Country Reports on Terrorism 2016
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Summary from the Jihadi Forums
ICT Jihadi Monitoring Group PERIODIC REVIEW Bimonthly Report Summary of Information on Jihadist Websites The Second Half of July 2015 International Institute for Counter Terrorism (ICT) Additional resources are available on the ICT Website: www.ict.org.il This report summarizes notable events discussed on jihadist Web forums during the second half of July 2015. Following are the main points covered in the report: The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (Taliban in Afghanistan) officially announces the death of Mullah Omar, the leader of the Emirate, from an illness. Following his death, many jihadist leaders and organization eulogize him. In addition, the Emirate announces the appointment of his deputy, Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansoor, as the new leader of the Emirate. Islamic State fighters from Turkestan call on Muslim residents of Turkestan to emigrate from their homeland and join the Islamic Caliphate under the leadership of Sheikh Abu Bakr al- Baghdadi. The organization also calls on Turkestani Al-Nusra Front fighters in Syria to defect and join the Islamic State. Sheikh Abu ‘Ubatdha Ahmad ‘Umar, the leader of Al-Shabab Al-Mujahideen, releases his first message since being appointed to the role, regarding his organization’s resolve in the fight against the Crusader conspiracy to weaken Islam and to steal the natural treasures of Muslim lands. In light of this, he calls on tribes in Somalia to help wage jihad against the enemies of Islam and he calls on Muslims in Kenya to join jihad as well. According to him, his organization is ready and willing to absorb into its ranks Muslims from East Africa, including Ethiopia, Djibouti, Uganda and Central Africa, due to their persecution at the hands of the local regimes. -
Battle of MOSUL Data and Expectations
Special Report Special Report فقوم ريدقت www.jusoor.co 1 October 2016 2016 سطسغأ Battle of MOSUL data and expectations Abdul Wahab Assi Battle of MOSUL data and expectations www.jusoor.co Special Report 2 Content Introduction: .............................................................................................................. 3 Strategic significance of Mosul: .................................................................................. 3 Geographical significance: ....................................................................................... 3 Political significance: ............................................................................................... 3 Social significance: .................................................................................................. 5 Military significance: ................................................................................................ 5 Time to talk about the battle of Mosul ......................................................................... 6 In military terms:...................................................................................................... 6 In political terms: ..................................................................................................... 7 Participating forces, or expect to participate: .............................................................. 9 Iraqi government and its supporting groups: ............................................................ 9 Peshmerga forces: .................................................................................................. -
Report on the Protection of Civilians in the Armed Conflict in Iraq
HUMAN RIGHTS UNAMI Office of the United Nations United Nations Assistance Mission High Commissioner for for Iraq – Human Rights Office Human Rights Report on the Protection of Civilians in the Armed Conflict in Iraq: 11 December 2014 – 30 April 2015 “The United Nations has serious concerns about the thousands of civilians, including women and children, who remain captive by ISIL or remain in areas under the control of ISIL or where armed conflict is taking place. I am particularly concerned about the toll that acts of terrorism continue to take on ordinary Iraqi people. Iraq, and the international community must do more to ensure that the victims of these violations are given appropriate care and protection - and that any individual who has perpetrated crimes or violations is held accountable according to law.” − Mr. Ján Kubiš Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General in Iraq, 12 June 2015, Baghdad “Civilians continue to be the primary victims of the ongoing armed conflict in Iraq - and are being subjected to human rights violations and abuses on a daily basis, particularly at the hands of the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. Ensuring accountability for these crimes and violations will be paramount if the Government is to ensure justice for the victims and is to restore trust between communities. It is also important to send a clear message that crimes such as these will not go unpunished’’ - Mr. Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, 12 June 2015, Geneva Contents Summary ...................................................................................................................................... i Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 1 Methodology .............................................................................................................................. -
The Politics of Security in Ninewa: Preventing an ISIS Resurgence in Northern Iraq
The Politics of Security in Ninewa: Preventing an ISIS Resurgence in Northern Iraq Julie Ahn—Maeve Campbell—Pete Knoetgen Client: Office of Iraq Affairs, U.S. Department of State Harvard Kennedy School Faculty Advisor: Meghan O’Sullivan Policy Analysis Exercise Seminar Leader: Matthew Bunn May 7, 2018 This Policy Analysis Exercise reflects the views of the authors and should not be viewed as representing the views of the US Government, nor those of Harvard University or any of its faculty. Acknowledgements We would like to express our gratitude to the many people who helped us throughout the development, research, and drafting of this report. Our field work in Iraq would not have been possible without the help of Sherzad Khidhir. His willingness to connect us with in-country stakeholders significantly contributed to the breadth of our interviews. Those interviews were made possible by our fantastic translators, Lezan, Ehsan, and Younis, who ensured that we could capture critical information and the nuance of discussions. We also greatly appreciated the willingness of U.S. State Department officials, the soldiers of Operation Inherent Resolve, and our many other interview participants to provide us with their time and insights. Thanks to their assistance, we were able to gain a better grasp of this immensely complex topic. Throughout our research, we benefitted from consultations with numerous Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) faculty, as well as with individuals from the larger Harvard community. We would especially like to thank Harvard Business School Professor Kristin Fabbe and Razzaq al-Saiedi from the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative who both provided critical support to our project. -
Research Notes
RESEARCH NOTES The Washington Institute for Near East Policy ■ No. 38 ■ Oc t ober 2016 How to Secure Mosul Lessons from 2008—2014 MICHAEL KNIGHTS N EARLY 2017, Iraqi security forces (ISF) are likely to liberate Mosul from Islamic State control. But given the dramatic comebacks staged by the Islamic State and its predecessors in the city in I2004, 2007, and 2014, one can justifiably ask what will stop IS or a similar movement from lying low, regenerating, and wiping away the costly gains of the current war. This paper aims to fill an important gap in the literature on Mosul, the capital of Ninawa province, by looking closely at the underexplored issue of security arrangements for the city after its liberation, in particular how security forces should be structured and controlled to prevent an IS recurrence. Though “big picture” politi- cal deals over Mosul’s future may ultimately be decisive, the first priority of the Iraqi-international coalition is to secure Mosul. As John Paul Vann, a U.S. military advisor in Vietnam, noted decades ago: “Security may be ten percent of the problem, or it may be ninety percent, but whichever it is, it’s the first ten percent or the first ninety percent. Without security, nothing else we do will last.”1 This study focuses on two distinct periods of Mosul’s Explanations for both the 2007–2011 successes and recent history. In 2007–2011, the U.S.-backed Iraqi the failures of 2011–2014 are easily identified. In the security forces achieved significant success, reducing earlier span, Baghdad committed to Mosul’s stabilization security incidents in the city from a high point of 666 and Iraq’s prime minister focused on the issue, authoriz- per month in the first quarter of 2008 to an average ing compromises such as partial amnesty and a reopen- of 32 incidents in the first quarter of 2011. -
Kirkuk and Its Arabization: Historical Background and Ongoing Issues In
Abstract The Arabization of the Kurdistan region in Iraq Since the establishment of the Iraqi state, the ruling Arab regimes forcibly displaced native Kurds and repopulated the area with Arab tribes. The change of demography,known as “Arabization,” existed in both Kurdish majority agriculture and urban lands. These policies were part of a larger Iraqi campaign to erase the Kurdish identity, occupy Kurdistan, and control its wealth. The Iraqi government’s campaign against the Kurds amounted to genocide and eventually destroyed Kurdish communities and the social fabric of Kurdistan. The areas affected by the Arabization stretch from eastern to northwestern Iraq , incorporating major cities,towns, and hundreds of villages. After the fall of Saddam Hussien’s dictatorship, these areas became referred to as “Disputed Territories'' in Iraq’s newly adopted constitution of 2005. Article 140 of Iraq’s constitution called for the normalization of the “Disputed Territories,” which was never implemented by the federal government of Iraq. 1 www.dckurd.org Kirkuk province, Khanagin city of Diyala province, Tuz Khurmatu District of Saladin Province, and Shingal (Sinjar) in Nineveh province are the main areas that continue to suffer from Arabization policies implemented in 1975. KIRKUK A key feature of Kirkuk is its diversity – Kurds, Arabs, Turkmens, Shiites, Sunnis, and Christians (Chaldeans and Assyrians) all co-exist in Kirkuk, and the province is even home to a small Armenian Christian population. GEOGRAPHY The province of Kirkuk has a population of more than 1.4 million, the overwhelming majority of whom live in Kirkuk city. Kirkuk city is 160 miles north of Baghdad and just 60 miles from Erbil, the capital of the Iraqi Kurdistan region. -
ICT Jihadi Monitoring Group
ICT Jihadi Monitoring Group PERIODIC REVIEW Bimonthly Report Summary of Information on Jihadist Websites The Second Half of December 2014 International Institute for Counter Terrorism (ICT) Additional resources are available on the ICT Website: www.ict.org.i l Highlights This report summarizes notable events discussed on jihadist Web forums during the second half of December 2014. Following are the main points covered in the report: Omar Mansoor, a senior member of the Talban in Pakistan, justifies attacks on relatives, including children, of Pakistani soldiers in revenge for killing members of the organization. His position on the matter is published following the massacre that members of the organization carried out in a school in Peshawar. Members of the Islamic State publish photos of a Jordanian pilot who they captured after they managed to shoot down his plane, according to their claim. The magazine, Dabiq, which is produced by the Islamic State, publishes an interview with the Jordanian pilot regarding the types of planes being used by coalition forces in their battle against members of the Islamic State, American assistance received by the Arab countries fighting this battle, and the circumstances surrounding the pilot’s capture. Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula publishes a new edition of the magazine, Inspire, calling on Muslims, especially in the United States, to carry out individual, “lone wolf” attacks in their native lands, mainly against American, British and French economic targets and aircraft. In addition, the magazine provides an explanation on how to build a “hidden bomb” and how to overcome security checks in airports. -
Iraq SITREP 2015-5-22
Iraq Situation Report: July 02 - 06, 2015 1 On July 3, ISIS destroyed the house of Hawija police chief Col. Fattah Yasin al-Khafaji in Barima 7 On July 4, ISIS launched two SVBIEDs against the ISF and “Popular Mobiliza- village, between Kirkuk and Hawija. On July 5, Iraqi Air Force airstrikes destroyed a VBIED factory tion” in Baiji district, north of Tikrit, killing nine Iraqi Army (IA) soldiers and containing “more than 100 vehicles” and killed a large number of ISIS members, including “explosives forcing the ISF and “Popular Mobilization” to withdraw southward from the center experts” in Riyadh sub-district, southwest of Kirkuk on the road linking Kirkuk and Hawija. Between of Baiji. ISIS then recaptured Asri and Tamim neighborhoods in Baiji. On July 6, July 3 and July 4, DoD reported two airstrikes “near Hawija.” the Ministry of Defense (MoD) reported that IA Aviation strikes killed 10 ISIS ghters in the Albu Juwari area, north of Baiji, and an anonymous security source 2 On July 6, Kirkuk Peshmerga ocials stated that ISIS attacked Peshmerga positions in al-Humayra reported that ISF reinforcements are heading to Baiji from south of Tikrit. Between and al-Murra villages, al-Nawal, al-Shahid complex, the Rashad area, Maktab Khalid, and Miriam July 3 and 6, the DoD conrmed three airstrikes “near Baiji.” Beg south of Kirkuk city. According to a Kirkuk Peshmerga ocial, 600 ISIS ghters participated in the attack and used multiple SVBIEDs, three of which the Peshmerga destroyed 8 Between July 3 and July 6, DoD reported six airstrikes “near Makhmur,” with anti-tank missiles before the SVBIEDs reached their targets. -
Global Extremism Monitor
Global Extremism Monitor Violent Islamist Extremism in 2017 WITH A FOREWORD BY TONY BLAIR SEPTEMBER 2018 1 2 Contents Foreword 7 Executive Summary 9 Key Findings About the Global Extremism Monitor The Way Forward Introduction 13 A Unifying Ideology Global Extremism Today The Long War Against Extremism A Plethora of Insurgencies Before 9/11 A Proliferation of Terrorism Since 9/11 The Scale of the Problem The Ten Deadliest Countries 23 Syria Iraq Afghanistan Somalia Nigeria Yemen Egypt Pakistan Libya Mali Civilians as Intended Targets 45 Extremist Groups and the Public Space Prominent Victims Breakdown of Public Targets Suicide Bombings 59 Use of Suicide Attacks by Group Female Suicide Bombers Executions 71 Deadliest Groups Accusations Appendices 83 Methodology Glossary About Us Notes 3 Countries Affected by Violent Islamist Extremism, 2017 4 5 6 Foreword Tony Blair One of the core objectives of the Institute is the promotion of co-existence across the boundaries of religious faith and the combating of extremism based on an abuse of faith. Part of this work is research into the phenomenon of extremism derived particularly from the abuse of Islam. This publication is the most comprehensive analysis of such extremism to date and utilises data on terrorism in a new way to show: 1. Violent extremism connected with the perversion of Islam today is global, affecting over 60 countries. 2. Now more than 120 different groups worldwide are actively engaged in this violence. 3. These groups are united by an ideology that shares certain traits and beliefs. 4. The ideology and the violence associated with it have been growing over a period of decades stretching back to the 1980s or further, closely correlated with the development of the Muslim Brotherhood into a global movement, the Iranian Revolution in 1979 and—in the same year—the storming by extremist insurgents of Islam’s holy city of Mecca. -
Geopolitical Overview of Conflicts 2017
Geopolitical overview of Spanish Institute of conflicts 2017 Strategic Studies MINISTERIO DE DEFENSA Geopolitical overview Spanish Institute of of conflicts 2017 Strategic Studies MINISTERIO DE DEFENSA SPANISH OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS CATALOGUE http://publicacionesoficiales.boe.es Edita: SECRETARÍA GENERAL TÉCNICA http://publicaciones.defensa.gob.es/ © Author and Publisher, 2018 NIPO: 083-16-308-8 (print on demand) NIPO: 083-16-309-3 (e-book edition) Publication date: july 2018 The authors are solely responsible for the opinions expresed in the articles in this publication. The exploitation righits of this work are protected by the Spanish Intellectual Property Act. No parts of this publication may be produced, stored or transmitted in any way nor by any means, electronic, mechanical or print, including photo- copies or any other means without prior, express, written consent of the © copyright holders. ÍNDICE Page Chapter one Mali: Obstacles and Responses to a Complex Threat ............................................... 11 Jesús Díez Alcalde Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 13 Background ................................................................................................................................... 14 Current status of the conflict ...................................................................................................... 20 The role of external players ..................................................................................................... -
Spotlight on Global Jihad (September 1-7, 2016)
Spotlight on Global Jihad (September 1-7, 2016) Main events of the week n The Turkish Army and rebel organizations have finished cleansing an area about 52 km long along the Syrian-Turkish border (between the city of Jarabulus and the city of A’zaz). This means the creation of Turkish-controlled territorial contiguity along a section of the border previously controlled by ISIS. Thus ISIS lost its strongholds near the border. Its logistical channel from its core countries (Syria and Iraq) to the outside world suffered a major blow. Now the Turkish Army and rebel organizations apparently intend to expand their area of control to the city of Al-Bab (ISIS’s last significant stronghold west of the Euphrates River) and the city of Manbij (which has been taken over by the predominantly Kurdish SDF). n In southern Aleppo, the Syrian Army and the forces that support it managed to take over the military college compound. Thus the logistical corridor that the rebels had managed to create was severed, and the siege on eastern Aleppo, held by the rebel organizations, was renewed. n While ISIS is losing territory in Syria and Iraq, it is stepping up its efforts to carry out acts of terrorism and guerrilla warfare: this week ISIS carried out a series of attacks in central Baghdad and other locations throughout Iraq against the Iraqi Army, the Shiite militias, and population groups that ISIS considers infidels. Scores of civilians and members of the Iraqi security forces were killed in these terrorist attacks. In Syria, ISIS carried out five simultaneous suicide bombing attacks in five major cities controlled by the Syrian regime and the Kurds. -
Turkey and the European Union: Conflicting Policies and Opportunities for Cohesion and Cooperation in Iraq and Syria
Turkey and the European Union: Conflicting Policies and Opportunities for Cohesion and Cooperation In Iraq and Syria. Kamaran Palani Dlawer Ala’Aldeen Susan Cersosimo About MERI The Middle East Research Institute engages in policy issues contributing to the process of state building and democratisation in the Middle East. Through independent analysis and policy debates, our research aims to promote and develop good governance, human rights, rule of law and social and economic prosperity in the region. It was established in 2014 as an independent, not-for-profit organisation based in Erbil, Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Middle East Research Institute 1186 Dream City Erbil, Kurdistan Region of Iraq T: +964 (0)662649690 E: [email protected] www.meri-k.org NGO registration number. K843 © Middle East Research Institute, 2017 The opinions expressed in this publication are the responsibility of the authors. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of MERI, the copyright holder. Please direct all enquiries to the publisher. Turkey and the European Union: Conflicting Policies and Opportunities for Cohesion and Cooperation In Iraq and Syria. MERI Policy Report Kamaran Palani Research Fellow, MERI Dlawer Ala’Aldeen President of MERI Susan Cersosimo Associate Research Fellow, MERI April 2018 Contents Executive Summary .....................................................................................................................................5