“Three U.S. service members were killed and at least 34 wounded in a drone
attack by Iran-backed militants on U.S. troops in northeastern Jordan near the
Syrian border, President Joe Biden and U.S. officials said on Sunday. It is the
first deadly strike against U.S. forces since the Israel-Hamas war erupted in
October, and marks a major escalation in tensions that have engulfed the Middle
East. "While we are still gathering the facts of this attack, we know it was
carried out by radical Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and
Iraq," Biden said in a statement.”











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Eye on Extremism



January 29, 2024



Reuters: Three US Troops Killed In Jordan Drone Strike Linked To Iran
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“Three U.S. service members were killed and at least 34 wounded in a drone
attack by Iran-backed militants on U.S. troops in northeastern Jordan near the
Syrian border, President Joe Biden and U.S. officials said on Sunday. It is the
first deadly strike against U.S. forces since the Israel-Hamas war erupted in
October, and marks a major escalation in tensions that have engulfed the Middle
East. "While we are still gathering the facts of this attack, we know it was
carried out by radical Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and
Iraq," Biden said in a statement.”



Wall Street Journal: At Least 12 U.N. Agency Employees Involved In Oct. 7
Attacks, Intelligence Reports Say
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“At least 12 employees of the U.N.’s Palestinian refugee agency had
connections to Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel and around 10% of all of its
Gaza staff have ties to Islamist militant groups, according to intelligence
reports reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. Six United Nations Relief and
Works Agency workers were part of the wave of Palestinian militants who killed
1,200 people in the deadliest assault on Jews since the Holocaust, according to
the intelligence dossier. Two helped kidnap Israelis. Two others were tracked
to sites where scores of Israeli civilians were shot and killed. Others
coordinated logistics for the assault, including procuring weapons.”




CEP Expert Analysis

* Extremist Content Online: White Supremacist Telegram Channels Spread
Manifesto of Jacksonville Gunman
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* U.K. DECLARES HIZB UT-TAHRIR A TERRORIST GROUP
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* Extremist Content Online: Extreme-Right And Neo-Nazi Content Located On
TikTok, Instagram, And Twitter/X
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* ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in December 2023
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*
The Wagner Group In The Central Sahel – Decolonization Or Destabilization?
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CEP Mentions



CNN: Crackdown On An Already Banned Hamas Raises Free Speech Fears In Germany
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“... Hans-Jakob Schindler, senior director at the Counter Extremism Project
(CEP), said ammonium nitrate – which is also used as a fertilizer - is the
“explosive of choice” for making quick and cheap improvised explosive devices.
Overall, Schindler believes there are around 10,000 people in Germany who
“broadly agree with what Hamas does and are willing to take part in
demonstrations, raise funds and share propaganda.” Asked if Hamas’ presence
would expand in the wake of the October 7 attacks, Schindler said: “Yes, it has
grown already.”



United States



Politico: ‘We Shall Respond': Biden Warns Militants After 3 US Troops Killed
In Jordan
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“Top U.S. leaders issued a warning on Sunday to Iran-backed militants, a day
after a drone attack killed three U.S. troops in Jordan, dramatically
escalating the situation in the Middle East. “We had a tough day last night in
the Middle East. We lost three brave souls in an attack on one of our bases,”
President Joe Biden said in South Carolina. He then asked for a moment of
silence and added: “And we shall respond.” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said
he was “outraged and deeply saddened” by the deaths and vowed that the strike
would not go unanswered. “Iran-backed militias are responsible for these
continued attacks on U.S. forces, and we will respond at a time and place of
our choosing,” he said in a statement. “The president and I will not tolerate
attacks on American forces, and we will take all necessary actions to defend
the United States, our troops, and our interests.”



CBS: Florida House Panel Backs Student Penalties For Hamas Support
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“A House panel Thursday approved a bill that could financially penalize state
university and college students if they take actions that back "foreign
terrorist" organizations such as the Palestinian group Hamas. The House
Postsecondary Education & Workforce Subcommittee voted 11-4 to support the bill
after lengthy debate and testimony from Florida State University students. The
bill, sponsored by Republican Rep. John Temple, seeks to penalize any student
who "promotes a foreign terrorist organization." For example, it calls for such
students to be required to pay out-of-state tuition rates, which are higher
than in-state rates. Also, it would prevent the students from being eligible
for such things as state grants, financial aid or tuition assistance. The bill
provides a definition for foreign terrorist organizations that, in part, would
apply to "Hamas and Palestine Islamic Jihad." It does not define the word
"promotes."



Iraq



Associated Press: Iraq And US Begin Formal Talks To End Coalition Mission
Formed To Fight The Islamic State Group
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“The United States and Iraq held a first session of formal talks Saturday in
Baghdad aimed at winding down the mission of a U.S.-led military coalition
formed to fight the Islamic State group in Iraq. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed
Shia al-Sudani said in a statement that he had sponsored “the commencement of
the first round of bilateral dialogue between Iraq and the United States of
America to end the mission of the Coalition in Iraq.” A statement released by
the coalition said that working groups made up of Iraqi and coalition military
officials will assess “the threat of Daesh (IS), operational and environmental
requirements and Iraqi Security Force capabilities” and a higher military
commission will “work to set the conditions to transition the mission in Iraq.”
The beginning of talks, announced by both countries on Thursday, comes as U.S.
forces in Iraq and Syria have been regularly targeted by drone attacks launched
by Iran-backed militias against the backdrop of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
The U.S. says plans to set up a committee to negotiate the terms of the
mission’s end were first discussed last year, and the timing isn’t related to
the attacks.”



Bloomberg: Iraq, US Open Talks To Review Anti-ISIS Coalition’s Future
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“Iraq and officials of the US-led military coalition to defeat ISIS began
talks in Baghdad on Saturday to review the mission’s future, Prime Minister
Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani’s office said in a statement. While Al-Sudani has said
he wants to agree a date with the US and its allies for their forces to leave
Iraq, the Defense Department in Washington says the meetings are not a
negotiation about a US withdrawal. Three issues are on the agenda for military
and defense officials in the US-Iraq Higher Military Commission: the threat
posed by ISIS, operational and environmental requirements and strengthening
Iraqi security forces. After the review “a specific timetable will be
formulated to end the military mission of the coalition, and to move to
bilateral security relations between Iraq, the US and partner countries in the
coalition,” according the Iraqi statement.”



Yemen



CNBC: Oil Tanker Hit By Missile After Transiting Red Sea — Houthis Claim
Responsibility
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“An oil tanker operated on behalf of Trafigura was struck by a missile on
Friday after transiting the Red Sea, a company spokesperson told CNBC in
statement. The Marlin Luanda, a petroleum products tanker vessel, was struck by
the missile in the Gulf of Aden. Firefighting equipment on board is being used
to suppress a fire in one of the cargo tanks, the spokesperson said. “We remain
in contact with the vessel and are monitoring the situation carefully,”
Trafigura said. “Military ships in the region are underway to provide
assistance.” Houthi militants claimed responsibility for the attack, describing
the vessel as a “British oil ship.” Trafigura said the vessel is flagged under
the Marshall Islands. The militants used a “number of appropriate naval
missiles, the strike was direct and resulted in the burning of the vessel,” the
Houthis’ military spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a statement. Houthi
militants in Yemen have attacked commercial vessels transiting the Red Sea
since November in support of Palestinians. The U.S. and UK began a series of
airstrikes against the militia on Jan. 11 aimed at deterring the Iranian-backed
group.”



Associated Press: Yemen Houthi Rebels Fire A Missile At A US Warship,
Escalating Worst Mideast Sea Conflict In Decades
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“Yemen’s Houthi rebels launched a missile Friday at a United States warship
patrolling the Gulf of Aden, forcing it to shoot down the projectile, and
struck a British vessel as their aggressive attacks on maritime traffic
continue. The attack on the U.S. warship, the destroyer USS Carney, marked a
further escalation in the biggest confrontation at sea the U.S. Navy has seen
in the Middle East in decades, as Houthi missile fire set another commercial
vessel ablaze Friday night. Early Saturday local time, U.S. forces conducted a
strike against a Houthi anti-ship missile that was aimed into the Red Sea and
prepared to launch, the U.S. military’s Central Command said. The Houthis’
Al-Masirah satellite news channel said the strikes happened near the port city
of Hodeida, but offered no assessment of their damage. The Carney attack
represents the first time the Houthis directly targeted a U.S. warship since
the rebels began their assaults on shipping in October, a U.S. official said on
condition of anonymity because no authorization had been given to discuss the
incident.”



Wall Street Journal: Houthi Attacks Disrupt Shipping, Draw U.S. Into Direct
Conflict
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“Yemen’s Houthi rebels are carrying out audacious attacks to disrupt global
commerce and draw the U.S. military into direct conflict, using Israel’s war in
Gaza to transform themselves from a marginal player among Iran-aligned forces
into one of the Middle East’s most formidable militant groups. On Saturday, a
day after one of the most significant attacks yet by the Houthis on an oil
tanker, the vessel’s operator said it was continuing to assess carefully the
risks involved in any voyage. The Marlin Luanda, sailing on behalf of trading
giant Trafigura Group, was struck Friday by a missile in the Gulf of Aden,
causing a fire to break out in one cargo tank. It was eventually put out. While
there were no casualties or injuries among the Marlin Luanda’s crew, the attack
highlighted the risks involved for international shipping through a critical
trade route.”



Middle East



ABC: Israel Is 'Closer To War' With Hezbollah Than Ever, Senior Israeli
Official Says
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“Israel is "closer to war" with Hezbollah and a possible regional war than
ever, a senior Israeli official said. Israeli and Hezbollah forces have traded
fire across the Lebanese-Israeli border for over three months. The violence has
killed about 15 Israelis, including both civilians and Israel Defense Forces
members, according to The Times of Israel. The Hezbollah terrorist organization
claims 171 of its members have been killed since Oct. 8, The Times of Israel
reported. On Thursday, the Israel Defense Forces reported they struck Hezbollah
infrastructure in at least five locations in southern Lebanon. No deaths were
immediately reported. There have since been other strikes back and forth,
including one Friday when the IDF said it carried out strikes that purportedly
killed four members of Hezbollah, per The Times of Israel. Israel's north is
bristling with tens of thousands of regular troops and about 60,000 reservists,
an IDF official told ABC News on Wednesday.”



New York Times: Details Emerge On U.N. Workers Accused Of Aiding Hamas Raid
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“One is accused of kidnapping a woman. Another is said to have handed out
ammunition. A third was described as taking part in the massacre at a kibbutz
where 97 people died. And all were said to be employees of the United Nations
aid agency that schools, shelters and feeds hundreds of thousands of
Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The accusations are contained in a dossier
provided to the United States government that details Israel’s claims against a
dozen employees of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency who, it says,
played a role in the Hamas attacks against Israel on Oct. 7 or in their
aftermath. The U.N. said on Friday that it had fired several employees after
being briefed on the allegations. But little was known about the accusations
until the dossier was reviewed on Sunday by The New York Times. The accusations
are what prompted eight countries, including the United States, to suspend some
aid payment to the UNRWA, as the agency is known, even as war plunges
Palestinians in Gaza into desperate straits. More than 26,000 people have been
killed there and nearly two million displaced, according to Gazan and U.N.
officials.”



New York Times: Negotiators Close In On Hostage Deal That Would Halt Fighting
In Gaza For Weeks
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“American-led negotiators are edging closer to an agreement in which Israel
would suspend its war in Gaza for about two months in exchange for the release
of more than 100 hostages still held by Hamas, a deal that could be sealed in
the next two weeks and would transform the conflict consuming the region.
Negotiators have developed a written draft agreement merging proposals offered
by Israel and Hamas in the last 10 days into a basic framework that will be the
subject of talks in Paris on Sunday. While there are still important
disagreements to be worked out, negotiators are cautiously optimistic that a
final accord is within reach, according to U.S. officials who insisted on
anonymity to discuss sensitive talks. President Biden spoke by phone separately
Friday with the leaders of Egypt and Qatar, who have served as intermediaries
with Hamas, to narrow remaining differences. He is also sending his C.I.A.
director, William J. Burns, to Paris for Sunday’s talks with Israeli, Egyptian
and Qatari officials. If Mr. Burns makes enough progress, Mr. Biden may then
send his Middle East coordinator, Brett McGurk, who just returned to
Washington, back to the region to help finalize the agreement.”



Africa



Politico: Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso Quit ECOWAS Bloc As West African Tensions
Deepen
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“West African countries Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger said on Sunday that they
are withdrawing from the ECOWAS regional economic bloc, accusing the group of
“inhumane” sanctions to reverse the coups in their nations. All three
countries, which were founding members of ECOWAS, the Economic Community of
West African States, are currently led by militaries that seized power from
civilian leaders. France withdrew its troops from Niger in late 2023 after the
coup in that country last summer. In a joint statement issued late Sunday, the
three countries said they have “decided in complete sovereignty on the
immediate withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger from the Economic
Community of West African States.” They charged that ECOWAS has “moved away
from the ideals of its founding fathers and pan-Africanism.” “Furthermore,
ECOWAS, under the influence of foreign powers, betraying its founding
principles, has become a threat to its member states and its populations whose
happiness it is supposed to ensure,” they said.”



United Kingdom



The Guardian: UK Committed To ‘Protecting Innocent Lives’, Says Shapps After
Houthi Attack
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“Grant Shapps said the UK remained “undaunted” after Iran-backed Houthis
targeted HMS Diamond in the Red Sea during their latest round of strikes. The
defence secretary’s comments came after the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said that
the Royal Navy warship HMS Diamond “deployed its Sea Viper missile system” to
destroy the drone deployed by the Yemen-based Houthi group on Saturday. It said
there were no injuries to the crew and no damage to the ship. In a post on X,
Shapps wrote on Sunday: “The UK remains undaunted after yesterday’s illegal
attack on HMS Diamond by the Iranian backed Houthis. Our commitment to protect
innocent lives and the freedom of navigation is absolutely unwavering.” The MoD
has called the action by the Houthis “intolerable and illegal”, and said
Britain and its allies “reserve the right to respond appropriately.”



Germany



Bloomberg: Germans Plan More Than 200 Rallies Against Far-Right Extremism
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“German Chancellor Olaf Scholz praised pro-democracy demonstrators as tens of
thousands gathered across the country for a fresh wave of rallies against
right-wing extremism. On Saturday, 30,000 people are expected at a
demonstration in Dusseldorf and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is set to
speak in Osnabrueck. Overall, more than 200 events are planned this weekend,
according to public broadcaster ARD. “Our country is on its feet right now,”
Scholz said in a video message on Saturday to mark Holocaust Remembrance Day.
“Millions of citizens are taking to the streets. For democracy, for respect and
humanity.” The outcry — which included nearly 1 million people protesting last
weekend — was triggered by revelations that senior officials from the
anti-immigration Alternative for Germany, or AfD, took part in meetings with
right-wing extremists to discuss proposals for mass deportations of asylum
seekers, illegal migrants and even German nationals deemed insufficiently
“assimilated.”



BBC: Germany: Scholz Warns Against Rise Of Neo-Nazi Networks
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“He warned of "neo-Nazis and their dark networks", and called on people to
fight racism and anti-Semitism. Thousands marched in Dusseldorf on Saturday in
the latest in a series of protests against the far right. They follow reports
that senior figures of the AfD joined discussions on deporting citizens of
foreign origins. Germany is grappling with a debate over whether to ban
far-right political parties. In a pre-recorded speech marking 79 years since
the Auschwitz extermination camp was liberated by Soviet troops, he said: "New
reports are emerging all the time: about neo-Nazis and their dark networks. At
the same time, right-wing populists are gaining ground, fuelling fear and
sowing hatred." "But this development is not something we simply have to
accept," said Mr Scholz, as he called on Germans to stand up against the far
right and protect Germany's democracy.”



Russia



Associated Press: 2 Masked Men Kill A Person In Attack On Catholic Church In
Istanbul. Officials Detain 2 ISIS Members
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“Two masked assailants attacked a Roman Catholic church in Istanbul during a
Sunday Mass, killing one person, Turkish officials said. The armed assailants
attacked the Santa Maria Church in the Sariyer district at 11:40 a.m., Interior
Minister Ali Yerlikaya said in a statement on the X platform. He didn’t specify
what kind of weapons were used or whether anyone was wounded. Turkish
authorities didn’t formally identify the victim, but local media said the
person killed had the initials C.T. and was 52 years old. Hours later,
Yerlikaya announced that two men he described as members of the Islamic State
extremist movement had been arrested as the suspected attackers. One of the
supects is from Tajikistan and the other from Russia, he said at a news
conference just after midnight. Yerlikaya said police had raided 30 locations
and detained a total of 47 people as part of the investigation into the attack.”



Southeast Asia



Associated Press: Philippine Troops Kill 9 Suspected Muslim Militants,
Including 2 Involved In Sunday Mass Bombing
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“Philippine troops killed nine suspected Muslim militants in the volatile
south, including two key suspects in a bomb attack last month that left four
Christian worshippers dead, the army said Saturday. Four army scout rangers
were slightly wounded in Thursday’s operation against the Dawlah Islamiyah, a
small outfit aligned with the Islamic State group, in the hinterland village of
Taporug near Piagapo town in Lanao del Sur province, army spokesman Col. Louie
Dema-ala said. Army forces clashed with about 15 militants in a series of
shootouts from Thursday to Friday after some villagers tipped off the military
of their presence, Dema-ala, adding that the surviving militants escaped and
were being pursued. Maj. Gen. Gabriel Viray III, an army infantry division
commander, said the militants retreated from fierce exchanges of fire until
they were trapped in a rural house, where they tried to fight back before being
taken down.”



BBC: Bali Bomb Families Face Accused At Guantanamo Bay
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“Dan Miller, 31, had been married for just five weeks when he arrived with his
wife Polly on the Indonesian island of Bali - the same place they had met two
years earlier. Polly says she first noticed Dan's "lively, dancey" eyes in
2000. The following year he proposed on the island and in 2002 they were back.
It was "our place" she says. But 12 October 2002 was an anniversary al-Qaeda
planned to mark - it was one year, one month and one day after the 9/11 attacks
on the United States. Dan, a lawyer living in Hong Kong, played for an expat
rugby team nicknamed the Vandals who were on tour, as they had been in previous
years, in Bali. That night they went to a local hang-out called the Sari Club.
Polly's last memory of her husband is of him at the bar asking if she wanted a
cocktail as she headed to the dance floor. Suddenly, the Cher song the DJ was
playing was interrupted by a loud bang at a nearby venue - Paddy's Bar. Then
there was another, much louder bang inside the Sari Club.”



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