“A ship attacked by Yemen’s Houthi rebels has sunk in the Red Sea after days of
taking on water, officials said Saturday, the first vessel to be fully
destroyed as part of their campaign over Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza
Strip. The sinking of the Rubymar, which carried a cargo of fertilizer and
previously leaked fuel, could cause ecological damage to the Red Sea and its
coral reefs. Persistent Houthi attacks have already disrupted traffic in the
crucial waterway for cargo and energy shipments moving from Asia and the Middle
East to Europe. Already, many ships have turned away from the route. The
sinking could see further detours and higher insurance rates put on vessels
plying the waterway — potentially driving up global inflation and affecting aid
shipments to the region. The Belize-flagged Rubymar had been drifting northward
after being struck by a Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile on Feb. 18 in the
Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a crucial waterway linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of
Aden.”











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Eye on Extremism



March 4, 2024



Associated Press: A Ship Earlier Hit By Yemen’s Houthi Rebels Sinks In The Red
Sea, The First Vessel Lost In Conflict
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“A ship attacked by Yemen’s Houthi rebels has sunk in the Red Sea after days
of taking on water, officials said Saturday, the first vessel to be fully
destroyed as part of their campaign over Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza
Strip. The sinking of the Rubymar, which carried a cargo of fertilizer and
previously leaked fuel, could cause ecological damage to the Red Sea and its
coral reefs. Persistent Houthi attacks have already disrupted traffic in the
crucial waterway for cargo and energy shipments moving from Asia and the Middle
East to Europe. Already, many ships have turned away from the route. The
sinking could see further detours and higher insurance rates put on vessels
plying the waterway — potentially driving up global inflation and affecting aid
shipments to the region. The Belize-flagged Rubymar had been drifting northward
after being struck by a Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile on Feb. 18 in the
Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a crucial waterway linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of
Aden.”



Associated Press: US Says Israel Has Agreed To The Framework For A Gaza
Cease-Fire. Hamas Must Now Decide
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“Israel has essentially endorsed a framework of a proposed Gaza cease-fire and
hostage release deal, and it is now up to Hamas to agree to it, a senior U.S.
administration official said Saturday, a day before talks to reach an agreement
were to resume in Egypt. International mediators have been working for weeks to
broker a deal to pause the fighting before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan
begins around March 10. A deal would likely allow aid to reach hundreds of
thousands of desperate Palestinians in northern Gaza who aid officials worry
are under threat of famine. The Israelis “have more or less accepted” the
proposal, which includes the six-week cease-fire as well as the release by
Hamas of hostages considered vulnerable, which includes the sick, the wounded,
the elderly and women, said the official “Right now, the ball is in the court
of Hamas and we are continuing to push this as hard as we possibly can,” the
official said, speaking on condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the
White House to brief reporters.”




CEP Expert Analysis

* CEP Webinar: Cruel And Unusual Punishment – How The Houthis Target Women,
Journalists And Religious Minorities
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* Counter Extremism Project Condemns X’s Sale Of Subscription Service To
Terrorist Groups
<[link removed]>
* Extremist Content Online: Antisemitic Propaganda Video Widely Promoted On
Telegram And Twitter/X
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* CEP – KAS: Sahel Monitoring December 2023
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* CEP APPLAUDS TEXAS A&M FOR DECISION TO CUT TIES WITH QATAR
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CEP Mentions



Business Insider: White Supremacist Fitness Clubs Are Fat-Shaming Trump
Supporters And Plotting A Race War
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“... In the US, there are at least 46 active clubs across 34 states, a 2023
report from the Counter Extremism Project (CEP) said. The investigative news
outlet, Bellingcat, has also reported that the white supremacist active club
movement had spread to Europe. The movement was inspired by Robert Rundo, who
founded the white supremacist MMA club known as the Rise Above Movement. His
concept of "white nationalism 3.0" advocates for nationalists to operate in
smaller, decentralized groups and improve their online image to evade law
enforcement scrutiny. While active club members do not regularly engage in
overt violence, some are known to intimidate their enemies, particularly
journalists. The Tennessee active club has gained particular notoriety for its
threats to local journalists, activists, and politicians and for the extreme
views of its leader Sean Kauffman, who is a neo-Nazi and Holocaust denier.”



The Spectator: Does France Hold The Key To Cracking Down On Islamist Extremism?

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“Are we being ‘poisoned’ by extremism? The Prime Minister seems to think so.
His speech on the steps of Downing Street following the Rochdale by-election
described a country where values of tolerance and civility were being
deliberately undermined by Islamists and the far right. ‘Islamist extremists
and the far right feed off and embolden each other,’ he warned. But in
conflating those two threats, the Prime Minister made the same mistake as his
predecessors.”



United States



Voice Of America: US Vice President Calls for ‘Immediate Cease-Fire’ In Gaza
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“U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris called Sunday for an “immediate cease-fire”
in Gaza, in one of the strongest appeals yet from the Biden administration to
halt the war. "Given the immense scale of suffering in Gaza, there must be an
immediate cease-fire," Harris said to loud applause at a gathering to
commemorate a major civil rights anniversary in Selma, Alabama. The
administration has been working with Egypt and Qatar to mediate a six-week
pause in the fighting to get the remaining hostages held by Hamas out and to
get scaled-up aid into Gaza, where the U.N. has warned that famine is looming.
Speaking at the Edmund Pettus Bridge, where 59 years ago state troopers beat
U.S. civil rights marchers in what is known as Bloody Sunday, Harris said
people in Gaza are starving. "The conditions are inhumane, and our common
humanity compels us to act," she said. "The Israeli government must do more to
significantly increase the flow of aid. No excuses.”



Associated Press: US Military Aircraft Airdrop Thousands Of Meals Into Gaza In
Emergency Humanitarian Aid Operation
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“U.S. military C-130 cargo planes dropped food in pallets over Gaza on
Saturday in the opening stage of an emergency humanitarian assistance
authorized by President Joe Biden after more than 100 Palestinians who had
surged to pull goods off an aid convoy were killed during a chaotic encounter
with Israeli troops. Three planes from Air Forces Central dropped 66 bundles
containing about 38,000 meals into Gaza at 8:30 a.m. EST (3:30 p.m. local). The
bundles were dropped in southwest Gaza, on the beach along the territory’s
Mediterranean coast. The airdrop was coordinated with the Royal Jordanian Air
Force, which said it had two food airdrops Saturday in northern Gaza and has
conducted several rounds in recent months. “The amount of aid flowing to Gaza
is not nearly enough and we will continue to pull out every stop we can to get
more aid in,” President Joe Biden said Saturday in a post on the social media
site X, formerly known as Twitter.”



Iran



Reuters: Iran's President Discusses Gaza With Algerian Counterpart, Algeria's
Presidency Says
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“Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi on Sunday discussed bilateral relations,
energy cooperation, trade and Gaza with Algeria's leader Abdelmadjid Tebboune
in a one-day state visit, according to Algeria's presidency. Algeria, a
non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, backs the
Palestinian cause and has called several times for an immediate ceasefire in
Gaza.”



Voice Of America: Iran Executes 'Terrorist' Over Alleged Israel Link To Attack
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“Iran's judiciary has executed a "terrorist" over a drone attack that targeted
a defense ministry site in central Iran last year, state media reported Sunday.
According to state TV, the person "planned to explode the workshop complex of
the Ministry of Defense in Isfahan under guidance of the intelligence officer
of Mossad," Israel's spy agency. The date of the execution and identity of the
accused person were not immediately clear. Iran has several known nuclear
research sites in the Isfahan region, including a uranium conversion plant. The
country's sanction-hit nuclear program has been the target of sabotage,
assassinations of scientists and cyberattacks. Tehran has accused Israel of
carrying out several covert actions on its soil. Iran's intelligence ministry
said in February 2023 that it had arrested the "main actors" involved in the
drone attack on a defense ministry site in Isfahan, home to the Natanz nuclear
enrichment facility.”



Afghanistan



Afghanistan International: Freed Women's Rights Activist Reveals 'Horrifying
Torture' In Taliban's Prisons <[link removed]>



“Zarifa Yaqubi, an Afghan female activist who was imprisoned for about 41 days
by the Taliban, has disclosed distressing details about the "horrible torture"
of female prisoners. Yaqubi, who was detained on November 3, 2023, along with
four colleagues as they sought to announce the existence of a women's movement,
spent 41 days in Taliban custody. Currently residing in Canada, she addressed a
press conference on Thursday, following the submission of the petition by a
group of Iranian and Afghan activists urging the criminalisation of gender
apartheid.”



Pakistan



Associated Press: Shehbaz Sharif Returns As Pakistan’s New Premier As Imran
Khan Allies In Parliament Allege Rigging
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“Lawmakers in Pakistan’s National Assembly have elected Shehbaz Sharif for a
comeback term as the country’s prime minister, as allies of imprisoned former
premier Imran Khan in parliament shouted in protest, alleging rigging in last
month’s election. Sharif held the same office from April 2022 to August 2023,
and is the younger brother of three-time premier Nawaz Sharif. Khan is
currently serving prison terms in multiple cases and has been barred from
seeking or holding office. Sharif replaced him as prime minister after his
ouster in a no-confidence vote in parliament in April 2022.”



Yemen



Reuters: Ship Sunk By Houthis Threatens Red Sea Environment, Yemen Government
And US Military Say
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“A UK-owned ship attacked by Houthi militants last month sank in the Red Sea,
the U.S. military confirmed on Saturday, as it echoed a warning from Yemen's
internationally recognised government that the vessel's cargo of hazardous
fertiliser posed a risk to marine life. The Belize-registered Rubymar is the
first vessel lost since the Houthis began targeting commercial ships in
November. Those drone and missile assaults have forced shipping firms to divert
ships to the longer route around southern Africa, disrupting global trade by
delaying deliveries and sending costs higher.”



The Guardian: Italian Warship Forced To Shoot Down Houthi Missile In Red Sea
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“An Italian warship participating in the EU naval protection force in the Red
Sea was forced to shoot down a Houthi missile on Saturday in a rare engagement
by the country’s navy, which has largely avoided direct action since the second
world war. The incident came as Houthi officials vowed to continue to attack
British ships after the UK-owned Rubymar sank on Saturday having taken on water
for a fortnight after being hit by one of the group’s missiles. The Italian
intervention came as politicians from the UN-recognised Yemeni government based
in Aden travelled to London to lobby the Foreign Office to recognise that the
months of Houthi attacks must end the possibility of any peace agreement in
which the group plays a part in a future coalition government.”



Middle East



Associated Press: Rival Of Netanyahu Visits US, Signaling Wider Cracks In
Israel’s Wartime Leadership
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“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rebuked a top Cabinet minister arriving in
Washington on Sunday for talks with U.S. officials, according to an Israeli
official, signaling widening cracks within the country’s leadership nearly five
months into its war with Hamas. The trip by Benny Gantz, a centrist political
rival who joined Netanyahu’s wartime Cabinet following Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack,
comes as friction between the U.S. and Netanyahu is rising over how to
alleviate the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza and what the postwar plan for
the enclave should look like. An official from Netanyahu’s far-right Likud
party said Gantz’s trip was planned without authorization from the Israeli
leader. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Netanyahu had a
“tough talk” with Gantz and told him the country has “just one prime minister.”



Associated Press: The EU Says It Will Send Funds To Gaza’s Main Aid Provider
After The UN Agency Agrees To An Audit
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“The European Union said Friday that it will pay 50 million euros ($54
million) to the main provider of aid in Gaza next week after the cash-strapped
U.N. agency agreed to allow EU-appointed experts to audit the way it screens
staff to identify extremists. The UNRWA agency 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 fired the employees, but more than a dozen
countries suspended funding worth about $450 million, almost half its budget
for 2024. The Israel-Hamas war has driven 80% of Gaza’s population of 2.3
million Palestinians from their homes, and U.N. officials say a quarter of the
population is starving. The agency is the main supplier of food, water and
shelter, but it is also on the brink of financial collapse. The European
Commission had been due to disburse 82 million euros ($89 million) to UNRWA on
Feb. 29, but wanted the agency to accept its terms for an audit. The EU’s
powerful executive branch is the third biggest donor to UNRWA after the United
States and Germany.”



Somalia



Associated Press: Military Court In Somalia Sentences 6 Moroccan Men To Death
For Membership In Islamic State Group
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“A military court in Somalia’s northeastern semiautonomous state of Puntland
sentenced to death six Moroccans believed to be foreign fighters for the
Islamic State extremist group in Somalia. The individuals entered Somalia to
cause harm to Muslims and Somalis and incite unrest in the country, the
presiding judge in the Puntland region, Col. Ali Ibrahim Osman, said late
Thursday. The six men, identified as Mohamed Hassan, Ahmed Najwi, Khalid Latha,
Mohamed Binu Mohamed Ahmed, Ridwan Abdulkadir Osmany, and Ahmed Hussein
Ibrahim, can appeal and if they are unsuccessful they will be shot to death by
firing squad. Additionally, an Ethiopian and a Somali were each sentenced to 10
years in prison, while another Somali defendant was acquitted due to lack of
evidence. It was not immediately clear if any of the men had access to legal
representation or where they were being held Friday. The eight men claimed they
were misled into joining the group and expressed a desire to be repatriated,
Osman said.”



Africa



Voice Of America: Fighting Resumes Between Ethiopian Government And Militants
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“Fighting broke out Friday between Ethiopian government forces and members of
the Fano militia in Bahir Dar — the capital of the Amhara region — according to
residents and the regional administration. It’s the first bout of violence to
erupt since the conflict's early days last year. In a statement Friday, the
Amhara government said that military and security forces were to engage in a
"joint operation and house-to-house surveillance around Bahir Dar to sweep out
the extremist force that had infiltrated into the city." It added that the Fano
militia retreated and wasn’t able to "resist the combined strength of the
security forces." The Fano militia, without a formal structure, could not be
contacted for comment. According to the Rift Valley Institute, a nonprofit
research organization, there are various Fano groups in the region, each
without formal leadership structures. The rebel group used to work with the
army against forces in Tigray, which experienced a two-year civil war ending in
2022, but their relationship became strained after Fano accused the government
of leaving the Amhara region vulnerable to security threats. The government has
denied the claim.”



United Kingdom



Politico: UK’s Rishi Sunak Warns Against ‘Poison’ Of Extremism In Rare Downing
Street Speech
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“Rishi Sunak used a hastily arranged address outside No.10 Downing Street
Friday night to warn that British democracy faces “intimidation, threats and
planned acts of violence” — and took a swipe at Britain’s newly elected
pro-Palestinian MP George Galloway. In a speech calling for more tolerance in
politics after weeks of heightened tensions, Sunak said he feared that
Britain’s “great achievement” — a multi-ethnic, multi-faith democracy — was now
being “deliberately undermined” by both Islamists and the far right. And he
took a potshot at Galloway, a controversial and stridently pro-Gaza veteran MP
elected in the town of Rochdale Thursday after a bitter campaign. Sunak accused
the former Labour lawmaker of dismissing “the horror” of the October 7 attacks
by Hamas on Israel. Sunak’s address comes after chaotic scenes in the British
parliament in recent weeks, as well as the testy Rochdale by-election.”



Germany



DW: Berlin Police Seize Suspected Home Of RAF Fugitive
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"German police on Sunday seized a trailer believed to have housed one of two
suspected terrorist members of the far-left Red Army Faction (RAF) who have
been at large for over 30 years. Police in the German capital have intensified
their search for RAF suspects Ernst-Volker Staub, 69, and Burkhard Garweg, 55,
since the arrest of another member of their group six days ago. Daniela Klette,
65, was arrested in Berlin last Monday. Police said they believed Staub and
Garweg were also hiding in the German capital. The trio are suspected of
attempted murder and a series of armed robberies committed to finance their
decades on the run."



Europe



Reuters: Pope Francis, Recovering From Bronchitis, Calls For End Of Gaza
Conflict
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“Pope Francis on Sunday appealed for an end to the conflict in Gaza, as he
showed signs of recovery after suffering from bronchitis. On Saturday the
87-year-old pope delegated the reading of a speech at a ceremony to an aide,
and on Wednesday he made a brief trip to a Rome hospital after he missed
reading at his weekly audience, saying he had "a bit of cold". "Each day I
carry in my heart with pain the suffering of the populations in Palestine and
Israel due to the ongoing hostilities, thousands of dead, injured, displaced,"
Francis said, speaking by himself with a clear voice at the Angelus payer in
Rome. Addressing believers in St Peter's Square, Francis stressed the
consequences of the conflict on children and asked for the release of all the
hostages taken in Hamas' Oct. 7 raid. "Do you really think you can build a
better world in this way? Do you really think you will achieve peace? Enough
please! Let us all say enough please! Stop!" Francis said. Francis has had a
number of health issues in recent months.”



Russia



Associated Press: Alleged IS Militants In Russia’s North Caucasus Were Killed
In A Shootout With Security Services
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“Six alleged members of the Islamic State group were killed in a shootout in
Russia’s volatile North Caucasus region, in what the country’s National
Anti-Terrorism Committee (NAC) described Sunday as a “counterterrorism
operation.” According to a statement by the NAC, late on Saturday the six men
barricaded themselves in a third-floor apartment in Karabulak, a town of about
30,000 in Russia’s semi-autonomous Republic of Ingushetia. A shootout with
security services followed, as surrounding streets were blocked off and
residents of the apartment block evacuated to a nearby school, according to
Russia’s Interfax agency. Heavy gunfire and blasts appearing to come from
inside an apartment block could be heard in videos posted by Karabulak
residents on social media. The NAC did not immediately name the alleged
militants, but said three of them were on Russia’s wanted list and all six had
been involved in violent acts, including an attack on a traffic police unit
last March that killed three officers.”



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