BLOG UPDATE: Future of Vision

Vision counter-terrorism is an endeavour I have really enjoyed working on and it makes me happy to see our posts being read by so many of you. I know our Weekly Newsletter has been enjoyed by many of you, and I want to make sure those newsletters are the best they can be! So going forward, the Weekly Newsletter will be a fortnightly Zine, with informative, current counter-terror news, as well as, some history and in-depth analyses. Unique content will be posted here on our blog too. In addition, some of our Zine articles will be posted for those who don't want to read the whole Zine. The Zine will be completely free and posted here (or through email if there is enough interest). 

We have also started a Medium Blog Page to help bring more traffic to the page! Unique content will also be posted there! I am thinking of keeping this Blog as a place for current-news topics, with Medium being a place for more analytical content. I will try to keep things as balanced as possible, with the Zine being worked on in the background. The Zine will be an amalgamation of worldwide counter-terror news! I am excited for you all to see the first version which will be posted in mid-May. Until then, here is the link to our Medium Page. [Medium Blog: https://medium.com/@visionworldpolitics]

Vision Counterterrorism Newsletter [10/04/2023 to 17/04/2023]

Here is what happened this week in counter-terrorism!

Popular Mobilization Forces Securing the Syrian Border [Source: AFP]

More Truffle Hunting Deaths are Linked to ISIS

During the truffle hunting season in Syria's Hama countryside, hundreds have disappeared or been found murdered by ISIS. This week more truffle hunters have been killed by the terror group. The truffle trade is highly lucrative but dangerous with many willing to risk death for financial gain. This week 26 were killed by ISIS in an area they were previously ousted from. In 2019, the Syrian Defence Forces and US Coalition Forces drove out the group after weeks of intense fighting in the town of Baghouz. (NPASyria, 2023) With the recent spike in disappearances, it's likely that ISIS will return to this area or already have. These 26 victims are more in the group's countless already killed or captured. It is uncertain whether Syrian counter-terror forces and repel ISIS once again or if the area is doomed to fall under their control. 

From Discord to Jail: How the Ukraine Intelligence Leaker Was Caught

After a truckload of confidential US intelligence documents about the Ukraine counter-offensive was leaked authorities rushed to find the culprit. The files included maps, military information and statistics surrounding US secret service involvement in the conflict. It appears as if these documents were first shared on a gaming Discord server, named Thug Shaker Central. Discord, an app meant for gamers to communicate whilst playing, is a rather strange place for confidential documents to be leaked. Discord offers no encryption like Telegram or Whatsapp, it is rather a public place for a professional leaker to dump files. (Strohm et al, 2023) Quickly, it became apparent that the culprit behind this leak was not a professional. This ruled out the idea that a foreign government or enemy group leaked such a document. The lack of anonymity allowed for a suspect to be quickly apprehended.

Only a few days after the leak, twenty-one-year-old Jack Teixeira was arrested. Teixeira was a US Air National Guardsman stationed in Massachusetts, who had recently been promoted to the intelligence division. Teixeira's capture was aided by reporters at the New York Times. According to them, (Scheffler, 2023) Teixeira was meticulously tracked through his digital footprint. After the documents were found on the gaming Discord group, reporter Aric Toller began live-tweeting his findings, leading to the Discord server being deleted. Thankfully, a former member of the group reached out to Toller. This former member revealed that the user posting the leaks to Discord was not the original leaker and that the documents had been posted elsewhere first. This former member also revealed  All they had were the initials O. G. Other members refused to identify the user and with the chat logs deleted, more clues were needed to conclusively find the leaker. NYT reporters found the former members' Steam Profiles. Steam, a website dedicated to playing and buying games keeps extensive data on users' interactions and messages. Investigators were able to look into Steam's data to find all the people the former member had interacted with. They narrowed down their search to a user called jackdjdtex. From this user name, reporters found an Instagram account which led them to Jack Teixeira. 

Jack Teixeira 

Teixeira now faces up to fifteen years in prison for leaking classified information he had obtained from his job in the Air National Guard. Many are asking why From all the reports, Teixeira has always been someone looking for attention and shock. According to CNN (Hicken, 2023), Teixeira had been in trouble multiple times throughout high school due to racist and offensive comments he made. After the 2017 Las Vegas Mass Shooting, he wore a shirt displaying an AR-15. Even in his Steam Profile, the one which led to his arrest, showed him posing with an assault rifle. Former classmates found his obsession with the US and his nationalist views odd. Strangely, for such a nationalistic person, Teixeira had betrayed a country he loved so much. He appeared in a Boston District Courton Friday, where he gave no plea. 

Though Teixeira's action may seem bizarre, it has much broader implications for the war in Ukraine. These documents have already made it to Pro-Russian Telegram servers. The entire Spring Counter-offensive in Ukraine may now be in jeopardy because of Teixeira's actions. 

A Call to Arms: Somalia Call for Russian Support

The Somali Opposition Leader, Sied Abdi Nur, has called for Russian forces to deploy in the country to counter the Western Presence within the country. Abdi Nur is an opponent of Western terror invention within the country, he has often blamed them for the still prominent threat of terrorism within the country. Nur is not just a politician but also a former soldier, who fought alongside US forces in the Battle of Mogadishu, which saw heavy casualties on both sides. In an interview with Russian Publication Sputnik, reported by Al Mayadeen English (2023), Abdi Nur said, "Russia can even participate in Somalian politics and can win, and Somalia would be at peace because we have got a solution where Russia can win without the West. The West does not want my country to be in peace; they create chaos, people kill each other, continue this war". This comes as the country is still wrought with infrastructural and terror issues, as well as an embargo. Since the 1990s, the country has been stuck in a devastating civil war, which has had interventions from United Nations and African Union Peace Keepers. 

With the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, it's unlikely Russia will deploy troops in Somalia. Not just due to their priority being the invasion of Ukraine, but also because they are unlikely to cooperate with Western forces in any capacity. 

References

Al Mayadeen English (2023). Somalian opposition MP calls on Russia to deploy forces in Somalia. [online] Al Mayadeen English. Available at: https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/somalian-opposition-mp-calls-on-russia-to-deploy-forces-in-s [Accessed 18 Apr. 2023].

Hicken, B.E.G.W. (2023). Man arrested in connection with intel leak: ‘Actions speak louder than words’ | CNN Politics. [online] CNN. Available at: https://edition.cnn.com/2023/04/14/politics/jack-teixeira-profile/index.html [Accessed 17 Apr. 2023].

NPA Syria (2023). ISIS kills 26 truffle hunters in Syria’s Hama. [online] North press agency. Available at: https://npasyria.com/en/96570/ [Accessed 17 Apr. 2023].

Scheffler, M. (2023). Finding the Pentagon Leak Suspect. The New York Times. [online] 16 Apr. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/16/briefing/pentagon-leak-suspect.html [Accessed 18 Apr. 2023].

Strohm, C., McBride, C., Mostue, A. and Goal, P. (2023). US Charges 21-Year-Old for Taking, Leaking Classified Documents. Bloomberg.com. [online] 14 Apr. Available at: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-04-14/us-charges-national-guardsman-over-classified-documents-leak [Accessed 17 Apr. 2023].

Vision Counterterrorism Newsletter [02/04/2023 to 10/04/2023]

It has been a very hectic and tragic week in counterterrorism with many major incidents occurring. Due to the significance of the events some topics will have seprate, more detailed articles written about them (that will be linked within this newsletter). There will still be a brief summary of events within this newsletter, as well as, wrtite-ups of other news from this week. 

Russian Police at the Scene of the Explosion [Source: NPR]

Suspect Arrested in Russian Blogger Explosion

On April 2nd Russian Military blogger, Vladlen Tatarsky was killed in an explosion in St Petersburg. The rather bizarre explosion seems to have occurred during a meet-up with his subscribers. A woman handed him a gold bust of himself before promptly leaving. Unbeknownst to Tatarsky, the gift he was presented with would explode killing him and injuring 30 others. Tatarsky, real name Maxim Fomin, was extremely popular on Telegram, with over 560,000 followers on the app. The majority of Tatarsky's content was geared toward the ongoing war with Ukraine. The blogger was extremely Pro-Russian and would often travel to the frontlines to film with Russian soldiers. Tatarsky himself was from the disputed Donetsk Region, where he fought for Russian occupation of the area. In more recent times, he became a prominent critic of the Russian Ministry of Defence for their lack of success in the Ukraine war. He would chastise the officers of the war calling them, "untrained idiots". (Sauer and Roth, 2023) The location of this fan meetup also has multiple links to the Pro-Russian movement, including to Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of the Wagner Paramilitary Group. The Wagner Group has been assisting Russia with their war in Ukraine. The venue also held a weekly discussion called Cyberfront Z, referring to the Z symbol which has become synonymous with the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Financial Times, 2023) All of these things make Tatarsky and the restaurant a prime location for a Pro-Ukrainian terror attack. However, many think that is not the case and that this may have been perpetrated by the Kremlin itself.

Tatarsky was not just a random blogger but had close links to the Russian Government. Last September, the blogger attended a ceremony at the Kremlin, where Putin laid out Russian annexation plans for Ukraine. Tatarsky was filmed at the event saying, "We’ll conquer everyone, we’ll kill everyone, we’ll loot whoever we need to, and everything will be just as we like it". The Kremlin understood the power of social media in the war and organised a task force to oversee the work of pro-military bloggers. Some believe that the Kremlin was responsible for the explosion. In a similar incident, last year, in August, the daughter of a prominent ultranationalist was killed in an explosion. The Russian Government blamed the Ukrainian Secret Service, others blamed the Kremlin. Some suspect that Tatarsky's criticism of Russia's military leadership was the reason for his assassination. Whilst both sides cast the blame onto one another, Prigozhin, the Wagner Group leader, blamed radical Ukranians, not the state government. 

A video posted to Mash, a Russian law enforcement Telegram group, showed the moment Tatarsky was handed the gold bust, which would later kill him. In the video, a blonde woman gives him the statue. She was quickly identified as Darya Trepova and arrested. The Russian Antiterror Committee believed that she was a member of the Navalny Anti-Corruption Foundation, an anti-Putin organisation. They claim the foundation worked in conjunction with the Ukranian secret service. Ukraine suspects that Trepova had been tricked into committing the attack by the Russian Government. (Sauer, 2023) Only a brief portion of her interrogation has been released, showing no real motive or reasoning by Trepova herself. There has only been speculation by both sides, with Russia claiming it was a Ukranian terror attack and Ukraine believing it was a domestic terror incident. 

We will keep you updated as this story breaks.

Tensions Reach a Boiling Point on the West Bank

Tensions in the West Bank have reached their worst since 2006. After Israeli police raided a Mosque a few days ago, retributory attacks from terror groups have reached a boiling point. This has resulted in multiple missile barrages from both sides. Clashes between Israel and its Arab neighbours have resulted in a new crisis in the Middle East.

The US Kill ISIS Leader in Syria

On the 3rd of April, the US launched a drone strike in Syria that killed its leader Khalid ‘Aydd Ahmad al-Jabouri. Al-Jabouri was key in planning attacks in Europe. Despite this being a huge blow to the organisation, ISIS still poses a large threat in Syria and surrounding Middle Eastern nations. Al-Jabouri was also crucial in organising the ISIS leadership hierarchy. (CENTCOM, 2023) With the death of al-Jabouri, the threat of international attacks from ISIS has diminished immensely. Now, the main focus for counter-terror forces in the middle east will be to launch attacks against national ISIS leaders, minimising the chances of an attack within the country. 

Possibility of an IRA attack

According to Northern Irish Police, there has been intelligence gathered that a terror attack is highly possible over the Easter weekend. This Easter marks 25 years since the groundbreaking Good Friday Agreement was reached. The Easter weekend is extremely significant to the terror issues in Ireland. The Easter Uprising is possibly THE most significant event in all of the Republic of Ireland's history. With this, it's believed an attack is extremely likely this easter weekend. 

More information about the possibility of attack and updates to the situation can be found here:

The raising of the Terror Threat in the UK due to the New IRA: https://visionmilitarynews.blogspot.com/2023/04/vision-counterterrorism-newsletter.html

Possibilty of an Easter Attack: https://visionmilitarynews.blogspot.com/2023/04/will-there-be-new-ira-attack-this.html

British Special Forces investigated for Unlawful Killings in Afghanistan 

After years of legal campaigning, the British Armed Forces have started an investigation into the unlawful killing of Afghan civilians and whether subsequent investigations were carried out properly. This comes after multiple legal challenges from victims' families. Their lawyers allege that 8 Afghans were killed by British Special Forces during a nighttime raid. This new enquiry will investigate all matters involving alleged unlawful killings by the Special Forces from 2010 to 2013. 

These investigations are not only based on the testimony from the victim's families but also from a BBC investigation which found the SAS had killed civilians whilst on night raids. The 2022 report found that the Special Air Service, one of the most prestigious military units in the world, would plant weapons on unlawfully killed civilians to frame them. When presented with this evidence, the Ministry of Defence would refuse to investigate further, arguing that the matters had already been thoroughly examined. Now, it seems like that wasn't the case, with a full reinvestigation of all suspected unlawful killings. 

An independent judge has been assigned to oversee the case. Leigh Day, the law firm representing the families, stated that knowledge of unlawful killings in Afghanistan was well-known but never reported to the military police. (Al Jazeera, 2023) To the families this news is bittersweet. For years they have had to live through such an ordeal and fight against this huge injustice. With this inquiry being opened, hopefully, the families can finally have answers. 

Reference List

Financial Times (2023). Russian pro-war blogger killed in St Petersburg restaurant blast. Financial Times. [online] 2 Apr. Available at: https://www.ft.com/content/e0823df3-e5ec-4c44-a111-a0c311e3e107 [Accessed 8 Apr. 2023].

Sauer, P. (2023). Russian pro-war military blogger killed in blast at St Petersburg cafe. The Guardian. [online] 3 Apr. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/apr/02/russian-pro-war-military-blogger-killed-blast-st-petersburg-vladlen-tatarsky [Accessed 8 Apr. 2023].

Sauer, P. and Roth, A. (2023). Russian police arrest woman over bombing that killed pro-war blogger. The Guardian. [online] 3 Apr. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/apr/03/russian-police-arrest-woman-over-bombing-that-killed-pro-war-blogger-vladlen-tatarsky.

U.S. Central Command. (2023). Strike Kills ISIS Leader in Syria. [online] Available at: https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/3350738/strike-kills-isis-leader-in-syria/#:~:text=TAMPA%2C%20Fla. [Accessed 8 Apr. 2023].

www.aljazeera.com. (22AD). UK begins inquiry into ‘unlawful killings’ in Afghanistan. [online] Available at: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/3/22/uk-launches-inquiry-into-british-army-killing-in-afghanistan [Accessed 2 Apr. 2023].

Vision Counterterrorism Newsletter [27/03/2023 to 02/04/2023]

This is the Vision Weekly Counter Terrorism Newsletter. The main aim is to offer up a brief update on counter terror news, as well as updates to former stories. These newsletters supplement other articles written. So, even though topics may overlap, I hope that each can stand independently from one another. 

Threat Level raised in Northern Ireland

Following the killing of a police officer in Northern Ireland, MI5 has decided to raise the threat level there from substantial to severe. A threat of an Irish Republican Army attack in Northern Ireland or the rest of the UK is high according to the authorities. (BBC, 2023) On the 26th of February, DCI John Caldwell was killed outside of a sports centre by two gunmen. The police subsequently arrested six men on terrorism charges, with the suspects likely being affiliated with the IRA. This attack seems to be what pushed the terror level to be raised. 

Following the attack, many Northern Irish citizens took to the streets to campaign against the violence. (Sky News, 2023) Despite these peaceful displays, it seems as if more New IRA attacks are likely. Attacks from other nationalist groups are also expected, mainly from the Army of the Republic, which publicly stated in early March that police officers and their families were now targets. On the 28th of March, the Northern Irish Police Service (PSNI) revealed that they found a large cache of ammunition on a raid at a New IRA compound. The real question many are asking is why now? Not since The Troubles has there been such a high terror threat from the Republic of Ireland.

This new rise in anti-British sentiment is likely due to the poor handling of the Northern Irish border. After the United Kingdom left the European Union, there was a major controversy over the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. According to European law, EU citizens can travel freely across member states' borders. Any border outside of this area is treated as if it was a non-European state. New negotiations surrounding this border may have ignited this new rise in Irish terrorism. 

The major difference between now and The Troubles is that the New IRA does not have any political support. All major political organisations in Northern Ireland completely condemn the actions. In the Republic of Ireland, political parties have disavowed the actions of the group. Ireland's leading party Sien Fien's Vice President stated, "[paramilitary groups] must go". Ireland's Minister of Justice, Simon Harris, stated that the Irish police will monitor the ongoing situation.

The attacks ignited a large response from Northern Irish terror groups like the Ulster Defence Force and the Ulster Defence Association. Retributory attacks from these groups have occurred in the days following the killing of John Caldwell.

Despite the threat level being raised, the people of the UK and Ireland should not fear impending attacks. The scale of these Irish nationalist groups is not as big as they were in the 1980s. Large-scale attacks, like the Andale Centre Bombings, are very unlikely. Both sides are also closely monitoring the situation, wanting to avoid further conflict. 

School Shooting  in Nashville, Tennessee

More information has been revealed about the Nashville Shooter. Many already know about the Nashville Covenant School Shooting, which left seven dead, including the shooter. The perpetrator, Aiden Hale was receiving treatment for mental health issues at the time of the shooting. Despite this, Hale was still able to purchase seven firearms, three of which were used in the shooting itself. Hale had also written a detailed manifesto with detailed drawings of the school, backup locations and follow-up attack plans. According to authorities, Hale was acting alone and was not part of a wider terror group. Despite there being evidence of Hale planning other attacks, he would write a suicide note to a former basketball teammate before the attack, indicating they were expecting to be killed. As a former student at the Covenant School, it's believed the main motive was revenge for his treatment there. (Sky News, 2023) Hale's legal purchase of firearms, despite receiving treatment for mental health issues highlights the issues with the vending of firearms in the US. Congress is already up in arms over the discussions about banning automatic rifles, the kind which Hale used in the attack. 

Chinese Shops Forced to Close in Pakistan

Ongoing issues with Pakistani terror groups attacking Chinese buildings have come to a breaking point. The attacks from separatist groups on Chinese locations have caused a rift in the two countries' burgeoning relationship. China has urged Pakistan to deal with the terror attacks on Chinese buildings within the country. This added pressure from China and the lack of funds within Pakistan have pushed police forces into a corner.

The police force in the city of Karachi has begun closing down Chinese stores to remove the possibility of an attack. This is not unprompted, with counterintelligence believing attacks on Chinese locations in Karachi were imminent. At first, police forces told shops to close, but were met with a lack of cooperation. So, the Karachi Police forcibly closed down the locations. 

A Police Officer in Karachi [Source: Reuters]

These shutdowns are not illegal but allowed under Pakistan's Sindh Security of Vulnerable Establishments Act, which enables the police to forcefully close businesses that are vulnerable to attacks. The Karachi Police will only reopen the locations when sufficient security measures are put in place by the owners. 

Though these measures may seem draconian, the shutdowns come after multiple, devastating attacks on Chinese assets, especially projects apart of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, or CPEC, is a fifty-billion-dollar investment into Pakistan's internal infrastructure, as a part of China's Bejing Belt and Road initiative. Despite this major investment, Pakistani nationalists disliked the growing Chinese influence in Pakistan. The nationalist Baloch Liberation Army perpetrated three attacks on important Chinese buildings, including the Chinese consulate in Karachi. In addition, groups like Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and ISIS-K also carried out attacks. One notable suicide bombing occurred on a bus carrying Chinese engineers, in 2021. Thirteen were killed which caused the Pakistani Government to pay millions to China to compensate the victim's families. 

The poor security measures for Chinese citizens in Pakistan have caused an outcry. China has asked the Pakistani Government to allow private security forces within the country to protect its citizens, but this has been repeatedly shut down. (Nikkei Asia, 2023) Though terror groups are attempting to disrupt the relationship between the two countries, it seems that China's investments are too huge to just stop completely. So, it seems as if these issues will continue if Pakistan can't eradicate the presence of terrorism.  

The Taliban Arrest Three British men

A UK-based Humanitarian organisation, the Presidium Network, have revealed that three British men are being held by the Taliban in Afghanistan. The charity aims to support communities in crisis and to raise awareness for issues on the international stage. On April 1st, they revealed that one of their workers had been arrested by the Taliban. Only two of the three men have been named, but news sources do have the story behind their arrests. 

A Taliban Fighter in Afghanistan [Source: GettyImages]

Kevin Cornwell, a worker for the Presidium Network, and another unnamed man were arrested together on January 11th. At a later date, 23-year-old Miles Routledge was arrested. Routledge is a social media influencer who is a 'dark tourist', someone who travels to potentially dangerous countries for fun. Two years ago, Routledge was in Afghanistan when the Taliban took control of the country and was extracted by the British Army. The third man is still unknown to both the Presidium Network and the UK Foreign Office. (Sky News, 2023)

The UK Foreign Office is currently attempting to contact all three men. The unstable situation in Afghanistan makes any British person a prime target for the Taliban. The current condition of the men is also unknown. 

Due to this story being ongoing, we keep you all informed, with updates on the Vision Blog. 

References

Nikkei Asia. (n.d.). Pakistan police resort to shutting Chinese shops over terror risk. [online] Available at: https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Terrorism/Pakistan-police-resort-to-shutting-Chinese-shops-over-terror-risk [Accessed 2 Apr. 2023].

Northern Ireland terrorism threat level rises. (2023). BBC News. [online] 28 Mar. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-65096493.

‌Sky News. (n.d.). Nashville school shooting: What we know about killer Audrey Hale. [online] Available at: https://news.sky.com/story/nashville-school-shooting-what-we-know-about-the-killer-so-far-12843858.

Sky News. (n.d.). Sixth man arrested over attempted murder of police officer in Northern Ireland. [online] Available at: https://news.sky.com/story/sixth-man-arrested-over-attempted-murder-of-police-officer-in-northern-ireland-12820326 [Accessed 2 Apr. 2023].

‌Three British men being held by Taliban in Afghanistan. (2023). BBC News. [online] 1 Apr. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65118681 [Accessed 2 Apr. 2023].

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