Foreign Fighters in Ukraine | Resilient U.S. Healthcare System | African Coastal Terror Attacks, and more

Israeli System Downs Isis Drones in Mozambique  (Inder Singh Bisht, Defense Post)
The Mozambique Army downed three ISIS drones using an Israeli counter-drone system in the country’s north, Israel Defense reported, citing the army. The MC-Horizon 360D V3 counter-drone system reportedly jammed the drones that were likely sent to gather information on troops. According to The Jerusalem Post, the drones were also going to be used to bomb the soldiers. The downing happened within a year of the Kfar Saba-based MCTECH RF Technologies craft being sold to the East African country.  The system provides 360-degree coverage and detects drones through a “signaling channel and radio transmission (both the uplink and downlink),” at a radius of 1.5 kilometers (0.93 miles), triggering a “neutralization system which deactivates the drone/quadcopter from any operation,” the manufacturer wrote. The 20 kilograms (44 pounds) modular system can be carried in a backpack and attached to a vehicle or vessel. Citing the CEO of Israeli private security company Orad, The Jerusalem Post reported that MCTECH RF Technologies has sold the system to many militaries worldwide since 2014 and that the downing was the first by a foreign military. “In Mozambique, ISIS is attacking troops with drones. They use drones to identify troops, to bomb troops, and even to identify troops and then navigate artillery to hit forces.”

Pro-Russia Rebels Are Still Using Facebook to Recruit Fighters, Spread Propaganda  (Washington Post)
In the days after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Aleksandr Zaldostanov, the leader of a pro-Putin biker gang, the Night Wolves, turned to Facebook to disparage the Ukrainian president and push falsehoods about the war. “Ukraine is a torn off piece of Russia, which is shrinking in pain and bleeding still,” he posted on March 1 to more than 18,000 followers. “Russia did not start a war now!!!! Those who divided us started it!” A former physician known by his nickname, “the Surgeon,” Zaldostanov has been on the U.S. government sanctions list since 2014, amid allegations that he helped Russian troops confiscate weapons during the country’s invasion of Crimea. The sanctions block Zaldostanov’s assets and generally prohibit U.S. citizens from “dealing” with him, but on Facebook he maintains a very active account, posting frequent support of Russia since the invasion. The multitude of sanctioned entities and individuals who, like Zaldostanov, maintain a robust Facebook and Instagram presence is the subject of a pair of new whistleblower complaints, filed in December and February, arguing that Facebook parent company Meta engaged in “reckless or willful” violations of U.S. sanctions law by permitting the accounts, according to redacted copies reviewed exclusively by the Washington Post.

Facebook Allows War Posts Urging Violence Against Russian Invaders  (Munsif Vengattil and Elizabeth Culliford, Reuters)
Meta Platforms (FB.O) will allow Facebook and Instagram users in some countries to call for violence against Russians and Russian soldiers in the context of the Ukraine invasion, according to internal emails seen by Reuters on Thursday, in a temporary change to its hate speech policy. The social media company is also temporarily allowing some posts that call for death to Russian President Vladimir Putin or Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, according to internal emails to its content moderators. “As a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine we have temporarily made allowances for forms of political expression that would normally violate our rules like violent speech such as ‘death to the Russian invaders.’ We still won’t allow credible calls for violence against Russian civilians,” a Meta spokesperson said in a statement. The calls for the leaders’ deaths will be allowed unless they contain other targets or have two indicators of credibility, such as the location or method, one email said, in a recent change to the company’s rules on violence and incitement.

The Rise of White Nationalist Hispanics  (Russell Contreras and Astrid Galván, Axios)
ick Fuentes, identified as a “white supremacist” in Justice Department filings, made headlines last week for hosting a white nationalist conference in Florida. His father is also half Mexican American.
Fuentes is part of a small but increasingly visible number of far-right provocateurs with Hispanic backgrounds who spread racist, antisemitic messages.

A Turning Point in the Fight Against Right-Wing Extremism  (Nicole Hemmer, CNN)
The first federal trial for a rioter at the January 6 insurrection ended Tuesday when the jury found Guy Reffitt guilty on all five counts related to the attack on the Capitol. His conviction marks a critical turning point not only in the prosecution of those who participated in the insurrection, but in the relationship between the US criminal justice system and far-right violence. Historically, the American legal system has rarely offered a robust, or even adequate, response to far-right lawlessness. In fact, it has often reinforced it, with white vigilantism and a racist legal system working hand-in-hand. Both an inability to see far-right extremism as a problem and a fear that juries would not convict extremists kept the federal government from aggressively pursuing these groups. But this week’s guilty verdict — which joins a series of plea deals, bench trials and seditious conspiracy charges — shows a system with the capacity and flexibility to prosecute far-right extremism in ways it seldom has in modern US history. And while that system still has weaknesses, its ability to respond to extremism will be a critical counterweight to an emboldened far-right. As the long delay in the recent passage of the anti-lynching law in the US Senate suggests, the American justice system has historically been reluctant to respond to far-right and vigilante violence.

West African Coastal Terror Attacks: Just the Tip of the Iceberg – Analysis  (Sampson Kwarkye, Eurasia Review)
Violent extremism is escalating in West Africa’s coastal states. This is terrifying for citizens but is just the tip of the insurgency iceberg. Under the surface lies a covert network that ensures terrorism continues in the region. Evidence is emerging that jihadists’ activities within and through coastal states are enabling them to fund, staff and run the logistics they need to thrive. Governments’ responses to the attacks have mainly been military in nature. Before such operations are increased, and the French and European Barkhane and Takuba forces are redeployed south, coastal states need a better analysis of the terrorism spillover. They should look beyond the spread of attacks and understand the covert activities, including how violent extremists work with illicit actors to mobilise resources. On 8 and 10 February, Benin recorded its deadliest attacks yet when patrols in its W National Park struck improvised explosive devices. The government said one soldier and eight park officers, including their French instructor, were killed and 12 others wounded. Before this, a string of assaults in northern Benin between late November 2021 and January 2022 led to several deaths. Neighbouring Togo suffered its first-ever attack when assailants raided a security post in the northern border village of Sanloaga on 9 November 2021.

UK’s Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation Vows to Focus on Online Extremism  (Nicky Harley, The National)
The UK’s independent reviewer of terrorism legislation has pledged to focus on online terrorism after he was reappointed to the role for a further three-year term. Jonathan Hall, QC, was first appointed to the role in 2019 and his tenure was due to end in May. This week the Home Office announced his reappointment. “This year’s project is Terrorism Online,” he tweeted. “I will write more about this shortly.” The Home Office said the decision was made due to his successful tenure and revealed that his new term in office would be from May 23, 2022, to May 22, 2025. As part of his role, Mr Hall is required to provide an annual report on his findings, which the government must lay before Parliament and publish. His latest report on extremism and radicalization in prisons is due to be published shortly. Last month, he urged the authorities to look at separation centres to prevent extremists from forming gangs in prison. His appeal came after the conviction of three ISIS terrorists, including the brother of the Manchester Arena bomber, who had formed a gang in Belmarsh prison, London, and attacked a prison officer. He suggested that measures such as “separation centers” could be used to keep terrorists in custody away from one another.” Mr Hall has also called for extremists to be given lie detector tests, arguing that deradicalization programs do not work.

Nations Warned to Monitor and Prevent Extremist Foreign Fighters from Heading to Ukraine  (Nicky Harley, The National)
In the policy brief “Foreign Fighters in the 2022 Russia-Ukraine War: An Initial Assessment of Extremist Volunteers”, the Counter Extremism Project think tank makes nine recommendations to governments to prepare for threats posed by the departure and return of citizens looking to join the conflict. It has already found evidence of a number of far-right extremist groups using the Telegram social media platform to call for foreign fighters to join their ranks. The brief says that nations need to quickly and comprehensively identify and share knowledge on the threat as well as disrupt the travel of extremists to Ukraine. “They pose a clear security risk. These extremists will likely obtain combat experience in the conflict zone and potentially have a greater impact on the violence-orientated extremist milieus in their home countries upon their return,” it says. “Their ability to plan and successfully carry out attacks in accordance with their ideology increases massively.” The experts say that action needs to be taken to stop extremists from travelling to Ukraine and says methods used to prevent the travel of ISIS fighters could act as a guide. “European mechanisms employed to prevent the travel of football hooligans as well as legal mechanisms employed to prevent the travel of foreign terrorist fighters to conflict zones could serve as blueprints,” it says.