CEP Mentions
The National: Does German Migration Crisis Spell The End For Olaf Scholz?
“...It is really a tough time for the German government under any circumstances, but it's also coming towards a government that has not found its stride in simply governing," said Hans-Jakob Schindler, a former German diplomat and director of the Counter Extremism Project. He said no mainstream party had ‘found a recipe’ to counter the AfD's narrative. An air of constant infighting in Mr. Scholz's coalition ‘gives the impression that it's a really dysfunctional government,’ even if in fact it can point to certain successes such as ending Germany's reliance on Russian gas imports, Mr. Schindler told The National. An explosion of voter anger over migration has sent German politics into a tailspin. Refugee centers have been filling up for months with more than 174,000 asylum claims lodged this year, almost a third of them from Syrians.”
Merkur.De: Attack On Bundeswehr Soldiers Planned In Bavaria – Expert Suspects Actions Of Suspected Islamist
“...The fact that the man wanted to attack soldiers is not necessarily unusual for an Islamist perpetrator, says terrorism expert Hans-Jakob Schindler from the Counter Extremism Project (CEP): ‘The military is always part of the target spectrum.’ Uniformed soldiers are potentially more capable of defending themselves than average civilians and are therefore a riskier target. But: ‘An act against the military also brings the perpetrator even more 'fame' in terrorist propaganda.’ And: ‘Terrorists naturally also act according to the principle of capacity and opportunity. When an opportunity arises, they strike.’ Attacking soldiers during their lunch break and using the element of surprise could have been just such an opportunity.”
Tagesspiegel: Raids, Air Strikes, Terrorist Attacks: Is The West Bank Becoming A Second Gaza?
“…Hans-Jakob Schindler sees three main reasons for the increasing violence in the West Bank. ‘On the one hand, Hamas, which has been under enormous military pressure in Gaza for months, is of course trying to activate its networks in the West Bank as well,’ the senior director of the international Counter Extremism Project told the Tagesspiegel. Secondly, attacks by radical settlers in the West Bank have steadily increased since October 2023. ‘This has caused the situation to escalate further.’ And thirdly, it can be assumed that Iran, whose announced retaliatory strike has so far failed to materialize, is trying to operate via the West Bank. ‘The Israeli security services regularly find weapons that Iran is trying to smuggle into the West Bank,’ says Schindler.”
Turkey
Reuters: Turkey Spy Chief Meets Members Of Hamas Political Bureau In Ankara, TRT Reports
“Turkey's spy chief has met a delegation from the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Ankara and discussed the negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza, state broadcaster TRT said on Friday. Ibrahim Kalin, head of Turkey's National Intelligence Agency, had met the delegation from the Hamas political bureau leadership, TRT Haber said citing Turkish security sources, without saying who the members of the delegation were. Turkey has denounced Israel's assault on Gaza. The war was triggered on Oct. 7 when Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's subsequent assault on Gaza has killed more than 41,000 Palestinians, according to the enclave's health ministry. Turkey's intelligence agency has been in contact with all actors including Hamas, Israel, Qatar and the United States, and is conducting intensive diplomacy for a ceasefire in Gaza, TRT said.”
Afghanistan
Associated Press: IS Militants Kill 14 In A Shiite Area Of Afghanistan In One Of The Deadliest Attacks This Year
“Islamic State militants killed 14 people in a Shiite-majority area in central Afghanistan in one of the deadliest attacks in the country this year. The militant group claimed responsibility for the shooting, which took place on Thursday and targeted a group of minority Hazaras traveling between the provinces of Ghor and Daikundi. Six other people were wounded in the attack. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the shootings before the Taliban authorities in Kabul acknowledged the attack. The IS said its fighters used a machine gun in the assault and claimed inflicting a higher death toll than the Taliban later reported. The Iranian news agency IRNA quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani as saying the gunmen targeted people welcoming Afghan Shiites who were returning home from visiting shrines in Iraq.”
Pakistan
Associated Press: Islamic State Claims Responsibility For Weekend Bombing That Killed 2 Police Officers In Pakistan
“The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the weekend bombing that killed two police officials in restive southwestern Pakistan, officials said Monday. Analysts say the latest violence is a sign of increasing coordination between Islamic militants and separatists who for years have been targeting security forces and civilians in the oil- and gas-rich Balochistan province bordering Iran and Afghanistan. The Islamic State group said in a statement on Sunday that it detonated an explosive device a day earlier targeting a Pakistani police vehicle in Kuchlak town near Quetta, the capital of Balochistan. Pakistani officials say the attack killed two officers and wounded two others on a highway. The Balochistan Liberation Army has previously claimed such attacks, but the Islamic State has carried out similar attacks in recent months.”
Yemen
Reuters: Operation To Tow Stricken Tanker And Avert Spill Starts In Red Sea
“The operation has started to tow a Greek-registered oil tanker stranded in the Red Sea after an attack by Houthi militants last month, a shipping source told Reuters on Saturday. Towing the 900-foot MV Sounion to safety is the first step in a risky operation to salvage the vessel that caught fire after it was repeatedly attacked on Aug. 21. The second step is the transfer of its cargo of about 1 million barrels of crude oil. Saudi Arabia, a key player in the region, will offer its assistance with that project, sources have said. Any oil spill could be one of the largest from a ship, risking catastrophic environmental damage in an area that is particularly dangerous to enter. An initial effort to salvage the vessel was paused earlier this month due to safety reasons. At least two tugboats owned by a Greek-based salvage company are involved in the latest towing attempt, sources told Reuters on Thursday.”
The Washington Post: Houthis Fire Missile From Yemen Into Central Israel, Warn Of More Strikes
“Yemen’s Houthi militia claimed responsibility for a surface-to-surface missile attack targeting central Israel on Sunday morning, marking a continued escalation between the Iranian-backed group and Israel. The missile caused no direct injuries, Israel said. However, the country’s Magen David Adom emergency services said it was treating nine people who were injured on their way to shelters after sirens sounded. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree described it as a ‘hypersonic ballistic missile’ targeting military operations. The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement that the missile was hit by an interceptor, ‘as a result of which the target fragmented but was not destroyed.’ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opened a cabinet meeting by declaring Israel in a ‘multi-front campaign against Iran’s axis of evil, which is striving for our destruction.’”
Middle East
Associated Press: Israel-Hamas War Latest: Israeli Airstrikes Kill 16 In Gaza, Including 4 Children, Palestinians Say
“Palestinian officials say Israeli airstrikes have killed 16 people in the Gaza Strip, including five women and four children. A strike early Monday flattened a home in the built-up Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, killing at least 10 people, including four women and two children. The Awda Hospital, which received the bodies, confirmed the toll and said another 13 people were wounded. Hospital records show that the dead included a mother, her child and her five siblings. Another strike on a home in Gaza City killed six people, including a woman and two children, according to the Civil Defense, first responders who operate under the Hamas-run government. Israel says it only targets militants and accuses Hamas and other armed groups of endangering civilians by operating in residential areas.”
The Wall Street Journal: The Crude System Of Coded Messages Keeping Hamas’s Leader Alive
“Hamas’s top leader Yahya Sinwar could well be dead today if not for a low-tech communications system honed in prison that shields him from Israel’s intelligence-gathering dragnet. Sinwar has largely shunned phone calls, text messages and other electronic communications that Israel can track and that have led to the demise of other militants. Instead, he is using a complex system of couriers, codes and handwritten notes that allows him to direct Hamas’s operations even while hiding in underground tunnels, according to Arab cease-fire mediators.
The New York Times: Top Biden Aide To Visit Israel Amid Fears Of Escalation With Hezbollah
“One of President Biden’s most trusted advisers is expected to arrive in Israel on Monday amid deepening concern that months of cross-border violence between Israel and Hezbollah, the powerful Lebanese militia, could escalate into a larger regional war. Hezbollah and Israel’s military has been trading near-daily fire since last October, when the start of the war in Gaza prompted the Iran-backed militia to launch rocket attacks on northern Israel in solidarity with Hamas. The cross-border clashes have intensified, and Israel’s reduced combat operations in Gaza have freed up more of its forces for a possible offensive in the north against Hezbollah. The visit by the adviser, Amos Hochstein, is part of efforts by the Biden administration to prevent ‘an escalation and a widening of this conflict,’ John Kirby, a White House spokesman, told reporters last week.”
Nigeria
Associated Press: Nigerian Army Rescues 13 Hostages From Extremist Group
“Nigerian troops have rescued 13 hostages who were kidnapped by an extremist group in the northwestern state of Kaduna, the country’s army said on Saturday. The army said in a statement that ‘the troops successfully overwhelmed the terrorists, forcing them to abandon their captives.’ Several kidnappers were killed, and others captured, the military added. It didn’t specify what armed group the kidnappers belonged to. The rescued hostages were taken to a military facility for a medical assessment before being reunited with their families. Weapons, ammunition, solar panels and cash were also discovered during the rescue operation. Kidnappings have become common in parts of northern Nigeria, where dozens of armed groups take advantage of a limited security presence to carry out attacks in villages and along major roads.”
Somalia
Garowe Online: Al-Shabaab Raid On Somalia Outpost Linked To Military Overhaul, Leaves Two Dead
“Multiple security sources have linked Sunday's al-Shabaab raid in a military base within Baidoa to a recent security overhaul that saw several soldiers transferred to nearby bases while others sought reinforcements elsewhere. The Al-Shabaab militants targeted an outpost within Baidoa, the regional administrative capital of Southwest, killing two individuals after hours of a gunfight. The Sunday early morning incident left three other people critically injured. According to sources, some of the security officers in the outpost were recently dispatched to the Yaaq Bari Weyne area to reinforce regional forces in a dispute over a checkpoint involving local militias. Such disputes are common in Somalia. Yet again, about 20 paramilitary forces were also transferred from the same outpost and deployed in Barawe town. This, sources said, created a gap that was exploited by the militants who have long sought to control the region.”
Germany
Associated Press: Islamic Extremist Plotted To Attack German Soldiers During Their Lunch Break, Prosecutors Say
“An alleged Islamic extremist has been arrested in connection with plotting an attack on German soldiers during their lunch break in Munich, killing as many of them as possible and causing a feeling of insecurity among the larger population, authorities said Friday. The 27-year-old Syrian is a suspected supporter of radical Islamic ideology, according to the Munich public prosecutor’s office. It said that the suspect procured two machetes, each about 40 centimeters (15.75 inches) long, earlier this month, and allegedly planned to attack the soldiers with them. The suspect was brought before a judge on Friday following his arrest a day earlier, the prosecutor’s office said in a statement. His name was not released in line with German privacy rules. The arrest comes after an Aug. 23 attack in Solingen that left three people dead and eight wounded.”
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