Eye on Extremism, September 20, 2016
Counter Extremism Project
Los Angeles Times: Suspect In New York-Area Bombings Had Traveled To Afghanistan And Pakistan
“The suspect in a series of bombs planted in New York and New Jersey was arrested after a dramatic shootout Monday, as investigators sought to understand how the 28-year-old Afghanistan native was radicalized and whether authorities should have been more alert to the threat he posed. Ahmad Khan Rahami wounded two police officers before he was shot and captured in Linden, N.J., where he had been spotted sleeping in the vestibule of a closed bar. The injured suspect was wheeled away on a stretcher under heavy security, ending a 50-hour manhunt that followed two explosions in which, almost miraculously, no one was killed.”
Voice Of America: FBI: No Terror Cells, But Help Likely In NY Bombing Spree
“The man thought to be behind a series of bombings and attempted bombings in New York and New Jersey may not have been part of a terror cell, but based on previous investigations chances are good he had some sort of help. ‘I have no indication there is a cell operating in the area or in the city,’ FBI New York division assistant director William Sweeney told reporters Tuesday, trying to allay concerns just hours after the suspect, 28-year-old Ahmad Rahami, was taken into custody after a shootout with police. Other law enforcement officials, speaking to VOA prior to the latest attacks on the New York area, have likewise downplayed the notion of full-blown terror cells — like those in Europe that carried out the terror attacks in Paris and Brussels — operating in the U.S.”
The New York Times: Obama, At The U.N., Cites Iraq Gains And Urges Steady Nerves At Home
“President Obama came face to face on Monday with the conundrum of his war against the Islamic State: Even as he claimed gains in retaking territory from the militants in Iraq, he had to steady nerves after a stabbing rampage inspired by them in the United States. On his first day at the United Nations General Assembly, Mr. Obama’s most important diplomatic encounter was with Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi of Iraq, with whom he discussed an impending offensive to retake Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city, from the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL. Mr. Obama said that the positioning of Iraqi forces and Kurdish fighters around Mosul meant that Iraq and the American-led coalition could ‘move forward fairly rapidly.’ Mr. Abadi predicted that the militants could be driven out of the city in the next two months.”
CNN: UN Aid Convoy Hit By Warplanes In Syria
“A United Nations convoy carrying life-saving aid to 78,000 people was struck by warplanes in Syria Monday, a UN spokesman said. The strike prompted a reaction of visceral anger from the international community, with officials from the UN and US saying they were ‘disgusted’ and ‘outraged.’ The UN estimates that 18 of 31 trucks in the aid convoy were hit. A Syrian Arab Red Crescent warehouse was also hit, the UN said. The Syrian Civil Defense, a volunteer EMS service, posted video of the aftermath of the attack on social media. The regime has not claimed responsibility for the airstrikes. Twelve people involved in the aid delivery were killed, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based organization that monitors the conflict in Syria.”
“ISIS stole around 23 human organs of its dead and injured members in the Iraqi province of Nineveh for the purpose of trafficking after airstrikes left the organisation in desperate need of cash. A source on the ground told Iraqi News on Sunday that in order to acquire quick finances to stay afloat the militant group has resorted to dismembering its deceased and injured assailants. 'Special medical unit of the organization proceeded to steal human organs for about 23 ISIS militants of those who slept in the hospitals of Nineveh,' the source said. The source, who has asked to remain anonymous for their own safety, said the terror faction started to dismember its members after increased air strikes from the US and Russian forces wiped out a number of its oil reserves-the main source of revenue for ISIS.”
Reuters: Saudi Forces Intercept Ballistic Missile Fired By Yemen's Houthis
“Saudi air defense forces shot down a ballistic missile fired by Yemen's Houthi militia toward an air base outside the southern city of Khamees Mushait on Monday night, the Saudi-led coalition said in a statement carried by the state news agency SPA. The Qaher-1 missile was aimed at Saudi Arabia's King Khalid Air Base, located about 60 km (40 miles) north of the Yemeni border, the Houthis announced on their official Twitter account. The Royal Saudi Air Defence Forces destroyed the missile before it could cause any damage, according to the statement by the Saudi-led coalition, which since March 2015 has been fighting the Houthis to try to restore the Saudi-backed government of exiled president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi. Saudi forces responded to the missile attack by attacking the launch site, the statement added.”
Haaretz: Eight Attacks In Four Days: Two Attempted Stabbings In Hebron
“In the eighth security incident in four days, a stabbing attempt was thwarted in Hebron's Abu Sanina neighborhood on Monday evening, when soldiers managed to subdue the assailant without opening fire. Earlier in Hebron, an attempted stabbing attack took place near the Tomb of the Patriarchs. No Israelis were wounded and two Palestinian alleged assailants were shot dead. Also on Monday, two Israel Police officers were wounded, one seriously, in a stabbing attack in Jerusalem's Old City. The alleged assailant was shot and was in serious condition, according to police. Israeli security officials fear a surge of attacks in the West Bank and East Jerusalem ahead of the Jewish High Holy Days. ”
Jerusalem Post: Olympic Terror Plot: 8 Accused Of ISIS-Inspirecd Plan To Attack Jews, Foreigners
“Rio De Janeiro – A Brazilian judge on Monday accepted the indictment of eight men accused of plotting militant attacks inspired by Islamic State against foreigners at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro as well as against homosexuals, Shi'ite Muslims and Jews. Judge Marcos Josegrei da Silva of the Federal Court in Curitiba, Brazil, said police and prosecutors had presented sufficient evidence to proceed to trial. It is Brazil's first prosecution under a new terrorism law enacted earlier this year.”
Reuters: Saudi Arabia Says Arrests 17 Islamic State Attack Plotters
“Saudi Arabia has arrested 17 suspected Islamic State sympathisers accused of plotting attacks on religious officials, security forces, civilian districts and economic and military targets, the interior ministry said on Monday. Fourteen of those arrested are Saudi nationals, including one woman, ministry spokesman Mansour al-Turki told state television news channel Ekhbariya, which broadcast photographs of the accused. The other three detainees were Yemeni, Egyptian and Palestinian, he said. ‘The activities of this network went beyond the kingdom's borders to provide technical and media support for Daesh,’ said Turki, using an Arabic acronym for the Iraq and Syria-based Islamist militant group. The cells had planned attacks on targets including the Shi'ite Imam al-Rida mosque in the eastern Saudi city of al-Ahsa, a public security training facility in Riyadh and an oil pipeline west of the capital city, said Turki.”
Associated Press: Boko Haram Insurgents Launch Attacks In Northeast Nigeria
“Boko Haram insurgents launched three attacks within hours in northeast Nigeria, beheading a village chief and his son, ambushing a convoy under military escort, and gunning down eight Christians returning from a Sunday church service, witnesses and the army spokesman said Monday. On Monday, the Musllim extremist insurgents shot and killed six civilians and wounded three soldiers traveling in a convoy, army spokesman Col. Sani Kukasheka Usman said. It happened on the highway about 45 kilometers (28 miles) south of Maiduguri, the biggest city in the northeast and birthplace of Boko Haram.”
The New York Times: Cellphone Alerts Used In New York To Search For Bombing Suspect
“Across New York City, cellphones blared on Monday morning with the dissonant but familiar tone of an emergency alert, typically used for weather-related advisories or abducted children. But this was different. For what is believed to be the first time, the nation’s Wireless Emergency Alerts system was deployed as an electronic wanted poster, identifying a 28-year-old man sought in connection with the bombings in Manhattan and New Jersey over the weekend. Suddenly, from commuter trains to the sidewalks of the city, millions were enlisted in the manhunt. The message was simple: ‘WANTED: Ahmad Khan Rahami, 28-yr-old male. See media for pic. Call 9-1-1 if seen.’ In an instant, the reach and ubiquity of law enforcement in an age of terrorism and digital technology became apparent.”
United States
BBC: US Terror Blasts Suspect Ahmad Khan Rahami In Custody
“A man suspected of planting bombs in New York and New Jersey is in custody after a shootout with police that began when he was found asleep in a doorway. Afghan-born Ahmad Khan Rahami, 28, is undergoing surgery for a gunshot wound after the confrontation in New Jersey. Republican Donald Trump immediately seized on the news as vindication of his hard line on immigration and vowed to defeat ‘radical Islamic terrorism’. The FBI said no other suspect was being sought over the weekend's blasts. A huge manhunt was sparked on Monday after police publicly identified Mr Rahami as chief suspect.”
The Wall Street Journal: U.S. Airstrikes In Afghanistan Killed Eight Policemen, Local Officials Say
“U.S. airstrikes killed eight Afghan policemen in the southern province of Uruzgan, local government officials said Monday, in an area where the U.S.-led coalition has carried out several sorties in support of local troops fighting the Taliban. The U.S. airstrikes were carried out Sunday on a highway on the outskirts of the provincial capital, Tarin Kot, the local officials said. The city has been under siege in recent weeks as the Taliban has sought to block access to the main roads, a strategy the militant group has used to threaten other provinces such as Helmand and Kunduz in the past year. The U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan confirmed that two coalition airstrikes had been carried out in support of Afghan forces that had come under threat, but it didn’t comment on the allegations that the strikes had killed local policemen.”
CNN: Bombings Suspect Spent Time Afghanistan, Pakistan, Official Says
“Ahmad Khan Rahami, the suspect in the weekend bombings in New York and New Jersey, traveled for extended periods to Afghanistan and Pakistan in the last few years, officials said. Rahami, 28, spent several weeks in Kandahar, Afghanistan, and Quetta, Pakistan, in 2011, according to a law enforcement official who reviewed his travel and immigration record. Two years later, in April 2013, he went to Pakistan and remained there until March 2014 before returning to the US, official said. Investigators are looking into whether he was radicalized overseas before returning to the United States in 2014, according to the official. As of Monday, the law enforcement official said, there is no indication he was on the radar before this weekend, when explosions went off in New York and New Jersey.”
USA Today: N.Y.-Area Bombings Raise Immigrant Screening Concerns
“The revelation that the suspected New York City bomber was born in Afghanistan before becoming a U.S. citizen prompted Republicans to attack the U.S. government's immigrant screening process. Following the apprehension of Ahmad Khan Rahami, who immigrated with his family to the U.S., Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and GOP lawmakers said the government doesn't know enough about people from countries with terror connections — such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Somalia — to allow their continued access into the U.S. In the past year, DHS has repeatedly defended its screening procedures: Refugees must undergo in-person interviews abroad and have their names run through federal terrorism and criminal databases. Syrian refugees go through more screening, where federal officials check their backgrounds against classified information, a process that can take up to two years to complete.”
Syria
BBC: Syria Conflict: Hopes Fade For Truce As Violence Flares
“A week-old truce in Syria brokered by the US and Russia appears close to unravelling, with alleged violations by government and rebel forces mounting. A US-backed rebel group in the divided northern city of Aleppo said the initiative had ‘practically failed’.The Syrian military said its seven-day ‘regime of calm’ had expired and did not say if it would be renewed. US Secretary of State John Kerry, however, described the cessation of hostilities as ‘holding but fragile’. He said US and Russian officials were meeting in Geneva on Monday to discuss developments. Witnesses reported air strikes and artillery fire hitting rebel-held parts of the city of Aleppo after the Syrian army statement. The Syrian military said rebel groups, which it referred to as ‘terrorists’, had failed to commit to any provisions of the deal.”
CBS News: Syria Cease-Fire Definitely "Fragile," Maybe "Clinically Dead"
“Syria’s fragile cease-fire started to unravel on Sunday with the first aerial attacks on rebel-held neighborhoods of Aleppo and a southern village that killed at least eight people, violations that came as tensions between the American and Russian brokers of the deal worsened following a deadly U.S. strike on Syrian government forces. By Monday morning, rebel commanders were declaring the cease-fire dead and lamenting it as yet another failed attempt to end the war that has left an estimated 300,000 people dead over five years. The seven-day cease-fire was supposed to end at midnight Sunday, according to a Syrian army statement issued last week. The U.S. and Russia had said that if it held for seven days, it should be followed by the establishment of a Joint Implementation Center for both countries to coordinate the targeting of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and al Qaeda-linked militants.”
The Washington Post: The U.S. And Russia Are Actually Cooperating In Syria. Can It Work?
“Last week’s announcement of a cease-fire agreement between the United States and Russia seemed to be a major diplomatic breakthrough. The accidental U.S. bombing of Syrian forces instead of the intended Islamic State forces over the weekend represents the first hurdle for the new U.S.-Russia military partnership. It is unlikely to be the last. Months of lobbying by Secretary of State John F. Kerry helped produce the initial seven-day cease-fire arrangement. Assuming both sides proceed to the next step, the proposed. U.S.-Russian military coordination that is expected to follow will be even tougher to implement, however. The U.S. government has been divided over what to do about Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, but Russia has been resolute in its support for the regime from the beginning.”
Iraq
Reuters: Iraqi PM Announces Operation To Retake Shirqat, South Of Mosul
“Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced on Tuesday the launching of a military operation to retake Shirqat, an Islamic State bastion 100 km (60 miles) south of the jihadists' Mosul stronghold. The northern town on the banks of the Tigris River, which Iraqi troops and allied Shi'ite Muslim militias have surrounded, is thought to contain tens of thousands of civilians. Officials have warned for months of a humanitarian disaster inside where residents living under Islamic State's harsh rule say food supplies have dwindled and prices soared. Abadi said in a televised message from New York, where he is attending the United Nations General Assembly, that Iraqi forces would also move to retake two areas in western Anbar province.”
Deutsche Welle: 'Islamic State' Leaves Troubled Legacy In Iraq
“Throughout Qayyarah, the relief of being rid of IS is palpable. Iraq's Sunni population held major grievances against the Shia-led government and its security forces, and these were readily exploited by the insurgents as they took over a third of the country. But the horrors of the past two years have disqualified IS as a viable alternative to Baghdad's imperfect rule in the eyes of Qayyarah's inhabitants, who are Sunni. If the sectarian divide between Sunnis and Shias is not bridged, the future of the country would remain bleak, he added. ‘We need reconcilliation in Iraq.’”
Turkey
Deutsche Welle: Turkey's Post-Coup Purge Leaves Children Short Of Teachers
“Nearly 19 million children in Turkey on Monday returned to school for the first time since July's failed coup attempt under a state of emergency, as the school system braces for an uncertain and chaotic year. In the wake of the failed coup by a faction within the military, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his ruling AK Party have purged tens of thousands of people in the judiciary, military, civil service and education sector over alleged links to the coup plotters. On the first day of school, students from elementary school to high school received a pamphlet (pictured in tweet), ‘The triumph of democracy on July 15 and in memory of the martyrs,’ explaining the coup and will watch two videos.”
Reuters: Erdogan: U.S. Should 'Not Harbor A Terrorist' Like Cleric Gulen
“Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told Reuters in an interview on Monday that the United States should ‘not harbor a terrorist’ like U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen and that his activities should be banned around the world. Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999, denies involvement in Turkey's failed coup in July and Washington has said it will extradite him only if Turkey provides evidence, much to the Turkish government's frustration. Erdogan said Washington had ‘no excuse’ for keeping hold of Gulen, a former Erdogan ally who Turkish officials say has built up a network of followers over decades inside the armed forces and civil service to take over Turkey.”
Reuters: Turkey-Backed Rebels Could Push Further South In Syria, Erdogan Says
“Turkey-backed rebels may extend their zone of control in northern Syria by pushing south and are now targeting the Islamic State-held town of al-Bab, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday. Turkey's ‘safety zone’ in the region could eventually span an area of 5,000 square km (1,930 square miles), Erdogan told a news conference before departing for New York where he was due to address the United Nations' General Assembly. Ankara launched its operation in northern Syria known as ‘Euphrates Shield’ last month, aiming to clear Islamic State from Turkey's Syrian border area and to stop the advance of Syrian Kurdish fighters. So far, it has secured a thin wedge of land along its border. ‘As part of the Euphrates Shield operation, an area of 900 square kilometers has been cleared of terror so far. This area is pushing south,’ Erdogan said.”
Bloomberg: Turkey’s Army Is Driving Deeper Into Syria As Latest Truce Frays
“Behind their dirt embankments on the frontier with Syria, Turkish soldiers take refuge from the scorching sun in the shade of pine trees. A pile of shells sits beside them on the road, ready for action. The border they’re defending is effectively less of a border than it used to be, and the action is further away. That’s because Turkey’s army, since it crossed into Syria late last month to fight Islamic State and Kurdish militias, has driven the front line deep into the neighboring state. It now controls a 900 square-kilometer (350 square-mile) area inside Syria. And that’s just the start, judging by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s comments on Monday. The Turkish leader outlined plans for a ‘safe zone’ in Syria the size of the Grand Canyon, where rebels can be sheltered and trained, and refugees resettled.”
CNN: Saudi Arabia Thwarts Terror Plans By ISIS-Linked Groups, Ministry Says
“Saudi security forces have thwarted ISIS-linked terrorist operations in the kingdom, the Saudi Interior Ministry said in a statement Monday. It's believed the goal of the suspected terror operations was to target citizens, scholars, security forces and vital facilities nationwide. The complex security investigation lasted several months, the statement said. The planned operations were to be carried out by a network consisting of three cluster cells linked to the ‘Daesh’ terrorist organization, another name for ISIS, the statement said. The plans also included targeting military and economic facilities in different locations, the Interior Ministry statement added.”
Middle East
The Jerusalem Post: Danny Danon: Hamas Exploiting Humanitarian Aide Groups
“Following reports that Hamas infiltrated a large international aid organization operating in Gaza and redirected tens of millions of dollars – 60 percent – of the organization’s budget to its ‘military’ wing Israel's Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon announced a new initiative hoping to battle humanitarian funds being diverted to Hamas. According to Danon, Israeli intelligence has found a new trend in Hamas exploiting humanitarian groups. Danon explained, ‘We are initiating today a diplomatic battle against the diversion of humanitarian organizations’ funding towards Hamas’s terror infrastructure.’ The Shin Bet sourced added that Hamas’s armed wing stole $7.2 million a year from the budget, which was supposed to pay for food, humanitarian assistance, and aid programs for disabled children, and channeled the funds to buy weapons, build attack tunnels, and to other preparations for war with Israel.”
Haaretz: Surge In Palestinian Terror Attacks No Surprise For Israel, But Options Remain Limited
“Israel and the Palestinians have embarked on a new round of violence after a three-month lull, with characteristics similar to those of the last round, which began a year ago. Since Friday morning, there have been seven Palestinian attacks: two stabbings in East Jerusalem, one in the Gush Etzion settlement bloc, and three stabbings and an attempted car-ramming in Hebron. Moreover, the casualty rate is relatively high. Five Israeli security personnel were wounded, one seriously. Six Palestinians were killed and three seriously wounded, all of them assailants. The escalation is no surprise. Intelligence agencies predicted that attacks might resume between the Muslim holiday of Id al-Adha and the Jewish holidays in October. But now, the main factor is copycatting. Each slain attacker prompts a new attack, usually from relatives, friends or neighbors.”
The Jerusalem Post: Terrorist Stabs, Wounds 2 Israeli Border Police Officers In Jerusalem Attack
“A male and female Border Police officer were stabbed from behind and seriously wounded Monday morning by a terrorist from east Jerusalem, who was shot by Herod’s Gates, outside Jerusalem’s Old City. The attack follows a thwarted Friday stabbing by a Jordanian national, who was shot dead a few meters down the road, near Damascus Gate. According to police, Monday’s attack took place shortly after 7 a.m., and was captured on surveillance video. ‘The terrorist was sitting on a bench, and spotted the two officers when they were walking up the street from the Damascus Gate area towards Herod’s Gate,’ said Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld.”
The Wall Street Journal: Israel Tightens West Bank Security After Series Of Attacks
“Israel’s military deployed hundreds of soldiers over the weekend to reinforce the West Bank after a series of knife and car-ramming attacks against Israeli soldiers and civilians. A Palestinian assailant on Sunday stabbed and wounded a soldier in the Israeli settlement of Efrat, south of Jerusalem, before being shot, the military said. Both the attacker and soldier were taken to a hospital. Five separate attacks have now been mounted in three days across the Palestinian West Bank and Jerusalem, wounding six Israeli soldiers and civilians, the military and police said.”
Libya
BBC: Two Italians Kidnapped In Southern Libya
“Two Italians have been kidnapped in Libya, the Italian foreign ministry has said. The ministry said in a statement it heard of the kidnapping on Monday morning, but gave no further details. Media reports said the two were taken in the southern town of Ghat, along with a Canadian national, and that all three worked for a company doing maintenance work at the local airport. Ghat is controlled by the Tripoli-based government of national unity.”
Reuters: U.N. Launches Appeal For Libya's Sirte As Forces Renew Push Against Islamic State
“The United Nations launched an emergency $10.7 million appeal on Monday to help tens of thousands of people heading back to the Libyan city of Sirte amid military operations to oust Islamic State fighters from their last hideouts. Libyan forces aligned with the country's U.N.-backed government are said to be close to capturing the coastal city, which became Islamic State's most important stronghold outside Syria and Iraq when the jihadist group took control last year. Those who have fled the area have reported severe shortages of food and medicines as well as lootings, public beheadings, ‘crucifixions’ on scaffolding and abductions, the U.N. relief agency said in a report accompanying its appeal. It described the humanitarian situation in the city as ‘complex and acute’. Military operations have triggered new displacement while many other families have returned to areas now cleared of militants.”
Nigeria
Reuters: Suspected Boko Haram Militants Kill Six In Northern Nigeria Ambush: Army
“Suspected members of the Islamist militant group Boko Haram killed six people in an attack on a commercial convoy being escorted by the army in Nigeria's northeastern state of Borno, the military said on Monday. Boko Haram has killed more than 15,000 people and displaced 2.4 million across Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger and Chad during a seven-year insurgency aimed at creating a state based on a radical interpretation of Islamic law. Nigerian army spokesman Sani Usman said suspected elements of the group who were foraging for food had ambushed troops escorting the commercial vehicles from Damboa to Maiduguri, a journey of around 50 miles (80 km).”
Germany
“Only half the number of visitors compared last year attended the opening weekend of Oktoberfest, the traditional German beer festival that takes place every year in the Bavarian capital of Munich. Around 500,000 visitors attended the opening weekend of the festival, which will run until October 3. While rainy weather was deemed a factor, security fears are thought to be playing a more significant role in the decline. Munich’s is expected to pay an extra 2.2 million euros ($2.5 million) on security. Oktoberfest, which generally attracts around six million visitors from around the world, is seen this year in particular as a potential terror target.”
BBC: Germany's Fight Against Extremism
“The arrests this month of three Syrians at refugee centres in Germany came amid public nervousness about the arrival of more than a million asylum seekers in the country. So how are authorities in one city - Bremen - coping with the situation? One told me he had dared passage from Turkey by boat, then walked 2,000 miles, another how a bomb had destroyed her car, her house. Many worried about the family they had left behind. The performers of the Syrian Expat Philharmonic Orchestra all have different stories about why they left Syria. Some had been in Europe for years pursuing musical careers, one arrived just two weeks ago. Together they produce music that is sincere, passionate and beautiful, and a reminder of how migration can enrich Europe.”
France
Associated Press: France Remembers Victims Of Terror Attacks In Paris Ceremony
“A ceremony in memory of all victims of terror attacks has been held in Paris as France is still under a state of emergency. The names of the victims of attacks carried out by Islamic extremists last year in Paris and in July in Nice have been read on Monday during the ceremony, which also remembered those killed in attacks in Brussels, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast and Mali. The ceremony, organized by associations of victims, gathered hundreds of families and people injured in the attacks, in the presence of President Francois Hollande. ‘Our country had never been attacked to this extent, with such destructive rage, with such barbarian cruelty. That's why it was so important for names, all names to be evoked,’ Hollande said.
Deutsche Welle: Mixed Feelings About Memorial Service For Victims Of Terror
“France is reeling from 12 months of terrorism, beginning at the Bataclan Theater and popular Parisian restaurants on November 13, 2015, when 130 people died. Four French citizens were killed in January in Ougadougou, Burkina Faso, and five more in March in Ivory Coast. One French person was killed in the attacks in Brussels, also in March, and one more in May in Mali. In June, a police officer and his wife were stabbed to death in their home outside Paris. Then came the truck attack in Nice one month later, which claimed 86 lives. Finally, Father Jacques Hamel was killed in his church at the end of July. About 1,000 people affected by the various attacks were invited, however only about 200 attended. The difference is largely due to a disagreement between the various victims' associations and those families not a part of them. Others criticized the lack of state help for those who had to travel to Paris for the memorial.”
The Huffington Post: Burkini-Wearing Woman Gets Chased Off French Beach
“Zeynab Alshelh donned a blue burkini and walked onto a beach in southeastern France. The 23-year-old medical student had crossed 10,000 miles, flying with her family from her home in Sydney, Australia, to Europe, to reach the sands of Villeneuve-Loubet. Her journey, she said, had been fueled by just one goal: to stand in solidarity with local Muslims after dozens of resorts in the French riviera banned the burkini, a kind of full-body swimsuit, earlier this summer. The burkini ban in Villeneuve-Loubet was overruled in August by the country’s top administrative court. But that, as footage of Alshelh’s time in the resort town shows, did not stop beachgoers from chasing her away and threatening her with police action.”
Counter-Terrorism
The Seventh Day: Egypt: New Law To Combat Terror Crimes On The Internet
“The draft law on Information Technology crimes aims to confront violations committed through the usage of information technology systems, and primarily terrorism-related offenses. The draft law is scheduled to be discussed by the Supreme Committee for Legislative Reform during its meeting on Tuesday. The meeting will be presided over by Eng. Sherif Ismail, the Egyptian Prime Minister. Article No. 25 of the draft law calls for a rigorous imprisonment sentence for any person who launched or managed or used a website or electronic mail through an information system so as to create a terrorist entity or gang or promote their ideas, or commit terrorist acts, or to exchange their messages. The same punishment applies to any person who issues assignments to terrorist groups or those affiliated with them, or publishes information relating to the movement of terrorists or terrorist groups at home or abroad. The law also calls for rigorous imprisonment for anyone involved in terrorist financing, collected or received, as well as possession or supply or transfer of funds, weapons or ammunition.”
ISIS
Masr Alarabia: ISIS Financing In Saudi Arabia From Drug Trafficking
“Saudi military and strategic expert Mohammed Alqabeban claimed that drug trafficking is behind the financing of ISIS organization cells in Saudi Arabia. His comments came after large amounts of money were found in the possession of {terror} cells which, the Saudi Interior Ministry announced Monday, have been dismantled. He added that ISIS financing is linked to the drug trafficking and this was made evident by the seizure of large quantities of drugs during their previous attempts to smuggle them into the kingdom. The Saudi military expert explained that large sums of money often come from drug trafficking, since ISIS operatives in Saudi Arabia are primarily teenagers and young unemployed persons, who could not amass such large sums of money {from anything other than drug trafficking}.”
Muslim Brotherhood
Ex-Aljazeera journalists, Mohammed Fahmy and Mohammed Ibrahim Fawzi, accused the Qatari channel's management of exploiting its offices in many countries, especially in Middle East hotspots, for dubious political ends. They also accused the channel of financing armed groups, an activity which is very far-removed from its media role. By doing so, the two jailed journalists claimed, Aljazeera exposes its freelancers to numerous risks and penalties under law. Photographer Mohammed Ibrahim Fawzi was sentenced to 10 years in the case publicly known as the "Marriott Cell." He spoke for the first time to the media and disclosed many non-media practices carried out by the channel. He claimed he had not understood at the time the arrival of funds to Aljazeera offices and, from there, their transfer to unofficial and non-media entities and to militant organizations. He asserted that Aljazeera had supplied cameras to the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. Fawzi said he had worked in Doha and was assigned to work in Cairo.
“Mr. Mohammed Al Omari, CEO of SONO Cairo Audio Video Company, stressed he would not give up the rights of the company after Brotherhood TV channels aired the "Great Judges" TV series. The series was produced by SONO company this year as part of its wish to return to religious and historical TV programs. Al Omari said he was surprised that several channels affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood aired "Great Judges" without any right to do so. He asserted that these channels acted as if the company's funds belong to them and they have the right to air the series on TV screens without a contract. The CEO emphasized that he has taken all legal actions against these channels, so that his company {ultimately} recovers its rights, which some seek to steal.”
Houthi
“When Houthi militiamen entered the Yemeni capital two years ago, the foreign exchange reserves at the Central Bank amounted to at least $4.6 billion. This is in addition to gold reserves and other foreign currencies. Today, only a small sum remains, which is insufficient to satisfy the needs of the state and the salaries of employees. We do not understand why the government, which left the capital Sanaa, has done nothing since the coup, such as establishing a substitute central bank in the provisional capital of Aden. This raises questions, as the actions by Sanaa authorities are illegal because the central bank is being run by two rebel groups – the Houthis and former President Ali Saleh {and his allies}. A reasonable explanation might be that the legitimate government, after moving {to Aden}, preferred to leave the central bank intact and not enter into a dispute with the rebels on its management. This was done to avoid exposing government employees to harm and bringing the service sectors to a halt, even though most of them have already come to a standstill. Now, after the bank's coffers have been emptied, the government in Aden announced the establishment of an alternative central bank.”