“The Biden administration sees increased foreign terrorist threats to the US
compared to a year ago, thanks to renewed efforts by the Islamic State militant
group and Middle East unrest tied to the Israel-Hamas war. Department of
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said his department has noticed
“a resurgence in recruiting of ISIS, ISIS’s public communications and efforts
to galvanize individuals to divide us,” using a common acronym for the Sunni
Muslim insurgent group. The warning about global threats marks a recent shift
for Mayorkas and the department, which had focused on domestic violent
extremism as the most pressing — and lethal — threat facing Americans over the
past few years. Mayorkas said that while his concern that domestic violent
extremists are the greatest threat to the nation “certainly persists,” worry
about foreign terrorism is rising - hearkening back to the early days of DHS,
which was formed after the Sept. 11 attacks.”











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**NOTE: Eye On Extremism will be suspended on Wednesday, June 19 in observance
of Juneteenth. It will resume Thursday, June 20.**



Eye on Extremism



June 18, 2024



Bloomberg: Mayorkas Detects Uptick In Foreign Terrorist Threats To US
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“The Biden administration sees increased foreign terrorist threats to the US
compared to a year ago, thanks to renewed efforts by the Islamic State militant
group and Middle East unrest tied to the Israel-Hamas war. Department of
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said his department has noticed
“a resurgence in recruiting of ISIS, ISIS’s public communications and efforts
to galvanize individuals to divide us,” using a common acronym for the Sunni
Muslim insurgent group. The warning about global threats marks a recent shift
for Mayorkas and the department, which had focused on domestic violent
extremism as the most pressing — and lethal — threat facing Americans over the
past few years. Mayorkas said that while his concern that domestic violent
extremists are the greatest threat to the nation “certainly persists,” worry
about foreign terrorism is rising - hearkening back to the early days of DHS,
which was formed after the Sept. 11 attacks.”



Business Insider: Killings Show ISIS Remains A Threat In Syria's Desert 5
Years After Losing Its Caliphate
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“The Islamic State terror group may have lost its territorial caliphate, once
equal in size to the United Kingdom, years ago, but its militants are still
killing soldiers and civilians in the Syrian desert. In two attacks on
Wednesday, ISIS militants reportedly killed a total of 19 Syrian government
troops in the Homs desert in central Syria, according to the UK-based Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights war monitor. Wednesday's attacks followed another
attack on a Syrian army convoy in Homs' eastern countryside, killing five
soldiers on Monday. ISIS killed an estimated 84 Syrian soldiers and 44
civilians in central Syria in March, making it the most violent month in the
ISIS desert campaign since late 2017. Another attack on May 3 killed an
estimated 15 pro-government fighters. Another four Syrian troops were killed in
another desert attack in late April.”



CEP Mentions



T-Online: "You Can't Turn Germany Into A Military Camp"
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“.... This was demonstrated by a fight between both fan groups in the run-up
to the high-risk match between England and Serbia in Gelsenkirchen. Michael
Mertens was on site himself and the encounter was "short and violent", he
reports. The police quickly separated the problem fans. The situation was more
difficult than at the last major football event, the 2006 World Cup. At that
time, smartphones with the capabilities we have today did not exist. People
were more dependent on companions to find their way around. Today, everyone can
do it themselves. Groups are therefore harder to monitor. […] Tragic events
with a connection to the European Championship – but for terrorism expert
Hans-Jakob Schindler, this is no cause for concern. "The incidents are within
the range of what was to be expected," he stresses. Such acts are difficult to
prevent.”



United States



The New York Times: U.S. Treasury Imposes New Sanctions To Cut Off Weapons To
Houthis In Yemen
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“The United States imposed new sanctions on Monday aimed at cutting off
weapons, supplies and funding to the Iranian-backed Houthis, who control much
of Yemen and have been striking commercial ships in the Red Sea to show support
for Palestinians in Gaza. “The United States remains resolved to use the full
range of our tools to halt the flow of military-grade materials and funds from
commodities sales that enable these destabilizing terrorist activities,” Brian
E. Nelson, the Treasury Department’s under secretary for terrorism and
financial intelligence, said in a statement. The sanctions were placed on two
individuals and five entities that have facilitated weapons procurement for the
Houthis, as well as an individual, a company and a vessel that have helped with
commodities shipments, “the sale of which provides an important funding stream
to the Houthis that aids in their weapons procurement,” the Treasury statement
said.”



Iraq



Daily Mail: Islamic State 'ordered Terrorists To Shoot Real Madrid Footballers
And Attack Their Stadium With Explosives', As Police In Spain Arrest Nine People

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“Islamic State terrorists were ordered to shoot at Real Madrid players,
according to reports from Spain after the Civil Guard dismantled one of the
organisation's propaganda centres. According to Spanish outlet El Confidencial,
the self-styled I'lam Foundation - one of the biggest Propaganda sources
connected with Islamic State - was taken down by the Spanish Civil Guard
Information Service. The report claims that the operation uncovered a number of
orders directed at Real Madrid, the Santiago Bernabeu and Los Blancos fans. A
post was circulated on the now dismantled network, which includes the imagery
of a person in a balaclava or hood aiming a gun at what looks to be a stock
picture of a coach. The image is accompanied by the message: 'My dear brother.
Wait in a place near the arrival point of the players. Aim at them along with
their supporters.'”



Afghanistan



Associated Press: Reclusive Taliban Leader Warns Afghans Against Earning Money
Or Gaining ‘Worldly Honor’
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“The Taliban’s reclusive supreme leader on Monday warned Afghans against
earning money or gaining worldly honor at a time when the country is in the
grip of humanitarian crises and isolated on the global stage. Hibatullah
Akhundzada gave his warning in a sermon to mark the festival of Eid al-Adha at
a mosque in southern Kandahar province, weeks before a Taliban delegation goes
to Doha, Qatar for U.N.-hosted talks on Afghanistan. This is the first round of
talks the Taliban will attend since they seized power in August 2021. They
weren’t invited to the conference of foreign special envoys to Afghanistan in
the first round, and they snubbed the second round because they wanted to be
treated as the country’s official representatives. No government recognizes the
Taliban as the legitimate rulers of Afghanistan, whose aid-dependent economy
was plunged into turmoil following their takeover.”



Yemen



Business Insider: Video Shows The Houthis Attack A Merchant Ship With A Naval
Drone Seemingly Disguised As A Slow Fishing Boat
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“New video footage appears to show the moments before a Houthi naval drone —
seemingly disguised as a slow-moving fishing boat — struck a commercial vessel
in the Red Sea last week. The Iran-backed rebels on Wednesday scored a hit on
the M/V Tutor with an uncrewed surface vessel, causing severe flooding and
damage to the engine room of the bulk cargo carrier, and forcing the crew to
abandon the ship. A video purporting to show the attack began circulating
around social media on Sunday. In it, armed security guards aboard what was
identified as the Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned Tutor can be seen observing
what seems to be the crude-looking naval drone — likely packed with explosives
— as it slowly approaches the ship unobstructed.”



Reuters: US-UK Forces Launch Strikes On Yemen's Hodeidah And Kamaran Island,
Houthi-Run TV Says
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“U.S. and British forces have carried out at least six airstrikes on Yemen's
Hodeidah International Airport and four strikes on Kamaran Island near the port
of Salif off the Red Sea, Al-Masirah TV, the main television news outlet run by
Yemen's Houthi movement, said on Monday. The strikes on Kamaran mark the first
time U.S.-led coalition forces have targeted the island since airstrikes on
Houthi targets began in early February. They follow the Iran-backed Houthis'
first successful armed maritime drone strike and other missile assaults that
damaged the Tutor and Verbena cargo ships last week. Both of the vessels are
abandoned and adrift - with Tutor at risk of sinking, military and security
experts said. The Houthis, who control Yemen's capital and most populous areas,
have attacked international shipping in the Red Sea since November in
solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza."



Lebanon



Politico: Israel-Hezbollah War ‘More Likely’ As Tensions Flare
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“Today, U.S. special envoy AMOS HOCHSTEIN met with Israeli Prime Minister
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU and several of his advisers in an attempt to calm the border
conflict, which has been ongoing throughout Israel’s war in Gaza. He was also
scheduled to meet with opposition politicians YAIR LAPID and BENNY GANTZ
afterward, before heading to Lebanon on Tuesday for talks. Hochstein’s
deployment underscores the White House’s desire to calm the situation on
Lebanon’s border, even if a broader agreement to end hostilities can’t be
reached, former U.S. special envoy DAVID SATTERFIELD said during a Carnegie
Endowment for International Peace event today. The past week has been
particularly tense. An Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon killed one of
Hezbollah’s most senior members, leading the militants to fire hundreds of
rockets toward Israel. Today, Israel killed another senior Hezbollah member.”



Middle East



Reuters: Israeli Forces Deepen Rafah Invasion, Kill 17 In Central Camps
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“Israeli airstrikes on Tuesday killed at least 17 Palestinians in two of the
Gaza Strip's historic refugee camps and Israeli tanks pushed deeper into the
enclave's southern city of Rafah, residents and medics said. Residents reported
heavy bombardments from tanks and planes in several areas of Rafah, where more
than a million people had taken refuge before May. Most of the population has
fled northwards since then as Israeli forces invaded the city. "Rafah is being
bombed without any intervention from the world, the occupation (Israel) is
acting freely here," a Rafah resident and father of six told Reuters via a chat
app. Israeli tanks were operating inside Tel Al-Sultan, Al-Izba, and Zurub
areas in Rafah's west, as well as Shaboura at the heart of the city. They also
continued to occupy the eastern neighborhoods and outskirts as well as the
border with Egypt and the vital Rafah border crossing.”



Somalia



Voice Of America: Al-Shabab Reverses Somali Force Gains, Is Working With
Houthis In Somalia
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“Al-Shabab has reversed all Somali National Army gains made over the last two
years and is now working with the Houthi militant group to expand its
capabilities, according to senior U.S. defense officials. “They are working
with the Houthis,” said a senior U.S. defense official, who spoke to reporters
on the condition of anonymity. “It’s a bit of a surprise. … It’s quite
concerning.” The official said that the Houthi militants in Yemen view this
“nascent” collaboration as a means “to be taken more seriously” as they try to
pose a threat to American and British vessels outside the Red Sea. The Houthis
have attacked or threatened U.S. Navy and commercial vessels more than 190
times in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since Nov. 19, 2023, Pentagon
spokesperson Sabrina Singh told reporters at the Pentagon on Monday.”



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