CEP Mentions
The Guardian: Neo-Nazi And Far-Right Groups Seize On Trump’s Anti-Immigration Rhetoric
“... Joshua Fisher-Birch, an analyst at the Counter Extremism Project (CEP), has kept tabs on Blood Tribe and Patriot Front and says they are both, “seeking to capitalize on local tension to hold rallies, recruit, generate propaganda footage, and solicit money.” Fisher-Birch believes there’s no doubt the current presidential election season factors into their calculus. “These groups will continue to hold anti-immigration rallies before the November election because they see an opportunity to recruit and gain publicity within the broader anti-immigrant space,” he said. “These extremist groups are not popular but frequently try to gain momentum from culture-war issues in an attempt to stay relevant and recruit.”
The Spectator: Labour’s Early Prison Release Scheme Can’t Afford To Fail
“Are you ready for SDS40? You might need to be if you’re unlucky enough to live in a high-crime area. This is the anodyne descriptor for the government’s emergency release of an estimated 5,000 offenders this month and next, having served only 40% of their sentence in prison custody. This is the result of a hospital pass from the outgoing Conservative government who passed laws to lock more people up for longer without any coherent thought about where they would be banged up. The statutory instrument to allow this release in two tranches comes into effect on September 10th. About 2,000 prisoners are set to be released then into community supervision by the probation service.”
Bridport Literary Festival: Escaping Britain's Prison Crisis
“Join Ian Acheson at the Bridport Literacy Festival on November 4th to talk about his book — Screwed: Britain’s Prison Crisis and How To Escape It. The prison crisis is very much at the forefront of both public and political awareness. Ian Acheson has served for 20 years as both an officer and prison governor. In 2015, the then Secretary of State for Justice Michael Gove asked him to lead an independent review of prison extremism which laid bare a corporate culture of ineptitude, secrecy and arrogance that threatened national security. Nothing has changed. Screwed is the inside story of the collapse of His Majesty’s Prison Service told from the frontline. This hard-hitting account looks at the politics and the operational decisions that have driven our prison to rock bottom, where extreme violence, indolence and victimization are normalized. Acheson also outlines how a new corporate culture and mission can achieve a much-needed revolution in the way the service is run.”
BBC Radio 4 World At One: Thousands Of Prisoners Are To Be Freed Early To Ease Overcrowding In England’s Prisons
“Jonny Dymond asks Ian Acheson, former prison governor, what most concerns him about this new scheme.”
United States
Bloomberg: US Pitches Deal To Thwart Chinese Military Base In Africa
“The agreement will include training for Gabon’s special forces and $5 million in funding for the country’s democratic transition, according to the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private information. The US has in recent years tried to chip away at China’s role as the dominant foreign power in Africa but has yet to match Beijing’s financial largess — including another $50 billion pledged this week — and is widely regarded as not having treated the continent as a strategic priority. On Thursday, at the ninth triennial Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping also pledged to deepen China’s military commitment, announcing 1 billion yuan ($141 million) in military assistance to train 6,000 military personnel and another 1,000 law-enforcement officers in Africa.”
Syria
Associated Press: Israeli Strikes In Syria Leave 14 Dead And More Than 40 Wounded, Syrian State Media Says
“The number of people killed in overnight Israeli strikes in Syria has risen to 14 with more than 40 wounded, Syrian state media said Monday morning. Israeli strikes hit several areas in central Syria late Sunday, damaging a highway in Hama province and sparking fires, Syrian state news agency SANA said. The initial death count reported by the Masyaf National Hospital in western Hama province was four. SANA, citing hospital head Faysal Haydar, said 14 were killed and 43 wounded. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a U.K.-based war monitor, said at least four of those killed were civilians. One of the strikes targeted a scientific research center in Maysaf and others struck sites where “Iranian militias and experts are stationed to develop weapons in Syria,” the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.”
Iraq
Reuters: Turkish Soldier Killed In Clash In Northern Iraq, Defence Ministry Says
“A Turkish soldier was killed on Monday in a clash with militants from the banned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in northern Iraq and Turkish airstrikes killed many militants, the Defence Ministry said. The airstrikes also destroyed 21 PKK targets, the ministry said in a statement without elaborating. Ankara uses the term "neutralized" to mean killed. The soldier was killed in a clash in Gara region and Turkish air forces targeted PKK bases in Gara, Hakurk, Metina and Qandil, the ministry said. The PKK designated a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, took up arms against the Turkish state in 1984. More than 40,000 people have been killed in the insurgency. Turkey has conducted years of cross-border military operations against militants that have left roughly half the Syrian territory bordering Turkey and all of Iraqi territory bordering Turkey controlled or overseen by Turkey's military.”
Turkey
Reuters: Turkey's Erdogan Calls For Islamic Alliance Against Israel
“Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday Islamic countries should form an alliance against what he called "the growing threat of expansionism" from Israel, drawing a rebuke from the Israeli foreign minister. He made the comment after describing what Palestinian and Turkish officials said was the killing by Israeli troops of a Turkish-American woman taking part in a protest on Friday against settlement expansion in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. "The only step that will stop Israeli arrogance, Israeli banditry, and Israeli state terrorism is the alliance of Islamic countries," Erdogan said at an Islamic schools' association event near Istanbul. He said recent steps that Turkey has taken to improve ties with Egypt and Syria are aimed at "forming a line of solidarity against the growing threat of expansionism," which he said also threatened Lebanon and Syria.”
Yemen
Associated Press: Yemen’s Houthi Rebels Claim They Shot Down Another US MQ-9 Drone
“Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed early Sunday they shot down another American-made MQ-9 drone flying over the country, marking potentially the latest downing of the multimillion-dollar surveillance aircraft. The U.S. launched airstrikes over Houthi-controlled territory afterward, the rebels said. The U.S. military told The Associated Press it was aware of the claim but has “received no reports” of American military drones being downed over Yemen. The rebels offered no pictures or video to support the claim as they have in the past, though such material can appear in propaganda footage days later. However, the Houthis have repeatedly downed General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper drones in the years since they seized Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, in 2014. Those attacks have exponentially increased since the start of the Israel-Hamas war and the Houthis launched their campaign targeting shipping in the Red Sea corridor.”
Associated Press: 14 Killed In A Car Crash In War-Torn Yemen, State Media Report
“A passenger bus overturned while driving Sunday in a mountainous area in southwestern Yemen, killing at least 14 people, state-run media reported. The vehicle was traveling on a highway overlooking a rocky area in the Maqatra district when it suffered a mechanical failure and tumbled to the ground, according to the state-run SABA news agency. The bus was transporting 14 passengers from the southern province of Aden, the seat of the internationally recognized government, to the southwestern province of Taiz, the agency reported. It said only one person survived the crash and was taken to hospital for treatment. Deadly traffic crashes are not uncommon in Yemen, where a decade of civil war wrecked the country’s infrastructure. The crashes claim thousands of lives every year and are mostly caused by speeding, bad roads, or poor enforcement of traffic laws.”
Libya
Associated Press: Libyan Authorities Order Detention Of Militia Leader Over Killing Of UN-Sanctioned Human Trafficker
“Libya’s chief prosecutor ordered the detention of a militia leader and one of his aides pending an investigation into the killing of one of the country’s most notorious human traffickers. Mohamed Bahroun, commander of the First Support Battalion and an influential militia leader, as well as one of his associates, handed themselves over after allegations surfaced about their role in last week’s killing of Abdel-Rahman Milad in the capital, Tripoli. The office of General Prosecutor al-Sediq al-Sour said in a statement late Saturday that prosecutors ordered both men to remain detained after they were interrogated and shown evidence of their involvement in Milad’s slaying. Milad, sanctioned by the United Nations Security Council and imprisoned in Libya on trafficking charges, was shot and killed on Sep. 1 while in his vehicle in the Sayyad area, in the western part of Tripoli.”
Middle East
Reuters: Gunman Crossing From Jordan Kills Three Israelis At Border
“A gunman from Jordan killed three Israeli civilians at the Allenby Bridge border crossing in the occupied West Bank before security forces shot him dead on Sunday, Israeli authorities said. It was the first attack of its kind along the border with Jordan since Oct. 7, when Palestinian Islamist group Hamas carried out an assault on southern Israel, sparking the war in Gaza that has escalated throughout the region. The attack took place in a commercial cargo area under Israeli control where Jordanian trucks offload cargo entering the West Bank, officials said. The crossing, also known as the King Hussein Bridge, lies about midway between Amman and Jerusalem just north of the Dead Sea. The assailant was a 39-year-old truck driver who came from the influential Huwaitat tribe in southern Jordan, according to family members.”
Reuters: UN Rights Chief Calls On States To Challenge Israel Over Occupation
“The U.N. human rights chief said on Monday that ending the nearly year-long war in Gaza is a priority and he asked countries to act on what he called Israel's "blatant disregard" for international law in the occupied Palestinian territories. Nearly 41,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to Gaza health officials, since Israel unleashed a military campaign in response to cross-border attacks by Hamas militants on Oct. 7, 2023, in which 1,200 people were killed and a further 250 taken hostage. "Ending that war and averting a full-blown regional conflict is an absolute and urgent priority," the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said in a speech at the opening of the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva. "States must not – cannot – accept blatant disregard for international law, including binding decisions of the (U.N.) Security Council and orders of the International Court of Justice, neither in this nor any other situation."”
The Washington Post: Israeli Forces Leave Trail Of Destruction In Jenin After Days-Long Raid
“The Israeli military withdrew from the West Bank city of Jenin early Friday, ending a days-long incursion that was one of the longest and deadliest in the territory in years — and leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. The withdrawal from Jenin, after more than a week of fighting, took place around dawn, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported, after which residents emerged from their homes to assess the damage. “There is no reason for this,” Moayed Khalifa, 65, said as he surveyed the wreckage of his smoothie bar, Choco Banana. The military, he said, had barreled through the steel door and filled his shop with debris, upending the livelihoods of three families who depend on the store’s revenue. In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces said it killed 14 fighters, including the head of Hamas operations in Jenin, Wesam Khazem, 28.”
Nigeria
The Guardian: At Least 48 Dead In Nigeria Explosion After Fuel Tanker Collides With Truck
“A fuel tanker has collided head-on with another truck in Nigeria, causing an explosion that killed at least 48 people, the country’s emergency response agency has said. The tanker was also carrying cattle in the Agaie area in north-central Niger state, at least 50 of which were burned alive, Abdullahi Baba-Arab, director-general of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, said. He added that search and rescue operations were underway at the scene of the accident. Baba-Arab said initially that 30 bodies were found, but in a later statement, an additional 18 bodies of victims who were burned to death in the collision were found. He said the dead had been given a mass burial. Mohammed Bago, the governor of Niger state, said residents of the affected area should remain calm and asked road users to “always be cautious and abide by road traffic regulations to safeguard lives and property”.”
Somalia
Garowe Online: Somalia: Govt Troops Intercept Al-Shabaab Supplies
“Security forces in Somalia have intercepted Al-Shabaab supplies in the northern parts of the country, officials said, in the latest crackdown which was conducted by the Somali National Army (SNA) stationed within the porous region in the country. According to reports, security forces in the Mudug region intercepted a vehicle destined for al-Shabab territories with supplies. The militants have been sneaking into military-active regions where operations are being undertaken by security forces. The vehicle, loaded with food and fuel, was stopped on its way to Dumaye and Dabalo, key areas under al-Shabab control. The driver and multiple suspects were apprehended, officials said, adding that a thorough probe has been activated. The vehicle and suspects originated from Galkacyo, within the same region, officials added.”
France
Voice Of America: Iran's Secret Service Plots To Kill Jews In Europe, Says France
“A Paris court in May detained and charged a couple on accusations that they were involved in Iranian plots to kill Jews in Germany and France, police sources told Agence France-Presse. Authorities charged Abdelkrim S., 34, and his partner Sabrina B., 33, on May 4 with conspiring with a criminal terrorist organization and placed them in pretrial detention. The case, known as "Marco Polo" and revealed Thursday by French news website Mediapart, signals a revival in Iranian state-sponsored terrorism in Europe, according to a report by France's General Directorate for Internal Security (DGSI) seen by AFP. "Since 2015, the Iranian (secret) services have resumed a targeted killing policy," the French security agency wrote, adding that "the threat has worsened again in the context of the Israel-Hamas war."”
Southeast Asia
The New York Times: Struggling To Stem Extremism, Tajikistan Targets Beards And Head Scarves
“People in Tajikistan were expecting a government crackdown after Tajik men were arrested and charged with a terrorist attack on a Moscow concert hall in March. But it still seemed excessive to Nilufar, a 27-year-old education professional, when she saw local authorities with scissors outside a K.F.C. in Dushanbe, Tajikistan’s capital, trimming beards that were deemed too long. Excessive, but not so surprising. In the span of a month, Nilufar herself had been stopped three times by the authorities for wearing a hijab in public. “Nowadays, as soon as you go outside, you can actually feel how the raids have intensified,” Nilufar said in a recent interview in Dushanbe, providing only her first name because of fear of retribution.”
Voice Of America: Kyrgyzstan Follows Regional Trend, Takes Taliban Off Terrorist List
“Shunned by the West for over three years, Afghanistan's Taliban scored a diplomatic victory of sorts this week when the small Central Asian nation of Kyrgyzstan quietly removed the group from its list of banned terrorist organizations. The move underscores warming ties between the Taliban, in power since August 2021, and the countries of Central Asia. While the United States has led an international campaign to deny the Taliban government legitimacy, over a dozen regional countries, led by China and Russia, have embraced the self-styled "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.” "It fits with the broader trend of governments in the region and internationally warming up to the idea of having to work with the Taliban," said Lucas Webber, a senior threat intelligence analyst at Tech Against Terrorism and a research fellow at the Soufan Center.”
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