CEP Mentions
Daily Mail: Revealed... The Criminals Trying To Get Into Jail! Gang Members Attempt To Secure Prison Jobs So They Can Smuggle In Drugs, Experts Warn
“... Professor Ian Acheson, senior adviser to the Counter Extremism Project, said: 'This is the first time I have seen the insider threat explicitly acknowledged by HM Prison Service, albeit you have to really hunt to find the admission.' The former prison governor said that as well as the threat from organised crime gangs, it is also likely that terrorist groups will try to infiltrate prisons with 'clean skin' staff who are not known to police or the security services. But he went on: 'The rampant and out-of-control drugs economy in our prisons is too big to fail. 'So I think this figure reflects efforts being made by those in criminal control of a lucrative trade with a literally captive market to outwit ineffectual supply controls.'”
Tovima.com: Magdeburg: A Tragedy Rooted In Ideology And Paranoia
“In their methods, all terrorists share a common goal: to spread fear and terror through violence against innocents, taking as many lives as possible. Mass media play a crucial role in this, broadcasting the images of horror worldwide—along with any potential political messages… The Magdeburg terror attack also poses challenges to researchers studying violent extremism. According to German terrorism expert Hans-Jakob Schindler, the case demonstrates that alongside the classic categories of Islamic extremism, right-wing extremism, and left-wing extremism, there is now a new category: individuals who create their own ideological, personalized narratives.”
South America
Associated Press: Venezuela Accuses An Argentine Officer Of Terrorism As Relations Deteriorate
“An Argentine military officer who was arrested in Venezuela earlier this month has been charged with terrorism, Venezuela’s attorney general said Friday. In a statement published on Instagram, Attorney General Tarek William Saab accused the officer, Nahuel Gallo, of “being part of a group of people who tried to commit destabilizing and terrorist acts (in Venezuela) with the support of international far-right groups.” In a press conference on Friday, Argentine Security Minister Patricia Bullrich described the charges as “another lie” by Venezuela’s government, and said that Gallo should be returned to Argentina “immediately.” The case has ramped up tensions between Venezuela’s socialist government and the right-wing administration of Argentine President Javier Milei, whose embassy in Caracas is currently sheltering five high-profile opposition activists and is surrounded by Venezuelan security forces.”
Syria
Associated Press: Relatives Of Bashar Assad Arrested As They Tried To Fly Out Of Lebanon, Officials Say
“The wife and daughter of one of deposed Syrian president Bashar Assad ’s cousins were arrested Friday at the Beirut airport, where they attempted to fly out with allegedly forged passports, Lebanese judicial and security officials said. Assad’s uncle departed the day before. Rasha Khazem, the wife of Duraid Assad — the son of former Syrian Vice President Rifaat Assad, the uncle of Bashar Assad — and their daughter, Shams, were smuggled illegally into Lebanon and were trying to fly to Egypt when they were arrested, according to five Lebanese officials familiar with the case. They were being detained by Lebanese General Security. Rifaat had flown out the day before on his real passport and was not stopped, the officials said.”
NPR: Syria's U.S.-Backed Kurdish Coalition Faces An Uncertain Future After Assad's Ouster
“In the aftermath of Bashar al-Assad's ouster, Syria remains territorially fractured as the rebels who defeated Assad work to consolidate power. The country's uncertain future has raised questions about the fate of the U.S.-backed Kurdish coalition known as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). This week, Syria's new leadership took steps to dissolve the different rebel factions and unite them under the new Syrian army. But the SDF did not join in. In a statement, SDF spokesperson Farhad Shami said the group wasn't opposed to joining the Syrian military in principle, but that the matter required negotiations with Damascus. The realities of the new Syria, however, have left the SDF with few options to maintain its status quo.”
Iran
Associated Press: A Suicide Bomber Kills A Police Officer And Wounds Another In Southern Iran
“A suicide bomber killed a local police officer and wounded another in a southern Iranian port city, home to a large Sunni Muslim community, local media said Sunday. The hard-line Javan Daily, a newspaper close to the country’s powerful Revolutionary Guard, said the attacker stopped Capt. Mojtaba Shahid’s car Saturday evening in Bandar Lengeh in the province of Hormozgan before detonating his vest. Shahid’s deputy, who was also in the car, has been hospitalized in critical condition, the paper reported, describing the attack as an act of terrorism. The city, some 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) south of the capital Tehran, has no recent history of militancy.”
The New York Times: Italian Journalist Is Detained While Reporting In Iran
“A prominent Italian journalist was arrested in Iran and jailed in the country’s infamous Evin prison after spending days reporting in Tehran, Italian officials said. Italy’s foreign ministry said the journalist, Cecilia Sala, 29, was arrested on Dec. 19, but news of her arrest and detention only became public on Friday. The reason for the arrest of Ms. Sala, one of Italy’s most renowned foreign correspondents, has not yet been made public. Ms. Sala, a writer and a podcaster, had published reports from Tehran since Dec. 13, describing how the country had changed over the past tumultuous year as military conflict roiled the region and Iran ushered in new leadership with its president, Masoud Pezeshkian, taking office in July.”
Turkey
Reuters: Turkey Ready To Supply Power To Syria And Lebanon, Energy Minister Says
“Turkey is ready to supply electricity to Syria and Lebanon and a team of government officials is already in Syria working on how to resolve its energy issues, Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said. Turkey, which backed rebels in neighbouring Syria who toppled Bashar al-Assad this month after a 13-year civil war, has reopened its embassy in Damascus and already conducted high level contacts with new de-facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa. "Maybe the electricity that Syria and Lebanon need will initially be met by exporting it from Turkey, and of course we can see the picture a little more after seeing the situation in the transmission network," Bayraktar told reporters in Turkey's southeastern city of Sanliurfa. The ministry delegation arrived in Damascus on Saturday and, according to Bayraktar's previous comments, was going to discuss possible energy cooperation including transmitting electricity to ease power shortages.”
Afghanistan
Voice Of America: Taliban Hint At Shielding Anti-Pakistan Militants In Afghanistan As 'Guests'
“A senior Taliban leader in Afghanistan has indicated that they will continue to provide refuge to anti-Pakistan militants, describing them as "guests" under the country's traditions. Taliban Information Minister Khairullah Khairkhwa made the rare remarks just days after the Pakistani military reportedly conducted airstrikes against suspected terrorist locations in an eastern Afghan border province. The Taliban claimed that Tuesday's attack in Paktika resulted in the deaths of nearly 50 civilians, predominantly refugees from Pakistan. While the claims could not be verified from independent sources, the United Nations said that it had "received credible reports" from the remote Afghan province that dozens of civilians, including women and children, were killed in the Pakistani airstrikes.”
Yemen
BBC: Houthis Vow To Continue Attacking Israel Despite Strikes On Yemen
“A Houthi political official says the group will continue attacking Israel in solidarity with the Palestinians despite the escalating Israeli air strikes in Yemen. Mohammed al-Bukhaiti told the BBC that the Houthis would "escalate our military targeting of Israel" until it stopped what he described as "the genocide in Gaza". On Thursday, Israeli warplanes struck the international airport in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, and ports and power stations on the Red Sea coast, killing at least four people. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that its response to more than a year of missile and drone attacks by the Iran-backed group was "just getting started". Overnight, the Houthis launched another ballistic missile at Israel, which the Israeli military said was intercepted before it reached Israeli territory.”
Lebanon
Reuters: Lebanon’s Economy Reels From War: ‘We Are Starting From Zero’
“Weeks after Israel’s invasion of Lebanon, Hasan Raad went from a decent job and a comfortable life to unemployment and displacement. The 28-year-old content creator had finished building his production studio in the capital, Beirut, and was saving to buy a secondhand Mustang convertible. As war enveloped the country, he began using his savings to help friends and family and for donating to the displaced. He could not get into his studio for weeks, and his clients, including celebrities, furniture brands and restaurants, dried up. Then, an Israeli airstrike hit his family’s apartment building south of Beirut, leaving them homeless. “We came out of this war with nothing,” Mr. Raad said on a recent afternoon while sitting near the crumbled home. “We are starting from zero.””
Middle East
The Washington Post: Israel Prepares For A New Battlefront Against The Houthis In Yemen
“Israel is preparing to fight along a new front against Houthi militants in Yemen, striking back at the group for its drone and missile attacks and signaling a potential lengthy campaign that would take the battle far from Israel’s borders. The Houthi movement, which controls parts of Yemen and is backed by Iran, was once considered by Israel’s security establishment to be a more manageable threat than Hamas in Gaza or Hezbollah in Lebanon. The group attacked Israel soon after the Hamas-led assault on Israeli communities on Oct. 7, 2023. Since then, the Houthis have fired on or intercepted commercial and naval vessels transiting the Red Sea. In recent weeks, they have also stepped up their attacks on Israel, sending missiles flying toward Israeli cities, most of which were intercepted but forced millions of people to rush to bomb shelters on a near-nightly basis.”
The New York Times: Israel Bombs Yemeni Airport And Ports After Houthi Missile Launches
“The Israeli military on Thursday unleashed a significant air assault on parts of Yemen controlled by the Iranian-backed Houthi militia in retaliation for the group’s missile attacks against Israel, striking back at an adversary more than a thousand miles away. The Israeli assault comes after a week of the Houthis’ near-nightly launches of ballistic missiles and drones against Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu previously telegraphed Israel’s aim against its foes in the region, saying on Wednesday of Iran’s proxies and the recently toppled government of Bashar al-Assad in Syria: “The Houthis, too, will learn what Hamas, Hezbollah, the Assad regime and others have learned. And even if it takes time, this lesson will be understood across the Middle East.” On Thursday after the Israeli strikes, Mr. Netanyahu said in an interview with an Israeli TV station of the Houthis: “We are just getting started with them.””
Somalia
The Guardian: UN Authorises New Mission Against Al-Shabaab In Somalia
“The UN has authorised a new African peacekeeping mission to continue supporting Somalia in its fight against al-Shabaab, the insurgent group affiliated with al-Qaida, but there are doubts about whether troops from neighbouring Ethiopia will remain part of the deployment. The UN security council adopted a resolution on Friday allowing the deployment of up to 12,626 personnel to support the Somali government’s nearly two decades-long fight against al-Shabaab. The existing peacekeeping force, known as the African Union transition mission in Somalia (Atmis), whose mandate ends at the end of this year, will be replaced by the leaner African Union support and stabilization mission in Somalia (Aussom).”
Africa
Reuters: At Least 71 Killed In Ethiopia Road Accident
“At least 71 people died in Ethiopia when a truck packed with passengers plunged into a river, according to the spokesperson for the southern Sidama regional government and a statement.
The accident occurred in the Bona district, the regional communication bureau said in a statement issued late on Sunday. Wosenyeleh Simion, spokesperson for the Sidama regional government, told Reuters on Monday at least 71 people had died, including 68 males and 3 females. "Five are in a critical condition and taking treatment at Bona General Hospital," he said. In a statement late on Sunday the regional communication bureau had given the death toll as 60. Wosenyeleh said the truck had missed a bridge and fell into a river and that the road had many bends. Some of the passengers were returning from a wedding ceremony and some families had lost multiple members, he said, adding traffic police in the region had reported the truck was overloaded, which likely caused the accident.”
Germany
The New York Times: Musk Doubles Down On Support For German Far-Right Party
“Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and a close adviser to President-elect Donald J. Trump, shocked many in Germany last week by endorsing its far-right Alternative for Germany party, which is under surveillance by domestic intelligence for being extremist. This week, Mr. Musk entangled himself even more in the country’s snap election, explaining in a newspaper opinion essay why he believes the far-right party is the “last spark of hope” for Germany. “The traditional parties have failed in Germany,” Mr. Musk wrote in comments published online by the daily Welt on Saturday. “Their policies have led to economic stagnation, social unrest, and the erosion of national identity.””
Southeast Asia
Voice Of America: Extremist Groups Harass Kashmiri Vendors In Northern India
“Nomadic shawl vendors from the Indian side of Kashmir told VOA Friday that extremist Hindu groups have been harassing, threatening and obstructing them from selling their goods in Himachal Pradesh, a northern Indian state. Hindu groups claim that the local shopkeepers lose business when nomadic vendors sell their wares nearby. Sandeep Dhawal, police superintendent in the Bilaspur district, quoted in Friday’s edition of the Indian Express, a leading Indian newspaper, acknowledged that more than a dozen shawl vendors filed a complaint at the Ghumarwin police station. Dhawal said a similar dispute arose last year between Kashmiri hawkers and local shopkeepers, who claimed financial losses because of the vendors.”
The Counter Extremism Project depends on the generosity of its supporters. If you value what we do, please consider making a donation.
