“Iran will pursue whatever secures its interest, government spokesperson
Fatemeh Mohajerani said on Tuesday, when asked if there could be direct talks
with the Trump administration. "Whatever secures the country's interest and
values of the revolution will be pursued by the government," Mohajerani told a
journalist, according to the Iranian Student News Agency. There have been no
reports that Donald Trump or his team are planning any such talks as he
prepares to return to the U.S. presidency. Trump unilaterally pulled the U.S.
out of Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers during his last term of
office in 2018 and re-applied sanctions which severely impacted the Iranian
economy. "The maximum pressure campaign of Trump has failed, even if people
have been burdened by it. What is important will be actions and not words, but
we recommend Trump to take into account the failure of his past policies,"
Mohajerani added.”











<[link removed]>
<[link removed]>



Eye on Extremism



November 12, 2024



Reuters: Iran Says It Will Pursue 'Its Interest' When Asked About Possibility
Of Trump Talks
<[link removed]>



“Iran will pursue whatever secures its interest, government spokesperson
Fatemeh Mohajerani said on Tuesday, when asked if there could be direct talks
with the Trump administration. "Whatever secures the country's interest and
values of the revolution will be pursued by the government," Mohajerani told a
journalist, according to the Iranian Student News Agency. There have been no
reports that Donald Trump or his team are planning any such talks as he
prepares to return to the U.S. presidency. Trump unilaterally pulled the U.S.
out of Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers during his last term of
office in 2018 and re-applied sanctions which severely impacted the Iranian
economy. "The maximum pressure campaign of Trump has failed, even if people
have been burdened by it. What is important will be actions and not words, but
we recommend Trump to take into account the failure of his past policies,"
Mohajerani added.”



Reuters: At Least 40 Killed As Israel Pounds Lebanon, Lebanese Officials Say
<[link removed]>



“Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon over the last day have killed at least 40
people including several children, Lebanese authorities said on Saturday, after
heavy Israeli bombardment pounded the southern suburbs of the capital Beirut
overnight. At least seven people were killed in the coastal city of Tyre late
on Friday, Lebanon's health ministry said. The Israeli military has previously
ordered swathes of the city to evacuate but there were no orders published by
the Israeli military spokesperson on social media platform X before Friday's
strikes. The ministry said two children were among the dead. Rescue operations
were ongoing and other body parts retrieved in the aftermath of the attack
would undergo DNA testing to identify them, the ministry added. Strikes in
nearby towns on Saturday killed 13 people, including seven medics from rescue
groups affiliated to Hezbollah and its ally Amal, the health ministry said.”



CEP Mentions



Sueddeutsche Zeitung: “I Would Rather Call It Human Trafficking”
<[link removed]>



“... The people who have been in prison so far cannot therefore be described
as prisoners or detainees. "They are hostages of the regime," says Schindler,
who now heads the Counter Extremism Project, a think tank that focuses on
terrorism. Ultimately, the Iranians are not interested in giving the German
detainees a fair trial, but rather in convicting them on flimsy evidence in
order to use them as political bargaining chips. This was also the case with
Helmut Hofer. "The Iranians' idea was to exchange him for the terrorist Darabi
and his accomplices," says Schindler. Kazem Darabi was the mastermind behind
the Mykonos attack in Berlin, in which four Kurdish politicians in exile were
killed. He was sentenced to life imprisonment. Germany did not allow itself to
be blackmailed by Iran.”



The Mirror: ‘White Supremacist Ideology’ Tied To Man’s 'Planned Drone Attack'
On Nashville's Power Grid
<[link removed]>



“... The US Department of Justice accused 24-year-old Skyler Philippi of
rigging a drone with explosives to “further his violent white supremacist
ideology," according to Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. The attack would
have followed a string of recent incidents involving white supremacists'
targeting critical infrastructure, including power grids, according to the
Counter Extremism Project. “It could have taken quite awhile to repair,”
explained Joshua Fisher-Birch, a researcher with the Counter Extremism Project.
“This has been promoted by different groups and sort of sub-movements within
the accelerationists online environment and they’ve put out manuals and they’ve
put out videos that encourage attacks on infrastructure.””



The Guardian: Terrorist Groups Embrace Chance Of Weakened US Hegemony Under
Trump
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“... “In addition to strongly supporting proposed mass deportations, some
extreme right groups are hoping that likely cuts to federal law enforcement and
intelligence agencies and changing priorities will mean that attention will no
longer be focused on them,” said Joshua Fisher-Birch, a terrorism analyst at
the Counter Extremism Project. “They are anticipating having breathing room and
some are hopeful about the future.” One Telegram post from within the far-right
ecosystem of that app, spoke for the imprisoned white nationalist leader Rob
Rundo and his support for the election of Trump. “He may not be the cure for
all our issues at hand,” said the post claiming to speak for Rundo, “but it
could be the difference between freedom and incarceration for many young
nationalists.””



United States



ABC News: US Bombs 'Numerous' Houthi Weapon Storage Sites In Yemen, Official
Says
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“American airstrikes targeted Houthi facilities in Yemen on Saturday night, a
U.S. defense official confirmed to ABC News. Forces directed by U.S. Central
Command "conducted multiple airstrikes on numerous Iran-backed Houthi weapons
storage facilities within Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen," the official said.
"The targets contained various advanced conventional weapons used to target
military and civilian vessels navigating international waters throughout the
Red Sea and Gulf of Aden," the official said, adding that further details on
the strikes would be provided "soon." The U.S. -- along with the U.K. -- first
launched airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen in January 2024, following
several months of drone and missile attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, Gulf of
Aden and Arabian Sea.”



Reuters: US Carried Out Strikes Against Iranian Linked Targets In Syria
<[link removed]>



“The U.S. military said on Monday it had carried out strikes against nine
targets associated with Iranian groups in Syria. In a statement, the U.S.
military said the strikes were against two locations in Syria and a response to
several attacks on U.S. personnel in Syria in the past 24 hours. The U.S. has
occasionally carried out strikes against targets linked to Iran in both Iraq
and Syria. In February, the U.S. launched airstrikes in Iraq and Syria against
more than 85 targets linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) and militias
it backs, in retaliation for a deadly attack on U.S. troops. "These strikes
will degrade the Iranian backed groups' ability to plan and launch future
attacks on U.S. and Coalition forces," the U.S. military said after the most
recent strikes. The U.S. has 900 troops in Syria, and 2,500 more in neighboring
Iraq, on a mission to advise and assist local forces trying to prevent a
resurgence of Islamic State, which in 2014 seized large swathes of both
countries but was later defeated.”



Syria



Voice Of America: Israeli Raids On Syria Kill 4 Militants, War Monitor Says
<[link removed]>



“Four pro-Iran fighters were among five people killed in overnight Israeli
strikes in north and northwest Syria, a war monitor said on Saturday. "Four
Syrian pro-Iran fighters were killed in Israeli air strikes on the scientific
research center and warehouses near Safira east of Aleppo," the Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights said. The Britain-based monitor said two other
raids further west targeting Saraqeb in Idlib province killed a fifth person.
Israeli authorities rarely comment on such strikes but have repeatedly said
they will not allow archenemy Iran to expand its presence in Syria. The
Observatory said the strikes targeted two headquarters of Syrian regime forces
frequented by members of the Iran-backed Hezbollah group. Late Saturday, the
Observatory reported "two Israeli strikes" targeting a Syrian army radar
position in the southern province of Suweida, without immediately giving
further details.”



Iran



Voice Of America: Iran Accuses Germany Of Defending 'Terrorist' After Death Of
Dual National <[link removed]>



“Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused Germany of defending a
"terrorist" after the death in Iran of Jamshid Sharmahd, a dual national
sentenced to execution, which triggered condemnation from Berlin. Iran on
October 28 announced the execution of Sharmahd, 69, but eight days later the
judiciary spokesperson said Sharmahd had died before the "imminent" execution
could be carried out, implying natural causes. After the initial execution
announcement, Berlin recalled its ambassador to Iran and closed three Iranian
consulates in Germany. That in turn triggered what Iran called a "strong
protest" to the German charge d'affaires, who was summoned. "I regret that this
is straining German-Iranian relations, and I wish I could have prevented it,"
Araghchi said in an interview published Friday by the German weekly Der
Spiegel.”



Associated Press: Militant Attack On Pakistani Border Leaves 5 Iranian
Security Forces Dead, State Media Says
<[link removed]>



“A militant attack near the Pakistani border with Iran left five Iranian
forces dead, the state-run IRNA news agency reported Sunday. The report said
the dead were ethnic Baluch members of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard’s
volunteer Basij force and were killed in Saravan city in Sistan and Baluchistan
province. Saravan is some 1,400 kilometers (870 miles) southeast of the capital
Tehran. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. Earlier in
the day, state TV reported that Revolutionary Guard forces killed three
terrorists and arrested nine others in a military operation. The report did not
specify which group the suspects belonged to. Last month, unknown gunmen killed
four people, including the chief of the Revolutionary Guard in the province.”



Turkey



Reuters: Five Killed In Turkish Drone Strikes On PKK Members In Northern Iraq
<[link removed]>



“Turkish drone strikes killed five members of the Kurdistan Workers Party
(PKK) in northern Iraq, Iraqi Kurdistan's counter-terrorism service and
security sources said on Sunday. The first Turkish strike targeted a vehicle in
a mountain area near Iraq's northern province Dohuk late on Saturday, killing
three, including one person identified by the Iraqi Kurdistan's
counter-terrorism service statement as a "senior PKK official", the statement
added. Another drone strike on Sunday targeted a vehicle, killing two fighters
from the Sinjar Resistance Units (YBS), a militia affiliated with the Kurdistan
Workers Party (PKK), two security sources and a local official in the district
of Sinjar told Reuters. Turkey regularly carries out airstrikes on PKK
militants in northern Iraq and has dozens of outposts in the Iraqi territory.
The PKK launched an insurgency against Ankara in 1984 with the initial aim of
creating an independent Kurdish state.”



Afghanistan



Associated Press: Afghanistan Attends U.N. Climate Talks For First Time Since
Taliban Return To Power
<[link removed]>



“For the first time since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, Afghanistan
on Monday sent a delegation to the United Nations climate talks in a bid to
garner help in dealing with global warming. Matuil Haq Khalis, who’s head of
the country’s environment protection agency, told The Associated Press that
Afghanistan needs international support to deal with extreme weather like
erratic rainfall, prolonged droughts and flash floods. “All the countries must
join hands and tackle the problem of climate change,” said Khalis, speaking
through a translator at the talks, taking place this year in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Afghanistan has been hard hit by climate change, with a recent assessment by
climate experts ranking it the sixth most climate vulnerable country in the
world. In March, northern Afghanistan experienced heavy rains resulting in
flash floods, killing over 300 people.”



Yemen



Voice Of America: Houthis Fire Missile Toward Israeli Base
<[link removed]>



“An intercepted missile fired from Yemen sparked blazes near Jerusalem
Monday, and later the Houthi rebels said they carried out a successful attack
on central Israel. The Iran-backed militant group said it executed a "military
operation targeting the Nahal Sorek military base" southeast of Jaffa, and that
the "hit was accurate and led to a fire." Meanwhile, the main television news
outlet operated by the Houthis said U.S. and British forces carried out a
series of airstrikes targeting the Amran and Saada governorates in Yemen. The
Israeli military told Agence France-Presse a projectile from Yemen was
intercepted in the Bet Shemesh area west of Jerusalem, and debris from that
interception caused fires. In a statement to the AFP, it said: "Following the
sirens that sounded in the Shfelat Yehuda, Yehuda, and Lakhish areas of central
Israel, the IAF (Israeli Air Force) intercepted one projectile that approached
Israel from the direction of Yemen.”



Associated Press: Soldier With Yemen’s Exiled Government Opens Fire, Killing 2
Saudi Troops And Wounding Another
<[link removed]>



“A soldier for Yemen’s exiled government opened fire on Saudi troops as they
exercised in eastern Yemen, killing two of them and wounding another in a rare
insider attack during the kingdom’s nearly decadelong war there, officials said
Saturday. The assault in eastern Hadramawt province comes as a yearslong
cease-fire between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthi rebels largely has held
despite the militants’ ongoing attacks against shipping in the Red Sea
corridor. While the Houthis did not claim the attack, at least one Houthi
official praised it as being “the beginning and an indication of a harsh future
awaiting the invaders.” Meanwhile, U.S. warplanes carried out new strikes
targeting Houthi positions that lasted into early Sunday morning, the American
military said. he strikes come after the militants likely shot down yet-another
American reconnaissance drone over the country.”



Reuters: US, Britain Launch Raids On Yemeni Capital Sanaa, Elsewhere, Al
Masirah TV Says
<[link removed]>



“The United States and Britain launched raids on the Yemeni capital Sanaa,
the Amran governorate and other areas, Al Masirah TV, the main television news
outlet run by the Houthi movement, reported on Sunday. Houthi media and
residents said about nine raids had targeted the Sanaa, its suburbs and Amran
governorate. Iran-aligned Houthi militants have launched attacks on
international shipping near Yemen since November last year, in solidarity with
the Palestinians in Israel's war with Hamas. The attacks have drawn U.S. and
British retaliatory strikes and disrupted global trade as ship owners reroute
vessels away from the Red Sea and Suez Canal to sail the longer route around
the southern tip of Africa.”



Lebanon



Associated Press: Middle East Latest: Israeli Minister Reports Some Progress
Toward Cease-Fire But Hezbollah Unaware
<[link removed]>



“Israel’s new foreign minister said Monday that there has been “certain
progress” in efforts to end the fighting with Lebanon’s Hezbollah. But a
spokesman for the militant group said it had not received any official proposal
and was prepared to wage a long war if needed. The Biden administration has
spent months trying to broker a cease-fire, and there were reports that U.S.
envoy Amos Hochstein might return to the region in the coming days. Israeli
Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said any agreement would have to include
enforcement mechanisms to prevent Hezbollah from reconstituting its military
infrastructure near the border. “There is certain progress on the issue. We are
working with the Americans,” he told reporters. Hezbollah began firing into
Israel on Oct. 8, 2023, in solidarity with Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Since the
conflict erupted, more than 3,200 people have been killed and more than 14,000
wounded in Lebanon, the Health Ministry reported.”



Qatar



Associated Press: Qatar Suspends Its Mediation Efforts On Gaza And The Hamas
Office There May Have To Leave
<[link removed]>



“Qatar has suspended its key mediation efforts between Hamas and Israel, it
said Saturday, after growing frustration with the lack of progress on a
cease-fire deal for Gaza. It wasn’t immediately clear whether the remaining
Hamas leadership hosted by Qatar must leave, or where it would go. Hamas has
good relations with Iran and Turkey, and some of its leaders are now in
Lebanon. However, Qatar is highly likely to return to mediation efforts if both
sides show “serious political willingness” to reach a deal, according to an
official with Egypt, the other key mediator. Qatar told Israel and Hamas it
can’t continue to mediate “as long as there is a refusal to negotiate a deal in
good faith” and “as a consequence, the Hamas political office no longer serves
its purpose” in Qatar, a diplomatic source briefed on the matter said. Qatar
told Hamas it will have to leave if it isn’t ready to engage in serious
negotiations, the source said.”



Middle East



Associated Press: Aid Groups Say Israel Misses US Deadline To Boost
Humanitarian Help For Gaza
<[link removed]>



“Israel has failed to meet U.S. demands to allow greater humanitarian access
to the Gaza Strip, where conditions are worse than at any point in the
13-month-old war, international aid organizations said Tuesday. The Biden
administration last month called on Israel to “surge” more food and other
emergency aid into Gaza, giving it a 30-day deadline that was expiring Tuesday.
It warned that failure to comply could trigger U.S. laws requiring it to scale
back military support as Israel wages offensives against Hamas in Gaza and
Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israel has announced a series of steps toward improving
the situation. But U.S. officials recently signaled that Israel still isn’t
doing enough, though they haven’t said if they will take any action against it.
Israel’s new foreign minister, Gideon Saar, appeared to downplay the deadline,
telling reporters on Monday that he was confident “the issue would be solved.””



Associated Press: Middle East Latest: Israeli Defense Minister Officially
Steps Down
<[link removed]>



“Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant officially stepped down Friday in a
ceremony that replaced him with Israel Katz, the former foreign minister, just
three days after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired Gallant, sparking
protests. Many in Israel view Gallant as the sole moderate voice in a far-right
government, and see his removal as a sign that Netanyahu has lost interest in
returning hostages still held in Gaza. Katz currently serves as foreign
minister and is a longtime Netanyahu loyalist and veteran Cabinet minister.
Also Friday, the Israeli military body handling aid to Gaza said it was
preparing to open a new aid crossing into Gaza, without specifying when. The
Israeli military says it will allow 300 truckloads of humanitarian aid supplied
by the United Arab Emirates to enter the Gaza Strip in the coming days.”



Associated Press: Israel’s Military Is Building Along Un-Patrolled
Demilitarized Zone In Syria, Satellite Images Show
<[link removed]>



“Israel has begun a construction project along the so-called Alpha Line that
separates the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights from Syria, apparently laying
asphalt for a road right along the frontier, satellite photos analyzed by The
Associated Press show. Israeli troops have entered the demilitarized zone
during the work, the United Nations confirmed to the AP, a violation of the
cease-fire rules governing the area. The work, which earlier satellite photos
show began in earnest in late September, follows the completion by the Israeli
military of new roadways and what appears to be a buffer zone along the Gaza
Strip’s frontier with Israel. The Israel military also has begun demolishing
villages in Lebanon, where United Nations peacekeepers have come under fire. So
far, there has been no major violence along the Alpha Line, which delineates
the demilitarized zone between Syria and Israeli-occupied territory that U.N.
peacekeepers have patrolled since 1974.”



Africa



Reuters: Fifteen Chad Soldiers Killed In Operation Against Boko Haram, Army
Says
<[link removed]>



“At least 15 Chadian soldiers were killed and 32 others wounded in clashes
between the army and Boko Haram fighters on Saturday, the army's spokesman
said, adding that 96 Boko Haram members were also killed. General Issakh
Acheikh on Sunday did not say where the operation took place or provide any
details on the circumstances. He said on national television that the army also
wounded 11 Boko Haram members, and seized arms and equipment. "The army assures
the population that the situation is under control and that actions to track
down residual elements continue as part of Operation Haskanite," Acheikh said,
referring to a military operation launched to dislodge Boko Haram militants
from Lake Chad. The region has been attacked repeatedly by insurgencies
including Islamic State in West Africa and Boko Haram, which erupted in
northeast Nigeria in 2009 and spread to the west of Chad.”



Associated Press: Morocco Limits Preaching About War In The Middle East That
Invokes Jihad
<[link removed]>



“Politicians and activists in Morocco are questioning limitations imposed on
preachers regarding what they may say about war in the Middle East during
sermons. During a meeting at the country’s parliament this week, socialist
lawmaker Nabila Mounib bemoaned the way that imams were curtailed in how they
can speak about the plight of Palestinians and call for religious struggle to
support their cause. “No imam can speak about the Palestinian issue,” Mounib
claimed on Tuesday. “Today no one is demanding jihad for our brothers in
Palestine.” In Morocco, imams are employed by the state and their sermons
cannot be overtly political. Regardless of the extent to which they have
focused on the Israel-Hamas war, Morocco’s Ministry of Islamic Affairs has said
that such subject matter is permitted. Yet activists are still worried about de
facto limits placed on preaching about Palestinians.”



United Kingdom



Reuters: Former UK Soldier Accused Of Helping Iran Pleads Guilty To Prison
Escape
<[link removed]>



"A British soldier accused of passing sensitive information to Iran's Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps pleaded guilty on Monday to escaping from prison
while awaiting trial. Daniel Abed Khalife is on trial at London's Woolwich
Crown Court, accused of collecting sensitive information between May 2019 and
January 2022. Khalife, who is no longer a member of the British armed forces,
also denies leaving a fake bomb on a desk and absconding from his barracks in
2023. Prosecutors had also alleged Khalife escaped from London's Wandsworth
prison in September 2023 by tying himself to the bottom of a delivery van,
sparking a brief nationwide manhunt. The 23-year-old had originally pleaded not
guilty to escaping from lawful custody, but changed his plea to guilty on
Monday after having given evidence for several days earlier this month.”



BBC: Conspiracy Theorist Jailed For Terrorism Offences
<[link removed]>



“An anti-vaccination conspiracy theorist who encouraged violence against Prof
Sir Chris Whitty on social media has been sentenced to five years in prison.
Patrick Ruane, 55, from Paddington, west London, was convicted of two charges
of encouraging terrorism on social media in 2021, following a trial at the Old
Bailey. Ruane believed in conspiracy theories about the government having a
"hidden agenda" to the coronavirus epidemic which he shared with thousands of
users in Telegram groups, the trial heard. His posts referred to "serious
violence" including the use of explosives such as Semtex as well as criminal
damage and the disruption of electronic communication systems, said the
prosecution. Ruane had suggested "whacking" the Chief Medical Officer for
England, Prof Sir Chris Whitty, and referred to executing politicians.”



China



Reuters: China To Continue Support For Pakistan's Counter-Terrorism Efforts
<[link removed]>



“China will continue to support Pakistan in counter-terrorism operations, a
foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday, after two Chinese nationals were
wounded in a shooting in the country's commercial hub Karachi last week. China
and Pakistan have the determination and ability to thwart all attempts to
undermine China-Pakistan relations and make terrorists pay the price,
spokesperson Lin Jian told a regular news conference in Beijing.”



Southeast Asia



The Economic Times: Manipur: Curfew Imposed In Jiribam District Following
Encounter That Killed 11 Militants
<[link removed]>



“The Manipur government on Monday night imposed an indefinite curfew across
the entire Jiribam district, effective immediately. This measure has been
implemented to prevent potential disturbances and ensure the maintenance of law
and order. With the move, assembly and movement of more than five people
outside their residence has been prohibited. Further, carrying firearms,
stones, weapons, sharp edged objects of any kind would be an offence. For
events like marriage and funeral, a written permission is required from
Superintendent of Police, Jiribam district. As many as 11 suspected militants
were killed in an encounter with CRPF in Jiribam area of Manipur on Monday. A
security personnel was also critically injured in the gunfight, said officials.”



Technology



The Times Of India: Pakistan On Social Media Overdrive To Revive Terrorism In
Kashmir
<[link removed]>



“An exponential rise in social media activity over the past month by Pakistan
and PoK-based terrorist handles, aimed at glamourising terrorism and
secessionism in J&K, as well as threatening anti-India posts, is being viewed
by Indian security agencies as "a fresh bid by Pakistan-backed terror outfits
to revive local terror recruitment in J&K", according to intelligence sources.
An analysis by the agencies here of anti-India activities across "identified"
Pakistan and PoK-based terror-linked accounts on platforms like Facebook, X,
Telegram, Dark Web etc, revealed over 2,000 'posts of concern' in the past one
month alone (Oct-Nov), as against 89 during the corresponding period of 2023.
This translates to a more than 22-fold rise.”



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