“A Liberian-flagged oil tanker in the Red Sea came under attack three times on
Tuesday, including in an assault using a bomb-carrying drone boat, likely the
latest in a campaign by Yemen’s Houthi rebels over the Israel-Hamas war,
officials said. The attacks come as the rebels’ main sponsor, Iran, weighs
possible retaliation against Israel over the assassination of Hamas official
Ismail Haniyeh last month in Tehran, Iran’s capital, which has renewed fears of
a wider regional war in the Middle East. Already, the Houthi assaults have
disrupted the $1 trillion annual flow of goods through the maritime route
crucial to trade among Asia, Europe and the Middle East, while also sparking
the most intense combat for the U.S. Navy since World War II. The Greek-managed
Delta Atlantica was first attacked when two explosives detonated near it,
according to the Joint Maritime Information Center, a multinational force
overseen by the U.S. Navy.”











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Eye on Extremism



August 14, 2024



Associated Press: A Ship In The Red Sea Is Attacked 3 Times By Suspected
Yemeni Rebels, Including With A Drone Boat
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“A Liberian-flagged oil tanker in the Red Sea came under attack three times on
Tuesday, including in an assault using a bomb-carrying drone boat, likely the
latest in a campaign by Yemen’s Houthi rebels over the Israel-Hamas war,
officials said. The attacks come as the rebels’ main sponsor, Iran, weighs
possible retaliation against Israel over the assassination of Hamas official
Ismail Haniyeh last month in Tehran, Iran’s capital, which has renewed fears of
a wider regional war in the Middle East. Already, the Houthi assaults have
disrupted the $1 trillion annual flow of goods through the maritime route
crucial to trade among Asia, Europe and the Middle East, while also sparking
the most intense combat for the U.S. Navy since World War II. The Greek-managed
Delta Atlantica was first attacked when two explosives detonated near it,
according to the Joint Maritime Information Center, a multinational force
overseen by the U.S. Navy.”



Associated Press: Israel-Hamas War Latest: Israeli Strikes Kill At Least 17 In
Gaza Overnight, Palestinians Say
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“Palestinian health officials say Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip
overnight and into Wednesday killed at least 17 people, including five children
and their parents. The latest strikes came on the eve of new talks aimed at
reaching a cease-fire in the 10-month-long war. The United States, Qatar and
Egypt are hoping to broker an agreement, but the sides remain far apart on
several issues even after months of indirect negotiations. One strike hit a
family home late Tuesday in the built-up Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza,
which dates back to the 1948 war surrounding Israel’s creation. It killed five
children, ranging in age from 2 to 11, and their parents, according to the
nearby Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. An Associated Press reporter who saw the
bodies arrive said. In the nearby Maghazi refugee camp, a strike on a home
early Wednesday killed four people and wounded others, the hospital said.”




The CEP CounterPoint: Expert Analysis

* The Recent Houthi Attack on Israel
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* CounterPoint Brief: Hamas Names Yahya Singer as New Leader
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* CounterPoint Brief: Far-Right Riots in the United Kingdom
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* CounterPoint Brief: Implications of Hezbollah Attack on Majdal Shams
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* Reactions to Trump Assassination Attempt From Extreme Right Telegram
Channels
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CEP Mentions



Daily Mail: Iran Rejects ‘Impudent' Calls From West To Stand Down Threat To
Attack Israel As IDF Approves Multi-Front Battle Plan To Retaliate Against
Tehran And Hezbollah
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“Iran today rejected the 'impudent' calls from the West to de-escalate its
threat against Israel over the alleged killings of Hamas political leader
Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut last
month.… Edmund Fitton-Brown, Senior Advisor to the Counter Extremism Project
and former Ambassador of the UK to Yemen, told MailOnline this evening 'it
could all very easily spiral out of control'.'But Iran both want to be seen to
respond to the Israeli assassinations. The F-15 aircraft, which will begin to
be delivered in 2029, will upgrade Israel's current fleet and include radars
and secure communications equipment. Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US'
ambassador to the UN, stressed today that the overall American goal in the
Middle East is still to 'turn the temperature down'.”



The Standard: Rioters Could Serve Less Time Behind Bars Amid Bid To Cut Prison
Overcrowding
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“... Former prison governor Ian Acheson, an adviser to the Counter Extremism
Project think tank, said rioters should not get “any additional discount” on
their sentences. Speaking to PA, he said: “The full force of the law does not
mean the same thing as it meant in 2011 because… you’ve got a system that’s on
its knees already. So the priority must be that justice is seen to be done. “I
think the Ministry of Justice should go further, exceptionally in these
circumstances, and say that anybody who is convicted of a riot-connected
offence should not be eligible for the discount. “Because I think the most
important thing that the state needs to do right now is assert its authority
again. These are exceptional circumstances. The exclusions that apply are
fairly specific so they would need to be changed.” But he also questioned
whether any changes “would fly” without legal challenge.”



United States



Voice Of America: Pentagon: Iran-Backed Attack Injured 8 US Troops In Syria
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“Eight U.S. service members in Syria were injured in a drone attack by
Iranian-backed militants last week, Pentagon press secretary Major General Pat
Ryder said on Tuesday. Tuesday marked the first time that the Pentagon blamed
Iranian proxies for Friday's attack. "We assess that it was conducted by
Iranian-backed militia, but we're still digging into the specifics," Ryder said
in response to a question from VOA at a Pentagon briefing. Ryder told reporters
the service members had been treated for smoke inhalation and traumatic brain
injury. Three of the injured troops have returned to duty, he added. Earlier,
the U.S. military said several American and coalition personnel had been
wounded in a drone attack late Friday at Rumalyn Landing Zone in eastern Syria
but stressed that "none of the injuries are life threatening."”



Turkey



Associated Press: Turkey Says Ethiopia And Somalia Have Made ‘Notable
Progress’ In Talks To Settle Dispute
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“Ethiopia and Somalia have made “notable progress” in efforts to settle a
dispute sparked by Ethiopia’s deal with the breakaway region of Somaliland,
Turkey’s foreign minister said Tuesday. Hakan Fidan made the comments at the
end of a second round of talks between the foreign ministers of Somalia and
Ethiopia that are being mediated by Turkey. “I am pleased to announce that the
number and extent of issues we discussed, has increased significantly, compared
to the first round. We were able to focus on the details and technicalities of
concrete steps,” Fidan said in a video message recorded at his ministry. “We
believe that a collaborative and constructive solution is within reach.”
Flanked by his counterparts from Ethiopia and Somalia, Fidan added that a third
round of talks would be held on Sept. 17.”



Afghanistan



Associated Press: The Taliban Are Celebrating Three Years In Power, But
They’re Not Talking About Afghans
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“The Taliban celebrated the third anniversary of their return to power at a
former U.S. air base in Afghanistan on Wednesday, but there was no mention of
the country’s hardships or promises of hope for the struggling population.
Under blue skies and blazing sunshine at Bagram — once theepicentre of
America’s war to unseat the Taliban and hunt down the al-Qaida perpetrators of
the 9/11 attacks — members of the Taliban cabinet lauded achievements like
strengthening Islamic law and establishing a military system that provides
“peace and security.” The speeches were aimed at an international audience,
urging the diaspora to return and for the West to interact and cooperate with
the country’s rulers. “The Islamic Emirate eliminated internal differences and
expanded the scope of unity and cooperation in the country,” said deputy prime
minister Maulvi Abdul Kabir, employing the term the Taliban use to describe
their government.”



Pakistan



Associated Press: Pakistani, Afghan Taliban Forces Trade Fire At Torkham
Border Crossing, Killing 3 Afghan Civilians
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“Pakistani and Afghan Taliban forces traded cross-border fire near a key
northwestern crossing, killing a woman and two children on the Afghan side of
the border, officials said Tuesday. There was no immediate word on casualties
on the Pakistani side of the Torkham border which was shut, disrupting trade
and movement of people between the two countries, local Pakistani official
Zahid Khan said. Torkham, a key border crossing, is located in Pakistan’s
northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. It was unclear who initiated the
attack, though such cross-border fire is common along the Afghan-Pakistan
border. Each side has in the past closed Torkham, and also the southwestern
Chaman border crossing in Pakistan, for various reasons. Both crossings are
vital for trade and travel for Afghanistan and Pakistan.”



Middle East



Associated Press: Public Spat Highlights Cracks In Netanyahu’s Coalition As
Israel Braces For Feared Iran Attack
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“Cracks are widening in a public tiff between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu and his moderate defense minister, the latest spat showing growing
discontent with Netanyahu’s handling of the war at a sensitive time. Israel is
bracing for potential Iranian retaliation after a blast in Tehran killed Hamas’
leader — an attack blamed on Israel. And a new round of cease-fire negotiations
between Israel and Hamas is set to begin later this week. On Monday, the
Israeli media reported that Defense Minister Yoav Gallant condemned Netanyahu’s
“nonsense about ‘total victory’” a phrase the prime minister has frequently
repeated during the 10-month-old war in Gaza. The war, which began with a
Hamas-led Oct. 7 attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and left about 250
hostage in Gaza, has killed more than 39,000 Palestinians.”



Europe



Reuters: Austria Plans Tougher Counter-Terrorism Moves After Taylor Swift Plot
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“Chancellor Karl Nehammer said on Tuesday he would introduce steps to bolster
Austria's counter-terrorism capacity after authorities last week foiled a
suspected ISIS-inspired plot against a concert due to be held by Taylor Swift
in Vienna. In a post on X, Nehammer said he was presenting a package of
measures to enable "decisive action against terrorist activities", linking to a
media report setting out his plans to beef up domestic intelligence services.
The report referenced by Nehammer in Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung set out
four points, including giving security services the ability to monitor
communications sent on messaging apps - currently not permitted in the country.
Nehammer, a conservative seeking re-election next month, said after the alleged
plot was uncovered that Austria needed to give intelligence agencies more
powers to decrypt messages.”



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