Eye on Extremism - March 29, 2016

Eye on Extremism March 29, 2016 The Wall Street Journal: Terror Network’s Web Sprawls Beyond Brussels And Paris “A pan-European effort to crack the Islamic State network behind the Paris and Brussels attacks is yielding an unsettling discovery—a web of interlocking terror cells whose dimensions authorities say they are still trying to grasp. European authorities said they suspect that several men detained in a number of countries over the Easter weekend all had connections to perpetrators of the deadly attacks. This has prompted French and Belgian prosecutors to seek closer U.S. assistance, according to Western officials, as they try to map the extent of the network responsible for killing 130 people in Paris in November and at least 31 in Brussels on Tuesday. Recent police raids have turned up more men allegedly linked to the Paris and Brussels attackers, which in turn have led authorities to other suspects. One man apprehended in Italy on Sunday is suspected of having supplied several suspected attackers with fake documents. Three other men detained last week, one near Paris and two in Brussels, also had links to the attackers, and were allegedly plotting a terror act in France. The string of arrests, which come on top of multiple other detentions in recent months, suggests the terror networks being pursued by European authorities spread beyond Paris and Brussels.” CNN: Capitol Shooting: Suspect In Custody “U.S. Capitol Police shot a Tennessee man Monday afternoon after he pulled out what appeared to be a weapon at the Capitol Visitor Center, law enforcement officials said. A female civilian bystander was injured by shrapnel, but no U.S. Capitol Police officers were injured. He said the suspect, who law enforcement officials identified as Larry Russell Dawson, is currently in surgery at a hospital and that what appeared to be a weapon was recovered on the scene. Verderosa also described the woman's injuries as ‘minor’ and said she was transported to a hospital. The suspect attempted to go through the metal detectors at the Capitol Visitor Center entrance. When those magnetometers beeped, he was stopped by security and then pulled out what appears to be a weapon. A Capitol police officer then shot him, sources told CNN.” Newsweek: ISIS Crucifies Catholic Priest Tom Uzhunnalil On Good Friday: Reports “The militant group Islamic State (ISIS) continued its persecution of Christian groups by allegedly crucifying a Catholic priest on Good Friday, the Washington Times reports. The victim was reportedly the Rev. Thomas Uzhunnalil, a Salesian priest, who was kidnapped in Yemen earlier this month during a raid on a Catholic nursing home run by Mother Teresa’s organization Missionaries of Charity. Uzhunnalil, a native of India, was captured on March 4, in a raid which also killed 16 Christian nuns and nurses. His alleged death by the same method the Romans used to kill Jesus—an event marked by Christians around the world on Good Friday—was reportedly confirmed at the Easter Vigil Mass by Cardinal Christoph Schonborn of Vienna, although the Cardinal's claim has yet to be independently verified. The Indian government had received no further information regarding the priest's fate on Monday evening.” New York Times: EgyptAir Flight Hijacked And Diverted To Cyprus “A man claiming to be wearing an explosive vest hijacked an EgyptAir plane en route to Cairo from Alexandria on Tuesday morning and forced it to land in Larnaca, on the southern coast of Cyprus. Most of the 56 passengers were released, but a tense standoff ensued for four hours, as the plane stayed on the tarmac. Three passengers, and five crew members — including the pilot and co-pilot — were still on board, along with the hijacker, EgyptAir said in a Facebook post at 12:15 p.m.” The Jerusalem Post: Report: ISIS Planned Attacks On Jewish Children In Turkey “Islamic State terrorists had reportedly "advanced plans" to murder Jewish children in attacks aimed at educational and youth institutions in Turkey, according to Britain's Sky News on Monday. The report cited information allegedly obtained by intelligence officials from arrested ISIS operatives regarding ‘an imminent’ attack.  According to the Sky News report, six ISIS members arrested over the last week in the southern Turkish city of Gaziantep revealed the alleged plans by the extremist group to target Jewish children at kindergartens, schools and youth centers. ‘In light of these circumstances, extraordinary security measures are being taken above and beyond the high alert level already in place by the Turkish police, as well as vigilance within the Jewish community,’ Sky News quoted a local intelligence source as saying.” Fox News: FBI Breaks Into San Bernardino Gunman's iPhone Without Apple's Help, Ending Court Case “The U.S. Justice Department announced Monday it has successfully accessed data stored on the iPhone that belonged to the San Bernardino gunman without Apple's help, ending the court case against the tech company. The surprise development effectively ends a pitched court battle between Apple and the Obama administration. The government asked a federal judge to vacate a disputed order forcing Apple to help the FBI break into the iPhone, saying it was no longer necessary. The court filing in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California provided no details about how the FBI did it or who showed it how. Apple did not immediately comment on the development.” Reuters: Syrian Forces Pursue Campaign Against Islamic State After Retaking Palmyra “Syrian government forces backed by Russian air strikes battled Islamic State insurgents around Palmyra on Monday, trying to extend their gains after taking back control of a city whose ancient temples were dynamited by the ultra-radical militants. The loss of Palmyra on Sunday is one of the biggest setbacks for the jihadist group since it declared a caliphate in 2014 across large parts of Syria and Iraq. It is also a major victory for President Bashar al-Assad and ally Russia, casting them as critical to the international fight against Islamic State.” BBC: US-Turkey: The Strained Alliance “It's a diplomatic relationship that is deeply in crisis, but one that remains of crucial importance to both countries. Rarely have relations between the US and one of its key Nato allies been so poor as those between Washington and Ankara. ‘Damage limitation’ may be an understatement to describe one of the main aims behind the visit the of the Turkish President, Recep Tayip Erdogan to the US this week. It has become increasingly clear what both these presidents think of each other. In his recent study of Barack Obama's foreign policy - the product of multiple interviews with the president - Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic summed up Mr Obama's view of his Turkish counterpart in terms of disappointed expectations.” Reuters: Iraq's Parliament Gives PM Until Thursday On New Cabinet Amid Unrest “Iraq's parliament on Monday gave Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi three days to present a new non-party cabinet to fight corruption or potentially face a no-confidence vote amid street protests piling on the pressure for action. A flash on state television called Thursday the "final deadline" for Abadi, who said more than six weeks ago that he would replace ministers with technocrats unaffiliated with political parties. Yet other politicians, including some within his own party, have pushed back against a reshuffle, fearing it could weaken the political patronage networks that have sustained their wealth and influence for more than a decade. Powerful Shi'ite Muslim cleric Moqtada al-Sadr on Sunday launched a personal sit-in inside Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone, which houses embassies and government offices. His supporters extended a week-old sit-in just outside the district's gates, huddling in tents and under umbrellas in heavy rain. They also demonstrated in the southern city of Basra. Sadr, who commands the loyalty of tens of thousands of supporters, including Shi'ite fighters who helped defend Baghdad against Sunni Islamic State militants in 2014, has re-emerged as a leader in matters of state in recent months.” Daily Mail: MI5 Are Tracking More Than Fifty ISIS 'Sleeper Cells' “ISIS 'sleeper cells' are reported to be plotting more than 20 deadly terror attacks on Britain's streets in a follow-up to the atrocities in Brussels and Paris. Intelligence officials at MI5 suspect that more than 50 jihadis - among a reported 450 extremists living in the UK - could be involved in the plans. Up to 25 serious plots in support of ISIS or Al-Qaeda are said to be being tracked by British security services. But there is also reportedly a concern among intelligence chiefs that sleeper cells yet to be detected could launch an attack with no warning, according to The Sun. Around 450 suspects are understood to be the focus of monitoring by the security services, with 50 of those under even more intense scrutiny by MI5 and counter terrorism police.” Bloomberg: Nigerian Troops Rescue 54 People Held Hostage By Boko Haram “Nigerian soldiers rescued 54 people they said were being held hostage by Boko Haram militants. The army killed four insurgents and destroyed four vehicles belonging to the group during a skirmish in the north east of the country, military spokesman Sani Usman said in an e-mailed statement on Sunday. Boko Haram is in the seventh year of a violent campaign to impose its version of Shariah, or Islamic law, on Africa’s most populous nation. President Muhammadu Buhari has repeatedly said his government has beaten back the militants since he came to power in May and that they no longer hold territory.” United States Reuters: U.S. Leads 14 Strikes Against Islamic State In Iraq, Syria: Statement “The United States and its allies conducted 14 strikes against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria on Sunday, the coalition leading the operations said in a statement amid ongoing daily strikes against the militant group. The Combined Joint Task Force, in a statement released on Monday, said 10 strikes near four Iraqi cities hit a security headquarters used by the militants, a supply cache and five tactical units. Other targets included an assembly area and several mortar positions, it added. In Syria, four strikes near Mar'a and Manbij hit two Islamic State tactical units and seven fighting positions, among other targets, it said.” Syria Reuters: Syria Says Ready To Cooperate With U.S. Against Terrorism Syria is willing to take part in an international coalition against terrorism but only if the United States will work with Damascus in a way it has not done so far, the Syrian envoy to Geneva peace talks said on Monday. ‘The (U.S.-led) international coalition did not succeed in Syria because it did not coordinate with the regime. Russia was successful because it coordinated with us,’ Bashar Ja'afari said in an interview with Lebanon-based al-Mayadeen TV. ‘We are for the creation of an international coalition against terrorism, but in coordination with the Syrian government. We have no objection to working with America as long as it is done in coordination with Syria,’ Ja'afari said. AFP: 'Very Doubtful' Palmyra Can Be Restored After IS: UN Expert “A Syrian expert for the UN's cultural body said Monday she was "very doubtful" the destruction caused to Palmyra's ancient monuments during its occupation by the Islamic State group can be repaired. ‘Everyone is excited because Palmyra has been 'liberated', but we should not forget everything that has been destroyed,’ said Annie Sartre-Fauriat, who belongs to a group of experts on Syrian heritage set up by UNESCO in 2013. ‘I am very doubtful about the capacity, even with international aid, of rebuilding the site at Palmyra,’ she told AFP.” Turkey Reuters: More Than 5,000 Kurdish Militants Killed Since July - Turkey's Erdogan “Turkish security forces have killed more than 5,000 militants belonging to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) since its ceasefire with the Turkish state collapsed last July, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday. The figure would suggest a major blow to an organisation that has waged its armed campaign for autonomy in Turkey's mainly Kurdish southeast region since 1984. Erdogan also told the Turkish armed forces' War Colleges in a speech that 355 state security forces had been killed in the period, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency. The southeast has been gripped by violence since July, with the security forces battling the PKK and its youth wing, known as the Patriotic Revolutionary Youth Movement (YDG-H), in densely populated urban centres. The fighting has marked the deadliest period in at least two decades of the insurgency.” Afghanistan NBC News: Taliban Fires Three Rockets At Afghan Parliament “The Afghan Taliban claimed responsibility for firing three rockets at the country's parliamentary compound Monday. Lawmakers said no one was injured and there was only minor damage from the rockets, which struck around the time top law enforcement officials were giving a security briefing to politicians. One rocket hit an extension of the parliamentary building, causing minor damage, the second landed in the parliamentary grounds and the third landed inside an adjacent army base, according to Afghan Sen. Nisar Harres. He added the parliamentary sessions continued uninterrupted and denied reports of parliament being evacuated.” Voice of America: Afghan Spy Chief Blames Pakistan For Taliban Resurgence “Afghanistan's security chief is directly blaming neighboring Pakistan’s military intelligence agency for being behind the Taliban’s expanded insurgent activities in his country. Briefing lawmakers Monday in the lower house of the national parliament, Massoud Andarabi, the acting head of the National Directorate of Security, warned that the Islamist insurgent group is determined to continue and intensify its violent campaign in the coming Afghan warmer months.  ‘Intelligence agency ISI is completely supporting them (the Taliban) and encouraging them to continue the Afghan war and capture territory,’ he alleged, referring to Pakistan military’s Inter-Services Intelligence. Afghanistan and Pakistan, with the support of the United States and China, have been trying to arrange direct peace talks between the Kabul government and the Taliban and an initial meeting was expected to take place earlier this month in Islamabad.” Yemen The Wall Street Journal: ISIS Fails To Gain Much Traction In Yemen “The Islamic State is also struggling to gain traction in Yemen, despite a security vacuum ripe for exploitation, even as the country’s potent al Qaeda branch, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, thrives. Unlike in Libya, Islamic State hasn’t forged alliances with local jihadists such as al Qaeda. Islamic State fighters in Yemen are estimated to number in the hundreds, compared with several thousand for AQAP. Meanwhile, dozens of Islamic State members in Yemen have publicly complained about the leadership, viewing it as foreign and disconnected, and accusing it of extreme brutality, disregard for its own fighters and poor battlefield decision making.” Egypt The Times Of Israel: Eager Hamas Seeks Return To Egyptian Favor At Cairo Talks “A Hamas delegation is in Cairo for what one senior Palestinian diplomat said Sunday was a renewed effort by the terrorist organization to mend relations with the largest country in the Arab world, once an ally. But, the diplomat said, Egypt has a list of concessions it expects Hamas to make. The ties between the two sides nosedived when Muslim Brotherhood official Mohammed Morsi was ousted as president in 2013, and replaced by former army chief Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi. Egypt has since accused Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip and is allied to the Muslim Brotherhood, of supporting the Islamic State’s branch in its Sinai Peninsula. Cairo also claimed that Hamas, along with the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, was behind the assassination of its chief prosecutor Hisham Barakat in June 2015.” The Jerusalem Post: Egypt Rejects Saudi Label Of Hezbollah As A Terror Organization “Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry has refused to label Hezbollah as a terror organization, explaining that ‘this issue is to be decided by the Lebanese people.’ In an interview with the Egyptian daily newspaper al-Youm al-Saba'a, Shoukry evaded answering a question on whether Hezbollah is a terrorist organization, stating that he is not authorized to judge on the issue. ‘Hezbollah's agenda focuses on Lebanon, which is an Arab sister state that faces great internal instability. The Lebanese people are the one to judge whether Hezbollah is a terror organization or not,’ Shoukry said.” Middle East Haaretz: Fighting Between ISIS, Nusra Front Spills From Syria Into Lebanon “Fighting between ISIS and the Al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front spread from Syria into Lebanon's northern Bekaa Valley region on Monday, a security source and the state news agency said. Eighteen Nusra Front fighters were killed and six were taken prisoner during the clashes. Fourteen ISIS militants were also killed, the security source said. The fighting began on Sunday near the Syrian town of Jrajeer in the Qalamoun mountains near the Syrian-Lebanese border, before spreading towards the Lebanese towns of Ras Baalbek and Arsal, the source said. Lebanon's National News Agency reported that Nusra Front had fought on Sunday to regain some positions it lost to ISIS. In the fighting it said ten Nusra Front fighters and eight ISIS militants had died.” The Washington Post: Death Toll In Pakistan Bombing Climbs Past 70 “As Pakistan began burying its dead Monday, authorities counted 29 children among those killed by an Easter suicide bombing in an amusement park, victims of a terrorist attack that has reinforced growing feelings of dread here. Although 2015 was relatively quiet, horrified Pakistanis are again asking what their government can do to protect them from sectarian violence. More than 70 people altogether were killed in the devastating attack Sunday in Lahore. Officials vowed to hunt down the Islamist militant bombers who claimed they targeted Christians — yet killed many of their Muslim brethren in the bargain. Even after a week of terrorist violence in Iraq, Turkey and Belgium, the attack here nonetheless became a focus of global dismay.” BBC: Lahore Attack: Pakistan PM Sharif Demands Swift Action On Terror “Pakistan's PM has urged better co-ordination between security agencies against terror, a day after a suicide bomb killed more than 70 in Lahore. At a meeting of security officials, Nawaz Sharif said the nation's resolve to deal with militants was growing. A number of arrests were made and weapons seized in five raids by security forces, the army said. Taliban splinter group Jamaat-ul-Ahrar said it carried out the attack against Christians celebrating Easter. At least 300 people were injured, with officials saying they expected the death toll to rise. The area was more crowded than usual, as members of Lahore's minority Christian community had gathered to celebrate Easter at a funfair in the park. However, most of those who died in the attack were Muslims.” Reuters: Israel Urges Citizens To Leave Turkey, Cites Islamic State Threat “Israel urged its citizens visiting Turkey to leave ‘as soon as possible’ in an upgraded travel advisory on Monday predicting possible follow-up attacks to the March 19 suicide bombing in Istanbul blamed on Islamic State. Three Israeli tourists and an Iranian were killed in the Istanbul attack, which prompted the counter-terrorism bureau in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office to issue a generalized ‘level 3’ warning against travel to Turkey. A statement by the bureau raised this to ‘level 2’ on Monday, signifying what it called a "high concrete threat" that Islamic State or similar groups would attack Turkish tourist attractions. It did not elaborate on what prompted the alert.” Libya Reuters: Libya Unity Government Blames Rival Faction For Tripoli Airspace Closure “Libya's U.N.-backed unity government has accused authorities in Tripoli of closing down the capital's airspace to prevent it from traveling from Tunisia to start work. The unity government's Presidential Council released a statement on Monday after two days of swirling rumors that it was on its way to Libya and several flight stoppages at Tripoli's Mitiga airport. The Presidential Council said a minority led by the Tripoli-based prime minister was ‘terrorizing the safe population of Tripoli and obstructing the unity government by closing the airspace’. Flights were suspended at Mitiga Airport for periods on both Sunday and Monday. A civil aviation official said this was for ‘safety and security reasons’, though a security source at Mitiga said on Sunday that an armed group had closed the airspace to block a flight intended to bring in the unity government's Prime Minister Fayez Seraj. The unity government was designed to bridge divisions and end political and security chaos in the North African country, which has had rival pairs of parliaments and governments since 2014.” Germany Reuters: Germany Wants Refugees To Integrate Or Lose Residency Rights “German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said he is planning a new law that will require refugees to learn German and integrate into society, or else lose their permanent right of residence. The initiative comes after voters punished Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives in regional elections earlier this month, giving a thumbs-down to her open-door refugee policy and turning in droves to the anti-immigrant party Alternative for Germany (AfD). Around 1 million migrants arrived in Germany last year - many fleeing conflict and economic hardship in the Middle East and Africa - and de Maiziere said around 100,000 more had arrived so far this year. Germany expected that in return for language lessons, social benefits and housing, the new arrivals made an effort to integrate, he told ARD television.” France CNN: Police: Man Arrested In Netherlands Linked To Foiled Terror Plot Suspect “Dutch police arrested a 32-year-old French citizen allegedly linked to Reda Kriket, a man accused of plotting a terror attack against France. The 32-year-old man, who was not identified, was arrested Sunday in the Dutch city of Rotterdam, officials said. The French Justice Ministry requested the man's arrest Sunday, Dutch police said. The French citizen is suspected of involvement in planning a terror attack. It's not clear why he was in the Netherlands, but Dutch police said they expect to hand over the man to France ‘soon.’” Europe The Washington Post: A Terror Attack Exposed Belgium’s Security Failings. Europe’s Problem Is Far Bigger. “Amid indications that Islamic State militants have used a variety of countries as hideouts while plotting attacks in Europe, calls are growing for European nations to dramatically step up intelligence-sharing. But with 28 E.U. countries jostling to have their way, significant progress may be unlikely — particularly since some nations cannot even reach consensus internally about how to handle the terrorism threat. The challenge might best be embodied by Belgium itself, some critics say, a country riven by ethnic rivalries in which the Dutch-speaking leader of the nation’s largest political party has accused his French-speaking opponents of being soft on jihadist threats. If Belgium, a nation of 11 million people, cannot reach agreement on how to protect itself against terrorism, can the European Union, an alliance 47 times that size, do so? The question has taken on new urgency in the aftermath of the Islamic State suicide bombings at Brussels Airport and in the city’s subway last week, which killed at least 35 victims plus three attackers and injured 340. Raids related to the attacks have been conducted in Belgium, France, Germany and Italy.” Arabic Language Clips Fighting Terrorism Alhayat: The Media And Financial Fight Against Terrorism Is Equivalent To The Military Effort Media advisor Saud Almuseibih underscored the importance of the media's role in the fight against extremist, violent and blasphemous ideas that ultimately lead to terrorism. He suggested expanding the broadcasts of multilingual satellite channels thereby achieving an active presence in the social media to engage young people, who comprise the majority of the population in Islamic countries. Almuseibih went on to say, "What is needed is a more comprehensive explanation of the concepts of tolerance in Islam and the great and true perceptions in this religion of peace and love. This religion is opposed to extremism and militancy. Violent and blasphemous ideas are completely divorced from Islam." Economist Dr. Abdullah Dahlan also stressed the importance of the media's role in the fight against terrorism, saying, "Highlighting (activities) of terrorist organizations helps to enhance their image in the media, particularly with regard to coverage of terrorist acts. The intensive media coverage of terrorist acts has actually contributed to the spread of (extremist) thought, which has become the greatest threat to society." ISIS Echorouk Online: The Number Of Algerian ISIS Members In Sirte Does Not Exceed 15 ISIS in Libya has been facing a significant financial crunch, after failing in its war over the country's oil fields. Therefore, the jihadist group has diverted its efforts to human trafficking by facilitating the illegal immigration of Africans into Europe. ISIS charges 100 to 150 euros for each individual. Due to the liquidity crisis, ISIS has also reduced its fighters' salaries. According to private sources in Sirte, the monthly salary has been slashed from 1,000 Libyan dinars ($725) to 200 dinars ($145) per fighter. Libyan sources claimed that security reports obtained by Algeria indicate that ISIS is plotting to open a new front, targeting the desert oil fields in Marzooq, not far from the Algerian border. Muslim Brotherhood Sada El-Balad: Michaël Prazan: Extremist Movements Abide By The Same Style As The Brotherhood French writer and filmmaker, Michaël Prazan, author of the book titled "Muslim Brotherhood: Investigating the latest totalitarian ideology," asserts that Egypt regained its trail to freedom after ousting the Muslim Brotherhood. He claimed that as far as the group's leaders are concerned, democracy is merely an instrument for achieving power. Prazan commented, "I am not too 'worried' about the group's sources of funding. Its members continue to pay their monthly fees by channeling part of their salary for the benefit of the group. In light of having major donors such as Qatar, the fact that most of the group's funds are located abroad, scattered over 80 countries outside Egypt, and the fact that it maintains an intricate network of interests all over the globe, controlling numerous sources of domestic and foreign funding, it is impossible to claim that the Brotherhood is on the verge of financial bankruptcy." Al Wafd: Brotherhood Scheme To Harm Egyptian Economy Exposed A Kuwaiti newspaper claimed that the Muslim Brotherhood is plotting to hit the Egyptian and Arab economies hard, using "oil and dollar weapons." It added that the group is seeking to harm the Egyptian economy by manipulating the value of the Egyptian pound. This plot is being executed by 13 brokers in Kuwait and 11 in the UAE, young members from the second and third tier of the group's leadership. These brokers transfer money from the Gulf and Europe, and specifically from Kuwait, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Britain, with the aim of damaging Egypt's economy. They buy hard currency from Egyptian expatriates (mostly dollars and euros) in exchange for the Egyptian pound, at extremely high prices, sometimes 35% to 40% above their rates in the local market, Egyptian banks and the local exchange offices. Albawabh News: Salafi Leader: Dollar Crisis Was Planned By The Brotherhood Salafi preacher, Dr. Mahmoud Abdul Razek Al Radwany, claimed to have documents in his possession proving that the Muslim Brotherhood had plotted to kill London-based Egyptian businessman Ashraf El Saad. Muslim Brotherhood Deputy Supreme Guide and interim leader Dr. Mahmoud Ezzat was personally in charge of orchestrating the assassination, Al Radwany noted. Regarding the current dollar crisis, the Salafi preacher argued that it was masterminded by the Muslim Brotherhood. He stressed that this was illustrated after Brotherhood-affiliated money exchange companies raised the dollar rates "because they do not fear God but care only for their own personal interests."