“Attacks in northern Mali have more than doubled since U.N. peacekeepers
completed the first phase of their withdrawal last month after a decade of
fighting Islamic extremists, resulting in more than 150 deaths. In one brazen
attack, militants targeted a triple-decker passenger boat, killing 49
civilians. And this week, another group of rebels attacked Malian army camps in
the Lere locality on the border with Mauritania, leaving several security
personnel dead and wounded. Now, fleeing Malians fear the worst is yet to come
in the prolonged violence. “In Timbuktu, all the communities are leaving the
city,” said Fatouma Harber, a resident of Timbuktu which is one of the
worst-hit areas. “A few weeks ago, a rocket fell in the town, costing the life
of a child. Everyone thinks it could fall on them or their children,” Harber
added. After more than three years in power, Mali’s military junta is
struggling to fight growing violence in a hard-hit northern region after
demanding the withdrawal of around 17,000 peacekeepers. At the same time, a
2015 peace deal with ethnic Tuareg rebels appears to have collapsed, deepening
the security crisis.”











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Eye on Extremism



September 22, 2023



Associated Press: Mali’s Junta Struggles To Fight Growing Violence In A
Northern Region As UN Peacekeepers Withdraw
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“Attacks in northern Mali have more than doubled since U.N. peacekeepers
completed the first phase of their withdrawal last month after a decade of
fighting Islamic extremists, resulting in more than 150 deaths. In one brazen
attack, militants targeted a triple-decker passenger boat, killing 49
civilians. And this week, another group of rebels attacked Malian army camps in
the Lere locality on the border with Mauritania, leaving several security
personnel dead and wounded. Now, fleeing Malians fear the worst is yet to come
in the prolonged violence. “In Timbuktu, all the communities are leaving the
city,” said Fatouma Harber, a resident of Timbuktu which is one of the
worst-hit areas. “A few weeks ago, a rocket fell in the town, costing the life
of a child. Everyone thinks it could fall on them or their children,” Harber
added. After more than three years in power, Mali’s military junta is
struggling to fight growing violence in a hard-hit northern region after
demanding the withdrawal of around 17,000 peacekeepers. At the same time, a
2015 peace deal with ethnic Tuareg rebels appears to have collapsed, deepening
the security crisis.”



The Times Of Israel: Border Police Sniper Shoots Palestinian Gunman During
Latest Gaza Border Riots
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“A Palestinian gunman who opened fire at Israeli forces during rioting on
Israel’s border with the Gaza Strip on Thursday was shot and seriously wounded
by a Border Police sniper. In separate statements, the Border Police and the
Israel Defense Forces said the armed Palestinian was spotted shooting toward
Israeli forces with a handgun amid the rioting. A Border Police sniper returned
fire, hitting the suspect. The Hamas-run health ministry in the Gaza Strip said
the Palestinian was seriously wounded. Police published two clips showing the
exchange of fire on the border. Border Police and the IDF said no soldiers were
wounded during the riots, now in their fifth day in a row. There have been
several other riots in recent weeks. The IDF has been responding to the
near-daily riots with crowd dispersal means and live fire in some cases.
Palestinians have been detonating explosive devices, setting tires on fire,
trying to breach the security barrier, and opening fire at troops in a handful
of cases.”




Recent CEP Press Releases

* New CEP Report: How The Houthis Funded Terror Groups After Seizing Yemen's
Capital
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* Extremist Content Online: Pro-ISIS Groups Continue To Exploit TikTok To
Spread Propaganda
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* Tech & Terrorism: World's Largest Cryptocurrency Exchange Uncovers ISIS-K
Terror Funding Schemes
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* Counter Extremism Project Applauds New Prevent Guidelines
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* Twenty-two Years After 9/11 Terror Attacks, Al-Qaeda Threat Remains
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United States



India Today: US Denies 'Wedge' In Canada Ties After Refusing To Condemn
Terrorist's Killing
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“Sullivan's comments came after the Washington Post reported earlier this week
that Canada wanted to get its closest allies, including the US, to come
together and condemn India. However, Ottawa's attempts were rebuffed, the
report said. The shooting of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in
Surrey in June this year was privately raised by several senior officials of
the Five Eyes intelligence alliance comprising Australia, Canada, New Zealand,
the UK, and the US, a Western official was quoted as saying by the Washington
Post. However, the matter was not raised publicly ahead of the G20 Summit in
Delhi that was held on September 9 and 10. Nijjar, one of India's most-wanted
terrorists who carried a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head, was shot dead
by two unidentified gunmen outside a gurdwara in Surrey in the western Canadian
province of British Columbia on June 18. He was the chief of the Khalistan
Tiger Force (KTF).”



Syria



Reuters: Syria's Assad In China, Seeks Exit From Diplomatic Isolation
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“Syrian President Bashar al-Assad arrived in the eastern Chinese city of
Hangzhou, his first visit to China since 2004 and his latest bid to end more
than a decade of diplomatic isolation under Western sanctions. Assad arrived
aboard an Air China plane in heavy fog, which Chinese state media said "added
to the atmosphere of mystery", a nod to the Syrian leader's infrequent trips
abroad since 2011, when a civil war erupted that has killed more than half a
million people. The Syrian leader is set to attend Saturday's Asian Games
opening ceremony with more than a dozen other foreign dignitaries before
leading a delegation in meetings in several Chinese cities. He meets President
Xi Jinping on Friday and has further meetings on Sunday and Monday in Beijing.
Being seen with China's president at a regional gathering should add further
legitimacy to Assad's campaign to return to the world stage. Syria joined
China's Belt and Road Initiative in 2022 and was welcomed back into the Arab
League in May.”



Pakistan



Voice Of America: Taliban Pledge To 'Neutralize' Activities Of Afghan-Based
Pakistani Militants
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“Afghanistan's Taliban have pledged "concrete steps" to "neutralize"
activities of militants plotting terrorist attacks against neighboring
Pakistan, diplomatic sources told VOA on Friday. The assurance was given in a
bilateral meeting Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi hosted Thursday
with a high-level Pakistani delegation in Kabul, the sources privy to the talks
said. Asif Durrani, Pakistan’s special representative on Afghanistan, led the
delegation including senior military officials, among others. The visit came
amid an upsurge in deadly attacks against security forces in Pakistan. The
banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, has claimed responsibility for much
of the violence. Islamabad maintains TTP leaders and fighters sheltering in
Afghanistan have intensified cross-border attacks since the Taliban reclaimed
power in Kabul two years ago. Hundreds of Pakistani police and soldiers have
died in almost daily TTP attacks in the last year.”



Yemen



Reuters: Yemen Houthis Flex Military Muscle In Parade As Riyadh Seeks Ceasefire

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“Yemen's Houthi movement displayed ballistic missiles and armed drones in a
massive military parade in Sanaa on Thursday, a message to their foes in a
Saudi-led coalition as they continue ceasefire negotiations with Riyadh. The
head of Yemen's Houthi Supreme Political Council, Mahdi al-Mashat, and other
officials watched as dozens of heavy trucks passed carrying cruise missiles and
long range armed drones. Thousands of soldiers marched under scorching sun
while officers, wearing Yemeni flags as sashes, waved at traditional dancers
from the podium. The Iran-aligned group swept into the capital and most of
north Yemen in 2014 when they ousted the internationally recognised government.
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates intervened in the war in 2015 to try
to restore the government, but the conflict has dragged on, killing tens of
thousands and leaving millions relying on humanitarian assistance. "We repeat
our warnings to foreign forces... that we will not accept their presence on our
lands, they have to leave or they will face the volcanoes of Yemeni anger,"
Houthi Defence Minister Mohammed al-Atifi told the parade.”



UN News: Yemen’s Leader Says Peace Is Possible, But Flow Of Arms And Resources
To Houthi Militias Must Stop <[link removed]>



“Peace remains elusive despite compromises by the Yemeni government and
welcome support from Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Oman, as well as
the UN, to end years of strife in the country, President Rashad Mohammed
Al-Alimi told the high-level debate at the UN General Assembly. “We hope that
the Houthi militias will recognize a singular truth: Only a State that is based
on the rule of law and equal citizenship will ensure that our country is
stable, safe, and respected in the region” and wider international community,
he said. “There is a sure path towards peace by rekindling the trust of the
Yemeni people in international legitimacy and in their national government,” he
continued. “For that, we need to support the legal government, we need to
strengthen the economy so that the government can provide services so that we
can put an end to the militias and build a brighter future.””



Middle East



The Jerusalem Post: UN Ambassador Erdan Bashes Abbas’ ‘Peaceful Resistance’
Comments At UNGA <[link removed]>



“Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan posted a video rebuke of
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday after Abbas said that
Palestinian terrorism was simply a measure of “peaceful resistance” at the UN
General Assembly on Thursday.n“Mere weeks ago, President Abbas defended Hitler
and blamed the Jews for being massacred during the Holocaust… today he stood at
this podium and called the vicious Palestinian terror attacks ‘peaceful
resistance’,” Erdan said in his video.n“Let me be clear – terror is terror…
President Abbas proved today that he is no partner for peace and that he is
totally detached from reality and irrelevant,” declared Erdan.”



Somalia



Voice Of America: Somali PM Optimistic About Winning Stronger International
Support Against Al-Shabab
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“Barre said Somalia’s first priority is security, which he said cannot be
fully achieved without a well-trained and well-equipped Somali national army.
“We need and would implore the world community for a complete lifting of the
arms embargo that has been imposed on Somalia since 1992," he said. "By doing
so, our security forces would be able to take full control and responsibility
of the country’s security.” The embargo was imposed during Somalia’s early
1990s civil war. Barre’s appeal comes as the African Union Transition Mission,
or ATMIS, in Somalia, announced the start of the second round of a planned
troop withdrawal. AU forces have been stationed in Somalia since 2007. Barre,
who is scheduled to address the U.N. General Assembly on Saturday, said he
would give a comprehensive overview of Somalia's progress. The prime minister
said he aimed to shed light on the nation's achievements in diverse areas like
poverty reduction, health care, education, economic growth, human rights,
peace, security, and climate change.”



Africa



Reuters: Congo Army Seeks Insight Into Islamist Militants From Women Held
Captive
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“At a military intelligence centre in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo,
22-year-old Mariam recounted how she lived alongside Islamist insurgents for
two years after she was taken by the militants and force-marched to their camp
in the rainforest. Mariam said a Ugandan insurgent had claimed her as his wife,
one of several non-Congolese militants she met during her time with the Allied
Democratic Forces (ADF) - an armed group that is expanding its deadly reach
with funding from Islamic State, according to U.N. experts. The group
originated as an uprising in Uganda and some members fled across the border
into the vast jungles of eastern Congo in the 1990s. Since then they have
pledged allegiance to Islamic State and maintained their insurgency, attacking
civilian and military targets in both Congo and Uganda. Both countries launched
a joint military operation in December 2021, and Uganda deployed over 1,500
troops into Congo to help capture or kill the militants.”



Germany



The Guardian: Rightwing Extremist Views Increasingly Widespread In Germany,
Study Finds
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“Rightwing extremist and anti-democratic attitudes are becoming increasingly
widespread in Germany, according to a study examining the public’s political
views. Commissioned by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, which is closely
affiliated with the Social Democratic party, the study showed that 8% of the
population had a distinctly rightwing extremist view of the world, a rise of
between 5% and 6% on previous studies, while the “centre middle” was becoming
“ever more receptive to misanthropic positions”. The findings also showed that
an increase, to 6% of those questioned, advocated social Darwinist views,
agreeing with the statement “there are worthy and unworthy lives”, up from 2%
to 3% since 2014. More people than in previous studies – 15.5% – considered
themselves to be “right of centre”, while 55% saw themselves as “exactly in the
centre”, compared with 60% or above in the previous decade.”



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