Eye on Extremism January 9, 2016

Eye on Extremism January 9, 2016 New York Times: The Latest: US Seeks Death Penalty In Airport Shooting “The Latest on Airport Shooting-Florida (all times local): 6:25 p.m. Federal prosecutors have filed charges against the Florida airport shooting suspect that could bring the death penalty if he is convicted.A criminal complaint filed Saturday by the Miami U.S. attorney's office accuses 26-year-old Esteban Santiago of an act of violence at an international airport resulting in death. The punishment is execution or any prison sentence up to life. Prosecutors also charged Santiago with two firearms offenses. Santiago is accused of fatally shooting five people and wounding six others Friday at a Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport baggage claim. The FBI says Santiago traveled from Alaska to Fort Lauderdale specifically to carry out the shooting.” RT: Turkish Media Name Perpetrator Of NYE Nightclub Massacre “Turkish police has released the name of the Islamic State terrorist behind the deadly New Year shooting at the Reina nightclub in Istanbul, local media report. Turkey’s most wanted, known so far under his alias, has been named as Abdulgadir Masharipov. Istanbul Police Department said that Masharipov is of Uzbek origin and is known in terrorist circles as “Abu Muhammed Horasani,” according to a number of Turkish news outlets. Authorities believe that he is responsible for slaughtering 39 people and wounding 65 others in Istanbul during New Year's eve celebrations.” NPR: Blast Hits Syrian Border Town, Killing At Least 43 “A blast has torn through the Syrian town of Azaz, killing at least 43 people, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The U.K.-based activist group says the explosion was caused by a fuel tanker rigged with a bomb, which went off outside a courthouse in the rebel-held town on Syria's border with Turkey. Reuters reports that Turkey's state-run Andalou news service puts the death toll even higher, quoting a doctor who says at least 60 people have been killed and more than 50 have been wounded. Most of the victims of the car bomb were civilians, the Observatory says.” CNN: ISIS Claims 2 Suicide Bombings In Baghdad; 16 People Killed “ISIS has claimed responsibility for two suicide bombings at crowded Baghdad markets on Sunday, killing 16 people. The attacks happened the same day anti-ISIS forces advanced on the terror group's stronghold in Mosul. The first blast happened when a driver blew up his explosives-laden vehicle at the Alwat-Jamila market in eastern Baghdad's Sadr City. At least 11 people were killed and 25 were wounded, police said. In the second attack, a suicide bomber wearing an explosive vest blew himself up at a busy market in the eastern Baghdad neighborhood of al-Baladiyat, police said. At least five people were killed, and 12 were wounded.” Daily Beast: ISIS Has A New Weapon: Fire “The new ISIS terror weapon is fire. “This is a quick option for anyone intending to join the just terror campaign,” says the latest issue of the ISIS magazine Rumiyah. This tactic requires neither guns such as were used in San Bernadino and Orlando nor vehicles such as were used in other attacks.  “With some simple and readily accessible materials (i.e. flammables), one can easily terrorize an entire nation,” the magazine advises.” NBC News: Iraqi Forces Reach Tigris River In Mosul Offensive Against ISIS: Officials “Iraqi special forces reached the eastern bank of the Tigris river in Mosul on Sunday for the first time in a U.S.-backed assault on ISIS, military officials said. Elite counter-terrorism service (CTS) units fought their way to a bridge over the Tigris which has been damaged in fighting, CTS spokesman Sabah al-Numan said. It was the first time Iraqi forces have reached the river in the city itself since the operation to drive IS out of Mosul began in October. Iraqi forces have so far only penetrated eastern districts of Mosul, which is bissected by the river. The city is Islamic State's last major stronghold in Iraq.” The New York Times: 4 Die As Palestinian Rams Truck Into Israeli Soldiers In Jerusalem “A Palestinian driver plowed a truck into a group of Israeli soldiers as they were getting off a bus in Jerusalem on Sunday afternoon, killing four and injuring 17 others, according to the police and witnesses. The police called the episode an act of terrorism. Micky Rosenfeld, a police spokesman, said the attacker had been shot, and the police released images showing the truck’s windshield riddled with bullet holes. The dead included three female soldiers and one male soldier, the Israeli military confirmed. Several people were hospitalized, some with critical injuries. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the scene of the attack and said the perpetrator was ‘by all indications a supporter of the Islamic State.’” The New York Times: Airstrikes By Russia Buttress Turkey In Battle Vs. ISIS “Russian warplanes have carried out airstrikes to support Turkey’s offensive in northern Syria against the Islamic State, an important evolution in a budding Russian-Turkish partnership. The deepening ties threaten to marginalize the United States in the struggle to shape Syria’s ultimate fate. The air missions, which took place for about a week near the strategically important town of Al Bab, represent the Kremlin’s first use of its military might to help the Turks in their fight against the militant group. The Russians seized an opening to try to build a military relationship with Turkey, a NATO member, as the United States has sought to keep the emphasis on taking Raqqa, the Islamic State’s self-declared capital.” Voice Of America: Yemen Government Claims Crucial Advance In Battle On Red Sea Coast “Senior army commanders in Yemen said Saturday that government forces had liberated a key, rebel-held coastal district from Iran-backed Houthi rebels during a military offensive to protect vital Red Sea shipping lanes from rebel artillery and missiles. There were conflicting reports late Saturday on casualties, with multiple regional news reports quoting military sources as saying about 20 combatants had been killed in the fighting that began Friday in Dhubab district. However, it was not clear whether government forces or rebel fighters bore the brunt of the losses. ‘We have liberated almost all of Dhubab and Al-Wazyia regions,’ General Fadhel Hassan, commander of the government's regional forces, told the Dubai-based Gulf News.” New York Times: Death Of Iran’s Rafsanjani Removes Influential Voice Against Hard-Liners “With the death of Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani on Sunday, Iran’s political factions knew immediately that any space by reformers to maneuver had just significantly decreased. Change had come, and it did not favor those seeking to turn Iran into a less revolutionary country with more tolerance and outreach to the West — especially the United States. Mr. Rafsanjani, a former president who helped found the Islamic republic, had been the one man too large to be sidelined by conservative hard-liners. Now he was suddenly gone, dead from what state media described as cardiac arrest — and with no one influential enough to fill his shoes.” Associated Press: Man Accused Of Recruiting For Islamic State Faces Trial “U.S. prosecutors are counting on the social media postings of an Arizona man to help persuade a jury that he was a recruiter for Islamic State militants. Ahmed Mohammed el-Gammal, who lived in Avondale, a Phoenix suburb, faces trial Monday at a federal court in New York on charges that he helped a 24-year-old New Yorker link up with Islamic State fighters in 2015 after traveling to Syria via Turkey. The New York man he allegedly helped become a fighter, Samy el-Goarany, was killed in Syria in November 2015, according to prosecutors.” Voice Of America: Women In Afghanistan Join Forces To Fight Militants “A group of 150 women in the northern Jawzjan province of Afghanistan have taken up arms to fight Taliban and Islamic State militants. Some of the women, who live in the violence-plagued districts of Qoosh Tapa and Darz A’ab, say Taliban and IS militants killed the male members of their families. Mumlakat is a woman from Qoosh Tapa district: ‘They killed three of my sons and burned down our livelihood. Now we have come out to fight IS,’ she said. The Afghan women, who say they are ready to fight alongside men from their districts, say they can no longer tolerate the brutalities of the militants.” Reuters: Boko Haram Attacks Nigerian Army Base, Five Soldiers Killed: Military Source “Five Nigerian soldiers and more than 15 Boko Haram fighters were killed when the jihadists attacked an army base in the remote northeast where the group has been fighting for an Islamic state, a military source said on Sunday. Boko Haram attacked an army brigade in Buni Yadi in Yobe state late on Saturday, an army spokesman said by text message, without giving a casualty figure. ‘Five soldiers lost their life in the attack though more than 15 Boko Haram were killed by troops,’ the military source said. Several explosions could be heard on Sunday in Maiduguri, capital of Borno state where Boko Haram started its seven-year insurgency that has killed about 15,000 people and displaced more than 2 million. Officials or medics were not immediately available to give a casualty figure.” Washington Post: How The USSR’s Effort To Destroy Islam Created A Generation Of Radicals “In 1929, Soviet leader Mikhail Kalinin laid out his vision for Central Asia: "teaching the people of the Kirgiz Steppe, the small Uzbek cotton grower, and the Turkmenian gardener the ideals of the Leningrad worker." It was a tall order, especially when it came to religion. About 90 percent of the population there was Muslim, but atheism was the state religion of the USSR. So in the early 1920s, the Soviet government effectively banned Islam in Central Asia. Books written in Arabic were burned, and Muslims weren't allowed to hold office. Koranic tribunals and schools were shuttered, and conducting Muslim rituals became almost impossible. In 1912, there were about 26,000 mosques in Central Asia. By 1941, there were just 1,000.” United States CNN: What We Know About The Fort Lauderdale Airport Shooting Suspect “Esteban Santiago needed help after he returned from a tour in Iraq a changed man, his brother said Saturday. But Bryan Santiago said his brother didn't get the help he needed. Esteban Santiago's aunt said her nephew talked about the destruction he witnessed. About the killing of children. Visions that haunted him. ‘His mind was not right,’ Maria Ruiz Rivera told CNN in a phone interview from her home in New Jersey. ‘He seemed normal at times, but other times he seemed lost. He changed.’ Bryan Santiago, who lives in Puerto Rico, said his brother asked authorities for help. ‘And they did nothing. They had him hospitalized for four days, and then they let him go. How are you going to let someone leave a psychological center after four days when he is saying that he is hearing voices?’” International Business Times: ISIS In Florida: Fort Lauderdale Shooter's Motive Still Unclear, A Look Back At Other Islamic State Group-Related Incidents “A U.S. army veteran opened fire at the Fort Lauderdale airport Friday afternoon, killing five people and injuring eight. The 26-six-year native of Anchorage, Alaska, Esteban Santiago calmly surrendered to authorities after he ran out of bullets. Officials said Santiago’s motive was yet to be determined. The 26-year-old served in Iraq and later worked with the Alaska National Guard but was demoted and discharged last year for unsatisfactory performance. Federal officials and Santiago’s relatives added he had been receiving treatment for mental health issues. Last year, Santiago walked into the FBI’s office in Anchorage, claiming his mind was being controlled by a U.S. intelligence agency and that the CIA was forcing him to watch videos by the Islamic State group (also called ISIS). While Santiago’s motive remains unclear, Florida is no stranger to ISIS-related attacks and arrests. The state witnessed its deadliest attack in 2016 which left 49 people dead.” The Hill: Pentagon Chief: Russian Efforts In Fight Against ISIS 'Virtually Zero' “Secretary of Defense Ash Carter said Sunday that Russia has done nothing in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). ‘They haven’t done anything,’ Carter told NBC’s ‘Meet the Press.’ Carter said Russia’s efforts in the war against ISIS are ‘virtually zero.’ Russia began its military intervention in the Syrian civil war in September of 2015. Since then, Russia has aided the Syrian government with airstrikes as it works to take back territory from opposition groups. ‘They came in, they said they were going to fight ISIL, and they said they were going to help in the civil war in Syria,’ Carter said, using another acronym for the terrorist organization.” Associated Press: US To Send 300 Marines To Afghanistan's Helmand Province “The United States will send some 300 Marines to Afghanistan's southern Helmand province to train, advise and assist Afghan security forces, who have been struggling to drive Taliban insurgents out of the opium-rich region. U.S. Navy Capt. Bill Salvin, a spokesman for the U.S. mission in Afghanistan, said the Marines will begin deploying this year and will remain in the province for nine months, where they will work with the Afghan army and militarized national police. ‘The Marine Corps has a long operational history in Afghanistan, particularly in Helmand Province. Advising and assisting Afghan defense and security forces will assist in preserving gains made together with the Afghans,’ he said.” Syria Reuters: Assad Says Ready To Discuss Everything, Vows To Take Back All Syria “Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said his government is ready to negotiate on ‘everything’ in proposed peace talks in Kazakhstan but it was not yet clear who would represent the opposition and no date had been set. Assad also said a ceasefire brokered by Turkey and Russia, his most powerful ally, was being violated and the army would recapture all of Syria including a rebel-held area near Damascus where a vital water supply had been bombed out of service. He made the remarks in comments to French media that were published by the Syrian state news agency SANA.” Deutsche Welle: Syria: Water As A Weapon Of War “Fighting between the Syrian army and jihadi rebels has engulfed the source of any population's most valuable resource: water. The al-Fija spring in Wadi Barada, northwest of Damascus, provides nearly two-thirds of the city's potable water. Whoever controls the area indirectly controls the lives of the millions of people living in and around the Syrian capital. Rebels have occupied the region for months. The pumps at the Wadi Barada water plant were damaged in the last weeks, and water that remained flowing has been contaminated with diesel fuel. More than 5.5 million people in the greater Damascus area have been partly or completely cut off from their water supply, according to UN estimates. This has forced them to search for other sources and tripled the cost of bottled water, city residents reported.” The Wall Street Journal: Russia Announces Military Drawdown In Syria “Russia’s top general said Friday his country would draw down its military presence in Syria, starting with a withdrawal of its warships from the eastern Mediterranean. Gen. Valery Gerasimov, the chief of Russia’s general staff, said Russia would withdraw the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov from the waters off the coast of Syria. The ships deployed with the carrier in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will also be withdrawn, he said. Whether the reduction in the number of ships also means an overall decrease in Russian firepower in the region or a scaling back of its military campaign in Syria wasn’t known.” Iraq Reuters: Iraqi Forces Close In On Tigris In Islamic State Stronghold Mosul “Iraqi special forces closed in on the Tigris river that runs through central Mosul on Saturday, advancing in parallel with other troops and forcing Islamic State to retreat in its last major stronghold in the country. Islamic State has been driven out of more than half the areas it held east of the Tigris river, which bisects the city, but is still in control of the west. It will be harder for the jihadists to defend Mosul once Iraqi forces reach the river. Baghdad meanwhile said it had come to an agreement with Ankara over a demand for withdrawal of Turkish forces from an area close to Mosul as the two regional powers sought to improve ties following a year-long spat over the military deployment.” BBC: Mosul Battle: Iraqi Troops 'Take Key District' From IS “Iraqi forces have made fresh progress in the battle against so-called Islamic State (IS) in Mosul, reportedly taking a key district in the city's east. Elite troops captured al-Muthana following night-time fighting, an army spokesman said, putting them in a position to take higher ground nearby. It comes days after Iraqi forces began the second phase of a push to conquer the last major IS stronghold in Iraq. About two-thirds of east Mosul has been retaken since October, officials say. The army said its troops had raised the national flag after capturing al-Muthana.” BBC: IS Conflict: Iraq Car Bomb Kills 11 In Baghdad “A car bomb in Iraq has struck a market in eastern Baghdad, killing at least 11 people and injuring dozens more. Interior ministry spokesman Saad Maan was quoted as saying a security guard fired on a suspicious vehicle and the driver then blew it up. So-called Islamic State (IS) said it was behind the blast, in a statement on its Amaq news agency. It is the latest of several targeting Shia Muslim districts of Baghdad. A similar attack on 2 January killed 35. The latest attack struck the main vegetable market in the primarily Shia Muslim Sadr City district.” Turkey Reuters: Turkish Army Says 48 Islamic State Militants Killed In Syria On Sunday “Turkish-led air and ground operations in Syria killed 48 Islamic State militants on Sunday while Turkish warplanes destroyed 23 buildings and shelters used by the jihadists, Turkey's armed forces said in a statement on Monday. Turkey launched the 'Euphrates Shield' operation in support of Syrian rebels more than four months ago to drive Islamic State from the border and in recent weeks they have been besieging the Islamic State-controlled town of al-Bab.” The Guardian: Turkey In Grip Of Fear As Erdoğan Steps Up Post-Terror Attack Crackdown “Turkey’s strongman president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, rarely goes on the defensive. Yet in his first public appearance since the New Year’s Eve massacre in an Istanbul nightclub, he felt obliged to publicly reject the notion that his government’s intolerant approach to civil society could possibly have encouraged the attack claimed by Islamic State that left 39 people dead. Erdoğan was speaking before a regular gathering of elected community leaders, an opportunity he usually uses to glad-hand political support. However, the shock of the attack has further rent an already divided country. While no one believes that the government is directly responsible, it is accused of creating an atmosphere in which a religious fanatic could get away with murder.” Associated Press: Turkey Dismisses More Civil Servants In Post-Coup Purge “Turkey has dismissed more than 8,000 civil servants for alleged ties to terror organizations, in the latest purge under a state of emergency imposed following the failed July 15 coup attempt. The latest dismissals were announced on the Turkish government's Official Gazette late Friday. They include 2,687 police officers, 1,699 Justice Ministry employees and 631 academics. They join more than 100,000 people already suspended or dismissed from their jobs. Turkey's crackdown through dismissals and the arrest of some 41,000 people was begun to root out followers of U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen. The government claims he orchestrated the coup attempt that killed nearly 270 people; Gulen denies involvement.” Deutsche Welle: 801 Migrants Sent Back To Turkey Under Migrant Deal “European officials deported 801 people to Turkey in 2016, and over half of the deportations happened within two months of the controversial March migration deal between the EU and Turkey, Germany's ‘Welt am Sonntag’ weekly newspaper reported on Sunday. Citing an EU Commission document, the paper also claims that 2,672 Syrians legally arrived in the EU, with over 1,000 being resettled in Germany. Last year's multi-billion euro deal calls for Ankara to stop the flow of people trying to reach Europe from Turkey and also allows the EU to send back migrants who enter the 28-member bloc from Turkey while setting out special conditions for Syrians. For each Syrian who does not receive asylum in the EU, the bloc agrees to fly a vetted Syrian to a European country.” BBC: Covering Turkey's Terror: 'Each Time It Hits Hard' “Just 12 hours had passed, but for Ulas Arik it was beginning to sink in. His father Ayhan, a driver, had taken foreign tourists to Istanbul's Reina nightclub to see in the New Year. As the party continued inside, Ayhan waited at the door, drinking tea with a policeman. When the gunman struck, Ayhan was shot in the head. He died instantly. In the biting wind of New Year's Day, we stood in an Istanbul mosque watching Ulas and his family bid farewell to his father. The young boy, perhaps 14 years old, stood beside the coffin, which was draped in a Turkish flag. And he wept. He touched the flag - the red that once symbolised the blood of martyrs fighting for Turkey. Then he slumped onto the coffin, broken-hearted.” Afghanistan International Business Times: Unidentified Gunmen Kill 8 Miners From Afghanistan's Hazara Minority “At least eight people have been killed by unidentified gunmen in Afghanistan on Friday (6 January). Reports suggest that the deceased and three other injured victims were all working as coal miners and belonged to the Hazara minority. It is thought to be the latest in a string of attacks in the country that singled out ethnic or sectarian minorities. All the miners were pulled out of the vehicle and shot, Faiz Mohammad Amiri, governor of Taleh va Barfak district, where the attack took place, said. The victims were all from Daykundi province in central Afghanistan but were working in the northern province of Baghlan.” Voice Of America: Taliban Shrugs At Us Plans To Send More Troops To Afghanistan “The Taliban has dismissed American plans to send 300 troops to Afghanistan’s southern Helmand province as nothing but ‘solely to lend morale’ to embattled Afghan forces ‘in hopes they hold out until spring.’ The insurgents have captured most of the districts in Helmand since NATO ended its combat mission, and most U.S. forces withdrew from the largest poppy-growing Afghan province in 2014. With the help of U.S. air power and military advisers on the ground, the Afghan government has been able in recent months to maintain control over the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah, which remains under attack from the Taliban.” Saudi Arabia Associated Press: Saudi Arabia Says Mosque Attack Planner Killed In Shootout “Saudi Arabia on Sunday said police killed the man who planned a July attack on one of Islam's holiest sites, identifying him as a former scholarship student who abandoned his studies to join the Islamic State group in Syria. The Interior Ministry said Taie bin Salem bin Yaslam al-Saya'ari died alongside another extremist in a shootout Saturday with officers in Riyadh, wearing a suicide bomb vest and clutching a machine gun. It said he manufactured the suicide bomb used in the July 4 attack outside of the Medina mosque where the Prophet Muhammad is buried, an assault which killed four Saudi security force members and wounded five.” Egypt Associated Press: Egypt Officials: Suicide Car Bomber Hits Sinai Security Post “Egyptian officials say a suicide car bomber has rammed his vehicle into a security checkpoint outside a police building in northern Sinai, killing and wounding several people. The police and security officials say the attacker used a garbage truck packed with explosives in Monday's bombing in the city of el-Arish in the Sinai Peninsula. They say the blast destroyed three floors of the building. At least two bodies have been retrieved from the rubble and 10 wounded have been taken to hospital. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they aren't authorized to talk to reporters. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. An Islamic State affiliate in Egypt has carried out scores of attacks against security forces in the volatile northern Sinai and elsewhere in the country.” The Times Of Israel: Fearful Egypt Copts Mark Christmas After Church Bombing “It is Christmas Eve for Egypt’s Copts but Marie Labib is not in a festive mood, with dark thoughts haunting her weeks after a church bombing killed 28 members of her community. Copts, who make up about one-tenth of Egypt’s population of more than 92 million and who celebrate Christmas on Saturday, have long complained of discrimination. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the December 11 suicide bombing that killed 28 worshipers during Sunday mass in Cairo, the latest bout of bloodshed in the Muslim-majority country.” Middle East The Jerusalem Post: East Jerusalem Man Perpetrated Ramming Attack; Hamas Hails 'Heroic' Act “Hamas lauded as ‘heroic’ the deadly truck-ramming attack in Jerusalem on Sunday that left four Israelis killed and more than a dozen others wounded.  ‘The truck operation in Jerusalem affirms that all attempts to encircle the [Palestinian] intifada will fail,’ the Palestinian terrorist group said on Twitter. The group stopped short of taking credit for the attack. Police identified the driver as an Arab resident of east Jerusalem. The motorist was shot and neutralized after plowing into a group of bystanders at the promenade in the capital's Armon Hanatziv neighborhood.” The Times Of Israel: The Tensions That Fuel Terror Attacks Haven’t Gone Away “The terrorist who drove his truck into a group of soldiers on Sunday at the Armon Hanatziv promenade in Jerusalem, killing four before being shot dead by the soldiers and a tour guide, has been identified as Fadi al-Qunbar, 28, from the nearby East Jerusalem neighborhood of Jabel Mukaber. Qunbar was married and the father of four, different from the general profile of previous ‘lone’ attackers in the recent wave of stabbing and car-ramming attacks. This is not the first time in the last year and a half that there have been older terrorists (including a 72-year-old woman from Hebron) who left behind families. Even so, the vast majority were young and single.” CNN: Jerusalem Truck Attack: Suspect May Have Supported ISIS, Netanyahu Says “The driver who plowed a truck into a group of soldiers in Jerusalem, killing four people and injuring at least 10, may have been an ISIS sympathizer, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Two soldiers and a tour guide who is a colonel in the reserves shot and killed the attack suspect, whom they identified as 28-year-old Fadi Qunbar. Police have also arrested nine other suspects, including five of Qunbar's family members. Speaking from the scene of the attack, on a promenade overlooking the walled Old City of Jerusalem, Netanyahu said authorities have identified the terrorist and ‘all signs show he is a supporter of the Islamic State.’” Fox News: Iran Planned Terror Attacks Against Israel Advocates In Germany “Iran’s intelligence agency allegedly planned terrorist attacks against organizations and representatives engaged in pro-Israel work in Germany, according to German media reports citing the country’s federal prosecutor released on Friday. Syed Mustafa H., a 31-year-old Pakistani who worked for the German Aerospace Center in Bremen, was indicted on Monday for alleged espionage. West German Broadcasting (WDR) reported Iran’s intelligence agency’s goal was to assassinate the former president of the German-Israel friendship society, Reinhold Robbe. From 1994 to 2005, Robbe served as a Social Democratic Party deputy in the Bundestag. He later served as the parliamentary commissioner for the armed forces in the Bundestag.” Nigeria Associated Press: Doctors Without Borders Giving Food To Boko Haram Refugees “Doctors Without Borders says it has given food to 26,000 families taking refuge from Boko Haram Islamic extremists in northeast Nigeria's biggest city, stepping outside its traditional medical role to try to prevent more children dying. A statement Saturday says people are ‘in desperate need’ and other organizations are not stepping up. U.N. agencies and private charities operate in Maiduguri city alongside government agencies being investigated for corruption in food distribution. Refugees have almost doubled the population of Maiduguri, the birthplace of Boko Haram, to 2.5 million. The United Nations last month appealed for $1 billion to tackle Africa's worst humanitarian crisis in which 5.1 million refugees face starvation in northeast Nigeria.” United Kingdom BBC: Met Officers To Be Asked If They Want To Carry Guns “Thousands of Met Police officers are to be asked if they want to be routinely armed with a gun or Taser. A survey by the Metropolitan Police Federation will consult all its members on their views about equipping officers with weapons. An extra 600 firearms officers in London have been pledged following the Paris terrorist attacks. Scotland Yard said it did not support the routine arming of officers. Does the presence of armed police reassure people? Ken Marsh, chairman of the Federation, which represents 32,000 officers in London, said it was ‘only fair’ to ask police what they wanted amid a ‘constant’ terror threat.” Germany Deutsche Welle: German Intelligence Chief Maassen Defends Authorities Over Berlin Attack “With Germany's security services under fire over the handling of the Berlin attack, Germany's intelligence chief has hit back at criticism. The main suspect was on the authorities' radar, but hard evidence was thin. Almost three weeks after 12 people were killed and almost 50 others were wounded in the Berlin terror attack on a Christmas market, new information regarding the main suspect,  Anis Amri, continues to emerge - prompting harsh criticism of German authorities and their actions in the run-up to the December 19 attack. Hans-Georg Maassen, the president of Germany's domestic intelligence agency, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), defended the country's anti-terror experts on Saturday, however, claiming that he was yet to see how those responsible had made mistakes.” The Times Of Israel: German Vice Chancellor Calls For Ban Of Salafist Mosques “German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel has called for banning Salafist Islamist mosques and deporting preachers who advocate violence. ‘Salafist mosques must be banned, communities dissolved and the preachers should be expelled as soon as possible,’ Gabriel told the German weekly Der Spiegel on Saturday. ‘Those who encourage violence do not enjoy the protection of religious freedom,’ he added. Gabriel, who also serves as the party chairman of Germany’s center-left Social Democratic Party, emphasized that he employs a ‘zero tolerance’ policy in combating the rise of Islamic extremism in Germany.” Newsweek: How Will The Berlin Terror Attack Affect German, European Politics? “Germany is recovering from one of the most deadly terrorist attacks since the 1980 bombing at Munich’s Oktoberfest. On Dec. 19, 12 people were killed when Anis Amri, a Tunisian citizen who had claimed allegiance to the Islamic State militant group (ISIS), killed a Polish truck driver and then drove his truck into a Christmas market in Berlin. Three days later, Italian police discovered Amri during a routine police search. When he was asked for identification he opened fire, and was killed by police. In an age where radical Islamic terrorism is seen as a global threat, every attack can be used to make political arguments.” France The Guardian: Louvre Blames 2 Million Fall In Visitor Numbers On Terrorism Fears “The Louvre museum lost nearly €10m (£8.6m) last year after a drop in visitor numbers blamed on fears of terrorism and closures caused by the risk of flooding. Jean-Luc Martinez, head of the Parisian institution, said it had been ‘a difficult year’ for most tourist sites in the French capital and the museum had finished the year with 15% fewer visitors than in 2015 – down about 2 million people to 7.3 million. Despite the gloomy figures, he said he was hopeful ticket sales would improve in the coming year. The number of French visitors has remained stable, but the Louvre has lost international tourists put off by the series of terrorist attacks in France since January 2015. There was also a drop in school visits because of increased security following the November 2015 attacks across the city.” Europe Sputnik News: Foreign Fighters From This Balkan Nation Join 'Solely Al-Qaeda, Al-Nusra' “Jihadist fighters from Bosnia and Herzegovina, who have gone to Syria, tend to join al-Qaeda and its former affiliate, al-Nusra Front, Bosnian political analyst and an expert on terrorism Djevad Galijasevic, told Sputnik. Galijasevic suggested that 400 people from Bosnia and Herzegovina could return home from Syria. This might not seem as much but, this Balkan nation is said to account for one of the largest proportions of jihadists from Europe. The number of those who traveled to the Middle East to fight on the Syrian battlefield has been at the center of a row between Croatia and Bosnia. In December 2016, Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic said that ‘thousands of jihadists’ returned to Bosnia from Syria and Iraq, while Bosnian Security Minister Dragan Mektic said that 226 Bosnians were believed to have joined Daesh.” The Washington Post: Czech Government Tells Its Citizens How To Fight Terrorists: Shoot Them Yourselves “A couple of months ago, Czech President Milos Zeman made an unusual request: He urged citizens to arm themselves against a possible ‘super-Holocaust’ carried out by Muslim terrorists. Never mind that there are fewer than 4,000 Muslims in this country of 10 million people — gun purchases spiked. One shop owner in East Bohemia, a region in the northern center of the Czech Republic, told a local paper that people were scared of a ‘wave of Islamists.’ Now the country's interior ministry is pushing a constitutional change that would let citizens use guns against terrorists. Proponents say this could save lives if an attack occurs and police are delayed or unable to make their way to the scene. To become law, Parliament must approve the proposal; they'll vote in the coming months.” ISIS Akhbar Elyoum: Algerian Intelligence Infiltrates ISIS “The trial of 12 terrorists operating under the banner of ISIS has exposed the fact that the Algerian security forces were able to infiltrate the terrorist organization. This was done through the recruitment of an Algerian national within ISIS's forces in Iraq. This infiltration was part of measures taken to prevent ISIS's incursion into Algeria, fearing attacks which might undermine the country's security and stability. The trial also exposed ISIS's funding efforts, which include exploiting the Umrah to obtain hard currency after the tightening of controls on sources of funding. The arrest of the accused, including a tour guide and the son of a notorious terrorist, came following investigations conducted by the Algerian judicial police. The investigations were launched after receiving a tip on March 20th, 2015 that some young people wished to join ISIS.” Counter-Terrorism Alriyadh: Saudi Arabia: Counseling Center Brings 85% Back From The Bosom Of Terrorism To Moderation “As of last Thursday, Saudi security readiness has aided in the arrest of 5,085 terror-related suspects of different nationalities, on suspicions of attempting to harm the security of the kingdom. In a similar context, the Mohammed Bin Naif Center for Counseling and Care is known for its success in restoring 85% of all detainees to a normal life. Security spokesman for the Saudi Interior Ministry Maj. Gen. Mansour al-Turki stated that the criminal acts which have targeted Saudi Arabia are "unprecedented." He stressed that the kingdom has suffered 128 terrorist crimes since Hijri year 1422 {2001}, which resulted in the death and injury of 1147 citizens, residents and security personnel.” Muslim Brotherhood Gulfeyes: Kuwait: Muslim Brotherhood Collects Corporate Funds Under Pretext Of Social Responsibility “Kuwaiti authorities are exploring the possibility of deducting 1% of corporate profits as 'a voluntary contribution' for community service activities. The idea is to require companies to perform their social responsibilities and not leave this for each company to act according to its particular loyalty or affiliation. The initiative comes after Brotherhood-affiliated companies led a campaign to support the group in neighboring countries under the pretext of its being part of social responsibility ventures. Brotherhood-affiliated companies spent 450 million dinars ($1.467 billion) last year on social responsibility projects. However, they did not divulge details of these activities or their beneficiaries. Kuwaiti sources claim that a sum of 700 million dinars ($2.282 billion) was spent by Brotherhood companies to support the {so-called} "Arab Spring", including various events and gifts, without elaborating on their nature and beneficiaries. The sources added that 17 {Kuwaiti} companies are supporting the Muslim Brotherhood and exploiting their profits to make investments in countries undergoing violent revolutions.” The Seventh Day: Lawsuits Dry Up Muslim Brotherhood Funds In Turkey “Attempts to mediate between Muslim Brotherhood allies in Turkey failed after their disputes reached the Turkish judiciary system. Even though Turkish courts dismissed the lawsuits, they were filed repeatedly by some Brotherhood members. The prolonged legal procedures require the spending of vast sums of money, which were obtained from donors.” 24: Muslim Brotherhood Office Abroad Prepares A Demonstration Campaign To Maintain The Flow Of Funds “Sources well acquainted with the Office of the Muslim Brotherhood Abroad revealed that the group's leaders are currently trying to assemble the largest possible gathering of their followers and supporters and mobilize them against the Egyptian regime. The group is planning demonstrations to mark the sixth anniversary of the "January Revolution". Note that the Office Abroad is affiliated with the "Kamaliyoun" (a wing led by leader Mohammed Kamal). The sources claimed that the Brotherhood Office Abroad has launched a new entity in Istanbul to recruit as many supporters as possible, under the name "January Brings Us Together." The launch ceremony, attended by more than 150 Brotherhood figures, was just one of several events planned to commemorate the sixth anniversary of the January 25th Revolution.” Hezbollah From-Yemen: Hezbollah Targets Saudi Arabia With Dangerous Drugs “Abdul Ilah bin Mohammed Al-Sharif, the Secretary General of Saudi Arabia's National Commission for Narcotics Control (NCNC), stated that enemies are targeting Saudi Arabia with drugs, Captagon and hashish. The drugs originate from factories in Syria and southern Lebanon with the backing of Iranian organizations. Al-Sharif stressed that Saudi security authorities provided accurate information to Turkish, Lebanese and Sudanese security authorities, which led to the discovery of eight factories producing huge quantities of Captagon, destined for the Kingdom. The NCNC secretary general stated that Hezbollah is aggressively targeting the Kingdom. According to Al-Sharif, the group hired a Bulgarian chemistry expert to modify the chemical composition of Captagon pills, making them much more injurious and deadly for young Saudis.” Houthi Pagearab: Proposals To Change Yemeni Currency To Harm The Houthis “The liquidity crisis, being experienced by Yemen, and the hegemony of the black market over the economic sectors have led to calls to replace the current local currency (riyal) with new banknotes. This move aims to encourage taking "wealth out of its hiding places," according to financial experts. They also stressed that this move will restore the Central Bank's financial control over the war-torn country. According to the Yemeni Central Bank, roughly 1.3 trillion riyals ($6 billion) have stacked up outside the banking system. This sum is controlled by fuel and currency speculators and black market traders in regions under Houthi control. Sa'id Fekry Abdelwahed, an expert in public finance said, "You cannot retrieve the vast monetary wealth accumulated in the Houthis' hands and outside of the currency's circulation without changing the currency.” Hadramout Net: Yemen: Thousands Of Poor Houthis Obtain Wealth And Buy Villas And Lands “Residents of the capital Sanaa and cities controlled by the Houthi militia tell stories of the rapid and sudden wealth of the Houthis. They claim that thousands of the poor have become rich and are buying villas and lands for the Houthi population. A well-known real estate agent in the Alsonainah district of Sanaa was quoted as saying he had helped Houthi leaders to purchase 24 villas and a house in the district and surrounding neighborhoods. He noted that the cheapest home was purchased for 47 million riyals ($96,000) and the most expensive villa with a garden for 270 million riyals ($1,080,000).” Hamas Khbrpress: Hamas Government Writes Off Electricity Bills For Its Employees “The Secretary General of the National Labor Committee, Mahmoud al-Zak, revealed that the electricity crisis has recently worsened in the Gaza Strip. He added that the average citizen does not feel there is an electricity supply at all. Al-Zak noted that the solution to the current crisis is to conduct bill collection in a fair and equitable manner in order to upgrade the electricity supply. He stressed that Gaza authorities are supposed to collect roughly 90 million shekels ($23.5 million), whereas the total collection today does not exceed 22 million shekels ($5.7 million) per month. He continued, saying: "The Hamas government has written off the financial debts of its employees during the last ten years." He added that this is a waste of public money, which was not put into the Electricity Company's coffers.”