Eye on Extremism
April 30, 2024
Voice Of America: Houthis Target Container Ship In Missile Attack
“The Yemen-based Houthi militant group fired three ballistic missiles at a Malta-flagged, Greece-owned container ship in the Red Sea, the U.S. military and maritime security agencies said Monday. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) identified the ship as the MV Cyclades, saying there were no injuries on board. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency said an explosion hit close to the ship, causing some damage, but that the ship was safe and heading to its next port of call. Private security firm Ambrey said the ship was traveling from Djibouti to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and that it was targeted “due to its listed operator’s ongoing trade with Israel.” The Houthis have conducted attacks since November in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden in what they say is solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza amid the war between Israel and Hamas.”
Associated Press: A Bomb Attack In Northern Kenya Kills 5 People Near The Border With Somalia
“Five people have been killed in a bomb attack in northern Kenya, the interior ministry said Monday. The bomb, which exploded in El Wak town in Mandera County, near the border with Somalia, wounded five other people. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but Somalia-based al-Shabab militants affiliated with al-Qaida have carried out other attacks in the area. The bomb had been placed on a donkey cart to avoid detection, the interior ministry said. Earlier this month, gunmen suspected to be al-Shabab entered the El Wak hospital and injured guards while asking about the whereabouts of doctors. No arrests were made. Al-Shabab often carries out cross-border attacks, especially in the remote Kenyan counties of Mandera and Garissa. The extremist group has threatened Kenyan forces over their yearslong deployment to Somalia as part of multinational efforts to stabilize the Horn of Africa nation following more than three decades of conflict.”
CEP Mentions
DW News: Blinken: ‘An Extraordinarily Generous Proposal On The Part Of Israel’
“Israel and Hamas have been at war for seven months, with only about a week's pause last November. Now, something more substantial appears to be in the works. Reports suggest Israel is offering a ceasefire in exchange for the release of 33 Israeli hostages while Hamas is demanding the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails. Interview with Hans-Jakob Schindler.”
Australian Broadcasting Corporation: Fundraising Website GiveSendGo Defends Decision To Host Australian ‘Whites-Only' Community Campaign On Platform
“...The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) recently made a submission to the government's right-wing extremism inquiry in which it said extremists were increasingly turning towards under-regulated mainstream social media platforms. The project, a not-for-profit that keeps data on and tracks extremist groups for policymakers, said one US-based crowdfunding website was particularly concerning. "At least two members of the Australian neo-Nazi scene have crowdfunded money using the US website GiveSendGo," the submission said. New Zealand-born neo-Nazi Thomas Sewell has used the site to raise thousands of dollars to go towards the construction of a "whites-only community". "We are scouting rural properties with fertile soil and clean water systems to sustain the foundational wave of up to a dozen families in homesteading," the campaign posted on GiveSendGo said.”
Breitbart: Islamic State Resurgence: Four Assad Troops Killed in Syria Ambush
"…Voice of America also cited a report by the Counter Extremism Project, a nonprofit that moinitors global terrorist activity, that concluded “March was, by every metric, the most violent month of ISIS’s Badia [central Syrian desert] insurgency since late 2017, when the group first lost control of its territory.” The report specifically noted that Islamic State terrorists were increasingly targeting “security forces,” including Assad’s. At the peak of the “caliphate,” much of ISIS’s violence was directed at non-Assad targets, such as the U.S. military and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a coalition of militias led by the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG/YPJ). The SDF, in concert with American forces, were ultimately responsible for the liberation of Raqqa. “ISIS carried out at least 69 confirmed attacks in March in the Aleppo, Homs, Hama, Raqqa, and Deir Ez Zor governorates,” the Counter Extremism Project report documented. “These attacks killed at least 84 pro-Assad regime soldiers and 44 civilians and wounded at least 51 more soldiers and civilians.”
United States
The Washington Post: DC Police Refuse To Protect Private Property At George Washington University
"The pro-terrorist “pro-Palestinian” protesters on college campuses think they are above the law, and Washington, D.C., agrees with them. George Washington University is a private university. When a pro-terrorist encampment popped up, university officials sent a request to district police to have the protesters removed. The mayor’s office and the police chief’s office ordered them to stand down, though, reportedly because they didn’t like the “optics” of protecting private property from unwanted trespassing by pro-terrorist protesters. Meanwhile, the protesters at George Washington have broken down the barriers set up around their protests, which the university said was an effort to limit access peacefully rather than having the police forcibly move the protesters. The protesters plan on never leaving, with organizers saying that “we need to be able to live sustainably here for as long as possible until divestment, until disclosing, until liberation.””
ABC10: Sacramento-Based Russian National Caught Helping Terrorists, Gets 12 Years In Prison
“A Russian national who resided in Sacramento was recently sentenced to 12 years in prison for trying to provide material support to a designated terrorist organization. Federal prosecutors announced 37-year-old Murat Kurashev's prison sentence Monday after they said he used money transfer services to send about $13,000 to a U.S.-designated terrorist organization in Syria known as Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Court documents showed he followed online fundraisers and social media accounts soliciting money to purchase military equipment. Kurashev's online storage account also revealed violent extremist content and a video depicting HTS fighters, federal prosecutors said.”
Associated Press: US Military Ships Are Working To Build A Pier For Gaza Aid. It’s Going To Cost At Least $320 Million
“A U.S. Navy ship and several Army vessels involved in an American-led effort to bring more aid into the besieged Gaza Strip are offshore of the enclave and building out a floating platform for the operation that the Pentagon has said will cost at least $320 million. Sabrina Singh, Pentagon spokeswoman, told reporters the cost is a rough estimate for the project and includes the transportation of the equipment and pier sections from the United States to the coast of Gaza, as well as the construction and aid delivery operations. Satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press on Tuesday show the USNS Roy P. Benavidez about 11 kilometers (6.8 miles) from the port on shore, where the base of operations for the project is being built by the Israeli military. The USAV General Frank S. Besson Jr., an Army logistics vessel, and several other Army boats are with the Benavidez and working on the construction of what the military calls the Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore, or JLOTS, system.”
Iraq
Associated Press: Iraq Repatriates Nearly 700 More Citizens Linked To The Islamic State Group From A Syrian Camp
“Iraq has repatriated hundreds more of its citizens linked to the Islamic State group from a sprawling camp in northeastern Syria, Iraqi and Syrian officials said Monday. Ali Jahangir, a spokesman for Iraq’s Ministry of Migration and Displaced, said the nearly 700 Iraqis, mostly women and children, arrived late Sunday at a camp near Iraq’s northern city of Mosul, where they will undergo a rehabilitation program with the help of international agencies in an effort to distance them from extremist ideology. Despite an aggressive repatriation campaign by Baghdad, Iraqis remain the largest nationality among the nearly 43,000 residents of al-Hol camp which houses the wives, widows, children and other family members of IS militants. Syrians are the second-largest nationality. More than 6,000 people from 57 other countries are housed in a separate area known as the Annex.”
Afghanistan
Associated Press: A Gunman Kills 6 Worshippers Inside A Shiite Mosque In Western Afghanistan, The Taliban Say
“A gunman stormed a mosque in western Afghanistan, opening fire and killing six people as they were praying, a Taliban official said Tuesday. Local media reports and a former president of Afghanistan said the mosque was targeted because it was a place of worship for the country’s Shiite Muslim minority. The attack happened on Monday night in the district of Guzara in Herat province, said Abdul Mateen Qani, a spokesman for the Taliban Interior Ministry. He said in a post on the social media platform X that an investigation was underway. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, which also wounded another worshipper while the attacker fled. Local media reported that the mosque’s imam was among those killed. “I strongly condemn the attack on the Imam Zaman Mosque,” former Afghan President Hamid Karzai said on X. “I consider this terrorist act against all religious and human standards.””
Associated Press: The Taliban Are Working To Woo Tourists To Afghanistan
“Around 30 men are crammed into a Kabul classroom, part of the debut student cohort at a Taliban-run institute training tourism and hospitality professionals. It’s a motley crew. One student is a model. Another is 17 and has no job history. The students vary in age, education level and professional experience. They’re all men — Afghan women are banned from studying beyond sixth grade — and they don’t know anything about tourism or hospitality. But they are all eager to promote a different side of Afghanistan. And the Taliban are happy to help. Afghanistan’s rulers are pariahs on the global stage, largely because of their restrictions on women and girls. The economy is struggling, infrastructure is poor, and poverty is rife. And yet, foreigners are visiting the country, encouraged by the sharp drop in violence, increased flight connections with hubs like Dubai, and the bragging rights that come with vacationing in an unusual destination. The numbers aren’t huge — they never were — but there’s a buzz around Afghan tourism.”
Pakistan
Voice Of America: Officials: Senior Pakistani Judge Freed From Militant Captivity 'Unconditionally'
“Authorities in Pakistan said Monday that militants had “unconditionally” released a senior judge who had been held hostage for two days in a volatile northwestern region. Judge Shakirullah Marwat was kidnapped, along with his driver, on Saturday from a road near the militancy-hit district of Dera Ismail Khan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan. Mohammad Ali Saif, a provincial information advisor, confirmed to VOA the judge’s safe recovery, but he would not share further details. Marwat was traveling to Dera Ismail Khan when dozens of armed men ambushed his vehicle. The driver, who was briefly held captive, conveyed the kidnappers' demands to Pakistani authorities for the release of their imprisoned relatives and militant partners in exchange for the judge's freedom.”
Yemen
Reuters: Houthis Attack Four Ships In Indian Ocean, Red Sea
“Yemen's Houthis said they targeted the MSC Orion container ship in a drone attack in the Indian Ocean as part of their ongoing campaign against international shipping in solidarity with Palestinians against Israel's military actions in Gaza. Portugal-flagged MSC Orion was sailing between the ports in Sines, Portugal and Salalah, Oman and its registered owner is Zodiac Maritime, according to LSEG data. Zodiac is partly owned by Israeli businessman Eyal Ofer. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Iran-aligned Houthi militants have launched repeated drone and missile strikes in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab Strait and Gulf of Aden since November, forcing shippers to re-route cargo to longer and more expensive journeys around Southern Africa and stoking fears that the Israel-Hamas war could spread and destabilise the Middle East.”
Qatar
Voice Of America: Biden Pledges Cooperation With Egypt, Qatar To Implement Proposed Israel-Hamas Cease-Fire
“The White House said Monday U.S. President Joe Biden pledged to work with Egypt and Qatar to ensure the implementation of a proposed cease-fire between Israel and Hamas. In phone calls with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Biden urged the leaders to do all they can to push for the release of hostages still being held by Hamas in Gaza. A White House statement described the hostage release as “the only obstacle to an immediate ceasefire and relief for the people of Gaza.” The United States, Egypt and Qatar have been involved in months of talks focused on achieving a halt in the fighting. A proposal under consideration now includes a cease-fire lasting about six weeks, the release of hostages held by Hamas, the release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel and an increase in humanitarian aid for Palestinian civilians in Gaza.”
Mali
Reuters: Mali Forces Kill Senior Figure In Islamic State Affiliate
“Malian forces killed Abu Huzeifa, a commander for a West African affiliate of Islamic State, during a large-scale operation in the northern region of Menaka, the Malian authorities said in a statement read on state television on Monday. Huzeifa's death on Sunday had been confirmed after the operation in the region's Indelimane sector, they said, but did not give further details. The U.S. State Department's Rewards for Justice program offers a bounty of up to $5 million for information on Huzeifa for his alleged participation in a 2017 attack in neighbouring Niger that killed four U.S. and four Nigerien soldiers. Over the past decade, attacks by groups linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State have killed thousands of people in Mali, Niger, and neighbouring Burkina Faso, destabilising West Africa's central Sahel region.”
Europe
Bloomberg: Tusk Pushes For Speedy Orlen Probe Amid Report On Hezbollah Link
“Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk summoned the head of the secret service and prosecutor general following a report that the previous management of the nation’s largest oil refiner had ignored warnings about a Swiss unit. State-controlled Orlen SA’s internal security service cautioned against hiring a man identified as Samer A. to run a trading business planned for Switzerland because he was thought to be involved in the oil trade with Iran and have connections to Hezbollah, Onet.pl reported on Monday. The website didn’t disclose Samer A.’s full name in line with the Polish law.”
Australia
Associated Press: Teens Plotted To Buy Guns And Attack Jewish People After Sydney Bishop Was Stabbed, Police Allege
“Four teenagers plotted to buy guns and attack Jewish people days after a bishop was stabbed i n a Sydney church, according to police documents cited in news reports on Monday. Five teens, aged 14 to 17, were charged in a Sydney court on Thursday last week with a range of offenses including conspiring to engage in or planning a terrorist act. Police alleged they all “adhered to a religiously motivated, violent extremist ideology” and were part of a network that included a 16-year-old boy charged with stabbing Assyrian Orthodox Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel on April 15 as a church service was being streamed online. According to a police fact sheet tendered to the Sydney Children’s Court, two of the defendants charged last week discussed buying guns on April 19, the same day the bishop’s alleged attacker was charged, News Corp Australia newspapers reported.”
Russia
Associated Press: Two Russian Journalists Jailed On ‘Extremism’ Charges For Alleged Work For Navalny Group
“Two Russian journalists were arrested by their government on “extremism” charges and ordered by courts there on Saturday to remain in custody pending investigation and trial on accusations of working for a group founded by the late Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny. Konstantin Gabov and Sergey Karelin both denied the charges for which they will be detained for a minimum of two months before any trials begin. Each faces a minimum of two years in prison and a maximum of six years for alleged “participation in an extremist organization,” according to Russian courts.”
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