“Escalating Iran-backed attacks against global commercial shipping in the Red
Sea have heightened pressure on the Biden administration as officials scramble
to protect trade while trying to avoid a direct confrontation with Tehran. The
U.S. Navy said late Saturday that two more vessels had been attacked that day
by Iranian-backed Houthi forces in Yemen, bringing the number of commercial
ships attacked near a crucial passageway between the Horn of Africa and the
Middle East to 15. The Pentagon said earlier in the day that a chemical tanker
in the Indian Ocean was struck by a drone launched directly from Iran, a claim
Tehran denied.”











<[link removed]>
<[link removed]>



Eye on Extremism



December 26, 2023



Wall Street Journal: Iran-Backed Forces Widen Their Attacks On Commercial
Shipping
<[link removed]>



“Escalating Iran-backed attacks against global commercial shipping in the Red
Sea have heightened pressure on the Biden administration as officials scramble
to protect trade while trying to avoid a direct confrontation with Tehran. The
U.S. Navy said late Saturday that two more vessels had been attacked that day
by Iranian-backed Houthi forces in Yemen, bringing the number of commercial
ships attacked near a crucial passageway between the Horn of Africa and the
Middle East to 15. The Pentagon said earlier in the day that a chemical tanker
in the Indian Ocean was struck by a drone launched directly from Iran, a claim
Tehran denied.”



BBC: Terror Threat Student To Be Deported After Jail Sentence
<[link removed]>



“Somtochukwu Okwuoha claimed he had enlisted Isis to help bomb the university
and told staff he planned to target the city in a chemical attack. The
international energy studies student was also ordered to be deported following
his release from prison. The 26-year-old was previously found guilty of seven
charges by a jury. Sheriff William Wood told him: "Your presence in the United
Kingdom is not conducive to the public good, and I make a recommendation for
your deportation in due course." The trial heard that Okwuoha came to the UK in
2021 and formed a friendship with a fellow student, who rebuffed his advances.
Sheriff Wood said: "You were abusive towards her and tried to have her removed
from her university course. "The university decided to suspend you from your
course and you turned your attention towards staff. "You threatened mass
murder, terrorism, said you would plant bombs and use biological weapons."
Witnesses described how Okwuoha claimed he had a military background and was
capable of making bombs and unleashing a deadly virus on the city. Keith
Mackle, 58, now a retired director of student services, told Perth Sheriff
Court he became aware of "serious concerns" in the autumn of 2021. He said
staff members received emails making terrorist threats.”

<[link removed]>



CEP Mentions



The National: 'Threat-Board Flashes Red' Over Gaza Radicalisation Spilling
Into Europe
<[link removed]>



“... Director of the Counter Extremism Project, Dr Hans Jacob-Schindler, told
The National Hamas has deep-rooted cells across Europe, which are now being
activated to commit attacks in a bid to force European leaders to urge Israel
to leave Gaza. "Right now there are Christmas concerts and Christmas markets
where people congregate and there are more targets than usual," he said. "It
makes the situation a lot more complicated. Everyone is working flat out to
make sure nothing happens. But it is absolutely clear we are in a very tricky
situation. "Hamas is pumping propaganda into Europe saying something needs to
be done. The group made a contingency plan for the situation they are in and
there are definitely more Hamas terror cells across Europe than the ones that
have been found. "Now, their backs are against the wall, all rules are out of
the window and they want attacks so they can use them to pressure European
governments to tell Israel to stop. Hamas wants to exert pressure faster than
Israel can destroy their infrastructure.” In a raid against a Hamas cell in
Germany ice packs were recovered. The packs contain ammonium nitrate, which can
be used for explosives and Dr Jacob-Schindler believes Hamas has similar weapon
hoards across Europe. It is a method previously used by Hezbollah.”



The Sun: Reign Of Terror Iran Is Biggest Threat To World Order – They Want To
Watch The World Burn Starting With Israel, Former Ambassador Warns
<[link removed]>



“... This is a calculated tactic by Iran to “take the pressure off Hamas,”
said Sir Ivor Roberts, senior adviser to UANI and the Counter Extremism Project
(CEP), In his role as head of the UK’s counter-terrorism, he dealt with
Hezbollah back in the 1980s while they pursued a vicious campaign of kidnapping
Westerns. Roberts was instrumental in securing the release of captured Brits,
including Terry Waite, in what came to be known as the Lebanon hostage crisis.
He said: “Back then they were a small-scale terrorist organisation sponsored by
Iran. "Their extraordinary growth in terms of military force but also political
control within Lebanon was something we certainly didn’t envision or
anticipate." Simultaneously, a separate battle is being fought by Houthi rebels
as Iran sponsors the hell they are unleashing on vessels in the Red Sea. The
militant group, which now controls most of Yemen, spent over a decade being
largely ignored by the world. Now, they have sprung from relative obscurity to
holding roughly £1trillion of world trade hostage as they turn one of the
world's busiest shipping lanes into an active warzone. The Houthis have carried
out over 100 drones, missiles and hijacking assaults on any ships they believe
are travelling to and from Israeli ports.”



United States



Wall Street Journal: Biden Convinced Netanyahu To Halt A Pre-Emptive Strike
Against Hezbollah
<[link removed]>



“President Biden urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to halt a
pre-emptive strike against Hezbollah forces in Lebanon days after Hamas
militants’ Oct. 7 assault on southern Israel, warning that such an attack could
spark a wider regional war. Israel had intelligence—which the U.S. deemed
unreliable—that Hezbollah attackers were preparing to cross the border as part
of a multipronged attack, pushing some of Israel’s more hawkish officials to
the brink, officials said. Israeli warplanes were in the air awaiting orders
when Biden spoke to Netanyahu on Oct. 11 and told the Israeli prime minister to
stand down and think through the consequences of such an action, according to
people familiar with the call. The Israeli attack didn’t go ahead. And the
conversation between Biden and other U.S. officials and Netanyahu and his war
cabinet—the details of which haven’t been previously reported—set a pattern of
White House efforts to guard against any expansion of the conflict that could
draw in the U.S. A major focus of the Biden administration since Oct. 7 has
been trying to prevent any escalation along Israel’s northern border with
Lebanon, where Israeli forces trade fire almost daily with fighters from
Iran-backed Shiite militant group Hezbollah and Palestinian militants.”



CBS: Protesters Demanding End To Israel-Hamas War March On Fifth Avenue In
Manhattan
<[link removed]>



“People demanding an end to the Israel-Hamas war marched on Fifth Avenue in
Manhattan on Saturday, a busy last-minute shopping day. It was one of several
demonstrations across the country coinciding with Christmas weekend. It also
came one day after the U.N. passed a resolution to provide more aid to Gaza,
but it did not call for an immediate cease-fire. Meanwhile, Christmas
celebrations in Bethlehem were canceled this year amid the war. The city in the
occupied West Bank is typically full of tourists, decorations and shoppers this
time of year. A Palestinian Christian church is displaying a nativity scene
with baby Jesus lying in the rubble. "In the hometown of Christmas, this is
what Christmas looks like, children being pulled from under the rubble,
displaced families, destroyed homes. So we hope that the world pays attention
to the plight of the Palestinians," the church's reverend said. The
Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health claimed more than 20,000 people have been
killed in Gaza since Oct. 7. On Saturday, we learned Israeli-American dual
citizen Gadi Haggai was killed during the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas.”



Syria



Reuters: Israeli Airstrike In Syria Kills Senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards
Member
<[link removed]>



“An Israeli airstrike outside the Syrian capital Damascus on Monday killed a
senior adviser in Iran's Revolutionary Guards, three security sources and
Iranian state media said. The sources told Reuters that the adviser, known as
Sayyed Razi Mousavi, was responsible for coordinating the military alliance
between Syria and Iran. "I won't comment on foreign reports, these or others in
the Middle East," IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in response
to a reporter's question at a nightly press conference. "The Israeli military
obviously has a job to protect the security interests of Israel." Iran's state
television interrupted its regular news broadcast to announce that Mousavi had
been killed, describing him as one of the Guards' oldest advisers in Syria. It
said he had been "among those accompanying Qassem Soleimani", the head of the
Guards' elite Quds Force who was killed in a U.S. drone attack in Iraq in 2020.
Iran's ambassador in Damascus Hossein Akbari told Iranian state TV that Mousavi
was posted at the embassy as a diplomat and was killed by Israeli missiles
after returning home from work. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said the
assassination of Mousavi showed weakness on the part of Israel.”



Iraq



ABC: US Carries Out Airstrikes Against Militants In Iraq Following Morning
Attack On Erbil Air Base
<[link removed]>



“U.S. military forces carried out multiple airstrikes on facilities in Iraq
used by Kataib Hezbollah -- an Iraqi paramilitary group also known as the
Hezbollah Brigades -- and its affiliates on Christmas night, according to
statements released by the Department of Defense. Secretary of Defense Lloyd
Austin said the strikes were carried out at the direction of President Joe
Biden and in response to attacks carried out by the groups against coalition
forces in the region. One of those attacks was on Erbil Air Base earlier on
Dec. 25, which resulted in injuries to three U.S. personnel. One service member
was left in critical condition as a result of the air base attack, according to
a statement from the Defense secretary. "My prayers are with the brave
Americans who were injured," Austin said in his statement. "And let me be clear
– the President and I will not hesitate to take necessary action to defend the
United States, our troops, and our interests," his statement continued. "There
is no higher priority. While we do not seek to escalate conflict in the region,
we are committed and fully prepared to take further necessary measures to
protect our people and our facilities." According to early assessments by
CENTCOM, the targeted facilities were destroyed, and there are no signs that
any civilians were impacted.”



Reuters: Baghdad Condemns U.S Strike On Iraqi Military Positions
<[link removed]>



“Iraq's government condemned on Tuesday overnight U.S. air strikes on Iraqi
military positions that it said killed one serviceman and wounded 18 other
people, calling them a "clear hostile act". The United States has carried out
retaliatory air strikes on Monday in Iraq after a one-way drone attack earlier
in the day by Iran-aligned militants that left one U.S. service member in
critical condition and wounded two others. read more. The government condemned
the U.S. strikes as "an unacceptable violation of Iraqi sovereignty," while
stressing that attacks by armed groups against military bases hosting U.S-led
coalition advisers are hostile acts and violate Iraqi sovereignty, a government
statement said. Two Iraqi security sources said overnight U.S. airstrikes
targeted headquarters for Iraqi armed group Kataib Hezbollah in the Iraqi city
of Hilla south of Baghdad. One fighter from Kataib Hezbollah was killed in the
strikes and 16 were wounded, said two security sources on condition of
anonymity. The United States has 900 troops in Syria and 2,500 in Iraq on a
mission it says aims to advise and assist local forces trying to prevent a
resurgence of Islamic State, which in 2014 seized large swaths of both
countries before being defeated.”



Turkey



Associated Press: Turkey Detains 304 People With Suspected Links To Islamic
State Group In Simultaneous Raids
<[link removed]>



“Turkish security forces have rounded up 304 people suspected of links to the
Islamic State extremist group in simultaneous raids across Turkey, the interior
minister said Friday. Ali Yerlikaya said the suspects were detained in 32
provinces but the majority of them were in Turkey’s three largest cities,
Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir. The operation, codenamed “Heroes-34,” was conducted
jointly by the police intelligence and counter-terrorism squads, Yerlikaya said
on the X social media platform. There was no information on the suspects’
nationalities. The militant group has carried out a string of deadly attacks in
Turkey, including a shooting at an Istanbul night club on Jan. 1, 2017, which
killed 39 people during New Year celebrations. It was not clear if the latest
operation was part of a security sweep leading up to the New Year festivities.
“There will be no respite for the terrorists for the sake of the peace, unity
and solidarity of our beloved nation,” Yerlikaya said. “With our security
force’s superior efforts, our fight will continue uninterrupted.” His ministry
posted a video on X showing images of the raids, including anti-terrorism
police breaking down a door, handcuffing suspecs and leading them into police
vehicles.”



Associated Press: Turkey Steps Up Airstrikes Against Kurdish Groups In Syria
And Iraq After 12 Soldiers Were Killed
<[link removed]>



“Turkey intensified its airstrikes against Kurdish groups in Syria and
northern Iraq in retaliation for the deaths of 12 Turkish soldiers in Iraq over
the weekend. The Turkish defense ministry said in a statement Monday that it
had killed at least 26 militants in the strikes. In northeast Syria, at least
eight civilians were killed in Turkish airstrikes Monday, including two women,
Farhad Shami, a spokesman for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, said in
a post on X, formerly Twitter. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a
United Kingdom-based war monitor, said 12 others were wounded. Turkey has
carried out 128 strikes in northeast Syria in 2023, killing 94 people,
according to the Observatory. On Friday, Turkish officials said militants
affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, a Kurdish separatist
group that has waged an insurgency against Turkey since the 1980s, attempted to
infiltrate a Turkish base in northern Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region.
They said six Turkish soldiers were killed in the ensuing firefight. The
following day, six more Turkish soldiers were killed in clashes with Kurdish
militants. In response, Ankara launched strikes on dozens of sites it said were
associated with the PKK in Iraq and Syria.”



Associated Press: 12 Turkish Soldiers Have Been Killed Over 2 Days In Clashes
With Kurdish Militants, Authorities Say
<[link removed]>



“Six Turkish soldiers were killed Saturday in clashes with Kurdish militants
in northern Iraq, a day after another six were also killed. The six soldiers
slain on Saturday died in a firefight when militants attempted to infiltrate a
Turkish base, according to a statement by the Turkish Defense Ministry. The
statement said 13 militants had been “neutralized.” In addition to the six
Turkish soldiers killed on Friday, four militants were slain, authorities said.
Turkey conducts operations and airstrikes against targets in Syria and Iraq
that it believes to be affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, a
banned Kurdish separatist group that has waged an insurgency against Turkey
since the 1980s. Ankara maintains that PKK has sanctuaries in northern Iraq,
where its leadership is also purportedly based. The PKK is considered a terror
organization by the United States and the European Union. Tens of thousands of
people have died since the start of the conflict in 1984.”



Afghanistan



Associated Press: Afghan Schoolgirls Are Finishing Sixth Grade In Tears. Under
Taliban Rule, Their Education Is Over
<[link removed]>



“Bahara Rustam, 13, took her last class at Bibi Razia School in Kabul on Dec.
11 knowing it was the end of her education. Under Taliban rule, she is unlikely
to step foot in a classroom again. In September 2021, a month after U.S. and
NATO troops withdrew from Afghanistan following two decades of war, the Taliban
announced that girls were barred from studying beyond sixth grade. They
extended this education ban to universities in December 2022. The Taliban have
defied global condemnation and warnings that the restrictions will make it
almost impossible for them to gain recognition as the country’s legitimate
rulers. Last week, U.N. special envoy Roza Otunbayeva expressed concern that a
generation of Afghan girls is falling behind with each day that passes. Last
week, an official in the Education Ministry said Afghan girls of all ages are
allowed to study in religious schools known as madrassas, which have
traditionally been boys-only. But Otunbayeva said it was unclear if there was a
standardized curriculum that allowed modern subjects.”



The Independent: The Afghan Resistance Movement Bringing The Fight To The
Taliban’s Doorstep
<[link removed]>



“When the CIA decided to take back thousands of stinger missiles from
Afghanistan in the 1980s, fearing they would fall into the hands of Iran, they
knew of only one powerful warlord they could trust to help. US agents held
secret talks with the fabled hero of Afghanistan’s resistance against the
Soviets and the Taliban – Ahmad Shah Massoud, the guerrilla commander who
famously warned the West about the threat of al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden
months before 9/11. Massoud was killed two days before the attack on the World
Trade Center, when two of Bin Laden’s suicide bombers walked into his home in
the Mujahideen fiefdom of Panjshir masquerading as journalists and blew
themselves up. His then 12-year-old son Ahmad Massoud became the undisputed
heir of Afghanistan’s domestic resistance against ultra-fundamentalist
terrorism. “He didn’t choose to be the saviour of Afghanistan, he was born into
it. It came to him,” says one of his close aides, as two armed young men guard
the now 34-year-old Massoud’s quarters in a third country that The Independent
has agreed not to reveal. Given the circumstances of his father’s death, it is
not surprising that this rare interview with the younger Massoud is conducted
with a high degree of secrecy and thorough security checks.”



Pakistan



Associated Press: Pakistani Police Free 290 Baloch Activists Arrested While
Protesting Extrajudicial Killings
<[link removed]>



“Pakistani police Monday freed 290 Baloch activists who were arrested when
they attempted to hold a protest last week in the capital, Islamabad. Their
release came days after protest organizers gave authorities a deadline to
release all those detained. The activists had traveled 1,600 kilometers (about
1,000 miles) on Thursday from Turbat, a town in Baluchistan province, to
protest forced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in the
militancy-ravaged southwest. The protesters were mostly women and some had
brought along their children, aged 7-12, when security forces used batons and
water canons to disperse and arrest them. They wanted to draw attention to the
case of 24-year-old Balaach Mola Bakhsh, who died in November while in police
custody in Baluchistan. Authorities said he was killed after militants ambushed
the police vehicle transporting him. Police said Bakhsh was carrying explosives
when he was arrested. His family insists he is innocent, demanding justice for
him. They also said he had been detained since October. Police said they
arrested him in November. The police use of force against the protesters
sparked anger among Baluchistan residents and drew nationwide condemnation from
top human rights activists.”



Saudi Arabia



The New York Times: Hoping For Peace With Houthis, Saudis Keep Low Profile In
Red Sea Conflict
<[link removed]>



“After Iran-backed rebels took over the capital of Yemen in 2014, a
30-year-old Saudi prince named Mohammed bin Salman spearheaded a military
intervention to rout them. With American assistance and weapons, Saudi pilots
embarked on a bombing campaign called Operation Decisive Storm inside Yemen,
the mountainous nation on their southern border. Officials expected to swiftly
defeat the rebels, a ragtag tribal militia known as the Houthis. Instead, the
prince’s forces spent years mired in a conflict that splintered into fighting
between multiple armed groups, drained billions of dollars from Saudi Arabia’s
coffers and helped plunge Yemen into one of the world’s worst humanitarian
crises. Hundreds of thousands of people died from violence, hunger and
unchecked disease. Saudi Arabia and its main partner, the United Arab Emirates,
eventually scaled back their military involvement — partly because of American
pressure — and Saudi officials entered peace talks with the Houthis, who
secured control of northern Yemen.Now, the war in Gaza has thrust the Houthis —
whose ideology is driven by hostility toward the United States and Israel and
support for the Palestinian cause — into an unlikely global spotlight.”



Middle East



Associated Press: Israeli Forces Bombard Central Gaza In Apparent Move Toward
Expanding Ground Offensive
<[link removed]>



“Israeli forces bombarded Palestinian refugee camps in central Gaza on
Tuesday, residents said, in apparent preparation to expand their ground
offensive into a third section of the besieged territory. The opening of a
potential new battle zone points to the long and destructive road still ahead
as Israel vows to crush Hamas after its Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel. For
weeks, Israeli forces have been engaged in heavy urban fighting in northern
Gaza and in the southern city of Khan Younis, driving Palestinians into further
smaller corners of territory in search of refuge. Despite international
pressure for a cease-fire and U.S. calls for a reduction in civilian
casualties, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday warned that the
fight “isn’t close to finished.” Israel’s offensive has been one of the most
devastating military campaigns in recent history. More than 20,600
Palestinians, two-thirds of them women and children, have been killed,
according to the Health Ministry in Gaza, which does not differentiate between
civilians and combatants among the dead.”



Reuters: Israel PM Says Hamas Must Be Destroyed For Peace; US, Iran-Backed
Militants Clash
<[link removed]>



“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to keep fighting in Gaza
until Hamas is destroyed, defying global calls for a ceasefire amid concerns
the conflict could spread with U.S. and Iran-aligned forces again attacking
each other. Netanyahu, who visited Israeli troops in northern Gaza on Monday,
told lawmakers from his Likud Party that the war was far from over and
dismissed what he cast as media speculation his government might call a halt to
the fighting. He said Israel would not succeed in freeing its remaining
hostages held by Hamas without applying military pressure. "We are not
stopping. The war will continue until the end, until we finish it, no less,"
Netanyahu. In an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal on Monday, Netanyahu
reiterated three prerequisites for peace: Hamas must be destroyed, Gaza must be
demilitarised, and Palestinian society must be deradicalised. Retaliating
against Hamas for its deadly Oct. 7 cross-border rampage, Israel has been under
pressure from its closest ally the United States to shift operations in Gaza to
a lower-intensity phase and reduce civilian deaths. Nearly 20,700 Gazans have
been killed, including 250 in the last 24 hours, according to authorities in
Hamas-ruled Gaza.”



Reuters: Chipmaker Nvidia Raises $15 Million For Non-Profits Helping
Israel-Hamas War-Hit Civilians
<[link removed]>


“U.S. chipmaker Nvidia (NVDA.O) and its employees have donated $15 million to
Israeli and foreign non-profit organisations that are supporting civilians
affected by Israel's war with Palestinian militant group Hamas. Thousands of
employees from more than 30 countries donated a total of $5 million, which the
company matched and doubled to $10 million under a special program introduced
to help those affected by the war, Nvidia said on Sunday. It noted that the
donation was the largest humanitarian fundraiser in the company's 30-year-old
history. "We are proud to see such broad support from Nvidia families in Israel
and around the world, and argrateful for their prayers and hope for the return
of our colleague Avinatan Or, and the other hostages from Hamas captivity,"
said Gideon Rosenberg, Nvidia's deputy general counsel. "We are truly inspired
by the genuine care of our employees around the world." Or, 30, has been an
engineer at Nvidia since April 2022, according to his LinkedIn page. He was
captured by Hamas at the Nova music festival on Oct. 7 along with his
girlfriend Noa Argamani and around 240 others, some of whom have since been
released.”



CBS: Palestinian Death Toll Tops 20,000 In Israel-Hamas War, Gaza Officials Say

<[link removed]>



“More than 20,000 Palestinians have died in Gaza during Israel's war against
Hamas, the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry said Friday. It was the latest
indication of the staggering cost of the conflict as Israel expands its ground
offensive and orders tens of thousands more people to leave their homes. The
deaths, amounting to nearly 1% of the territory's prewar population, are just
one measure of the devastation wrought by the conflict that over 11 weeks has
displaced nearly 85% of Gaza's people and leveled wide swaths of the tiny
coastal enclave. More than half a million people in Gaza - a quarter of the
population - are starving, according to a report Thursday from the United
Nations and other agencies describing the crisis caused by Israel's bombardment
and siege of the territory in response to Hamas' Oct. 7 attack. Despite the
emergency, a U.N. Security Council vote on aid deliveries and terms for a
cease-fire was delayed again late Thursday, after days of high-level
negotiations. The United States, which has veto power, has pushed back against
calls for an immediate cease-fire and giving the U.N. sole responsibility for
inspecting aid deliveries. Israel, citing security grounds, insists it needs to
be able to screen goods entering Gaza.”



Egypt



Associated Press: Egypt Floats Plan To End Israel-Hamas War. The Proposal Gets
A Cool Reception
<[link removed]>



“Israel and Hamas on Monday gave cool public receptions to an Egyptian
proposal to end their bitter war. But the longstanding enemies stopped short of
rejecting the plan altogether, raising the possibility of a new round of
diplomacy to halt a devastating Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip. The
Egyptian plan calls for a phased hostage release and the formation of a
Palestinian government of experts to administer the Gaza Strip and occupied
West Bank, according to a senior Egyptian official and a European diplomat
familiar with the proposal. The Egyptian official, speaking on condition of
anonymity to discuss the proposal, said the details were worked out with the
Gulf nation of Qatar and presented to Israel, Hamas, the United States and
European governments. Egypt and Qatar both mediate between Israel and Hamas,
while the U.S. is Israel’s closest ally and a key power in the region. Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not comment directly on the proposal. But
speaking to members of his Likud Party, he said he was determined to press
ahead with Israel’s offensive, launched in response to an Oct. 7 Hamas attack
on southern Israel that killed 1,200 people and took 240 others hostage.”



Nigeria



Reuters: At Least 113 Killed In Attacks In Central Nigeria, Local Official Says

<[link removed]>



“The death toll in weekend attacks in the central Nigerian state of Plateau
has risen to 113, a local official said on Monday, in a region where clashes
between herders and farmers are common. It is the worst outbreak of violence in
Plateau since May, when more than 100 people were killed in farmer-herder
attacks. AFP News Agency had cited the Nigerian army on Sunday as saying 16
people were killed in the latest attacks. The acting chairman of Bokkos Local
Government Area of Plateau State, Monday Kassah, said 113 people had been
killed in the attacks on Saturday and Sunday. "The attacks were
well-coordinated. Not fewer than 20 different communities were attacked by the
bandits," he said. "We have recovered 113 dead bodies from those communities.
We have recovered more than 300 injured." Kassah did not say who was
responsible for the attacks. He added that the injured had been taken to
hospital. A Plateau police spokesperson could not be reached for comment.
Plateau is one of several ethnically and religiously diverse hinterland states
known as Nigeria's Middle Belt, where inter-communal conflict has claimed
hundreds of lives in recent years.”



Associated Press: France Completes Military Withdrawal From Niger, Leaving A
Gap In The Terror Fight In The Sahel
<[link removed]>



“France on Friday completed the withdrawal of its troops after they were asked
to leave Niger by the country’s new junta, ending years of on-the-ground
military support and raising concerns from analysts about a gap in the fight
against jihadi violence across the Sahel region of Africa. The last French
military aircraft and troops departed Niger by the Dec. 22 deadline set by the
junta which severed ties with Paris after the coup in July, the French Army
General Staff told The Associated Press by email. France already announced this
week that it would close its diplomatic mission in Niger for “an indefinite
period.” However, the country would continue to be involved in the Sahel — the
vast expanse south of the Sahara Desert which has been a hot spot for violent
extremism — although differently, President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday
during a visit to a base in Jordan. “I decided on some important
reconfigurations,” Macron said. “We will continue to protect our interests over
there but our armies won’t be as present permanently, will be less stationary
and also less exposed,” he said.” Niger’s junta described the end of the
military cooperation with France as the start of “a new era” for Nigeriens.”



Somalia



Associated Press: A British Sea Monitoring Agency Says Another Vessel Has Been
Hijacked Near Somalia
<[link removed]>



“Another vessel has been hijacked near the coast of Somalia, a British sea
trade monitoring agency said Friday, raising more concerns that Somali pirates
are active again, nearly a decade after they caused chaos for international
shipping. A dhow trading vessel was seized by heavily armed people near the
town of Eyl off the coast of Somalia, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade
Operations said. It cited military authorities as the source of the
information. The agency did not offer any details on who the hijackers were but
said an investigation is underway. The European Union’s Naval Force reported
that a Maltese-flagged merchant vessel was hijacked in the nearby Arabian Sea
last week and moved to the same area off Somalia’s coast. The bulk carrier Ruen
had 18 crew onboard when it was hijacked near the Yemeni island of Socotra,
around 240 kilometers (150 miles) off Somalia. One crew member was evacuated to
an Indian navy ship for medical care, the EU Naval Force said. Suspicion has
also fallen on Somali pirates for that hijacking, although the EU force said
the hijackers and their demands were unknown.”



Reuters: Somalia, U.S. Forces Kill Al Shabaab Leader Behind Numerous Attacks
In Region - Official
<[link removed]>



“Somali and U.S. forces have killed a senior leader of the militant Islamist
al Shabaab group who had planned numerous attacks in Somalia and Kenya,
Somalia's information minister said. "Maalim Ayman ... was confirmed to have
been killed in a joint operation by the Somali National Army with assistance
from US forces on December 17th," Daud Aweis said on his X account late on
Thursday. "Ayman was accountable for planning multiple lethal terrorist attacks
in Somalia and nearby countries," he said. The U.S. military's Africa Command
(AFRICOM) had conducted an air strike, an AFRICOM spokesperson said, but added
that the strike's target was yet to be confirmed. The strike was conducted
against the militant group near Jilib town in southern Somalia, AFRICOM and the
Somali Information Ministry said. Ayman was on a U.S. State Department Rewards
for Justice wanted list, with a $10 million reward offered for information
leading to his arrest or conviction. The department said he was responsible for
preparing an attack on a military base in Kenya in January 2020 in which three
Americans - one U.S. military service member and two contractors - were killed.”



United Kingdom



Washington Post: The Right To Protest Is Under Threat In Britain, Undermining
A Pillar Of Democracy
<[link removed]>



“For holding a sign outside a courthouse reminding jurors of their right to
acquit defendants, a retiree faces up to two years in prison. For hanging a
banner reading Just Stop Oil off a bridge, an engineer got a three-year
sentence. Just for walking slowly down the street, scores of people have been
arrested. They are among hundreds of environmental activists arrested for
peaceful demonstrations in the U.K., where tough new laws restrict the right to
protest. The Conservative government says the laws prevent extremist activists
from hurting the economy and disrupting daily life. Critics say the arrests
mark a worrying departure. “The government has made its intent very clear,
which is basically to suppress what is legitimate, lawful protest,” said
Jonathon Porritt, an ecologist and former director of Friends of the Earth.
Britain is one of the world’s oldest democracies, home of the Magna Carta, a
centuries-old Parliament and an independent judiciary. That system is
underpinned by an “unwritten constitution” — a set of laws, rules, conventions
and judicial decisions accumulated over the years. The result is “we rely on
self-restraint by governments,” said Andrew Blick, author of “Democratic
Turbulence in the United Kingdom” and a political scientist at King’s College
London. “You hope the people in power are going to behave themselves.””



BBC: Prevent: Rise In Climate Activists Referred To Anti-Terror Scheme
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“The UK government's Prevent scheme aims to stop people becoming terrorists.
Critics say Prevent curbs human rights by stifling non-violent political
beliefs and should be reformed. The government says it has never advised
referring people to Prevent for lawful climate activism or protest. Anyone can
contact the police or a local authority to make a Prevent referral, which
usually involves filling out a form to explain a concern about someone deemed
to be at risk of radicalisation. Since 2015, institutions including schools,
universities, hospitals, local authorities, police, and prisons have had a
legal duty to consider the risk of radicalisation. The Home Office told the BBC
Prevent interventions were legitimate for those who could be radicalised into
terrorism in the name of environmental causes. But climate activists say the
government's definition of extremism is too broad and authorities are confusing
extremism with non-violent civil disobedience in too many cases. Sir Peter
Fahy, a former national police lead for Prevent, said it was "inappropriate" to
treat non-violent climate activists as potential terrorists. He said the fear
of being flagged to police in a Prevent referral could deter people from
protesting, and argued the rise in environmental cases reasons "shows how
confused we've become about all of this".”



Japan



Reuters: Japan To Impose Sanctions On Three Senior Hamas Members
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“The Japanese government will freeze assets and impose sanctions on payments
and capital transactions on three senior Hamas members, Chief Cabinet Secretary
Yoshimasa Hayashi said on Tuesday. The three individuals were believed to be
involved in the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on Israel and in a position to use funds
to finance such terrorist activities, the top Japanese government spokesperson
said.”



Technology



The New York Times: Substack Says It Will Not Ban Nazis Or Extremist Speech
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“Under pressure from critics who say Substack is profiting from newsletters
that promote hate speech and racism, the company’s founders said Thursday that
they would not ban Nazi symbols and extremist rhetoric from the platform. “I
just want to make it clear that we don’t like Nazis either — we wish no one
held those views,” Hamish McKenzie, a co-founder of Substack, said in a
statement. “But some people do hold those and other extreme views. Given that,
we don’t think that censorship (including through demonetizing publications)
makes the problem go away — in fact, it makes it worse.” The response came
weeks after The Atlantic found that at least 16 Substack newsletters had “overt
Nazi symbols” in their logos or graphics, and that white supremacists had been
allowed to publish on, and profit from, the platform. Hundreds of newsletter
writers signed a letter opposing Substack’s position and threatening to leave.
About 100 others signed a letter supporting the company’s stance. In the
statement, Mr. McKenzie said that he and the company’s other founders, Chris
Best and Jairaj Sethi, had arrived at the conclusion that censoring or
demonetizing the publications would not make the problem of hateful rhetoric go
away.”



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