WHO KILLED MUHAMMAD AL-ADNANI?
Arabic-language news sources have confirmed that Taha Subhi Falaha, better known as Abu Muhammad al-Adnani, has been killed in Aleppo, Syria. The 38-year old Syrian was a senior leader of the Islamic State terrorist group, and according to U.S. military officials served as the group's commander for "external operations."
But who, exactly, is responsible for al-Adnani's death? The Islamic State itself, in confirming the killing, attributed it to U.S. aerial combat operations. Russia's government, however, says different. The country's Defense Ministry has rushed to claim that Russian air strikes were actually responsible for al-Adnani's death, citing "several intelligence channels" as confirmation for its assertion. (BBC, August 31, 2016;Reuters, August 31, 2016)
[EDITORS' NOTE: Whoever is ultimately found to have been responsible, al-Adnani's death is unquestionably a major milestone in the struggle against the Islamic State. Al-Adnani was widely viewed as the chief strategist of the group, and credited as the driving force behind the ISIS strategy of distributed terror attacks against Western targets beyond the Middle East. It remains to be seen whether ISIS strategy changes appreciably in the wake of al-Adnani's passing.]
GERMANY HUNKERS DOWN...
For the first time since the Cold War, Germany has crafted a comprehensive civil defense plan as a response to recent terrorist attacks. In its "Concept for Civil Defense," Germany's Interior Ministry has instructed each citizen to store food enough food for ten days and enough water for five days "in case of an attack or catastrophe." The ordinance comes as part of a civil defense strategy by the country's parliament back in 2012, but which has been accelerated as a result of recent incidents of Islamist violence in Europe. (Reuters, August 21, 2016)
...WHILE ITALY BANKS ON CULTURE
The Italian government, meanwhile, is launching a new initiative aimed at combating radicalization and terrorism through culture. The program, part of what Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has termed a "cultural battle" against Islamic radicalism, entails the provision of vouchers worth in excess of $500 each to more than half-a-million 18-year-olds. The vouchers will be usable by recipients for an array of cultural events, from museum entry to concert attendance. "It sends a clear message - a welcome for those who reach the age of 18 and a reminder of how crucial culture is, both for personal enrichment and for strengthening the social fabric of the country," an official in charge of the new initiative has explained. (London Telegraph, August 23, 2016; Washington Post, August 31, 2016)
EXTREMISTS SOUTH OF THE U.S. BORDER
The U.S. military's combatant command responsible for Central and South America is raising the alarm over what it views as rising Islamist activity in those regions. In a recent internal memo, the intelligence directorate of the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) warned that suspected Sunni militants from outside the region are increasingly exploiting the region's existing smuggling networks to enter the Americas - and growing signs of attempted infiltration across the U.S. southern border by such "special interest aliens."
"Networks that specialize in smuggling individuals from regions of terrorist concern, mainly from the Afghanistan-Pakistan region, the Middle East, and East Africa, are indeed a concern for Southcom and other interagency security partners who support our country's national security," a spokesperson for the combatant command has confirmed. "There are major hubs that serve as entry points into the region for migrants from those areas of concern attempting to enter the U.S. along our border with Mexico." (Washington Free Beacon, August 22, 2016)