Former British ambassador to Yemen Edmund Fitton-Brown has said that ISIS could make more jailbreak attempts in Syria and that the country's detention camps are a "ticking time bomb".
In a webinar focused on the terror threat to Europe, hosted by the Counter Extremism Project think tank, Mr Fitton-Brown revealed the risk presently posed by ISIS.
Following the group's attack on Syria's Al Sina prison, which lasted nine days and allowed for several terrorist fighters to escape, Mr Fitton-Brown said that this could happen again.
“The ISIS jail break gave it a significant propaganda boost and more jailbreak attempts should be expected, particularly in north-east Syria, and it is a jarring reminder of the precariousness of the holding arrangements in Syria,” he said.
He also raised concerns surrounding the detention of foreign terrorist fighters in camps and said international efforts to deal with the situation were “insufficient”, describing the situation as a “ticking time bomb”.
“ISIS and Al Qaeda might be weakened by a succession of leadership losses but member states still worry they will continue to exploit instability in Syria and Afghanistan,” Mr Fitton-Brown said.
“International efforts to address internally displaced camps and detention facilities in north-east Syria are still insufficient to address the seriousness of the issue.
“Besides the humanitarian issue, this is a ticking time bomb in security terms. There is a risk of thousands not having any chance of rehabilitation and creating a multiplying threat that will still be with us in 20 years.”
He also called for an investigation into British Al Qaeda cells financing fighters in Afghanistan.
“Al Shabab in Somalia is a financial hub for Al Qaeda and sends funds to Afghanistan via Yemen and there are cells in the UK,” he said.
“It is a matter that needs to be studied further. This is evolving information.”
Former European Union intelligence adviser Gerhard Conrad added during the event that terror attacks on tourists will increase and that the EU is working hard to protect its citizens.
“The external situation surrounding Europe is far more unsettled then the present situation in Europe itself,” he said.
“It’s not really good news. If we look at the situation in Afghanistan and North Africa, we have large, ungoverned spaces where they can really organise themselves.
“They are creating safe havens for themselves and for single, smaller, sub groups of terrorists that are not interested in fighting local or regional wars but are preparing themselves to fight against non-Muslims.”
He recalled how, in the early 2000s, attacks on hotels hosting tourists as well as sites in the West took place, and said “we should not overlook that risk, which is going to increase”.
“The EU is obliged to care for citizens abroad and are looking hard to understand it and prevent it in the countries concerned,” he said.
Security adviser Guido Steinberg said that ISIS-Khorasan Province is going to become the “biggest” threat in the years to come.
“ISIS-K in Mali and the neighbouring states have the potential to get into a leading position on the scene in the coming years,” he said.
“ISIS-K are looking to pose a great threat in the short to medium term in Afghanistan.
“It is influencing the Taliban to take a tougher line. It does not have external capabilities right now but has international ambitions. It is only due to the problem of reaching Afghanistan that is keeping international recruits from the West and Middle East from joining it.”
He added that the group could become the leading extremist organisation in the coming years.
“[ISIS-K] is trying to strengthen its numbers by recruiting members from other terrorist groups and attract disaffected terrorist fighters and disassociated local ethnic minorities,” he added.
“They are paid higher than the Taliban and this has created competition.”
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
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The Internet
Hive Mind
four stars
Company profile
Name: Dukkantek
Started: January 2021
Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani
Based: UAE
Number of employees: 140
Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service)
Investment: $5.2 million
Funding stage: Seed round
Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
Match statistics
Dubai Sports City Eagles 8 Dubai Exiles 85
Eagles
Try: Bailey
Pen: Carey
Exiles
Tries: Botes 3, Sackmann 2, Fourie 2, Penalty, Walsh, Gairn, Crossley, Stubbs
Cons: Gerber 7
Pens: Gerber 3
Man of the match: Tomas Sackmann (Exiles)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Should late investors consider cryptocurrencies?
Wealth managers recommend late investors to have a balanced portfolio that typically includes traditional assets such as cash, government and corporate bonds, equities, commodities and commercial property.
They do not usually recommend investing in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies due to the risk and volatility associated with them.
“It has produced eye-watering returns for some, whereas others have lost substantially as this has all depended purely on timing and when the buy-in was. If someone still has about 20 to 25 years until retirement, there isn’t any need to take such risks,” Rupert Connor of Abacus Financial Consultant says.
He adds that if a person is interested in owning a business or growing a property portfolio to increase their retirement income, this can be encouraged provided they keep in mind the overall risk profile of these assets.
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EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
The%C2%A0specs%20
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Zimbabwe v UAE, ODI series
All matches at the Harare Sports Club:
1st ODI, Wednesday, April 10
2nd ODI, Friday, April 12
3rd ODI, Sunday, April 14
4th ODI, Tuesday, April 16
UAE squad: Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
THURSDAY FIXTURES
4.15pm: Italy v Spain (Group A)
5.30pm: Egypt v Mexico (Group B)
6.45pm: UAE v Japan (Group A)
8pm: Iran v Russia (Group B)
Euro 2020
Group A: Italy, Switzerland, Wales, Turkey
Group B: Belgium, Russia, Denmark, Finland
Group C: Netherlands, Ukraine, Austria,
Georgia/Kosovo/Belarus/North Macedonia
Group D: England, Croatia, Czech Republic,
Scotland/Israel/Norway/Serbia
Group E: Spain, Poland, Sweden,
N.Ireland/Bosnia/Slovakia/Ireland
Group F: Germany, France, Portugal,
Iceland/Romania/Bulgaria/Hungary
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
