“The U.N. Security Council scheduled a vote Wednesday on a resolution that
would condemn and demand an immediate halt to attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels
on merchant and commercial vessels in the Red Sea area. The U.S. draft
resolution, obtained late Tuesday by The Associated Press, says at least two
dozen Houthi attacks are impeding global commerce “and undermine navigational
rights and freedoms as well as regional peace and security.” The Iranian-backed
Houthis, who have been engaged in a civil war with Yemen’s internationally
recognized government since 2014, have said they launched the attacks with the
aim of ending Israel’s devastating air-and-ground offensive in the Gaza Strip.
It was triggered by the Palestinian militant group Hamas’ Oct. 7 surprise
attack in southern Israel which killed about 1,200 people and led to some 250
others being taken hostage. Israel’s three-month assault in Gaza has killed
more than 23,000 people, two-thirds of them women and children, according to
the Hams-run Gaza Health Ministry which does not differentiate between
civilians and combatants.”











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Eye on Extremism



January 10, 2024



Associated Press: UN To Vote On A Resolution Demanding A Halt To Attacks On
Vessels In The Red Sea By Yemen’s Rebels
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“The U.N. Security Council scheduled a vote Wednesday on a resolution that
would condemn and demand an immediate halt to attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels
on merchant and commercial vessels in the Red Sea area. The U.S. draft
resolution, obtained late Tuesday by The Associated Press, says at least two
dozen Houthi attacks are impeding global commerce “and undermine navigational
rights and freedoms as well as regional peace and security.” The Iranian-backed
Houthis, who have been engaged in a civil war with Yemen’s internationally
recognized government since 2014, have said they launched the attacks with the
aim of ending Israel’s devastating air-and-ground offensive in the Gaza Strip.
It was triggered by the Palestinian militant group Hamas’ Oct. 7 surprise
attack in southern Israel which killed about 1,200 people and led to some 250
others being taken hostage. Israel’s three-month assault in Gaza has killed
more than 23,000 people, two-thirds of them women and children, according to
the Hams-run Gaza Health Ministry which does not differentiate between
civilians and combatants.”



Associated Press: Minivan Explosion In Afghanistan Kills At Least 3; The
Islamic State Group Claims Responsibility
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“The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for a minivan explosion in the
Afghan capital on Tuesday that killed at least three people. The militant group
said it detonated an explosive on a vehicle belonging to employees of
Afghanistan’s main prison in Kabul, killing and wounding about 10 people,
according to a statement released by the group shortly after the attack. Police
spokesman Khalid Zadran confirmed that a bomb had exploded but said three
civilians were killed and four others wounded in the attack. He added that the
explosion occurred in the eastern part of the city, in the Alokhail area, and
that police had detained one suspect. The Islamic State group’s affiliate in
the region has in the past carried out attacks often targeting Shiites, whom IS
considers to be apostates. Over the weekend, the Islamic State group claimed
responsibility for a minibus explosion in western Kabul that killed at least
five people. The IS affiliate has been a major rival of the Taliban since the
latter seized control of Afghanistan in August 2021 as U.S. and other troops
withdrew. IS militants have struck in Kabul and in northern provinces.”




The CEP CounterPoint: Expert Analysis

* Don't Get Fooled - The Extreme-Right Active Club Network Is Not About
Combat Sports
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* British MP Provides Glimpse Into Hamas’s U.K. Support Network
<[link removed]>
* CEP – KAS: Sahel Monitoring November 2023
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* Violence-Oriented Right-Wing Extremist Actors in Russia: Rusich - Part 2
<[link removed]>
* Reflecting on Two Months of War Against Hamas
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United States



Associated Press: US Defends Its Veto Of Call For Gaza Cease-Fire While
Palestinians And Others Demand Fighting Stop
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“The United States defended its veto of a call for the immediate suspension of
hostilities in Gaza at a U.N. meeting Tuesday and again faced demands by the
Palestinians and many other countries for a cease-fire now in the Israel-Hamas
war – as well as by a group of rabbis in the gallery. U.S. deputy ambassador
Robert Wood called the Russian-proposed amendment to a Dec. 22 Security Council
resolution which it vetoed “disconnected from the situation on the ground.” The
council then adopted a watered-down resolution, with the U.S. abstaining,
calling for urgent steps to immediately allow expanded humanitarian aid into
Gaza, “and to create conditions for a sustainable cessation of hostilities.”
Wood called it “striking” that those urging an end to the conflict have made
very few demands of Hamas, following its surprise Oct. 7 invasion of southern
Israel that killed around 1,200 people, “to stop hiding behind civilians, lay
down its arms, and surrender.” And he reiterated ongoing U.S. efforts to secure
a “pause” in the fighting to get 136 Israeli hostages out of Gaza.”



Associated Press: Blinken Seeks Palestinian Governance Reform As He Tries To
Rally Region Behind Postwar Vision
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“Secretary of State Antony Blinken will seek governance reforms when he meets
with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday as part of U.S. efforts
to rally the region behind postwar plans for Gaza that also include concrete
steps toward a Palestinian state. Blinken says he has secured commitments from
multiple countries in the region to assist with rebuilding and governing Gaza
after Israel’s war against Hamas, and that wider Israeli-Arab normalization is
still possible, but only if there is “a pathway to a Palestinian state.” The
approach faces serious obstacles. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s
government is adamantly opposed to the creation of a Palestinian state
alongside Israel, and the autocratic, Western-backed Palestinian leadership
lacks legitimacy in the view of many Palestinians. The war in Gaza is still
raging with no end in sight, fueling a humanitarian catastrophe in the tiny
coastal enclave. The fighting has also stoked escalating violence between
Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah militants that has raised fears of a wider
conflict.”



Iran



New York Times: Terrorism In Iran Exposes A Vulnerability It Doesn’t Want To
Admit
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“For years Iran justified its military presence in Iraq and Syria, to its own
people and the world, as a strategy for keeping terrorist groups at bay.
Iranian officials frequently boasted that fighting terrorists directly or
through proxy militias in the region meant they didn’t have to fight them at
home. That sense of security was shattered on Wednesday, with the deadliest
terrorist attack since the 1979 founding of the Islamic Republic — two suicide
explosions in the city of Kerman that killed 88 people, including 30 children,
and injured more than 200. The Islamic State, a mortal enemy of Iran, claimed
responsibility. Yet even after the statement by the terrorist group, Iranian
officials and pundits close to the government insisted — as they had in the
immediate aftermath of the attack — that another enemy, Israel, was to blame.
Tasnim News Agency, the media arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps,
went as far as claiming that “Israel ordered ISIS to take responsibility for
the attack.” And President Ibrahim Raisi, speaking at a ceremony in Kerman
honoring the victims on Friday, said Iran would retaliate and blamed both
Israel and the United States.”



Iraq



Politico: Iraqi Officials Privately Signal They Want US Forces To Stay
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“Iraq’s prime minister privately told American officials that he wants to
negotiate keeping U.S. forces in the country despite his recent announcement
that he would begin the process of removing them from the country. Senior
advisers to Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani told U.S. officials
that his declaration was “an attempt to satisfy domestic political audiences”
and that Sudani himself “remained committed” to negotiating the coalition’s
future presence in Iraq, according to a Jan. 6 State Department cable obtained
by POLITICO. There’s been public uproar in Iraq over a U.S. drone strike last
week that killed a senior Iran-backed militia member in Baghdad, and Sudani’s
office announced on Friday that his government is putting together a bilateral
committee to end the presence of the U.S.-led international military coalition
focused on preventing a resurgence of the Islamic State. Iraq’s willingness to
keep U.S. troops in the country is critical for the Biden administration. The
U.S. sees its presence in Iraq as important for not only preventing a
resurgence of ISIS but also for countering Iranian influence in the region. Any
decision by al-Sudani to kick American forces out of the country could also
undermine the administration’s effort to prevent the war in Gaza from widening.”



Afghanistan



CBS: Taliban Detains Dozens Of Women In Afghanistan For Breaking Hijab Rules
With "Modeling"
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“Afghanistan's Taliban rulers have rounded up dozens of women in an apparent
crackdown on perceived violations of the group's strict dress code. Dozens of
women and girls were detained briefly last week in Kabul, a senior Taliban
spokesperson told CBS News on Monday, confirming what appeared to be a new
tactic in the group's efforts to curb women's rights. The arrests by the
Taliban's morality police occurred over several days and first came to light
via videos and photos posted on social media. The Taliban confirmed the arrests
after photos and video clips showed women being loaded onto the back of police
pickup trucks in the capital city. A spokesperson for the Taliban's Vice and
Virtue Ministry, which enforces its harsh interpretation of Islam on both men
and women, told CBS News the women were all either released on bail after
several hours, or turned over to judicial authorities for further
investigation. It was not clear how many people remained in custody after the
mass arrests.”



Yemen



Reuters: Yemen's Houthis Target Vessel In Red Sea -Yemeni Military Source Told
Al Jazeera
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“Yemen's Houthi group Ansarullah targeted a vessel in the Red Sea, a Yemeni
military source told Al Jazeera on Tuesday. Earlier on Tuesday, the United
Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) organization received a report of an
incident in the Red Sea approximately 50 nautical miles west of Yemen's
Hodeidah. Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi militants have stepped up attacks on
commercial vessels in the Red Sea in protest against Israel's war in Gaza.
Various shipping lines have suspended operations, instead taking the longer
journey around Africa. The Houthis have vowed to continue attacks until Israel
halts the conflict in Gaza, and warned that it would attack U.S. warships if
the militia group itself was targeted.”



Reuters: US, UK Forces Shoot Down Houthi Missiles, Drones In Red Sea - US
Military
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“U.S. and UK forces shot down 21 drones and missiles fired by Yemen-based
Houthis on Tuesday into the Southern Red Sea towards international shipping
lanes, the U.S. military's Central Command said. U.S. Central Command said
there were no injuries or damage reported, adding that this was the 26th Houthi
attack on commercial shipping lanes in the Red Sea since Nov. 19.
Iranian-backed Houthi militants have stepped up attacks on commercial vessels
in the Red Sea in protest against Israel's war in Gaza. Various shipping lines
have suspended operations, instead taking the longer journey around Africa. The
Houthis have vowed to continue attacks until Israel halts the conflict in Gaza,
and warned that it would attack U.S. warships if the militia group itself was
targeted. U.S. Central Command said 18 drones, two anti-ship cruise missile.”



Lebanon



Associated Press: Hezbollah Launches Drone Strike On Base In Northern Israel
But Military Says There’s No Damage
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“Hezbollah said it launched a drone strike at the Israeli army’s northern
headquarters Tuesday in retaliation for recent strikes in Lebanon that killed
top Hamas and Hezbollah officials. Israel’s military acknowledged that one of
its army bases in northern Israel was targeted but said there were no injuries
or damage. It did not specify where the base was located. Also Tuesday, an
Israeli drone strike in Lebanon killed three Hezbollah members, officials said.
The increasing cross-border attacks have led to fears of a second conflict
against the backdrop of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war sparked by the deadly Oct.
7 assault on southern Israel by the Palestinian militant group Hamas. Hezbollah
says that by keeping Israel’s northern front active, it is helping to reduce
pressure on Hamas in Gaza. Hezbollah has lost some 150 fighters in the
near-daily exchanges of fire. Hezbollah said it targeted the Israeli army’s
northern command headquarters in Safed with several drones, calling it
retaliation for an Israeli strike in Beirut last week that killed top Hamas
official Saleh Arouri, and for a drone strike on Monday that killed Hezbollah
commander Wissam al-Tawil.”



Reuters: Lebanon's Hezbollah Denies Israel's Claim For Killing Senior
Hezbollah Commander
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“Israel said it killed the southern Lebanon commander of Hezbollah's aerial
unit in an air strike on Tuesday, hours after it said he led an attack on an
army headquarters base in northern Israel. Hezbollah later denied those claims,
saying "the commander was never subjected to any assassination attempt as the
enemy claimed," in a statement on Tuesday. Israeli military chief spokesperson
Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said Ali Hussein Barji had led dozens of drone
attacks on Israel, as Israel and Hezbollah have been waging their deadliest
hostilities in 17 years.”



Middle East



Associated Press: Israel Taps Top Legal Minds, Including A Holocaust Survivor,
To Battle Genocide Claim At World Court
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“Israel is sending top legal minds, including a Holocaust survivor, to The
Hague this week to counter allegations that it is committing genocide against
Palestinians in Gaza. The robust engagement with the International Court of
Justice is unusual for Israel, which normally considers the United Nations and
international tribunals as unfair and biased. The decision to participate
rather than boycott reflects Israeli concerns that the judges could order
Israel to halt its war against Hamas and tarnish its image internationally.
“Israel cannot run away from an accusation that is so serious,” said Alon Liel,
a former director general of Israel’s Foreign Ministry and a former Israeli
ambassador to South Africa. Israel, which as one of the parties in the case is
entitled to send a judge, has tapped a former Israeli Supreme Court chief
justice to join the court’s 15 regular members who will rule on the accusation.
It has also enlisted a British barrister and lauded international law expert as
part of its defense team.”



Reuters: Jordanian Jets Strike Iran-Linked Drug Dealers Inside Syria -
Intelligence Sources
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“Jordanian jets conducted four strikes inside Syria on Tuesday in the second
such raid within a week against suspected farms and hideouts of Iran-linked
drug smugglers, regional intelligence sources said. Jordan's army has stepped
up a campaign against drug dealers after clashes last month with dozens of
people suspected of links to pro-Iranian militias, who were carrying large
hauls over its border with Syria along with weapons and explosives. Jordan and
its Western allies have blamed Lebanon-based, Iran-backed Hezbollah and other
pro-Iranian militia who control much of southern Syria as being behind the
surge in smuggling. Iran and Hezbollah have dismissed the allegations as a
Western plot against Syria, which itself denies complicity with Iran-backed
militia which opponents link to its security forces. The sources confirmed
reports by Syrian newsportal Suwayda 24 that three strikes targeted leading
drug dealers in the towns of Shaab and Arman in Sweida province near the
Jordan-Syria border. The fourth strike hit a farm near the village of Malah.”



South America



Reuters: Gunmen In Ecuador Storm TV Studio In Wave Of Violence
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“Gunmen with explosives stormed a TV station on-air in Ecuador on Tuesday
during a wave of violence around the nation that prompted President Daniel
Noboa to name 22 gangs as terrorist organizations to be hunted by the military.
Police arrested the 13 men who burst into TC's studio during a live broadcast,
while elsewhere at least seven police officers were kidnapped and there were
several explosions. "Thank God, we are alive, because it was an extremely
violent attack," said Jorge Rendon, deputy director of the news program that
was interrupted. Noboa, who took office in November promising to stem
drug-related violence, declared a 60-day state of emergency on Monday in
response to prison violence - including hostage-takings of guards by inmates -
and the apparent escape of Los Choneros gang leader Adolfo Macias over the
weekend. In a revised decree on Tuesday, Noboa recognized an "internal armed
conflict" and identified nearly two dozen gangs as terrorist groups, including
Los Choneros.”



Technology



New York Times: Elections And Disinformation Are Colliding Like Never Before
In 2024
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“Billions of people will vote in major elections this year — around half of
the global population, by some estimates — in one of the largest and most
consequential democratic exercises in living memory. The results will affect
how the world is run for decades to come. At the same time, false narratives
and conspiracy theories have evolved into an increasingly global menace.
Baseless claims of election fraud have battered trust in democracy. Foreign
influence campaigns regularly target polarizing domestic challenges. Artificial
intelligence has supercharged disinformation efforts and distorted perceptions
of reality. All while major social media companies have scaled back their
safeguards and downsized election teams. “Almost every democracy is under
stress, independent of technology,” said Darrell M. West, a senior fellow at
the Brookings Institution think tank. “When you add disinformation on top of
that, it just creates many opportunities for mischief.” It is, he said, a
“perfect storm of disinformation.”



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