Violence and Security

UN Agent: French Counter-terror Policies Target Muslims

June 05, 2018

UN Special Rapporteur on the protection of human rights in the context of countering terrorism Fionnuala Ni Aolain has warned France that its new counter-terrorism laws may violate international human rights obligations related to privacy and liberty and may "stigmatize and further marginalize citizens of the Muslim faith" as a "per se 'suspect community.'"
UNESCO Hosts Training on Education to Prevent Extremism

June 05, 2018

A recent workshop hosted in Venice, Italy, by the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), as part of the UN agency's drive for "Global Citizenship Education," trained representatives from Southeast Europe on how to use their education policies to prevent radicalization and violent extremism.
Brit IS Supporter Confesses to Array of Terrorist Offenses

June 04, 2018

A British citizen confessed at trial to online plotting of a terrorist attack targeting Britain’s Prince George and many soft civilian targets, as well as instructing Islamic State (IS) jihadis in Syria about how to conduct anti-aircraft operations.
UK Marriage Legislation Aims to Ensure Imams’ Compliance

June 04, 2018

Proposed changes to the UK’s Marriage Act recognizing civil unions as a universal requirement superseding religious unions, aim to ensure full civil rights and associated immigration protections for women under sharia-compliant "nikah" marriages and will subject to criminal penalties imams who fail to comply when performing religious marriages.
IS Shift Signals Long-term Jihadi Presence at Iraq-Syria Border

June 04, 2018

US military analysts predict that the combination of the Islamic State's (IS) tactical shift along the Syrian border with Iraq and effective social media propaganda presenting Islamist extremists as stalwarts and victims will facilitate a long-term jihadist presence that could debilitate the two Mideast states.
UN Bodies Collaborate on Comprehensive Approach to Extremism

June 01, 2018

At a recent meeting showcasing the UN system's "all of society" approach to the prevention of "violent extremism" that leads to terrorism, the UN Development Programme and the UN Office of Counter-terrorism agreed to enhance their cooperation in countering extremism, including by developing National Action Plans on combating extremism for requesting countries.
OSCE Hosts Spanish Police Training on Rights, Terrorism

June 01, 2018

The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights recently held a training session for Spanish police officers pushing them to consider international human-rights standards as "a central part" of their role in preventing terrorism and countering violent extremism.
NGO Criticizes Indonesian Counter-Terrorism Law

June 01, 2018

A press release from Amnesty International warns that a new Indonesian counter-terrorism law, passed in response to a series of recent terror attacks and permitting police new powers to detain suspects without trial and expanding the scope of the death penalty, violates internationally recognized rights to a fair trial and against cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
US Strikes Degrade Resurgent Taliban in Afghanistan

May 31, 2018

US forces in Afghanistan staged a series of targeted strikes that killed senior Taliban leaders in operations aimed at degrading the continuing resilience of the Islamist extremist group across the country.
Islamist Groups Coordinate Response to Israel to Avoid Escalation

May 31, 2018

This week’s round of shelling between Israeli Defense Forces and the Gaza-based Palestinian Hamas and Iranian-supported Islamic Jihad indicated the two Islamist groups’ coordination of a proportionate response strategy aimed at avoiding an escalation in their conflict with Israel.