“Israel’s military said Wednesday it carried out attacks targeting Hezbollah
militants in southern Lebanon after dozens of rockets were fired at Israel. The
military said Israeli air defenses intercepted some of the 65 rockets, while
others fell in open areas. Fighting along the Israel-Lebanon border has raised
fears of a widening regional conflict amid the war between Israel and Hamas
militants in the Gaza Strip. Family members of some of the hostages still being
held by Hamas in Gaza protested Wednesday outside the Tel Aviv headquarters of
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party. The family members chanted
slogans in favor of the Israeli government reaching a cease-fire deal with
Hamas that includes the release of hostages. The demonstration followed
pressure Tuesday by the United States calling on Israel and Hamas to agree to a
cease-fire.”











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Eye on Extremism



September 5, 2024



Voice Of America: Israel Targets Hezbollah Militants In Southern Lebanon As
Families Of Hostages Demand Gaza Cease-Fire
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“Israel’s military said Wednesday it carried out attacks targeting Hezbollah
militants in southern Lebanon after dozens of rockets were fired at Israel. The
military said Israeli air defenses intercepted some of the 65 rockets, while
others fell in open areas. Fighting along the Israel-Lebanon border has raised
fears of a widening regional conflict amid the war between Israel and Hamas
militants in the Gaza Strip. Family members of some of the hostages still being
held by Hamas in Gaza protested Wednesday outside the Tel Aviv headquarters of
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party. The family members chanted
slogans in favor of the Israeli government reaching a cease-fire deal with
Hamas that includes the release of hostages. The demonstration followed
pressure Tuesday by the United States calling on Israel and Hamas to agree to a
cease-fire.”



The New York Times: Racing The Clock To Document ISIS Genocide Of Iraq’s
Yazidis
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“The hours have been long, the heat extreme and the work painstaking for
forensic experts extracting human remains from a mass grave in northern Iraq,
evidence of one of this century’s most blatant cases of genocide — the murder
of the Yazidi people by the Islamic State. Now they are running out of time to
document that 2014 slaughter, a yearslong campaign in which the Islamic State,
or ISIS, murdered, tortured, kidnapped and forced into sexual slavery thousands
of Yazidis, explicitly aiming to wipe them out as a separate ethnic and
religious group. The Iraqi government has given the team of international
experts responsible for excavating the mass grave outside of Tal Afar, Iraq,
less than two weeks to conclude its investigation, leaving unopened dozens of
other mass graves that the United Nations says contain evidence critical for
building a case to hold ISIS members criminally accountable.”



United States



NBC News: Hostage Families Press Biden Admin To Make A Deal With Hamas That
Doesn't Include Israel
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“The families of American hostages being held by Hamas have pressed the White
House to seriously consider cutting a unilateral deal with the terrorist
organization to secure their loved ones’ release, and the option is currently
under discussion within the Biden administration, according to five people
familiar with the discussions. In a meeting Sunday with national security
adviser Jake Sullivan, after Hamas killed six hostages, including American
Hersh Goldberg-Polin, the relatives of U.S. citizens still in captivity urged
the administration to evaluate options that do not include Israel, the sources
said. Administration officials told the families that they would explore “every
option,” but a deal with Hamas that includes Israel is still the best approach,
people familiar with the conversation said.”



Associated Press: House Republicans Subpoena Secretary Blinken For Testimony
On US Withdrawal From Afghanistan
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“House Republicans have issued a subpoena demanding testimony from Secretary
of State Antony Blinken as they wrap up a sprawling yearslong investigation
into the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021. Rep. Michael
McCaul, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, sent a subpoena
letter late Tuesday ordering Blinken to appear before the committee by Sept. 19
or face a contempt of Congress charge. “You served as the final decision maker
for the department on the withdrawal and evacuation,” McCaul wrote. He added
that three years later, Blinken is “in a position to inform the Committee’s
consideration of potential legislation aimed at helping prevent the
catastrophic mistakes of the withdrawal, including potential reforms to the
Department’s legislative authorization.””



Afghanistan



Voice Of America: US Voices Impatience With Taliban Over Morality Law
Targeting Afghan Women
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“An American diplomat has condemned the Taliban’s new morality law in
Afghanistan, warning that it “aims to complete the erasure of women from public
life.” Rina Amiri, the United States special envoy for Afghan women, girls, and
human rights, posted on social media late Tuesday that she raised concerns
about the law during her recent meetings with counterparts in Qatar and the
United Arab Emirates. “My message was clear: Our support for the Afghan people
remains steadfast, but patience with the Taliban is running out,” Amiri wrote
on X, formerly known as Twitter. “The way to legitimacy domestically &
internationally is respecting the rights of the Afghan people.” The U.S.
warning comes days after the Taliban’s supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada,
enacted the contentious decree that orders Afghan women not to speak aloud in
public and cover their bodies and faces entirely when outdoors.”



Yemen



The National: US And Allies Fail To Stem Houthis' High Pace Of Red Sea Attacks
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“Ten months into the Houthi blockade of the Red Sea, industry experts are
again asking if the Iran-backed militia has defeated two international naval
coalitions trying to keep open the vital shipping route through which about $1
trillion of goods pass every year. One of those forces is led by the EU and
aimed at shooting down Houthi missiles and drones launched at civilian ships
and the other is led by the US and UK that has bombed Houthi positions. But the
efforts of the US and EU would need to be more robust, said Salvatore
Mercogliano, an expert on military and commercial shipping at Campbell
University, North Carolina. The Houthis can expend missiles and drones
attacking ships, or lose them in US-led air strikes, but Iran is able to
resupply them.”



Middle East



Voice Of America: Hamas, Israel Trade Blame For Lack Of Cease-Fire Deal As US
Maintains Deal Is Near
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“The Hamas militant group Thursday accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu of working to prevent a cease-fire deal for the war in Gaza, a day
after Netanyahu said Israel will combine military pressure with a firm stance
on its demands. A Hamas statement said talks about a new cease-fire proposal
are unnecessary since the group agreed to a July proposal put forward by the
United States. “We warn against falling into Netanyahu's trap and tricks, as he
uses negotiations to prolong the aggression against our people,” the statement
said. During a news conference Wednesday in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said Israel
agreed to earlier cease-fire proposals, while Hamas refused. Netanyahu also
stuck to his position that Israel retains control of the Philadelphi Corridor,
a 14-kilometer strip of land in the Egypt-Gaza border area.”



Associated Press: Israel-Hamas War Latest: Israeli Strikes Kill 5 In Occupied
West Bank, Palestinian Officials Say
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“Palestinian health officials say Israeli strikes in the occupied West Bank
killed five people, including the son of a prominent jailed militant. Israel
has been carrying out large-scale raids in the territory over the past week
that it says are aimed at dismantling militant groups and preventing attacks.
The Palestinians fear a widening of the war in Gaza. The strikes overnight in
the northern West Bank town of Tubas killed five people, including Mohammed
Zubeidi, the Palestinian Health Ministry said Thursday. His father, Zakaria
Zubeidi, was a well-known militant commander during the second Palestinian
uprising in the early 2000s and took part in a rare jailbreak in 2021 before
being arrested and returned to prison days later. The Israeli military said it
conducted three airstrikes in Tubas on militants who threatened its soldiers.
Here’s the latest: Palestinian health officials say an Israeli strike on a tent
camp killed four men and wounded two children.”



Egypt



Associated Press: Israel’s Netanyahu Demands Open-Ended Control Of Gaza’s
Border With Egypt
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“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israel must
keep open-ended control of Gaza’s border with Egypt, digging in on his stance
on an issue that has threatened to derail cease-fire efforts. Netanyahu’s
comments came as the United States is developing a new proposal for a
cease-fire and hostage release, hoping to break a long deadlock and bring an
end to the nearly 11-month-old war. The question of Israeli control of the
Philadelphi corridor –- a narrow strip of land along Gaza’s border with Egypt,
seized by troops in May –- has become a central obstacle in the talks. Hamas
has demanded an eventual full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza in the multi-phase
truce deal. Egypt, a mediator in the talks along with the U.S. and Qatar, has
also demanded a concrete timeline for Israeli troops to leave the Philadelphi
corridor.”



Associated Press: Egypt’s President Makes His First Visit To Turkey As
Relations Thaw
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“The presidents of Turkey and Egypt on Wednesday found common ground on the
war in Gaza as they continued to mend long-strained relations, emphasizing the
need for a permanent cease-fire and guaranteed delivery of humanitarian aid.
Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi
spoke during the Egyptian leader’s first official visit to Ankara after years
of tensions between the regional powers. “Turkey and Egypt have a common stance
on the Palestinian issue,” Erdogan said after he and el-Sissi oversaw the
signing of cooperation agreements. “The end of the genocide that has been going
on for 11 months, the establishment of a permanent cease-fire as soon as
possible, and the unhindered flow of humanitarian aid continue to be our
priorities.” In February, Erdogan made his first visit to Egypt in more than a
decade after the countries agreed to repair ties and reappointed ambassadors.”



Nigeria



Associated Press: Boko Haram Militants On Motorcycles Attacked A Nigerian
Village, Killing Over 100, Residents Say
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“At least 100 villagers were killed in northeastern Nigeria when suspected
Boko Haram Islamic extremists opened fire on a market, on worshippers and in
people’s homes, residents said Wednesday, the latest killings in Africa’s
longest struggle with militancy. More than 50 extremists on motorcycles rode
into the Tarmuwa council area of Yobe state on Sunday evening and began firing
before setting buildings ablaze, according to Yobe police spokesperson Dungus
Abdulkarim. The police blamed the attack on Boko Haram, which since 2009 has
launched an insurgency to establish its radical interpretation of Islamic law,
or Sharia, in the region. Boko Haram has since splintered into different
factions, together accounting for the direct deaths of at least 35,000 people
and the displacement of more than 2 million, as well as a humanitarian crisis
with millions of people in dire need of foreign aid.”



Somalia



Garowe Online: Airstrike Targets Key Al-Shabaab Bases In Somalia
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“More than 19 Al-Shabaab militants have been killed in the latest airstrike
in Somalia, state media reports, noting that the operation was carried out in
central regions where the militants have been antagonizing locals within the
area. The airstrikes were activated in the Ruunnirgood and Ceeldheer districts
in the Galgadud region, where the military has been active for the last two
years since the declaration of total war against al-Shabaab militants. The
Middle Shabelle region is one of the Al-Shabab strongholds and for the last two
years, several Alshabab militants have been killed by security forces. The
airstrikes specifically targeted the militants, officials said. "In an aerial
operation, a series of airstrikes targeted al-Shabaab terrorists in the
Ruunnirgood and Ceeldheer districts, spanning the Middle Shabelle and Galgaduud
regions," state media reports.”



Southeast Asia



Reuters: Pope Francis, In Muslim-Majority Indonesia, Warns Against Religious
Extremism
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“Pope Francis on Wednesday urged political leaders in Indonesia, the world's
most populous Muslim-majority country, to guard against religious extremism,
which he said distorted people's beliefs through "deception and violence". On a
packed first full day of his longest ever overseas journey that includes nine
days in Southeast Asia, where Christians are a small minority, the pontiff also
met local Catholics and asked them not to force their faith on others. In a
speech to Indonesia's political leaders, Francis said the Catholic Church would
increase its efforts toward inter-religious dialogue in hopes of helping tamp
down extremism. "In this way, prejudices can be eliminated, and a climate of
mutual respect and trust can grow," the 87-year-old pope said in an address at
Jakarta's presidential palace.”



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