CEP: Eye on Extremism May 18, 2022

 

Eye on Extremism May 18, 2022   NBC News: The Buffalo Shooting Is Part Of A Global Network Of White Nationalist Terror   “The racist attack in Buffalo, New York, is part of a broader movement that experts and officials fear could inspire further white nationalist terror across the world. Though the suspect alone allegedly drove 200 miles from his hometown to carry out the massacre, his apparent online footprint suggests he formed part of an informal global network of radicalized young men inspired by racist conspiracy theories and far-right attacks from Norway to New Zealand. London Mayor Sadiq Khan said this week that the Buffalo shooting “highlights the growing threat of far-right extremism in the U.S. and Europe.” Cities and nations need to unite against this “evolving global danger,” he said. That evolution has helped give age-old racist theories a wide new audience.  And in stark contrast to terrorist threats of the 20th century, governments are now tasked with stopping violence that has origins not in physical terror cells but dispersed online subcultures across the world. “We should have been braced for these attacks,” said Cas Mudde, a Dutch expert in extremism at the University of Georgia. “There have been similar attacks, some prevented, and there will be more, particularly in the U.S., where gun laws are so lax.”   Voice Of America: Taliban Poised To 'Loosen' Restrictions On Al-Qaida   “Recent assessments by U.S. military officials are raising questions about Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers and what they are willing to do to keep the al-Qaida terror group in check. As part of the February 2020 Doha Agreement with the United States that paved the way for the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Taliban agreed to make sure Afghanistan would never again be used as a launchpad for terror attacks against the West. But the assessments by U.S. Central Command, which oversees U.S. military forces in the Middle East and South Asia, and shared with the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General indicate that while that pledge is holding for now, the Taliban may be ready to consider a change. “The Taliban will likely loosen these restrictions over the next 12 to 24 months, allowing al-Qaida greater freedom of movement and the ability to train, travel, and potentially re-establish an external operations capability,” according to an inspector general report released Tuesday. CENTCOM’s assessment does not explain why the Taliban appear willing to let al-Qaida operate more freely, though the inspector general report points to military intelligence estimates that note both al-Qaida and its regional affiliate, al-Qaida in the Indian subcontinent (AQIS), certainly aspire to attack the U.S. and U.S. targets.”   United States   The Wall Street Journal: Buffalo Shooter’s 673-Page Diary Reveals Descent Into Racist Extremism   “Days before carrying out one of the deadliest racially motivated attacks in recent U.S. history, Payton Gendron wrote that he’d finally made up his mind. “I just don’t have the time to wait any longer,” he posted online. “I was supposed to do this 2 months ago. But now I finally feel actually ready.” The entry was from a nearly 700-page online diary that Mr. Gendron, an 18-year-old white man, kept for the past several months. Writing under the online pseudonym “Jimboboiii,” he detailed his preparations for the massacre and his embrace of racist conspiracy theories that he said drove him to kill. A link to the diary was posted on a public web forum shortly before Mr. Gendron opened fire at a supermarket in a predominantly Black neighborhood in Buffalo last Saturday. The attack left 10 people dead and three more wounded. All but two of his 13 victims were Black. They included an 86-year-old grandmother, a retired Buffalo police lieutenant and a church deacon. Mr. Gendron, who is being held without bail after surrendering to police, pleaded not guilty to a single charge of first degree murder. Federal prosecutors said they are contemplating charging him with hate crimes.”   FOX Detroit: Members Of Neo-Nazi Group The Base Convicted In Domestic Terrorism Probe In Michigan   “Four men with ties to a white supremacist group that advocates for violence against the government and has aspirations of creating a white ethno-state have pleaded guilty to gang membership and weapons charges. The convictions follow a years-long investigation into The Base, which has a loose network of cells around the U.S. That includes in Michigan, where members sought to establish training sites in preparation for what they describe as a coming race war. Two of the members convicted, including the suspected leader of the group Justen Watkins, had been arraigned on charges of being associated with a gang and using computers to commit a crime after they intimidated a family in Dexter in 2019. He was also charged with conspiring to train for a civil disorder, a first in Michigan's history. Following those charges, a wider investigation was launched with the FBI and Joint Terrorism Task Force, which uncovered plans by other members of The Base to assess Michigan prisons as potential paramilitary training grounds. “The pleas serve as an example of the FBI's continued commitment to work alongside its law enforcement partners at every level to protect the security of our nation—even when Federal criminal statutes may not be available,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge at the FBI's Detroit Division. The Base is a small militant neo-Nazi organization that formed in 2018. According to the Anti-Defamation League, the group embraces “Hitlerian ideology coupled with a mission to prepare for an impending race war.”   Syria   Kurdistan 24: SDF Arrests 5 ISIS Members In Deir Al-Zor   “The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) captured five suspected ISIS members in an operation in the Deir al-Zor province, the SDF's Coordination and Military Operations Center said on Monday. “The operation come(s) as a part of the security campaign against terrorist cells that threatens population lives and prevents stability,” tweeted the SDF's Coordination and Military Operations Center. The SDF said it confiscated weapons, equipment, and documents “that proves their involvement in terrorist ops in #NES (northeast Syria).” “The tireless effort of the #SDF in denying Daesh sanctuaries & preventing their resurgence demonstrates SDF's dedication to building sustainable & resilient stability in NE Syria,” tweeted the official account of the Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR), the official name for the US-led coalition against ISIS, on Tuesday. “We remain committed to partnership w/ @cmoc_sdf to ensure the lasting defeat of Daesh (ISIS),” it added. The SDF and US-led coalition regularly carry out operations against the militant group to prevent it from making a resurgence in the region.”   Lebanon   Washington Examiner: Terrorist-Linked Hezbollah Loses Majority In Lebanese Elections   “Iran-backed political and militant group Hezbollah lost its parliamentary coalition majority in the Lebanese elections, officials announced on Tuesday. Reformist political groups, including Lebanese Forces, Hezbollah's main Christian rival, won around 10% of Lebanon's seats in the first parliamentary elections since the country's economic crisis began, which were held Sunday. The end of Islamic Hezbollah's majority, which lasted for four years, has led to “the emergence of an independent political bloc that could impact the dynamics in a severely fragmented parliament,” elections and governance expert Maroun Sfeir told CNN. “These changes are signaling the beginning of a new political phase,” Sfeir said. “One that could either put back Lebanon on the right path of reform or further escalate its collapse due to political deadlocks and potential violence.” The Lebanese Forces now have 19 seats in Lebanon's Parliament, a plurality, according to the Jerusalem Post. Only about 41% of voters in Lebanon voted in the election. Polling monitors for the election were also threatened by members of Hezbollah and its ally the Amal Movement at several polling locations, with supporters of Hezbollah and the Lebanese Forces clashing on Sunday, according to the outlet.”   Bolly Inside: Will Hezbollah’s Grip On Lebanon Be Weakened By Sunday’s Elections?   “…David Daoud, the expert on Hezbollah of the Counter Extremism Project (CEP) stresses that the group’s influence within Lebanon is a critical factor that would undermine chances of genuine economic and governmental reform and says, “Through its continued possession of unregulated arms, Hezbollah dominates Lebanon’s decisions of war and peace… Hezbollah is not the singular cause of Lebanon’s dysfunction and economic collapse. The sources of that run much deeper. But the group is both a symptom of those maladies intrinsic to the Lebanese system as it is currently constituted and the primary impediment to remedying them…However, what is clear is that Lebanon cannot begin to recover until the group’s grip over the country is loosened.” Analysts point out that it is not likely that Sunday’s voting will bring meaningful change, as the numerous new candidates who are expected to get the “revenge vote” of the desperate Lebanese people have failed to form a coalition, and besides, lack the money and experience to defeat the existing parties. So, Lebanon may enter a new long period of paralysis before the various factions agree on a new power-sharing cabinet.”   Middle East   Al Jazeera: US Plan To Remove Kahanist Group From ‘Terror’ List Draws Concern   “Palestinian rights advocates have raised the alarm over US plans to remove a violent, far-right Israeli group from Washington’s list of “foreign terrorist organizations” (FTO), warning that such a move may embolden Kahane Chai’s supporters. A United States official confirmed that the State Department has notified Congress of plans to delist the organisation, originally known as “Kach”, because it considers it defunct. Yet while critics acknowledge that the group – founded by ultranationalist, US-born Israeli politician Meir Kahane – officially has been inactive, they say adherents who espouse its ideology are still operating both in the US and Israel. Before establishing Kach in Israel, Kahane founded the Jewish Defense League (JDL) in the US, a hardline pro-Israel organisation linked to several violent attacks on US soil, including the assassination of Palestinian-American organiser Alex Odeh in California in 1985. “Kach and Kahane Chai splintered into various groups and political parties that continue to espouse, inspire and carry out acts of violence against Palestinian civilians,” said William Lafi Youmans, an associate professor at George Washington University who is working on a documentary about the assassination of Odeh.”   Nigeria   Sahara Reporters: Radical Boko Haram Preacher And Terrorist Recruiter, Ari-Difinoma, Reportedly Surrenders To Nigerian Army   “The leader of the Jama’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’wah wa’l-Jihad (JAS), popularly known as the Boko Haram terrorist group, Alhaji Ari-Difinoma, has reportedly surrendered to the Nigerian Army. Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency expert and security analyst in Lake Chad, reported that the radical preacher surrendered to the troops of 21 Special Armoured Brigade Bama, Operation Hadin Kai, on Monday, May 16, 2022, after he was forced out of his hideout following sustained bombardment by troops of Operation Hadin Kai. Daily Post also reports intensified infighting between Boko Haram and its rival faction, the Islamic State of the West African Province (ISWAP). Zagazola noted that ISWAP terrorists had launched a surprise attack against Boko Haram at Ukuba, a camp that had been repeatedly destroyed by the Nigerian troops but reoccupied by the terrorists, forcing Boko Haram fighters to flee. Sources told Zagazola that Ari-Difinoma and others ran to hide in a small village located in Mantari village, within the axis of Bama Local Government Area, but were forced out of their hideout by hunger and unending artillery bombardments by the Nigerian troops. “It was at that point that Mr Ari-Difinoma decided to abandon the rest of his colleagues and ran out to surrender himself,” he said.”   Reuters: Nigeria Asks Facebook, Other Platforms To Curtail Hate Speech   “Nigeria is monitoring Meta Platforms Inc's (FB.O) Facebook and other platforms to ensure they comply with demands to curtail hate speech on their sites, as it steps up its campaign for responsible use of social media, Information Minister Lai Mohammed said on Tuesday. Mohammed's comments came after meeting with Facebook's team in Nigeria's capital, Abuja. He said Facebook had done nothing to curtail the activities of separatist group Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) on their platform despite several complaints. Nnamdi Kanu, IPOB's leader, is standing trial on charges that include terrorism and broadcasting falsehoods. A judge will decide on Wednesday on whether Kanu should be granted bail. Mohammed said the separatist group has been classified as a terrorist organisation and that “Facebook has no justification for yielding its platform to the organisation to further its campaign of hate and destabilisation of the country”. Nigeria is facing secessionist agitation which has given rise to regional calls for power-sharing between southern and northern Nigeria. The country is also dealing with insecurity, banditry, kidnapping, a weak currency amid double-digit inflation and slow growth.”   Somalia   The National: Who Is Somalia's New President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud And What Challenges Does He Face?   “…A member of the powerful Hawiye clan, Mr Mohamud entered politics in 2011 when he founded the Union for Peace and Development Party. Few expected the bookish activist to become president and his 2012 election victory raised hopes that the fragile nation was on the path to stability. His government was the first to be given global recognition and billions in foreign aid since the collapse of Siad Barre's authoritarian regime in 1991. He has links to Al Islah, the Somali branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. The group claims to reject violence in pursuit of an Islamic state, the Counter Extremism Project said. But the technocrat's term was marked by corruption scandals and political turmoil. What threats does he face? Mr Mohamud confronts a familiar threat that dogged his government and others — a deadly and persistent insurgency by the Al Shabab extremist group. In March, the UN renewed the mandate of a 20,000-strong African Union force, formerly known as Amisom, that has been on the ground since 2007 to support the foreign-backed government in confronting the Al Qaeda-linked extremists.”   Africa   The Defense Post: Militia Attacks Claim 20 Lives In Eastern DR Congo   “Militants killed at least 20 civilians last week in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a monitoring group said Monday, in the latest massacre in the conflict-torn region. Suspected rebels from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) attacked a village in Irumu territory in the eastern province of Ituri on May 11, according to the Kivu Security Tracker (KST), a respected conflict monitor. Militants killed at least 20 civilians and took another 25 hostage, the monitor said. Details of the attack remain hazy. A UN official who declined to be named said militants had killed about 30 people in the same village late of May 12, or in the early hours of May 13, but stressed that not all the details had been verified. The official also suggested that the ADF was responsible. Dieudonne Malangay, vice president of a local civil-society group, relayed to AFP a survivor’s account of the attack that was similar to the UN official’s. AFP was unable to independently confirm either the death toll or the date of the attack. The ADF, described by the so-called Islamic State as its local affiliate, has been accused of killing thousands of civilians in DR Congo’s troubled east. In late November, Ugandan troops joined DR Congo’s army in an operation against the ADF, following bomb attacks in the Ugandan capital Kampala that were blamed on the group.”   France   Associated Press: Eagles Of Death Metal Members Testify About Bataclan Attack   “Members of the Californian rock band Eagles of Death Metal provided emotional testimony Tuesday about the night Islamic State group extremists stormed their Bataclan theater concert, killing scores of people in France’s worst attack in generations. Singer Jesse Hughes and guitarist Eden Galindo -- both civil parties to the case being heard by a Paris court -- are among the survivors and witnesses of the Nov. 13, 2015 attacks. They told the court that the attacks upended their lives forever. Galindo, 52, recalled escaping through a side door, unaware whether the gunmen were chasing them, and ending up in a police station “with others there covered in blood.” The guitarist said he thinks of the victims’ families and prays for them every day, adding that, since the dark moment, “I live a different life. I’ll never be the same.” Hughes, 49, was visibly emotional, saying that upon hearing the gunfire in the concert hall, he “knew death was upon us.” He said they “ran for their lives” after “nearly 90 of my friends (the fans) were murdered in front of us.” “The perpetrators tried to leave a legacy of terror,” he said. Then he finished by quoting former Black Sabbath singer Ozzy Osbourne: “You can’t kill rock n roll.” The sole surviving member of the extremist team that attacked several targets in Paris on that night, Salah Abdeslam, is the key defendant.”   Grid: The Buffalo Shooter’s Inspiration Came From France   “…The theory had existed in other forms,” Josh Lipowsky, senior research analyst for the nonprofit Counter Extremism Project, told Grid, “but [Camus’ book] really brought it to the forefront, and we saw several groups latching on to it.” Today, Camus’ theory is central to several far-right parties on the continent, and his general idea — that an invasion of nonwhites risks existential damage to white-majority nations — has captured the imagination of politicians and the media in the U.S. as well. If the Buffalo killer was inspired by the ideas of a French author, he wasn’t the first. On March 15, 2019, a man in Christchurch, New Zealand, killed 51 people and injured 40 others in an attack during Friday prayers at the Al Noor Mosque and the Linwood Islamic Centre. The Christchurch and Buffalo killers both livestreamed their terror; both left behind a racist diatribe; in both cases, their screeds included references to the Great Replacement Theory. The Christchurch attacker actually called his document “The Great Replacement.” The Christchurch killer was said to have corresponded with Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik, who had left behind a screed of his own nearly eight years before. In his variant, brown-skinned Muslims were a threat to Norwegian society.”   Europe   Deutsche Welle: Will The 'Islamic State' Benefit From The Ukraine War?   “In the middle of last month, the extremist group known as the “Islamic State” issued a threat. The group announced “a blessed campaign to take revenge” after their leader was killed in a US military raid in Syria in February. At the same time, the extremist group, which controlled around a third of Syria and Iraq at the height of its powers, also called on supporters to take advantage of opportunities presented by the war in Ukraine. While “infidel” Western nations were preoccupied, “Islamic State” supporters could attack, the message suggested. Meanwhile, a magazine openly supporting al-Qaeda — another similar extremist organization that the IS group distanced itself from in 2013 — proposed that its supporters somehow get hold of weapons being handed out to civilians in Ukraine, then use them against Europeans. As yet the idea of launching terrorist attacks while the West is distracted by Ukraine does not appear to have caught on in Europe. The IS group has around a dozen affiliate groups in different regions, from Africa to Asia, and most of the violence attributable to it is currently being perpetuated in Africa. But there is another way that war in Ukraine might benefit IS, al-Qaeda and potentially even other extremist organizations, experts have said.”   Southeast Asia   Reuters: Militant Suspects Held In Indonesia Pledged Islamic State Loyalty - Police   “Members of a cohort of suspected extremists arrested in Indonesia at the weekend had made pledges of loyalty to Islamic State via an instant messaging application, the national police said on Tuesday. Indonesia's elite Densus 88 counter-terrorism taskforce arrested two dozen suspects during raids on Saturday and subsequent interviews revealed some had performed bayat, or a pledge of allegiance, to Islamic State's new leader, Abu al-Hassan al-hashemi al-Quraishi, police said. National police spokesperson Ahmad Ramadhan said 22 of the suspects were detained in central Sulawesi, an area with a long history of sectarian violence and extremism, and were linked to the East Indonesia Mujahideen (MIT) network. They had assisted MIT by providing ammunition and concealing their activities, he told a news conference. The other two arrests were made on Java island and in Kalimantan. Members of the group performed bayat by reading a text message circulated on their WhatsApp messenger accounts, he added. As many as 1,100 men, women and children left Indonesia to join the Islamic State at the height of the group's control of territory in Syria and Iraq, according to Jakarta-based security expert Sidney Jones.”   The Counter Extremism Project depends on the generosity of its supporters. If you value what we do, please consider making a donation. DONATE NOW