“The International Criminal Court prosecutor, Karim Khan, said Monday that he
had requested arrest warrants for the leaders of Hamas and for Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel for war crimes and crimes against humanity in
relation to the Oct. 7 attack and the war in Gaza. In a statement, Mr. Khan
said he was applying for arrest warrants for Yahya Sinwar, Muhammad Deif and
Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas. He also said he was requesting warrants for Mr.
Netanyahu and for Israel’s defense minister, Yoav Gallant.”











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Eye on Extremism



May 20, 2024



The New York Times: International Criminal Court Prosecutor Requests Warrants
For Netanyahu And Hamas Leaders
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“The International Criminal Court prosecutor, Karim Khan, said Monday that he
had requested arrest warrants for the leaders of Hamas and for Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel for war crimes and crimes against humanity in
relation to the Oct. 7 attack and the war in Gaza. In a statement, Mr. Khan
said he was applying for arrest warrants for Yahya Sinwar, Muhammad Deif and
Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas. He also said he was requesting warrants for Mr.
Netanyahu and for Israel’s defense minister, Yoav Gallant.”



CNN: Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi And Foreign Minister Confirmed Dead In
Helicopter Crash
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“Ultraconservative Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was killed Sunday, along
with his foreign minister, in a helicopter crash in Iran’s remote northwest,
injecting fresh uncertainty as the country’s hardline clerical establishment
navigates rising regional tensions and domestic discontent. The loss of two of
Iran’s most influential political figures comes as the country buckles under
significant economic and political strain, with tensions with nearby Israel at
a dangerous high.”




CEP Expert Analysis

* ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in March 2024
<[link removed]>
* CEP Report: Central Syria’s ISIS Insurgency In 2023
<[link removed]>
* CEP Statement Calling For U.S. Sanctions Against Qatar, DIMDEX Conference,
And Al Thani Royal Family
<[link removed]>
* Extremist Content Online: The Base Calls For Members of Other White
Supremacist Groups to Join
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* CEP Webinar: Cruel And Unusual Punishment – How The Houthis Target Women,
Journalists And Religious Minorities
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CEP Mentions



BBC: US Warns Of Possible Pride Month Attacks Worldwide
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“...The Counter Extremism Project, a New York-based non-profit group, noted
that anti-LGBTQ ideas had been taken up by both Islamist and far-right
extremists. "It is no surprise that neo-Nazis and jihadis often express mutual
admiration for their shared anti-gay visions," Mark D Wallace, the project's
chief executive, said in a statement. Protests and threats against LGBTQ
communities by homegrown US groups also have been on the increase in recent
years, according to a number of experts and research organisations. According
to a report by the Anti-Defamation League and Glaad, a group formerly known as
the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, there were at least 145
incidents of anti-LGBTQ violence, harassment and vandalism during Pride Month
in 2023.”



United States



Axios: Scoop: U.S., Iran Held Indirect Talks This Week On Avoiding More Attacks
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“Two top Biden administration officials held indirect talks with Iranian
officials in Oman this week on how to avoid escalating regional attacks, two
sources with knowledge of the talks told Axios. Why it matters: The talks —
involving President Biden's top Middle East adviser, Brett McGurk, and Abram
Paley the acting U.S. envoy for Iran — were the first round of discussions
between the U.S. and Iran since January, when similar negotiations were held in
Oman. The talks occurred just over a month after Iran's unprecedented missile
assault on Israel on April 13. The attack put the Middle East on the cusp of a
regional war. Driving the news: Iran fired 350 ballistic missiles and drones
toward Israel in retaliation for Israel's assassination of Brig. Gen. Mohammad
Reza Zahedi, a top Iranian Quds Force general in charge of that nation's
military operations in Lebanon and Syria.”



Associated Press: Trucks Are Rolling Across A New US Pier Into Gaza. But
Challenges Remain To Getting Enough Aid In
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“Trucks carrying badly needed aid for the Gaza Strip rolled across a newly
built U.S. pier and into the besieged enclave for the first time Friday as
Israeli restrictions on border crossings and heavy fighting hindered the
delivery of food and other supplies. The shipment is the first in an operation
that American military officials anticipate could scale up to 150 truckloads a
day, all while Israel presses in on the southern city of Rafah in its
seven-month offensive against Hamas. At the White House, National Security
Council spokesman John Kirby said “more than 300 pallets” of aid were in the
initial delivery and handed over to the U.N., which was preparing it for
distribution. Kirby said the U.S. has gotten indications that “some of that aid
was already moving into Gaza.””



Iraq



The Times Of Israel: Iraq's Kurdish Regional Security Council Announces Arrest
Of Top Aide Of Former Islamic State Leader
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“The Kurdish Regional Security Council announced in a statement on Friday
that it captured a senior Islamic State figure, Socrates Khalil. Khalil was
known to be a confidant of the late Islamic State leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
"After spending five years in Turkey, Khalil returned to Kurdistan with a
forged passport and was swiftly apprehended," the statement said. Khalil made
bombs for the Islamic State and was entrusted by al-Baghdadi with various major
operations, the statement added, saying that he was instrumental in the 2014
Islamic State takeover of Mosul, and participated in many battles against Iraqi
forces and the Peshmerga forces.”



Turkey



Voice Of America: Turkey Sends Syrian Mercenaries To Niger To Secure Strategic
Interests
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“Hundreds of Syrian mercenaries have been sent by Turkey to Niger in recent
months to protect Ankara's economic and military interests in the West African
nation, a rights group and experts said. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory
for Human Rights, which has researchers throughout Syria, reports that
recruitment of Syrian fighters for deployment to Niger has been going on for
several months. "We have confirmed that about 1,100 Syrian fighters have
already been deployed to Niger since September of last year," said Rami
Abdulrahman, director of the Syrian Observatory. Syrian nationals are being
recruited from areas under the control of Turkey and Turkish-backed Syrian
armed groups in northwest Syria, Abdulrahman told VOA. Syrians for Truth and
Justice (STJ), a France-based advocacy group, said it has also documented such
recruitments.”



Afghanistan



Associated Press: The Islamic State Claims Attack In Afghanistan That Killed 3
Spanish Citizens And 3 Afghans
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“The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for an attack on
foreigners in central Afghanistan last week in which three Spanish citizens and
three Afghans were killed. Seven people were wounded in the attack on Friday in
on Bamiyan province, a major tourist area, according to Abdul Mateen Qani, a
spokesman for the interior minister. He said seven suspects were arrested at
the scene. The Islamic State group issued statements on its Aamaq news agency
late Sunday that said IS fighters attacked a bus carrying tourists and their
guides. “The attack was in response to the IS leaders’ directions to target
citizens of the European Union wherever they are found,” it said. Spain’s
Foreign Ministry said three Spaniards died and at least one more had been
wounded.”



Pakistan



The Times Of India: Militants Target Empty Pakistan Girls' School: Official
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“An empty girls' school in Pakistan was partially damaged in a bomb explosion
after militant groups demanded extortion money, officials said on Friday. It is
the second attack on a girls' school in just over a week, both located in the
former tribal areas close to the border with Afghanistan, where militancy has
spiked since the return to power of the Afghan Taliban in Kabul. No one was
hurt in the latest attack overnight on Thursday, according to the
non-government group Wana Welfare Association which runs the school. "About a
month ago, we received a letter from a militant group demanding a specific
portion of our funding. A few days later, another letter was thrown into our
office, demanding a payment of 10 million rupees ($36,000)," a senior member of
the Wana Welfare Association in Peshawar said.”



Associated Press: Pakistan Asks Its Nationals Studying In Kyrgyzstan To Stay
Indoors After Mobs Attacked Foreigners
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“Pakistan asked its nationals in Kyrgyzstan to stay indoors after mobs
attacked foreigners in the capital Friday night over some unknown dispute with
migrants, the Foreign Ministry said Saturday. It also repatriated 140 Pakistani
students from Bishkek after the violence. A special flight bringing the
Pakistani students home from Kyrgyzstan landed at an airport on Saturday in
Pakistan’s eastern city of Lahore, the Interior Ministry said. Pakistan plans
to use more such flights to bring back all those who want to leave Bishkek
following the violence in the central Asian country, the ministry added.
According to local media, the violence began last week following a clash
between Kyrgyz people and foreigners in the city. Earlier, Pakistan said its
embassy in Bishkek was in contact with the Kyrgyz government to ensure the
safety and security of its nationals. Some of the injured Pakistani students
were treated at a local hospital in Bishkek, it said.”



Voice Of America: Pakistani Minister: Islamabad Would Like Beijing To Talk To
Kabul On Terrorism
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“Pakistan’s minister for planning and development, Ahsan Iqbal, says his
country is not opposed to Afghanistan’s inclusion in a Chinese-funded
mega-development project, but would like Beijing to persuade Kabul to crack
down on terrorist groups operating on its soil against Islamabad. Prime
Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s new government, which took office in March, is
anxious to revive the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor or CPEC – a roughly $62
billion flagship project that is part of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative –
which has suffered a slump in recent years due to political, economic, and
security problems in Pakistan. Iqbal recently met officials in China to prepare
for Sharif’s upcoming visit aimed at quickening the pace and broadening the
scope of CPEC.”



Yemen



Bloomberg: China-Bound Oil Tanker Hit By Houthi Missile In Red Sea, US Says
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“A China-bound oil tanker in the Red Sea was struck and temporarily disabled
by a ballistic anti-ship missile fired by Houthi militants, the US Central
Command said. The strike Saturday on the Greek-owned M/T Wind caused flooding
that knocked out its propulsion and steering, which the crew restored without
help from a coalition vessel that responded to a distress call. The Wind, which
most recently docked in Russia, resumed its course under its own power, Centcom
said in a statement. No casualties were reported. While Centcom didn’t provide
a location, Agence-France Presse reported earlier Saturday that an oil tanker
was hit near the Bab el-Mandeb strait, about 10 nautical miles (19 kilometers)
southwest of the Yemeni port of Mokha. AFP cited maritime security firm Ambrey.”



Lebanon



Business Insider: IDF Claims Hezbollah Drone Struck Israel's Giant
Missile-Detecting Airship, Report Says
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“The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed that a Hezbollah drone struck a
large missile-detecting airship known as "Sky Dew," Israeli outlet Ynetnews
reported. The radar-detecting balloon was deployed around 21 miles from the
Israel-Lebanon border in an area called Golani Junction, the report said.
"There were no casualties and no impact to the IDF's aerial situational
awareness capability in the area," IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari
said, per Ynet News. The sytem was designed to add to Israel's air defenses by
detecting incoming missiles and drones, officials have said, per The Times of
Israel. The Israeli Air Force received the airship in 2022. It comes amid
increasing tensions with the Hezbollah militant group, which has carried out a
number of strikes on Israel following the latter's invasion of the Gaza Strip.”



Middle East



NPR: Israel Recovers The Bodies Of 3 Hostages
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“Israel says it has recovered the bodies of three people killed in the Oct. 7
Hamas-led attack that triggered the invasion of the Gaza Strip. Israel's top
military spokesperson, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said Friday the three were
identified as Shani Louk, Amit Buskila and Yitzhak Gelernter. He said they had
been killed by the Palestinian militants when they attacked a music festival in
southern Israel and their bodies taken into Gaza. Israel says more than 130
hostages remain inside Gaza, a quarter of whom are believed to be dead. More
than 240 people were taken hostage during the Oct. 7 attack, when hundreds of
Palestinian militants broke through the fencing surrounding Gaza and attacked
Israeli communities and a music festival being held nearby. More than 35,000
Palestinians have been killed in the resulting war, according to the Gaza
Health Ministry, and the Gaza Strip has been reduced to ruins.”



Associated Press: Airstrike Kills 27 In Central Gaza And Fighting Rages As
Israel’s Leaders Are Increasingly Divided
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“An Israeli airstrike killed 27 people in central Gaza, mostly women and
children, and fighting with Hamas raged across the north on Sunday as Israel’s
leaders aired divisions over who should govern Gaza after the war, now in its
eighth month. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces criticism from the other
members of his War Cabinet, with main political rival Benny Gantz threatening
to leave the government if a plan is not created by June 8 that includes an
international administration for postwar Gaza. His departure would leave
Netanyahu more reliant on far-right allies who support full military occupation
of Gaza and rebuilding of Jewish settlements there. U.S. National Security
Adviser Jake Sullivan met with Netanyahu to discuss an ambitious U.S. plan for
Saudi to recognize Israel and help the Palestinian Authority govern Gaza in
exchange for a path to eventual statehood.”



Mali



Voice Of America: Mali Rebels Accuse Army, Wagner Of Killing Civilians
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“An alliance of separatist rebel groups fighting Malian government forces on
Saturday accused the army and Russian paramilitary group Wagner of killing 11
civilians earlier in the week. The Malian authorities did not respond to a
request for comment from AFP about the allegations posed in a statement from
the Permanent Strategic Framework for the Defense of the People of Azawad
(CSP-DPA), an alliance of predominantly Tuareg armed rebel groups. The CSP-DPA
said that Wednesday, the village of Tassik in the northern Kidal region "was
targeted by a patrol of mercenaries from the Russian Wagner group and the
Malian army, who committed serious violations against the population." The
separatist alliance put the death toll at 11 civilians, whose bodies were
discovered "burned," with two more civilians reported missing.”



Africa



Punch News: 386 Abductees Rescued During Sambisa Clearance Exercise — Military
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“The Nigerian Army said on Sunday that it rescued no fewer than 386 people,
mostly women and children, from the Boko Haram insurgents’ stronghold, Sambisa
forest in Borno State. The acting General Officer Commanding 7 Division, Brig.
Gen. AGL Haruna, said the abductees were rescued during a just-concluded 10-day
clearing operation in Sambisa. According to him, some of the abductees had been
in terrorists’ captivity for as long as 10 years befor their rescue over the
weekend. Haruna, who spoke to journalists in the Konduga Local Government Area,
explained that the exercise tagged “Operation Desert Sanity 111” was to clear
Sambisa forest of the remnants of all categories of terrorists as well as
provide some of them willing to surrender the opportunity to do so. He said,
“Our effort is to ensure that we clear the remnants of terrorists in the
Sambisa forest and give those willing to surrender the opportunity to
surrender.”



France



Associated Press: French Police Fatally Shoot A Man Suspected Of Setting Fire
To A Synagogue
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“French police shot and killed a man armed with a knife and a metal bar who
is suspected of having started a fire that charred and blackened the insides of
a synagogue in the Normandy city of Rouen early Friday, an attack the interior
minister said was “clearly” antisemitic and which infuriated Jewish leaders
facing a surge in hate crimes since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war. The
suspected arsonist was an Algerian national who wasn’t flagged as a potential
extremist, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said after inspecting the
fire-damaged synagogue. He said the man had sought permission to stay in France
for medical treatment and, after it was refused, had been placed on a police
wanted list for possible return back to his country.”



Europe



Associated Press: Ireland’s Top Diplomat Concerned Over Slow Pace Of Justice
In Peacekeeper’s Killing In Lebanon
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“Ireland’s top diplomat in a visit to Lebanon on Monday expressed his concern
over the slow progress in criminal proceedings against several Lebanese men
charged with the killing of an Irish peacekeeper in 2022 in the tiny
Mediterranean country. Micheál Martin, Irish foreign and defense minister, said
he was “very, very concerned” about the case. He met with Irish peacekeepers in
south Lebanon and with Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib and a
representative of the Lebanese defense ministry. Lebanon’s military tribunal
last June charged four men with the killing of Pvt. Seán Rooney, 24, of Newtown
Cunningham, Ireland, following a half-year probe. Rooney was killed on Dec. 14,
2022. Only one of the suspects, Mohammed Ayyad, was arrested. However, he was
released on bail in November, with officials citing his medical condition. The
four others facing charges — Ali Khalifeh, Ali Salman, Hussein Salman, and
Mustafa Salman — remain at large.”



Euronews: Political Violence Is On The Rise In EU, Driven By Extremism And
Disillusionment
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“European Policy Centre analysts say the general political climate and the
upcoming European elections are, in part, responsible for the uptick in
violence. The shooting of Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico is an example of
the more serious acts of political violence in parts of the European Union. It
was the first attempt on the life of a European head of state since 2003, and
reflects a growing polarisation across the continent. Eric Maurice, researcher
at the European Policy Centre, said there are numerous factors behind the
discontent. ''It's true that on the one hand, we can see in the election
results a rise in the extremes, in the radical forces, on both the right and
the left, with an increasingly uninhibited political language, in verbal
violence, in ad hominem attacks in political debate too. And then a
radicalisation, a polarisation of society and a difficulty in debating with
political adversaries who often become enemies,'' he said.”



Southeast Asia



Associated Press: A Man In Malaysia Who Killed 2 Police Officers Acted On His
Own, A Minister Says
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“The man who attacked a Malaysian police station and killed two officers was
a recluse and is believed to have acted on his own despite suspected links to
the Jemaah Islamiyah extremist group, the country’s home minister said
Saturday. The man stormed the police station in southern Johor state near
Singapore in the early hours of Friday with a machete. He hacked a police
constable to death and then used the officer’s weapon to kill another. He
wounded a third officer before being shot dead. Police initially said the man
could have attempted to take firearms from the station. Home Minister Saifuddin
Nasution called it a “lone wolf attack” based on an initial investigation and
said there was no threat to the wider public. “We have established that the
attacker acted on his own ... a lone wolf driven by certain motivation and his
own understanding,” Saifuddin said. “His action is not linked to any larger
mission.””



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