“A humanitarian crisis is worsening in northeastern Mali where armed groups
linked to Islamic State have besieged major towns leaving residents including
some 80,000 children vulnerable to malnutrition, locals and an aid group warned
Wednesday. The town of Ménaka has been under siege for four months, driving up
the prices of food. Other essential goods like medication are increasingly hard
to find, residents and aid groups say. “The humanitarian situation is
catastrophic, with displaced people going from house to house asking for food
for their families. Children are threatened with starvation,” Wani Ould Hamadi,
deputy mayor of the town of Ménaka, told the Associated Press.Mali, along with
its neighbors Burkina Faso and Niger, has for over a decade battled an
insurgency fought by armed groups, including some allied with al-Qaida and the
Islamic State group. Following military coups in all three nations in recent
years, the ruling juntas have expelled French forces and turned to Russia’s
mercenary units for security assistance instead.”











<[link removed]>
<[link removed]>



Eye on Extremism



May 2, 2024



Associated Press: Armed Groups Besieging Towns In Northeastern Mali Driving
Residents, Many Children, To Hunger
<[link removed]>



“A humanitarian crisis is worsening in northeastern Mali where armed groups
linked to Islamic State have besieged major towns leaving residents including
some 80,000 children vulnerable to malnutrition, locals and an aid group warned
Wednesday. The town of Ménaka has been under siege for four months, driving up
the prices of food. Other essential goods like medication are increasingly hard
to find, residents and aid groups say. “The humanitarian situation is
catastrophic, with displaced people going from house to house asking for food
for their families. Children are threatened with starvation,” Wani Ould Hamadi,
deputy mayor of the town of Ménaka, told the Associated Press.Mali, along with
its neighbors Burkina Faso and Niger, has for over a decade battled an
insurgency fought by armed groups, including some allied with al-Qaida and the
Islamic State group. Following military coups in all three nations in recent
years, the ruling juntas have expelled French forces and turned to Russia’s
mercenary units for security assistance instead.”



Bloomberg: US And Saudis Near Defense Pact Meant To Reshape Middle East
<[link removed]>



“The US and Saudi Arabia are nearing a historic pact that would offer the
kingdom security guarantees and lay out a possible pathway to diplomatic ties
with Israel, if its government brings the war in Gaza to an end, people
familiar with the matter said. The agreement faces plenty of obstacles but
would amount to a new version of a framework that was scuttled when Hamas
militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, triggering the conflict in Gaza.
Negotiations between Washington and Riyadh have sped up recently, and many
officials are optimistic that they could reach a deal within weeks, according
to the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private deliberations."



United States



Associated Press: Sentencing Postponed For Minnesota Man Who Regrets Joining
Islamic State Group
<[link removed]>



“A Minnesota man who once fought for the Islamic State group in Syria but now
expresses remorse for joining a “death cult” and has been cooperating with
federal authorities will have to wait to learn how much prison time he faces
after his sentencing hearing set for Wednesday was canceled. Federal
prosecutors have recommended 12 years for Abelhamid Al-Madioum in recognition
both of the seriousness of his crime and the help has he given the U.S. and
other governments. His attorney says that seven years is enough and that
Al-Madioum, 27, stopped believing in the group’s extremist ideology years ago.
A court notice posted online just over two hours before the hearing was to
begin said it would be rescheduled for a date to be determined. The notice did
not give a reason for the cancellation.”



Associated Press: The Latest | In Israel, Blinken Pushes Hamas To Agree On
Gaza Cease-Fire Deal
<[link removed]>



“U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Israel on Wednesday to press
for a cease-fire deal in the Israel-Hamas war, saying “ the time is now ” and
warning that Hamas would bear the blame for any failure to reach an agreement
to halt the war in Gaza. On his seventh visit since the latest war between
Israel and Hamas broke out in October, Blinken is trying to advance a truce
that would free hostages held by Hamas in exchange for a halt to the fighting
and delivery of much needed food, medicine and water into Gaza. Palestinian
prisoners are also expected to be released as part of the deal. The U.S. has
pressured Israel to increase aid deliveries during the war, and on Tuesday,
Israel reopened a border crossing with hard-hit northern Gaza Strip for the
first time since it was damaged at the start of the war.”



Voice Of America: US, China Stumble On Hamas In Efforts To Seek Peace In
Middle East
<[link removed]>



“U.S. and Israeli efforts to isolate Hamas diplomatically have run up against
the reality that a cease-fire and the release of 129 Israeli hostages cannot be
achieved without engaging the group responsible for the massacre of some 1,200
people on October 7. Standing next to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken
later in October, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Hamas "should
be spit out from the community of nations. No leader should meet them. No
country should harbor them. And those that do should be sanctioned." But almost
seven months later, Hamas leaders have neither been ostracized nor have
countries that engage with them faced sanctions. Last week, Hamas
representatives were in Beijing discussing reconciliation with Fatah, another
Palestinian faction. A week before that, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh met with
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul.”



Turkey



Reuters: Turkish Police Detain 217 May Day Protesters In Istanbul, Minister
Says
<[link removed]>



“Turkish police detained 217 people on Wednesday, Interior Minister Ali
Yerlikaya said, after tear gas and rubber bullets were used to stop the
protesters reaching Taksim Square, the traditional focal point of May Day
rallies in Istanbul. President Tayyip Erdogan said on the eve of May Day that
the annual protests would not be allowed to take place on Taksim Square, which
was cordoned off by police. Legal experts say this stance violates the right of
Turks to organise public meetings and demonstrations, a right upheld by the
Constitutional Court in a ruling last October. The leader of Turkey's main
opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), Ozgur Ozel, called for the rally to
go ahead in the square despite a ban issued by the Istanbul governor's office.
"If May 1 is not celebrated in the country's main square, democracy is in
trouble. This struggle will continue until Taksim is free," Ozel told reporters
on Wednesday in the district of Sarachane.”



Afghanistan



Associated Press: Phones, Islamic Books And Currency Exchange. Some Businesses
Are Making Money Out Of Taliban Rule
<[link removed]>



“Yunis Safi, a businessman in Kabul, knows very well the importance of
showing off your phone if you want something done. “In Afghanistan, your phone
is your personality,” he said, smiling, a jewel-encrusted ring on each hand.
One boasts an emerald, the other a fat Russian diamond. “When you go to a
meeting with the government, the better your phone, the more they respect you.”
Safi runs a phone shop in the posh Shar-e-Naw neighborhood. An armed guard
stands outside. The iPhone 15 Pro Max adorns the shop shelves, retailing for
$1,400. He has customers ready to part with this sum of money, which may come
as a surprise to some given the country’s economic woes and more than half the
population relying on humanitarian aid to survive. Afghanistan’s finances were
on shaky ground even before the Taliban seized power in 2021. The budget relied
heavily on foreign aid and corruption was rife. The takeover sent Afghanistan’s
economy into a tailspin, billions in international funds were frozen, and tens
of thousands of highly skilled Afghans fled the country and took their money
with them.”



Voice Of America: Taliban Aiming To Bring Visitors To Afghanistan
<[link removed]>



“A school for tourism and hotel management has opened its doors to students
in Kabul, Afghanistan. The students are of different ages and their levels of
education and professional experience are not the same. They are all men
because Afghan women are banned from studying after sixth grade. The men do not
know anything about tourism or the hospitality industry. But they hope to show
a different side of Afghanistan in the future. The country’s Taliban leaders
are interested in their efforts. The international community mostly rejects
Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers because of their restrictions on women and girls.
The Afghan economy is struggling. Roads, bridges and other structures are in
poor condition and people have little money. However, foreigners are visiting
the country because violence has decreased. There are also more air travel
connections from places like Dubai, and some people enjoy vacationing in an
unusual place. The numbers are not large, but there is a notable increase in
Afghan tourism.”



Lebanon



Associated Press: EU Announces 1 Billion Euros In Aid For Lebanon Amid A Surge
In Irregular Migration
<[link removed]>



“The European Union announced on Thursday an aid package for Lebanon of 1
billion euros — about $1.06 billion — much of which will go to strengthening
border control to halt the flow of asylum seekers and migrants from the small,
crisis-wracked country across the Mediterranean Sea to Cyprus and Italy. The
deal follows other recent deals by the EU to provide funds to countries such as
Egypt, Tunisia and Mauritania to fortify their borders. It comes against a
backdrop of increasing hostility toward Syrian refugees in Lebanon and a major
surge in irregular migration of Syrian refugees from Lebanon to Cyprus.
European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the aid,
which will be distributed between this year and 2027, during a visit to Beirut
alongside Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides. The bulk of the package —
736 million euros — would go to supporting Syrian refugees “and other
vulnerable groups” in Lebanon, while 200 million euros would bolster Lebanese
security services in enforcing border and migration control, according to
figures provided by the Cypriot government.”



Qatar



Euronews: From Sword Dancing To Modern Theatre, Performing Arts Are On A Show
In Qatar
<[link removed]>



“The performing arts scene in Qatar is ever-evolving. This episode of Qatar
365 gives you a glimpse of the live entertainment options on offer, from
traditional dances to modern theatre. First, Aadel Haleem followed the crowds
to the Darb Al Saai festival, highlighting the importance of retaining Qatari
heritage, like the art of 'Ardha', a traditional sword dance. When Qatar was
populated by Bedouins and tribes, the folk dance of 'Ardha' was performed to
lift the spirits of returning soldiers or fighters. Nowadays, elders preserve
this art by teaching the younger generation during cultural celebrations. Um
Mubarak Al-Mohannadi, head of The Al Khor Traditional Art Band, performs songs
that used to be part of their ancestors' daily lives and explained the
importance of sharing the knowledge of times gone by.”



Australia



Associated Press: Judge Denies Bail To Teen Charged With Terror-Related
Offenses After Stabbings At Sydney Church
<[link removed]>



“A judge denied bail Thursday to a 15-year-old boy alleged to be in a network
planning terrorist acts and who claimed to be a friend of another teen accused
of stabbing a Sydney bishop last month. The attack on the bishop triggered an
investigation that led to the arrests of six teens, ages 14 to 17, who were
charged last week with a range of offenses including conspiring to engage in or
planning a terrorist act. All remain in custody. The 15-year-old boy’s lawyer
Ahmed Dib had applied for bail Wednesday in the Parramatta Children’s Court,
arguing there were exceptional circumstances that required his client’s
release. But Magistrate James Viney ruled such circumstances did not exist.
“There is an unacceptable risk to the protection of the community,” Viney said.
Viney said he found the boy’s alleged threats to stab Jewish or Assyrian
people, a predominantly Christian ethnic group native to the Middle East, and
an alleged assault to be “gravely concerning.””



Colombia



Associated Press: Colombia’s President Says Country Will Break Diplomatic
Relations With Israel Over War In Gaza
<[link removed]>



“Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Wednesday announced his government will
break diplomatic relations with Israel effective Thursday in thelatest
escalation of tensions between the countries over the Israel-Hamas war. Petro
again described Israel’s siege of Gaza as “genocide.” He previously suspended
purchases of weapons from Israel and compared that country’s actions in Gaza to
those of Nazi Germany. “Tomorrow, diplomatic relations with the State of Israel
will be broken … for having a genocidal president,” Petro said during an
International Workers’ Day march in Colombia’s capital. “If Palestine dies,
humanity dies, and we are not going to let it die.” Israel’s Foreign Minister
Israel Katz quickly rebuked Petro’s comments on the platform X.”



The Counter Extremism Project depends on the generosity of its supporters. If
you value what we do, please consider making a donation.

DONATE NOW
<[link removed]>
 




Click here to unsubscribe.
<[link removed]>