“Lebanon's Hezbollah has been significantly degraded militarily by Israel, but
the Iran-backed group will likely try to rebuild its stockpiles and forces and
pose a longterm threat to the U.S. and its regional allies, four sources
briefed on updated U.S. intelligence told Reuters. U.S. intelligence agencies
assessed in recent weeks that Hezbollah, even amid Israel's military campaign,
had begun to recruit new fighters and was trying to find ways to rearm through
domestic production and by smuggling materials through Syria, said a senior
U.S. official, an Israeli official and two U.S. lawmakers briefed on the
intelligence, speaking on condition of anonymity. It's unclear to what extent
those efforts have slowed since last week when Hezbollah and Israel reached a
shaky ceasefire, two of the sources said.”











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Eye on Extremism



December 5, 2024



Reuters: Exclusive: Lebanon's Hezbollah Aims To Rebuild Longer Term Despite
Israeli Blows, US Intel Says
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“Lebanon's Hezbollah has been significantly degraded militarily by Israel, but
the Iran-backed group will likely try to rebuild its stockpiles and forces and
pose a longterm threat to the U.S. and its regional allies, four sources
briefed on updated U.S. intelligence told Reuters. U.S. intelligence agencies
assessed in recent weeks that Hezbollah, even amid Israel's military campaign,
had begun to recruit new fighters and was trying to find ways to rearm through
domestic production and by smuggling materials through Syria, said a senior
U.S. official, an Israeli official and two U.S. lawmakers briefed on the
intelligence, speaking on condition of anonymity. It's unclear to what extent
those efforts have slowed since last week when Hezbollah and Israel reached a
shaky ceasefire, two of the sources said.”



Associated Press: Syrian Insurgents Say They Have Entered The City Of Hama
After Fierce Fighting
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“Syrian insurgents said they entered parts of the central city of Hama on
Thursday after three days of intense clashes with government forces on its
outskirts, part of an ongoing offensive in which they also seized Syria’s
largest city of Aleppo. Syrian state media confirmed violent clashes between
government forces and opposition gunmen on the eastern edges of Hama city but
denied that the insurgents had breached it. Hama is one of the few cities that
remained under full government control during Syria’s conflict, which broke out
in March 2011 following a popular uprising. Its capture would be a major
setback for President Bashar Assad. The offensive is being led by the jihadi
group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham as well as an umbrella group of Turkish-backed
Syrian militias called the Syrian National Army.”



CEP Mentions



WTOP News: The Hunt: Al Qaida Linked Terror Group Stuns Syria, Poses Challenge
To US
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“Hayat Tahrir al Sham, a terror group linked to al-Qaida, overran Syria’s
second largest city this week. Counterterrorism experts indicate it’s the
strongest signal in the last few years that the terror group and its allies are
rapidly gaining strength. In this week’s episode of “The Hunt with WTOP
National Security Correspondent J.J. Green,” Hans Jakob Schindler, senior
director of the Counter Extremism Project, said the group could soon become a
problem for the U.S.”



Conservative Home: Ian Acheson: Challenging Labour On Criminal Justice Means
Admitting To Fourteen Years Of Destruction
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“The news agenda has been quite chewy of late, so not many people will have
noticed the publication of The Home Detention Curfew and Requisite and Minimum
Custodial Periods (Amendment) Order 2024, slipped out last month. Statutory
Orders can be made through delegated authority from primary legislation. What
this means with this draft order is that from July next year, the length of
time a prisoner is eligible to be released on electronic monitoring before the
end of his sentence is doubled from a maximum of 6 months out to a maximum of a
year, without the faff of any further debate in Parliament. So what? Well,
electronic monitoring or tagging has been used since the late 1990s.”



United States



Associated Press: Police Hunt For UnitedHealthcare CEO’s Masked Killer After
‘Brazen, Targeted’ Attack On NYC Street
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“A gunman killed UnitedHealthcare’s CEO on Wednesday in a “brazen, targeted
attack” outside a Manhattan hotel where the health insurer was holding its
investor conference, police said, setting off a massive search for the fleeing
assailant hours before the annual Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting
nearby. Brian Thompson, 50, was shot around 6:45 a.m. as he walked alone to the
New York Hilton Midtown from a nearby hotel, police said. The shooter appeared
to be “lying in wait for several minutes” before approaching Thompson from
behind and opening fire, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said.
Police had not yet established a motive. “Many people passed the suspect, but
he appeared to wait for his intended target,” Tisch said, adding that the
shooting “does not appear to be a random act of violence.””



Syria



Reuters: Abu Mohammed Al-Golani: The Former Al Qaeda Chief Who Is Syria's
Leading Rebel
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“As the commander of al Qaeda's franchise in the Syrian civil war, Abu
Mohammed al-Golani was a shadowy figure who kept out of the public eye, even
when his group became the most powerful faction fighting President Bashar
al-Assad. Today, he is Syria's most recognisable insurgent, having gradually
stepped into the limelight since severing ties to al Qaeda in 2016, rebranding
his group and emerging as the de facto ruler of rebel-held northwestern Syria.
The transformation has been showcased since rebels led by Golani's Hayat Tahrir
al-Sham (HTS), formerly known as the Nusra Front, captured Aleppo last week,
with Golani featuring prominently and sending messages aimed at reassuring
Syrian minorities who have long feared the jihadists.”



Iraq



Voice Of America: Concerns Grow In Iraq Over Escalating Violence In Syria
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“With Syria’s second largest city of Aleppo now under control of rebel forces
and militants, officials in neighboring Iraq are expressing concerns about
potential spillover effects in their already unstable country. Iraqi Prime
Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said Tuesday during a phone call with Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that “Iraq will not be a mere spectator
regarding the grave developments in Syria,” adding that his country “will make
all efforts to preserve its security and that of Syria.” Other senior Iraqi
officials have voiced support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government
since it faced swift advances by rebel forces in the northwestern part of the
country last week.”



Turkey



Reuters: Turkey Says It Is Coordinating With Regional Counterparts On Syria
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“Turkey has closely cooperated and coordinated with regional counterparts
since clashes began again in northern Syria last week, a spokesman for the
defence ministry said on Thursday, adding stabilising measures were being
taken. Syrian rebels staged their biggest advance against President Bashar
al-Assad's forces in years over the past week and are starting a push into Hama
city. In Ankara, the spokesman repeated the Turkish position that the conflict
was triggered by domestic dynamics and unresolved issues in Syria, adding
Turkey remained committed to the agreements it reached. "All necessary measures
are being taken by our troops for stability in the region to continue. Since
the beginning of the process, close cooperation and coordination with
counterparts in the region is continuing," the spokesman said.”



Yemen



Voice Of America: Houthis Claim They Struck US Ships Near Yemen; Navy Says No
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“With the United States-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah
barely holding, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels continue to attack commercial
vessels transiting the Red Sea, and the Western military ships protecting them.
The Houthis say their 14-month-long campaign is to show solidarity with Hamas
and opposition to Israel by undermining the United States and its allies’
efforts to secure this vital maritime commercial route. On December 1, Houthi
military spokesperson Yahya Saree announced the militant group had launched a
series of attacks on a U.S. Navy ship escorting American merchant vessels
through the Gulf of Aden, which connects the Red Sea to the Arabian Sea.”



Middle East



CBS News: Israeli Strike On Gaza Tent Camp Housing Displaced People Kills At
Least 21, Hospital Says
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“Israeli airstrikes tore through a tent camp for displaced Palestinians in
southern Gaza on Wednesday, sparking fires and killing at least 21 people,
according to the head of a nearby hospital, in the latest assault on a
sprawling tent city that Israel designated a humanitarian safe zone but has
repeatedly targeted. A spokesman for Gaza's civil defense agency said five
children were killed in the strike. The Israeli military said it struck senior
Hamas militants involved in terrorist activities in the area, without providing
additional details, and said it took precautions to minimize harm to civilians.
The strike on the Muwasi tent camp was one of several deadly assaults across
the Gaza Strip on Wednesday. An Israeli attack in central Gaza killed at least
10 more people, including four children, according to Palestinian medics.”



The New York Times: Israel’s Military Says Hostages Were Likely Killed By
Hamas As Airstrike Hit
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“Six Israeli hostages whose bodies were found in Gaza over the summer were
probably shot dead by their Hamas captors in February, around the same time
that an Israeli airstrike hit near the underground tunnel where they were being
held, the Israeli military said on Wednesday. Later on Wednesday night, the
Israeli government said that its forces had recovered the body of another
hostage, Itay Svirsky, 38, in Gaza. Mr. Svirsky was abducted from Be’eri, a
small village near the Gaza border, during the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7,
2023, which triggered the war in Gaza. Both his parents were killed during the
assault. The two announcements added fuel to an already anguished debate in
Israel over whether the country’s military campaign in Gaza is endangering the
return of the remaining 100 captives held there, at least some of whom are
presumed dead.”



Africa



Voice Of America: Daybreak Africa: Islamic State DRC Linked Rebels Kill 9 And
Kidnap 3 <[link removed]>



“On Daybreak Africa: Kinshasa authorities say extremist rebels linked to the
Islamic State group killed at least 9 people, including an 8-month-old baby and
a 14-year-old girl, in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and kidnapped
several others. Plus, US President Joe Biden has concluded his three-day visit
to Angola. A new report says Africa's civic space remains mostly repressive.
Activists in Chad fight against gender-based violence. A Kenyan doctor’s union
this week issued a 21-day nationwide strike notice to commence December 22nd.
An official of the Economic Community of West African States says Ghana’s
December 7 election will be free, fair, and credible. Somali volunteers’ clean
years of neglected beaches.”



Europe



Associated Press: EU Condemns Reported Taliban Move To Suspend Medical
Education For Women And Girls
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“The European Union on Wednesday condemned the Taliban for violating human
rights and women’s access to education after media reports that the Taliban’s
leader has ordered private and public institutions to stop providing medical
courses for women and girls in Afghanistan. The Taliban have neither confirmed
the order nor responded to the reports. The Public Health Ministry spokesman
was unavailable for comment. In September 2021, a month after they returned to
power, the Taliban stopped schooling for girls after grade six. They banned
women from university in December 2022. Medical education, like nursing and
midwifery, was one of the few ways they could continue their learning in
classrooms.”



Technology



Reuters: Turkish Antitrust Authority Ends Meta Probe Over Threads Data-Sharing
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“Turkey's competition board said on Thursday that it has decided to terminate
an investigation of Meta Platforms (META.O), opens new tab regarding
data-sharing between social media platforms Threads and Instagram. Commitments
presented by the company to address competition concerns are sufficient and
hence the authority decided to end the investigation, it said in a statement.
As part of the commitments Meta sent to the authority, both existing Threads
users and new users will be able to use the platform by opening a Threads
profile without requiring an Instagram account, when the app is reinstated for
access in Turkey. Meta told the antitrust authority that unless the users in
question choose to merge their accounts, their data obtained through Threads
will not be merged with Instagram.”



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