Eye on Extremism
February 9, 2023
CNN: Lockerbie Bombing Suspect Pleads Not Guilty To Charges Connected To 1988 Terrorist Attack
“A Libyan man accused of being involved in making the bomb that destroyed Pan Am Flight 103 over the town of Lockerbie, Scotland, in December 1988 pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to three federal charges brought against him in Washington, DC. Abu Agila Mohammad Mas’ud Kheir Al-Marimi faces two charges of destruction of an aircraft resulting in death and one charge of destruction of a vehicle used in foreign commerce by an explosive, resulting in death. If convicted, he faces life in prison. A detention hearing for Mas’ud is scheduled for February 23. The attack killed 270 people – 259 aboard the Boeing 747 and 11 on the ground – when a bomb detonated on the flight over Scotland.”
Bloomberg: ISIS Threatens To Target Chinese Embassy In Afghanistan, UN Says
“Islamic State militants have threatened to target Chinese, Indian, and Iranian embassies in Afghanistan in an effort to isolate the Taliban from a handful of countries it counts as diplomatic allies. The local affiliate of the Islamic State of Syria and Iraq, is attempting to ‘undermine the relationship between the Taliban and member states in the region,’ according to United Nations report on the group’s activities. The report is expected to be discussed later Thursday at United Nations Security Council in New York. The militants are one of the Taliban’s most serious security threats, carrying out large-scale attacks in densely populated areas in Afghanistan. It was behind the deadly attacks against Russian and Pakistani embassies, as well as a hotel in Kabul often frequented by Chinese nationals. Saudi Arabia closed its embassy in Kabul on Feb. 2 because of the recent threats made by the militant group and its staff were evacuated to Islamabad.”
Reuters: MSF Suspends Operations In Northwest Burkina Faso After Gunmen Kill Two Staff
“Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) has suspended its operations in an area of northwest Burkina Faso where armed assailants killed two of its employees on Wednesday, the medical charity said in a statement. Gunmen on Wednesday morning opened fire on an MSF-branded vehicle transporting four staff members between the towns of Dedougou and Tougan, in an administrative region named ‘Boucle de Mouhoun’ in Sourou province. Two Burkina Faso nationals - the driver and a logistics supervisor aged 39 and 34 respectively - were killed, MSF said in a statement. The other two passengers managed to escape. MSF suspended its activities in the Boucle de Mouhoun while it seeks more clarity on the circumstances of the attack, the statement added. Burkina Faso is one of several West African countries grappling with violent jihadist militants linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State.”
United States
CBS Baltimore: Officials Warn Of More Extremist Attacks In Aftermath Of Plot Targeting Maryland Energy Stations
“Federal officials fear more white supremacist groups may be plotting to target critical infrastructure across the country. Earlier this week, FBI arrested two alleged neo-Nazis planning to destroy power substations in the Baltimore area. On Monday, Catonsville resident Sarah Beth Clendaniel, 34, was charged after allegedly collaborating with Brandon Russell, who is the co-founder of "Atomwaffen," an Orlando-based neo-Nazi group, to shoot energy stations in Norrisville, Reisterstown, Perry Hall and Baltimore City. "There's no doubt in my mind that 2023, this year that we're in right now, is probably going to be the most catastrophic when it comes to the uptick of domestic violence extremist attacks on electricity infrastructure," said Brian Harrell, former Assistant Secretary for Infrastructure Protection at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.”
Voice Of America: American Islamic State Emir Convicted On All Counts
“A naturalized U.S. citizen who became so enamored with Islamic State that he abandoned his wife and child to join the terror group in Syria, eventually rising to the rank of emir, faces life behind bars after being convicted of all charges against him. The U.S. Justice Department announced Wednesday that a jury has found the now 46-year-old Ruslan Maratovich Asainov guilty on five counts, including conspiracy to provide material support, receiving and providing training, obstruction of justice and support to a terror group that led to the death of one or more persons. Asainov “was so committed to the terrorist organization’s evil cause that he abandoned his young family here in Brooklyn, New York, to make an extraordinary journey to the battlefield in Syria,” U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said in a statement.”
CNN: Suspect In New Year’s Eve Machete Attack In New York Pleads Not Guilty
“The man who allegedly attacked New York police officers with a machete on New Year’s Eve pleaded not guilty to state charges in court Wednesday. Trevor Bickford, 19, appeared in a Manhattan courtroom wearing a tan uniform with his wrists and ankles shackled. He spoke only to enter his plea. Bickford was indicted January 6 on 18 counts, nine of which included charges of first-degree attempted murder, assault, aggravated assault on a police officer, attempted aggravated assault on a police officer and attempted assault in furtherance of an act or as a crime of terrorism, according to the indictment. He is also facing several other charges related to assault, attempted assault and attempted murder.”
Syria
Daily Mail: 'I Just Want To Go Home': Alabama Jihadi Bride Stripped Of Her Citizenship After Calling For Extremists To 'Spill Blood Of Americans' Pleads To Be Let Back Into U.S.
“An Alabama jihadi bride who was stripped of her citizenship after joining ISIS in Syria now claims the terrorist group plans to attack the Syrian camp where she is detained - but says she 'just wants to go home'. Hoda Muthana, 28, says she fears that ISIS will attack Camp Roj - the detention camp in north east Syria where she has been detained. Muthana joined the terrorist group when she was 20 but now says she was groomed online by members who wanted to attract young and vulnerable women. She was stripped of her citizenship by Obama and, in January, Supreme Court Justices refused to hear her appeal to be allowed back. But at the height of the extremists' power, she had voiced enthusiastic support for them on social media, calling for them to 'spill the blood of Americans'.”
Pakistan
The News International: TTP Terrorist Killed In CTD Raid In Khanewal
“A Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorist was killed and his three accomplices managed to escape a CTD raid after the exchange of fire in Khanewal on Wednesday. The Counterterrorism Department received a tip that a group of terrorists was active in the area and involved in terrorist activities including an attack on LEAs in Chak 40/10 R Khanewal. The CTD found that the terrorists were planning major terrorist activities against LEAs, CTD officials said. On this information, A CTD team planned an IBO and got close to the terrorists. Firing was exchanged afterwards and continued for 20 minutes. When the firing stopped, the CTD Team searched the area and found the body of a terrorist while three other terrorists managed to escape by taking the advantage of darkness. The killed terrorist was identified as Irfanullah s/o Kemya Gul Afridi of the Gul Ghara District, Kurram.”
Dawn: Karachi Police Arrest IS-Linked Militant Involved In ‘Collecting Donations’
“Karachi Police’s Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) on Wednesday claimed to have arrested an Islamic State-linked militant who was ‘collecting donations’ from Karachi to be sent to Afghanistan. ‘Acting on a tip-off, the CTD conducted a raid in the Korangi Industrial Area and detained an important commander affiliated with the global militant Islamic State group,’ the department said in a handout. The CTD identified the suspect as an Afghan national named Abdul Malik. It said that the suspect, who was living in Karachi for a long time, used to collect ‘donations’ in Ramazan usually, which were then sent to the IS in Afghanistan. During interrogation, the suspect revealed that he had been in touch with the IS’ Mulla Abdul Manan group since 2011, the CTD said. In addition, he disclosed that he was involved in the illegal ‘hawala/hundi’ business and had sent ‘millions of rupees’ to Afghanistan through it, the department added.”
Middle East
i24 NEWS: Israel's Army To Demolish Home Of East Jerusalem Terrorist
“Israel's army said Wednesday that it intends to demolish the home of the terrorist who murdered seven civilians in the Neve Ya'akov neighborhood of east Jerusalem two weeks ago. On January 27, 2023, six Israelis and one Ukrainian civilian were massacred outside a Jewish place of worship in an ultra-Orthodox neighborhood of east Jerusalem, while three others were wounded. Khairi Alkam was not known to security forces and had no previous connections to terrorist organizations before opening fire with his handgun near the Ateret Avraham synagogue. Days after the attack, his home in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of A-Tur was sealed and Israel's police raised its alert level to the highest level. The commander of Israel's Home Front Command noted that it extended the temporary confiscation and sealing order of Alkam's apartment after rejecting his family's claims to open it to them. His family was notified of the planned demolition.”
TV7 Israel News: ISIS Cell Caught Before Attack On Turkish Synagogues, Churches
“It has been revealed that the capture came on Sunday, just before the country was hit by devastating earthquakes. ‘15 people were detained on the grounds that the so-called Khorasan Province leadership of Daesh (an Arabic acronym for Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terror group, also known as ISIS or IS) ordered an action against the Swedish and Dutch Consulate Generals and places of worship belonging to our Christian and Jewish citizens in Istanbul,’ said a city police statement reported by the Hürriyet Daily News. The Islamic State’s Khorasan wing (IS-K) is named for a region of the ancient Persian Empire. The thwarted attacks may have been planned in retaliation for the public burning in late January of a Quran by a far-right Danish politician outside of Ankara’s the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm. The incident prompted widescale outrage across the Islamic world, with one Muslim man threatening to burn a Torah scroll outside of Israel’s Embassy in the Swedish capital. The United States State Department issued a warning last month of possible imminent attacks on sites revered by Christians and Jews in Turkey, while cautioning Americans residing in the country to be on heightened alert against terror attacks on diplomatic compounds or sites where Westerners are known to gather.”
Egypt
AFP: Egypt Sentences One To Death, Jails 11 For Life On 'Terror' Charges
“An Egyptian court sentenced one man to death and 11 to life imprisonment after convicting them of joining a ‘terrorist group’ linked to the Islamic State group, state media reported Wednesday. The same counter-terrorism court in Cairo also handed down three 15-year jail sentences, three 10-year sentences and four acquittals at Tuesday's hearing, the state-owned newspaper Al-Ahram reported. The defendants were found guilty of ‘leading or joining a terrorist group’ in the capital between 2015 and September 7, 2019, the paper said. Their convictions are subject to appeal. After then army chief now President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi toppled Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013, jihadists, some inspired by the Islamic State group, carried out a wave of attacks on the security forces and other targets, particularly in the Sinai Peninsula. The authorities responded with a sweeping crackdown on Islamists and other dissidents in which thousands were detained.”
Africa
Prensa Latina: Nigeria: More Than 100 Police Officers And Civilians Killed Violently
“The number of police officers and civilians killed in the northern Nigerian state of Katsina after attacks on communities by criminal gangs rose to 102, police sources reported on Wednesday. The public relations officer of the state security forces, Dambo Isah, told local media that during the assaults, which took place hours ago in the districts of Guga, Kakumi, Kandarawa and Jargaba, the bandits used AK-47 rifles and other types of weapons. Most of the deaths occurred when the bandits ambushed a convoy of volunteer guards, who were trying to recover a batch of stolen cattle in a forest, reports said. In Katsina and other states of Nigeria, in the last months, the attacks on different targets by criminal and extremist groups have increased, those worsening the climate of insecurity on this territory, with a population of about 216 million inhabitants. In view of this complex situation, tension is escalating in a context considered delicate just a few days before the presidential and legislative elections on February 25.”
Al Awsat: New Recruits To Extremist Groups Expected To Surge In Africa
“More people are joining terrorist groups in Africa, which draws questions on its reasons, said a new report by the UN's international development agency. The report underscored the importance of economic factors as drivers of recruitment. Meanwhile, experts expected recruitment to increase as the African governments and international powers fail to find successful approaches to reduce poverty, unemployment, and ethnic marginalization in the continent. The report monitored a 57 percent decrease from the 2017 findings in the number of people who join extremist groups for religious reasons.”
United Kingdom
Reuters: UK Counter-Terrorism Strategy Needs To Refocus On Islamism -Review
“Britain's counter-terrorism programme ‘Prevent’ must refocus its efforts more on the threat posed by militant Islamism after becoming too concerned with right-wing extremism, an independent review of the often-criticised strategy concluded on Wednesday. ‘Prevent’ is a key strand of Britain’s security apparatus, which was brought in after the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States with the aim of stopping radicalisation and preventing people from going on to commit acts of violence. But it has been dogged since its inception by allegations that it has been used to spy on Muslim communities, while some of those referred to the programme later went on to commit terrorist offences. William Shawcross, who was appointed Independent Reviewer of Prevent in January 2021, said it was not doing enough to target ‘non-violent Islamist extremism’. Islamism, often referred to as Islamic fundamentalism, as an ideology was not the same as Islam as a faith, he said.”
Coventry Telegraph: Coventry Man In Court Accused Of Preparing Terrorist Acts
“A Coventry man accused of preparing terrorist acts has appeared in court. Mohamad Al-Bared, 26, was arrested at a property in Kare Road last week. Detectives from Counter Terrorism Policing West Midlands CTU were at the scene for a number of days and a blue tent was put up next to a garage. Al-Bared was later charged with engaging in conduct in preparation for terrorist acts between May 19, 2022, and January 31 this year. He appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Tuesday (February 7) via video link. He did not enter any plea or speak at all during the hearing which lasted around 15 minutes.”
Europe
The Brussels Times: Belgian Woman Who Travelled To IS In Syria Acquitted For Terrorism
“A young woman from the municipality of Vilvoorde, just north of Brussels, has been acquitted of terrorism by the Brussels Court of Appeal, which overruled her previous four-year prison sentence for participating in the activities of a terrorist group. The woman, identified as Noura F., came into contact with Houssien Elouassaki, one of the key members of Sharia4Belgium – a terrorist organisation that called for Belgium to be converted into an Islamic state. With Elouassaki, Noura F. travelled to Syria at the age of 17. There, she married Ali Houdaifa Ammi, who had also travelled from Vilvoorde to Syria to fight for the Islamic State (IS) and had several children with him. Though the details are not clear, Houdaifa Ammi is believed to have been killed in Syria.”
Al Arabiya News: Sweden Increasingly A Focus For Extremists After Quran-Burning, Security Police Say
“Sweden has moved into the spotlight for violent extremists globally after a number of incidents including the recent public burning of the Muslim holy book, the Quran, the security services said on Wednesday. ‘Recent developments with threats targeted at Sweden and Swedish interests are serious and affect Sweden’s security,’ the Swedish Security Service SAPO said in a statement. ‘The developments mean that Sweden is deemed to be in greater focus than previously for violent Islamic extremists globally.’ Sweden and neighbor Finland last year launched bids to join NATO, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The membership process has been held up by Turkey, which says the two Nordic countries, primarily Sweden, are not doing enough to fight terrorism. The burning of the Quran by a far-right politician outside the Turkish embassy last month has ratcheted up tensions.”
Technology
The Jerusalem Post: Twitter Sees Surge In Gen-Z Neo-Nazi Antisemitism Since Musk Takeover
“A new study has found a rise in extremist users – including those proliferating antisemitic content – rejoining Twitter en masse since Elon Musk’s takeover of the company. The study by the Combat Antisemitism Movement and the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) shows that much attention has been paid to Kanye ‘Ye’ West’s antisemitic tirades. The organizations’ data found a 136% increase in toxic comments, threats, and identity attacks in tweets pertaining to Jews on the platform. The data further suggest that the influx of extremist activity onto Twitter began far before West’s statements, with organized efforts of extremist communities like the Gen-Z neo-Nazi ‘Groypers,’ led by white supremacist Nick Fuentes. They acted as a vanguard – anticipating, planning for, and capitalizing on Musk’s acquisition of Twitter to popularize and disseminate hateful content. ‘They did so with the expectation that Musk would provide a more hospitable platform for their brand of extremist content, joining Twitter at a rapid rate,’ the report reads.”
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