“Australian police arrested seven teenagers accused of following a violent
extremist ideology in raids across Sydney on Wednesday to protect the community
from a potential attack, officials said. The seven, aged 15 to 17, were part of
a network that included a 16-year-old boy accused of the stabbing of a bishop
in a Sydney church on April 15, police said. Five other teenagers were still
being questioned late Wednesday by the Joint Counter-Terrorism Team, which
includes federal and state police as well as the Australian Security
Intelligence Organization, the nation’s main domestic spy agency, and the New
South Wales Crime Commission, which specializes in extremists and organized
crime. More than 400 police officers executed 13 search warrants at properties
across southwest Sydney because the suspects were considered an immediate
threat, New South Wales Police Deputy Commissioner David Hudson said.”











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Eye on Extremism



April 24, 2024



Associated Press: Australian Police Arrest 7 Alleged Teen Extremists Linked To
Stabbing Of A Bishop In A Sydney Church
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“Australian police arrested seven teenagers accused of following a violent
extremist ideology in raids across Sydney on Wednesday to protect the community
from a potential attack, officials said. The seven, aged 15 to 17, were part of
a network that included a 16-year-old boy accused of the stabbing of a bishop
in a Sydney church on April 15, police said. Five other teenagers were still
being questioned late Wednesday by the Joint Counter-Terrorism Team, which
includes federal and state police as well as the Australian Security
Intelligence Organization, the nation’s main domestic spy agency, and the New
South Wales Crime Commission, which specializes in extremists and organized
crime. More than 400 police officers executed 13 search warrants at properties
across southwest Sydney because the suspects were considered an immediate
threat, New South Wales Police Deputy Commissioner David Hudson said.”



Voice Of America: African Leaders Meet In Nigeria To Discuss Terrorism
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“A high-level Africa counterterrorism summit opened Monday in Nigeria with
hundreds of delegates from around the world. Africa has become the world's
epicenter of terrorism. Leaders at the summit hope to change that through
regional cooperation and partnerships. The summit was jointly hosted by Nigeria
and the United Nations Office of Counter Terrorism (UNOCT) with the aim of
strengthening regional security response and cooperation against acts of
terror. "Terrorism snaps at the very fabric of the prosperous and just society
we seek to build for ourselves and our children,” Nigerian President Bola
Tinubu said during remarks at the two-day summit in Abuja. “This violent threat
seeks to frighten the farmer from his field, children from their schools, women
from the marketplace and families from their very homes. We must therefore
fight this threat together, combining determined national effort with
well-tailored and regional and international collaboration."”




The CEP CounterPoint: Expert Analysis

* Fluid Structures: Assessing Left-Wing Violent Extremist Groups'
Organizational Systems
<[link removed]>
* (Mis)Understanding the transnational violent extreme-right Active Club
Strategy
<[link removed]>
* Fluid Structures: Assessing Left-Wing Violent Extremist Groups'
Organizational Systems
<[link removed]>
* Breaking down six months of war with Hamas
<[link removed]>
* CEP-KAS: Sahel Monitoring February 2024
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CEP Mentions



Dayfreuro: More Dangerous Than Daesh, These Terrorists Are The New Real Threat
Weighing On France <[link removed]>



“... This relatively young branch is known for its extreme violence:
assassinations, beheadings and torture are associated with it. Above all, it
can still gain power, its members would be able to obtain “the funds they
need”, assured theAFP Hans-Jakob Schindler, director of the NGO Counter
Extremism project. According to a UN report dating from February 2022, EI-K is
also expanding: “The numbers of the Islamic State of Iraq and the
Levant-Khorasan have increased from 2,200, ‘according to previous estimates, at
nearly 4,000, following the release of several thousand prisoners.’”



The Spectator: Prisons Have Lost The War On Drugs
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“Aldous Huxley’s dystopian best seller Brave New World, published back in
1934, envisaged a society where stability was enforced by a numbing drug called
‘soma’. Constant consumption of soma, mandated by the state, dulled the senses,
vanished despair and discouraged rebellion. I was reminded of this by comments
made by some of the Times‘ new crime commissioners as they launch a year-long
project to fix our broken criminal justice system. They were speculating as to
why we weren’t seeing a national jail insurrection similar to what happened
here in the spring of 1990 when multiple prisons across the country exploded in
violent disorder. After all, many of the precursors that existed then are now
present once again: severe overcrowding, demoralised and overwhelmed staff,
endemic brutality and squalor.”



United States



Associated Press: Biden Tries To Navigate The Israel-Hamas War Protests
Roiling College Campuses
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“Student protests over the war in Gaza have created a new and unpredictable
challenge for President Joe Biden as he resists calls to cut off U.S. support
for Israel while trying to hold together the coalition of voters he’ll need for
reelection. The protests at Columbia University in New York and other campuses
have captured global media attention and resurfaced questions about Biden’s
lagging support from young voters. His handling of the Middle East conflict is
also being closely watched by both Jewish and Arab American voters in key swing
states. At best for Biden, the protests are a passing distraction while the
White House presses forward with negotiations over a ceasefire and the release
of hostages held by Hamas while pushing Israel to limit casualties with more
than 34,000 Palestinians dead. At worst, they build momentum toward the
Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August, potentially triggering
scenes of violence that could recall the unrest of protests against the Vietnam
War during the party’s convention there in 1968.”



Reuters: US Calls On Iraq To Safeguard US troops After New Attacks
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“The U.S. military called on Iraq's government on Tuesday to take steps to
safeguard American troops in both Iraq and Syria after failed attacks a day
earlier by Iran-aligned militia. The drone and rocket fire were the first such
incidents since a near three-month pause in what had been almost daily attacks
that culminated in the January killing of three U.S. soldiers at the Tower 22
outpost in Jordan. With U.S.-Iran tensions soaring after the Jordan attack, and
some calls from Republican lawmakers in Washington for a direct U.S. response
against Iran, a senior Iranian commander had called on militia to halt their
attacks at the end of January. Speaking at the Pentagon, Air Force Major
General Patrick Ryder, a spokesperson, did not speculate about what triggered
the renewal in attacks. But he called on Baghdad to act. "These attacks put
coalition and Iraqi personnel at risk. We call on the government of Iraq to
take all necessary steps to ensure the safety of U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria
against attacks from these groups," Ryder told a news briefing.”



Turkey



Voice Of America: Turkey Arrests Pro-Kurdish Reporters In 'Terrorism' Probe,
Relative Says
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“Nine Turks working for pro-Kurdish media outlets were arrested Tuesday in
Turkey, their employers and lawyers said, with a relative of one saying they
were accused of "terrorist activities." Four women and five men were arrested
at dawn in Istanbul, the capital Ankara, and the southeastern city of Urfa,
lawyers from the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA), a press freedom
organization, said. MLSA said those arrested work for news organizations
including the Mezopotamia Agency and the newspaper Yeni Yasam and include
several journalists and "press employees." The nine were denied access to their
lawyers for 24 hours, MLSA said in a message on X. "No declaration has been
made about the reasons for the detention of the journalists" on Tuesday
morning, it said. Mezopotamia said one of its journalists was arrested in
Ankara during "a police operation at his home.””



Associated Press: Auditors Say It’s Hard To Tell How Turkey Is Using EU
Refugee Funds. Some Officials Aren’t Helpful
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“European Union auditors said on Wednesday that they are unable to establish
whether some of the billions of euros the bloc has given to Turkey to help it
cope with Syrian refugees is actually having any impact. Under a deal concluded
between EU leaders and Turkey in 2016, the bloc committed to provide at least 6
billion euros ($6.4 billion) to Turkey to help it cope with migrants crossing
in from Syria. Turkey in turn committed to stop migrants leaving its territory
for Europe. In March 2016, a month after the deal came into effect, Turkey’s
government said the number of migrants crossing illegally into Greece had
dropped from around 6,000 per day in November 2015 to about 130 daily. In 2021,
the leaders announced plans to send a further 3 billion euros ($3.2 billion)
for refugees in Turkey. The pact, which was hailed in Europe as a great
success, served as a template for other more recent and elaborate deals with
Tunisia and Egypt.”



Afghanistan



Voice Of America: Small Businesses A Lifeline For Afghan Women Facing Taliban
Restrictions
<[link removed]>



“Zuhal Akbari has opened a new pastry factory in the western Afghan city of
Herat, recruiting women “so that they can do something for themselves, their
families and their health.” Akbari told VOA that most of the 11 women who work
with her are university graduates who lost their jobs after the Taliban’s
return to power in Afghanistan in 2021. Under the Taliban, women are barred
from working in the public sector and for NGOs, getting a secondary and
university education, traveling long distances without male relatives, and
going to parks, public baths and gyms. Although the Taliban said that they have
no problem with women working in the private sector, they have imposed
restrictions on certain businesses, such as beauty salons. Last year, the
Taliban closed beauty salons that employed tens of thousands of women. “Many
women are coming to us for jobs, but we cannot hire more,” said Akbari, adding
that she does not have the resources.”



Pakistan



Reuters: Iran, Pakistan Urge U.N Security Council To Take Action Against Israel

<[link removed]>



“Iran and Pakistan called on the United Nations Security Council in a joint
statement issued on Wednesday to take action against Israel, saying it had
"illegally" targeted neighbouring countries and foreign diplomatic facilities.
The joint statement, released by Pakistan's foreign ministry, followed a
three-day visit to the country by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi at a time of
heightened tensions in the Middle East. Explosions were heard last Friday over
the Iranian city of Isfahan in what sources said was an Israeli attack.
However, Tehran played down the incident and said it had no plans for
retaliation. "Recognizing that the irresponsible act of the Israeli regime
forces was a major escalation in an already volatile region, both sides called
on the UN Security Council to prevent the Israeli regime from its adventurism
in the region and its illegal acts attacking its neighbours...," Iran and
Pakistan said in their joint statement.”



Yemen



Atlas News: Yemeni Muslim Brotherhood Founder Dies In Exile, Istanbul
<[link removed]>



“Yemeni national cleric Abdul Majeed al-Zindani, founder of the Yemeni Muslim
Brotherhood, has died at the age of 82 in Istanbul, Turkey. His son Muhammad
bin Abdul Majeed Al-Zindani confirmed that he passed away in an Istanbul
hospital. Zindani’s long career in education, religiousextremism, and
revolutionary incitement have garnered praise from radical groups throughout
the Middle East and condemnation from the United Nations, United States, and
the monarchy governments on the Arabian Peninsula. He founded the Iman
University in Sanaa Yemen in 1995 with Yemeni government support and was a
leader member of Yemen’s al-Islah Party (the Yemeni Congregation for Reform).
He also established the Commission on Scientific Signs in the Quran and Sunnah,
based in Saudi Arabia, and claimed to have successfully administered AIDS
treatments at Iman University, claims which have since been refuted.”



Lebanon



Reuters: Hezbollah Launches Deepest Attack Into Israel Since Start Of Gaza War
<[link removed]>



“Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah group said on Tuesday it had launched a
drone attack against Israeli military bases north of the city of Acre, in its
deepest strike into Israeli territory since the Gaza war began. The Israeli
military said it had no knowledge of any of its facilities being hit by
Hezbollah, but had said earlier on Tuesday that it intercepted two "aerial
targets" off Israel's northern coast. The two sides have been engaging in
regular exchanges of missile fire and airstrikes since the start of the war in
Gaza last October, but have refrained from pushing the conflict into all-out
war. As the strikes have continued, however, fears have grown that an accident
or miscalculation on either side could see the conflict could escalate rapidly,
possibly drawing in other regional and world powers including the United
States. Hezbollah said it had acted in retaliation for an earlier Israeli
attack killing one of its fighters. The group published what appeared to be a
satellite photo, with the location of the strike symbolized by a flash with a
red circle around it that sat halfway between Acre and Nahariyya to the north.”



Qatar



Bloomberg: What Makes Resource-Rich Qatar Such A Powerful Mediator
<[link removed]>



“The discovery of natural gas in Qatar back in the 1970s was a transformative
economic windfall for the country and its long-time rulers, the Al Thani royal
family. Since then, the Al Thanis have been spending that money to build
Qatar’s global brand – while strengthening diplomatic ties with powerful, and
sometimes unlikely, allies. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg wealth
reporter Devon Pendleton joins host Sarah Holder to trace the meteoric rise of
Qatar and its royal family, and discuss how the war in Gaza and escalating
conflict in the Middle East has made the country’s mediator role as critical as
ever. Here is a lightly edited transcript of the conversation: Sarah Holder:
Our story today begins in a hotel. A Sheraton in Doha, the capital city of
Qatar… Devon Pendleton: It's right on the shore. A five star resort, very
dramatic. It's kind of shaped like a pyramid. Holder: This is Devon Pendleton,
who covers wealth for Bloomberg.”



Middle East



Associated Press: UN Calls For Investigation Into Mass Graves Uncovered At Two
Gaza Hospitals Raided By Israel
<[link removed]>



“The United Nations called Tuesday for “a clear, transparent and credible
investigation” of mass graves uncovered at two major hospitals in war-torn Gaza
that were raided by Israeli troops. Credible investigators must have access to
the sites, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters, and added that more
journalists need to be able to work safely in Gaza to report on the facts.
Earlier Tuesday, U.N. human rights chief Volker Türk said he was “horrified” by
the destruction of the Shifa medical center in Gaza City and Nasser Hospital in
the southern city of Khan Younis as well as the reported discovery of mass
graves in and around the facilities after the Israelis left. He called for
independent and transparent investigations into the deaths, saying that “given
the prevailing climate of impunity, this should include international
investigators.””



The New York Times: Signs Suggest That Invasion Of Rafah Is All But Inevitable
<[link removed]>



“After weeks of delays, negotiations and distractions, Israel appeared to
hint this week that its assault of Rafah — a city teeming with displaced
persons above ground and riddled with Hamas tunnels below — was all but
inevitable. In what some analysts and residents of the city saw as a sign of
preparations for an invasion, an Israeli military official on Tuesday gave some
details that include relocating civilians to a safe zone a few miles away along
the Mediterranean coast. Just a day earlier, Israeli warplanes bombed Rafah,
increasing fears among some of the civilians sheltering there that a ground
assault would soon follow. Such indicators that Israel may be preparing an
invasion, said Marwan Shaath, a 57-year-old resident of Rafah, “are terrifying
and mean they may really be close to starting an operation.” Mr. Shaath, who
lives in Gaza but is employed by Hamas’s Palestinian rivals in the occupied
West Bank, added, “Our bags have been packed for months now for the time of the
evacuation.””



Somalia



Garowe Online: Turkish Warship Docks In Somalia’s Coastline
<[link removed]>



“The implementation of the defense deal between Somalia and Turkey has kicked
off, following Ankara's decision to dispatch a warship which has since docked
along Mogadishu Port, in the country's mineral-rich coastline which is yet to
be fully explored. The Kınalıada F514 ship docked at Mogadishu Sea Port on
Tuesday, two months after President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud signed the pact,
which irked the United Arab Emirates (UAE), since it had also signed a similar
agreement with Somalia. Somalia signed the pact after Ethiopia penned an MoU
with Somaliland, a breakaway region of the country that guarantees Addis Ababa
20 kilometers of the Indian Ocean for the construction of the port and military
base. The agreement provoked Somalia, which sought Turkey's support in the
protection of her coastline. "Turkey’s first warship has arrived at Mogadishu
Port, initiating the 10-year agreement with Somalia. The nations will
collaborate on coastal protection, blue economy growth, and naval defense
capabilities. A high-level event with state leaders is set to celebrate this
strategic partnership," state media reports.”



North Korea



Associated Press: North Korea Sends A Delegation To Iran In A Growing Effort
To Break Its Diplomatic Isolation
<[link removed]>



“A high-level North Korean economic delegation was on its way to Iran, the
North’s state media said Wednesday, for what would be the two countries’ first
known talks since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Embracing the idea of a
“new Cold War,” North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is pushing to build up
cooperation with countries confronting the United States, as his intensified
weapons tests prompted the U.S. and South Korea to expand their military
drills. Pyongyang’s delegation led by Yun Jung Ho, North Korea’s minster of
external economic relations, flew out Tuesday for the trip to Iran, official
Korean Central News Agency said Wednesday. State media did not immediately
provide further details. Pyongyang and Tehran are among the few governments in
the world that support Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine,
and both have been accused of providing Russia with military equipment.”



Technology



ABC: Social Media Companies 'Pouring Accelerant On The Flames' Of
Misinformation And Extremism, Top Cop Warns
<[link removed]>



“Social media companies have been slammed by Australia's top police officer
for "pouring accelerant on the flames" of misinformation and extremism on their
platforms, while the boss of ASIO has raised concerns encrypted chat services
are a "safe room for terrorists and spies". The conduct of social media giants
has been in the spotlight in recent weeks, following the spread of confronting,
graphic and false posts in the aftermath of two stabbing attacks in Sydney.
Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw will use an address to the
National Press Club to argue the disinformation and misinformation that went
viral following the attacks highlight the consequences of "defiance and
indifference" from social media companies. He'll use the address to say some
Australians are "being bewitched online by a cauldron of extremist poison on
the open and dark web". "The very nature of social media allows that extremist
poison to spray across the globe almost instantaneously," Commissioner Kershaw
will say.”



The Guardian: Asio Boss Says Privacy ‘Not Absolute’ As He Urges Social Media
Companies To Do More On Extremism
<[link removed]>



“Social media companies must do more to stamp out extremism and assist law
enforcement to track criminals, the heads of Australia’s federal police and
security agencies have urged. In comments likely to provoke criticism from some
civil and digital rights campaigners, the Asio director general, Mike Burgess,
will use a major speech on Wednesday to argue “privacy is important but not
absolute”, while the AFP commissioner, Reece Kershaw, believes “there is no
absolute right to privacy”. Burgess will also sound an alarm about artificial
intelligence, warning the new technology “is likely to make radicalisation
easier and faster”. In the latest salvo in an expanding dispute between the
Australian government and tech companies such as Facebook and X, Burgess and
Kershaw will use a joint address to the National Press Club to call for social
media companies to give more assistance to law enforcement in certain
circumstances, including in cases of potential crimes being discussed on
encrypted messaging platforms.”



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