“Turkey’s foreign minister on Tuesday denounced a separatist Kurdish group that
operates in northern Iraqi territory as an enemy of both Turkey and Iraq, and
urged the Iraqi government to ban the group as a terrorist organization as
Ankara has done. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan urged Iraq to label the
Kurdistan Worker’s Party, or PKK, a terrorist organization during his first
visit to Baghdad since taking office. The trip came ahead of an anticipated
visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, after what has been months of
escalating hostility between Turkey and Turkish-backed groups on one side, and
Kurdish fighters in Iraq and Syria on the other. In a statement after meeting
with his counterpart, Fidan urged Iraqi officials to “not allow our mutual
enemy, the PKK terrorist organization, to poison our bilateral relations.””











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Eye on Extremism



August 23, 2023



Associated Press: Top Turkish Diplomat Calls For Iraq To Designate PKK A
Terrorist Organization During Baghdad Visit
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“Turkey’s foreign minister on Tuesday denounced a separatist Kurdish group
that operates in northern Iraqi territory as an enemy of both Turkey and Iraq,
and urged the Iraqi government to ban the group as a terrorist organization as
Ankara has done. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan urged Iraq to label the
Kurdistan Worker’s Party, or PKK, a terrorist organization during his first
visit to Baghdad since taking office. The trip came ahead of an anticipated
visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, after what has been months of
escalating hostility between Turkey and Turkish-backed groups on one side, and
Kurdish fighters in Iraq and Syria on the other. In a statement after meeting
with his counterpart, Fidan urged Iraqi officials to “not allow our mutual
enemy, the PKK terrorist organization, to poison our bilateral relations.””



Garowe Online: Somalia: Al-Shabaab Launches Simultaneous Attacks In Mogadishu
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“Al-Shabaab terrorist group carried out two simultaneous attacks in
Mogadishu's southern suburbs on Wednesday, officials said, amid an ongoing
crackdown against the militants, who control large swathes of rural settlements
in the Horn of Africa nation. Wednesday morning attack left three soldiers dead
and several others injured, following a gun battle between security forces and
al-Shabaab militants in Kahda district, southern Mogadishu, security officials
said, while confirming the deadly attack. Police reports indicate that the
battle between the two parties ensued at midnight, around 1:40 a.m. on
Wednesday after the Al-Shabaab targeted four areas within Kahda District in the
Banadir region. Areas targeted are the police station, the local administrative
headquarters, and two security outposts, eyewitnesses said.”




The CEP CounterPoint: Expert Analysis

* Cyberterrorism – The Paradigm of Deterring, Detecting, and Defending
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* Al-Shabaab Sets Sights on Kenya
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* Lebanon, Hezbollah, and the Anniversary – and Failure – of Resolution 1701
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* CEP-KAS: Sahel Monitoring July 2023
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* Afghanistan Terrorism Report: June 2023
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Pakistan



Associated Press: Pakistani Taliban Militants Have Ambushed A Military Convoy
In A Border Region, Killing 6 Soldiers
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“Pakistani Taliban fighters ambushed a military convoy in a former militant
stronghold in the country’s northwest near the Afghan border on Tuesday,
triggering an intense shootout that killed at least six soldiers and four
militants, the military said. The attack took place in South Waziristan, a
district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military said in a statement. It
said four insurgents were killed when troops returned fire, while two other
militants were wounded. The military said a search operation is underway in the
area in an effort to hunt down the attackers. Mohammad Khurasani, a spokesman
for Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, claimed responsibility for the attack.
The Pakistani Taliban are a separate group but are allied with the Afghan
Taliban, who took over Afghanistan in August 2021, following the withdrawal of
U.S. and NATO forces from the country. The takeover emboldened the TTP, who
often carry out attacks near the Afghan border and elsewhere in the country.”



The News International: 'Won't Bow Down Before Extremism': PM Kakar Asserts
Resolve Against Terrorism
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“Praising the sacrifice of Pakistan Army soldiers in the country's war
against terrorism, caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar Wednesday
asserted Pakistan will not bow down before radicalisation, extremism and
intolerance under any circumstances. Speaking with journalists at the Governor
House in Karachi, the premier said Pakistan is our homeland and we will take it
forward as per our own plan. The remarks by PM Kakar, flanked by Sindh Governor
Kamran Tessori, came in the wake of soldiers embracing martyrdom in Waziristan
a day earlier. The acts of terrorism, he said, cannot weaken Pakistan's resolve
in the fight against terrorism. The prime minister, during the presser, said
those behind such acts mistakenly believe that the war on terrorism will
exhaust us.”



Reuters: Islamist Militants Kill Six Pakistani Soldiers, Army Says
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“Six Pakistani soldiers were killed on Tuesday in a clash with Islamist
militants in a northwestern region near the border with Afghanistan, the army
said, adding that four of the militants were killed. The Pakistani Taliban
claimed responsibility saying its fighters had ambushed two military vehicles.
"During an intense exchange of fire, six brave soldiers, having fought
gallantly, embraced martyrdom," the army said in a statement, adding that the
clash took place in North Waziristan. The rugged border region has long served
as a safe haven for militants linked both to domestic Islamists who have been
fighting against the state and the Afghan Taliban, before they returned to
power in Kabul in 2021. The Pakistani Taliban, known as the Tehreek-e-Taliban
Pakistan (TTP), said in a statement its fighters had killed 18 soldiers in the
ambush.”



Lebanon



i24 News: Lebanese Media Claim 14th Point Of Dispute In Border With Israel,
Citing Map
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“A newfound map has been added to Lebanon’s arsenal of border disputes with
Israel, according to the Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Akhbar. The Lebanese newspaper
said it obtained the map which shows that part of the Israeli Rosh Hanikra
belongs to Lebanon, according to a border registration agreement from 1923. The
document that the Hezbollah-affiliated newspaper found would increase the
points of border disagreement between Israel and Lebanon to 14, if the claim is
verified. Senior Israeli and Lebanese army officials met last week, August 16,
at a UN position on the border between the two countries, a press statement
said that the parties discussed the “situation along the Blue Line, air and
ground violations, and other issues within the scope of UNIFIL’s
mandate.”Senior Israeli and Lebanese army officials met last week, August 16,
at a UN position on the border between the two countries, a press statement
said that the parties discussed the “situation along the Blue Line, air and
ground violations, and other issues within the scope of UNIFIL’s mandate.””



Middle East



The Times Of Israel: Hamas Leader Says There’s No Political Solution To
Conflict With Israel, Calls For More Attacks
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“Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh rules out any political solution to the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and calls for unifying the ranks of the
Palestinian “armed resistance” in the West Bank and for escalating attacks,
following Monday’s deadly terror shooting near Hebron. At a meeting of Hamas
and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) leaders held in Gaza, Haniyeh calls for
improved coordination between armed factions in the West Bank and notes that
the Oslo agreements and any other attempts at a political solution have failed,
according to a report by the Hamas-affiliated Shehab News. The meeting is held
to commemorate the 54th anniversary of an arson attack at the Al-Aqsa mosque by
a mentally unstable Christian Australian on August 21, 1969. A spokesman for
the PIJ says, “The Al-Aqsa Mosque fire is still burning in our hearts,” and he
urges the Palestinian Authority to stop all forms of cooperation with the
Jewish state.”



Jewish News Syndicate: Hamas Recruiting PA Security Personnel
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“Hamas has recruited “dozens” of members of the U.S.-trained Palestinian
Authority security forces, using them as combatants and for intelligence
gathering, Israel’s Kan News public broadcaster reported on Monday evening,
citing senior officials in Ramallah. The Iran-backed terrorist organization is
attempting to take advantage of the P.A.’s financial woes, added the report,
noting that Ramallah has not paid its employees full wages since November 2021.
Many of the P.A.’s 130,000 public workers have received only 80% of their
salary in recent months, with the Palestinian leadership claiming financial
hardship due to Israel’s withholding of tax revenue. Per a 2018 law, Jerusalem
has deducted taxes and tariffs collected on behalf of the P.A. in an amount
equal to that which it paid to terrorists and their families in 2022 as part of
its “pay for slay” policy. In 2022, the P.A. paid out an estimated 865 million
shekels ($228.9 million) under this policy.”



Nigeria



Daily Post: Boko Haram: NYSC Finally Resumes Orientation In Maiduguri, Twelve
Years After Closure Of Camp
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“The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has resumed orientation services in
Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, 12 years after the camp was shut down due
to the Boko Haram insurgency. The NYSC Orientation camp, located along Kano
Road, was shut down in 2012 during the height of the Boko Haram insurgency due
to fears expressed by Nigerians over the safety of their wards. Due to years of
inactivity, the NYSC camp was later converted to an Internally Displaced
Persons (IDPS) camp, where IDPs from Damboa, Gwoza and Konduga took refuge.
With the return of peace, camping activities have resumed, with corps members
deployed to Borno State for the one year mandatory service. Governor Babagana
Zulum described the Batch B Stream 2 orientation course as historic and
special, having marked the end of perennial dislodgement of corps members from
the state.”



Somalia



Garowe Online: Somalia On The Verge Of Joining EAC After Long Struggle
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“The Federal Republic of Somalia is on the verge of joining the East Africa
Community [EAC], an expanding regional bloc that gives member countries the
opportunity to trade and boost their economies through Tripartite agreements.
For months, the Horn of Africa nation has strived to join the fast-growing
community, even as it tries to restore stability and order, which has been
compromised for the last three decades. The country has been battling civil
wars and the Al-Shabaab menace for some time. According to reports, Somalia has
since made critical steps towards gaining membership, and once admitted, it
will be the eleventh member to join the summit. Most countries in Central
Africa led by the Democratic Republic of Congo [DR Congo], Burundi, and Rwanda
have since joined.At Arusha recently, the EAC Secretariat confirmed that the
country has made critical steps towards joining the summit, noting that in due
course, Somalia would be a full-fledged member, thus opening space for
businesses, trade, and security.”



Europe



Reuters: Russia's Prigozhin Posts First Video Since Mutiny, Hints He Is In
Africa
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“Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin posted his first video address
since leading a short-lived mutiny in late June, appearing in a social media
clip which he suggested was shot in Africa. In the video, posted on Telegram
channels affiliated with the Wagner group on Monday, Prigozhin speaks of making
Russia greater on all continents and Africa more free. It is likely to
exacerbate Western fears that Wagner could expand its African operations after
a coup in Niger that has taken on anti-Western overtones. Prigozhin is seen
standing in a desert area in camouflage with a rifle in his hands. In the
distance are armed men and a pickup truck. Reuters was not able to geolocate or
verify the date of the video. Prigozhin's comments and some posts in the
pro-Wagner channels suggested it was filmed in Africa. "The temperature is +50
- everything as we like. The Wagner PMC (private military company) makes Russia
even greater on all continents, and Africa - more free," Prigozhin says in the
video.”



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