Newsletter

Beyond the Wire - 22 January 2018

January 22, 2018

Your daily briefing on the state of the world, and the state of the art for all things Transnational Threats. If you are having trouble viewing the interactive map, please click here. We welcome your feedback! Drop us a line at tnt@csis.org.

Middle East and North Africa

Turkey Begins Ground Assault on Kurdish Enclave in Syria
Turkish troops crossed the Syrian border into the Kurdish enclave of Afrin on Sunday morning, beginning a ground assault against American-allied militias there, as the first accounts of casualties emerged amid rising international criticism of Turkey’s military action. (New York Times)

The Unraveling Ties Between Hamas and ISIL’s Sinai Affiliate
This is not the first time the Islamic State has threatened to overthrow Hamas. But the vicious nature of the threat, involving an execution, makes the latest video different. Why did the Islamic State declare all-out war this time? The question is especially interesting given that pragmatic cooperation with Hamas’ military wing helped Wilayat Sinai become an effective fighting force and mount an unprecedented challenge to the Egyptian regime. (War on the Rocks)

Iraqi Court Sentences to Death German Woman Who Joined Islamic State
The German national was captured by Iraqi forces during the battle for Mosul last year, the spokesman said, declining to identify her. She is the first foreign woman to be sentenced to death in Iraq for joining the militant group. (Reuters)

ISIL Militants Poison Life in Iraq's Mosul, Even After Their Deaths
Iraqi forces declared victory against ISIL in the city in July last year, after months of fighting that killed hundreds of civilians and caused tens of thousands to flee. But six months on, the putrefying bodies of the extremists killed in the battle are preventing some residents from returning home. (The National)

Al Qaeda's 'Re-radicalisation' Schools Lure ISIL Fighters in Syria
The programmes run by HTS last up to two weeks, and are based on a “Shura and Sharia bureau approved curriculum of Jihad". Indoctrination has taken place in the desert region of Abu Dhahur, east of Idlib, the scene of recent fighting between HTS and the Syrian regime. (The National)

Opinion: It’s Time for the Justice Department to Hold Hezbollah Accountable
Hezbollah’s highest authorities approved and coordinated large-scale criminal activities in which their operatives were involved, including the facilitation of drug cartels’ shipments of large quantities of cocaine around the globe and the laundering of revenues from cocaine sales. But as investigators exposed more details of Hezbollah’s involvement in these global criminal activities, the political implications of their findings increasingly inconvenienced the Obama administration. (Foreign Policy)

Sub-Saharan Africa

Islamic State Terrorists Behind Benue Killings - Security Chiefs
Security agencies, including the Department of State Service (DSS) have revealed that the Islamic State in West Africa (ISWA) network operating within North-central and South-south zones of Nigeria were behind the recent killings in Benue State. (AllAfrica)

Diminished at Home, Durable Boko Haram May Go Global
Terrorist group Boko Haram has lost most of the territory it claimed as a “caliphate” within Nigeria back in 2014. But group still strikes government officials, troops and civilians from its few remaining safe havens in the northeast of the country, and is positioning itself to take terrorism global. (Cipher Brief)

US Strike Kills Four Shabaab Terrorists
The strike occurred approximately 50 kilometers northwest of Kismayo, the site of another recent airstrike. On Dec. 15, 2017, US forces targeted Shabaab in the same approximate location, killing eight Shabaab fighters and destroyed one vehicle. (Long War Journal)

South and Central Asia

At Least 30 Killed' In Kabul Hotel Attack, Including Ukrainians, Kazakh
Officials said six attackers were also killed by security forces, although some reports stated there were only five assailants. Officials said the gunmen charged through the hallways and sought out foreigners and Afghan officials inside the hotel. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)

Bangladesh Says Start of Rohingya Return to Myanmar Delayed
The head of the UNHCR, the United Nations’ refugee agency, said more time was needed to prepare the return of the Rohingya refugees to Rakhine, and urged the two governments to involve it in their efforts to resolve the refugee crisis. (Reuters)

Up to 1,000 More U.S. Troops Could Be Headed to Afghanistan This Spring
A spokesman for Gen. John W. Nicholson Jr., the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, said U.S. Forces Afghanistan had not specifically asked for an increase in troop levels, suggesting the increase, if approved, would be considered an adjustment under the current plan rather than an increase associated with a shift in strategy. (Washington Post)

East Asia and the Pacific

Philippines Arrests Explosives Expert Tied to Mideast Militants
The man, Taha Mohamed al-Jabouri, 64, arrived in the Philippines in August as the country was getting ready to host a gathering of Southeast Asian foreign ministers in preparation for a November summit meeting that included President Trump. Mr. Jabouri admitted while being interrogated that he had served as a consultant for Hamas in Syria before moving to Turkey in 2012. (New York Times)

Three Killed in Yala Market Bombing
Monday's attack in the southern province of Yala was the first of its kind for months in the region, where ethnic Malay Muslims have been fighting for autonomy. (Al Jazeera)

Western Hemisphere

Marginalizing Violent Extremism Online
Extremist actors like the Islamic State use technological services, including but not limited to social media, for digital proselytizing (propaganda production and dissemination), recruitment, networking, and facilitating terrorist plots. Different actors are best situated to marginalize the effectiveness of each of these phenomena, and an over-reliance on takedowns can inadvertently undermine those efforts. (Lawfare)

Beyond the Wire is produced by the CSIS Transnational Threats Project. Links, titles, and descriptions are pulled from outside sources. If you would like to sign up for the BTW newsletter subscribe below, or click here.