CEP Mentions
The Times: Jailbreak Fears As Prison Maps Are Leaked On The Dark Web
“Security officials are investigating a major leak of detailed prison layouts amid fears they will be exploited by criminals to smuggle drugs and weapons into prisons or used to aid an escape. Emergency security measures have been deployed at multiple jails across England and Wales after the blueprints were shared on the dark web over the past fortnight. The schematic plans are also understood to include the location of sensors and cameras… Ian Acheson, a former prison governor and a counter-terrorism expert who reviewed extremism in prisons for the government, said that organised crime groups could use copies of the layouts along with other public information to co-ordinate drone deliveries of drugs and weapons, and potentially orchestrate an escape.”
Tagesspiegel: Israel Reports Murder Of Rabbi In Abu Dhabi
"Zvi Kogan had been missing in the United Arab Emirates for days , and now Israel has announced the violent death of the 28-year-old rabbi. Kogan, who holds both Israeli and Moldovan citizenship , was murdered, the offices of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said in a joint statement on Sunday. It was a case of "anti-Semitic terrorism."… "At the moment, the information regarding the circumstances of the death is still relatively vague," terrorism expert Hans-Jakob Schindler told the Tagesspiegel. "The investigations are now in full swing." We have to wait for the results… The extremism researcher, who is senior director of the international Counter Extremism Project, explains: "Iran has announced that it will respond to the last Israeli military attack on the country in October. This response can look many different. International attacks on Israeli and Jewish targets are always possible as well.””
El Pais: The American Far Right Is Emboldened By The Arrival Of Donald Trump
“It was just a theatrical performance of Anne Frank’s Diary , but the night of the performance in the small town of Fowlerville, Michigan, it turned chilling. On November 12, while the cast was on stage and the audience, some 75 people, were in their seats, a handful of masked men were lurking outside the venue… Even so, more organized groups do not necessarily see the president-elect and his MAGA movement as representing them, Joshua Fisher Birch, an expert on neo-Nazi and supremacist groups at the Counter Extremism Project, explains via video call from New York. “Trump is, in fact, heavily criticized by the far right for his support of Israel and his ties to the Jewish community ,” he explains, “which is who they see as the ultimate global enemy, responsible for all the evil they imagine they face in the world. For many, Trump is the other side of the same coin.””
The Boca Raton Observer: Broidy Capital Holdings
“... The tragic events of Oct. 7th further heightened Broidy’s commitment to Israel. “These events made us painfully aware of the extraordinary danger facing Israel and Jewish communities worldwide,” he reflects. “It prompted me to deepen my support for several organizations, including The Counter Extremism Project and The Jewish Agency for Israel, as well as various groups fighting antisemitism on U.S. campuses and beyond.” With a deeply rooted commitment to both business and philanthropy, Broidy exemplifies the kind of leadership and compassion that continues to attract top talent to South Florida and Boca Raton in particular.”
United States
The Hill: Former New York Resident Arrested Over Plan To Support ISIS
“An Albanian man with dual citizenship in the U.S. was charged Friday for attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State and distributing instructional material on making explosives, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ). Erald Alimehmeti, 33, of Tirana, Albania — a former New York City resident — served from late 2015-2019 and again from 2020-2022 in an Albanian prison over weapons and assault charges. Alimehmeti allegedly used online accounts to research “D.C. Sniper” style attacks and request “tactical” equipment and “gear” for “training” and “operations” in support of ISIS, per the DOJ release. He also reportedly solicited “magazine pouches,” and “knives,” and described modifications he intended to make to his “AKM” — an apparent reference to an assault rifle.”
The Guardian: John Bolton Rips Into Trump’s Pick For Counter-Terrorism Chief Sebastian Gorka
“Trump’s former national security adviser John Bolton has laid into Sebastian Gorka, the president-elect’s pick for counter-terrorism chief, as a “conman” whose selection is not “going to bode well for counter-terrorism efforts when the [national security council’s] senior director is somebody like that”. Trump praised Gorka, who was born in the UK to Hungarian parents, as a “tireless advocate for the America First Agenda and the MAGA Movement”. But Bolton came out swinging at Gorka on Friday. The arch-conservative, who served in the Reagan, George W Bush and first Trump administrations, has set out his stall against many of Trump’s picks, including former Democrat and Iraq veteran Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence, and told CNN that he “wouldn’t have him in any US government”.”
Iran
Reuters: Iran's Khamenei Calls For Death Sentence For Israeli Leaders
“The supreme leader of Iran, which backs the Hamas and Hezbollah militants fighting Israel in Gaza and Lebanon, said on Monday that death sentences should be issued for Israeli leaders, not arrest warrants. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was commenting on a decision by the International Criminal Court to issue arrest warrants on Thursday for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defence chief and a Hamas leader, Ibrahim Al-Masri. "They issued an arrest warrant, that's not enough... Death sentence must be issued for these criminal leaders", Khamenei said, referring to the Israeli leaders.”
Iraq
Voice Of America: Islamic State Figure Arrested In Iraqi Kurdistan
“Iraqi national security officials on Saturday said they arrested the top-ranking Islamic State figure in Iraqi Kurdistan. Azad Shakhi, the so-called emir of the Kurdistan faction of Islamic State, which is also known as IS, ISIS or ISIL, was detained in Kirkuk province alongside six other suspected terrorists, one of whom blew himself up amid the siege on their hideout. "The detainees were working underground and were found and arrested after a thorough investigation and gathering information," Colonel Salam Abdulkhaliq, spokesman for the Kurdistan Regional Security Agency, told VOA's Kurdish Service. Regional security officials with knowledge of the investigation said the group had been planning to target security figures and government institutions, according to regional news outlets.”
Afghanistan
NPR: For The First Time Ever, Taliban Reps Were Invited To The Big U.N. Climate Conference
“For the first time since the Taliban takeover in 2021, a delegation from Afghanistan has been invited to the United Nations signature climate conference: the 29th Conference of Parties (COP). Following U.N. protocol, this year's host nation — Azerbaijan — issued the invite. It's not a full-blown invitation. Because the U.N. does not recognize the Taliban as the official government of Afghanistan due to its repressive policies, the Afghan delegates — members of the National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA — cannot participate in decision-making events. Nonetheless, the Taliban has said it is eager to participate. "The Afghan delegation will discuss strengthening international cooperation in the field of environmental protection and climate change," stated a Taliban press release prior to the U.N. event.”
Voice Of America: Afghan Girls Turn To Online Learning, Defying Taliban Education Ban
“Saliha began taking online classes after she lost hope of returning to school to pursue her dream of becoming a doctor in Afghanistan. She was in ninth grade when U.S.-led forces withdrew from the country and the Taliban seized power in August 2021, banning girls' secondary education. "I used to dream of finishing school and going to university," said Saliha, 18, who did not want her family name to be revealed for security reasons. "But now, considering all the limitations, my hope is just to have any kind of education, whether via online courses or underground school." With the Taliban's ban on secondary education in its fourth year, some Afghan girls and young women like Saliha are looking for an alternative source of education.”
Pakistan
Associated Press: Pakistani Police Arrest Thousands Of Imran Khan Supporters As Capital Under Lockdown Ahead Of Rally
“Pakistani police arrested thousands of Imran Khan supporters as the capital remained under lockdown ahead of a rally there to demand the ex-premier’s release from prison, a security officer said Sunday. Khan has been behind bars for more than a year and has over 150 criminal cases against him. But he remains popular and his political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf or PTI, says the cases are politically motivated. Shahid Nawaz, a security officer in eastern Punjab province, said police have arrested more than 4,000 Khan supporters. They include five parliamentarians. Pakistan has since Saturday sealed off Islamabad with shipping containers and shut down major roads and highways connecting the city with PTI strongholds in Punjab and northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.”
Lebanon
Associated Press: An Israeli Strike That Killed 3 Lebanese Journalists Was Most Likely Deliberate, Watchdog Says
“An Israeli airstrike that killed three journalists and wounded others in Lebanon last month was most likely a deliberate attack on civilians and an apparent war crime, an international human rights group said Monday. The Oct. 25 airstrike killed three journalists as they slept at a guesthouse in southeast Lebanon in one of the deadliest attacks on the media since the Israel-Hezbollah war began 13 months ago. Eleven other journalists have been killed and eight wounded since then, Lebanon’s Health Minister Firass Abiad said. More than 3,500 people have been killed in Lebanon, and women and children accounted for more than 900 of the dead, according to the Health Ministry.”
Reuters: Powerful Israeli Airstrike In Central Beirut Kills 20, Lebanese Health Ministry Says
“An Israeli airstrike killed at least 20 people in central Beirut on Saturday, Lebanon's health ministry said, one of the deadliest strikes on the heart of the capital since Israel began its assault against the Iran-backed Hezbollah group in September. Another 13 people, including at least four children, were killed in attacks on the villages of Chimsar and Bodai northeast of the capital in Baalbek district, the ministry said. In Beirut, an eight-storey building was struck with four missiles, including bunker-penetrating types designed to hit underground targets, said a Lebanese security source. Israel has used bunker-busting weapons to kill senior Hezbollah figures, including its veteran leader Hassan Nasrallah in a strike on southern Beirut in September.”
Associated Press: Lebanon’s Shiite Muslims Pay High Price In War Between Israel And Hezbollah
“The Lebanese civilians most devastated by the Israel- Hezbollah war are Shiite Muslims, and many of them believe they are being unfairly punished because they share a religious identity with Hezbollah militants and often live in the same areas. “This is clear,” said Wael Murtada, a young Shiite man who anxiously watched paramedics search rubble after a recent Israeli airstrike destroyed his uncle’s two-story home and killed 10 people. “Who else is being attacked?” Israel has concentrated its attacks on villages in southern and northeastern Lebanon and neighborhoods south of Beirut. This is where many Hezbollah militants operate from, and their families live side by side with large numbers of Shiites who aren’t members of the group.”
Middle East
The Guardian: Islamic State Is Primed To Be Thorn In The Side Of Incoming Trump Administration
“Amid a presidential campaign with foreign policy discussions more focused on the wars in Ukraine, Gaza and Lebanon, the Islamic State stayed under the radar while calling on supporters and operatives to attack Americans on election day. The FBI thwarted a serious plot in Oklahoma City only weeks before the vote, prompting a similar public reaction to news involving the terror group that has become customary of late: is the Islamic State a renewed threat? But the reality is that the terror group has always been one to watch. For the last few years, since the fall of its so-called caliphate, IS was forced to reimagine itself and rallied by restructuring its cells in Europe and reinforcing strongholds in Afghanistan under the banner of the very busy Khorasan (ISKP) branch, and another in Somalia among others.”
The New York Times: An Israeli Rabbi Is Abducted And Killed In The U.A.E.
“An Israeli rabbi in the United Arab Emirates who had been missing since Thursday has been found murdered, Israeli and Emirati authorities announced on Sunday. Israeli officials called the death of the rabbi, Zvi Kogan, an act of terrorism, without providing any further details. The Emirati government said in a statement on Sunday that “three perpetrators involved in the murder” had been arrested. It offered no additional information on the arrests but said “full details” would be disclosed when the investigations conclude. Rabbi Kogan, a dual citizen of Israel and Moldova, worked in Abu Dhabi as part of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, a branch of Orthodox Judaism that conducts Jewish outreach around the world.”
Reuters: Israeli Strikes Kill Dozens In Gaza Over 48 Hours, Palestinian Officials Say
“Israeli military strikes across the Gaza Strip have killed at least 120 Palestinians over the last 48 hours and hit a hospital on the northern edge of the enclave, wounding medical staff and damaging equipment, Palestinian medics said on Saturday. Among the dead were seven members of one family whose house was hit overnight in the Zeitoun suburb of Gaza City, the health officials said. The rest were killed in separate Israeli strikes in central and southern Gaza. At the same time, Israeli forces deepened their incursion and bombardment of the northern edge of the enclave, their main offensive since early last month. A spokesperson for the armed wing of Hamas said a female Israeli hostage in the group's custody had been killed in a northern area under attack by Israeli forces.
Mali
Associated Press: At Least 6 Mercenaries With Russia’s Wagner Group Killed In An Extremist Attack In Mali
“At least six Russian mercenaries were killed in an attack by an al-Qaida-linked group in central Mali, according to a statement by the extremists on its media platform. The group, known by its acronym, JNIM, said it ambushed a convoy of mercenaries working for the Wagner Group on Thursday in the Mopti region, killing fighters and burning vehicles. A Mali security official who works in the area confirmed an attack on Russian soldiers occurred on Thursday and that several people died while manning a checkpoint in the center of the country. The official spoke on condition of anonymity on Saturday because he was not authorized to speak to the media. Russia has capitalized on deteriorating relations between the West and coup-affected Sahel nations in West Africa to send fighters and assert its influence.”
Africa
Associated Press: Police In Jordan Kill A Gunman In A Shootout Near The Israeli Embassy
“Police in Jordan shot and killed a man after he opened fire near the Israeli Embassy early on Sunday, authorities said. Three police officers were wounded in the shootout in the Rabiah neighborhood of the capital, Amman. Authorities did not identify the shooter or say what his motive was. Jordan is a close Western ally that made peace with Israel in 1994. But Israel’s devastating offensive in the Gaza Strip, launched after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack, has strained relations. Jordan has a large Palestinian population and has seen repeated protests outside the Israeli Embassy, with demonstrators sometimes clashing with police. Jordan’s Public Security Directorate said in a statement that police pursued the gunman after he opened fire in the area.”
Financial Times: Military Juntas In Africa’s ‘Coup Belt’ Fail To Contain Extremist Violence
“Military juntas in the Sahel have failed to contain a surge in jihadi violence, with fatalities rising in the years since they took over pledging to bring security to a region that became known as Africa’s “coup belt”. Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger were all taken over by military governments between 2020 and 2023 as soldiers seized on popular anger against democratic governments for their failure to stop the Islamist and insurgent violence that had plagued the region for more than a decade. Yet instead of ushering in a new era of security in the central Sahel, the semi-arid strip south of the Sahara, extremist groups have become emboldened over the past year.”
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