Eye on Extremism
September 3, 2024
NBC News: Six Hostages, Including Israeli American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Found Dead In Gaza
“One day after the Israeli army recovered the bodies of six hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets in Tel Aviv on Sunday to demand the Israeli government negotiate a deal to bring the remaining hostages home. The Israel Defense Forces identified the six, all of whom were taken hostage in the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attacks, as Israeli American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi and Master Sgt. Ori Danino.”
Fox News: Top General In Fight Against The Taliban Says Afghanistan Has Once Again Become A ‘Crucible Of Terrorism’
“Friday marked the third anniversary of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and the end of the first U.S. campaign in what has been dubbed the Global War on Terror. But the conclusion to the 20-year-long war, which saw the death of more than 6,200 American soldiers and contractors, over 1,100 allied troops, 70,000 Afghan military and police, and more than 46,300 Afghan civilians, ultimately resulted in the collapse of Afghanistan to the Taliban and a safe haven for al Qaeda – once again becoming a "crucible of terrorism," according to former Afghan Lt. Gen. Sami Sadat. Despite the more than $2.3 trillion spent on the war in Afghanistan and President Biden’s pronouncement that al Qaeda was "gone," the terrorist group is stronger than it was before the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, argued Sadat, author of "The Last Commander: The Once and Future Battle for Afghanistan."”
CEP Mentions
The Cradle: Iraqi PM Asserts To US Officials: 'ISIS Poses No Threat'
“... The nonprofit Counter Extremism Project (CEP) released a report claiming 69 confirmed attacks by ISIS in central Syria in March. The attacks resulted in the deaths of at least 84 Syrian soldiers, and 44 civilians and more than doubled the total number of confirmed ISIS operations for all of 2024. “March was, by every metric, the most violent month of ISIS’s Badia [central Syrian desert] insurgency since late 2017, when the group first lost control of its territory,” according to the CEP report. “The unique and alarming difference in March was the scale of attacks against security forces,” the report added. “ISIS cells successfully and consistently targeted regime outposts and ambushed patrols, frequently capturing and executing soldiers.” Russia has accused the US of supporting ISIS in Syria, including training ISIS fighters at the Al-Tanf base on the Syria–Iraq–Jordan border, as part of a broader effort to destabilize the country and justify the presence of US forces there.”
Metro: Preparing For ‘Day X’ – Combat-Ready Neo-Nazi ‘Active Clubs’ Spreading In The UK
“... The clubs are ‘arguably the largest and fastest growing violent extreme-right network’, and are spreading across the UK, according to the insights provided to Metro.co.uk by the Counter Extremism Project (CEP). The government responded to the research by highlighting ‘rapid’ work taking place to counter ‘growing and changing patterns of extremism.’ ‘The Active Club strategy was specifically developed to evade law enforcement monitoring and intervention and to prepare for a Day X scenario,’ senior CEP advisor Alexander Ritzmann said. ‘For example, this could be serving as the militia to a political extreme-right party and to fight their political enemies. ‘Violence by groups and individuals that follow the Active Club strategy will likely come without manifestos in the meantime.’”
FDD's Long War Journal: Analysis: Responding forcefully to the Axis of Resistance
“Iran has defined itself in opposition to Israel, the United States, and the wider West since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Over the course of half a century of complex regional and global events, the clerical regime’s hostility and determination to “resist” has never abated, even when Iran finds itself naturally on the same side as the US in a given conflict.”
United States
Associated Press: Israel-Hamas War Latest: Biden Adds To Pressure On Netanyahu To Reach Cease-Fire Deal
“United States President Joe Biden is adding to the pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying he isn’t doing enough to reach a cease-fire deal in Gaza. Israel’s largest trade union, the Histadrut, called for the general strike, the first since the start of the war. It aimed to shut down or disrupt major sectors of the economy, including banking, health care and the country’s main airport. But a court ruled it had to end early after the government called the strike politically motivated. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis poured into the streets Sunday in grief and anger after six hostages were found dead in Gaza. The families and much of the public blamed Netanyahu, saying they could have been returned alive in a deal with Hamas to end the nearly 11-month-old war.”
Iraq
Associated Press: 7 US Troops Hurt In A Raid With Iraqi Forces That Left 15 Suspected Militants Dead
“The United States military and Iraq launched a joint raid targeting suspected Islamic State group militants in the country’s western desert that killed at least 15 people and left seven American troops hurt, officials said Saturday. For years after dislodging the militants from their self-declared caliphate across Iraq and Syria, U.S. forces have fought the Islamic State group, though the casualties from this raid were higher than in previous ones. The U.S. military’s Central Command said the militants were armed with “numerous weapons, grenades, and explosive ‘suicide’ belts” during the raid Thursday, which Iraqi forces said happened in the Anbar Desert. “This operation targeted ISIS leaders to disrupt and degrade ISIS’ ability to plan, organize, and conduct attacks against Iraqi civilians, as well as U.S. citizens, allies, and partners throughout the region and beyond,” Central Command said, using an acronym for the militant group. “Iraqi Security Forces continue to further exploit the locations raided.””
Turkey
Associated Press: Suspect Arrested In Turkey For Allegedly Transferring Money To Mossad Operatives, Report Says
“Turkish police have arrested a suspect believed to have been transferring money to operatives from Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency in Turkey, the state-run news agency reported Tuesday. The suspect, identified as Liridon Rexhepi from Kosovo, entered Turkey on Aug. 25, and was detained last Friday and formally arrested on Tuesday, the Anadolu Agency said. The report said he had confessed during interrogation that he conducted the money transfers. Since January, Turkish authorities have detained dozens of people, among them private investigators, on charges of collecting data on individuals, mostly Palestinians residing in Turkey, for Israeli intelligence. Israel has not commented on the arrests in Turkey.”
Afghanistan
Voice Of America: Taliban: Suicide Bomb Blast In Kabul Kills 6 Afghan Civilians
“Taliban authorities in Afghanistan reported Monday that a suicide bomb blast in Kabul killed at least six people, including a woman, and wounded 13 others. Police confirmed the deadly attack in the Afghan capital, saying it occurred in the city's southwestern Qala Bakhtiar area when a suicide bomber detonated explosives strapped to his body. Kabul police spokesperson Khalid Zadran wrote on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that the victims were civilians and that investigations into the attack were ongoing. He shared no further details. There were no immediate claims of responsibility, but the Afghan offshoot of the Islamic State, IS-Khorasan, is the primary suspect. The terrorist outfit has taken credit for almost all recent attacks in Kabul and elsewhere in Afghanistan.”
Yemen
Associated Press; Yemen’s Houthi Rebels Target Oil Tanker In The Red Sea. US Says Rebels Also Hit Saudi-Flagged Tanker
“An attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels targeted a Panama-flagged oil tanker in the Red Sea on Monday, authorities said, as a nearby Saudi-flagged tanker ship also allegedly came under fire from the group. The attacks are believed to be the latest in the Iranian-backed rebels’ campaign that has disrupted the $1 trillion in goods that pass through the Red Sea each year over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip and has halted some aid shipments to conflict-ravaged Sudan and Yemen. The new attacks on oil tankers also come amid efforts to salvage the still-burning Sounion oil tanker earlier hit by the Houthis, seeking to head off the potential ecological disaster posed by its cargo of 1 million barrels of crude oil. In Monday’s first assault, two ballistic missiles hit the oil tanker Blue Lagoon I, and a third exploded near the ship, the multination Joint Maritime Information Center overseen by the U.S. Navy said.”
Reuters: Salvage Of Stricken Oil Tanker In Red Sea Expected Soon, Sources Say
“A salvage operation to recover a Greek-registered oil tanker stranded ablaze in the Red Sea after an attack by Houthi militants is expected to start in the coming days, two sources with knowledge of the matter said on Friday. The Sounion, which the Houthis and maritime sources have said has been rigged with explosives, is laden with about 1 million barrels of crude oil. If a spill occurs, it has the potential to be among the largest from a ship in recorded history and could cause an environmental catastrophe in an area that is particularly dangerous to access. "What was decided yesterday is an initial game plan, of the operation starting in 48 hours," one of the sources said. A second source said the operation was likely to be complex, given Houthis have planted explosives on board. Greece said in a letter circulated through the U.N. shipping agency on Friday that what it called a "potential spill" of 2.2 nautical miles (4.2 km) in length had been detected in the area matching the location of the Sounion in the Red Sea.”
Middle East
Reuters: UN To Vaccinate Gaza's Children Against Polio During Pauses In Fighting
“The United Nations will start vaccinating some 640,000 children in the Gaza Strip against polio on Sunday, a campaign that relies on daily eight-hour pauses in fighting between Israel and Hamas militants in specific areas of the besieged enclave. The complex campaign, which is targeting children under age 10, follows confirmation last week that a baby was paralyzed by the type 2 polio virus, the first such case in the territory in 25 years. WHO officials say at least 90% of the children need to be vaccinated twice with four weeks between doses for the campaign to succeed, but it faces huge challenges in Gaza, which has been largely destroyed by nearly 11 months of war. "It's not ideal," Rik Peeperkorn, the World Health Organization's senior official for the Palestinian territories, told reporters in Geneva on Friday. "We think it is feasible if all of the pieces of the puzzle are in place," he said.”
Associated Press: Palestinian Militants Kill 3 Israeli Police In The West Bank
“Palestinian militants killed three Israeli police officers on Sunday when they opened fire on a vehicle in the occupied West Bank, where Israel has carried out large-scale raids in recent days. The attack took place along a road in the southern West Bank. The raids have mainly been focused on urban refugee camps in the northern part of the territory, where Israeli forces have traded fire with militants on a near-daily basis since the outbreak of the war in Gaza. The police confirmed that all three killed were officers and said the assailants slipped away. One of the officers killed was Roni Shakuri, 61, from the southern town of Sderot near the Gaza border, police said. His daughter, Mor, who was also a police officer, was killed in a battle with Hamas militants when they tried to take over the Sderot police station during the Oct. 7 attack. A little-known militant group calling itself the Khalil al-Rahman Brigade claimed responsibility for the shooting on Sunday. Hamas praised the attack as a “natural response” to the war in Gaza and called for more.”
Reuters: Israeli Troops, Palestinian Militants Clash In West Bank
“Clashes broke out between Israeli troops and Palestinian fighters in the occupied West Bank on Saturday as Israel pushed ahead with a military operation in the flashpoint city of Jenin. Israeli troops searched areas around Jewish settlements after two separate security incidents on Friday evening. In Jenin itself, drones and helicopters circled overhead while the sound of sporadic firing could be heard in the city. Hundreds of Israeli troops have been carrying out raids since Wednesday in one of their largest actions in the West Bank in months. The operation, which Israel says was mounted to block Iranian-backed militant groups from attacking its citizens, has drawn international calls for a halt. At least 19 Palestinians, including armed fighters and civilians, have now been killed since it began. The Israeli military said on Saturday a soldier had been killed during the fighting in the West Bank.”
Germany
The Washington Post: Far Right Set To Win In A German State For The First Time Since WWII
“Projections in Germany’s closely watched elections Sunday showed the anti-migrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party leading in one state and running a close second in another, a result that, if confirmed by official tallies, would see a far-right party win a state for the first time in the country’s postwar history. The projections, based on early vote counts and commissioned by public broadcaster ARD, showed the AfD well ahead with 32.8 percent in the state of Thuringia, and claiming 30.8 percent in Saxony — 1 percentage point behind the center-right Christian Democrats. A second forecast by broadcaster ZDF showed an even tighter race in Saxony. In both states in eastern Germany — which has become a stronghold of the far right — other parties have refused to cooperate with the AfD, meaning it is unlikely to form part of any new state governments. Nevertheless, the victory in Thuringia in particular would be seen as highly symbolic.”
Technology
Reuters: Media Matters Must Face X’s Lawsuit Over Report About Ads Next To Extremist Posts
“A federal judge in Texas has refused to dismiss a lawsuit by Elon Musk’s social media company X accusing watchdog Media Matters of disparaging the platform in a report that said the site had placed ads for major brands next to extremist content. In a Thursday decision, U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor in Fort Worth said X could pursue federal claims that Media Matters “knowingly and maliciously fabricated side-by-side images” of major advertisers next to neo-Nazi content, driving some companies to stop or pause their spending on the site. O'Connor rejected Media Matter's arguments for dismissal, including that it can’t be liable for business disparagement by reporting truthful statements. O'Connor said X had sufficiently alleged that Media Matters had acted with “actual malice” based on statements criticizing the platform. X did not immediately respond to requests for comment.”
The Economic Times: Pakistani Netizens Being 'Walled Off' As Army Shifts Focus To 'Digital Terrorism'
“Pakistan's "whole-of-system approach" to combat militancy is evolving and may be taking a darker direction, as the army's new anti-terror operation, 'Azm-e-Istehkam' (Resolve for Stability), shifts its focus toward what is termed "digital terrorism” as per a TOI report. Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir has over the past few months repeatedly warned that digital platforms are being exploited to disseminate misinformation and incite unrest against state institutions. He described the activities of "inimical" forces as a form of "digital terrorism" aimed at creating discord between the military and the public by spreading "lies and fake news".”
Fox News: Autonomous Car Bombs, Online Recruitment: Experts Worry How AI Can Transform Terrorism
“Experts worry that terrorists will find novel and problematic uses for artificial intelligence (AI), including new methods of delivering explosives and improving their online recruitment initiatives. "The reality is that AI can be extremely dangerous if used with malicious intent," Antonia Marie De Meo, director of the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute, wrote in a report looking at how terrorists might use AI. "With a proven track record in the world of cybercrime, it is a powerful tool that could conceivably be employed to further facilitate terrorism and violent extremism conducive to terrorism," she added, citing self-driving car bombs, augmenting cyberattacks or finding easier paths to spread hate speech or incite violence online. The report, "Algorithms and Terrorism: The Malicious Use of Artificial Intelligence for Terrorist Purposes," concludes that law enforcement will need to remain at the cutting edge of AI.”
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