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Daily Terrorism Weather
20 March 2019
Middle East
Has the Islamic State returned to western Anbar?
Hamdi Malik / Al-Monitor
“The Iraqi security forces have expanded their operations to track down members of the Islamic State (IS) in the vast Western Desert…”
Islamic State Fighters Pinned on Syrian Riverbank, Warplanes Fly Above
The Jerusalem Post
“Warplanes flew near Baghouz in eastern Syria early on Wednesday, a Reuters witness said, as the final remnants of the Islamic State group held a narrow strip of land along the Euphrates in a last-ditch defense of its dwindling territory…”
News of Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (March 13– March 19, 2019)
Intelligence & Terrorism Information Center
“Events this past week focused on the combined stabbing and shooting attack at two locations near Ariel in Samaria…”
Relief Web
“Since the first suicide bombing recorded by ACLED in 2002, there have been more than 1,600 suicide bombings, which have resulted in more than 18,000 reported fatalities…”
Terrorists in Afghanistan, Pakistan more dangerous than ISIL: senior MP warns
Mehr News Agency
“The United States is transferring terrorists from Syria and Iraq to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh told IRNA on Wednesday, adding, ‘after the defeat of ISIL, US has negotiated and supported a host of terrorist groups…’”
UNIFIL Confirms Existence of Six Tunnels in South Lebanon
Anna Ahronheim / The Jerusalem Post
“The UN Interim Force in Lebanon has confirmed the existence of six tunnels in southern Lebanon, two of which violated the Blue Line and crossed into Israeli territory…”
Tom Stickings and Julian Robinson / Daily Mail
“Fighters in Syria are scouring the last few hundred square yards of ISIS territory for landmines, secret tunnels and any hiding jihadists after pushing the terror group into their last sliver of land…”
6 suspected Daesh terrorists arrested in Kirkuk, Iraq
Ali Mukarrem Garip / Anadolu Agency
“Iraqi security authorities on Wednesday arrested six suspected Daesh terrorists in the city of Kirkuk, according to a security official…”
Central Asia
Kazakh President Nazarbayev has resigned. Here are three things to watch.
Eric McGlinchey / The Washington Post
“Nursultan Nazarbayev, Kazakhstan’s president since 1989, unexpectedly resigned Tuesday — the last Soviet-era president of a former Soviet republic to relinquish power…”
South Asia
Afghan adviser refuses U.S. demand to apologize for broadside on Trump envoy
Josh Lederman / NBC News
“The United States privately demanded a formal apology from Afghanistan’s national security adviser last week for accusing the Trump administration of selling his country out — and told him he would be cut off from official contacts if he didn’t, several people with direct knowledge of the situation tell NBC News…”
Afghanistan presidential election delayed to Sept 28
France24
“War-torn Afghanistan has delayed its presidential election until September 28, officials announced Wednesday, the second time the ballot has been put back and five months later than it was originally scheduled to be held…”
Pakistan SC Chief Justice constitutes larger bench to define 'terrorism'
Business Standard
“Pakistan will soon have a definition to the word 'terrorism…'”
Taliban Kills Six Paramilitary Troops in Pakistan
Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty
“Militants attacked a remote security outpost in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan Province, killing six members of the paramilitary forces, authorities say…”
Taliban Releases Captured Border Forces in Badghis
TOLO News
“Taliban in a statement said on Tuesday that they have released 58 soldiers who were captured in Bala Murghab district in northwestern Badghis province…”
Southeast Asia
Ambassador: Australia to continue to help Bangladesh address terrorism
Dhaka Tribune
“Visiting Australian Ambassador for Counter-Terrorism Paul Foley has said his country will continue to support Bangladesh and its people to address the threats of terrorism and violent extremism…”
ISIS Spokesman Promises Revenge After New Zealand Terrorist Attack
Safaa Kasraoui / Morocco World News
“A spokesperson of ISIS, Abu Hassan Al Muhajir, has called for revenge nearly a week after a terror attack on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand…”
Philippines' maritime security and the Mutual Defense Treaty
Victor Andres "Dindo" C. Manhit / The Straits Times
"In vagueness lies the best deterrence…"
Police say terrorist planned another attack – NZ mosque attacks
TRT World
“New Zealand Police Commissioner Mike Bush said he believes police officers stopped the terrorist who killed 50 people at two mosques on his way to another attack…”
What the New Zealand attack reveals about how terrorism is changing
Scott Stewart / Business Insider
“An anonymous poster on 8chan's "politically incorrect" /pol/ message board, which is known for hosting large quantities of uncensored vulgar and hateful content, announced March 15 that he was going to finally take action and "attack the invaders…"’
East Asia
China Backs Pakistan on Terrorism Measures
Newsweek
“China backed its “iron friend” Pakistan on Tuesday, applauding its recent counter-terrorism measures as Islamabad faces criticism for harboring militants…”
In wake of Hanoi summit, South Korea's Moon left with less room to maneuver
Hyonhee Shin / Reuters
“The breakdown at last month’s U.S.-North Korea summit has left South Korean President Moon Jae-in with little room to maneuver and exacerbated divisions within his government over how to break the impasse, three sources familiar with the issue said…”
North Korean Revolutionaries Turn to Crypto to Oust Kim Jong-un
P. H. Madore / CCN
“An organized dissident revolutionary group calling itself Cheollima Civil Defense is actively working to overthrow Kim Jong-un and the government of North Korea…”
Africa
Buhari vs Atiku: Timi Frank drags Army chief, Buratai to US, EU, UK, requests for visa ban
John Owen Nwachukwu / Daily Post Nigeria
“A former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Comrade Timi Frank, has petitioned the United States of America, United Kingdom and the European Union (EU), asking them to place a visa ban on the Chief of Army Staff, General Tukur Buratai and others for the involvement of the military in the just concluded elections…”
Steve Warren / CBN
“The news out of Nigeria is getting progressively worse as it is being reported that more than 300 people were killed in at least seven predominantly Christian villages across Nigeria in February and March this year, according to Barnabas Fund sources…”
Europe
Danish Al Qaeda double agent wins compensation for stress
The National
“A self-identifying Danish undercover agent who claimed to have spied on Al-Qaeda has been awarded $27,000 in damages for post-traumatic stress disorder…”
Erdoğan says rejects associating Christianity with terrorism; NZ attacker, Daesh the same
Daily Sabah
“President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan penned an opinion piece to Washington Post in which he rejected efforts to associate Christianity with terrorism and reiterated that the Christchurch terrorist Brenton Tarrant and Daesh are "cut from the same cloth…"’
EU leaders to coordinate positions on Thursday ahead of China summit
Jan Strupczewski / Reuters
“European Union leaders will coordinate their positions on Thursday evening on a number of issues they intend to raise with China at an April 9 summit, including tight cooperation on WTO reform and cyber-security concerns, a senior EU official said…”
French sugar giant accused of 'complicity in acts of terrorism' for alleged Syria sorbitol supply
France24
“Business partners of French sugar giant Tereos have filed a complaint against the firm for allegedly supplying an artificial sweetener to Syria, where it is being used to make weapons, the plaintiffs' lawyer said Tuesday…”
Google Fined $1.7 Billion by E.U. for Unfair Advertising Rules
Adam Satariano / The New York Times
“European authorities on Wednesday fined Google 1.5 billion euros for antitrust violations in the online advertising market, continuing its efforts to rein in the world’s biggest technology companies…”
May asks EU for Brexit delay and blames lawmakers for blocking deal
Bianca Britton and Eliza MacIntosh / CNN
“British Prime Minister Theresa May executed a momentous climbdown in her Brexit strategy on Wednesday, requesting a three-month delay to Britain's departure from the EU and blaming lawmakers for the mess…”
U.S. & Canada
The Intercept
“In the aftermath of the massacre of 50 children and adults at two mosques in New Zealand, two Muslim journalists discuss Islamophobia, the mainstreaming of anti-Muslim bigotry, and the motive of the shooter…”
Trump says ISIS will be 'gone by tonight'
Katie Galioto / Politico
“President Donald Trump on Wednesday said ISIS will be “gone by tonight” and held up a pair of maps to reporters that he claimed shows the dramatic reduction of the Islamic State’s presence in Syria since his election in 2016…”
Trump takes increased control over North Korea nuke talks: report
Rachel Frazin / The Hill
“President Trump is taking increased control over nuclear negotiations with North Korea, according to a Monday report by Time magazine…”
Why Tech Platforms Don’t Treat All Terrorism the Same
Nitasha Tiku / Wired
“In January 2018, the top policy executives from YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter testified in a Senate hearing about terrorism and social media, touting their companies’ use of artificial intelligence to detect and remove terrorist content from groups like ISIS and Al Qaeda…”
South and Central America and the Caribbean
A bad situation in Venezuela is getting worse
Colby Smith / Financial Times
“As has been widely covered, Venezuela is facing an unprecedented economic and humanitarian catastrophe…”
Adriaan Alsema / Colombia Reports
“President Ivan Duque said Tuesday that indigenous protests in southwest Colombia are receiving the support of illegal armed groups after alleged guerrillas attacked riot police…”