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CEP Mentions
WDR: Hanna Hansen - Social Media and Salafism
CEP Senior Director Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler interviewed regarding a German Islamist influencer on TikTok: "Former boxer Hanna Hansen promotes an ultra-conservative interpretation of Islam on social media and maintains contacts within the German Salafist scene. What makes her videos so appealing? A conversation with journalist Joseph Röhmel."
GTAI: "US sanctions against Iran slow down German companies in Iraq"
“Germany maintains only limited economic relations with oil-rich Iraq – not least because of existing sanctions against Iran. However, many goods such as consumer goods and pharmaceuticals are unaffected, says Hans-Jakob Schindler of the Counter Extremism Project, a non-profit political organization. The security expert advises German companies to conduct their business with Iraq in euros whenever possible.”
Analysis
Times of Israel: Netanyahu’s gamble on striking Qatar may have failed, but he’s not backing down
When Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered this week’s strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar, he took a major gamble in his campaign to pound the terror group into submission. With signs growing that the mission failed, that gamble appears to have backfired. Netanyahu had hoped to kill Hamas’ senior exiled leaders to get closer to his vision of “total victory” against the terror group that carried out the brutal massacre of 1,200 people in Israel on October 7, 2023, and pressure it into surrendering after nearly two years of war in the Gaza Strip.
Times of Israel: After Israel strikes Hamas leaders in Qatar, Turkey worries it could be next
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been a long-standing supporter of the Palestinian cause and of the Palestinian terror group Hamas, which is sworn to the destruction of Israel. Hamas officials regularly visit Turkey and some have taken up residence there. Israel has previously accused Turkey of allowing Hamas to plan attacks from its territory, as well as to recruit and fundraise there. Erdogan is close to Qatar’s leaders and Turkey maintains strong military and commercial ties to the emirate. He is due to travel to Qatar this weekend for an Arab and Muslim leaders’ summit.
United States
New York Times: Kirk Shooting Suspect Held ‘Leftist Ideology,’ Utah Governor Says
Mr. Cox did not go into specifics about Mr. Robinson’s ideological views or offer details to substantiate his assessment of the suspect’s views. Mr. Cox said Mr. Robinson had spent much of his time immersed in online gaming, message boards and parts of what the governor called the “deep, dark internet.” Mr. Cox, a Republican, did not detail a motive for the shooting of Mr. Kirk, a prominent conservative activist. The suspect’s motive has become the subject of fevered debate as President Trump and some Republicans have blamed Democrats and the “radical left.”
New York Times: White House Seeks More Supreme Court Security Funding After Kirk Killing
The Trump administration has asked Congress to approve $58 million in emergency funding to bolster security for the Supreme Court, citing a surge in threats against public officials after the killing of the conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The request, sent to lawmakers last week, underscores growing fears in Washington that federal officials face extraordinary danger from political violence. In a formal notice to Congress, the administration said the money would go to the U.S. Marshals Service to cover additional protective operations for the justices.
Associated Press: FACT FOCUS: Assassination of Charlie Kirk prompts flood of false and misleading claims online
A flood of false and misleading claims filled social media in the two days it took officials to arrest and publicly identify 22-year-old Tyler Robinson as the suspect in Wednesday’s assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University.
Fox News: Democratic senator calls internet an 'accelerant' driving extremism after Kirk killing
A Democratic senator from Delaware is blaming the internet for "driving extremism in our country" following the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del,, appeared on CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday. He told host Major Garrett that Americans cannot let political violence drive the country further apart, calling Kirk's assassination "brutal" while discussing "the importance of the First Amendment of free speech."
WIRED: Extremist Groups Hated Charlie Kirk. They’re Using His Death to Radicalize Others
For years, extremist groups, white nationalists, and militias like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers saw Charlie Kirk not as their ally, but as their enemy. Though Kirk denigrated trans people, Muslims, unmarried women, and many minorities and advocated for an America with Christianity at the center of every aspect of life, he was, in their view, a moderate. For some, his staunch support of Israel’s government made Kirk a target rather than a friend.
New York Times: Would-Be Bomber Is Imprisoned Again After Donating to Co-Conspirators
A man who plotted a terror attack on the New York City subway system with his best friends before testifying against them is again incarcerated after sending them a few hundred dollars in prison, according to his lawyer. The man, Najibullah Zazi, was originally arrested in 2009 for hatching the plan with two high school classmates from Flushing, Queens. He pleaded guilty, provided information to the U.S. authorities about Al Qaeda and testified at two federal trials. He earned praise from prosecutors for rejecting extremism and, ultimately, received a sentence that reflected his cooperation.
PsyPost: Psychology researchers identify a “burnout to extremism” pipeline
When Luigi Mangione was arrested for the alleged murder of the CEO of UnitedHealthcare in December 2024, public reaction shocked observers. Far from universal condemnation, many people expressed support. This was especially true among younger people, with polls showing 41% of young adults viewed the murder as acceptable. So what leads the average person to justify extreme violence? Our recently published research, in the special issue “Understanding violent extremism” of the APA Journal Psychology of Violence, locates the answer in one increasingly widespread phenomenon: workplace burnout.
MSNBC: Police say ‘extremist network’ may have influenced Colorado high school shooter
The gunman behind this week’s school shooting in Colorado was “radicalized by an extremist network,” authorities in Jefferson County said Thursday. The statement from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office didn’t get into details about how a white 16-year-old named Desmond Holly was radicalized before he shot and wounded two students at Evergreen High School and then later died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Jerusalem Post: Antisemitic, anti-Israel conspiracy theories surge following Charlie Kirk's assassination
Antisemitic theories and Israel-related conspiracies surged in the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, the Anti-Defamation League reported Friday. Within hours of the conservative commentator’s death on September 10, and before a suspect had even been identified, the ADL found that many conspiracy theorists had attributed the incident to Israel or Jews. Since September 10, there have been more than 10,000 posts on X that include the phrase, “Israel killed Charlie Kirk,” the ADL said. Some known accounts with “histories of peddling anti-Israel and antisemitic conspiracy theories” immediately accused Israel of Kirk’s assassination, it said.
EdSource: Bill to reduce antisemitism awaits governor’s signature
A bill to reduce antisemitism in California’s classrooms by creating a new, statewide Office of Civil Rights is headed to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk after a 35-0 vote by the state Senate late Friday, the last day of the legislative session. Assembly Bill 715’s passage comes after months of negotiations with the bill’s opponents — including the California Teachers Association — which argued it could infringe on academic freedom and prioritize the rights of certain students over others.
Jewish Telegraphic Agency: GOP Rep. Nancy Mace to Jewish progressive: ‘I have a good surgeon if you ever want to get your nose done’
A Republican member of Congress who has been a vocal opponent of campus antisemitism told a progressive Jewish Democrat on Wednesday to “get your nose done.” Rep. Sara Jacobs and multiple progressive watchdogs denounced Rep. Nancy Mace’s comments as antisemitic.
Forbes: UC Berkeley Gives Government Names Of 160 Students, Faculty In Antisemitism Probe
UC Berkeley has disclosed the names and personal information of about 160 students, faculty and staff to the federal government and their “potential connection” to reports of alleged antisemitism, according to a story by The Daily Californian, the school’s student newspaper. According to the story, campus spokesperson Janet Gilmore said in an email that UC Berkeley was complying with an investigation into alleged campus antisemitism conducted by the Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights (OCR). Those whose names were given to the government were notified of the action in a September 4th email from the campus Office of Legal Affairs.
New York Post: ‘Desperate Housewives’ star Marcia Cross branded ‘Antisemite of the Week’ by Jewish watchdog group
“Desperate Housewives” actress Marcia Cross has been branded “Antisemite of the Week” by a Jewish watchdog group for bashing Israel and spreading “antisemitic rhetoric.” The Emmy-nominated star, 63, is a pro-Palestinian activist who has accused Israel of genocide, including through starvation, and says the United States and other countries are aiding and abetting the Jewish state’s atrocities in Gaza.
KCRA: Woman named Isis can’t use license plate that reads ‘IAMISIS,’ DMV says
A woman named Isis is shocked by the California Department of Motor Vehicles’ decision to revoke her personalized license plate that reads “IAMISIS.” Isis Wharton received a letter Friday from the California DMV regarding her car’s personalized license plate, which reads “IAMISIS.” The letter claims the plate could be interpreted as showing support for the Islamic State group known as ISIS, so she must turn the plate back in to the DMV.
Canada
Jerusalem Post: Antisemitic attacks in Canada, three synagogues vandalized with 'Jews did 9/11' graffiti
Three Halifax synagogues were vandalized over Saturday night, according to the Shaar Shalom Congregation and Canadian Jewish organizations, with graffiti that included swastikas and claims that Jews were responsible for the September 11 terrorist attacks.
Argentina
Jewish Telegraphic Agency: Buenos Aires mayor vows to punish teacher who waved Palestinian flag during school ceremony
The mayor of Buenos Aires is moving to punish an elementary school teacher who posted a video of himself unfurling a Palestinian flag and asking his students to applaud “for the teachers in Gaza and the children of Palestine.” The city is opening disciplinary proceedings against Federico Puy, a left-wing activist and teachers union leader, over the incident, which took place Thursday on the Argentine holiday known as Teacher’s Day.
Germany
Deutsche Welle: Merz's CDU set to win in North-Rhine Westphalia, AfD makes big gains
Merz's CDU is set to take around 34% of the vote, followed by center-left SPD, with 22.5%, and the far-right AfD, with 16.5% — over three times more than the 5.1% the party secured in 2020. Sunday's polls were the first local elections since Chancellor Friedrich Merz took office in May. The AfD has made historic gains in recent years, becoming the second-strongest political force at the national level. Although its voter base is mainly from states in eastern Germany, the AfD is hoping to capitalize on the shift toward the right in western Germany.
ARD: Repatriations to Afghanistan - Government holds talks with Taliban
Direct negotiations with the militant Islamist Taliban - this was long considered taboo. Now the German government has decided to hold talks on further deportations to Afghanistan, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said in an interview. Representatives of Afghanistan and representatives of the Federal Ministry of the Interior will now discuss how these deportations can be carried out, said the CSU politician. "We don't just want to use charter flights for deportations, we also want to enable deportations via scheduled flights." It was about "questions such as identity checks and the like". "This also needs to be coordinated with Afghan representatives, this is now being done via technical contacts," said Dobrindt.
ARD: Selen is to become the new President of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution
The head of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution has been vacant for months, and Interior Minister Dobrindt also took his time in proposing a replacement. Several media outlets are now reporting that the current deputy head Selen is to take over the leadership. "I think this is an excellent personnel decision, because Sinan Selen brings with him both the best expertise and the necessary extensive experience," CDU foreign policy expert Roderich Kiesewetter said. According to reports, Selen will be the first head of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution who was not born in Germany. Born in Istanbul in 1972, Selen came to Germany at the age of four as the son of Turkish immigrants and grew up in Cologne.
Reuters: Far-right's western inroads create headache for German coalition
Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party made deep inroads in the country's most populous state in municipal elections on Sunday, reaching mayoral run-offs for the first time and underlining its appeal beyond its eastern heartland. The conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) remained the strongest party overall but support for their national coalition partners the Social Democrats (SPD) declined in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), a western state of more than 18 million, while the AfD almost tripled its score from five years ago to 14.5%.
Jewish Telegraphic Agency: Cosmetics firm Weleda to examine Nazi ties amid revelation of its role in Dachau experiments
A major European cosmetics firm has vowed to reexamine its Nazi-era history amid revelations that it benefited from gruesome human experiments in a Nazi concentration camp during the Holocaust. Weleda, founded in 1921 in Germany by a Swiss parent company, claimed that its skin cream could protect German soldiers from frostbite. To prove the claim, Nazi doctors and their assistants — some of them with connections to Weleda — used the cream in brutal experiments on some 300 prisoners at the Dachau concentration camp, in which they were submerged in water with ice blocks for hours on end.
Russia
Shafaq: Moscow court jails student 8 years for financing ISIS
A Russian military court in Moscow on Sunday sentenced a university student to eight years in prison for financing the Islamic State (ISIS), state news agency TASS reported. The court found Arbi Amrovich Dukaev, a Russian national and second-year student at the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN), guilty of transferring about 12,000 rubles ($130) to an account linked to another suspect accused of dealings with the group.
Spain
Reuters: Anti-Israel protests force early end to Vuelta a Espana cycle race
Pro-Palestinian protests forced the Vuelta a Espana cycle race to be abandoned at its finale on Sunday, with Danish cyclist Jonas Vingegaard declared winner as police sought to quell demonstrations against an Israeli team's participation. Protesters chanting "they will not pass" overturned metal barriers and occupied the Vuelta (Tour of Spain) route at several points in Madrid as police attempted to push them back. Earlier, Spain's Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez expressed "admiration for the Spanish people mobilising for just causes like Palestine" by protesting during the race. Israel's foreign minister Gideon Saar posted on X that Sanchez and his government were "a disgrace to Spain".
United Kingdom
BBC: Dozens of officers injured as up to 150,000 join Tommy Robinson rally
Twenty-six officers have been injured while policing a protest organised by far-right activist Tommy Robinson, which saw up to 150,000 people march through central London. Tensions flared at the Unite the Kingdom rally, with some protesters throwing bottles and other projectiles at police, the Metropolitan Police said – leaving four seriously hurt. Tech billionaire Elon Musk spoke to protesters on Whitehall via videolink, while 5,000 people joined a nearby counter-protest organised by Stand Up To Racism.
Independent: London protests latest: Calls for Musk to face UK sanctions after ‘disgusting’ Tommy Robinson rally speech
Sir Keir Starmer is facing calls to sanction tech billionaire Elon Musk after he called for the dissolution of Parliament during a speech to demonstrators. Musk’s speech at a march organised by far-right activist Tommy Robinson – in which he told attendees to “either fight back or you die” – has been denounced as “inappropriate” and “disgusting”.
Express: Britain warned it's 'not equipped to handle' ISIS threats posed by AI
ISIS could use advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) to create horrifying propaganda content that Britain is “not fully equipped to handle”, an expert has warned. The terror group has already been using generative AI, the type used to create new content, to translate Arabic-language messages into English to reach a wider audience.
Reuters: British soldier stands trial over 1972 Bloody Sunday killings
The trial of the sole British soldier charged with murder over the 1972 "Bloody Sunday" killings of 13 unarmed Catholic civil rights marchers in Northern Ireland began on Monday, over half a century on from one of the defining moments of The Troubles. The soldier, who cannot be identified and is known as Soldier F, is accused of murdering two men and attempting to murder five others when members of a British army regiment opened fire in the mainly Irish nationalist city of Londonderry.
Afghanistan
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty: Afghan Taliban Claims Prisoner Exchange With US Is Imminent
Afghanistan’s de-facto Taliban rulers said they have reached an agreement with visiting US officials on an exchange of prisoners, although no details were given and Washington has not yet confirmed that a deal has been struck. Following the September 13 meeting, the Taliban released photos of the meeting in Kabul involving US President Donald Trump's special envoy for hostage affairs, Adam Boehler, and Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.
Afghanistan International: Taliban Adviser Arrested After Calling For Women Nurses In Quake-Hit Kunar
A senior adviser to the Taliban’s Ministry of Energy and Water has been arrested after publicly urging the deployment of female nurses to earthquake-hit Kunar, sources told Afghanistan International on Monday. The adviser, Farooq Azam, was detained on the orders of Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, the sources said. He has reportedly been transferred to the Taliban’s oversight office in Kabul, and his case referred to a military court in the capital.
Afghanistan International: Taliban Leader Directs Nationwide Roundup Of Mentally Ill Patients In Afghanistan
Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada has ordered the collection of mentally ill patients across all 34 provinces of Afghanistan, the group announced. Abdul Manan Shahidzada, head of the Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Daikundi province, told state radio that the initiative had already begun there. He said the decree, issued on 29 August, tasked provincial offices of the ministry with identifying and collecting patients.
Afghanistan International: NRF Claims It Killed Three Taliban Fighters In Herat
The National Resistance Front (NRF) said its forces killed three Taliban fighters in an operation in Herat province on Saturday night. In a statement, the group said the attack took place around 8:30 p.m. in Guzara district, along the Herat–Pashtun Zarghun road, near a police training centre. The NRF said its fighters seized two weapons and a motorcycle belonging to the Taliban during the raid. It added that those killed were members of the reconnaissance unit of the Taliban’s Al-Farooq Corps.
Afghanistan International: Trump Presses Taliban Through US Envoy For Release Of Americans
A US envoy has delivered a message from President Donald Trump to Taliban leaders in Kabul, stressing that he is serious about securing the release of American prisoners held in Afghanistan, Taliban sources told Afghanistan International. According to the sources, Adam Boehler, the US special envoy for hostage affairs, met Taliban Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Abdul Ghani Baradar and conveyed Trump’s position, urging him to pass it directly to Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada.
Afghanistan International: Taliban Delegation Travels To China For Border Security Talks
A Taliban delegation has travelled to China to attend a meeting on migration management and cross-border cooperation, the group said Sunday. Abdullah Farooqi, spokesperson for the Taliban’s Border Police, said the talks would focus on preventing border threats and facilitating movement across frontiers. He added that the delegation is led by Mawlawi Abdul Manan Hassan, the deputy chief of the Taliban Border Police.
Gaza Strip
Times of Israel: As Hamas urges Gazans to stay put, its leaders are trying to flee Strip, says Israel
Israel asserted on Sunday that, even as Hamas has urged Palestinians to stay put in Gaza City while the IDF calls on them to evacuate, several of the terror group’s leaders have submitted requests for themselves and their family members to be allowed to exit the Strip. Maj. Gen. Ghassan Alian, chief of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, posted in Arabic on Facebook about the “hypocritical attempts of senior officials in Gaza City and the Hamas terror organization to evacuate their family members to a third country through the Israeli mechanism for evacuating Gaza residents.”
Iran
Iran International: Mossad knows location of Iran’s near-bomb-grade uranium - Jerusalem Post
Israel’s Mossad has sufficient knowledge of the location of Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpiles and could intervene if Tehran attempts to use them, The Jerusalem Post reported on Sunday citing unnamed sources. Iran had 440.9 kilograms (972 pounds) of uranium enriched up to 60% before the Israeli and US airstrikes in June, according to the UN nuclear watchdog.
Iran International: Israel weighed killing Khamenei in secret war plans – Channel 13
Israel’s leadership secretly discussed assassinating Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei during the opening days of June’s war with Iran, leaked cabinet transcripts aired Sunday by Channel 13 revealed. On June 14, one day after Israel's surprise attacks, a small meeting of security cabinet ministers heard Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu say that war goals included eliminating Khamenei.
Iraq
Rudaw: Iraq says 'working hard' to close Syria camp housing ISIS families
Iraqi National Security Advisor Qasim al-Araji said on Monday that the Iraqi government is "working hard" with Western allies to close the notorious al-Hol camp in northeast Syria (Rojava) housing families with Islamic State (ISIS) ties. He warned that the camp is a "ticking time bomb."
Israel
Reuters: Israel threatens Hamas 'wherever they are' as Qatar hosts summit
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he didn't rule out further strikes on Hamas leaders "wherever they are" as the heads of Arab and Islamic states held a summit to show support for Qatar after Israel's attack on the Gulf state last week. The September 9 strike targeting leaders of the Palestinian militant group in Doha marked a significant escalation of Israeli military action in a region shaken by conflict since the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attacks that ignited the Gaza war.
Times of Israel: Ahead of holidays, Israel warns of Iran-backed terror threats to Israelis and Jews abroad
The National Security Council on Sunday warned of terror threats against Israelis and Jews abroad ahead of the Jewish holiday season and singled out the upcoming anniversary of the October 7, 2023 massacre, for special concern, warning them to exercise caution and refrain from displaying Israeli or Jewish symbols. The notice outlined “key trends in global terrorist activity” but did not issue specific new travel warnings for any locations. According to the NSC, which is part of the Prime Minister’s Office, Iran and its proxies Hamas and Hezbollah, and global jihadi groups Islamic State, al-Qaeda and al-Shabab, remain highly motivated to target Israelis and Jews worldwide.
Times of Israel: Mossad said to have refused to carry out ground op to kill Hamas leaders in Qatar
The Mossad spy agency refused to carry out a planned ground operation to kill Hamas’s leaders in Doha, fearing that the operation would doom hostage-ceasefire talks and damage the agency’s ties with Qatar, a key Mideast mediator, the Washington Post reported Friday. Instead, Israel was forced to carry out airstrikes, which Israel’s security establishment now increasingly believes failed to kill any of Hamas’s top brass who were gathered at the site of Tuesday’s strike in Doha. A senior official with knowledge of talks on the hostage release-ceasefire deal told Channel 12 that most of the defense establishment recommended that the attack be put off.
Reuters: UN Human Rights Council to hold urgent debate on Israeli airstrike on Qatar
The United Nations Human Rights Council will hold an urgent debate in Geneva on Tuesday on Israel's September 9 attack targeting Hamas leaders in Qatar, the Council said on Monday. The September 9 airstrike, which Hamas says killed five of its members but not its leadership, has prompted U.S.-allied Gulf Arab states to close ranks, opens new tab, adding to strains, opens new tab in ties between the United Arab Emirates and Israel, which normalised relations in 2020.
Reuters: Israel seeks to make Gaza City unliveable, says UN expert Francesca Albanese
The top U.N. expert on Palestinian rights, Francesca Albanese, said Israel was trying to make Gaza City unliveable in its assault on the enclave's largest urban area and was endangering the lives of Israeli hostages. "Israel is bombing using unconventional weapons ... it is trying to forcibly evacuate Palestinians. Why? This is the last piece of Gaza that needs to be rendered unliveable before advancing the ethnic cleansing of that piece of land," Albanese told reporters in Geneva.
Times of Israel: Palestinian man shot and killed while trying to scale security barrier, say police
Police confirm that its forces shot and killed a Palestinian man who attempted to scale Israel’s security barrier and cross into Jerusalem earlier today. The man was shot in the al-Ram area in northern Jerusalem, near a hole in the barrier which two Palestinian terrorists managed to slip through last week before carrying out a deadly shooting at the Ramot Junction, killing six Israelis.
Times of Israel: Trump says Israel must be ‘very careful’ with ‘great ally’ Qatar following strike
Following last week’s Israeli strike targeting Hamas leaders in Doha, US President Donald Trump told reporters Israel must be “very, very careful” about how it handles Qatar, which he called a “great ally.” In comments at Morristown Airport in New Jersey on Sunday, Trump added that Israel has “to do something about Hamas,” and said Qatar needs to burnish its public image. The brief comments, in response to a reporter’s question, represent the latest time Trump has tried to bridge between condemning the strike on a US ally and saying Hamas’s leaders must be eliminated.
Lebanon
Naharnet: Lebanese dancer defies extremist threats and social norms with his sold-out performances
Alexandre Paulikevitch put on his white dress and wig and danced his way to center stage, knowing that the extremist groups who had threatened him before his controversial recital might be waiting for him outside the theater. The Lebanese dancer's sold-out performance to a cheering crowd at a popular Beirut venue had angered fundamentalist movements ranging from the right-wing Christian Soldiers of God to Sunni Islamists.
Naharnet: Weapons handed over from Ain al-Hilweh and al-Beddawi camps
The Lebanese Army was on Saturday handed over five truckloads of weapons from the Ain al-Hilweh camp and another three from the al-Beddawi camp as part of an ongoing disarmament process. So far only the Fatah Movement has handed over weapons from several camps in Beirut and its suburbs and the southern region of Tyre.
Qatar
Reuters: Rubio urges Qatar to keep helping with Gaza as Israel batters enclave
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday called on Qatar to continue to play a constructive role in resolving the Gaza conflict, speaking in Jerusalem on the same day that Arab leaders were meeting in Doha to respond to an Israeli strike. Qatar, a U.S. ally which has been co-mediating talks between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, was angered last week by Israel's attack on its capital, which targeted Hamas leaders who reside there.
Associated Press: Qatar hosts summit in response to Israeli strike on Hamas in Doha, seeking to restrain such attacks
Qatar hosted a summit of leaders of Arab and Islamic nations Monday in the hopes of presenting a united response to Israel’s attack on Hamas leaders in Doha last week. But the group has few ways to restrain Israel as its war in the Gaza Strip grinds on.
Syria
Reuters: Sectarian violence risks dividing Syria despite Sharaa's diplomacy
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has won major diplomatic victories since seizing power nine months ago, but he risks losing the battle that matters most: to hold his deeply divided country together. In Syria's northeast, Kurdish forces are resisting integration into the state after 14 years of civil war, and are demanding a new constitution to recognize their rights. In the southeast, members of the Druze community are openly calling for independence after violent clashes with government forces.
UPI: U.S. and Syrian leaders discuss countering ISIS
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa hosted two U.S. diplomats at the presidential palace in Damascus on Friday to address ISIS threats and stabilizing Syria and the Middle East. The Syrian president, U.S. special envoy Thomas Barrack and Adm. Brad Cooper, who is the commander of U.S. Central Command, discussed efforts to counteract ISIS in Syria and eliminate its threat in Syria, U.S. CentCom announced in a news release.
Rudaw: Kurdish-led forces arrest ISIS leader in east Syria: Monitor
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Sunday carried out a “precise security operation” to arrest a “prominent” Islamic State (ISIS) leader in Syria’s eastern Deir ez-Zor province, a war monitor reported.
Shafaq: ISIS executes Syrian security officer in Daraa
ISIS released a video showing the execution of a Syrian security officer in eastern Daraa, accusing him of spying for government forces, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported on Monday.
Pakistan
Associated Press: Pakistan says it killed 31 militants in the northwest as insurgents offer talks
Pakistan’s security forces raided two separate militant hideouts in the country’s northwest, killing 31 insurgents, the military said Monday. In a surprise move, the Pakistani Taliban under the group Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, offered to hold direct talks with the Pakistani government to address what they called the “root causes” of two decades of conflict. There was no immediate comment from the government.
Australia
The Guardian: Hamas and Hezbollah among groups relisted by Australia for counter-terrorism sanctions
A trio of extremist organisations including Hamas, along with other entities and individuals, have been relisted for counter-terrorism financing sanctions. Palestinian groups Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and Lebanese group Hezbollah, along with 30 other entities and 10 individuals, have been relisted by the federal government for sanctions. The listings expire every three years and are being renewed ahead of their expiry in 2025. Hamas has been listed since 2001.
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