Eye on Extremism
December 17, 2024
The New York Times: Syrian Rebel Leader Calls For Lifting Of Sanctions, As Al-Assad Defends Exit
“Ahmed al-Shara, the leader of the rebel coalition that swept into Damascus last week and ousted the Assad regime, urged the United States and other nations to remove sanctions imposed on the country, saying in an interview on Monday that all constraints needed to be lifted so that Syria could rebuild. The rebel leader spoke in Damascus, the Syrian capital, on the same day that Syria’s deposed dictator, Bashar al-Assad, seemed to break his silence about his decision to flee to Russia. In a statement posted to social media accounts he had used while in office, Mr. al-Assad said he had wanted to stay and fight, but was evacuated by Russian forces as the rebels bore down on the city. Mr. al-Assad said that Syria was now in the “hands of terrorism.””
The Guardian: US Seeks Stronger UN Powers To Intercept Red Sea Shipments To Yemen’s Houthis
“The US is seeking global support to give the UN clearer powers to interdict ships in the Red Sea heading for Houthi-controlled Yemen ports, as part of a concerted attempt to weaken the Iranian-backed group, according to the US special envoy. It is also considering redesignating the Houthis as a terrorist group, a move that would make it more difficult for humanitarian organisations to operate inside the Houthi-controlled parts of Yemen. Tim Lenderking, the US special envoy for Yemen, last week visited Djibouti where the UN Verification and Inspection Mission for Yemen (UNVIM) is based on the opposite side of the Red Sea. UNVIM’s chief focus is on inspecting ships for armaments entering Houthi-controlled Red Sea ports.”
United States
The Hill: Terrorism Victims Push Congress On Relief Funding
“Clayton Zook, a victim of the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia that killed 19 U.S airmen and injured hundreds, is leading the push to include a relief bill in Congress’ stop-gap funding measure. The United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund was established in 2015 and has paid out more than $6 billion to victims of state-sponsored terrorism. But the fund, which is financed by criminal or civil fines from asset forfeitures, has struggled to receive the money needed, advocates say. That has left behind many of the some 18,000 terrorism victims eligible for the fund after receiving court judgements. “It’s the only means of justice for people,” said Zook. “This is the only way to collect funds [and] collect some degree of justice.””
Associated Press: Virginia Man Convicted Of Funneling Money To Islamic State Group
“A northern Virginia man targeted by an FBI sting operation has been convicted on terrorism charges for collecting funds on behalf of the Islamic State group. Mohammed Chhipa, 35, of Springfield, was convicted late Friday afternoon on all five counts against him, including providing material support to a terrorist organization, after a weeklong trial at the U.S. District Court in Alexandria. The jury deliberated for about three hours. Prosecutors said Chhipa met several times with an undercover FBI operative who gave him hundreds of dollars on multiple occasions in 2021 and 2022, earmarked for a Syrian woman and Islamic State group member known as Umm Dujanah.”
Voice Of America: US Expands Reach Against Islamic State In Syria
“The United States is moving to fill the power vacuum in central Syria, worried the Islamic State terror group is looking to exploit the victory of Syrian rebels over forces loyal to former President Bashar al-Assad. U.S. warplanes Monday targeted IS camps and operatives in central Syria, marking at least the second time the U.S. has hit the terror group in areas formerly patrolled by Assad’s forces that had backing from Russian troops and airpower. U.S. Central Command, which oversees American forces in the Middle East, said the latest round of airstrikes targeted leaders, operatives and camps “in former regime and Russian-controlled areas.” The goal, CENTCOM said, is to ensure “pressure is maintained” against IS.”
Syria
The Washington Examiner: Assad Laments ‘Terrorist’ Control Of Syria In First Statement Since Fleeing To Russia
“Former Syrian President Bashar Assad released on Monday his first statement since the fall of his regime, recounting his final hours before evacuation and addressing the unexpected rise of the rebel forces that conquered his country. The former president claims he spent his final hours in Syria at the Russia-controlled Khmeimim Air Base, where he sought to continue coordinating his forces after the capital city of Damascus fell. “My departure from Syria was neither planned nor did it occur in the final hours of the battles,” Assad claimed in the communique. “As terrorist forces infiltrated Damascus, I moved to Latakia in coordination with our Russian allies to oversee combat operations.” The statement gives an alleged timeline of when the former president learned the situation for his Syrian Arab Army went from dire to insurmountable as terrorist group Hayʼat Tahrir al-Sham quashed his last remaining defenses.”
Bloomberg: After The Victory Of Islamist Rebels, What’s Next For Syria?
“The Assad family ruled in Syria for more than half a century — in recent years over just part of the country. A surprise push by rebels has toppled it more than a decade after an uprising first challenged President Bashar al-Assad’s grip on power. He’s fled the country for Russia. What comes next will boil down to how the disparate opposition forces coalesce and how foreign stakeholders exploit the power vacuum created. Almost surely, an economy that had already been shredded by 13 years of civil strife will continue to suffer. Here’s your guide to the domestic players — including Ahmed Al-Sharaa, the leader of the lightning offensive that toppled Assad — and the external parties with skin in the game.”
Iran
Reuters: Iran's President To Make Rare Visit To Egypt For D-8 Summit
“Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will take part in a summit of big Muslim countries in Egypt on Thursday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said, the first visit by an Iranian president to Egypt in more than a decade. Egypt is hosting the summit of the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation, which also includes Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey. Relations between Egypt and Iran have generally been fraught in recent decades but the two countries have stepped up high-level diplomatic contacts since the eruption of the Gaza crisis last year as Egypt tried to play a mediating role. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi travelled to Egypt in October to discuss regional issues with Egyptian officials, while his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty travelled to Tehran earlier in July to attend Pezeshkian's inauguration.”
Iraq
Voice Of America: VOA Kurdish: Sunni Leaders In Iraq Call For National Dialogue Amid Regional Shifts
“Former Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Saleh Mutlaq has warned that Iraq is heading in the wrong direction, plagued by corruption, political measures and a lack of vision for the future. Sunni Arab leaders, including Mutlaq, have called for a comprehensive national dialogue involving all communities to address Iraq's deep divisions and prevent further instability.”
Pakistan
Associated Press: Militants Attack Police Post In Northwest Pakistan, Killing 2 Officers And Wounding 3
“Militants on a motorcycle opened fire Tuesday at a police post in restive northwest Pakistan, killing at least two officers and wounding three others before fleeing the scene, officials said. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack in Shangla, a city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, bordering Afghanistan. Local police officer Nasir Khan said the wounded officers were transported to a nearby hospital. In a statement, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the attack and offered his condolences to the families of the slain officers. He said “khwarij” — a term used for Pakistani Taliban — were behind the attack. Naqvi gave no further details.”
Middle East
CBS News: Israeli Strikes Destroy Syria's Weapons Of War As Ousted Assad Laments Country's Fall Into "Hands Of Terrorism"
“A CBS News team drove through a Syrian military airbase on the outskirts of capital city Damascus Monday, and the devastation caused by Israeli air strikes was abundantly clear. Israel has said it's determined to destroy weapons and other military hardware that ousted dictator Bashar al-Assad and his father spent half of a century accumulating, before it can fall into the hands of extremists. The Israeli military has pounded Syrian military infrastructure relentlessly since Assad fled to Russia earlier this month — forced out by a shock rebel offensive after a decade of civil war that had, until about two weeks ago, largely ground to an apparent stalemate.”
Associated Press: Palestinian Security Forces Launch A Rare Crackdown On Militants In The West Bank
“Palestinian security forces have launched a rare crackdown against local militant groups in the northern West Bank, sending in armored cars and engaging in fierce gunbattles that have killed at least two people in the volatile area. The raid marks an unusual step for the Palestinian Authority, the governing body for semi-autonomous pockets in the occupied West Bank that is internationally recognized but has largely lost control of militant strongholds such as Jenin, where forces operated through the weekend and into Monday. Israeli troops have stepped into the vacuum in recent years, particularly since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas militant attack that triggered the ongoing war in Gaza. Palestinian health officials say 811 Palestinians have been killed since then in the West Bank, most by Israeli raids into Palestinian cities and towns. Israel says most of the dead have been militants.”
The Washington Post: Faced With Mounting Public Anger, A Weakened Hamas Starts To Compromise
“With its military power depleted and its political influence on the wane, Hamas is under growing public pressure to help bring the war in Gaza to an end. Palestinians in the besieged enclave are desperate for a ceasefire after 14 months of conflict, and many residents said they are increasingly fed up with the militant group as they struggle to survive hunger, displacement and Israeli attacks. Last week, Hamas publicly softened its negotiating position with Israel. A new proposal for a 60-day pause in hostilities and the exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners includes key concessions from Hamas, which relented on its demands for a complete halt to the war and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces, a Hamas official told The Washington Post. The group is still insisting that displaced Palestinians be allowed to return to northern Gaza, the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.”
Mali
Reuters: Barrick Gold Threatens To Suspend Mali Operations Over Blocked Exports
“Barrick Gold (ABX.TO), opens new tab will suspend operations in Mali if gold shipments continue to be blocked, the company said on Monday as it struggles to reach agreement with authorities on a new mining code in the West African country. Conditions at the miner's Loulo-Gounkoto complex have "deteriorated significantly", Barrick said, adding that employees have been imprisoned without cause and shipments of bullion have been blocked. "If shipments remain suspended, Barrick will be compelled to suspend operations, further impacting the viability of this critical economic driver for Mali," the company said. Shares of Barrick Gold were trading down by 1.8% at the Toronto Stock Exchange at 12.13pm ET (5.30pm GMT). A spokesperson for Mali's mines ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the matter. The ministry has previously not commented on the arrests of mining executives in the country.”
Europe
Bloomberg: Swiss Parliament Approves Proposal To Ban Hezbollah
“Switzerland’s parliament approved a proposal to ban Lebanese militia group Hezbollah, describing it as a paramilitary terrorist organization. The decision comes a week after it signed off on a law that banned Palestinian group Hamas from any activity in Switzerland. Both Hezbollah and Hamas are designated terrorist organizations by the US and many other countries. Switzerland, traditionally neutral, had previously not aligned with that stance, but that shifted after Hamas launched a large-scale attack on Israel in October of last year. Still, after the Hamas ban, the Swiss government said this was “not a paradigm shift in the generally cautious practice of banning organizations.” It didn’t ban Hezbollah at the same time and said it would decide “only on a case-by-case basis for extremely serious reasons.””
Technology
BBC: Telegram Pushes Extremist Groups To Users - Study
“The social media platform Telegram uses an algorithm that promotes extremist content, a new study shared exclusively with the BBC has revealed. The report, from the US civil rights organisation the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), found that the "similar channels" feature introduced last year recommends extremist channels even to users browsing subjects such as celebrities or technology. A professor also showed BBC Panorama how he found someone within moments on Telegram who offered to ship an Uzi submachine gun to the UK for £850. Telegram says users are "only presented with content they have chosen to engage with" and it removes millions of pieces of harmful content daily.”
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