In Their Own Words:
We reiterate once again that the brigades will directly target US bases across the region in case the US enemy commits a folly and decides to strike our resistance fighters and their camps [in Iraq].
Mar. 2023Eye on Extremism: March 4, 2024
“A ship attacked by Yemen’s Houthi rebels has sunk in the Red Sea after days of taking on water, officials said Saturday, the first vessel to be fully destroyed as part of their campaign over Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The sinking of the Rubymar, which carried a cargo of fertilizer and previously leaked fuel, could cause ecological damage to the Red Sea and its coral reefs. Persistent Houthi attacks have already disrupted traffic in the crucial waterway for cargo and energy shipments moving from Asia and the Middle East to Europe. Already, many ships have turned away from the route. The sinking could see further detours and higher insurance rates put on vessels plying the waterway — potentially driving up global inflation and affecting aid shipments to the region. The Belize-flagged Rubymar had been drifting northward after being struck by a Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile on Feb. 18 in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a crucial waterway linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.”
“Israel has essentially endorsed a framework of a proposed Gaza cease-fire and hostage release deal, and it is now up to Hamas to agree to it, a senior U.S. administration official said Saturday, a day before talks to reach an agreement were to resume in Egypt. International mediators have been working for weeks to broker a deal to pause the fighting before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins around March 10. A deal would likely allow aid to reach hundreds of thousands of desperate Palestinians in northern Gaza who aid officials worry are under threat of famine. The Israelis “have more or less accepted” the proposal, which includes the six-week cease-fire as well as the release by Hamas of hostages considered vulnerable, which includes the sick, the wounded, the elderly and women, said the official “Right now, the ball is in the court of Hamas and we are continuing to push this as hard as we possibly can,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House to brief reporters.”
CEP Mentions
“... In the US, there are at least 46 active clubs across 34 states, a 2023 report from the Counter Extremism Project (CEP) said. The investigative news outlet, Bellingcat, has also reported that the white supremacist active club movement had spread to Europe. The movement was inspired by Robert Rundo, who founded the white supremacist MMA club known as the Rise Above Movement. His concept of "white nationalism 3.0" advocates for nationalists to operate in smaller, decentralized groups and improve their online image to evade law enforcement scrutiny. While active club members do not regularly engage in overt violence, some are known to intimidate their enemies, particularly journalists. The Tennessee active club has gained particular notoriety for its threats to local journalists, activists, and politicians and for the extreme views of its leader Sean Kauffman, who is a neo-Nazi and Holocaust denier.”
The Spectator: Does France Hold The Key To Cracking Down On Islamist Extremism?
“Are we being ‘poisoned’ by extremism? The Prime Minister seems to think so. His speech on the steps of Downing Street following the Rochdale by-election described a country where values of tolerance and civility were being deliberately undermined by Islamists and the far right. ‘Islamist extremists and the far right feed off and embolden each other,’ he warned. But in conflating those two threats, the Prime Minister made the same mistake as his predecessors.”
United States
Voice Of America: US Vice President Calls for ‘Immediate Cease-Fire’ In Gaza
“U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris called Sunday for an “immediate cease-fire” in Gaza, in one of the strongest appeals yet from the Biden administration to halt the war. "Given the immense scale of suffering in Gaza, there must be an immediate cease-fire," Harris said to loud applause at a gathering to commemorate a major civil rights anniversary in Selma, Alabama. The administration has been working with Egypt and Qatar to mediate a six-week pause in the fighting to get the remaining hostages held by Hamas out and to get scaled-up aid into Gaza, where the U.N. has warned that famine is looming. Speaking at the Edmund Pettus Bridge, where 59 years ago state troopers beat U.S. civil rights marchers in what is known as Bloody Sunday, Harris said people in Gaza are starving. "The conditions are inhumane, and our common humanity compels us to act," she said. "The Israeli government must do more to significantly increase the flow of aid. No excuses.”
“U.S. military C-130 cargo planes dropped food in pallets over Gaza on Saturday in the opening stage of an emergency humanitarian assistance authorized by President Joe Biden after more than 100 Palestinians who had surged to pull goods off an aid convoy were killed during a chaotic encounter with Israeli troops. Three planes from Air Forces Central dropped 66 bundles containing about 38,000 meals into Gaza at 8:30 a.m. EST (3:30 p.m. local). The bundles were dropped in southwest Gaza, on the beach along the territory’s Mediterranean coast. The airdrop was coordinated with the Royal Jordanian Air Force, which said it had two food airdrops Saturday in northern Gaza and has conducted several rounds in recent months. “The amount of aid flowing to Gaza is not nearly enough and we will continue to pull out every stop we can to get more aid in,” President Joe Biden said Saturday in a post on the social media site X, formerly known as Twitter.”
Iran
Reuters: Iran's President Discusses Gaza With Algerian Counterpart, Algeria's Presidency Says
“Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi on Sunday discussed bilateral relations, energy cooperation, trade and Gaza with Algeria's leader Abdelmadjid Tebboune in a one-day state visit, according to Algeria's presidency. Algeria, a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, backs the Palestinian cause and has called several times for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.”
Voice Of America: Iran Executes 'Terrorist' Over Alleged Israel Link To Attack
“Iran's judiciary has executed a "terrorist" over a drone attack that targeted a defense ministry site in central Iran last year, state media reported Sunday. According to state TV, the person "planned to explode the workshop complex of the Ministry of Defense in Isfahan under guidance of the intelligence officer of Mossad," Israel's spy agency. The date of the execution and identity of the accused person were not immediately clear. Iran has several known nuclear research sites in the Isfahan region, including a uranium conversion plant. The country's sanction-hit nuclear program has been the target of sabotage, assassinations of scientists and cyberattacks. Tehran has accused Israel of carrying out several covert actions on its soil. Iran's intelligence ministry said in February 2023 that it had arrested the "main actors" involved in the drone attack on a defense ministry site in Isfahan, home to the Natanz nuclear enrichment facility.”
Afghanistan
“Zarifa Yaqubi, an Afghan female activist who was imprisoned for about 41 days by the Taliban, has disclosed distressing details about the "horrible torture" of female prisoners. Yaqubi, who was detained on November 3, 2023, along with four colleagues as they sought to announce the existence of a women's movement, spent 41 days in Taliban custody. Currently residing in Canada, she addressed a press conference on Thursday, following the submission of the petition by a group of Iranian and Afghan activists urging the criminalisation of gender apartheid.”
Pakistan
“Lawmakers in Pakistan’s National Assembly have elected Shehbaz Sharif for a comeback term as the country’s prime minister, as allies of imprisoned former premier Imran Khan in parliament shouted in protest, alleging rigging in last month’s election. Sharif held the same office from April 2022 to August 2023, and is the younger brother of three-time premier Nawaz Sharif. Khan is currently serving prison terms in multiple cases and has been barred from seeking or holding office. Sharif replaced him as prime minister after his ouster in a no-confidence vote in parliament in April 2022.”
Yemen
Reuters: Ship Sunk By Houthis Threatens Red Sea Environment, Yemen Government And US Military Say
“A UK-owned ship attacked by Houthi militants last month sank in the Red Sea, the U.S. military confirmed on Saturday, as it echoed a warning from Yemen's internationally recognised government that the vessel's cargo of hazardous fertiliser posed a risk to marine life. The Belize-registered Rubymar is the first vessel lost since the Houthis began targeting commercial ships in November. Those drone and missile assaults have forced shipping firms to divert ships to the longer route around southern Africa, disrupting global trade by delaying deliveries and sending costs higher.”
The Guardian: Italian Warship Forced To Shoot Down Houthi Missile In Red Sea
“An Italian warship participating in the EU naval protection force in the Red Sea was forced to shoot down a Houthi missile on Saturday in a rare engagement by the country’s navy, which has largely avoided direct action since the second world war. The incident came as Houthi officials vowed to continue to attack British ships after the UK-owned Rubymar sank on Saturday having taken on water for a fortnight after being hit by one of the group’s missiles. The Italian intervention came as politicians from the UN-recognised Yemeni government based in Aden travelled to London to lobby the Foreign Office to recognise that the months of Houthi attacks must end the possibility of any peace agreement in which the group plays a part in a future coalition government.”
Middle East
“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rebuked a top Cabinet minister arriving in Washington on Sunday for talks with U.S. officials, according to an Israeli official, signaling widening cracks within the country’s leadership nearly five months into its war with Hamas. The trip by Benny Gantz, a centrist political rival who joined Netanyahu’s wartime Cabinet following Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, comes as friction between the U.S. and Netanyahu is rising over how to alleviate the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza and what the postwar plan for the enclave should look like. An official from Netanyahu’s far-right Likud party said Gantz’s trip was planned without authorization from the Israeli leader. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Netanyahu had a “tough talk” with Gantz and told him the country has “just one prime minister.”
“The European Union said Friday that it will pay 50 million euros ($54 million) to the main provider of aid in Gaza next week after the cash-strapped U.N. agency agreed to allow EU-appointed experts to audit the way it screens staff to identify extremists. The UNRWA agency is reeling from allegations that 12 of its 13,000 Gaza staff members participated in the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks in southern Israel. The agency fired the employees, but more than a dozen countries suspended funding worth about $450 million, almost half its budget for 2024. The Israel-Hamas war has driven 80% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million Palestinians from their homes, and U.N. officials say a quarter of the population is starving. The agency is the main supplier of food, water and shelter, but it is also on the brink of financial collapse. The European Commission had been due to disburse 82 million euros ($89 million) to UNRWA on Feb. 29, but wanted the agency to accept its terms for an audit. The EU’s powerful executive branch is the third biggest donor to UNRWA after the United States and Germany.”
Somalia
“A military court in Somalia’s northeastern semiautonomous state of Puntland sentenced to death six Moroccans believed to be foreign fighters for the Islamic State extremist group in Somalia. The individuals entered Somalia to cause harm to Muslims and Somalis and incite unrest in the country, the presiding judge in the Puntland region, Col. Ali Ibrahim Osman, said late Thursday. The six men, identified as Mohamed Hassan, Ahmed Najwi, Khalid Latha, Mohamed Binu Mohamed Ahmed, Ridwan Abdulkadir Osmany, and Ahmed Hussein Ibrahim, can appeal and if they are unsuccessful they will be shot to death by firing squad. Additionally, an Ethiopian and a Somali were each sentenced to 10 years in prison, while another Somali defendant was acquitted due to lack of evidence. It was not immediately clear if any of the men had access to legal representation or where they were being held Friday. The eight men claimed they were misled into joining the group and expressed a desire to be repatriated, Osman said.”
Africa
Voice Of America: Fighting Resumes Between Ethiopian Government And Militants
“Fighting broke out Friday between Ethiopian government forces and members of the Fano militia in Bahir Dar — the capital of the Amhara region — according to residents and the regional administration. It’s the first bout of violence to erupt since the conflict's early days last year. In a statement Friday, the Amhara government said that military and security forces were to engage in a "joint operation and house-to-house surveillance around Bahir Dar to sweep out the extremist force that had infiltrated into the city." It added that the Fano militia retreated and wasn’t able to "resist the combined strength of the security forces." The Fano militia, without a formal structure, could not be contacted for comment. According to the Rift Valley Institute, a nonprofit research organization, there are various Fano groups in the region, each without formal leadership structures. The rebel group used to work with the army against forces in Tigray, which experienced a two-year civil war ending in 2022, but their relationship became strained after Fano accused the government of leaving the Amhara region vulnerable to security threats. The government has denied the claim.”
United Kingdom
Politico: UK’s Rishi Sunak Warns Against ‘Poison’ Of Extremism In Rare Downing Street Speech
“Rishi Sunak used a hastily arranged address outside No.10 Downing Street Friday night to warn that British democracy faces “intimidation, threats and planned acts of violence” — and took a swipe at Britain’s newly elected pro-Palestinian MP George Galloway. In a speech calling for more tolerance in politics after weeks of heightened tensions, Sunak said he feared that Britain’s “great achievement” — a multi-ethnic, multi-faith democracy — was now being “deliberately undermined” by both Islamists and the far right. And he took a potshot at Galloway, a controversial and stridently pro-Gaza veteran MP elected in the town of Rochdale Thursday after a bitter campaign. Sunak accused the former Labour lawmaker of dismissing “the horror” of the October 7 attacks by Hamas on Israel. Sunak’s address comes after chaotic scenes in the British parliament in recent weeks, as well as the testy Rochdale by-election.”
Germany
DW: Berlin Police Seize Suspected Home Of RAF Fugitive
“German police on Sunday seized a trailer believed to have housed one of two suspected terrorist members of the far-left Red Army Faction (RAF) who have been at large for over 30 years. Police in the German capital have intensified their search for RAF suspects Ernst-Volker Staub, 69, and Burkhard Garweg, 55, since the arrest of another member of their group six days ago. Daniela Klette, 65, was arrested in Berlin last Monday. Police said they believed Staub and Garweg were also hiding in the German capital. The trio are suspected of attempted murder and a series of armed robberies committed to finance their decades on the run.”
Europe
Reuters: Pope Francis, Recovering From Bronchitis, Calls For End Of Gaza Conflict
“Pope Francis on Sunday appealed for an end to the conflict in Gaza, as he showed signs of recovery after suffering from bronchitis. On Saturday the 87-year-old pope delegated the reading of a speech at a ceremony to an aide, and on Wednesday he made a brief trip to a Rome hospital after he missed reading at his weekly audience, saying he had "a bit of cold". "Each day I carry in my heart with pain the suffering of the populations in Palestine and Israel due to the ongoing hostilities, thousands of dead, injured, displaced," Francis said, speaking by himself with a clear voice at the Angelus payer in Rome. Addressing believers in St Peter's Square, Francis stressed the consequences of the conflict on children and asked for the release of all the hostages taken in Hamas' Oct. 7 raid. "Do you really think you can build a better world in this way? Do you really think you will achieve peace? Enough please! Let us all say enough please! Stop!" Francis said. Francis has had a number of health issues in recent months.”
Russia
“Six alleged members of the Islamic State group were killed in a shootout in Russia’s volatile North Caucasus region, in what the country’s National Anti-Terrorism Committee (NAC) described Sunday as a “counterterrorism operation.” According to a statement by the NAC, late on Saturday the six men barricaded themselves in a third-floor apartment in Karabulak, a town of about 30,000 in Russia’s semi-autonomous Republic of Ingushetia. A shootout with security services followed, as surrounding streets were blocked off and residents of the apartment block evacuated to a nearby school, according to Russia’s Interfax agency. Heavy gunfire and blasts appearing to come from inside an apartment block could be heard in videos posted by Karabulak residents on social media. The NAC did not immediately name the alleged militants, but said three of them were on Russia’s wanted list and all six had been involved in violent acts, including an attack on a traffic police unit last March that killed three officers.”
Daily Dose
Extremists: Their Words. Their Actions.
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