United States – The White House announced on the 8 Jan 16 the formation of a new task force to combat the recruitment of Americans to violent extremist movements like ISIS. The new effort comes in response to frustration that ISIS operatives and supporters have managed to recruit followers in Europe and the United States and launch deadly attacks without detection by intelligence services. "The horrific attacks in Paris and San Bernardino this winter underscored the need for the United States and our partners in the international community and the private sector to deny violent extremists like ISIL fertile recruitment ground," said National Security Council spokesperson Ned Price, using another acronym for ISIS.
The Countering Violent Extremism Task Force will harmonize Department of Homeland Security and Justice Department efforts in combating domestic extremism. It comes as the White House was to open top level discussions in California Friday with top Silicon Valley Internet firms aimed at finding ways to cooperate in detecting and fighting radicalization by terror groups. "Today's developments reflect President Obama’s commitment to take every possible action to confront and interdict terrorist activities wherever they occur, including online," Price said in a statement.
United States/Da’esh – A man who shot and wounded a policeman at point blank range as he sat in his patrol car was inspired by Islamic State militants, police said on the 9 Jan 16. Edward Archer, using a stolen gun, fired at least 11 shots at Jesse Hartnett in Philadelphia. Despite being shot, Mr Hartnett left his vehicle and was able to return fire, striking the gunman three times. Mr Archer was arrested within minutes and later confessed to police he did it for Islam, officers told reporters. The 30-year-old from Yeadon, Pennsylvania, told police he pledged allegiance to Islamic State.
But there is no evidence that he was working with anyone else, Mr Ross said. Philadelphia court records show he was convicted of assault in March and was set to begin a prison term. He had also been convicted of forging documents in a nearby suburb. Mr Archer's mother, Valerie Holliday, said he is mentally ill and had suffered multiple head injuries, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. Ms Holliday also told the Inquirer that he had been a devout Muslim "for a long time". Mr Ross said Mr Archer's gun was a police firearm that was stolen in 2013.
United States/Da’esh – Islamic State of Iraq and Syria extremists will likely increase the tempo of attacks around the world as they come under increased pressure in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), a top U.S. general warned on the 15 Jan 16. General Lloyd Austin, who currently heads the military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) overseeing Middle East operations, made the argument that recent ISIS-claimed attacks like the ones this week in Istanbul and Jakarta are in fact evidence the group is faltering. “ISIL has assumed a defensive posture in Iraq and Syria,” Austin said at a news conference in Florida.
Going forward, we can expect to see him rely increasingly on acts of terrorism such as we saw this week in Baghdad and in Turkey, and most recently in Jakarta,” he added. ISIS, which swept through vast regions of Iraq and Syria in 2014 and 2015 and captured a string of cities, has seen recent setbacks across its self-proclaimed caliphate, including the loss of the key Iraqi city of Ramadi to U.S.-supported local forces. A U.S.-led coalition has also been hammering the group’s oil infrastructure, including by blowing up hundreds of trucks used to ferry illicit crude oil around Syria, and this week bombing a financial facility in the Iraqi city of Mosul that U.S. officials said held millions of dollars in cash.
The Countering Violent Extremism Task Force will harmonize Department of Homeland Security and Justice Department efforts in combating domestic extremism. It comes as the White House was to open top level discussions in California Friday with top Silicon Valley Internet firms aimed at finding ways to cooperate in detecting and fighting radicalization by terror groups. "Today's developments reflect President Obama’s commitment to take every possible action to confront and interdict terrorist activities wherever they occur, including online," Price said in a statement.
United States/Da’esh – A man who shot and wounded a policeman at point blank range as he sat in his patrol car was inspired by Islamic State militants, police said on the 9 Jan 16. Edward Archer, using a stolen gun, fired at least 11 shots at Jesse Hartnett in Philadelphia. Despite being shot, Mr Hartnett left his vehicle and was able to return fire, striking the gunman three times. Mr Archer was arrested within minutes and later confessed to police he did it for Islam, officers told reporters. The 30-year-old from Yeadon, Pennsylvania, told police he pledged allegiance to Islamic State.
But there is no evidence that he was working with anyone else, Mr Ross said. Philadelphia court records show he was convicted of assault in March and was set to begin a prison term. He had also been convicted of forging documents in a nearby suburb. Mr Archer's mother, Valerie Holliday, said he is mentally ill and had suffered multiple head injuries, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. Ms Holliday also told the Inquirer that he had been a devout Muslim "for a long time". Mr Ross said Mr Archer's gun was a police firearm that was stolen in 2013.
United States/Da’esh – Islamic State of Iraq and Syria extremists will likely increase the tempo of attacks around the world as they come under increased pressure in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), a top U.S. general warned on the 15 Jan 16. General Lloyd Austin, who currently heads the military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) overseeing Middle East operations, made the argument that recent ISIS-claimed attacks like the ones this week in Istanbul and Jakarta are in fact evidence the group is faltering. “ISIL has assumed a defensive posture in Iraq and Syria,” Austin said at a news conference in Florida.
Going forward, we can expect to see him rely increasingly on acts of terrorism such as we saw this week in Baghdad and in Turkey, and most recently in Jakarta,” he added. ISIS, which swept through vast regions of Iraq and Syria in 2014 and 2015 and captured a string of cities, has seen recent setbacks across its self-proclaimed caliphate, including the loss of the key Iraqi city of Ramadi to U.S.-supported local forces. A U.S.-led coalition has also been hammering the group’s oil infrastructure, including by blowing up hundreds of trucks used to ferry illicit crude oil around Syria, and this week bombing a financial facility in the Iraqi city of Mosul that U.S. officials said held millions of dollars in cash.
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