Eye on Extremism
June 4, 2024
Reuters: Lebanon's Hezbollah Fires Drone Squadron at Israel as Violence Intensifies
“Lebanon's Hezbollah said on Monday it had launched a squadron of drones towards the headquarters of the Israeli military's Galilee formation in an intensification of cross-border violence between the two adversaries. While Hezbollah has previously launched drones at Israel during hostilities that began in October, it marked the first time the Iran-backed group had announced firing a squadron of them.”
Associated Press: Four More Israeli Hostages Declared Dead, and Palestinians Seek to Join Genocide Case
“Israel’s military confirmed the deaths of four more hostages held by Hamas — including three men in their 80s who were seen in a Hamas video begging for their release. Around 80 hostages captured on Oct. 7 are believed to still be alive in Gaza, alongside the remains of 43 others. Monday’s announcement came days after U.S. President Joe Biden announced that Israel has offered Hamas a deal to release all the hostages in Gaza and potentially end the war. Biden says the militant group is sufficiently depleted, however Israeli leaders say destroying Hamas will require more military operations in Gaza, raising doubts about the cease-fire efforts.”
United States
Associated Press: US Urges UN Security Council to Support Cease-Fire Plan in Gaza Announced by President Biden
“The United States urged the U.N. Security Council on Monday to support the three-phase plan announced by President Joe Biden aimed at ending the nearly eight-month war in Gaza, freeing all hostages and sending massive aid into the devastated territory. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the United States circulated a draft resolution to the 14 other council members to back the proposal for ending the conflict that began with Hamas’ surprise attack in southern Israel on Oct. 7 that killed some 1,200 people, mostly Israeli civilians.”
Iraq
Reuters: Iran's Allies in Iraq are Firing at Israel. Could that Trigger a Wider War?
“Iran-backed Shi'ite armed groups in Iraq have ramped up rocket and missile attacks on Israel in recent weeks, raising concerns in Washington and among some Iranian allies of potential Israeli retaliation and regional escalation should they draw blood. Though the attacks, often from hundreds of miles (kms) away, are not seen by western officials and Israeli experts as posing the same level of threat to Israel as point-blank strikes by Hamas and Hezbollah, they have increased in number and sophistication.”
Middle East
Associated Press: Proposed Gaza Cease-Fire puts Netanyahu at a Crossroads that could Shape his Legacy
“The cease-fire proposal announced by President Joe Biden has placed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a crossroads, with either path likely to shape the legacy of Israel’s longest-serving and deeply divisive leader. The proposal offers the possibility of ending Israel’s war against Hamas, returning scores of hostages held by the Islamic militant group, quieting the northern border with Lebanon and potentially advancing a historic agreement to normalize ties with Saudi Arabia.”
Nigeria
Reuters: Nigerian Strike Shuts Power Grid, Disrupts Airlines
“Nigeria's main labour unions on Monday shut down the national grid and disrupted flights across the country as they began an indefinite strike over the government's failure to agree a new minimum wage. The strike began after talks broke down between the government and the country's two biggest union federations, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), over increasing the minimum wage. It is the fourth since President Bola Tinubu took office last year.”
Somalia
Voice Of America: Somalia Wants All Ethiopian Troops to Leave by December
“Somalia expects all Ethiopian troops to leave the country by the end of 2024 as the African Union Transition Mission mandate expires in December, according to Somali National Security Adviser Hussein Sheikh-Ali. During a recent talk broadcast by a national media outlet, Ali said Ethiopian troops won’t be part of the African Union forces being organized with international partners to secure key installations in Somalia for one year from January 2025.”
United Kingdom
BBC: British Bank Accused of Helping to Fund Terrorists
“A British bank that escaped prosecution for money laundering carried out billions of dollars of transactions for funders of terrorist groups, US court papers allege. Standard Chartered, one of the UK’s largest banks, avoided prosecution by the US Department of Justice after Lord Cameron’s government intervened on its behalf in 2012. New documents filed to a New York court claim thousands of transactions worth more than $100bn were carried out by the bank from 2008 to 2013 in breach of sanctions against Iran.”
Germany
Associated Press: German Authorities See Islamic Extremist Motive in Mannheim Knife Attack
“German authorities say they have uncovered evidence of an Islamic extremist motive in last week’s knife attack in the southwestern city of Mannheim in which a police officer was fatally injured. Justice Minister Marco Buschmann wrote on the social media platform X late Monday that “there are now clear indications of an Islamist motive” for the attack and federal prosecutors, who are responsible for terrorism and national security cases, are taking over the investigation.”
Politico: Murder of German Police Officer Inflames Migration Debate Ahead of EU Election
“The grisly killing of a police officer — captured on video by an onlooker and shared widely on social media — has sparked a highly emotional debate in Germany about migration and radical Islamism, just days ahead of the European Parliament election. The officer, identified as Rouven L., 29, died Sunday after being stabbed in the back of the head allegedly by a 25-year-old man from Afghanistan, who arrived in Germany in 2014.”
Southeast Asia
The Times of India: NIA Charge Sheets 17 Hardcore ISIS Operatives in India Involved in Radicalising Youth, Making IEDs
“The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday chargesheeted 17 hardcore agents of the proscribed global terrorist organisation ISIS for being part of a conspiracy involving radicalisation of youth and fabrication of improvised explosive devices, according to an official statement. The NIA had originally chargesheeted three persons in March 2023 and filed its supplementary chargesheet before the special court at Patiala House in New Delhi on Monday against 17 others, of whom 15 are from Maharashtra and one each from Uttarakhand and Haryana, it said.”
Technology
ABC: How Non-Violent Fundamentalism can Pave the Way for Violent Extremism: From the Interpretation of Religious Texts to the Formation of Absolutist Worldviews
“The stabbings in both Sydney and Perth earlier this year sparked yet another round of conversations around the relationship between violence and religion, in general, and Islam, in particular. It is a relationship that has been studied extensively by scholars, who have examined how certain interpretations of sacred texts can lead to worldviews that justify religiously motivated violence.”
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