“Global shipping lines have become increasingly strained as the Houthi militia
in Yemen broadens its attacks on cargo vessels, one of the largest companies in
the industry warned on Monday. “The risk zone has expanded,” Maersk, the
second-largest ocean carrier, said in a note to customers, adding that the
stress was causing further delays and higher costs. Since late last year, the
Houthis have been attacking ships in the Red Sea, which cargo vessels from Asia
have to travel through to reach the Suez Canal. This has forced ocean carriers
to avoid the sea and take a much longer route to Europe around the southern tip
of Africa. But in recent weeks, the Houthis have been trying to strike ships
making that longer journey in the Indian Ocean. Because going around Africa
takes longer, shipping companies have had to add more vessels to ensure that
they can transport goods on time and without cutting volumes. The threat to
vessels in the Indian Ocean has only added to the difficulties. “This has
forced our vessels to lengthen their journey further, resulting in additional
time and costs to get your cargo to its destination for the time being,” Maersk
said.”











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Eye on Extremism



May 7, 2024



The New York Times: Maersk Says Expanded Houthi Attacks Are Forcing More Delays

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“Global shipping lines have become increasingly strained as the Houthi militia
in Yemen broadens its attacks on cargo vessels, one of the largest companies in
the industry warned on Monday. “The risk zone has expanded,” Maersk, the
second-largest ocean carrier, said in a note to customers, adding that the
stress was causing further delays and higher costs. Since late last year, the
Houthis have been attacking ships in the Red Sea, which cargo vessels from Asia
have to travel through to reach the Suez Canal. This has forced ocean carriers
to avoid the sea and take a much longer route to Europe around the southern tip
of Africa. But in recent weeks, the Houthis have been trying to strike ships
making that longer journey in the Indian Ocean. Because going around Africa
takes longer, shipping companies have had to add more vessels to ensure that
they can transport goods on time and without cutting volumes. The threat to
vessels in the Indian Ocean has only added to the difficulties. “This has
forced our vessels to lengthen their journey further, resulting in additional
time and costs to get your cargo to its destination for the time being,” Maersk
said.”



Iraqi News: Iraqi President Approves Hanging Of 11 Convicted ISIS Terrorists
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“Two security sources told Reuters that Iraq executed 11 people on Monday in
a prison in the southern city of Nasiriyah after being convicted of
terrorism-related charges. A source in Dhi Qar governorate also mentioned that
the Iraqi Ministry of Justice executed 11 terrorists in the Nasiriyah Central
Prison, also known as Al-Hout prison, according to Al-Arabiya News. The source
said that a team from the Ministry of Justice supervised the implementation of
death sentences against 11 people after they were convicted of terrorist crimes
and belonging to ISIS, noting that the death sentences were approved by the
Iraqi President. According to the source, 11 individuals were given death
sentences after being found guilty of terrorist acts and being members of ISIS.
He added that the Ministry of Justice oversaw the execution of the death
sentences, which were approved by the Iraqi President.”



United States



The Daily Mail: The ICC Play Down Fears Of A Terrorist Threat To Next Month's
T20 World Cup In The USA And The West Indies Following Reports That Islamic
State Have Encouraged Attacks
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“The ICC have played down fears of a terrorist threat to next month’s T20
World Cupfollowing reports that Islamic State have encouraged attacks on the
tournament, which is being staged jointly by the USA and the West Indies. With
reports of the threats circulating on social media, the prime minister of
Trinidad & Tobago, Keith Rowley, told Trinidad’s Daily Express: ‘Unfortunately,
the threat of terrorism in its many and varied expressions is an ever-present
danger in the world of the 21st century. ‘Given the fact that bad actors can
choose to misbehave in any way possible it makes it virtually impossible to
completely seal off all opportunities. ‘However, in order to ameliorate these
dangers, we at the local and regional levels have remained alert to many
threats and singularly or together have our intelligence and other security
agencies working to protect the population in countries and at venues
throughout the tournament.’”



Turkey



Associated Press: Turkey Says It Has Carried Out New Airstrikes Against
Kurdish Militants In Northern Iraq
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“Turkey has carried out a new round of airstrikes targeting Kurdish militants
in neighboring Iraq, the Turkish defense ministry said Monday. Warplanes struck
suspected positions of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, in the regions of
Hakurk, Metina and Gara in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region, according to
the statement. The airstrikes reportedly killed 16 militants, including some
commanders, the ministry said. There was no immediate comment from the PKK, a
banned separatist group that has waged an insurgency against Turkey since the
1980s. The ministry said it was determined to “rescue Turkey from this
problem.” The latest airstrikes came weeks after Turkish President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan paid his first visit to Iraq in 12 years, seeking greater cooperation
from Baghdad in the fight against the militants. Erdogan had previously
announced a major operation against the PKK for this summer with the aim of
“permanently” eradicating the threat it poses.”



Afghanistan



The Tribune: Dozens Of Major Terrorist Groups Operating From Afghanistan
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“Afghanistan has a history of creating problems for Pakistan since 1947 by
raising the so-called issue of Pashtunistan and Durand Line. All the
insurgencies and sub-nationalist movements in Pakistan are supported and hosted
by Afghanistan. India used Afghanistan as a second front to destabilise
Pakistan in close coordination with former intelligence agencies of
Afghanistan, namely KHAD and NDS. During the tenure of Karzai and Ghani, India
had established 66 terrorist camps in Afghanistan for TTP, BLA and BLF.
Pakistan has paid a huge price of the US-led war on terror that saw over 80,000
Pakistanis martyred. Nothing has changed after the takeover of Afghanistan by
Taliban. Before the Afghan Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, there was 86 per
cent reduction in terrorist incidents in Pakistan, but soon after the takeover
a surge of 70 per cent was witnessed. The Taliban government has not only
provided safe havens to terrorists but also armed them with the weapons left
over by the US. The Taliban takeover has also facilitated the re-emergence and
strengthening of terrorist groups other than the TTP.”



Yemen



The Wall Street Journal: The Houthis May Embolden Beijing
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“World leaders know that what happens in the Middle East doesn’t stay there.
As Israel warns Gazans to evacuate Rafah and negotiators haggle over cease-fire
terms, the effect of Middle East hostilities on the geopolitics of the
Indo-Pacific continues to deepen. First and most directly, the Middle East war
is expanding. On May 4, Iranian state media reported that the Shahid Mahdavi, a
former container ship converted to carry and launch fixed-wing drones and
helicopters and equipped with sophisticated electronic equipment, had crossed
the equator in the Indian Ocean. The move came as the Houthis reiterated their
threats to target ships from the Red Sea as far south as the Cape of Good Hope.
These threats aren’t idle. Houthi drones can hit targets more than 1,200 miles
from their bases in Yemen, and on April 26 they struck a container ship more
than 300 nautical miles southeast of the Horn of Africa. The damage to the MSC
Orion was minor and crew members weren’t injured, but the message was clear.
Any ship attempting to reach Europe from the Mideast or Indo-Pacific now risks
a Houthi attack.”



Middle East



Reuters: Hezbollah Says Its Drone Hits Northern Israeli Town, Two Soldiers
Killed
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“Hezbollah said on Monday it carried out a drone attack on an Israeli
military position near the northern Israeli town of Metula. The Israeli
military later confirmed two soldiers were killed in the attack. Iran-backed
Hezbollah also said it had sent dozens of rockets towards military targets
across the border with Israel. Israel and Hezbollah, which has amassed a
formidable arsenal since 2006, have been engaged in daily cross-border strikes
over the past six months, in parallel with Israel's war in Gaza. dHezbollah has
so far restricted its attacks to a strip of northern Israel, seeking to draw
Israeli forces away from Gaza.”



Associated Press: Israeli Forces Seize Rafah Border Crossing In Gaza, Putting
Cease-Fire Talks On Knife’s Edge
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“Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza’s vital Rafah border crossing on
Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into
the southern city even as cease-fire negotiations with Hamas remained on a
knife’s edge. The foray came after hours of whiplash in the Israel-Hamas war,
with the militant group on Monday saying it accepted an Egyptian-Qatari
mediated cease-fire proposal. Israel, however, insisted the deal did not meet
its core demands. The high-stakes diplomatic moves and military brinkmanship
left a glimmer of hope alive — if only barely — for an accord that could bring
at least a pause in the 7-month-old war that has devastated the Gaza Strip. The
Israeli incursion overnight appeared to be short of the full-fledged offensive
into Rafah that Israel has planned, and it was not immediately known if it
would be expanded. The looming operation has raised global alarm over the fate
of around 1.3 million Palestinians crammed into the city — and threatened to
widen a rift between Israel and its main backer, the United States.”



Europe



Associated Press: Police Break Up Pro-Palestinian Camp At Amsterdam University
As Campus Protests Spread To Europe
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“Police arrested about 125 activists as they broke up a pro-Palestinian
demonstration camp at the University of Amsterdam early Tuesday, asprotests
that have roiled campuses in the United States spread into Europe. Police in
the Dutch capital said in a statement on the social media platform X that their
action was “necessary to restore order” after protests turned violent. There
were no immediate reports of injuries. Video from the scene aired by national
broadcaster NOS showed police using a mechanical digger to push down barricades
and officers wielding batons and shields moving in to end the demonstration,
beating some of the protesters and pulling down tents. Protesters formed
barricades from wooden pallets and bicycles, NOS reported. Scores of
demonstrators occupied a small island at the university on Monday, urging
Amsterdam universities to break academic ties with Israel because of its
offensive in Gaza in the aftermath of the deadly Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas
militants in southern Israel.”



Southeast Asia



India Today: Court Sentences 5 For Promoting Islamic State Ideology, Spreading
Terror
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“Five people, including two women, were sentenced by a special NIA court in
connection with a case related to a conspiracy by the banned Islamic
State-Khorasan Province (ISKP) group to propagate ISIS ideology and sow terror
through violent acts in India. The court has sentenced one of the accused,
Jahanzaib Sami, to prison terms ranging from three to 20 years, along with
fines, for offences under various sections of the Unlawful Activities
(Prevention) Act and the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Sami was accused of plotting
to establish a Caliphate in India and conspiring to carry out 100 IED blasts
across the country in a single day. NIA investigations revealed that Sami was
also involved in raising, receiving, and providing funds through cryptocurrency
to promote ISIS ideology, while also exploiting the sentiments of susceptible
youth to fuel anti-CAA/NRC protests.”



Associated Press: Malaysian Government Defends Presence Of Companies That
Supply Weapons To Israel At Defense Show
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“Malaysia will not interfere in business relations between arms manufacturers
and other countries, its defense minister said Tuesday, after protesters
demanded that the government expel companies that supply weapons to Israel from
an international exhibition. More than 1,300 companies from 60 nations are
participating in Defense Services Asia and the concurrent National Security
Asia exhibitions that started Monday. The events are hosted and co-organized by
Malaysia’s Defense Ministry and Home Affairs Ministry. The Solidarity for
Palestinian coalition held a brief rally outside the exhibition center on
Tuesday to protest the presence of U.S. weapons maker Lockheed Martin, European
missile manufacturer MBDA and others that provide arms to Israel. The coalition
accused the manufacturers of being complicit in Israel’s offensive in Gaza.”



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