to the
Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK.”
Afghanistan
Chicago
Tribune: Afghanistan Police Officer Kills 4 Of His Colleagues; 11 Missing
“An Afghan police officer shot dead four of his colleagues at a
checkpoint on a remote stretch of a major southern highway, an official
said Tuesday. Another 11 officers who were manning the checkpoint when
the shooting happened Monday night were still missing, said Gen. Ghulam
Sakhi Roghlewanai, police chief of Uruzgan province. The Taliban claimed
responsibility for the incident in an email to media.”
Wall
Street Journal: Indian Consulate In Eastern Afghanistan Hit By Suicide
Bomber, Gunmen
“A suicide bomber and gunmen attacked the Indian consulate in the
eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad on Wednesday, officials said, striking
close to the front gates of the compound. The attack was ongoing in the
early afternoon, as Afghan forces fought to dislodge two gunmen from a
nearby guesthouse. An Afghan health official said at least 12 people were
wounded. It was unclear whether any were killed. The Indian mission in
Afghanistan has suffered a string of attacks in recent years.”
Middle
East
Wall
Street Journal: Israel Ramps Up Fight Against Tunnelers With ‘The
Obstacle’
“One morning early last month, Ahmed al Zahar picked up a scarf, left
his mobile phone in the kitchen and headed out to help build a tunnel
underneath the Gaza Strip near the border with Israel. Hours later, he
was dead, after an underground passageway he was working on collapsed. A
member of the Izz Al-Din Al-Qassam Brigades, the secretive militant arm
of the Islamist movement Hamas, Mr. Zahar is one of at least 10
operatives who have died since the middle of January trying to create an
underground network that could move weapons and supplies in any conflict
with Israel, a more technologically advanced foe.”
Reuters:
Hezbollah Sees New Struggle In Lebanon, Denounces Saudi Arabia
“Hezbollah said on Tuesday that Lebanon had been pushed into a new
phase of political conflict by Saudi Arabia but was not on the brink of
civil war and its government of national unity should survive. Sayyed
Hassan Nasrallah, head of the Iranian-backed group, also stepped up
criticism of Saudi Arabia, accusing it of directing car bombings in
Lebanon, an arena for sectarian-tinged Iranian-Saudi rivalry that is
escalating across the Middle East.”
Washington
Post: Israeli Troops Relying On Waze App Blunder Into Palestinian Area;
Clashes Follow
“A gun battle broke out in a Palestinian neighborhood late Monday
after Israeli forces tried to rescue two soldiers who had mistakenly
entered the area because of an error on a satellite navigation app,
Israeli authorities said Tuesday. The clashes in the Qalandiya refugee
camp outside Jerusalem left at least one Palestinian dead and 10 injured,
one seriously. At least 10 Israeli soldiers also were wounded during the
hour-long operation.”
Libya
AFP:
Life Returns To Libya City Streets After IS 'Shock'
“For four days and nights, terrified residents of Sabratha huddled in
their homes as Islamic State group fighters battled local militias after
briefly overrunning the centre of the Libyan city. But life is slowly
returning to normal in the city, famous for its magnificent Roman ruins,
since security forces declared at the weekend that the jihadists had been
fought off. ‘We were terrified. We were afraid for our children and
families,’ resident Usama al-Jedi told AFP as he shopped for vegetables
at a local market.”
Europe
BBC
News: Dutch IS Militants In Syria's 'Deaths' Disputed
“A monitoring group is disputing a report that so-called Islamic State
(IS) has killed eight Dutch militants accused of trying to desert in
Syria. Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently (RBSS), a group that reports on
abuses in IS-held Raqqa province, said the men were killed in Maadan on
Friday. They were held after clashes between Dutch and Iraqi jihadists,
it added. But the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights cited its
own sources as saying the RBSS report was not true.”
Arabic
Language Clips
Financing
Of Terrorism
Sada
El-Balad: Drying Up The Sources Of Terrorism At The Top Of The Arab
Interior Ministers Council Agenda Tomorrow
Maj. Gen. Marwan Mostafa, Director of the Arab Bureau for Security
Information of the Council of Arab Interior Ministers, stressed that the
22rd session of the Council of Arab Interior Ministers is aimed at
enhancing cooperation and coordination between the security agencies in
various Arab countries. The event is being hosted by Tunisia on March 2nd
and 3rd under the patronage of Tunisian President Mohammed
Beji Caid Essebsi. Mostafa noted that at the top of the agenda of the
Council of Arab Interior Ministers' meeting will be their joint efforts
to dry up the sources of terrorist financing, which would uproot
terrorism from the Arab world. Mostafa added that other key topics of
discussion during this session will be reports about what has actually
been implemented out of the Arab strategy for combating terrorism, the
Arab security strategy, and the Arab strategy to combat the illegal use
of drugs.
ISIS
Jawhara
FM: Military Expert: ISIS In Sirte Found Social Support By Some Of The
People There
Arab military expert, Adel Abdelkafi, emphasized yesterday (Tuesday,
March 1st, 2016) that the greatest presence of ISIS in Libya
is currently in the city of Sirte. Exploiting the security vacuum, the
terror group has recruited local and foreign militants numbering an
estimated 3000. Abdelkafi asserted that ISIS's force in Sabratha does not
exceed a few hundred gunmen. He explained that the problem in Sirte is
that the local residents have granted the terror group a base of popular
social support. The expert added that the jihadist organization in Sirte
has been trying to find new funding sources after no longer being able to
rob vehicles moving money to banks.
Muslim
Brotherhood
Veto:
The (Egyptian) Prosecution Asks Banks And CAO To Determine Brotherhood
Sources Of Funding
The Supreme State Security Prosecution, headed by Attorney General
Tamer Al-Fergany, launched an investigation into alleged financial irregularities
in disbanded Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated entities as well as 1365
individuals, including retired soccer legend Mohammed Abu Treika and
businessman Safwan Thabet. The Prosecution sent a memo to the Central
Auditing Organization (CAO) and several banks requesting information on
the movements of funds by the owners of these entities, along with their
sources of funding and involvement in funding the banned Brotherhood
group.
Almal
News: East Delta (Company) Denies Receiving Letters On Seizure Of El Feki
Funds (From The Brotherhood Committee),"
East Delta Flour Mills Company (EDFM) stated it had received no
official notification about what was being circulated by some news
websites regarding the appropriation of assets owned by the company's
chairman, Mohammed El Feqi. It should be noted that El-Feki belongs to
Al-Wafd Party's Higher Committee, which refused at its meeting last
Friday to suspend his membership or take any decision against him. This
came after the Party received a letter from the Brotherhood Asset Freeze
Committee regarding the seizure of his money for his involvement in
terrorist activities carried out by a Muslim Brotherhood cell. Al-Wafd
Party's Higher Committee contended that the decision to seize El-Feki's
funds is not new. The letter in this regard was sent to the Party months
ago, but it took no action against him nor did it adopt a decision
avowing that he was not guilty. The Party added that the decision to
seize his funds was taken solely because he was a partner in a
Brotherhood-affiliated currency exchange company.
Alrai:
Rental Contract For Brotherhood Office In Aqaba Forged
Sources revealed that the rental contract of the Aqaba office of the
Islamic Action Front Party, the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood
in Jordan, is "a fake". The landlord of the building where the
office is located claimed that until a few months ago the office had been
rented out to Jordan's Pharmacists' Association. Since they left, it has
not been leased to any party, and that includes the Islamic Action Front
Party. Meanwhile, the Brotherhood Group insists that it possesses a
one-year contract signed on January 1st, 2016. The sources
quoted a lawyer working for the unlicensed Muslim Brotherhood Group, who
claimed that he had not seen or approved the contract for the office.
|
|
|
|
|
Be the first of your friends to like this.
Posts
