“U.S. military bases throughout Europe have been put on heightened alert status
due to a potential terrorist attack, Fox News Digital has confirmed. "There is
credible intel pointing to an attack against U.S. bases over the next week or
so," a U.S. defense official told Fox News’ Lucas Tomlinson. The official, who
declined to be identified because he was not authorized to speak to the media,
did not elaborate on the nature of the threat, but confirmed it was not tied to
the French elections. The official said all U.S. military bases in Europe have
been placed on high alert, not a lock-down. The U.S. bases have raised the
status of the alert level to, "Force Protection Charlie," which means the
Pentagon has received credible intelligence indicating some form of a terrorist
attack is in the works. The new alert applies to all U.S. military facilities
and personnel in Europe, including facilities in Germany, Italy, Romanian and
Bulgaria, per reporting from Stars and Stripes.”











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Eye on Extremism



July 1, 2024



Associated Press: US Bases In Europe On High Alert For Possible Terrorist
Attack: DOD
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“U.S. military bases throughout Europe have been put on heightened alert
status due to a potential terrorist attack, Fox News Digital has confirmed.
"There is credible intel pointing to an attack against U.S. bases over the next
week or so," a U.S. defense official told Fox News’ Lucas Tomlinson. The
official, who declined to be identified because he was not authorized to speak
to the media, did not elaborate on the nature of the threat, but confirmed it
was not tied to the French elections. The official said all U.S. military bases
in Europe have been placed on high alert, not a lock-down. The U.S. bases have
raised the status of the alert level to, "Force Protection Charlie," which
means the Pentagon has received credible intelligence indicating some form of a
terrorist attack is in the works. The new alert applies to all U.S. military
facilities and personnel in Europe, including facilities in Germany, Italy,
Romanian and Bulgaria, per reporting from Stars and Stripes.”



Associated Press: Female Suicide Bombers Kill At Least 18 In Coordinated
Attack In Nigeria, Authorities Say
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“Female suicide bombers targeted a wedding, a funeral and a hospital in
coordinated attacks in northern Nigeria that killed at least 18 people, local
authorities said Sunday. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the the
attacks in Borno state, which has been heavily affected by the insurgency
launched in 2009 by Boko Haram. The extremist group previously has used women
and girls in suicide bombings, prompting suspicions that some attackers come
from the many thousands of people the militants have kidnapped over the years,
including schoolchildren. The first suicide bomber detonated a device during a
marriage celebration in the northeastern town of Gwoza, Barkindo Saidu,
director-general of the Borno State Emergency Management Agency, told
reporters. “Minutes later, another blast occurred near General Hospital,” Saidu
said, and the third bomber at the funeral service was disguised as a mourner.
Children and pregnant women were among those killed. At least 30 others were
wounded, and Saidu said that injuries included abdominal ruptures and skull
fractures.”




CEP Expert Analysis

* Counterpoint Brief: US Designates Nordic Resistance Movement Specially
Designated Global Terrorist Organization
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* ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in March 2024
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* CEP Report: Central Syria’s ISIS Insurgency In 2023
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* CEP Statement Calling For U.S. Sanctions Against Qatar, DIMDEX Conference,
And Al Thani Royal Family
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* Extremist Content Online: The Base Calls For Members of Other White
Supremacist Groups to Join
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CEP Mentions



Tagesspiegel: Less US Military Aid For Jerusalem? How Dependent Is Israel
Really On America’s Weapons
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“[…] Hans-Jakob Schindler, senior director of the international Counter
Extremism Project, also believes that a complete cessation of military
cooperation is out of the question. "Not only is it politically unthinkable
that a US administration would completely end this cooperation, it would also
be completely pointless from a military perspective," Schindler told
Tagesspiegel. "Israel is one of the most important hubs in the projection of US
military strength in the region." The dispute over the delays mainly concerns
the delivery of so-called 2,000-pound bombs with very high explosive power. The
United States is concerned that Israel could use these bombs in the Gaza Strip,
specifically in the southern city of Rafah - and that this would affect many
Palestinian civilians. Then in May, the government released a report finding
that since October 7, Israel has used US weapons “in cases inconsistent with
its obligations under international humanitarian law.””



Vanguard: Police Arrest Female Prison Officer Filmed Having Sex With Inmate In
UK Cell
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“... Ian Acheson, a former prison governor, commented on the security
implications of the incident: “If this footage is authentic, and I’ve been
assured it is, the problems confronting a likely new Labour administration go
far beyond overcrowding.” The case has raised serious concerns about security
protocols and staff conduct within the prison system.”



Tagesschau: What Happened To The IS Caliphate?
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“... Al-Baghdadi's appearance caused a stir around the world. Hans-Jakob
Schindler, a terrorism expert at the Counter Extremism Project organization,
says it was crucial that the caliphate was proclaimed in a mosque, on a prayer
pulpit. Because in addition to its ideological function, the caliphate also had
a religious one." The last caliph was deposed in Turkey in the 1920s. That
ended the caliphate," explains Schindler. The proclamation of the caliphate was
intended to build on this. "With the idea of establishing a new political order
worldwide. This caliphate was then supposed to spread from Iraq and Syria,
first through the Islamic world and then of course the whole world - as is
always the case with these extremist, terrorist-Islamist ideologies."”



United States



Associated Press: US Removes Gaza Aid Pier Due To Weather And May Not Put It
Back, Officials Say
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“The pier built by the U.S. military to bring aid to Gaza has been removed
due to weather to protect it, and the U.S. is considering not re-installing it
unless the aid begins flowing out into the population again, U.S. officials
said Friday. While the military has helped deliver desperately needed food
through the pier, the vast majority of it is still sitting in the adjacent
storage yard and that area is almost full. Aid agencies have had difficulty
moving the food to areas further into Gaza where it is most needed because the
humanitarian convoys have come under attack. The U.N., which has the widest
reach in delivering aid to starving Palestinians, hasn’t been distributing food
and other emergency supplies arriving through the pier since June 9. The pause
came after the Israeli military used an area near the pier to fly out hostages
after their rescue in a raid that killed more than 270 Palestinians, prompting
a U.N. security review over concerns that aid workers’ safety and neutrality
may have compromised.”



Associated Press: US Shifts Assault Ship To The Mediterranean To Deter An
Escalation Of The Israel-Lebanon Conflict
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“The amphibious assault ship USS Wasp entered the eastern Mediterranean Sea
this week as the U.S. positions warships to try to keep fighting between Israel
and Hezbollah in Lebanon from escalating into a wider war in the Middle East.
While the Wasp has the capability to assist in the evacuation of civilians if
full-scale war breaks out between Israel and the Iranian-backed militant group
along the Lebanon border, that’s not the primary reason it was rotated in, a
U.S. official said. “It’s about deterrence,” the official said. A second U.S.
official said the rotation is similar to the U.S. sending the USS Bataan
assault ship into the waters around Israel shortly after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack,
with the vessel remaining for months in the eastern Mediterranean to help
provide options and try to contain the conflict. The officials spoke on the
condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive operational details.”



Iraq



Associated Press: A Decade After The Islamic State Group Declared A Caliphate,
It’s Defeated But Remains Lethal
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“A decade after the Islamic State militant group declared its caliphate in
large parts of Iraq and Syria, the extremists no longer control any land, have
lost many prominent leaders and are mostly out of the world news headlines.
Still, the group continues to recruit members and claim responsibility for
deadly attacks around the world, including lethal operations in Iran and Russia
earlier this year that left scores dead. Its sleeper cells in Syria and Iraq
still carry out attacks against government forces in both countries as well as
U.S.-backed Syrian fighters, at a time when Iraq’s government is negotiating
with Washington over a possible withdrawal of U.S. troops. The group that once
attracted tens of thousands of fighters and supporters from around the world to
come to Syria and Iraq, and at its peak ruled an area half the size of the
United Kingdom was notorious for its brutality.”



Associated Press: UNESCO Finds Islamic State Group-Era Bombs In Mosul Mosque
Walls, Years After The Defeat Of IS
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“The U.N. cultural agency has discovered five bombs hidden within the walls
of the historic al-Nouri Mosque in the city of Mosul in northern Iraq, a
remnant of the Islamic State militant group’s rule over the area, UNESCO said
in a statement Saturday. The mosque, famous for its 12th-century leaning
minaret, was destroyed by IS in 2017 and has been a focal point of UNESCO’s
restoration efforts since 2020. The U.N. agency said that five large-scale
explosive devices, designed for significant destruction, were found inside the
southern wall of the Prayer Hall on Tuesday. “These explosive devices were
concealed within a specially rebuilt section of the wall,” the statement said.
“Iraqi authorities were promptly notified, secured the area, and the situation
is now fully under control.” It added that “one bomb has been defused and
removed, while the remaining four are interconnected and will be safely
disposed of in the coming days.””



Afghanistan



Associated Press: The Taliban Tell The West To Look Past Harsh Edicts On
Afghan Women And Girls And Build Ties
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“The Taliban on Sunday told the West to look past the measures they have
imposed on Afghan women and girls for the sake of improving foreign relations.
Their chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the Taliban uphold certain
religious and cultural values and public aspirations that “must be
acknowledged” to facilitate progressive bilateral relations rather than
encountering disputes and stagnation. Mujahid made his demand on the opening
day of a United Nations-led meeting in Qatar on increasing engagement with
Afghanistan and to have a more coordinated response to the country’s issues.
It’s the third such U.N.-sponsored gathering in Doha. The Taliban were not
invited to the first meeting, and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said
they set unacceptable conditions for attending the second one in February,
including demands that Afghan civil society members be excluded from the talks
and that the Taliban be treated as the country’s legitimate rulers."



Lebanon



The National: Cross-Border Raids Continue Amid Increasing Israel-Hezbollah War
Rhetoric
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“Cross-border air strikes, rocket and drone attacks between Israel and
Lebanon’s Hezbollah continued into Monday, amid threats by both sides that a
far bigger conflict could be looming. A build-up of tensions between both sides
has led to fears of a destructive, full-tilt war that could include thousands
of attacks a day, compared to the dozens, sometimes scores a day now. Even
still, many residents of southern Lebanon say the situation already feels like
full-scale war. Israeli air strikes hit southern Lebanese border towns – Rab al
Talatine, Kafr Kela, and Blida – overnight into Monday. The night of heavy
strikes followed the injury of 18 Israeli soldiers – one of them severely – in
a Hezbollah-claimed drone strike in the Israel-occupied Golan Heights earlier
on Sunday.”



Middle East



Voice Of America: Israel's Netanyahu Vows 'Victory' As Cease-Fire Talks With
Hamas Are Stalled
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“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu renewed his vow Sunday that there
is “no substitute for victory,” telling his Cabinet that Israel would continue
its war against Hamas in Gaza until the militants are defeated and 120
Hamas-held hostages, both dead and alive, are returned. He said the war, nearly
10 months long, would continue “until we achieve all our goals,” including that
Hamas “no longer poses a threat on Israel.” Netanyahu contended, “Everyone
knows the simple truth: Hamas is the only obstacle to freeing our hostages,” in
exchange for hundreds of Palestinians jailed by Israel. But there appeared to
be no change in the stalemated cease-fire talks, with Israel calling for a
six-week halt in the fighting and exchange of hostages and prisoners, while
Hamas demanded a permanent stop to the fighting and an Israeli withdrawal of
its troops.”



The New York Times: Palestinian Fighters In West Bank Seek To Emulate Hamas In
Gaza
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“The alleys are cast in permanent semidarkness, covered by black nylon
tarpaulins to hide the Palestinian fighters there from Israeli drones overhead.
Green Hamas flags and banners commemorating “martyrs” hang from the buildings,
many badly damaged during Israeli raids and airstrikes to try to tamp down a
growing militancy in the territory, fueled by the war in Gaza. This is not Gaza
or a traditional Hamas stronghold. It is a refugee camp in Tulkarm, a town in
the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where the relatively moderate Palestinian
faction of Fatah had long held sway. I recently met a local commander of these
young militants, Muhammad Jaber, 25, in one of those dusty, shattered
alleyways. One of Israel’s most wanted men, he and other fighters like him say
they have switched allegiances from the relatively moderate Fatah faction,
which dominates the Israeli-occupied West Bank, to more radical groups like
Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad since the Hamas-led attack on Israel on
Oct. 7.”



Somalia



Garowe Online: Somalia Government Sets Conditions For Potential Talks With
Al-Shabaab
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“Hussein Sheikh Ali, the national security advisor to the Somali President,
clarified that the government is not currently engaged in talks with Al-Shabab.
He emphasized that the President has laid out clear conditions for any future
dialogue with the group. "They must sever any link with global terror groups
and accept Somalia's territorial integrity. They must be willing to pursue
their political agenda peacefully," Sheikh Ali stated, outlining the
government's stance on the matter. This announcement comes on the heels of
President Hassan Sheikh's remarks in Oslo, Norway, where he expressed his
government's readiness to engage in talks with Al-Shabab. The President
indicated that the conclusion of the ongoing conflict would likely involve a
negotiation process. The Somali government's position reflects a strategic
approach to addressing the persistent threat posed by Al-Shabab, which has been
a significant security concern in the region.”



Garowe Online: Somali National Army Strikes Against Al-Shabaab In Middle
Shabelle
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“In a significant blow to Al-Shabaab, the Somali National Army (SNA) has
successfully targeted and neutralized several of the group's hideouts in the
Middle Shabelle region. The operation, which took place recently, saw the SNA
not only destroy key infrastructure used by the militants but also neutralize a
number of them and capture several suspects. The SNA has been actively working
to maintain control and strengthen its presence in the region, with the
ultimate goal of eradicating the remaining terrorists. This operation marks a
major step forward in that effort, demonstrating the SNA's commitment to
ensuring the safety and security of the Somali people. The successful targeting
of Al-Shabaab hideouts is a testament to the SNA's growing capabilities and its
determination to rid the country of the terrorist threat. With each operation,
the SNA is sending a clear message to Al-Shabaab and its supporters that their
actions will not be tolerated and that the government is committed to restoring
peace and stability to the region.”



Africa



Voice Of America: Expanding Extremist Groups In Africa Fuel Worries That They
Could Attack The US, Allies
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“Violent extremist groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group are
growing in size and influence across Africa, fueling worries that as they
improve their tactics they could attack the U.S. or Western allies. U.S.
defense and military officials described the threats and their concerns about
growing instability in Africa, where a number of coups have put ruling juntas
in control, leading to the ouster of American troops and a decline in U.S.
intelligence gathering. "Threats like Wagner, terrorist groups and
transnational criminal organizations continue to sow instability in multiple
regions," Air Force Gen. CQ Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said
in opening remarks Tuesday at a conference of African chiefs of defense in
Botswana. "I think we can all agree, what happens in one part of the world,
does not stay in one part of the world." Wagner is the Russian mercenary group
that has gone into African nations to provide security as Western forces,
including from the U.S. and France, have been pushed out.”



Associated Press: Looting And Fighting Reported In A Central Sudan City As
Paramilitary Group Attacks Military Troops
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“Fighters from Sudan’s notorious paramilitary group looted homes and shops
and took over the main hospital in a central city, forcing tens of thousands to
flee, residents said Sunday, as a new front opened in a a 14-month war that has
pushed the African country to the brink of famine. The paramilitary Rapid
Support Forces began its offensive against Sudan’s military in Sennar province
earlier this week, attacking the village of Jebal Moya before moving to the
provincial capital of Singa, where fresh battles have erupted. The fighting
forced about 57,000 people to flee their homes, according to the United
Nations. RSF fighters in pickup trucks mounting automatic rifles rampaged
through Singa, about 350 kilometers (217 miles) southeast of the capital,
Khartoum, over the weekend, according to residents and a local rights group.
They looted houses, shops in a local market and took over the city’s main
hospital, they said.”



Europe



Associated Press: US And Europe Warn Lebanon’s Hezbollah To Ease Strikes On
Israel And Back Off From Wider Mideast War
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“U.S., European and Arab mediators are pressing to keep stepped-up
cross-border attacks between Israel and Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah
militants from spiraling into a wider Middle East war that the world has feared
for months. Iran and Israel traded threats Saturday of what Iran said would be
an “obliterating” war over Hezbollah. Hopes are lagging for a cease-fire in
Israel’s conflict with Hamas in Gaza that would calm attacks by Hezbollah and
other Iranian-allied militias. With the stalled talks in mind, American and
European diplomats and other officials are delivering warnings to Hezbollah —
which is far stronger than Hamas but seen as overconfident — about taking on
the military might of Israel, current and former diplomats say. The Americans
and Europeans are warning the group it should not count on the United States or
anyone else being able to hold off Israeli leaders if they decide to execute
battle-ready plans for an offensive into Lebanon.”



Russia



Associated Press: Dagestani Jews Look To Rebuild After Extremist Attacks In
The Restive Region Of Southern Russia
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“Jews in the predominantly Muslim region of Dagestan in southern Russia say
they are determined to regroup and rebuild following a deadly attack by Islamic
militants on Christian and Jewish houses of worship in two cities last weekend.
The attacks in the regional capital of Makhachkala and the city of Derbent on
Sunday killed 21 people — most of them police officers — and injured at least
43 others in the restive region in the North Caucasus on the Caspian Sea. Chief
Rabbi of Russia Berel Lazar said a 110-year-old Derbent synagogue, which was a
center for Jewish life in the region, was destroyed in a fire during the
attacks. Among those slain was the Rev. Nikolai Kotelnikov, a 66-year-old
Russian Orthodox priest who was killed as the faithful gathered on Pentecost,
also known as Trinity Sunday, at a church in Derbent, which is Russia’s
southernmost city and one of its oldest.”



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