“A man believed to be the first far-right extremist to be placed under special
government measures for monitoring suspected terrorists is to be jailed for
breaching them, a court has heard. The defendant, who can only be referred to
as LXB, was subject to strict measures controlling his electronic communication
in 2022 after being convicted of possessing material likely to be used for a
terrorist purpose. He also previously made threats to kill a Jewish MP and had
another conviction for making explosives, Leeds Crown Court heard. He pleaded
guilty to four counts of contravening a TPIM (Terrorism Prevention and
Investigation Measures) order and was told he would face a jail sentence at his
next hearing on 16 July. The court heard the man, who is in his 20s, was
visited by police at home in June last year after he tried to set up a bank
account on a device that was not known to them.”











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Eye on Extremism



July 9, 2024



BBC: Far-Right Extremist Faces Jail For Terror Breach
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“A man believed to be the first far-right extremist to be placed under special
government measures for monitoring suspected terrorists is to be jailed for
breaching them, a court has heard. The defendant, who can only be referred to
as LXB, was subject to strict measures controlling his electronic communication
in 2022 after being convicted of possessing material likely to be used for a
terrorist purpose. He also previously made threats to kill a Jewish MP and had
another conviction for making explosives, Leeds Crown Court heard. He pleaded
guilty to four counts of contravening a TPIM (Terrorism Prevention and
Investigation Measures) order and was told he would face a jail sentence at his
next hearing on 16 July. The court heard the man, who is in his 20s, was
visited by police at home in June last year after he tried to set up a bank
account on a device that was not known to them.”



Associated Press: The Taliban’s Morality Police Are Contributing To A Climate
Of Fear Among Afghans, UN Says
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“The Taliban’s morality police are contributing to a climate of fear and
intimidation among Afghans, according to a U.N. report published Tuesday.
Edicts and some of the methods used to enforce them constituted a violation of
human rights and fundamental freedoms, the report said. The Taliban set up a
ministry for the “propagation of virtue and the prevention of vice” after
seizing power in 2021. Since then, the ministry has enforced decrees issued by
the Taliban leadership that have a disproportionate impact on women and girls,
like dress codes, segregated education and employment, and having a male
guardian when they travel. “The punishments attached to non-compliance with
instructions and decrees are often arbitrary, severe and disproportionate,”
said the report from the U.N. Mission in Afghanistan. “Sweeping bans with a
discriminatory effect on women have been introduced. Human rights violations,
as well as the unpredictability of enforcement measures, contribute to a
climate of fear and intimidation among segments of the population.””



CEP Mentions



Spectator: How Labour’s Jail Strategy Could Come Unstuck
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“Let’s talk cobblers. The Prime Minister has responded to the jail space
crisis by ennobling the nation’s shoe mender-in-chief James Timpson and making
him minister for prisons, probation and parole. This is a bold move but not one
without risk. It would only take one high-profile crime committed by a prisoner
on early release to plunge the strategy into crisis. Timpson has made his
fortune out of the ubiquitous key cutting and watch repair outlets that sprout
from many big supermarkets. He’s less well known for a passionate interest in
penal affairs. He became the first household name retailer to employ carefully
screened prison leavers in his shops and they have returned his trust by
becoming some of his best workers. I’ve never had a bad visit to Timpsons; this
says much about the business his father and he have built on can-do socially
aware capitalism.”



Iran



Reuters: Exclusive: Satellite Photos Show Iran Expanding Missile Production
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“Recent satellite imagery shows major expansions at two key Iranian ballistic
missile facilities that two American researchers assessed are for boosting
missile production, a conclusion confirmed by three senior Iranian officials.
The enlargement of the sites follows an October 2022 deal in which Iran agreed
to provide missiles to Russia, which has been seeking them for its war against
Ukraine. Tehran also supplies missiles to Yemen's Houthi rebels and the
Lebanese militia Hezbollah, both members of the Iran-backed Axis of Resistance
against Israel, according to U.S. officials. Images taken by commercial
satellite firm Planet Labs of the Modarres military base in March and the
Khojir missile production complex in April show more than 30 new buildings at
the two sites, both of which are located near Tehran. The images, reviewed by
Reuters, show many of the structures are surrounded by large dirt berms. Such
earthworks are associated with missile production and are designed to stop a
blast in one building from detonating highly combustible materials in nearby
structures, said Jeffrey Lewis of the Middlebury Institute of International
Studies at Monterey.”



Yemen



Reuters: Yemen's Houthis Claim Joint Military Operation With Iraq's Islamic
Resistance On Israel's Eilat
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“Yemen's Houthis said on Monday that they carried out a joint military
operation with the Iraqi Islamic Resistance targeting Israel's port city of
Eilat using "a number of drones'"”



Associated Press: Yemen’s Houthi Rebels Could Free A Rival Political Leader
Held Incommunicado Since 2015, UN Says
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“Yemen’s Houthi rebels could free a political leader with ties to the
internationally recognized government who has been detained for nearly a
decade, under a preliminary prisoner swap deal announced by the United Nations
on Monday. Mohamed Qahtan is the leader of the Sunni Islamist Islah party,
which is aligned with the Saudi Arabia-backed government, and he has been held
incommunicado by the Iranian-backed Houthis since 2015, the United Nations
said. The office of U.N. special envoy Hans Grundberg convened a meeting in
Oman with the International Committee of the Red Cross over the weekend to
facilitate talks centered on a prisoner exchange, in accordance with the 2018
Stockholm Agreement, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. The two Yemeni
sides agreed to meet to discuss the final list of who will be released and the
details of Qahtan’s release, Dujarric said, without providing details on the
potential agreement.”



Associated Press: A Suspected Attack By Yemen’s Houthi Rebels Targets A Ship
In The Gulf Of Aden
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“A suspected attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels targeted a ship in the Gulf of
Aden on Tuesday, the latest assault by the group on the crucial maritime trade
route. The captain of the ship reported an explosion in close proximity to the
vessel off the coast of Nishtun, Yemen, close to the country’s border with
Oman, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center
said. The ship, whose name and flag were not released, and all crew are safe,
the UKMTO said in a warning to mariners. The explosion took place in the
farthest reaches of the waterway earlier targeted by the rebels, the center
said. It did not elaborate on what caused the explosion, though the Houthis
have been known to use drones and missiles as well as bomb-carrying drone
boats. The Houthis did not immediately comment. However, it can take hours or
even days before they acknowledge carrying out an attack.”



Qatar



Jewish Insider: Senate Defense Bill Pushes For Review Of U.S.-Qatar
Relationship
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The Senate Armed Services Committee’s draft of the 2025 National Defense
Authorization Act pushes for a review of the U.S.-Qatar relationship, following
months of mounting pressure from Capitol Hill and calls from some lawmakers to
dramatically downgrade the U.S.’ relationship with Doha. Lawmakers have grown
increasingly frustrated with Qatar in the months since Oct. 7. Qatar hosts
Hamas’ political leadership and has served as a mediator of hostage talks with
the terrorist group; some lawmakers have accused it of failing to apply
sufficient pressure on Hamas. The Senate Armed Services Committee’s defense
bill includes a provision that would require the Department of Defense to
submit a report to and brief Congress on the “operational value” of the
Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, “taking into consideration the relationship of the
Government of Qatar with Hamas and other terrorist organizations.”



Middle East



Reuters: Three Gazans Found Dead After Release From Israeli Custody, Relative
And Witness Say
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“The handcuffed bodies of three Palestinian men freed from Israeli custody
have been found near Gaza's border with Israel, and an uncle of one of them and
a witness said they had been attacked by Israeli forces shortly after their
release. Abdel Hadi Ghabayen, an uncle of one of the detainees, Kamel Ghabayen,
said he set out at 5 a.m. on Sunday looking for his nephew following his arrest
by Israeli forces on Saturday. "I found him left on the ground along with the
other two martyrs. They were without clothes, and their hands had plastic cuffs
put on them by the Israeli army," Ghabayen said. The bodies were found near the
Israeli border fence on Sunday in the vicinity of the Karam Abu Salem (Kerem
Shalom) crossing in southern Gaza, he said. Reuters could not independently
confirm what happened to the three men or the reason for their arrest.”



Associated Press: Israeli Forces Push Deeper Into Gaza City As Hamas Warns
That Escalation Threatens Cease-Fire Talks
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“Israeli forces advanced deeper into the Gaza Strip’s largest city in pursuit
of militants who had regrouped there, sending thousands of Palestinians fleeing
on Monday from an area ravaged in the early weeks of the nine-month-long war.
Hamas warned that the latest raids and displacement in Gaza City could lead to
the collapse of long-running negotiations over a cease-fire and hostage
release, after the two sides had appeared to have narrowed the gaps in recent
days. Israeli troops were again battling militants in areas that the army said
had been largely cleared months ago in northern Gaza. The military ordered
evacuations ahead of the raids, but Palestinians said nowhere feels safe. Most
of the population of 2.3 million has been displaced, often multiple times.
Hundreds of thousands are packed into sweltering tent camps.”



Somalia



Garowe Online: Ethiopia-Somalia Talks In Turkey Concluded Before They Began -
President
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“President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud maintains that the recent talks between
Ethiopia and Somalia over the controversial agreement 'ended before they
began', noting that Ethiopia remains non-committal to embracing dialogue.
Ethiopia, he said, has employed "delay tactics" despite looking for Somalia for
dialogue. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said Ethiopia's rigid approach to the matter
could further fuel tensions in the Horn of Africa region. Last week, Turkey
mediated talks between Ethiopia and Somalia but there was no substantive output
forcing the two countries to postpone the dialogue to September 2024, with
Turkey offering to continue with the mediation talks."The Ankara talks were
concluded before they even began," he said, accusing Ethiopia of causing the
breakdown due to its rigid stance. He noted that previous mediation attempts in
Nairobi had also failed due to Ethiopia's inflexibility.”



China



Voice Of America: China, Belarus Begin Joint Anti-Terrorism Exercises
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“China and Belarus began joint anti-terrorism exercises Monday in Brest,
Belarus, that will last for 11 days. The two countries will conduct drills in
the exercises titled Eagle Assault, and “soldiers from both sides will jointly
carry out hostage rescue operations and counterterrorism missions,” China’s
state news agency Xinhua said. Together, they “will work out the issues of
night landing, overcoming water obstacles, and conducting operations in a
populated area,” according to a statement from the Belarusian Ministry of
Defense. China and Belarus have a history of conducting joint military
exercises, having conducted four anti-terrorism exercises in territories of
both countries from 2011 to 2018. Eagle Assault occurs against a backdrop of
increasing Chinese-Belarusian cooperation, with Belarus being the newest
country to join the Chinese and Russian-led Shanghai Cooperation Organization.”



Russia



Reuters: Russia Sentences Director, Playwright To 6 Years For 'Justifying
Terrorism'
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“A Russian court sentenced a playwright and a theatre director each to six
years in prison on Monday for "justifying terrorism", concluding a trial that
rights campaigners had said demonstrated Russia's intolerance of artistic
freedom. Director Zhenya Berkovich, 39, and playwright Svetlana Petriychuk, 44,
were arrested in May last year over their production of a play called "Finist,
the Brave Falcon", about Russian women who marry Islamic State fighters. The
case was the most prominent prosecution of Russian cultural figures over the
content of their artwork since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in 2022. Both
denied guilt. The seven-week trial was condemned by free speech campaigners and
Russia's artistic community as politically motivated. Partway through the
trial, judge Yuri Massin approved a request from prosecutors to close the
proceedings to the public over alleged threats to some participants.”



Southeast Asia



Reuters: Militant Attack Kills Five Indian Army Soldiers In Kashmir Region
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“A militant attack on an Indian Army convoy in the Himalayan territory of
Jammu and Kashmir killed at least five soldiers, India's defence minister said
on Tuesday, the latest in a spate of strikes that has roiled the region.
Militant violence has marred the Kashmir Valley and nearby areas since the
start of an insurgency in 1989 that killed tens of thousands, although strife
has waned in recent years. Gunmen fired at the convoy in Kathua district on
Monday after attacking it with a grenade, media said, while return fire from
the soldiers sent the gunmen fleeing into a nearby forest. "Counter-terrorist
operations are underway, and our soldiers are determined to usher in peace and
order in the region," Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said in a post on X,
offering condolences to the bereaved families. India and Pakistan both claim
the Himalayan region of Kashmir but rule it in part, with India's territory
comprising the Hindu-dominated Jammu region and the Muslim-dominated Kashmir
valley.”



BBC: Five Indian Soldiers Killed In Kashmir Ambush
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“Five soldiers have been killed in an ambush by suspected militants in the
Kathua district of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir, officials say. The
soldiers in military vehicles came under fire from militants hiding in a nearby
hill, according to initial reports. Reinforcements arrived quickly and a search
operation was launched to track down the attackers, officials said. Kashmir has
seen an armed insurgency against Indian rule since 1989, but violence has waned
in recent years. Monday afternoon's attack in Jammu marks a month of increasing
violence in the region. Last month, nine people died and 33 were injured after
suspected militants fired on a bus carrying Hindu pilgrims in the area. Defence
Minister Rajnath Singh said he was "deeply anguished" at the lives lost in the
latest attack. "My deepest condolences to the bereaved families, the nation
stands firm with them in this difficult time," Mr Singh wrote on X, formerly
Twitter.”



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