“Israel said on Sunday it had hit weapons launch sites and facilities belonging
to Hezbollah in Lebanon in response to cross-border fire, while the Iran-backed
group said it had attacked Israeli army targets. Israel and Hezbollah fighters
have been trading fire along the frontier on an almost daily basis since the
war in Gaza erupted more than two months ago, in the worst hostilities since a
2006 conflict. The violence, which has largely been contained to the border
area, has killed more than 130 people in Lebanon, including 94 Hezbollah
fighters and 17 civilians. In Israel, the hostilities have killed eight
soldiers and four civilians. Israel's military said it had responded to
Hezbollah attacks with artillery, tank fire and airstrikes at launch sites, an
observation post of the Lebanese group and what it called a "terrorist cell."
Hezbollah said it had fired at a range of Israeli military targets along the
border, including what it said was a barracks, a command centre and an army
crane installing surveillance equipment. Israel did not report any casualties
resulting from the attacks that set off rocket sirens in areas of northern
Israel.”











<[link removed]>
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<[link removed]>
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Eye on Extremism



December 18, 2023



Reuters: Israel Says It Struck Hezbollah Sites After Attacks From Lebanon
<[link removed]>



“Israel said on Sunday it had hit weapons launch sites and facilities
belonging to Hezbollah in Lebanon in response to cross-border fire, while the
Iran-backed group said it had attacked Israeli army targets. Israel and
Hezbollah fighters have been trading fire along the frontier on an almost daily
basis since the war in Gaza erupted more than two months ago, in the worst
hostilities since a 2006 conflict. The violence, which has largely been
contained to the border area, has killed more than 130 people in Lebanon,
including 94 Hezbollah fighters and 17 civilians. In Israel, the hostilities
have killed eight soldiers and four civilians. Israel's military said it had
responded to Hezbollah attacks with artillery, tank fire and airstrikes at
launch sites, an observation post of the Lebanese group and what it called a
"terrorist cell." Hezbollah said it had fired at a range of Israeli military
targets along the border, including what it said was a barracks, a command
centre and an army crane installing surveillance equipment. Israel did not
report any casualties resulting from the attacks that set off rocket sirens in
areas of northern Israel.”



Associated Press: 5 Officers And 5 Militants Die After Attacks On Police
Office And 2 Army Posts In Northwest Pakistan
<[link removed]>



“Militants attacked a regional police headquarters and two military posts in
northwest Pakistan early Friday, triggering firefights that killed five
security personnel and five insurgents, police and the military said. The
attacks came three days after a suicide bomber in the same region rammed his
car into a police station’s main gate and five others opened fire, killing 23
officers in this year’s worst attack on Pakistani security forces. The military
and local police chief Iftikhar Shah said three police officers were “martyred”
and three others were wounded in an attack on the police headquarters in the
town of Tank in Dera Ismail Khan, while a total of five attackers died in the
ensuing shootouts. Hours later, Pakistani Taliban also attacked a military post
in the northwestern Khyber region bordering Afghanistan, killing two soldiers
and wounding five others, local police official Salim Khan said. No one
immediately claimed responsibility for Friday’s attacks, but suspicion was
likely to fall on the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan,
or TTP. The group is separate from Afghanistan’s Taliban though it is allied
with the Afghan movement, which seized power in the neighboring country in
August 2021 as United States and NATO troops were in the final stages of
withdrawing after 20 years of war.”




CEP Expert Analysis

* The Houthis: Terrorizing Women and Journalists
<[link removed]>
* Houthis Targeting Of Religious Minorities
<[link removed]>
* The Houthis And U.S.-Designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations
<[link removed]>
* The Houthis’ Use of Technology for Repression
<[link removed]>
* CEP Calls For Account Freeze On Qatari Assets In The UK
<[link removed]>



CEP Mentions



TVP World: Yazidis, Led by Nobel Winner, Sue French Cement Maker Over ISIS
Support <[link removed]>



“Hundreds of Yazidi-Americans, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Nadia Murad
have filed a lawsuit against French cement maker Lafarge. The suit alleges that
Lafarge was complicit in providing material support to ISIS during their 2014
campaign of violence against the Yazidi community. Represented by human rights
lawyers and former U.S. diplomats, the Yazidis are seeking compensation for the
survivors of this terror. Interview with CEP Senior Director Hans-Jakob
Schindler.”



The Jerusalem Post: Nearly Half Of British Jews Considered Leaving UK Due To
Antisemitism - Poll <[link removed]>



“…According to the Counter Extremism Project, Hizb ut-Tahrir advocates the
establishment of a global Muslim caliphate and presents Islamic law (Sharia) as
an alternative to both capitalism and secular democracy. In October, the
Jerusalem Post reported that the group had "a history of promoting antisemitism
and engaging in activities with violent inclinations." Survey respondents were
next asked about various political parties in the UK and whether or not they
that they were too tolerant of antisemitism among their MPs, MEPs, councilors,
members, and supporters. UK political parties too tolerant of antisemitism? The
party British Jews felt was the most tolerant of antisemitism was the Labour
Party, with 63% of respondents saying it was too tolerant of antisemitism. It
was followed by SNP (47%), the Green Party (42%), the Liberal Democrats (32%),
and Sinn Féin (32%). The least accommodating of antisemitism was the Reclaim
Party (11%). Only 2% of respondents said that no party was too tolerant of
antisemitism, and 26% said they didn’t know. The Labour Party is the party
formerly chaired by Jemery Corbyn, a figure who accrued numerous accusations of
antisemitism both during and since his tenure.”



Western Journal: Watch: Michigan Imam Posts Rant Urging Muslims To Wage Jihad
Against 'Infidel West'
<[link removed]>



“…The cleric in question has spent nearly seven years in federal prison for
financial crimes and possession of firearms and ammunition as a convicted
felon, according to the Counter Extremism Project.”



Indo New York: Islamism In Germany: Terror Expert: "The Risk Of Attacks In
Europe Is Higher Than Before October 7th"
<[link removed]>



“It would have been the first attack by the Palestinian terrorist
organization Hamas in Europe: four men have been in custody in Germany and the
Netherlands since Thursday; the federal prosecutor's office in Karlsruhe
accuses them of looking for weapons that were ready for possible attacks on
Jewish institutions in Europe should be. Does Germany have to expect further
attack plans in the future? The extremism expert Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler from
the transatlantic think tank “Counter Extremism Project” has long been warning
about possible risks. Mr. Schindler, how do you assess the risk in Europe posed
by Islamist organizations? The mood is heated. We have noticed this again and
again at demonstrations in the last few weeks, including radical Islamists in
Essen, for example.”



United States



The Guardian: How American Citizens Are Leading Rise Of ‘Settler Violence’ On
Palestinian Lands
<[link removed]>



“Washington’s ban on travel to the US by extremist Jewish settlers who attack
Palestinians in the West Bank has one gaping loophole. American citizens have
been at the forefront of the rise of settler violence in the occupied
territories, and the ongoing ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from their land,
but as US passport holders they cannot be barred from their own country. Many
of the estimated 60,000 Americans living in the West Bank outside of occupied
East Jerusalem moved to settlements for the lifestyle and have little to do
with the Palestinians on whose land they live. But a core of ideologically
driven US citizens were at the forefront of building religious settlements on
land expropriated from Palestinians while others have led the rise of what has
been described as “settler terrorism”. The US announced the travel restrictions
as settler violence against unarmed Palestinians escalated in the wake of the
Hamas cross-border attack in October, including shootings, the destruction of
Arab homes and entire communities driven out at gunpoint. The UN estimates that
about 500 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank this year including
dozens of children. While Israel claims many of the dead were associated with
armed Palestinian groups, the UN said the army frequently works with settlers
attacking Arab civilians.”



Politico: US Weighs Strike Options To Deter Houthis From More Red Sea Attacks
<[link removed]>



“Top Biden administration officials are actively weighing options to strike
back at Houthis in Yemen after the Iran-backed group launched new attacks on
naval and commercial ships in the Red Sea on Saturday, according to two U.S.
officials. The Pentagon has in recent days moved the Dwight D. Eisenhower
Carrier Strike Group from the Persian Gulf into the Gulf of Aden, off the coast
of Yemen, to support a potential U.S. response to attacks, said one of the
officials, both of whom were granted anonymity to speak about sensitive plans.
The military has also provided options to commanders to strike the Houthis, the
official said. The Biden administration has been reluctant to respond
militarily against the Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in recent weeks
for fear of provoking Iran, which backs Hamas and Hezbollah in Yemen as well as
the Houthis. Previously, the Pentagon had recommended the administration not do
so. But a significant uptick in attacks in recent days could potentially lead
top U.S. national security officials to change their calculus. The destroyer
USS Carney, operating in the Red Sea, shot down 14 one-way attack drones
launched from Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen early Saturday morning.
Meanwhile, a British destroyer, the HMS Diamond, which had recently arrived in
the region to help protect commercial shipping, also shot down a Houthi drone.”



Canada



Reuters: Ottawa Youth Charged With 'Terrorism' Offences For Alleged Targeting
Of Jews
<[link removed]>



“Canadian officials charged a youth in Ottawa with "terrorism" offences over
alleged targeting of the Jewish community, police said on Saturday, amid
warnings of rising antisemitism from the war in the Middle East. The suspect
was charged with "facilitation of a terrorist activity by communicating
instructional material related to an explosive substance" and "knowingly
instructing, directly or indirectly, a person to carry out a terrorist activity
against Jewish persons," officials said in a statement on Saturday. Ottawa
Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said on social media platform X, formerly known as
Twitter, that "there has been a rise in anti-semitism in Ottawa in recent
weeks." The arrest happened on Friday and the operation involved cooperation
from multiple Canadian security agencies, according to the statement. Police
said the youth's age prevented further release of information about the suspect
or the plot. The Royal Canadian Mounted Policed noted it was seeing a
concerning trend of violent extremism and "terrorist use of the internet,
including amongst young persons." Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has warned
about a marked rise in antisemitism in Canada following Palestinian Islamist
group Hamas' attack on Israel on Oct. 7 that killed 1,200 and Israel's
subsequent assault on Gaza that the local health ministry says has killed
nearly 19,000.”



Iran



Reuters: Iran Executes Agent Of Israel's Mossad Intelligence Service -
Official Media
<[link removed]>



“An agent of Israel's Mossad intelligence service was executed on Saturday in
Iran's southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan province, the official IRNA news agency
reported. "This person communicated with foreign services, specifically Mossad,
collecting classified information, and with participation with associates,
provided documents to foreign services, including the Mossad," it said. It did
not name the person. It said the accused had handed classified information to a
"Mossad officer" with the aim of "propaganda for groups and organizations
opposed to the Islamic Republic". It did not say where the alleged handover had
taken place. It was not clear when the person was arrested, but IRNA said an
appeal had been rejected. The execution, which took place in a Zahedan jail in
Sistan-Baluchestan, came a day after Baluch militants attacked a police station
in the province, killing 11 security personnel and wounding several others. A
state funeral was held on Saturday for the men in the town of Rask where the
attack took place, according to state television. Two militants of the Jaish
al-Adl group were also killed in ensuing clashes.”



Yemen



Reuters: Any Hostile Move Against Yemen Will Have Dire Consequences -Houthi
Official On Al Mayadeen TV
<[link removed]>



“Any hostile move against Yemen will have dire consequences and great costs,
Ali al-Qahoum, a member of the Houthi group's Ansarullah politburo, told Al
Mayadeen TV late on Friday. "The Houthis will not abandon the Palestinian
cause, regardless of any U.S., Israeli, or Western threats," he said, adding
that operations against Israel will continue. Yemen is ready with all defensive
options to respond to any American, Israeli or Western hostile moves, he said.
"Yemen is concerned in protecting international maritime navigation in
accordance with international laws and norms," al-Qahoum said. Earlier in the
day, the U.S. military said attacks from Houthi-controlled Yemen struck two
Liberian-flagged ships in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, underlining the threat to
vessels in shipping lanes being targeted by the Iran-aligned group. Part of the
Iran-aligned "Axis of Resistance", the Houthis have been attacking vessels in
Red Sea shipping lanes and firing drones and missiles at Israel. The Houthis,
who rule much of Yemen, have said they will continue their attacks until Israel
stops its offensive in the Gaza Strip.”



Lebanon



Associated Press: US National Security Adviser Says A Negotiated Outcome Is
The Best Way To End Lebanon-Israel Tension
<[link removed]>



“U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Friday that he has
discussed with Israeli officials the volatile situation along the
Lebanon-Israel border, adding that a “negotiated outcome” is the best way to
reassure residents of northern Israel. Speaking to reporters in Jerusalem,
Sullivan said that Washington won’t tolerate threats by Lebanon’s militant
Hezbollah group, which has been attacking Israeli military posts along the
border since a day after the Israel-Hamas war began on Oct. 7. Over the past
two months, Israel has evacuated more than 20,000 of its citizens from towns
and villages along the border with Lebanon, some of whom have expressed
concerns that they have no plans to return home as long as Hezbollah fighters
are deployed on the Lebanese side of the border. “We need to send a clear
message that we will not tolerate the kinds of threats and terrorist activity
that we have seen from Hezbollah and from the territory of Lebanon,” Sullivan
told reporters in Jerusalem. “The best way to do this is to come up with a
negotiated outcome,” Sullivan said, adding that such an outcome will ensure
that “those Israeli citizens in those communities up on the northern border can
know that they are not going to be subject to an attack that will take their
lives or destroy their communities.”



Reuters: Lebanon's Parliament Extends Army Commander Term Amid Crises
<[link removed]>



“Lebanon's parliament extended on Friday by one-year the term of army
commander Joseph Aoun, avoiding a vacuum in leadership in an institution seen
as vital to keeping peace inside the country amid crises that include a border
conflict with Israel. Parliament approved the extension as hostilities raged on
the frontier between the Lebanese Shi'ite group Hezbollah and Israel.
Hezbollah, a political group and heavily armed militia, is widely seen as
militarily more powerful than the army. Aoun had been due to leave office next
month, with no agreement among Lebanon's deeply divided sectarian factions on
who should fill the role reserved for a Maronite Christian in Lebanon's
sectarian power-sharing system. The patriarch of the Maronite church had said
the post must not be left vacant and said the army's stability was at stake.
The army, which recruits from across the sectarian spectrum, was rebuilt after
Lebanon's 1975-90 civil war and many Lebanese see it as the country's most
trusted security institution. Lebanon has been in deep economic and political
crisis since the financial system collapsed in 2019, destroying the currency,
driving up poverty and paralysing much of the state.”



Middle East



Associated Press: Israeli Military Says It Mistakenly Killed 3 Israeli
Hostages In Battle-Torn Part Of Gaza
<[link removed]>



“Israeli troops mistakenly shot three hostages to death Friday in a
battle-torn neighborhood of Gaza City, and an Israeli strike killed a
Palestinian journalist in the south of the besieged territory, underscoring the
ferocity of Israel’s ongoing onslaught. The deaths were announced as a U.S.
envoy tried to persuade the Israelis to scale back their campaign sooner rather
than later. The hostages were killed in the Gaza City area of Shijaiyah, where
troops have been engaged in fierce fighting with Hamas militants in recent
days. The soldiers mistakenly identified the three Israelis as a threat and
opened fire on them, said the army’s chief spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari.
He said it was believed that the three had either fled their captors or been
abandoned. “Perhaps in the last few days, or over the past day, we still don’t
know all the details, they reached this area,” Hagari said. He said the army
expressed “deep sorrow” and was investigating. Hamas and other militants
abducted more than 240 people in the Oct. 7 attack that triggered the war, and
the hostages’ plight has dominated public discourse in Israel ever since. Their
families have led a powerful public campaign calling on the government to do
more to bring them home.”



Reuters: US Wants Shakeup Of Palestinian Authority To Run Gaza After Hamas
<[link removed]>



“A succession of top U.S. officials have travelled to the West Bank in recent
weeks to meet with Mahmoud Abbas in the hope the 88-year-old – a spectator in
the war between Israel and Hamas – can overhaul his unpopular Palestinian
Authority enough to run Gaza after the conflict. An architect of the 1993 Oslo
peace accords with Israel that raised hopes of Palestinian statehood, Abbas has
seen his legitimacy steadily undermined by Israeli settlement building in the
occupied West Bank, which he oversees. Many Palestinians now regard his
administration as corrupt, undemocratic and out of touch. But in the wake of
Hamas' Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, President Joe Biden has made it clear that he
wants to see a revitalized Palestinian Authority – which Abbas has run since
2005 - take charge in Gaza once the conflict is over, unifying its
administration with the West Bank. Jake Sullivan, Biden's national security
advisor, met with Abbas on Friday, becoming the latest senior U.S. official to
urge him to implement rapid change. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told
reporters after meeting the Palestinian leader in late November that they
discussed the need for reforms to combat corruption, empower civil society and
support a free press.”



Reuters: UN Security Council Moving Toward Vote To Demand Aid Access For Gaza
<[link removed]>



“The United Nations Security Council could vote as early as Monday on a
proposal to demand that Israel and Hamas allow aid access to the Gaza Strip -
via land, sea and air routes - and set up U.N. monitoring of the humanitarian
assistance delivered. Diplomats said the fate of the draft Security Council
resolution hinges on final negotiations between Israel ally and council veto
power, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates, which has drafted the
text. "We have engaged constructively and transparently throughout the entire
process in an effort to unite around a product that will pass," said a U.S.
official, speaking on condition of anonymity. "The UAE knows exactly what can
pass and what cannot — it is up to them if they want to get this done." The
U.S. wants to tone down language on a cessation of hostilities, diplomats said.
The draft text, seen by Reuters, currently "calls for an urgent and sustainable
cessation of hostilities to allow safe and unhindered humanitarian access."
U.N. officials and aid agencies warn of a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza -
mass starvation and disease - with the majority of the coastal Palestinian
enclave's 2.3 million people driven from their homes during the two-month long
conflict.”



Nigeria



Associated Press: Nigeria's Supreme Court Reinstates Terrorism Charges Against
Separatist Leader
<[link removed](AP)%20%E2%80%94,in%20the%20country's%20southeast%20region.>



“Nigeria’s Supreme Court on Friday overturned a lower court ruling dismissing
terrorism charges against a popular separatist leader whose trial has been
blamed for an outbreak of violence in the country’s southeast region. The Court
said Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) separatist
group that seeks independence for Nigeria’s southeastern region, still faces
terrorism charges despite the lower court ruling. Kanu, who also holds British
citizenship, has already pleaded not guilty to the charges. In announcing the
decision, Justice Garba Mohammed said that although Nigeria’s secret police
violated Kanu’s rights during his arrest and extradition from Kenya in 2021,
the Court of Appeal was wrong to rule in October last year that the violation
was grounds for the dismissal of the charges. “No legislation in the country
stripped the trial court of the jurisdiction to go ahead with Kanu’s case,
despite the illegal action,” of the secret police, the justice said. The trial
of the separatist leader, who also holds British citizenship, is expected to
resume next year. Kanu has remained in detention since the Court of Appeal’s
ruling.”



Africa



BBC: South African Hostage Gerco Van Deventer Freed By Al-Qaeda Militants
<[link removed]>



“Gift of the Givers said it had facilitated the "unconditional" release of
Gerco van Deventer. The charity described Van Deventer as the longest-held
South African hostage. He was seized by an unnamed group in Libya in 2017, sold
to militant Islamists in Mali a year later, and released "into" Algeria, it
added. A Malian security source confirmed to AFP news agency that Van Deventer,
48, had been freed. It quoted a humanitarian source as saying that the
paramedic was freed on the border between Mali and Algeria. Large parts of
Libya have been lawless since Nato-backed forces overthrew and killed
long-serving ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, while Mali is battling an Islamist
insurgency and a rebellion by separatist forces in the north. Gift of the
Givers, a South Africa-based charity, said that Algeria's security agencies had
taken Van Deventer to hospital for a check-up following his release. "We await
the next step on his health and arrangements to bring him home to be reunited
with wife Shereen and son Asher. It has been six agonising years of prayer,
patience, and hope," the charity said in a Facebook post. Van Deventer was an
emergency paramedic who was working for a security company when he was seized
on 3 November 2017, while on his way to a power plant construction site around
1,000km (600 miles) south of Libya's capital Tripoli.”



France



ABC News: Nobel Laureate And Hundreds Of Yazidi Sue French Company For
Supporting ISIS
<[link removed].>



“Hundreds of Yazidi-Americans filed a civil lawsuit Friday against French
conglomerate Lafarge S.A. for conspiring to provide material support to the
Islamic State. Lafarge pleaded guilty last year in Brooklyn federal court to
engaging in a criminal conspiracy to support ISIS and another terrorist group,
the Al-Nusra Front. From August 2013 to November 2014, LaFarge and LaFarge
Cement Syria knowingly and willfully agreed to make and authorize payments for
the benefit of armed groups in Syria, the company conceded. The civil lawsuit
was filed by Nobel Prize winner Nadia Murad and more than 400 members of the
Yazidi ethnic and religious group – all American citizens – who survived a
"campaign of genocide" against the Yazidi population of Iraq by ISIS, which the
lawsuit said included mass executions, abductions, torture, sexual violence,
the use of child soldiers, and the destruction of the Yazidi homeland. "When
ISIS attacked Sinjar, my family was killed, and I was taken captive as a slave.
I was exploited and assaulted every single day until my escape," Murad said in
a statement announcing the lawsuit. "Unfortunately, my story is not unique
among Yazidis. It is the reality of thousands of Yazidi women. Even more tragic
is that our horror took place under the awareness of and thanks to the support
of powerful corporations like Lafarge."”



Europe



Associated Press: Denmark Widens Terror Investigation That Coincides With
Arrests Of Alleged Hamas Members In Germany
<[link removed]>



“Denmark is holding two people in custody and four others are the target of a
terrorism investigation, a prosecutor said Friday, in a case that coincided
with an arrest in the Netherlands and several in Germany of alleged Hamas
members. Authorities in Germany said three people arrested there were suspected
of preparing for attacks on Jewish institutions in Europe. Danish authorities
said that one person was arrested in the Netherlands, but it wasn’t clear if
there were any ties to the Hamas investigation in Germany. Denmark hasn’t cited
an alleged Hamas link in its investigation. The two people being held in
Denmark were ordered to remain in pretrial detention until Jan. 9. Danish media
identified them as a man in his 50s and a 19-year-old woman. Danish
intelligence agency PET on Thursday announced the arrests of three people on
suspicion of plotting to carry out “an act of terror.” One of them, identified
by Danish media as a 29-year-old man, was released, prosecutor Anders Larsson
said early Friday after a night-long custody hearing at a Copenhagen court.
None of the suspects can be identified because of a court order, and the
custody hearing was held behind “double closed doors” — meaning no details were
available about the case, which is shrouded in secrecy.”



Reuters: Pope Francis Deplores Israeli Killings Of Civilians In Gaza Church
<[link removed]>



“Pope Francis on Sunday again suggested Israel was using "terrorism" tactics
in Gaza, deploring the reported killing by the Israeli military of two
Christian women who had taken refuge in a church complex. At his weekly
blessing, Francis referred to a statement about an incident on Saturday by the
Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the Catholic authority in the Holy Land. The
Patriarchate said an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) "sniper" killed the two women,
whom the pope named as Nahida Khalil Anton and her daughter Samar, as they
walked to a convent of nuns in the compound of the Holy Family Parish. The
Patriarchate statement said seven other people were shot and wounded as they
tried to protect others. "I continue to receive very grave and painful news
from Gaza," Francis said. "Unarmed civilians are the objects of bombings and
shootings. And this happened even inside the Holy Family parish complex, where
there are no terrorists, but families, children, people who are sick or
disabled, nuns." Francis said they were killed by "snipers" and also referred
to the Patriarchate's statement that a convent of nuns of the order founded by
Mother Teresa was damaged by Israeli tank fire."



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