CEP Mentions
Jerusalem Post: Marwan Issa: Who Is The Deputy To Hamas Leader Mohammed Deif?
“... In 2011, Issa was reportedly involved in playing a role in the Gilad Shalit hostage-prisoner swap, where 1,027 Palestinian prisoners were released for Gilad Shalit, among them Yahya Sinwar, the grand architect of October 7, according to the Counter Extremism Project. When Yahya Sinwar came to power in Hamas's ranks in 2017, he surrounded himself with several associates, including Issa, among a couple of former cellmates. Issa was most recently detained by the Palestinian Authority in 1997 until the eruption of the second intifada in 2000. He was previously detained by Israel for five years during the first Intifada between 1987 and 1993 for his role in terrorist attacks. According to the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, Issa was previously responsible for Hamas’s special operations unit, where he had close relations with Hamas’s leadership outside of Gaza. Little is known about Issa's activities before Hamas's establishment.”
Euronews: Two Decades After The Madrid Train Bombings, Violent Extremism Is Far From Over
“Two decades ago, on March 11, 2004, Europe was shaken by what is still one of the deadliest terror attacks on its soil. The Madrid train bombings, which claimed the lives of 191 people and injured over 2,000 others, left an indelible mark on Spain and the global community. As we mark the anniversary of this tragic event, it is evident that despite significant advances in counter-terrorism capabilities, the challenges posed by Islamist extremism and terrorism remain as complex and formidable as ever.”
Iraq
Voice Of America: 10 Jihadists Killed In Iraq Anti-Is Operation, Army Says
“Iraqi forces have killed 10 jihadists during an operation against Islamic State group remnants in a vast desert area northwest of Baghdad, authorities said Sunday. An Iraqi security source told AFP the operation was "a pre-emptive measure" to thwart attacks allegedly planned for the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which starts in the coming days. The army said in a statement that troops have killed "10 terrorists in the past 24 hours." The operation, launched on Saturday across several provinces in northern and central Iraq, involves the regular army and Hashed al-Shaabi, mainly pro-Iran former paramilitaries now integrated into the Iraqi armed forces. State media reported that four jihadists were killed on Sunday and six on Saturday in Wadi al-Tharthar, an area that stretches between Salaheddine and Anbar provinces. The jihadist group overran large swathes of Iraq and neighboring Syria in 2014, proclaiming its "caliphate" and launching a reign of terror. It was defeated in Iraq in 2017 by Iraqi forces backed by a U.S.-led military coalition, and in 2019 lost the last territory it held in Syria to U.S.-backed Kurdish forces.”
Turkey
Associated Press: Turkish Police Detain 33 People Accused Of Plotting Attacks Ahead Of Local Elections, Official Says
“Turkish police detained 33 people suspected of ties to the Islamic State group who were allegedly preparing attacks ahead of the country’s local elections later this month, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said Sunday. The suspects were “preparing and searching for action before the upcoming local elections,” he posted on X, formerly Twitter. Nationwide elections are due to be held on March 31. Counter-terrorism police in Sakarya in northwest Turkey recovered weapons, cash and “organizational documents” during raids. “We will not tolerate any terrorists. We will continue our fight uninterruptedly with the superior efforts of our security forces,” Yerlikaya said. The network was providing personnel for war zones and financial support for IS while operating from illegal mosques and religious schools, he said. Turkey has suffered numerous attacks linked to IS over the last 10 years, including a gun attack on a church in Istanbul in January that left one man dead. The group was also tied to the country’s deadliest attack, in which more than 100 were killed at a peace rally in Ankara in October 2015.”
Afghanistan
Voice Of America: UN Presses Taliban Again To End ‘Heartbreaking’ Curbs On Afghan Women
“The United Nations warned Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities Friday that their bans on women’s education and work risk pushing the country further into deeper poverty and international isolation. The head of the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, or UNAMA, called again on the fundamentalist regime to reverse the restrictions as the world marked International Women’s Day to highlight the need to invest in women. “It is heartbreaking that we are seeing precisely the opposite unfolding in Afghanistan: a catastrophic and deliberate disinvestment that is causing immense harm to women and girls, creating only barriers to sustainable peace and prosperity,” said Roza Otunbayeva. Since reclaiming power in August 2021, the Taliban have blocked girls from accessing secondary school education and beyond. They have limited women’s freedom of movement outside the home and prohibited most from public and private sector workplaces, including the United Nations and other aid groups.”
Washington Post: The Taliban Once Smashed TVs. Now It Fosters YouTubers To Promote Its Image.
“The Taliban-run government is fostering a thriving community of YouTube influencers and video bloggers in Afghanistan, seeking to shape a positive narrative about the country by rewarding those who have welcome viewpoints with access to stories that can draw millions of views online. The Taliban, which smashed televisions and burned films in the 1990s during its first stint in power, is now using modern video technology in its radical campaign to remake Afghanistan. The regime grants influencers coveted broadcasting licenses that put them on an equal footing with TV networks and radio stations, and threatens to withdraw the licenses of those who break official rules. Influencers whose work is seen as benefiting the regime have been allowed to embed with government ministries and showcase their achievements. Meanwhile, videos that are critical of the Taliban have largely disappeared from platforms such as YouTube over the past two years as a result of Taliban pressure and self-censorship, according to interviews with 10 content creators in Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan. The government has tightly restricted what can be said and worn in online appearances, and two influencers said they were detained and interrogated after running afoul of the Taliban’s rules.”
Yemen
Associated Press: Al-Qaida’s Yemen Branch Says Leader Khalid Al-Batarfi Dead In Unclear Circumstances
“The leader of Yemen’s branch of al-Qaida is dead, the militant group announced late Sunday, without giving details. Khalid al-Batarfi had a $5 million bounty on his head from the U.S. government over leading the group, al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, through years that saw him imprisoned, freed in a jailbreak, and governing forces in Yemen amid that country’s grinding war. Though believed to be weakened in recent years due to infighting and suspected U.S. drone strikes killing its leaders, the group known by the acronym AQAP has long been considered the most dangerous branch of the extremist group still operating after the killing of founder Osama bin Laden. Al-Qaida released a video showing al-Batarfi wrapped in a white funeral shroud and al-Qaida’s black-and-white flag. Militants offered no details on the cause of his death and there was no clear sign of trauma visible on his face. Al-Batarfi was believed to be in his early 40s. “Allah took his soul while he patiently sought his reward and stood firm, immigrated, garrisoned, and waged jihad for His sake,” the militants said in the video, according to the SITE Intelligence Group.”
Middle East
New York Times: Gaza Begins Ramadan With No Cease-Fire
“International hopes of reaching a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan were dashed on Sunday, hours before Palestinians and other Muslims were to begin the month of daytime fasting, as Hamas repeated demands for a comprehensive cease-fire, which Israel has rejected. Egypt, Qatar and the United States had sought to broker a truce between Israel and Hamas before the start of Ramadan on Monday, and there had been optimism for a last-minute deal that would allow for the release of some Israeli hostages held in Gaza and Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. But weeks of indirect negotiations have stalled, and a top Hamas political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, said in a televised speech on Sunday that Hamas wanted an agreement that would end the war, guarantee the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, return displaced Palestinians to their homes and provide for the humanitarian needs of Gazans. Israel “wants to get its prisoners back and then resume the war on our people,” he said.”
Associated Press: An Effort To Get Aid To Gaza By Sea Is Moving Ahead. But The First Ship Is Still Waiting In Cyprus
“A U.S. Army vessel carrying equipment to build a temporary pier in Gaza was heading to the Mediterranean on Sunday, after U.S. President Joe Biden announced plans to increase aid deliveries by sea to the besieged enclave where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are going hungry. The new push for aid came as the Muslim holy month of Ramadan was set to begin Monday in much of the world after officials in Saudi Arabia saw the crescent moon. Hopes for a new cease-fire by Ramadan faded days ago with negotiations apparently stalled. The opening of the sea corridor, along with airdrops by the U.S., Jordan and others, reflected growing alarm over Gaza’s deadly humanitarian crisis and a new willingness to bypass Israeli control over land shipments. But aid officials say that air and sea deliveries can’t make up for a shortage of land routes. Aid trucks entering Gaza daily are far below the 500 entering before the war.”
Nigeria
Associated Press: Gunmen Kidnap Nearly 300 Students In Northwest Nigeria. 2 Days Later, Some Lose Hope Of Finding Them
“Rashidat Hamza is in despair. All but one of her six children are among the nearly 300 students abducted from their school in Nigeria’s northwest, riddled with Islamic extremists and armed gangs. It has been more than two days after her children — ages 7 to 18 — went to school in the remote town of Kuriga in Kaduna state only to be kidnapped by gunmen. She was still in shock Saturday. Authorities said at least 100 children aged 12 or younger were among the abductees in the state known for violent killings lawlessness and dangerous roads where people get regularly snatched. “We don’t know what to do, but we believe in God,” Hamza told The Associated Press during a visit to the town. The mass kidnapping in Kuriga was the third in northern Nigeria since last week; a group of gunmen abducted 15 children from a school in another northwestern state, Sokoto, before dawn Saturday, and a few days earlier 200 people, mostly women and children displaced by conflict, were kidnapped in northeastern Borno State.”
Associated Press: A Decade Since The Chibok Abduction, More Than 1,400 Nigerian Students Have Been Kidnapped
“What seemed like an aberration a decade ago when militants kidnapped 276 schoolgirls in Nigeria’s Chibok community has become a recurring horror in the country. Since then, the number of students abducted has risen to more than 1,400. The kidnapping of more than 300 students in two incidents this week in northwestern Nigeria were the latest such attacks. Here is a timeline of some prominent school kidnappings in Nigeria since 2014: April 14, 2014 — Members of the Islamic militant group Boko Haram abduct 276 female students in a nighttime attack at a government secondary school in the Borno State town of Chibok, prompting international outrage. More than 90 of the students are still missing, Amnesty International says. February 19, 2018 — A Boko Haram faction abducts 110 schoolgirls from a girls’ science college in the Yobe State town of Dapchi in northeastern Nigeria. Nearly all were later released, but five of the girls were killed.”
Somalia
Voice Of America: Official, Witnesses: Explosives Likely Started Mogadishu Market Fire
“Explosives likely caused a huge fire that gutted a section of Mogadishu’s biggest market, Bakara, on Sunday, an official and witnesses in the Somali capital said. The explosions, which started just before 5 a.m. local time, claimed the life of at least one person and destroyed several stores that sell electronics and an assortment of goods such as coffee, shoes, and clothes, authorities said. Frequent fires have destroyed a number of main markets in Somalia, and the cause has largely been electrical faults. But officials in Mogadishu said they suspect that explosives detonated at the stores were the likely cause of the latest fire. There has been no claim of responsibility, but officials say they suspect al-Shabab militants were behind the attack. Al-Shabab has not yet officially commented on the Bakara market fire. For years, al-Shabab has opposed store and street surveillance systems that can be used to identify members who facilitate attacks.”
Africa
Associated Press: A Paramilitary Group At War With Sudan’s Military Endorses A Cease-Fire During Holy Fasting Month
“A Sudanese paramilitary group battling the country’s military in a nearly yearlong ruinous conflict endorsed Saturday a resolution by the U.N. Security Council calling for a cease-fire during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The group, known as the Rapid Support Forces, said in a statement that it hopes the resolution, adopted by the U.N. Security Council on Friday, would help deliver crucially needed humanitarian assistance to millions of Sudanese trapped in the fighting across the Northeastern African country. Ramadan, during which adult Muslims are required to fast from dawn to sunset, is expected to start on or around Monday, depending on the sighting of the crescent moon. The RSF said it views the initiative as a “crucial opportunity” for the warring parties to embark on negotiations to find a political settlement to the conflict. “We view this as a crucial opportunity to initiate earnest discussions that could catalyze a political pathway. This pathway must culminate in a durable ceasefire, foster security and stability, and result in a substantive resolution that addresses the foundational issues of the historical crisis in Sudan,” it said.”
Europe
Associated Press: Spain’s Prime Minister Says He Will Propose That Parliament Recognizes A Palestinian State
“Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Saturday that he will propose that Spain’s parliament recognizes a Palestinian state. “I will propose granting Spain’s recognition to the Palestinian state,” Sánchez said. “I do this out of moral conviction, for a just cause and because it is the only way that the two states, Israel and Palestine, can live together in peace.” Sánchez added his voice to a chorus of other European leaders and government officials who have said that they could support a two-state solution in the Middle East as international frustration grows with Israel’s actions in the Palestinian territories. French President Emmanuel Macron said last month that it’s not “taboo” for France to recognize a Palestinian state. British Foreign Minister David Cameron said that the United Kingdom could officially recognize a Palestinian state after a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war. Sánchez said that his position on the conflict in the Gaza Strip is much like his country’s support for Ukraine following Russia’s full-scale invasion more than two years ago.”
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