“Israeli special operations forces raided a building in the southern Gazan city
of Rafah early Monday and freed two hostages held by Hamas, the military said,
as Israel launched a wave of attacks that killed dozens of Palestinians in the
city, according to the Gazan health ministry. The nighttime operation — only
the second time Israeli forces said they had rescued captives in Gaza —
prompted elation in Israel, where the fate of more than 100 people kidnapped
during the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7 has become one of the country’s highest
priorities. But in Rafah, the raid fueled fear, mourning and panic among more
than a million Palestinians who have crowded into the city, seeking refuge from
Israeli military actions farther north. Palestinians feared that the raid
presaged a full-fledged ground invasion into Rafah, and that the high death
toll foretold much more mourning ahead. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of
Israel has said that Israeli ground forces are preparing to enter Rafah with
the goal of eliminating Hamas battalions there. The prospect of ground battles
in the city, which is bracketed by a closed Egyptian border and invading
Israeli forces, has created worldwide alarm over the risks to civilians who
have nowhere else to flee.”











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Eye on Extremism



February 13, 2024



New York Times: Israeli Raid In Rafah Rescues 2 Hostages And Kills Dozens,
Officials Say
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“Israeli special operations forces raided a building in the southern Gazan
city of Rafah early Monday and freed two hostages held by Hamas, the military
said, as Israel launched a wave of attacks that killed dozens of Palestinians
in the city, according to the Gazan health ministry. The nighttime operation —
only the second time Israeli forces said they had rescued captives in Gaza —
prompted elation in Israel, where the fate of more than 100 people kidnapped
during the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7 has become one of the country’s highest
priorities. But in Rafah, the raid fueled fear, mourning and panic among more
than a million Palestinians who have crowded into the city, seeking refuge from
Israeli military actions farther north. Palestinians feared that the raid
presaged a full-fledged ground invasion into Rafah, and that the high death
toll foretold much more mourning ahead. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of
Israel has said that Israeli ground forces are preparing to enter Rafah with
the goal of eliminating Hamas battalions there. The prospect of ground battles
in the city, which is bracketed by a closed Egyptian border and invading
Israeli forces, has created worldwide alarm over the risks to civilians who
have nowhere else to flee.”



Associated Press: The Head Of UN’s Nuclear Watchdog Warns Iran Is ‘Not
Entirely Transparent’ On Its Atomic Program
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“The head of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog warned Tuesday that Iran is
“not entirely transparent” regarding its atomic program, particularly after an
official who once led Tehran’s program announced the Islamic Republic has all
the pieces for a weapon “in our hands.” Speaking at the World Government Summit
in Dubai, just across the Persian Gulf, Rafael Mariano Grossi, the
director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, alluded to remarks
made this weekend by Ali Akbar Salehi. Grossi noted “an accumulation of
complexities” in the wider Middle East amid Israel’s war against Hamas in the
Gaza Strip. Iran, after the collapse of its 2015 nuclear deal with world
powers, has pursued nuclear enrichment just below weapons-grade levels. Tehran
has accumulated enough enriched uranium to build several weapons, if it so
chose. However, U.S. intelligence agencies and others assess that Iran has yet
to begin a weapons program. Israel long has been believed to have its own
nuclear weapons program.”



CEP Mentions



Vice: Neo-Nazi Music Shows Return To Europe
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“... Alexander Ritzmann, senior adviser at the Counter Extremism Project, said
that events like the concerts acted as “central networking hubs” for
transnational extreme right-wing movements. “They have a social function - [to]
‘make fascism fun’ - and they are used to make money for the movement through
ticket sales, merchandise and catering,” he told VICE News. Key figures in the
right-wing extremist underground would typically meet up around the event and
discuss areas of collaboration, including potentially violent actions.”



Jerusalem Post: Texas A&M Potentially Compromised US Nuclear Security, Pulls
Plug On Doha Campus <[link removed]>



“... The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) Chief Executive Officer, Ambassador
Mark D. Wallace, said, “Qatar’s global isolation is rightly increasing every
day. Texas A&M should be roundly applauded for rejecting sponsorship from a
global funder of terrorism. Remaining universities with ties to Qatar must
follow suit or risk severe reputational damage.”



Euronews: The UNRWA Case Reveals A Much Larger Problem With Humanitarian Aid
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“Evidence implicating UNRWA employees in the 7 October terrorist attacks
should come as no surprise to anyone who has followed the activities of the
UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees closely. Allegations that some UNRWA
workers were in fact Hamas operatives are merely the latest iteration of a much
larger problem plaguing the international aid sector. A stunning lack of
oversight and regulation of humanitarian funds over the past several decades
has allowed untold billions in taxpayer money to make their way into
terrorists’ coffers.”



DW: So Far, Israel Hasn’t Achieved Militarily What It Wanted: Hans-Jakob
Schindler
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CEP Senior Director Hans-Jakob Schindler interview on DW News.



Turkey



Reuters: Turkey Arrests Russian At Nuclear Plant In Islamic State Probe,
Sources Say
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“Turkish counter-terrorism police investigating the militant group Islamic
State have detained a Russian citizen working at a nuclear power plant under
construction on Turkey's southern coast, security sources said on Tuesday. The
suspect was caught working under a fake identity at the $20-billion Akkuyu
nuclear plant, which is being built by Russian conglomerate Rosatom in the
Mediterranean province of Mersin, the sources added. Police in Mersin said that
a Turkish court formally arrested the foreign national. Its statement did not
specify the suspect's nationality or give further details on the operation.
Last week, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said Turkey had detained 147 people
suspected of having ties to Islamic State in operations across 33 provinces.
Last month, one Turkish citizen was killed by two Islamic State gunmen at the
Italian Santa Maria Catholic Church in Istanbul. Turkish police detained two
people suspected of carrying out the attack.”



Afghanistan



Voice Of America: Analysts See Limits To China, Iran, Russia Collaboration
With Taliban
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“Since the Taliban seized control in August 2021, China, Iran and Russia have
been steadily courting Afghanistan’s de facto government for influence. The
three countries have kept their embassies open in Kabul and were among the
first to hand over Afghan embassies to the Taliban at home. Last month, Moscow,
Beijing and Tehran were the most high-profile participants at the Taliban’s
first conference on regional cooperation in Kabul. But what are the real
prospects of China, Russia, Iran and the Taliban cooperating in the region?
Analysts tell VOA that while Beijing, Moscow and Tehran may be united in a
common goal to oppose the U.S. in the region, that is perhaps the only area
where their interests align, analysts say. “Anti-Americanism is the one idea”
that brings China, Iran and Russia together, said Alex Vatanka, founding
director of the Iran Program at the Middle East Institute in Washington. He
told VOA that Tehran, Moscow and Beijing “want to push the United States out of
Eurasia and Central Asia ... [but] how much can they on the operational level
cooperate? That’s a big question.”



Pakistan



Voice Of America: Pakistan Reports Killing Of Two Top Islamic State Leaders
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“Pakistan confirmed Monday that separate counterterrorism raids near the
Afghan border within the past week had killed two senior leaders of a regional
Islamic State affiliate known as Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K). Military
officials identified the slain militant commanders as Surat Gul and Abdul
Shakoor, also known as Abu Hamza. Both were targeted in intelligence-driven
security operations in northwestern Khyber and southwestern Qila Saifullah
districts. Interim Pakistani Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar told reporters
in Islamabad that Abu Hamza had plotted two back-to-back bomb attacks against
campaign gatherings in Qila Saifullah and the nearby Pishin border districts on
the eve of national elections held last Thursday. “On the second day of the
elections, February 9, an operation was conducted, and a prominent leader of
Daesh was neutralized and eliminated in the same Qila Saifullah district,”
Kakar said, referring to the killing of Abu Hamza. Daesh is an Arabic acronym
for IS-K, which the United States and the United Nations say is operating out
of bases in Afghanistan.”



Middle East



Jerusalem Post: Victims Of October 7 Demand Declaration Of UNRWA As Terror
Group <[link removed]>



“An initiative to declare UNRWA a terrorist organization is being spearheaded
by the Shurat HaDin Law Center, representing dozens of October 7 massacre
victims. Shurat HaDin's initiative is targeted toward the Defense Ministry. The
organization argues that there is a solid legal basis for such a designation.
Their opinion, comprised of arguments that extend over eight pages, was
submitted to Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Should Gallant accept the proposal,
he can exercise his authority to declare UNRWA a terrorist organization but
would be subjected to Shin Bet security recommendation services.”



Somalia


The Guardian: Killing Of Three Women In A Week Sparks Femicide Protests In
Somalia
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“The deaths of three women in one week, all allegedly murdered by their
husbands, has caused outrage in Somalia and sparked days of protests over the
country’s femicide rates. Police have named the suspects in all three killings,
which took place in the first week of February, as the dead women’s husbands.
Two of the victims were pregnant. Even in a country where – after more than
three decades of conflict – death and violence are part of everyday life, there
have been demonstrations in the capital, Mogadishu, with protesters holding up
placards showing photos of Lul Abdi Aziz Jazirain her hospital bed. The
28-year-old had been doused with petrol and set alight. She suffered severe
burns and survived in agony for seven days after being attacked. Her brother,
Amudi Abdi Aziz Jazira, said neighbours had heard a “ferocious argument” and
later broken down a locked door to reach the badly burned woman and take her to
hospital. Jazira, 28, was a widow with six children when she met her second
husband at the airport in Mogadishu where she worked.”



United Kingdom



Reuters: UK Sanctions 'Extremist' Israeli Settlers In West Bank
<[link removed]>



“Britain imposed sanctions on four Israeli nationals on Monday, saying they
were extremist settlers who had violently attacked Palestinians in the
Israeli-occupied West Bank. The measures impose strict financial and travel
restrictions on the four individuals, who Britain said were involved in
"egregious abuses of human rights". "Extremist Israeli settlers are threatening
Palestinians, often at gunpoint, and forcing them off land that is rightfully
theirs," British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said. "This behaviour is
illegal and unacceptable. Israel must also take stronger action and put a stop
to settler violence. Too often, we see commitments made and undertakings given,
but not followed through." Britain's Foreign Office said there had been
unprecedented levels of violence by settlers in the West Bank over the past
year. The U.S. also imposed sanctions earlier this month on four Israeli men it
accused of being involved in settler violence in the West Bank.”



France



Reuters: Exclusive: France Proposes Hezbollah Withdrawal, Border Talks For
Israel-Lebanon Truce
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“France has delivered a written proposal to Beirut aimed at ending hostilities
with Israel and settling the disputed Lebanon-Israel frontier, according to a
document seen by Reuters that calls for fighters including Hezbollah's elite
unit to withdraw 10 km (6 miles) from the border. The plan aims to end fighting
between the Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel at the border. The hostilities
have run in parallel to the Gaza war and are fueling concern of a ruinous,
all-out confrontation. The document, the first written proposal brought to
Beirut during weeks of Western mediation, was delivered to top Lebanese state
officials including Prime Minister Najib Mikati by French Foreign Minister
Stephane Sejourne last week, four senior Lebanese and three French officials
said. It declares the aim of preventing a conflict "that risks spiraling out of
control" and enforcing "a potential ceasefire, when the conditions are right"
and ultimately envisions negotiations on delineation of the contentious land
border between Lebanon and Israel. Hezbollah rejects formally negotiating a
de-escalation until the war in Gaza ends, a position reiterated by a Hezbollah
politician in response to questions for this story.”



Europe



Associated Press: Chief Of UN Aid Agency In Gaza Calls EU Funds ‘Absolutely
Critical’ But The Bloc Wants An Audit
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“The head of the U.N. agency that delivers most aid to people in Gaza
expressed guarded optimism Monday that the European Union will provide it with
a vital financial lifeline in coming weeks, although divisions within the EU
threaten to derail the move. The aid agency UNRWA is reeling from allegations
that 12 of its 13,000 Gaza staff members participated in the Oct. 7 Hamas
attacks in southern Israel. The agency immediately fired the employees, but
more than a dozen countries suspended funding worth about $450 million, almost
half of UNRWA’s budget for 2024. Speaking to reporters after talks with EU
government ministers in Brussels, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini
described the 82 million-euro ($88-million) payment due from the EU by March as
“absolutely critical.” Lazzarini had previously warned that the agency, which
has been the main supplier of food, water and shelter during the war in Gaza,
might be forced to suspend its work by the end of the month. The war has
displaced about 85% of the Palestinian territory’s population.”



Associated Press: Dutch Appeals Court Orders Netherlands To Stop Exports Of
F-35 Parts To Israel, Citing War In Gaza
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“An appeals court ordered the Dutch government on Monday to halt the export of
F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel, citing a clear risk of violations of
international law. A trio of human rights organizations brought a civil suit
against the Netherlands in December, arguing authorities needed to reevaluate
the export license in light of Israeli military action in the Gaza Strip."



Technology



Associated Press: OpenAI CEO Warns That ‘Societal Misalignments’ Could Make
Artificial Intelligence Dangerous
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“The CEO of ChatGPT-maker OpenAI said Tuesday that the dangers that keep him
awake at night regarding artificial intelligence are the “very subtle societal
misalignments” that could make the systems wreak havoc. Sam Altman, speaking at
the World Governments Summit in Dubai via a video call, reiterated his call for
a body like the International Atomic Energy Agency to be created to oversee AI
that’s likely advancing faster than the world expects. “There’s some things in
there that are easy to imagine where things really go wrong. And I’m not that
interested in the killer robots walking on the street direction of things going
wrong,” Altman said. “I’m much more interested in the very subtle societal
misalignments where we just have these systems out in society and through no
particular ill intention, things just go horribly wrong.” However, Altman
stressed that the AI industry, like OpenAI, shouldn’t be in the driver’s seat
when it comes to making regulations governing the industry.”



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