Eye on Extremism
November 5, 2024
Politico: States Prepare For Electoral College Violence: ‘The Threat Of Domestic Terrorism Is Too Great’
“Officials across the country are steeling for the possibility that violent protestors or armed extremists could try to disrupt the meetings of presidential electors next month. After the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the capitol, many state officials no longer feel they can take the once-ceremonial aspects of the transfer of power for granted. They’ve been working for months with local and state law enforcement on locking down the Electoral College meetings, which take place simultaneously in all 50 state capitals and Washington, D.C. in December. They’re significantly limiting public access — a sharp break from the festive and open spirit that has infused the events in past years.”
The Washington Post: Israeli Strikes In Eastern Lebanon Are Hitting Civilians Without Warning
“The bomb that crashed into a residential building here in rural Lebanon on Friday turned the sky black, residents said. It took almost 10 minutes for them to figure out what had been hit. In the afternoon light the next day, the remains of the two-story building were scattered over the street. The apartments had collapsed in on one another, killing eight people, Lebanese health officials said. Last week, Israel’s military issued an evacuation order for the entire eastern city of Baalbek, home to about 100,000 people, telling residents it would “act forcefully against Hezbollah interests in your city and villages.” But most of the strikes, like the one in Bednayel, about 14 miles from Baalbek in the Bekaa Valley, have hit outside the evacuation zone.”
CEP Mentions
The Pinnacle Gazette: ISIS Activity Across The Middle East Raises Alarm
“... According to Gregory Waters from the Counter Extremism Project, the Syrian desert has been instrumental for ISIS as it operates like training grounds, churning out the next generations of fighters often lured from vulnerable socio-economic backgrounds. Therefore, the geographical intricacies of Syria and neighboring regions become conducive to intensified recruitment and mobilization activities for ISIS. This high-stakes game of power is not limited to affairs rooted within Afghanistan; neighboring regions such as Pakistan are also under scrutiny. The rugged terrain of Afghanistan presents it as a calculated choice for guerrilla warfare tactics favored by Islamic militants.”
Context: War Between Heroin And Fentanyl Across Europe. How Should We Protect Our Children?
“You won't hear me say this is a lost war. However, we should be aware that it will happen. Fentanyl is like playing Russian roulette. We cannot ignore the alarm signals in Europe today. And it's already ringing… The opinion of the Spanish researcher confirms the argument presented by Hans-Jakob Schindler, senior director of Counter Extremism. In his view , the ban on the Taliban is an attempt to maximize profits while inducing a false sense of security in the international community. In 2021, a kilogram of dry opium cost an average of $63, while a year after the introduction of the ban, it already cost $408, and at the beginning of 2024 it cost more than $1,200.”
United States
Associated Press: Kenyan Man Is Convicted Of Plotting A 9/11-Style Attack On The US
“ A Kenyan man was convicted Monday of plotting a 9/11-style attack on a U.S. building on behalf of the terrorist organization al-Shabab. A federal jury in Manhattan found Cholo Abdi Abdullah guilty on all six counts he faced for conspiring to hijack an aircraft and slam it into a building, according to court records. He’s due to be sentenced next March and faces a mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison. Abdullah represented himself during the trial, which opened last week. He declined to give an opening statement and did not actively participate in questioning witnesses. In court papers filed ahead of the trial, prosecutors said Abdullah intended to “merely sit passively during the trial, not oppose the prosecution and whatever the outcome, he would accept the outcome because he does not believe that this is a legitimate system.”
The Hill: US Military Carried Out 95 Counter-ISIS Operations In Last 60 Days
“U.S. forces in the Middle East have killed 163 Islamic State group militants and captured another 33 in dozens of operations in Iraq and Syria since late August, U.S. Central Command said in a Monday statement. Since Aug. 29, more than 95 Defeat ISIS (D-ISIS) operations, some of which included strikes in Syria, “resulted in 163 terrorists killed and 33 captured, including over 30 senior and mid-level ISIS leaders,” according to the command, which oversees American forces in the region. “These successful operations resulted in the seizure of significant enemy materiel that could aid in future disruptions,” the statement notes, adding that the sustained pressure on ISIS leaders has hindered their ability to operate and to plan attacks.”
Syria
Reuters: Israel Says It Struck Hezbollah Target Near Damascus, Syria Says Civilian Sites Hit
“Israel's Air Force said on Monday it had struck Hezbollah intelligence assets near Damascus in an attack on key infrastructure in Syria that Syria said had targeted civilian sites. "Hezbollah's intelligence headquarters has a branch in Syria, which includes an independent intelligence gathering, coordination, and assessment network," the Israeli military said in a statement, expanding on the Air Force's post on X. Syria's defence ministry earlier said Israel targeted civilian sites south of the capital and had caused some damage. Syrian state media SANA said that initial reports indicated the strike had hit the Sayeda Zeinab area. There were no immediate reports of casualties.”
Iran
Associated Press: Iran’s Top Diplomat Says Tehran Would Respond To Israel’s Strike In A ‘Measured’ Way
“Iran’s foreign minister on Tuesday reiterated that his country does not seek an escalation in the Middle East but reserved the right to defend itself against Israel’s attack with a “measured and calculative” response. Iranian officials are increasingly threatening to launch yet another strike against Israel after its Oct. 26 attack on the Islamic Republic that targeted military bases and other locations and killed at least five people. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, speaking at a news conference during a visit to Pakistan, said that “unlike the Israeli regime, the Islamic Republic of Iran does not seek escalation.” “We reserve our inherent rights to legitimate defense under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter and we will certainly respond to the Israeli aggression in a proper time and in a proper manner in a very measured and very calculated manner,” he said.”
Pakistan
Voice Of America: Pakistan: Border Forces Kill Several Militants Trying To Infiltrate From Afghanistan
“Pakistan reported Monday that its border security forces killed at least five insurgents who were attempting to cross over from Afghanistan. The predawn encounter occurred after Pakistani troops detected the “movement of a group of khwarij" in the volatile South Waziristan border district and "effectively engaged” them to foil their infiltration attempt, according to a military statement. The term “khwarij" in official Pakistani documents refers to the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an outlawed organization waging deadly attacks within the country from its alleged sanctuaries in Afghanistan. Separately, the military said an intelligence-driven operation in the nearby North Waziristan border district killed a key TTP commander.”
Reuters: Two Chinese Nationals Shot And Wounded In Pakistan
“Two Chinese nationals were wounded on Tuesday by a security guard who opened fire at a garment factory in Pakistan's commercial hub Karachi, in the latest in a string of attacks that have spurred Beijing to demand better security for its citizens. Large contingents of police were deployed at the site of the factory in Karachi's industrial area, and forensic teams could be seen entering the premises, which had been cordoned off. There was no immediate claim of responsibility and no official confirmation of the details of the incident. Senior superintendent of police Faizan Ali told Reuters that the Chinese nationals had been shot at, but gave no further details. One police official told Reuters on condition of anonymity that the shooting had been carried out by a security guard.”
Lebanon
Associated Press: The Death Toll In Lebanon Crosses 3,000 In The 13-Month Israel-Hezbollah War, Health Ministry Says
“The 13-month war between Israel and Hezbollah has killed more than 3,000 people in Lebanon, the country’s Health Ministry said on Monday, more than double the number of people killed since their last major war two decades ago. The war shows no signs of ending, and Israel has said it is carrying out new operations targeting Hezbollah infrastructure across Lebanon and in parts of Syria while Hezbollah continues to launch dozens of rockets into northern Israel. Hezbollah began firing rockets into northern Israel the day after Hamas’ surprise attack into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 ignited the war in Gaza. Hezbollah and Hamas are both allied with Iran. For nearly a year, the conflict was mostly contained to the areas along the border between Israel and Lebanon.”
Middle East
Reuters: Israel Ends Cooperation Deal With UN Palestinian Relief Agency
“Israel has formally ended a decades-old cooperation agreement with the United Nations Palestinian relief agency (UNRWA) that covered the protection, movement and diplomatic immunity of the agency in Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Israel notified the U.N. in a letter on Sunday, as required by a new law adopted by Israel's parliament that will ban UNRWA's operations in Israel and prevent Israeli officials from cooperating with it when the law takes effect in late January. The end of the 1967 agreement, however, is immediate. U.N. lawyers are studying the letter, U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters on Monday, adding that: "UNRWA is continuing to operate today." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has for years called for UNRWA to be dismantled, accusing it of anti-Israeli incitement.”
Reuters: Thirty Palestinians Killed In Gaza, Israel Issues New Evacuation Orders
“Israel's military issued new evacuation orders in the north of the Gaza Strip on Tuesday after carrying out strikes across the enclave which Palestinian media and medics said had killed at least 30 people. An air strike damaged two houses in the town of Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza, where the army has carried out new operations since Oct. 5, and killed at least 20 people late on Monday, the Palestinian official news agency WAFA and Hamas media said. Four other people were killed in the central Gazan town of Al-Zawayda around midnight on Monday, medics said. The Gaza health ministry did not immediately confirm the tolls but Palestinian health officials said six people had also been killed in two separate Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City and Deir Al-Balah in the central area of the narrow enclave.”
Africa
Voice Of America: Chad President Threatens To Withdraw From Regional Force After Boko Haram Attack Kills Over 40 Chad Troops
“Chad says it will withdraw its troops from the United Nations-supported Multinational Joint Task Force of the Lake Chad Basin Commission, which combats Boko Haram in Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria. Officials from Chad say its military is not getting enough assistance to fight the terrorist group since an attack last week killed more than 40 of Chad’s soldiers. Chad's President Mahamat Idiss Deby says his country will pull out of the Multinational Joint Task Force of the Lake Chad Basin Commission, which has some 11,000 troops, because of the absence of what he calls coordinated efforts among member states troops in jointly fighting Boko Haram terrorism. A release read on Chad's state TV on Monday says Deby is surprised at the slow pace at which the task force, a regional group that includes rescue workers, reacts to Boko Haram attacks.”
France
Associated Press: Pro-Palestinian Supporters Stage Protest At French Soccer Federation Over Israel Game
“Pro-Palestinian supporters staged a protest Monday at the French soccer federation to call for the cancellation of a Nations League game between France and Israel this month. Video footage of their action posted on social media and circulating in French media showed protesters inside the federation’s headquarters in Paris lying on the floor or holding placards with political slogans and Palestinian flags. Some protesters also chanted: “No, no, no to the France-Israel game at the Stade de France.” The French soccer federation did not immediately respond to a request for comments from The Associated Press. According to local media, the demonstrators were calmly evacuated by police.”
Germany
DW: Germany: Eight Suspected Right-Wing Militants Arrested
“Germany's Federal Public Prosecutor announced on Tuesday that eight suspected members of a right-wing militant group had been arrested in a series of raids across three countries and involving hundreds of officers. "We are talking about a group of about 15 to 20 people," prosecutors said, adding that the group was characterized by "racist, antisemitic, and in some cases apocalyptic ideas." "Its members are connected by a deep rejection of the free and democratic order" of Germany, prosecutors said in a statement. The statement said the group plotted to seize power in the state of Saxony and potentially other eastern German states "to establish governmental and societal structures inspired by National Socialism."”
Europe
Associated Press: Greek Police Arrest Third Suspect Over Bombing As Minister Warns Of New Generation Of Extremists
“Greek police arrested a third suspect Monday in connection with an explosion in central Athens last week that authorities have blamed on an alleged aspiring domestic extremist group. The 30-year-old woman surrendered to Greek authorities Monday at Athens International Airport after being located in Switzerland, authorities said. The Oct. 31 blast gutted a third-floor apartment in the central Ambelokipi neighborhood, killing a 36-year-old man believed to have been assembling an explosive device. A 33-year-old woman was severely injured and remains hospitalized under police guard. A 31-year-old male suspect surrendered to authorities.”
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