“A car plowed into a busy outdoor Christmas market in the eastern German city
of Magdeburg on Friday, killing at least two people and injuring at least 60
others in what authorities called a deliberate attack. The driver was arrested
at the scene shortly after the car barreled into the market at around 7 p.m.,
when it was teeming with holiday shoppers looking forward to the weekend.
Verified bystander footage distributed by the German news agency dpa showed the
suspect’s arrest on a walkway in the middle of the road. A nearby police
officer pointing a handgun at the man shouted at him as he lay prone. Other
officers soon arrived to take the man into custody. The two people confirmed
dead were an adult and a toddler, but officials said additional deaths couldn’t
be ruled out because 15 people had been seriously injured.”











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



Eye on Extremism



December 26, 2024



Associated Press: At Least 2 Dead And 60 Hurt After A Car Drives Into A German
Christmas Market In A Suspected Attack
<[link removed]>



“A car plowed into a busy outdoor Christmas market in the eastern German city
of Magdeburg on Friday, killing at least two people and injuring at least 60
others in what authorities called a deliberate attack. The driver was arrested
at the scene shortly after the car barreled into the market at around 7 p.m.,
when it was teeming with holiday shoppers looking forward to the weekend.
Verified bystander footage distributed by the German news agency dpa showed the
suspect’s arrest on a walkway in the middle of the road. A nearby police
officer pointing a handgun at the man shouted at him as he lay prone. Other
officers soon arrived to take the man into custody. The two people confirmed
dead were an adult and a toddler, but officials said additional deaths couldn’t
be ruled out because 15 people had been seriously injured.”



Reuters: Kurdish Militia In Syria Will Be Buried If They Do Not Lay Down Arms,
Turkey's Erdogan Says
<[link removed]>



“Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that Kurdish militants in
Syria will either lay down their weapons or "be buried", amid hostilities
between Turkey-backed Syrian fighters and the militants since the fall of
Bashar al-Assad this month. Following Assad's departure, Ankara has repeatedly
insisted that the Kurdish YPG militia must disband, asserting that the group
has no place in Syria's future. The change in Syria's leadership has left the
country's main Kurdish factions on the back foot. "The separatist murderers
will either bid farewell to their weapons, or they will be buried in Syrian
lands along with their weapons," Erdogan told lawmakers from his ruling AK
Party in parliament. "We will eradicate the terrorist organisation that is
trying to weave a wall of blood between us and our Kurdish siblings," he added.”



CEP Mentions



BBC News: Tributes Paid To Christmas Market Attack Victims At Magdeburg
Cathedral <[link removed]>



“… Hans-Jakob Schindler, senior director of the Counter Extremism Project,
says the gap that allowed the attacker to access the market must be "explored
and rectified". "No car should come close, let alone be on a Christmas market,"
he tells the BBC News channel. "There has to have been a gap that no one
realised needed to be closed," Schindler adds. Reports suggest there was a
tramline running alongside the market, meaning there was no barrier to allow
the tram to pass, leaving a gap to access the markets, Schindler tells the
programme. "This gap, and why it was there, and how the car got there, this
needs to be explored and rectified," he says.”



The Times: Five Dead After Magdeburg Christmas Market Attack — As It Happened
<[link removed]>



“Olaf Scholz visited the city after 205 people were injured and five killed
including a child, nine. Taleb al-Abdulmohsen has been named as the suspect…
The gap that allowed the attacker to access the market, killing at least five
and injuring more than 200, must be “explored and rectified”, an expert has
said. Hans-Jakob Schindler, senior director of the Counter Extremism Project,
told the BBC: “No car should come close, let alone be on a Christmas market.
There has to have been a gap that no one realised needed to be closed.” Reports
suggest that there was a tramline running alongside the market, meaning there
was no barrier to allow the tram to pass which then left a gap to access the
markets, Schindler said. “This gap, and why it was there, and how the car got
there, this needs to be explored and rectified,” he added.”



DW News: Security Questions Over Christmas Market Attack In Magdeburg
<[link removed]>



“German security forces faced a series of difficult questions at Saturday's
press conference in Magdeburg. Friday night's attack, in which Talib A.*, a
50-year-old Saudi man rammed a car into a crowd at a busy Christmas market in
the Saxony-Anhalt capital, left five people dead and 200 more injured…
Hans-Jakob Schindler of the Counter Extremism Project (CEP), an international
non-profit policy advice organization, was not entirely satisfied with this
explanation. But he acknowledged that the security plan in place — a
combination of physical barriers, police officers on the ground, and security
cameras — was a classic concept used for all major public events. "The most
obvious and glaring thing is the physical barriers at Christmas markets: There
should not be a gap in those physical barriers that let cars in that are not
supposed to go in," he told DW. "Even if they were only left open temporarily,
the perpetrator apparently knew of this, because he rented a car and drove to
the Christmas market — so he was aware he would get through to the market with
a car."”



NBC News: Europe's Far Right Taps Into Fears Over German Market Attack —
Despite The Suspect's Islamophobic Views
<[link removed]>



“When a Saudi Arabian national was accused of ramming a car into a German
Christmas market, members of the frequently anti-Muslim European far right said
it proved their point. The deadly incident in Magdeburg was another example of
Islamist terrorism, they said — and a result of the mass immigration they so
vehemently oppose… There has been “zero” contrition from those on the right who
sought to capitalize on the incident, said Hans-Jakob Schindler, the senior
director of the Counter Extremism Project, a nonprofit international group
focused on radical ideologies. Billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk, who has backed
far-right figures in Europe, wrote on X that the “legacy media lies again” when
news outlets, including NBC News, reported that officials described the suspect
as Islamophobic. Other figures who were quick to interpret the attack have
since kept quiet.”



DW News: German Foreign Policy: Crisis Mode To Continue In 2025
<[link removed]>



“It seems likely that Germany's biggest foreign policy challenge in 2025 will
stem from the next US president, Donald Trump. He is expected to oppose much of
what was prioritized by Chancellor Olaf Scholzand his recently ruptured
center-left coalition government. "It is now clear that the old formula — that
we can rely on the US to safeguard our security — no longer applies," Thorsten
Benner, director of the Global Public Policy Institute (GPPI) in Berlin, told
DW. "Trump is the new rule — and four years under Biden were the last twitches
of the old transatlanticism." … "The balancing act was not perfect, but doing
it any other way than it has been done so far would have been difficult," said
Hans-Jakob Schindler, Middle East expert at the Counter Extremism Project
(CEP). The entire European Union substantially reduced its involvement in the
Middle East conflict many years ago, and Schindler notes that since October 7,
the EU and Germany have had "hardly any weight in the talks, when it came to
the decisions." "So it was really an American-Israeli dialogue, and the
Europeans were — at most — spectators, offering comments from the sidelines,"
he told DW.”



Firstpost: Who Is The Saudi Doctor Behind The German Christmas Market Attack?
<[link removed]>



“A festive evening turned into a scene of horror on Friday, as a Christmas
market in Magdeburg, Germany, became the target of a shocking vehicular attack.
Amid the bustling and twinkling Christmas market, a black BMW SUV tore through
protective barriers, careening 400 metres through the market. The devastating
incident claimed two lives, including that of a child, and left nearly 70
people injured, 15 of whom remain in critical condition… However, Hans-Jakob
Schindler, senior director of the Counter Extremism Project at the
International Center for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT), urged caution in ruling out
a wider network. “Obviously, everything is possible to do by yourself—you can
rent a car by yourself, you can buy gas canisters by yourself, you can build an
explosive device by yourself,” he explained. “But all these things in
combination give the possibility of a wider support network, who were not in
the car but helped the man prepare, and that is really important to determine,”
Schindler told German media outlet DW.”



Daily Mail: Magdeburg Christmas Market Chaos: RECAP From Scene Of Incident In
Germany After Car Drives Into Crowd Of People Killing 'At Least Two' And
Injuring Nearly 70
<[link removed]>



“A car drove into a group of people at a Christmas market in the eastern
German city of Magdeburg on Friday, leaving 'at least two' dead and nearly 70
people injured. Reports suggest the driver of the car, reported to be a dark
BMW, was arrested following the crash which took place at 7:04pm today. Video
footage too graphic to share appears to show the dark car careening into the
dense crowd, leaving dozens of people lying on the floor. The Magdeburg
Christmas market is located on the Old Market, directly next to Magdeburg Town
Hall near the River Elbe, and was closed by organisers following the incident…
Local authorities believe the suspect acted alone, however Hans-Jakob Schindler
- a counter-terrorism expert has said it's too early to dismiss that the driver
was working with others. The senior director of the Counter Extremism Project
at the International Center for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT) believed reports of a
'suspicious bag' could indicate that the suspect had help.”



Channel 4: German Right-Wing Extremists Using Car Attack For Political Gain,
Says Security Expert
<[link removed]>



“We’re joined from Berlin by Hans-Jakob Schindler, who is Senior Director of
the Counter Extremism Project. Keme Nzerem: The suspect, Taleb A, he has a very
unusual profile from what we are hearing. Have you ever come across somebody
like this before who has perpetrated an act of such serious harm?
Allegedly.Hans-Jakob Schindler: We did have cases where conspiracy theorists –
and this is the category which he most fits into – had tried to perpetrate
violent acts in Germany. There were attempts to abduct a federal minister last
year. But this is a very odd and very specific combination of ideological
narratives here, anti-Islamic hatred for Germany that protects him, hatred for
the Saudis.”



NBC News: Europe's Far Right Taps Into Fears Over German Market Attack —
Despite The Suspect's Islamophobic Views
<[link removed]>



“... There has been “zero” contrition from those on the right who sought to
capitalize on the incident, said Hans-Jakob Schindler, the senior director of
the Counter Extremism Project, a nonprofit international group focused on
radical ideologies. Billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk, who has backed far-right
figures in Europe, wrote on X that the “legacy media lies again” when news
outlets, including NBC News, reported that officials described the suspect as
Islamophobic. Other figures who were quick to interpret the attack have since
kept quiet. “They despise our values,” Dutch anti-Islam leader Geert Wilders
posted Friday on X. “This is our land, our freedom, our life. And we’ll defend
it and never surrender.””



GBN: 'Must Be A Gap In Security!' Counter Extremism Expert Reacts To German
Christmas Market Attack
<[link removed]>



“A counter-extremism expert has pointed to a significant security lapse that
may have enabled Friday's deadly car-ramming attack at a German Christmas
market. Hans-Jakob Schindler, Director of the Counter Extremism Project, told
GB News: "There must have been a mistake or a gap in the security precautions."”



Daily Jang: Car Attack Leaves Two Dead In Germany Christmas Market
<[link removed]>



“... Hans-Jakob Schindler, a senior director at the Counter Extremism
Project, while talking to Germany’s public broadcaster DW, said that the
authorities might have called the Saudi doctor “a lone wolf” to not create any
panic. He continued, “I think the announcement is giving the wrong
impression.”. Schindler said that it is possible that the 50-year-old acted
alone, but a possibility of a wider network who helped the man from afar cannot
be dismissed. As the elections are near, this attack will most likely determine
what it means for the future migration laws and policies in Germany.”



NDTV World: Video: The Moment When German Christmas Market Attack Suspect Was
Arrested
<[link removed]>



“Dramatic footage has emerged capturing the moments when police arrested a
suspect after a horrific car-ramming attack at a Christmas market in the German
city of Magdeburg on Friday. The suspect, lying on the ground near a vehicle,
was confronted by officers following the incident, which left two people dead,
including a child, and 68 others injured. The footage, verified by the German
news agency DPA, shows the suspect's arrest on a walkway in the middle of a
road. In the video, the man is seen lying on the ground as a police officer,
positioned just meters away with a handgun drawn, commands him to remain still.
Moments later, more officers arrive at the scene, swiftly moving in to take the
man into custody… According to a report in The Guardian, Hans-Jakob Schindler,
a terrorist expert, told German media, "In the first instance it's a surprise
that a vehicle of that size was able to drive onto a Christmas market in
Germany."”



Sky News: Far-Right Misusing Attack For Electoral Gain - Despite Facts Of
Case, Says Counter-Terror Expert
<[link removed]>



“A counter-terror expert has warned the far-right Alternative for Germany
(AfD) party is attempting to misuse the Christmas market attack for their own
ends - despite reports the suspect supported them. Hans Jakob Schindler, senior
director at the Counter Terrorism Project, said the party is trying to take
advantage of the attack for electoral gain in February 2025. The AfD and other
far-right European politicians have been quick to jump on reports the suspect
was an immigrant. Yet he was allegedly an Islamophobe who voiced support on
social media for the party - and for Elon Musk, who backed the AfD. "Populism
and facts rarely gel in any country so obviously the right wing is trying to
take advantage of this," said Schindler.”



Zeit Online: What We Know About The Attack In Magdeburg
<[link removed]>



“Early Friday evening, a person drove a car into a Christmas market in
Magdeburg. The driver was arrested by the police after the incident. The
Magdeburg public prosecutor's office is calling it an attack. However, a lot is
still unclear. What we know about the incident at the Magdeburg Christmas
market… That is still unclear. Hans-Jakob Schindler, extremism and terrorism
expert from the Counter Extremism Project, told ZDF that he was surprised by
the scale of the alleged attack in Magdeburg. There must have been a gap in the
Christmas market's physical security concept. The entire area should have been
cordoned off so that "nothing could get through," he said. "That should no
longer be possible at all." Since the attack on the Christmas market at
Berlin's Breitscheidplatz on December 19, 2016, many Christmas markets,
especially in larger cities, have been secured with massive bollards or
concrete blocks. At the time, an Islamist drove a truck loaded with around 25
tons of structural steel into a crowd. 13 people were killed. The perpetrator
was initially able to escape and was later shot dead during a routine police
check in northern Italy. The terrorist militia "Islamic State" claimed
responsibility for the attack”



United States



The New York Times: In C.E.O. Murder Case, A Test Of New York’s Antiterrorism
Laws
<[link removed]>



“Six days after Sept. 11, 2001, as New York City reeled from the worst
terrorist attacks on United States soil, lawmakers in Albany passed sweeping
antiterrorism laws. Since then, prosecutors have used them infrequently. But
last week, the Manhattan district attorney’s office leveled a terrorism charge
against Luigi Mangione, a 26-year-old man accused of killing a health insurance
executive, classifying the crime not just as a murder but also as an attack on
democracy. Prosecutors’ decision to characterize the killing of the
UnitedHealthcare chief executive, Brian Thompson, as a political act will test
the law. And it will have implications beyond the courtroom.”



Fox News: US Military Carries Out Airstrike In Syria, Killing 2 ISIS Operatives

<[link removed]>



“The U.S. military conducted an airstrike on Monday in Syria, where they
killed a pair of ISIS operatives and destroyed a truckload of weapons,
according to U.S. Central Command. A precision airstrike in the Dayr az Zawr
Province, which was formerly controlled by the Syrian regime and Russians,
killed two ISIS operatives and wounded another, CENTCOM said. The operatives
were driving a truckload of weapons, which was destroyed, when they were
targeted in the strike. "This airstrike is part of CENTCOM's ongoing
commitment, along with partners in the region, to disrupt and degrade efforts
by terrorists to plan, organize, and conduct attacks against civilians and
military personnel from the U.S., our allies, and our partners throughout the
region and beyond," CENTCOM said in a statement.”



Associated Press: US Drops $10m Terrorism Bounty Offered For Capture Of Syrian
Rebel Leader Who Ousted Assad
<[link removed]>



“The Biden administration said Friday it has decided not to pursue a $10
million reward it had offered for the capture of a Syrian rebel leader whose
forces led the ouster of President Bashar Assad earlier this month. The
announcement followed a meeting in Damascus between the leader of Hayat Tahrir
al-Sham, or HTS, Ahmad al-Sharaa, who was once aligned with al-Qaida, and the
top U.S. diplomat for the Middle East, Barbara Leaf, who led the first U.S.
diplomatic delegation into Syria since Assad’s ouster. HTS remains designated a
foreign terrorist organization, and Leaf would not say if sanctions stemming
from that designation would be eased. But, she told reporters that al-Sharaa
had committed to renouncing terrorism and as a result the U.S. would no longer
offer the reward.”



Syria



Voice Of America: Syrians Welcome New Rulers' Pledge Of Moderation But Are
Concerned About Extremists In Their Midst
<[link removed]>



“With the militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) consolidating power in
Syria following the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad, many Syrians fear the
influence of extremist factions within the Islamist organization. HTS, a
U.S.-designated terrorist group, emerged as the de facto ruler of Syria after
Assad’s fall on December 8, following an 11-day rebel offensive. Formerly known
as al-Nusra Front, the HTS was the main affiliate of al-Qaida in Syria until
2017, when it formally severed ties with the global terror group. Since seizing
control of Damascus, HTS leader Ahmad al-Sharaa -- formerly known by his nom de
guerre, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, has adopted a more moderate stance, pledging to
establish a state founded on tolerance and coexistence among the country’s
diverse ethnic and religious groups.”



Voice Of America: New Syrian Authorities Say Armed Groups Will Dissolve
<[link removed]>



“Syria's new authorities said Tuesday that armed groups in the country agreed
to dissolve and be integrated into the Defense Ministry. A statement said the
decision followed a meeting between leaders of the armed groups and Ahmad
al-Sharaa, who led the rebel advance that pushed longtime leader Bashar
al-Assad from power. Sharaa has said the new authorities will "absolutely not
allow there to be weapons in the country outside state control." That applies
to Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, he said. The question of SDF's
integration in the Syrian army "should be discussed directly," SDF spokesman
Farhad Shami told AFP on Tuesday, adding that doing so would strengthen "the
whole of Syria." His forces, he said, would prefer "dialogue with Damascus to
resolve all questions."”



Turkey



Associated Press: The Warm Turkish Welcome For Refugees Is Ending And Syrians
Are Worried
<[link removed]>



“Turkey gained renown as a haven for refugees by welcoming more than 3
million Syrians fleeing violence between forces from Bashar Assad ’s government
and a patchwork of rebel groups. But the Syrian president’s ouster this month
has led many in Turkey to argue that the refugees have no reason to stay, part
of the global backlash against migration. Some Syrians are panicking about
returning to a devastated nation. “There’s no work, electricity, or water.
There is no leader. Who will it be? I have no idea,” said Mahmut Cabuli, who
fled airstrikes by Syrian government forces and violence by rebel groups in his
hometown Aleppo a decade ago. “I’m scared and don’t know what the authorities
will do.” Cabuli spent several years in a refugee camp before he found a job at
a textile factory in Gaziantep, a southern Turkish city near the Syrian border.”



Associated Press: Turkey And Russia Engage In Delicate Maneuvers Over Syria
After Assad’s Downfall
<[link removed]>



“The rapid downfall of Syrian leader Bashar Assad has touched off a new round
of delicate geopolitical maneuvering between Russia’s Vladimir Putin and
Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan. With the dust still settling from the stunning
events in Damascus, the outcome for now seems to be favoring Ankara, which
backed the victorious rebels, while Moscow suffered a bruising blow to its
international clout. “In the game of Czars vs. Sultans, this is Sultans 1 and
Czars 0,” said Soner Cagaptay, director of the Turkish Research Program at the
Washington Institute. “Far from being allies, Turkey and Russia are
competitors. And in this case, Turkey has outsmarted Russia.” The Assad
regime’s demise opens another chapter in the complex relationship between Putin
and Erdogan, with wide-ranging implications not just for Syria but also for
Ukraine and the two leaders’ ties with Washington.”



Associated Press: Kurdish-Led Forces Push Back Turkish-Backed Syrian Rebels In
A Tense Offensive
<[link removed]>



“Kurdish-led fighters in Syria, known as the Syrian Democratic Forces, said
Tuesday they have launched a counter-offensive against the Turkish-backed
Syrian National Army to take back areas near Syria’s northern border with
Turkey. The Kurdish-led SDF is Washington’s critical ally in Syria, targeting
sleeper cells of the extremist Islamic State group scattered across the
country’s east. Since the fall of the totalitarian rule of Bashar Assad earlier
this month, clashes have intensified between the U.S.-backed group and the SNA,
which captured the key city of Manbij and the areas surrounding it. The intense
weekslong clashes come at a time when Syria, battered by over a decade of war
and economic misery, negotiates its political future following half a century
under the Assad dynasty’s rule.”



Afghanistan



The New York Times: Behind Afghanistan’s Fall, U.S.-Backed Militias Worse Than
The Taliban
<[link removed]>



“The Taliban were inching closer, encroaching on land that had once seemed
secure, the American officer warned. Four of his men had just been killed, and
he needed Afghans willing to fight back. “Who will stand up?” the officer
implored a crowd of 150 Afghan elders. The people in Kunduz Province were
largely supportive of the Americans and opposed to the Taliban. But recruiting
police officers was slow going and, by the summer of 2009, local officials and
the American officer — a lieutenant colonel from the Georgia National Guard —
landed on a risky approach: hiring private militias. A murmur of discontent
passed through the crowd. “I don’t think this is a good idea,” an old man stood
up and said, according to four people at the meeting. “We have seen this
before. The militias will become a bigger problem than the Taliban.””



Associated Press: Afghanistan Welcomes Saudi Arabia’s Decision To Reopen
Embassy In Kabul
<[link removed]>



“Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry on Monday welcomed the reopening of Saudi
Arabia’s Embassy in Kabul for the first time since the Taliban returned to
power in 2021. On Sunday, the Saudi Embassy in Kabul said on X that it was
resuming the mission’s activities “based on the government’s keenness to
provide all services to the brotherly Afghan people.” A deputy spokesman for
Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry, Zia Ahmad Takal, said: “We welcome the
reopening of the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Kabul and assure them that the
ministry will cooperate in all matters and pay close attention to their
safety.” Takal said authorities were optimistic that the embassy’s reopening
would expand relations and cooperation between the two countries, while also
addressing the problems and demands of Afghans living in Saudi Arabia in a
timely manner.”



Pakistan



The New York Times: Terrorism Roars Back In Pakistan, 10 Years After A
Campaign To End It
<[link removed]>



“Ten years have passed since Ajoon Khan’s son died in a ghastly attack by the
Pakistani Taliban that killed about 150 people, mostly children, at a
military-run school in Peshawar, in northwestern Pakistan. But the pain of loss
is unrelenting — it grows only deeper with time. Mr. Khan, a lawyer, said he
could never forget the parents sobbing and pleading outside the school gates,
the soldiers storming the building, the children and the teachers fleeing in
terror. “It has been nearly a decade, but it feels like nothing has changed,”
said Mr. Khan, speaking last week, just before the Dec. 16 anniversary of the
death of his son, Asfand, who had been in the 10th grade. “If you look at the
security situation in the country, it feels that our children’s sacrifices were
in vain.””



Associated Press: Taliban Say Pakistani Airstrikes Killed 46 People In Eastern
Afghanistan, Mostly Women And Children
<[link removed]>



“Pakistan’s airstrikes on eastern Afghanistan killed 46 people, mostly women
and children, a Taliban government official said Wednesday, raising fears of
further straining relations between the two neighbors. Hamdullah Fitrat, the
deputy spokesman for the Afghan government, said those killed in the strikes
that targeted four locations in Barmal, a district in the province of Paktika,
were refugees, adding that six others were also wounded. This comes a day after
Pakistani security officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity in line
with regulations, told The Associated Press that Tuesday’s operation was to
dismantle a training facility and kill insurgents in Paktika. Earlier
Wednesday, Mohammad Khurasani, the spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban or
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, claimed in a statement that 50 people, including 27
women and children, died in the strikes.”



Associated Press: Pakistani Taliban Claims Responsibility For A Deadly
Military Checkpoint Attack In The Northwest
<[link removed]>



“The Pakistani Taliban on Saturday claimed responsibility for a deadly
military checkpoint attack in the country’s northwest. The militant group said
it killed 35 soldiers and injured 15 others in an early morning raid. It also
claimed seizing equipment including a night vision device and weapons. It’s
Pakistan Taliban’s latest assault on troops in the restive province of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa, which borders Afghanistan. They made the claims in one of their
WhatsApp chat groups. The army has yet to officially comment on the incident in
South Waziristan, but a security official said militants used light and heavy
weapons. He said they killed 16 soldiers and injured eight others. The official
spoke anonymously because he was not authorized to talk to the media.”



Yemen



The Wall Street Journal: Israel’s Enemy In Yemen Proves Hard For U.S. To Deter
<[link removed]>



“Despite hundreds of American and allied strikes and the deployment of a U.S.
Navy flotilla to the Red Sea, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have kept up a
steady drumbeat of attacks on commercial shipping passing through the vital
waterway and lobbing missiles at Israel. Other Iranian-backed groups, from
Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon to the now-deposed regime of Syrian
dictator Bashar al-Assad, have all stopped fighting, at least for now. Yet the
Houthis, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, continue to disrupt global
trade, causing billions of dollars in losses and forcing shippers to reroute
cargo or run a gantlet of missiles and drones. They say they won’t stop until
Israel stops fighting in Gaza.”



Associated Press: Missile Fire From Yemen’s Houthi Rebels Sets Off Sirens In
Central Israel For The Second Night
<[link removed]>



“A missile launched from Yemen triggered air raid sirens across central
Israel early Wednesday, sending millions of residents looking for cover for the
second night in a row. The military said the missile was intercepted before
crossing into Israeli territory, but police reported shrapnel from the
interception fell in several towns. There were no reports of injuries. It was
the fourth time in a week that fire from Yemen’s Houthi rebels set off sirens
in Israel. On Saturday, 1 6 people were injured when a missile hit a playground
in Tel Aviv after Israel’s air defense system failed to intercept it. Earlier
last week, Israeli jets struck Yemen’s rebel-held capital and a port city,
killing nine. Israel said the strikes were in response to previous Houthi
attacks.”



Lebanon



Reuters: Lebanon Hopes For Neighbourly Relations In First Message To New Syria
Government
<[link removed]>



“Lebanon said on Thursday it was looking forward to having the best
neighbourly relations with Syria, in its first official message to the new
administration in Damascus. Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib passed
the message to his Syrian counterpart, Asaad Hassan al-Shibani, in a phone
call, the Lebanese Foreign Ministry said on X. Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah
played a major part propping up Syria's ousted President Bashar al-Assad
through years of war, before bringing its fighters back to Lebanon over the
last year to fight in a bruising war with Israel - a redeployment which
weakened Syrian government lines. Under Assad, Hezbollah used Syria to bring in
weapons and other military equipment from Iran, through Iraq and Syria and into
Lebanon.”



Associated Press: Prominent Lebanese Figure Meets Syrian Insurgent Who Led
Assad’s Ouster, Seeking Better Relations
<[link removed]>



“A prominent Lebanese politician held talks on Sunday with the insurgent who
led the overthrow of Syria’s President Bashar Assad, with both expressing hope
for a new era in relations. Druze leader Walid Jumblatt is the most important
politician from Lebanon to visit Syria since the Assad family’s 54-year rule
ended two weeks ago. Jumblatt was a longtime critic of Syria’s involvement in
Lebanon and blamed Assad’s father, former leader Hafez Assad, for the
assassination of his own father. Ahmad al-Sharaa led the Sunni Islamist rebels
who swept into Damascus this month. Now wearing a suit and tie, he has been
meeting diplomats and others as Assad’s fall reshapes alliances and gives many
long-stifled Syrians hope after more than 13 years of civil war and
international sanctions.”



Middle East



Reuters: Israeli Defense Minister Claims Responsibility For First Time For
Hamas Leader Haniyeh's Assassination
<[link removed]>



“Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz admitted on Monday for the first time
publicly to Israel's killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran in July,
further risking tensions between Tehran and its arch-enemy Israel in a region
shaken by Israel's war in Gaza and the conflict in Lebanon. "These days, when
the Houthi terrorist organization is firing missiles at Israel, I want to
convey a clear message to them at the beginning of my remarks: We have defeated
Hamas, we have defeated Hezbollah, we have blinded Iran's defense systems and
damaged the production systems, we have toppled the Assad regime in Syria, we
have dealt a severe blow to the axis of evil, and we will also deal a severe
blow to the Houthi terrorist organization in Yemen, which remains the last to
stand," Katz said.”



The New York Times: Israel Intercepts Houthi Missile And Threatens Militant
Group’s Leaders
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“The Houthi militia group in Yemen fired a missile at Israel on Tuesday,
hours after Israel’s defense minister suggested that his government would seek
to kill its leadership, highlighting the difficulty Israel faces in confronting
the Iran-backed militants as they ramp up their assaults. Sirens wailed in Tel
Aviv and other parts of central Israel early on Tuesday morning, and loud booms
could be heard as far away as Jerusalem as the country’s aerial defenses
repelled the attack. The Israeli military later said the missile had been
successfully intercepted outside of its territory; there were no reports of
casualties. The Houthis, who act as the de facto government in much of northern
Yemen, have been firing on Israel in solidarity with their Palestinian allies
since shortly after the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, that
prompted the war in Gaza.”



Reuters: Israel Asks Diplomats To Seek Houthis' Listing As Terrorists
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“Israel has instructed its diplomatic missions in Europe to try to get the
Iran-backed Houthi rebel group in Yemen designated as a terrorist organisation.
The Houthis have repeatedly fired drones and missiles towards Israel in what
the group describes as acts of solidarity with Palestinians fighting Israeli
forces in Gaza. The attacks have disrupted international shipping routes,
forcing firms to re-route to longer and more expensive journeys that have in
turn stoked fears over global inflation. "The Houthis pose a threat not only to
Israel but also to the region and the entire world. The first and most basic
thing to do is to designate them as a terrorist organization," Foreign Minister
Gideon Sa'ar said in a statement.”



Africa



The New York Times: After Military Took Power, Terrorist Attacks Only Got Worse
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“Attacks that killed dozens of civilians and soldiers in Niger this month
have put a spotlight on the military’s failure to restore security in the West
African nation, nearly 18 months after staging a coup. When the military seized
power in July 2023, the generals claimed they were better suited to restore
order to a country racked by the world’s deadliest jihadist insurgency. But
Niger has since spiraled into further violence, with frequent attacks on
military forces, the recent destruction of a village and the killing of more
than 20 passengers on a bus. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for
the attack on military forces. All three attacks took place in western Niger,
where affiliates of the Islamic State and Al Qaeda are active.”



Reuters: Three Teachers Killed Near Kenya's Somalia Border In A Suspected
Militant Attack - Police
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“ Three teachers were killed in Kenya near the country's border with Somalia
in a suspected attack by al Shabaab militants, a police report seen by Reuters
said on Monday, in what would be the latest assault by the group since the new
year. The militia also attacked a local police station and destroyed a
telecommunications mast in the attack in the early hours of Monday in Garissa
county, the report read.”



France



Reuters: France Extends Olympics Security Measures To Christmas Market. Rights
Defenders Cry Foul
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“The first time French police informed the Chechen refugee that he was
prohibited from leaving the northeastern city of Strasbourg and must check in
with them daily, he did not think it worth contesting the order. France was in
the midst of a massive security operation for the summer Olympic Games, he
explained, and he did not think authorities would listen to someone identified
as a potential threat because of interactions with people identified as
'pro-Jihadist.' But when the Ministry of Interior extended the order in late
August to help protect a famed Christmas market that was the target of a deadly
attack in 2018, the refugee, known to friends as Khaled, appealed to the city's
administrative court.”



Germany



Fox News: 5 Dead, Many Injured After Man Drives Into German Christmas Market
In Suspected Terror Attack: Report
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“A festive Christmas market in Eastern Germany erupted into chaos after a car
was driven into a group of people in the city of Magdeburg on Friday in a
suspected terrorist attack. Five people were reportedly killed and more than
200 were injured in the incident, according to reports. Officials continue to
investigate the incident, according to a spokesperson for the local rescue
service, as reported by AFP. Several of the injured are said to be in critical
condition. U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller called the
incident an "attack," writing in a social media post: "We are horrified by the
attack today in Magdeburg, Germany. We send our condolences to those affected
and stand by our friend and Ally Germany."”



Europe



Associated Press: Hungary’s Orbán Blames Immigration And EU For The Deadly
Attack In Germany
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“Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Saturday drew a direct link between
immigration and an attack in Germany where a man drove into a Christmas market
teeming with holiday shoppers, killing at least five people and injuring 200
others. During a rare appearance before independent media in Budapest, Orbán
expressed his sympathy to the families of the victims of what he called the
“terrorist act” on Friday night in the city of Magdeburg. But the long-serving
Hungarian leader, one of the European Union’s most vocal critics, also implied
that the 27-nation bloc’s migration policies were to blame. German authorities
said the suspect, a 50-year-old Saudi doctor, is under investigation. He has
lived in Germany since 2006, practicing medicine.”



Russia



Bloomberg: Russia Says Terrorist Attack Behind Army Cargo Ship Sinking, RIA
Reports
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“A Russian military cargo ship that sank in the Mediterranean Sea this week
was the target of a terrorist attack, Russian state news service RIA Novosti
reported, citing the owner of the vessel. The Ursa Major, the biggest cargo
ship in the Russian military’s logistics fleet, suffered three explosions on
its right side before sinking, according to Oboronlogistika, a company owned by
the Russian Defense Ministry that transports military and civilian goods. The
ship was lost on Dec. 23, with two crew members reported missing and 14 others
rescued. The Ursa Major, which had a capacity of 1,200 tons and could fit 120
vehicles on its deck, was the biggest cargo vessel operated by Oboronloga.”



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