Eye on Extremism August 11, 2016

Eye on Extremism August 11, 2016   The New York Times: U.S.-Backed Militias In Libya Claim To Retake ISIS Stronghold Of Surt “Pro-government Libyan militias backed by American air power said Wednesday that they had seized the Islamic State’s last stronghold in the country, in the seaside city of Surt. If confirmed, the capture would be a severe blow to the militant organization’s expansion into North Africa, and extend the string of territorial retreats it has suffered this year in Syria and Iraq. Militia announcements quoted by Libyan news agencies and television outlets said the militia fighters were still hunting remnants of the Islamic State forces hiding in residential neighborhoods in Surt. But the militias claimed to have taken the heavily fortified Ouagadougou Center, which the Islamic State had used as its headquarters.” International Business Times: Around 20,000 Isis Fighters In Iraq And Syria Retreating From All Fronts, Says US Commander “The fight against the Islamic State (Isis) in Iraq and Syria has led to the elimination of roughly 45,000 militants so far, a top US military commander has claimed. Estimates from US officials reportedly show that 15,000 to 20,000 fighters now remain in the two conflict-hit countries. The remarks came amid reports that US-backed Libyan forces have captured IS (Daesh) strongholds in Sirte, marking a major victory in the war against the terrorist group. The number of IS fighters in Libya, especially around Sirte, has also fallen from thousands just hundreds in the past few months. The US military and its foreign allies have waged a war to drive out the Islamist terrorist group from both Iraq and Syria. These coalition forces have been able to free many IS-held areas and the terrorists are now retreating from all fronts, according to Lt Sean MacFarland of the US Army.” The Washington Post: Battle For Aleppo May Be The Most Crucial Of The Syrian Civil War “A fast-moving cataclysm underway in and around Aleppo has brought together all the major actors in Syria’s civil war for what may be the most crucial battle of the five-year conflict, and it is testing whether U.S.-Russian cooperation to end it is a pipe dream. North of the city — in which the government holds the western side and U.S.-backed moderate opposition forces have occupied the east since 2012 — the opposition has lost control of its only lifeline for resupply under relentless pummeling by Russian and Syrian aircraft and artillery. The road to Turkey also provided the only path for humanitarian aid or an escape route for at least a quarter-million civilians trapped inside Aleppo, who the United Nations said this week have been left without food, medical supplies or running water.” Reuters: U.S. Says 300 Islamic State Fighters Killed In Afghan Operation “Afghan forces, backed by the United States, have killed an estimated 300 Islamic State fighters in an operation mounted two weeks ago, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan said on Wednesday, calling it a severe blow to the group. General John Nicholson said the offensive in the eastern province of Nangarhar was part of U.S. operations to degrade the capabilities of Islamic State wherever it raised its head, whether in Iraq and Syria or in Afghanistan. The group, believed to be confined to three or four of the more than 400 districts in Afghanistan, last month claimed responsibility for bombing a demonstration by the Shi'ite Hazara minority in the capital, Kabul, in which at least 80 people were killed.” Associated Press: Afghan Official: Taliban Closing In On Key City In The South “Afghan troops are being deployed to the capital of the key southern province of Helmand amid intense fighting with the Taliban in surrounding areas and fears the city could fall to the insurgents within days, officials said Wednesday. According to Kareem Atal, the head of Helmand's provincial council, Taliban insurgents have completely surrounded Lashkar Gah after weeks of intense fighting across the province. Army and police units have now been pulled back from checkpoints farther afield and brought back to reinforce the city. Also, ‘new forces are arriving’ in the city, he added. The fighting has closed all the highways leading into Lashkar Gah, forcing up prices for food and other basics inside the provincial capital, Atal said.” Voice Of America: Many Americans Fighting In Iraq, Syria Are Foes Of IS “More than half the men and women who have left the United States to join the conflict in Iraq and Syria may actually be battling against the Islamic State terror group instead of fighting for it. That conclusion is based on a new report by the London-based Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD), as well as on court records and information previously shared by intelligence and law enforcement officials. The report looked at the nationalities and motivations of foreign fighters who traveled to the region through the end of 2015 specifically to fight IS or other known terror groups. It found 114 of these fighters were from the U.S. That figure alone would represent a sizeable chunk — almost 46 percent — of the approximately 250 Americans who, according to U.S. law enforcement officials and the intelligence community, have sought to take part in the overall conflict.” RT: Russian Bombers Destroy ISIS Chemical Weapons Plant Near Raqqa, Syria “Russian Tu-22M3 strategic bombers have destroyed an Islamic State chemical weapons factory and killed numerous personnel with concentrated high-explosive munitions airstrikes around the terrorist stronghold Raqqa in Syria. Six long-range Tu-22M3s (NATO reporting name: Blinder) took off from airfields in Russia and, having passed through the airspace of several countries, attacked Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) terrorist installations southeast, north, and northwest of the city of Raqqa.” The Times Of Israel: Video Appears To Confirm Use Of Attack Drones By Hezbollah “Newly released footage from fighting in Syria has given a first glimpse into one a seemingly new addition to the arsenal of Lebanese terror group Hezbollah: attack drones. The video, released on social media on Tuesday by a Hezbollah-affiliated media outlet, appeared to show the unmanned aerial vehicle dropping cluster bombs on three Syrian rebel positions, in support of the Syrian regime in the countryside surrounding Aleppo. While Hezbollah, along with some other terrorist groups, have been known to operate pilotless drones for reconnaissance purposes or in kamikaze-style strikes for over a decade, this video is the first visual evidence that the Iran-backed organization has used UAVs capable of carrying out bombings.” Voice Of America: Russia, Turkey Plan To Coordinate On Syria “Russia and Turkey are taking unprecedented steps to directly coordinate actions in Syria after a rapprochement between their presidents and despite disagreeing over support for Damascus. The level of cooperation in the five-year civil war was made possible after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reconciled face to face Tuesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg. Putin announced that Russia would begin rolling back sanctions and restart important energy projects such as a stalled nuclear plant, which would be Turkey's first, and the Turkish Stream gas pipeline from southern Russia to the Black Sea.” Newsweek: What Next For Boko Haram’s Forsaken Leader, Abubakar Shekau? “Boko Haram’s mysterious leader has been most notable for his absence over the past year. Best known for his triumphal appearances in propaganda videos released by the Nigerian militant group after paramilitary operations, including the abduction of 276 schoolgirls in Chibok, Abubakar Shekau has been silent since March 2015, when an audio statement emerged in which the militant leader pledged allegiance, on behalf of his fighters, to the self-proclaimed caliph of the Islamic State militant group (ISIS), Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Shekau’s silence has been so total that many speculated that he may, finally, have been killed. The Nigerian military has claimed to have eliminated the fugitive—who is currently subject to a $7 million U.S. bounty for information on his whereabouts—on multiple occasions, but never been able to conclusively prove the claims.” International Business Times: Isis On The Internet: 7 Apps The Islamic State Group Uses For Recruitment, News And More “This week alone, already two terror threats linked to the Islamic State group have come through the encrypted messaging app Telegram. But the app, which the extremist organization has infamously been using since last year to communicate and spread propaganda, isn't the only tech tool in ISIS's digital arsenal. "Just as smart phones and portable devices have transformed the way much of the world communicates and interacts, jihadists, too, have rapidly adopted and availed themselves of these technologies," cybersecurity company Flashpoint wrote in a study released last month. "These technologies are imperative to jihadist operations ― whether for escaping surveillance, maintaining presences in underground channels, or obscuring tracks to war zones. Jihadist groups undeniably owe countless aspects of their perpetuated existence to the internet." Syria BBC: Syria Conflict: Aleppo Medics Appeal To Obama For Help “The last doctors in the rebel-held east of the Syrian city of Aleppo have urged US President Barack Obama to come to the aid of the 250,000 civilians there. A letter signed by 29 physicians warns that if attacks on medical facilities continue at their present rate, there could be none left within a month. It calls on Mr Obama to impose a no-fly zone over Aleppo to stop air strikes. Russia has meanwhile said its forces will hold fire for three hours each day from Thursday to let aid into Aleppo. However, the United Nations immediately said three hours would be insufficient to help the millions in need and appealed for 48-hour pauses. Fighting has escalated in recent days, with rebels severing the government's main route to the west of the city. The offensive sought to break a siege by pro-government forces, who encircled the east in July with the support of Russian aircraft.” Reuters: Russia Announces Daily Ceasefires In Syria's Aleppo To Let In Aid “Russia said on Wednesday there would be daily three-hour ceasefires in Syria's Aleppo starting Thursday to allow humanitarian convoys to enter the city safely, a proposal which the United Nations said it would consider. Aleppo is split into rebel and government controlled areas. The rebel-held east, where about 250,000 people are thought to be living, came under siege in early July after government forces cut the Castello Road, the main supply route into the district. Last Friday rebels staged a major assault southwest of Aleppo to break this siege. Rebel fighters did manage to pierce the ring of government-controlled territory, but a safe corridor for civilians and aid has not yet been established as fierce fighting continues.” Iraq Reuters: U.N. Says To Help Iraq Tackle Rampant Corruption “A United Nations agency said on Thursday it would help Iraq to tackle endemic graft that is eroding its economy and institutions as Baghdad struggles to defeat Islamic State militants. The U.N. Development Program will recruit international investigators to mentor and train Iraqi government auditors tasked with corruption investigations, it said in a statement released after a signing ceremony with the Iraqi government. Oil-rich Iraq ranks 161st out of 168 nations in Transparency International's Corruption Index. Thirteen years after the U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein, the country still suffers a shortage of electricity, water, schools and hospitals, while existing facilities and infrastructure suffer widespread neglect.” Turkey Reuters: Turkey Warns EU It Is Making 'Serious Mistakes' Over Failed Coup “Turkey said on Wednesday the European Union was fueled by anti-Turkish sentiment and hostility to President Tayyip Erdogan and was making grave mistakes in its response to a failed coup which was costing it the trust of ordinary Turks. Erdogan and many Turks have been incensed by what they see as the undue concern of Europe over a crackdown after the abortive July 15 coup attempt but indifference to the bloody events themselves in which more than 240 people died. More than 60,000 people in the military, judiciary, civil service and education have been detained, suspended or placed under investigation since the coup attempt, in which rogue soldiers commandeered tanks and warplanes to try to take power.” Reuters: Bomb Attacks, Cross-Border Fire Kill 13 In Southeast Turkey: Sources “Bomb blasts in two cities in southeast Turkey killed nine civilians and wounded dozens on Wednesday, security sources said, and blamed the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) for the coordinated attacks targeting police. A PKK commander had warned at the weekend of fresh attacks, saying police ‘will not be able to live as comfortably as they did in the past in cities.’ Earlier in the day, four soldiers were killed and nine wounded when militants opened fire with rockets and long-range weapons from across the Iraqi border. Security sources also blamed that attack, in Sirnak province, on the PKK. Turkey frequently launches air attacks against PKK targets in the mountainous regions of northern Iraq near the shared border, where the PKK leadership has camps.” Afghanistan Reuters: Afghan Officials Raise Alarm As Taliban Gain In Helmand Province “The Taliban are tightening their noose around the capital of disputed Helmand province in southern Afghanistan which has seen sustained fighting, residents and local officials say. Security officials and local leaders offered differing assessments of the risk of the city of Lashkar Gah falling, with military commanders asserting that the situation has stabilized. But officials in the besieged city are increasingly pessimistic. The Taliban are seeking to make Lashkar Gah the second provincial capital they have captured since their extremist Islamic rule was toppled in a U.S.-led campaign in 2001. The insurgents briefly held the northern city of Kunduz last October before being driven out by U.S.-backed Afghan troops. Atal said Afghan security forces in the province, which have undergone major reorganization this year, are capable but he said there was a lack of attention from leaders in Kabul.” Voice Of America: US, Afghanistan Dismiss Concerns Helmand Province Could Fall To Taliban “Officials in Afghanistan and the United States military have dismissed concerns the capital of restive Helmand province or any other district there was on the verge of collapse to the Taliban. The largest Afghan province has been the scene of fierce battles between the insurgents and Afghan troops in recent weeks. Residents say the Taliban has made rapid advances and lately the fighting has been taking place in districts around the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah, effectively besieging the city. But Afghan and American military officials dismiss concerns the insurgent group is on the verge of capturing another urban center like they briefly seized control of northern Kunduz city last year." Saudi Arabia Reuters: Saudi Arabia Intercepts Two Missiles Fired From Yemen, Al Arabiya Says “Saudi Arabia intercepted two ballistic missiles fired at the kingdom by Yemen's armed Houthi movement on Wednesday, Saudi-owned Al Arabiya TV reported. The attack follows renewed air strikes by a Saudi-led military coalition on the Houthi-controlled Yemeni capital, Sanaa. Thirteen civilians were killed when bombs a snack food factory. The Houthis did not immediately claim responsibility for the missile attack. In the past, they have boasted of launching around a dozen Scud missiles at the south of the kingdom during more than a year of war. A senior Houthi official did say that he held the United Nations responsible for the stepped-up combat, which followed the collapse over the weekend of U.N.-backed peace talks.” Middle East The Times Of Israel: Palestinian Man Arrested For Planning Shooting Attack “Israeli security forces arrested a member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the northern West Bank on Wednesday for allegedly planning a shooting attack on a military post, the Shin Bet security service said. As part of a joint operation by the Israel Defense Forces, Shin Bet and Israel Police, Ahmed Abu Rub, 27, was picked up from his home in the Qabatiya refugee camp outside Jenin in the early hours of Wednesday morning. According to the Shin Bet, Abu Rub had planned to open fire on an IDF checkpoint near the Mevo Dotan settlement in the northern West Bank, and maintained close ties with PIJ officials in the Gaza Strip.” Libya The Wall Street Journal: West Urges Cease-Fire Around Key Libya Oil Terminal “Western powers urged Libyan militants to implement a cease-fire near a key oil terminal, warning that damaging the facility would threaten efforts to stabilize the war-torn country’s economy. The call shows rising concern in European capitals and Washington about the refusal of militias from eastern Libya to fall in line with a proposed national government endorsed by the United Nations. Libyan political turmoil has become a critical security concern for the West, particularly since Islamic State exploited the chaos to establish a foothold in the coast city of Sirte. The potential for conflict has surged in recent weeks, with eastern militants threatening to attack tankers hired to ship oil exports authorized by the U.N.-backed government.” United Kingdom Bloomberg: U.K. Must Tackle Inequality Faced By Muslims, Lawmakers Say “Britain must do more to tackle inequality faced by Muslims, who suffer the highest unemployment of all religious and ethnic groups, lawmakers on Parliament’s Women and Equalities Select Committee said. Joblessness among Muslims is 12.8 percent, more than double the national rate of 5.4 percent, the cross-party committee said in a report published Wednesday. The panel called for a government plan by the end of the year to tackle the disparity, and raised concerns that existing measures to promote integration are linked to counter-extremism strategies, known as ‘Prevent,’ potentially stoking tensions.” BBC: Russia-UK Relations: May And Putin Pledge To Improve Ties “Theresa May has spoken on the phone to Russia's President Vladimir Putin for the first time since she became PM, Downing Street has confirmed. Both leaders expressed dissatisfaction with UK-Russian relations, and pledged to improve ties, the Kremlin said. A Downing St spokeswoman said they agreed that co-operation on aviation security was a vital part of efforts to fight terrorism. ‘The prime minister and president agreed that British and Russian citizens faced common threats from terrorism, and that co-operation on aviation security in particular was a vital part of the international counter-terrorism effort.’” The Guardian: UK confusion between integration and counter-terrorism hinders Muslims “The government’s conflation of integration with counter-terrorism has exacerbated inequalities experienced by British Muslims, MPs have said. Islamophobia, stereotyping, cultural traditions and insufficient role models have also contributed to Muslims experiencing the highest levels of unemployment among all religious and ethnic groups – 12.8% compared with 5.4% for the general population – according to the Commons women and equalities committee. The report, called Employment Opportunities for Muslims in the UK, published by the committee on Thursday, calls on the government to introduce specific policies to help Muslims overcome these issues but directs some of its strongest concerns towards integration policy.” Germany RT: New German Security Law To Target Medical Confidentiality, Dual Citizenship “Following a recent spate of attacks, Germany’s leading coalition parties are readying a set of new security laws to fight extremism which will include measures accelerating deportations, abolishing dual citizenship, and loosening medical confidentiality. German Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière has put together proposals from several political parties to create an updated catalogue of counterterrorism measures and legislation aimed at curbing domestic extremism that will be presented on Thursday, Bild reports. As Interior Minister De Maizière reportedly wants to deal with foreign troublemakers and offenders in an effective manner, deporting undesired migrants will become a quick and unhindered procedure, and asylum applications will be considered much more quickly as well.” The Guardian: German Minister To Propose Ban On Full Face Veils In Wake Of Attacks “Germany’s interior minister will propose a number of security measures, including a ban on the full face veil for women, in reaction to growing concerns about violent attacks in the country. According to German media, the measures, which the interior ministry will try to turn into law before national elections in 2017, include boosting police numbers and video surveillance at railway stations and airports, making it easier for doctors to break confidentiality agreements if their patients are planning criminal acts, and tightening rules around obtaining dual nationality. The federal interior minister, the Christian Democrat (CDU) MP Thomas de Maizière, is expected to present details of a number of initiatives on Thursday, with the official presentation of the so-called Berlin declaration to follow at a conference of German state interior ministers on 18 August.” Voice Of America: Germany To Launch New Anti-Terrorism Policies After Repeated Attacks “German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere is set to announce several new measures aimed at curbing terrorism after Islamic State claimed two attacks in the country last month. According to local media reports, the new policies will allow the deportation of migrants for being a ‘threat to public security,’ speed up the deportation process of migrants convicted of crimes and allow doctors to break their confidentiality agreement with patients if they think the patient could be a risk for launching a terror attack. The new, stepped-up terror measures came as a response to two terror attacks carried out by migrants in Germany in July – one, an ax attack on a crowded train in Wuerzburg, and the other a suicide bombing in Ansbach.” France BBC: France Terror: Girl, 16, Investigated Over Telegram 'Attack Plan' “A 16-year-old French girl has been placed under investigation, accused of planning a jihadist attack using the Telegram messaging app, judicial officials say. The girl, who has no criminal record, was detained at her home on Thursday, after an anti-terror raid near Paris. She was an administrator of a group on the encrypted app, and is alleged to have been calling for attacks. The app had been used by the men who killed a priest in Normandy last month.  Investigations revealed the group administrator to be a 16-year-old secondary-school pupil. ‘She relayed numerous Islamic State group propaganda messages calling for attacks, and she also expressed her own intention of taking action,’ a source close to the investigation told AFP news agency.” RT: ‘Radicalization Test’ Ridicule: Anti-Terrorism Proposal By French Official Sparks Twitter Barrage "A high school ‘radicalization detection test’ is the latest proposal to fight terrorism from one French official – with the suggestion causing outrage online, but also spawning a large amount of ridicule. The test would be in the form of an interview between the student and a psychologist to estimate the ‘radicalization risk’, and would include questions ‘to confirm or contradict the existence of an Islamic radicalization process,’ Didier added in his Facebook message." Europe Fox News: Manhunt For Belgian Teen Jihadi Who Called For Extermination Of Christians “Belgian police on Tuesday were hunting for a 15-year-old boy seen on a recent video calling for ‘the murder of all Christians.’ Footage published on a French website reveals the unnamed teenager speaking in Arabic, proclaiming, ‘Oh Allah, destroy the odious Christians. Oh Allah Kill them all,’ The Telegraph reported. The teenager, who is the son of a radical imam, is also quoted as stating, ‘Don’t spare any of them,’ in reference to the annihilation of Christians.  The video, recorded in Verviers, has city government officials on high alert. Mayor Muriel Targnion ordered police to uncover the boy’s whereabouts ‘as a matter of urgency,’ according to reports. Police have identified the boy and have confirmed he was on a list of radicalized individuals, but withheld his name, The Telegraph added.” Reuters: Two Planes Land Safely At Brussels Airport After Bomb Threats: VRT “Two aircraft landed safely at Brussels' Zaventem airport after receiving bomb threats, the Belgian state broadcaster VRT reported on Wednesday evening. State prosecutor Eric Van Der Sypt said his office had received information about possible bomb alerts and had opened an investigation, but declined to provide details. He said the bomb squad had not been called to the airport. An airport police spokeswoman said no bomb alerts were in place and that there was no problem at the airport. VRT said both planes, one of which was flying from Oslo, landed safely. A reporter at Belgian broadcaster Woestijnvis/Proximus TV, Bart Raes, tweeted that he was on the flight from Oslo and that the pilot had received the bomb threat 20 minutes before the plane was due to land.” Technology Reuters: U.S. Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Against Twitter Over Islamic State Rhetoric “Twitter Inc won a bid to dismiss a lawsuit brought by the widow of an American killed in Jordan which accused the social media company of giving voice to Islamic State, a federal judge ruled on Wednesday. U.S. District Judge William H. Orrick in San Francisco ruled that Twitter cannot be held liable for Islamic State's rhetoric, but gave the plaintiff a chance to refile an amended lawsuit. Social media companies including Twitter have faced pressure to crack down on online propaganda linked to terrorism. Tamara Fields, a Florida woman whose husband Lloyd died in an attack on the police training center in Amman last year, said Twitter knowingly let the militant Islamist group use its network to spread propaganda, raise money and attract recruits. While Orrick called the deaths ‘horrific,’ he agreed with Twitter and said federal law protects the company from liability for the content that third parties publish on its platform.” Terrorist Financing Gulf Eyes: Funds Earmarked For Charities Reach Terrorist Groups “A report presented at a summit regarding ways to combat terrorism, which opened Wednesday in Indonesia, disclosed that funds initially intended for charitable purposes often end up in the hands of terrorist groups. The report, prepared by representatives of the Indonesian and Australian authorities, calls for Southeast Asian countries to cooperate more closely to stop the flow of money into the pockets of extremists, especially the Islamic State organization. The report on terror financing in Southeast Asia and Australia presented two cases uncovered in Australia in the past decade, during which funds dedicated to charity projects reached terrorist groups instead.” ISIS ARA News: Syria: ISIS Imposes New Taxes On Merchants “The Islamic State organization in the city of Deir Ezzor, in eastern Syria, has started imposing new taxes on merchants who import food from areas controlled by the opposition and the Syrian regime. This move has led to dramatic price hikes in areas under the control of ISIS in the city. Media activist Samer el-Khalaf from Deir Ezzor said, "The price of food and basic goods has gone up dramatically over the past few days, since the organization started imposing new taxes. Consequently, merchants and owners of warehouses have been forced, in turn, to raise their prices. These goods are now being sold in some cases at double the price compared to the previous one." Muslim Brotherhood Elwehda: Media Personality: Muslim Brotherhood Buys Pages In Foreign Newspapers To Incite Against Egypt “TV presenter Engy Anwar said during last night's "Cairo Evening" talk show on Channel TEN TV that not only does the Muslim Brotherhood use the weapon of assassinations of public officials and figures, but it has also started using other kinds of weapons. Their ultimate aim is to spread strife at home and tarnish Egypt's reputation abroad. By this, it (the group) thinks it can incite world public opinion against Egypt. Anwar added that a large proportion of the Brotherhood funds are directed towards procuring pages and articles in international newspapers to incite against Egypt, in addition to its satellite TV channels that broadcast their usual "venom." She noted that the group launched its anti-Egypt incitement campaign abroad through reports published by the British "Economist" and newspapers in the United States.” Elmwatin: Egyptian Parliament Member: Muslim Brotherhood Paid $2 Billion To Discredit Egypt “Major-General Tamer al-Shahawy, member of the National Defense and Security Committee of the Egyptian Parliament, asserted that certain intelligence services have been targeting Egypt since the nationalization of the Suez Canal. He claimed that the Muslim Brotherhood paid $2 billion to foreign media companies to discredit Egypt. He expressed his disapproval of comments made recently by Egypt's Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Magdi El-Agati, regarding (the need for) reconciliation with the Brotherhood, saying these comments harmed the Constitution.” Elwehda: Muslim Brotherhood Turns To Electronic Media To Mark The Deadly Dispersal Of Rabaa Al-Adawiya And Al-Nahda Sit-Ins “The Muslim Brotherhood's electronic Internet committees launched the marking of the 3rd anniversary of the dispersal of sit-ins in the Rabaa al-Adawiya and al-Nahda Squares on the group's official social media website pages. Muslim Brotherhood media spokesman, Mohammed Montaser, published comments on his personal Twitter account, which were used by the group to commemorate the anniversary of Rabaa al-Adawiya and al-Nahda crackdown. While, on the one hand, these comments underscore the injustice of the event, on the other hand they incite young people to take revenge. A Facebook post by the Muslim Brotherhood Media Center, which is affiliated with the Youth Front, used the hashtag #Rabaa_people_liberated, showing photos of the victims killed during the dispersal and slogans used by the group at the time of the sit-ins.”