THE ISLAMIC STATE'S NORTH AFRICAN FRONT
The Islamic State is expanding its foothold in Libya. At least 500 militants affiliated with the terrorist group are said to have migrated to the North African nation in the past two months, taking advantage of the ongoing chaos that has reigned there since the ouster of Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi in 2011. The Islamic State has deftly exploited conflicts between warring Islamist factions in the country, and now is estimated to have more than 2,000 fighters ensconced in various Libyan cities. Moreover, more are on the way; the group, which has charted some notable successes in its recruitment efforts in neighboring North African countries, has of late begun encouraging foreign fighters eager to migrate to Iraq and Syria to travel to Libya instead as a way of helping the group expand its empire. (Washington Free Beacon, January 12, 2016)
FEAR AND LOATHING IN BEIJING...
Worried over the spread of Islamic radicalism on its periphery, China's government is cracking down on its westernmost region of Xinjiang. Stepped up security measures in the majority Muslim region - including detentions, restrictions on mosque activity, and limits on mobility for laborers - have been authorized by the Chinese government following a wave of violence that has claimed dozens of lives since it began several months ago. Authorities in Beijing are fearful of spreading radicalism among the region's estimated 10 million Muslims, known as Uighurs, and of possible Islamic State and other terrorist infiltration. But, observers say, Beijing's increasingly draconian counterterrorism measures risk alienating and radicalizing Xinjiang's residents. "The state's ability to penetrate Uighur society has become increasingly sophisticated and intrusive," says James Leibold of Australia's La Trobe University. "But while these new measures allow the party to nip a lot of problems in the bud, they also foster new forms of alienation and violence that ultimately weaken the party's legitimacy and rule." (New York Times, January 2, 2016)
...AND APPREHENSION IN JAKARTA
In response to intensifying government oppression at home, many Chinese Uighurs have begun to migrate abroad. Indonesia has emerged as a significant target destination, and security officials there have become increasingly nervous about the possibility of growing Islamic radicalism as a result. Their fears stem from the fact that some of these migrants have been smuggled into the country in response to directions from Santoso, a wanted militant who leads the Eastern Indonesia Mujahideen militant group, and is the country's most prominent backer of the Islamic State. With an estimated 1,000 Islamic State supporters believed to already be in the country, the Indonesian government is now looking to China for help in preventing a further influx of radicals. (Reuters, January 6, 2016)
PAY CUTS FOR ISIS CADRES
Has the Islamic State fallen on hard times? A new internal document issued by the terrorist group's finance ministry, located in Raqqa, suggests that it has. The document cites "exceptional circumstances" created by growing Western pressure and intensified military engagement with opponents to justify the slashing of fighter salaries in half. So dire has the group's economic situation reportedly become that the ISIS official in control of Mosul, Iraq has reportedly issued a fatwa authorizing fighters to directly tax local citizens as a way of raising funds. (Jerusalem Post, January 18, 2016)
EXTORTION, TALIBAN STYLE
Afghanistan's premier Islamist movement has a new tool by which to intimidate the country's population: taxes. The group recently levied a new tax on four separate Afghan telecom companies in exchange for its "protection" - i.e., to prevent the destruction of company property or the brutalization of their employees. In doing so, the Taliban have taken a page from the playbook of the Afghan government, which recently announced a financial windfall after imposing new taxes on the country's telecom industry.
But the Taliban's methods are more direct than those of Kabul - and considerably more impactful. On January 20th, a Taliban suicide bomber targeted a minibus carrying seven employees of Afghanistan's Tolo News, a private channel which has taken a critical editorial line against the movement. The resulting blast, which occurred during rush hour in the Afghan capital, killed seven journalists in what was simultaneously a clear signal to political opponents and to the country's telecom sector. (Agence France Presse, January 18, 2016; Reuters, January 20, 2016)
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