German Intelligence Warns from New Generation of ISIS Recruits

Hans-Georg Maassen from the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) gestures during an interview in Berlin, Germany. Reuters
Hans-Georg Maassen from the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) gestures during an interview in Berlin, Germany. Reuters
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German Intelligence Warns from New Generation of ISIS Recruits

Hans-Georg Maassen from the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) gestures during an interview in Berlin, Germany. Reuters
Hans-Georg Maassen from the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) gestures during an interview in Berlin, Germany. Reuters

Children returning from war zones controlled by ISIS in Syria and Iraq could grow up to be a new generation of terrorists, the chief of German Intelligence has warned.

More than 950 people from Germany went to join ISIS in Syria and Iraq, some 20 percent of them women and 5 percent minors, according to the Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) said.

With ISIS losing territory in Syria and Iraq, many of the women are expected to return with their children. Germany needs to prepare for the risk of the children being radicalized, BfV Chief Hans-Georg Maassen said.

“We see the danger of children who socialized with and were indoctrinated by extremists returning to Germany from the war zones,” said Maassen.

“This could allow a new generation of extremists to be raised here.”

Last year, a 12-year-old German-Iraqi boy failed in an attempt to detonate two explosive devices in the western town of Ludwigshafen.

A spokeswoman for the Immigration and Refugee Department in Nuremberg reported that the Family Guidance Center against Extremism received in 2016 about 1,000 calls from Muslim families asking for advice, fearing their minor children might become extremists.

German lawmakers said that the country planned to spend more on security, intelligence gathering and foreign aid in 2017, as part of their efforts to counter growing security threats. A package of measures passed by Parliament's budgetary committee will also see an additional 3,250 federal police hired in the coming years.

The lawmakers said that staffing plans for a new agency designed to break encrypted communication have been doubled to 120. Spending on programs for civil protection and migrants will also be increased, pending parliamentary approval.

Separately, German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported that the country's Federal Intelligence Service (BND) spy agency is to receive its own dedicated satellite. Until now, the agency has relied on satellite imagery taken by the German army or allied intelligence agencies.

On the level of terrorism, prosecutors in Dortmund demanded a three-year prison term for a militant, who is classified as "dangerous" and accused of preparing for a terrorist bombing.

The 21-year-old man, named only as Ivan K under German privacy laws, was already under police surveillance as an associate of Islamic preachers close to Anis Amri, the Berlin Christmas market attacker.
A police search of his apartment found propaganda and terror manuals from ISIS as well as evidence he had been preparing to make explosives.

The incident has raised concerns that extremists may turn to crossbows as a potential terror weapon.

Police acted after a surveillance team witnessed Ivan K buying a powerful high-performance crossbow in the west German town of Lippstadt, far from his home.
When he emerged from his hotel the next day in Feb 11, 2017, carrying the crossbow in a sports bag, he was detained.



Kenya Anniversary Protests Turn Violent, 8 Dead

At least 300 were injured in Nairobi. SIMON MAINA / AFP
At least 300 were injured in Nairobi. SIMON MAINA / AFP
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Kenya Anniversary Protests Turn Violent, 8 Dead

At least 300 were injured in Nairobi. SIMON MAINA / AFP
At least 300 were injured in Nairobi. SIMON MAINA / AFP

Marches in Kenya to mark a year since massive anti-government demos turned violent on Wednesday, with eight killed and at least 400 injured as protesters held running battles with police, who flooded Nairobi's streets with tear gas and sealed off government buildings with barbed wire.

Initially peaceful commemorations descended into chaos as scattered groups ripped up flagstones to throw projectiles at security forces and chanted for the resignation of President William Ruto, reported AFP.

The marches had been called for the anniversary of massive protests last year against tax rises that left at least 60 people dead and peaked when a huge crowd stormed parliament on June 25.

"We are marching against police brutality, against oppression by the government, against high taxation, everything that is going wrong in this country," said Anthony, 25, who was also selling flags and did not want to give his full name.

A coalition of rights groups said eight people died as protests were held in 23 counties.

"At least 400 others were treated, with 83 of them referred to specialized treatment for serious injuries," the coalition, which includes Amnesty International and the Kenyan Medical Association, said in a statement.

A hospital source in Matuu, a town around 100 kilometers (65 miles) from Nairobi, earlier told AFP that two people had died from gunshot wounds there, with local media reporting that police had opened fire.

The government ordered TV and radio stations to halt live coverage of the protests, which gained momentum beyond the capital, including in the port city Mombasa.

NetBlocks, a global internet tracker, said social media platform Telegram had been restricted.

"We are here as the young generation. We want a complete overhaul of the system, the system is rotten, the system is rogue," said protester Florence Achala in Nairobi.

'Goons'

Anger has flared over police brutality, particularly after a teacher was killed in custody earlier this month.

A group of peaceful protesters was attacked last week by a gang of motorbike-riding "goons", as they are known in Kenya, armed with whips and clubs and working in tandem with the police.

Western embassies in Kenya, including those of Britain, Germany and the United States, criticized in a joint statement "the use of hired 'goons' to infiltrate or disrupt peaceful gatherings".

The "goons" were not clearly present on Wednesday but police used large amounts of tear gas and water cannons as they attempted to push back groups of protesters.

Analyst and lawyer Javas Bigambo told AFP he was worried political groups would exploit the volatile mood to foster violence.

"There is nothing good to celebrate about the events that happened last year," he said. "If we were serious about commemorating June 25th, it should be in solemnity, prayer and restraint."

Disillusioned

There is deep resentment against Ruto, who came to power in 2022 promising rapid economic progress.

Many are disillusioned by continued stagnation, corruption and high taxes, even after last year's protests forced Ruto to cancel the unpopular finance bill.

His government has been at pains to avoid direct tax rises this year.

But the frequent disappearances of government critics -- rights groups have counted more than 80 since last year's protests, with dozens still missing -- have led many to accuse Ruto of returning Kenya to the dark days of its dictatorship in the 1980s and 1990s.