“Israel said Tuesday that halting Hezbollah’s attacks in the country’s north to
allow residents to return to their homes is now an official war goal, as it
considers a wider military operation in Lebanon that could ignite an all-out
conflict. Israeli officials have repeatedly threatened to take heavier military
action to halt the near-daily attacks, which began shortly after the outbreak
of the nearly yearlong Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Israel has regularly launched
airstrikes on Lebanon in response and has targeted and killed senior Hezbollah
commanders. As recently as last month it appeared a full-blown war was
imminent. Tuesday’s statement by Israel’s security Cabinet signaled a tougher
stance at a time when Israeli leaders have stepped up their warnings. But it
also appeared to be largely symbolic and may not herald an immediate change in
policy.”











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Eye on Extremism



September 17, 2024



Associated Press: Israel Says Halting Hezbollah Attacks Is Now A War Goal As
Officials Warn Of A Wider Operation
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“Israel said Tuesday that halting Hezbollah’s attacks in the country’s north
to allow residents to return to their homes is now an official war goal, as it
considers a wider military operation in Lebanon that could ignite an all-out
conflict. Israeli officials have repeatedly threatened to take heavier military
action to halt the near-daily attacks, which began shortly after the outbreak
of the nearly yearlong Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Israel has regularly launched
airstrikes on Lebanon in response and has targeted and killed senior Hezbollah
commanders. As recently as last month it appeared a full-blown war was
imminent. Tuesday’s statement by Israel’s security Cabinet signaled a tougher
stance at a time when Israeli leaders have stepped up their warnings. But it
also appeared to be largely symbolic and may not herald an immediate change in
policy.”



BBC: Al-Qaeda-Linked Group Says It Was Behind Mali Attack
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“An al-Qaeda-linked group has said it was behind an early morning attack in
the Malian capital, Bamako. Armed men targeted a military training school and
other areas in the city, the authorities said. In its statement, the army
described the assailants as "terrorists.” After residents reported hearing
gunfire on Tuesday, the army said the attackers had struck near the city's
airport but that the situation was now "under control.”



CEP Mentions



InvestmentWeek: How IS Is Making Europe's Security Authorities Look Old
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“…An 18-year-old Islamist in Munich, for example, radicalized on TikTok,
about to attack the Israeli consulate. Only the quick intervention of the
police prevented a catastrophe. The problem: Such cases often go unnoticed for
a long time. “Without communication with other terrorists, it is extremely
difficult for the authorities to identify such attackers at an early stage,”
explains Hans-Jakob Schindler of the Counter Extremism Project.”



New Eastern Europe: How Russia Exploits Right-Wing Organizations And Polarizes
Societies
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“An interview with Kacper Rękawek, senior fellow at the International Centre
for Counter-Terrorism and a non-resident fellow at the Counter Extremism
Project.”



United States



CBS: Texas Officials Declare Venezuelan Gang A Terrorist Group, Back Trump
Claims About Migrants
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“Officials in Texas on Monday designated a Venezuelan gang called the Tren de
Aragua as a "foreign terrorist group" and endorsed former President Donald
Trump's claim that many migrants crossing into the United States were released
from prisons in Latin America. The Tren de Aragua is an international criminal
organization that operates in several Latin American countries and engages in
extortion, homicide, drug trafficking and smuggling of people, authorities say.
Because of a political and economic crisis in Venezuela, many people from that
country are allowed to enter the United States and apply for asylum. But
Texas's top border official, Mike Banks, argued that Venezuela "has released
prisoners with one condition: you leave Venezuela and don't come back."”



Reuters: US Still Working On Revised Proposal For Gaza Ceasefire Deal, State
Dept Says
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“The United States is still working with mediators Egypt and Qatar to present
a revised proposal for a ceasefire in the war in Gaza, State Department
spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Monday. Officials have for weeks said a new
proposal would be presented soon for a deal that would include the release of
hostages taken from Israel by Palestinian militants Hamas when the war began on
Oct. 7. Miller told reporters Washington was working with the mediators on what
the proposal will contain and ensuring that "it's a proposal that can get the
parties to an ultimate agreement." "I don't have a timetable for you other than
to say that we are working expeditiously to try to develop that proposal,"
Miller added. Talks over months have so far failed to reach a deal to end the
war, now in its twelfth month, even after U.S. President Joe Biden in June
publicly laid out a proposal that Israel had agreed to.”



Iraq



Bloomberg: ISIS Defeat Means US Troops No Longer Needed In Iraq, Says PM
Al-Sudani
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“The US has about 2,500 military personnel in Iraq, a legacy of an
American-led coalition formed in 2014 to combat the Islamist group widely known
as ISIS. While the organization is much weaker than a decade ago — when it held
major cities and provinces in Iraq and Syria and shocked the world by posting
beheadings online — its fighters still operate in both nations. The presence in
Iraq of soldiers from the US and other countries is politically sensitive and
many civilians and politicians want them to leave. Yet some US lawmakers have
voiced unease about a total military exit, saying it could allow ISIS to
regroup or neighboring Iran to increase its influence within Iraq.”



Afghanistan



Associated Press: The Taliban Have Suspended Polio Vaccination Campaigns In
Afghanistan, The UN Says
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“The Taliban have suspended polio vaccination campaigns in Afghanistan, the
U.N. said Monday. It’s a devastating setback for polio eradication since the
virus is one of the world’s most infectious and any unvaccinated groups of
children where the virus is spreading could undo years of progress. Afghanistan
is one of two countries in which the spread of the potentially fatal,
paralyzing disease has never been stopped. The other is Pakistan. It’s likely
that the Taliban’s decision will have major repercussions for other countries
in the region and beyond. News of the suspension was relayed to U.N. agencies
right before the September immunization campaign was due to start. No reason
was given for the suspension, and no one from the Taliban-controlled government
was immediately available for comment.”



Yemen



Bloomberg: Oil Tanker Struck By Houthis Towed Away After Four Weeks At Sea
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“An oil tanker in the Red Sea that was struck by Houthi militants was towed
to a safe area after almost four weeks. The Greek-flagged ship Sounion, laden
with 1 million barrels of Iraqi crude, was towed without any oil spill, the
European Union naval force in the region said Monday on X, the platform
formerly known as Twitter. The task force will continue to monitor the
situation as private stakeholders complete the salvage operation.”



Mali



Reuters: Mali Says Capital Under Control After Insurgent Attack
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“Mali said on Tuesday that the capital Bamako was under control after
insurgents attacked a gendarmerie training school and other areas before dawn,
firing gunshots that reverberated around the city. "Early this morning, a group
of terrorists attempted to infiltrate the Faladie gendarmerie school.
Mopping-up operations are currently underway," the army said in a statement. It
called on residents to avoid the area and await further official communication.
The military government said "some sensitive points of the capital" came under
attack, including the gendarmerie school. It said the army had pushed back the
"terrorists" responsible for the assault and urged civilians to go about their
daily business. The gendarmerie school is in Faladie, a district on the
southeastern outskirts of Bamako, near the main international airport. Reuters
heard the gunfire in the Banankabougou neighborhood near Faladie before
sunrise.”



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