United States
Associated Press: Mission Impossible? Biden Says Mideast Leaders Must Consider A Two-State Solution After The War Ends
“As the 3-week-old Israel-Hamas war enters what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says could be a “long and difficult” new stage, President Joe Biden is calling on Israeli and Arab leaders to think hard about their eventual postwar reality. It’s one, he argues, where finally finding agreement on a long-sought two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict should be a priority. “There’s no going back to the status quo as it stood on Oct. 6,” Biden told reporters, referring to the day before Hamas militants attacked Israel and set off the latest war. The White House says Biden conveyed the same message directly to Netanyahu during a telephone call this past week. “It also means that when this crisis is over, there has to be a vision of what comes next, and in our view it has to be a two-state solution,” Biden said. The push for a two-state solution — one in which Israel would co-exist with an independent Palestinian state — has eluded U.S. presidents and Middle East diplomats for decades. It’s been put on the back burner since the last American-led effort at peace talks collapsed in 2014 amid disagreements on Israeli settlements, the release of Palestinian prisoners and other issues.”
The Washington Post: Trump Doubles Down On Calling Hezbollah ‘Very Smart’
“Former president Donald Trump on Friday revived a two-week-old controversy over his description of Hezbollah terrorist attackers as “very smart,” posting a column on social media that sought to defend his characterization of the group. The column Trump shared in full, written by the conservative commentator Jeffrey Lord, argued that the former president was justified in using the broadly condemned characterization — and Lord also called Trump “smart” as well. President Biden’s reelection campaign and the Democratic National Committee seized on Trump’s latest social media post, with the DNC claiming on X, formerly known as Twitter, that Trump was “once again praising a terrorist organization.” In a speech Oct. 11, Trump complimented the intelligence of Hezbollah, which has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States. The Iranian-aligned group, based in Lebanon, has recently stepped up attacks on Israel. “You know, Hezbollah is very smart,” Trump said. “They’re all very smart.” At the time, Trump spokesman Steven Cheung defended the former president’s comments, saying Trump “was clearly pointing out how incompetent Biden and his administration were by telegraphing to the terrorists an area that is susceptible to an attack” and added that “smart does not equal good.””
Business Insider: The US Is Updating Its Nuclear Arsenal Amid Growing Security Fears
“The Department of Defense announced Saturday the US plans to add a new model of nuclear bomb to its arsenal. The new gravity bomb will be called B61-13, a variant on the existing B61 model that was first introduced in the 1960s. The Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration will begin production pending Congressional authorization and appropriation, according to a Department of Defense statement. The previous model, B61-12, can carry out earth-penetrating attacks, low-yield and high-yield attacks, above surface detonation, and bunker-buster options, Insider previously reported. The move is the result of a "changing security environment" and not any specific event, according to a fact sheet provided by the department. The announcement comes just one week after the US announced a worldwide caution travel advisory amid the Israel-Hamas war. "Due to increased tensions in various locations around the world, the potential for terrorist attacks, demonstrations or violent actions against US citizens and interests, the Department of State advises US citizens overseas to exercise increased caution," the warning read. The US last issued a worldwide caution alert in August 2022 following the killing of al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, per CNN.”
Reuters: US Urges Israel To Protect Civilians, Increase Aid To Gaza
"The United States on Sunday pressed Israel to protect civilians in Gaza and pushed for an immediate increase in humanitarian aid, amid a growing outcry over the human costs of Israel's three-week bombardment of the enclave. President Joe Biden told Israeli Prime Minster Netanyahu in a call that Israel has a right to defend itself and should do so in a way that is consistent with international law on protecting civilians, the White House said. Biden and Netanyahu discussed efforts to protect the more than 200 hostages seized by Palestinian Hamas militants in a surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7 that killed 1,400 people. The White House said Biden also "underscored the need to immediately and significantly increase the flow of humanitarian assistance to meet the needs of civilians in Gaza," as supplies dwindle in the besieged coastal enclave. With the death toll in the Gaza Strip in the thousands and climbing, Biden's administration has been under increasing pressure to make clear that its steadfast support of Israel does not translate into a blanket endorsement of all that its ally is doing in the impoverished enclave.”
Afghanistan
Associated Press: Islamic State Group Claims Responsibility For An Explosion In Afghanistan, Killing 4
“The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for an explosion in a Shiite Muslim neighborhood in Afghanistan’s capital that killed at least four people. Seven others were critically wounded in the attack Thursday evening, according to Khalid Zadran, a spokesman for the Kabul police chief. Islamic State affiliates claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement late Friday through its news agency Aamaq, saying it “managed to leave a booby-trapped suitcase” inside a Shiite gathering place that exploded, killing and wounding about 35 people and inflicting heavy damage on a sports club. Video taken after the explosion shows part of a building with its windows blown out and a fire inside. Shattered glass and other debris are strewn across the street below. The scale of the damage was clearer Friday morning. There were craters in the ground and most of the interior was gutted. Workers picked their way through boxing gloves and gym equipment on the blood-splattered floor. The Dashti Barchi area of Kabul has been repeatedly targeted by the Islamic State group affiliate in the country, which has carried out major assaults on schools, hospitals and mosques. The group has also attacked other Shiite areas of Afghanistan in recent years.”
Pakistan
Associated Press: A Roadside Bomb Kills 2 Soldiers And Troops Kill 1 Militant In Northwest Pakistan
“Two Pakistani soldiers and one militant were killed in a roadside bomb explosion and in a separate shootout during an overnight military operation against militant activity in the northwest alongside the border with Afghanistan, the military said Saturday. A military statement said an intelligence-based operation was conducted in the Tirah valley of Khyber district late Friday night. One militant was killed and two others were wounded and arrested. The military said two of its soldiers were killed when a roadside bomb exploded while a security patrol was passing by in South Waziristan overnight. Security troops were conducting a search operation in the area to eliminate militants involved in the attack. Tribal districts along the border with Afghanistan have been sanctuaries for militants for decades until the military carried out a massive operation after an attack on an army-run school in Peshawar in 2014 killed more than 150 people, mostly schoolchildren. After the yearslong operation, the army announced it had cleared the region of local and foreign militants. Occasional attacks have continued, however, raising concerns that the local Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, found sanctuaries in Afghanistan and are regrouping in the area.”
Lebanon
Reuters: Hezbollah Says It Downs Israeli Drone In South Lebanon
“Lebanon's Hezbollah said on Sunday it shot down an Israeli drone over southern Lebanon with a surface-to-air missile, the first time it has announced such an incident, as clashes on the Lebanese border escalate. The drone was hit near Khiam, about 5 km (3 miles) from the border with Israel, and was seen falling in Israeli territory, Hezbollah added. Two security sources in Lebanon said it was the first time Hezbollah had announced downing an Israeli drone. "They have insinuated they have this capability but it is the first time they declare they have this kind of capability to shoot down a drone," Mohanad Hage Ali of the Carnegie Middle East Center said. The Israeli Defence Ministry was not immediately available for comment. Earlier on Sunday, the United Nations' Lebanon peacekeeping force UNIFIL said that one of its members was injured after shells hit its base near the village of Houla on the Lebanese-Israeli border on Saturday. The Israeli army and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group in Lebanon have been exchanging fire on a daily basis since the start of the Gaza conflict three weeks ago. Some 46 Hezbollah fighters have been killed and 43 injured in the borderlands so far, the group said, adding it had conducted 84 attacks at 42 points along the border since the start of the clashes. Israel's military says at least seven of its soldiers have been killed so far.”
The Times Of Israel: Rockets Fired From Lebanon At North; IDF Strikes Terror Cells, Hezbollah Sites
“Several rocket volleys were fired from Lebanon at northern Israel on Sunday, and the Israel Defense Forces said it hit terror cells and sites belonging to the Hezbollah terror group, as skirmishes continued on the northern frontier and the army continues its war with Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip in the south. According to the IDF, rockets were launched from Lebanon at the upper and western Galilee several times throughout the day, setting off sirens in towns including Kiryat Shmona, Nahariya, Shlomi, Tuba-Zangariyye, Rosh Pina, Ayelet Hashahar, and Hatzor Haglilit. Several of the projectiles were intercepted by air defenses, while others landed in open areas, causing no damage, according to the IDF. One rocket fired Sunday evening scored a direct hit on a home in Kiryat Shmona but did not cause any injuries. The IDF said it was responding with artillery shelling against the sources of the rocket fire. A number of rockets were also launched from Lebanon at the Mount Dov area on the northern border, where there are a number of military positions and no towns. The IDF said all the projectiles landed in open areas, causing no injuries. The IDF said a drone strike was carried out against the terror cell that launched those rockets, and that fighter jets hit a Hezbollah position in response to the attack.”
Politico: State Dept. Urges U.S. Citizens To Evacuate Lebanon
“The State Department on Friday recommended that U.S. citizens in Lebanon evacuate while flights are available due to an “unpredictable security situation” amid the escalating regional conflict. “You should have a plan of action for crisis situations that does not rely on U.S. government assistance,” the statement read. “The best time to leave a country is before a crisis if at all possible.” “There is no guarantee the U.S. government will evacuate private U.S. citizens and their family members in a crisis situation,” the statement added. “In the event that a U.S. military-assisted evacuation does occur, our focus will be on helping U.S. citizens. The U.S. government generally cannot provide in-country transportation during a crisis. That includes transportation to points of departure.” The release recommended that such individuals review flight options at Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport. The statement comes as back-and-forth strikes between the Israeli Defense Forces and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah have intensified along Lebanon’s border with Israel, prompting some 12,000 people to flee their homes in southern Lebanon and killing at least 25.”
Middle East
CBC News: How Encrypted Messaging Apps Spread War Misinformation
“Interview with CEP Researcher Joshua Fisher-Birch.”
DW: Middle East Powder Keg: The Fear Of A Large-Scale War
“…That could precisely be Hamas's intention, said Hans-Jakob Schindler of the international policy organization Counter Extremism Project. "Hamas wants to produce horrifying images of dead Palestinian civilians and thereby draw Iran and its proxies into this conflict, Schindler told DW. These proxies are the armed groups in the region sponsored by Iran, including the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon. Hezbollah has repeatedly launched rocket attacks on Israel but, so far, refrained from mounting a broader offensive. A large-scale Israeli ground offensive is still far from certain, Schindler said. "If the situation does escalate … first of all, Hezbollah could massively bombard northern Israel. The next level of escalation could also see attacks in Syria against US positions there. The third phase would probably be the Shi'ite militias in Iraq, which would then attack the US and possibly other Western targets," he told DW.”
Reuters: Hamas Armed Wing Says Israel 'Stalled' On Possible Deal Over Hostages
“Hamas was about to reach an agreement with Israel over the hostages held by the Palestinian militant faction but Israel had "stalled" on that possibility, a spokesman for the group's armed wing said on Saturday. Abu Ubaida, the spokesman for the Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, also said in a video speech the group would only release all the hostages it has if Israel freed all Palestinian prisoners. Hamas can also hold talks over a "partial" agreement over the captives, he added.”
Reuters: The Hamas Tunnel City Beneath Gaza - A Hidden Frontline For Israel
“What lies in wait for Israeli ground troops in Gaza, security sources say, is a Hamas tunnel network hundreds of kilometres long and up to 80 metres deep, described by one freed hostage as "a spider's web" and by one expert as the "Viet Cong times 10". The Palestinian Islamist group has different kinds of tunnels running beneath the sandy 360 sq km coastal strip and its borders - including attack, smuggling, storage and operational burrows, Western and Middle East sources familiar with the matter said. The Israeli military accused Hamas on Friday of using Gaza's main hospital, Al Shifa, as a shield for tunnels and operational centres. "Hamas has turned hospitals into command and control centres and hideouts for Hamas terrorists and commanders," Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, Israel's chief military spokesman, said. He showed photographs, diagrams and audio recordings that, he said, showed how Hamas was using hospitals to hide command posts and entry points into the tunnel network. "Hamas terrorists operate inside and under Shifa hospital and other hospitals in Gaza," he said. It was not possible to verify Hagari's statements. Hamas official Ezzat El-Reshiq said there was "no basis in truth to what was reported by the enemy army spokesman".”
United Kingdom
The Guardian: Afghans Who Fled Taliban To UK ‘Set To Be Made Homeless At Christmas’
“More than 1,000 Afghans in the UK face being made homeless days before Christmas after the Home Office imposed a fresh deadline to eject them from hotels. The Local Government Association (LGA) revealed the number of at-risk Afghans, which includes families, after the Home Office last week imposed the new deadline of 15 December. Meanwhile, separate new data reveals that more than 5,200 Ukrainian families are now receiving “homelessness support”, with 4,350 defined as homeless after relationships with UK families they were staying with “broke down”. During a meeting on Thursday, council leaders pressed the immigration minister Robert Jenrick for more resources to help accommodate Afghans and Ukrainians, but none was offered. Shaun Davies, chairman of the LGA, said: “Councils are becoming increasingly concerned over the numbers of Afghan and Ukrainian families presenting as homeless, which is likely to dramatically increase when Home Office accommodation is withdrawn as a result of the current clearance of the asylum backlog.” An internal LGA briefing note on the plight of Afghan refugees who came to the UK in 2021 adds: “Councils remain hugely concerned that some families – some of whom are particularly vulnerable and will have ongoing medical conditions – may have to end up presenting as homeless, particularly given the lack of available housing stock for larger and multi-generational families.””
Reuters: London Police Chief Calls For Clarity On Handling Extremism At Protests
“Britain's most senior police officer said on Sunday he would support a review into the legal definition of extremism in response to criticism of the way his officers handled pro-Palestinian protests in London. Antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents have surged in Britain since a deadly rampage by Hamas gunmen in Israel on Oct. 7, and Israel's retaliatory attacks on Gaza since then, with massive pro-Palestinian demonstrations held in London and other major UK cities, and vigils by Jewish groups in solidarity with hostages who were taken by the militants. Some British politicians have criticised London's police after they failed to arrest people at a pro-Palestinian rally shouting "jihad". The police later said the phrase could have a number of meanings, concluding no offence had taken place. Mark Rowley, head of London's Metropolitan Police force, said his officers would "ruthlessly" arrest anyone who commits a hate crime, but there could only be prosecutions when the law is broken. "There is scope to be much sharper in how we deal with extremism within this country," he told Sky News. "The law was never designed to deal with extremism, there’s a lot to do with terrorism and hate crime but we don’t have a body of law that deals with extremism and that is creating a gap."”
Reuters: UK To Hold Emergency Response Meeting On Threat Of Terrorism
“Britain will convene a meeting of the government's COBRA emergency response committee on Monday to discuss the domestic security risk from the Israel-Hamas conflict. Antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents have surged in Britain since a deadly rampage by Hamas gunmen in Israel on Oct. 7 sparked retaliatory attacks on Gaza. Massive pro-Palestinian demonstrations have been held in London and other major UK cities, while Jewish groups have held vigils for hostages who were taken by the militants. "We have to make sure that British systems are safe and secure from the threat of terrorism as the government always does," higher education minister Robert Halfon told Times Radio. Britain's MI5 intelligence agency currently regard the threat to the country from terrorism as substantial, meaning an attack is likely. There are two higher categories of threat level - severe, meaning an attack is highly likely, and critical, meaning an attack is highly likely in the near future.”
Europe
Politico: Macron To Israel: Fight Terrorism, Don’t Endanger Civilians
“French President Emmanuel Macron urged Israel to better target its response to Hamas terror attacks to ensure the protection of civilians in the Gaza Strip. “We fully recognize [Israel’s] right and the legitimate will to fight terrorism, we are ready to help. But we consider that a complete blockade, indiscriminate bombing and the prospect of a massive ground operation don’t protect the civilian population,” he said at a press conference after the EU leaders’ summit he just attended. “It is crucial that Israel acts in a targeted manner in Gaza, which means by fighting terrorism without endangering the lives of civilians.” In the weeks since the Hamas attack on October 7, Israel has retaliated with daily airstrikes on the blockaded Palestinian enclave, killing more than an estimated 7,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run Ministry of Health, which included 53 U.N. workers, whom Macron referenced, saying: “We can’t act as if nothing was happening. These people have nothing to do with terrorism — nothing.” Macron also alluded to Israel’s “complete siege” on Gaza after the start of the Israel-Hamas war, which severely limited the delivery of fuel, food, medicine and water, resulting in a worsening humanitarian crisis, according to aid organizations.”
Southeast Asia
Associated Press: Police Arrest 27 Suspected Militants In Nationwide Crackdown As Indonesia Gears Up For 2024 Election
“Indonesian police said Saturday they arrested at least 27 suspected militants believed to have links to banned extremist groups, in a nationwide crackdown as the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country gears up for elections in 2024. The police’s elite counterterrorism squad, known as Densus 88, made the arrests on Friday in the capital, Jakarta, and in West Java and Central Sulawesi provinces, said National Police spokesperson Ahmad Ramadhan. “We are still investigating and interrogating all those arrested in search for other possible suspects,” said Aswin Siregar, the spokesperson of Densus 88 told The Associated Press. Most of the arrested are suspected of being members of a homegrown militant outfit affiliated with the Islamic State group known as Jemmaah Anshorut Daulah, or JAD, he said. The arrests were made after the interrogation of 18 suspected militants arrested since Oct. 2, Ramadhan said. Some local media reports said those arrested were linked to an alleged plot of militant attacks meant to disrupt the elections in February 2024, but Ramadhan quickly downplayed them. “There is no indication of increasing terrorism threats ahead of next year’s elections so far,” he said. “This is part of our efforts to take preventive action against possible acts of terror in the country.””
India
Bloomberg: India’s Trade Chief Condemns Terrorism, Stresses Unity With G-7
“India’s trade chief said his country condemned terrorism and stressed its support for the Group of Seven nations in the wake of the escalating crisis in the Middle East. India is “very aligned with the thinking in the G-7,” Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Saturday in Osaka, Japan, at a G-7 trade ministers meeting. The South Asian nation will “continue to support any global effort to wipe out terrorism” and to stop the funding or support for terrorists around the world, he said. India and four other non-member nations were invited to the two-day G-7 gathering to discuss supply chain resilience. Goyal’s remarks reflect a close and growing interplay between trade and geopolitical tensions around the world, amid concerns that the conflict in the Middle East could spread. “We also believe that the conflict should not escalate and we should try to have a dialogue, and through diplomacy solve the problems,” Goyal said. “India has sent significant humanitarian aid to Palestine and we do believe that our dialogue and diplomacy will help to find a two state coexistence solution between the two parties.” Goyal spoke at the start of his meeting with Japanese Trade Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, who said resilient supply chains are enabled by partnerships among trustworthy nations and cooperation with private companies. Nishimura cited automaker Suzuki Motor Corp.’s investment in India to make electric vehicles and export them to other nations.”
Technology
The New York Times: Is Crypto Financing Terrorism?
“The United States will go after cryptocurrency firms that fail to stop terrorist groups from moving money, the U.S. deputy Treasury secretary, Wally Adeyemo, warned on Friday. “If they do not act to prevent illicit financial flows” Mr. Adeyemo said in a speech at the Royal United Services Institute in London, “the United States and our partners will.” Adeyemo’s comments follow a letter by Senator Elizabeth Warren, Democrat of Massachusetts, and dozens of members of Congress this month that called for the Biden administration to crack down on the use of cryptocurrency by terrorists. It cited a report that the terror groups Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad have raised more than $130 million in crypto in recent years. All of this has set off a raging debate in Washington and the worlds of crypto and finance over how much cryptocurrency is contributing to terrorism. Elliptic, the firm that provided some of the data for the report, countered in a blog post this week that there was “no evidence to suggest that crypto fund-raising has raised anything close to” the figure cited, and that some of the money included in the total number might have gone to small crypto brokers sometimes designated as terrorist organizations for their role in financing. The analytics firm Chainalysis, which did not provide data for the report, said that when terror funding estimates include all funds to these service providers, they inaccurately assume everything that flows to the service is associated with terrorism.”
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