Eye on Extremism
September 10, 2024
Reuters: Yemen's Houthis Say They Downed A U.S. Drone In Saada
“Yemen's Houthis downed a U.S. MQ-9 drone in Saada province, the Iran-aligned group's military spokesperson Yahya Saree said on Tuesday.”
Reuters: Turkey's Erdogan Calls For Summit Of Muslim Country Leaders On Gaza War
“Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan urged the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to convene an emergency summit to discuss the war in Gaza and what he called Israel's attacks on Jerusalem. Erdogan, who has been a vocal critic of Israel during its war against the Hamas militant group in Gaza, called on Islamic countries at the weekend to form an alliance against what he described as Israel's "expansionism". Speaking after a cabinet meeting in Ankara, Erdogan said Israel was targeting the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem as part of its "expansionist" drive. Jerusalem and the mosque - known to Jews as Temple Mount - was Ankara's "red line", he added. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation has 57 member states and claims to be the collective voice of the Muslim world.”
CEP Mentions
Daily Mail: The ISIS Resurgence: How Islamist Fanatics Are Once Again Spreading Terror Around The World, Killing Dozens In Moscow Concert Hall, Taylor Swift Concert Massacre Plot And Bid To Assassinate The Pope
“... Edmund Fitton-Brown, senior advisor to the Counter Extremism Project and former Ambassador of the UK to Yemen told MailOnline: 'ISIS methodically kept itself alive during the height of military and counterterrorism pressure it faced by creating a global structure of mutually supportive regional networks.' He said those operating out of Afghanistan, East Africa and West Africa have been 'particularly effective'. 'The regional network structure allows for a formerly "remote province" like Khorasan to step up and enable international attacks if it has the capacity to do so. 'That capacity is partly enabled by funds authorized by the leadership in Syria. 'Khorasan is also important because of diasporas: Uzbek, Chechen, Daghestani and especially Tajik.”
Middle East
Reuters: UN Likely to Vote Next Week On Push To End Israel’s Presence In Palestinian Territory
“The United Nations General Assembly is likely to vote next week on a Palestinian draft resolution demanding Israel end "its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory" within six months. The key aim of the draft resolution, written by the Palestinian Authority and seen by Reuters, is to welcome a July advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice that said Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories and settlements is illegal and should be withdrawn. But while the advisory opinion by the United Nations' highest court - known as the World Court - said this should be done "as rapidly as possible," the draft General Assembly resolution puts a six-month timeline on it. The Arab Group, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Non-Aligned Movement on Monday asked for the 193-member U.N. General Assembly to vote on Sept. 18.”
Associated Press: Israel-Hamas War Latest: Israel Orders More Evacuations In Gaza After Militants Fire Rockets
“The Israeli military has ordered another evacuation of some residential areas in northwest Gaza where it says Palestinian militants fired rockets on the nearby Israeli town of Ashkelon. The orders issued on Monday came after a rocket attack triggered air raid sirens in Ashkelon the day before. The military said it intercepted one projectile and another fell in the sea. Israel ordered the evacuation of all of northern Gaza, including the territory’s largest city, in the opening weeks of the war triggered by Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. Most residents heeded the orders and headed south, but up to 300,000 remained in the north, where Israel’s air and ground operations have caused widespread destruction. The north has been surrounded by Israeli forces and largely isolated since October.”
The New York Times: Palestinian Militants In The West Bank Flex New Capabilities
“In the shadow of the war in Gaza, conflict in the Israeli-occupied West Bank has intensified with Palestinian attackers carrying out bolder and more sophisticated assaults as the Israeli military increases the scope of its raids on Palestinian cities. A shooting by a Jordanian citizen that killed three Israelis on Sunday at a heavily fortified West Bank border crossing came after three recent attempts by Palestinian militants, including from Hamas, to set off car bombs in the territory. Last month, Hamas and its ally, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, claimed an attempted suicide bombing in Tel Aviv in which the Israeli police said the assailant had come from the West Bank. Less than two weeks later, a drive-by shooting killed three Israeli police officers in the southern West Bank. Taken together, the violence constitutes the most complex sequence of attacks relating to the volatile West Bank in years, according to analysts.”
Somalia
Garowe Online: U.S. Special Operations Commander Makes Frontline Visit In Somalia
“The United States has yet again reaffirmed Somalia its support in the fight against Al-Shabaab, a group that has terrorized locals for almost two decades, inflicting pain and suffering on innocent civilians and members of the army. For the last two decades, the US Africa Command has worked closely in assisting the Somali National Army (SNA) in unleashing against Al-Shabaab, securing many strategic locations in the process while dismembering the militants. Colonel David Haskell, Special Operations Commander of the US Army, said the US shall not relent in the fight against Al-Shabaab, adding that the group’s influence is waning due to strategic cooperation between local forces and friendly partners. "US government officials expressed strong support for the operation, reaffirming their commitment to assist Somali forces in their efforts to eliminate anti-Khawarij groups," the state media reports.”
Germany
Associated Press: Germany Expands Border Controls To Curb Irregular Migration And Extremism Risks
“Germany’s government ordered temporary controls at all land borders Monday, expanding checks it already has in place at some borders, saying that it was responding to irregular migration and to protect the country from extremist threats. “We are strengthening our internal security through concrete action, and we are continuing our tough stance against irregular migration,” Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said at a news conference. The ministry said that it notified the European Union on Monday of the order to set up border controls at the land borders with France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark for a period of six months. They will begin next week on Sept. 16. This adds to restrictions already in place on the land borders with Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria and Switzerland."
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