“Iraq had hanged 11 militants sentenced to death on terrorism charges, local
security officials said on Thursday. The executions were carried out on Monday
at a prison in the southern Iraqi city of Nassiriya and all those executed were
Iraqi nationals, said a prison police officer and a local security official.
They declined to be named because they were not authorised to speak to the
media. They said the 11 men were convicted of joining the Islamic State
militant group and taking part in "terrorist actions". In a report issued on
Wednesday, Amnesty International raised concern that many more people may have
been executed in secret given a "disturbing lack of transparency" regarding
executions in Iraq in recent months. Iraq has put hundreds of suspected
jihadists on trial and carried out several mass executions since defeating
Islamic State fighters in U.S.-backed military campaign in 2014-2017.”











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Eye on Extremism



April 26, 2024



Reuters: Iraq Hangs 11 Convicted Of Terrorism In Latest Mass Executions
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“Iraq had hanged 11 militants sentenced to death on terrorism charges, local
security officials said on Thursday. The executions were carried out on Monday
at a prison in the southern Iraqi city of Nassiriya and all those executed were
Iraqi nationals, said a prison police officer and a local security official.
They declined to be named because they were not authorised to speak to the
media. They said the 11 men were convicted of joining the Islamic State
militant group and taking part in "terrorist actions". In a report issued on
Wednesday, Amnesty International raised concern that many more people may have
been executed in secret given a "disturbing lack of transparency" regarding
executions in Iraq in recent months. Iraq has put hundreds of suspected
jihadists on trial and carried out several mass executions since defeating
Islamic State fighters in U.S.-backed military campaign in 2014-2017.”



Associated Press: A Look At The Gaza War Protests That Have Emerged On US
College Campuses
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“Student protests over the Israel-Hamas war have popped up on an increasing
number of college campuses following last week’s arrest of more than 100
demonstrators at Columbia University. The students are calling for universities
to separate themselves from any companies that are advancing Israel’s military
efforts in Gaza — and in some cases from Israel itself. Protests on many
campuses have been orchestrated by coalitions of student groups. The groups
largely act independently, though students say they’re inspired by peers at
other universities. A look at protests on campuses in recent days:
Pro-Palestinian student protesters set up a tent encampment at the Ivy League
university in New York last week. Police first tried to clear the encampment on
April 18, when they arrested more than 100 protesters. But the move backfired,
inspiring students across the country and motivating protesters at Columbia to
regroup.”




Recent CEP Press Releases

* Extremist Content Online: Instagram Accounts Use Pro-ISIS Content To
Encourage Acts Of Terrorism
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* Extremist Content Online: Alleged 'New Criteria' Prompts Twitter/X To
Reinstate Account Belonging To Australian Neo-Nazi
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* Extremist Content Online: Content Containing Clips From Christchurch
Terrorist Attack Located On Twitter, TikTok, And Instagram
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* UANI and CEP Mourn The Loss of Senator Joseph I. Lieberman
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* Extremist Content Online: Pro-ISIS TikTok Users Celebrate Accused Attacker
In Zurich Stabbing
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United States



Politico: California Senate Candidate Steve Garvey Calls Student Protesters
‘Terrorists’
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“Republican Senate candidate Steve Garvey delivered sharp words Thursday about
college students protesting the Israel-Hamas war, repeatedly calling them
“terrorists” and urging university leaders and law enforcement to take action.
“What they’re saying is: they’re pro-Hamas,” he said at a press conference in
Los Angeles, standing in front of Israeli flags. “They’re pro-terrorists.
They’re supporting terrorism.” The remarks from Garvey, the former Los Angeles
Dodgers baseball star running against Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff for the late
Dianne Feinstein’s Senate seat, comes a day after police arrested hundreds of
students around the country for protesting the war, including in Los Angeles.
At the University of Southern California, officers arrived in riot gear on
Wednesday night to remove protesters who had set up an encampment at the center
of campus, arresting 93, and leading them away with their hands in zip ties.”



Syria



Associated Press: Syrian Kurdish Officials Hand Over 50 Women And Children
Linked To Islamic State Group To Tajikistan
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“Kurdish-led authorities in northeastern Syria on Thursday handed over 50
women and children — family members of Islamic State militants — to a
delegation from Tajikistan for repatriation back home. The 17 women and 33
children, all citizens of Tajikistan, were handed over to a delegation headed
by the Tajik ambassador to Kuwait, Zubaydullo Zubaydzoda, Syrian Kurdish
officials said. After the Islamic State group declared its caliphate in large
parts of Syria and Iraq in June 2014, thousands of foreigners, including
hundreds from Tajikistan, came to Syria to join IS and live with their families
in the so-called caliphate. After IS was defeated, most of the militants family
members were held in the sprawling al-Hol camp and the smaller Roj camp in
northeastern Syria. The Syrian Arab Red Crescent said the women and children
were taken to the airport of Qamishli where they boarded a plane “to be
reunited with their families” in Tajikistan on Thursday.”



Turkey



Bloomberg: Turkey’s Erdogan To Meet Biden As Allies Work To Boost Ties
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“Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will meet with President Joe Biden at
the White House on May 9, according to people familiar with the matter.
Erdogan’s impending visit to Washington occurs as the Israel-Hamas war
continues in Gaza and after Iran and Israel attacked each other’s territory,
generating fears that a wider Middle East conflict could be approaching. The
two leaders are also meeting at a delicate time in their political careers.
Biden faces a rematch with his 2020 opponent, former President Donald Trump, in
November’s election. A Bloomberg News/Morning Consult poll this week found that
Biden’s ahead in just one of the seven states most likely to determine the
outcome. Late last month, Erdogan, who has led Turkey since 2003, suffered an
embarrassing defeat in municipal elections, with voters across the nation
turning against his AK party. Although parallels cannot be easily drawn, in
both countries inflation has contributed to a sense of gloom and anger at the
governments in power.”



Yemen



Associated Press: Ship Comes Under Attack Off Coast Of Yemen As Houthi Rebel
Campaign Appears To Gain New Speed
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“A ship traveling in the Gulf of Aden came under attack Thursday, officials
said, the latest assault carried out by Yemen’s Houthi rebels over Israel’s
ongoing war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The attack comes after the U.S.
military said early Thursday an allied warship shot down a Houthi missile
targeting a vessel the day before near the same area. The Houthis claimed that
Wednesday assault, which comes after a period of relatively few rebel attacks
on shipping in the region over Israel’s ongoing war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
In Thursday’s attack, a ship was targeted just over 25 kilometers (15 miles)
southwest of Aden, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade
Operations center said. The captain “reports a loud bang heard and a splash and
smoke seen coming from the sea,” the UKMTO said. “Vessel and all crew are
safe.” The attack was also reported by the private security firm Ambrey. Houthi
military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree claimed the attack late Thursday,
identifying the ship the rebels tried to target as the MSC Darwin.”



Qatar



Bloomberg: UK’s Giant New LNG Tank Clears Way For More Qatari Supply
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“A project that will expand UK gas storage next year has been touted as a boon
for Europe’s energy security. It’s also a substantial win for the small Gulf
nation of Qatar Some 37 miles east of London on the Isle of Grain, a giant
cylinder is being constructed at Europe’s largest liquefied natural gas
terminal and will be ready to handle imports starting mid-2025. More capacity
to stockpile fuel is welcome news for a region that is once again struggling
with gas price volatility. Qatar, meanwhile, has rushed to meet Europe’s
booming demand for LNG, set in motion by curbed pipeline flows from Russia. The
Middle Eastern nation is setting itself up to control about a quarter of all
LNG by the end of the decade, and needs reliable avenues to sell its large
fossil fuel volumes at a time when many of its trade partners are looking to
decarbonize. “For the Qataris, having easy, guaranteed access to the European
market is important,” said Jason Feer, global head of business intelligence at
consulting firm Poten & Partners.”



Middle East



Associated Press: The Latest | Israeli Strikes In Rafah Kill At Least 5 As
Ship Comes Under Attack In The Gulf Of Aden
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“Palestinian hospital officials said Israeli airstrikes on the southern city
of Rafah in the Gaza Strip killed at least five people. More than half of the
territory’s population of 2.3 million have sought refuge in Rafah, where Israel
has conducted near-daily raids as it prepares for an offensive in the city. The
Israeli military has massed dozens of tanks and armored vehicles in the area in
what appears to be preparations for an invasion of Rafah. In central Gaza, four
people were killed in Israeli tank shelling. A ship traveling in the Gulf of
Aden came under attack Thursday, officials said, the latest assault likely
carried out by Yemen’s Houthi rebels over the Israel-Hamas war. Meanwhile, a
top Hamas political official told The Associated Press that the Islamic
militant group is willing to agree to a truce of five years or more with
Israel.”



Associated Press: Hamas Again Raises The Possibility Of A 2-State Compromise.
Israel And Its Allies Aren’t Convinced
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“The Palestinian militant group Hamas has said for more than 15 years that it
could accept a two-state compromise with Israel — at least, a temporary one.
But Hamas has also refused to say that it would recognize Israel or renounce
its armed fight against it. For Israel and many others, especially in the wake
of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack that spurred the latest war in Gaza, that’s proof that
Hamas is still irrevocably bent on destroying Israel. The United States and
European countries have joined Israel in shunning the militant group they have
labeled a terrorist organization. For some observers, Hamas has signaled a
potential pragmatism that could open a path to a solution. But the group’s
vagueness as it tries to square the circle of its own positions has fueled
suspicion. Hamas offers long-term “truces” instead of outright peace. It has
dropped open pledges to destroy Israel but endorses “armed resistance” — and
says it will fight for liberation of all “the land of Palestine.””



Egypt



Associated Press: The Latest | Officials Say Egypt Sending Cease-Fire
Delegation To Israel
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“Egypt is sending a high-level delegation to Israel in the hope of reaching a
cease-fire agreement with Hamas in Gaza, while warning a possible new Israeli
offensive focused on the southern city of Rafah on the border with Egypt could
have catastrophic consequences for regional stability, two officials said
Friday. While in Israel, Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel plans to make
clear that Egypt “will not tolerate” Israel’s deployments of troops along
Gaza’s borders with Egypt, an Egyptian official said, speaking on condition of
anonymity to freely discuss the mission. Earlier Friday, Lebanon’s militant
Hezbollah group fired anti-tank missiles and artillery shells at an Israeli
military convoy in a disputed area along the border, killing an Israeli
civilian, the group and Israel’s military. Hezbollah said that its fighters
ambushed the convoy shortly before midnight Thursday, destroying two vehicles.
The Israeli military said the ambush wounded an Israeli civilian doing
infrastructure work, and that he later died of his wounds.”



Somalia



Garowe Online: Somalia: SNA Eliminates Over 30 Al-Shabaab Militants
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“The Somali National Army (SNA) has announced the elimination of over 30
Al-Shabaab militants, in the latest operation targeting the group in central
regions where the military is actively involved in the crackdown as Somalia
targets to completely finish the group. For the last 18 months, the government
of Somalia has activated operations against Al-Shabaab in central and southern
regions, with close partnerships with the African Union Transition Mission in
Somalia (ATMIS) and the US Africa Command. A report by the government indicates
that over 30 militants are in the vicinity of Carfuuda, about 20km northeast of
Harardhere, Galmudug state. The operation was the collaboration of Somali
forces and international partners, per the statement. It said the operation
targeted two centers - for organizing and explosive preparations. The
international partners have been consistent in their support against local
forces, who have partly assumed ground combats as they prepare to take over
security responsibilities.”



United Kingdom



BBC: Extremist Ahmed Alid Guilty Of Hartlepool Knife Murder
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“An Islamic extremist has been found guilty of murdering a passer-by in the
street. Moroccan asylum seeker Ahmed Alid, 45, stabbed 70-year-old Terence
Carney multiple times in Hartlepool in October. He later told police it was in
protest against Israel and the Gaza conflict. Alid was found guilty of murder
and the attempted murder of his housemate, Javed Nouri, who he had attacked
before the fatal stabbing of Mr Carney. He will be sentenced on 17 May at
Teesside Crown Court. In a statement released after the verdict, Mr Carney's
family said: "For us, things will never be the same again." The family thanked
a number of people, especially Mr Nouri and two other men who gave evidence,
Ariyan Karimi and Mohammed Karimi. "What they themselves endured that night was
truly horrific, they believed they too were going to die. "Despite this, they
fully assisted the police with their enquiries and gave their evidence in
court, which is testament to their characters.”



France



Associated Press: Massive Policing For Paris Olympics To Include Security
Checks For Some Of The Capital’s Residents
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“Special anti-terrorism measures being put in place to safeguard the
unprecedented opening ceremony for the Paris Olympics on the River Seine will
also apply to all buildings along the route, meaning people who work and live
there and their guests will be subjected to background security checks, Paris
police chief Laurent Nunez said Thursday. Those affected will be cross-checked
against security services’ databases, to see whether they have previously been
flagged as suspected Islamist extremists or for other radicalism, Nunez said.
The wildly ambitious July 26 ceremony is proving to be a gargantuan security
challenge. Athletes will be paraded through the heart of the French capital on
94 boats along a 6-kilometer (nearly 4-mile) stretch of the Seine, from east to
west. They’ll be accompanied by 87 other boats for security, media and other
people.”



Australia



ABC: Alliance Of Peak Australian Islamic Groups Calls For Revision Of National
Terrorism Laws
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“An alliance of peak Islamic groups has called for Australia's terrorism laws
to be changed, to remove the concept of "religiously motivated terrorism" from
the legislation. In a statement, the Australian National Imams Council, the
Alliance of Australian Muslims and the Australian Muslim Advocacy Network said
it was necessary to "avoid simplistic attributions that target specific
communities". The group's spokeswoman Ramia Abdo Sultan said terrorism was
driven by political ideology and not religion. "The presumption that terrorism
is inherently tied to religion is not only inaccurate but harmful," Ms Abdo
Sultan told a press conference. The alliance of Islamic groups did not take
questions during the four minute press conference, telling the assembled media
that they could submit questions by email.”



Technology



The Wall Street Journal: How Australia Struggled To Get Elon Musk’s X To
Remove Video Of A Terrorist Attack
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“When Australian regulators wanted Elon Musk’s X to remove videos of the
stabbing of a religious leader, they sent their requests through a website
multiple times. At first, automated replies came back. Nearly 24 hours after
submitting a formal notice to remove the video, an Australian official emailed
an X executive directly to ask her how X was responding. She told him the
social-media platform had “withheld” the video for users in Australia. The
account of the attempts by regulators to get X to remove the video was revealed
in court filings in a lawsuit by the Australian eSafety Commissioner, which is
arguing X hasn’t really removed the video because Australians can still use a
virtual private network—which masks a user’s true location—to watch it.”



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