United States
Fox News: Illegal Immigrant, Alleged ISIS Operative, Charged With Financing Terror, Gun Violations And Immigration Fraud
“A Tajik man living in the United States illegally was charged with trying to provide support to the Islamic State and affiliated terror groups, including providing money to the families of terrorists killed on the battlefield, the Justice Department said Wednesday. Mansuri Manuchekhri, 33, who lived in Brooklyn, New York, appeared before a federal judge Wednesday and was ordered to be detained, authorities said. He also faces charges of possessing guns while unlawfully in the U.S. and immigration fraud, according to court documents. "Under no circumstances will my Department of Justice tolerate terrorism," said Attorney General Pam Bondi.”
CBS News: Trump Eases Rules On Military Raids And Airstrikes, Expanding Range Of Who Can Be Targeted
“President Trump has rolled back constraints on American commanders to authorize airstrikes and special operation raids outside conventional battlefields, broadening the range of people who can be targeted, according to U.S. officials with knowledge of the policy shift. The quiet but seismic recalibration dismantles Biden-era mandates and signals a return to more aggressive counterterrorism policies Trump first instituted in his first term. During his first overseas trip earlier this month, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, in a meeting with senior U.S. military leaders from U.S. Africa Command in Germany, signed a directive easing policy constraints and executive oversight on airstrikes and the deployment of American commandos.”
Syria
Reuters: SDF Chief Says PKK Disarmament Call 'Not Related To US In Syria'
“The commander of the Kurdish-led forces that control northeastern Syria said that a call by the leader of the militant Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in Turkey for the PKK to dissolve did not apply to the group he leads. Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander Mazloum Abdi said he welcomed the historic call by Abdullah Ocalan for the PKK to drop its decades-long armed struggle against the Turkish state, which he said would have positive consequences in the region. But Abdi said the long-imprisoned Ocalan's announcement on Thursday applied only to the PKK and was "not related to us in Syria".”
Turkey
Reuters: Kurdish Militant Chief's Peace Call Prompts Hope, Scepticism In Turkey
“Kurdish militant leader Abdullah Ocalan's call from prison for his Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) to lay down arms sparked both hope and scepticism in Turkey on Thursday, while analysts linked it to a possible bid to overcome presidential term limits. Thousands gathered in the central, predominantly Kurdish province, of Diyarbakir on Thursday, waving red, yellow, and green Kurdish flags and chanting slogans as they watched Ocalan's letter being read out on big screens by members of the delegation that visited him. Reactions were divided, with some welcoming the call as a step toward peace while others dismissed it as a mistake.”
Pakistan
Associated Press: Suicide Bomb At A Seminary In Northwest Pakistan Kills Top Cleric And 5 Others Ahead Of Ramadan
“A suicide bomber blew himself up after walking into a mosque within a pro-Taliban seminary in northwestern Pakistan on Friday, killing a top cleric and five other worshippers and wounding dozens of others ahead of the fasting month of Ramadan, according to local police. The blast occurred in Akora Khattak, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, district police chief Abdul Rashid said. He said Hamidul Haq, who is the head of a faction of the Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam (JUI) party, is also among the dead. Rashid said officers transported the wounded to hospitals. The slain cleric Haq is the son of Maulana Samiul Haq, known as the “father of the Taliban,” who was killed in a knife attack at his home in 2018.”
Middle East
The New York Times: West Bank Operation Tests Palestinian Leaders’ Ability To Root Out Militants
“The Palestinian Authority was carrying out one of the most extensive security operations in its history, pursuing armed militants in the West Bank city of Jenin. For weeks, the authority’s forces slowly advanced on the militants’ densely populated stronghold, Palestinian officials said. When the Israeli military launched its own wide-scale raid there in January, the authority was expected to abandon its operation. Instead, when dozens of militants fled to nearby villages, Palestinian security forces swooped in to arrest them, officials said. “We made very important progress in reinforcing law and order,” Brig. Gen. Anwar Rajab, the spokesman for the authority’s security forces, said in a phone interview.”
Reuters: Israeli Military Inquiry Says It 'Failed To Protect' Civilians On October 7
“The Israeli military drastically underestimated the capabilities of Hamas before its attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, and "failed in its mission to protect Israeli civilians", a summary of an Israeli military investigation published on Thursday said. The perception that Hamas was not interested in a full-scale conflict and that Israel would have ample warning if that changed went unchallenged for years, the summary said, resulting in a lack of preparedness and ability to respond to an attack. "The belief was that Hamas could be influenced through pressures that would reduce its motivation for war, primarily by improving living conditions in the Gaza Strip," the report said.”
Associated Press: Israel And Hamas Have Begun Negotiating Next Phase Of Gaza Ceasefire, Egypt Says
“Negotiations between Israel and Hamas on the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire began Thursday, Egypt said, averting a collapse ahead of Saturday’s expiration of the agreement’s first phase. Officials from Israel, Qatar and the United States started “intensive discussions” on the ceasefire’s second phase in Cairo, Egypt‘s state information service said. “The mediators are also discussing ways to enhance the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, as part of efforts to alleviate the suffering of the population and support stability in the region,” its statement said. Phase 2 talks are meant to negotiate an end to the war, including the return of all remaining hostages in Gaza who are alive, and the withdrawal of all Israeli troops from the territory. Return of remaining deceased hostages would happen in Phase 3.”
Somalia
Voice Of America: Ethiopia PM Visits Somalia As Neighbors Try To Improve Relations
“Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed met with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in Mogadishu Thursday, as their nations try to mend relations strained by Ethiopia’s deal for sea access with Somaliland – a breakaway republic Somalia considers part of its territory. Abiy flew into the Somali capital Thursday, as Somali forces, backed by African Union peacekeepers, beefed up security at Mogadishu’s Aden Ade International Airport and along the road leading to the presidential place. Mogadishu’s main roads were closed, and vehicular traffic was restricted. VOA reporters said that Ethiopian flags were flying at the airport, as the Somali National Music Band and traditional folklore dancers greeted Abiy at the airport.”
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