The Washington Post: Syria Could Allow Russia To Keep Its Bases, New Defense Minister Says
“Syria is open to letting Russia keep its air and naval bases along the Mediterranean coast as long as any agreement with the Kremlin serves the country’s interests, Syrian Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra said in an interview this week, underscoring the pragmatic approach taken by his government as it charts new alliances and reassesses old ones forged under the previous regime. Russia’s attitude toward the new Syrian government has “improved significantly” since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad in December, and Damascus is weighing Moscow’s demands, Abu Qasra said, signaling a dramatic shift among the former militants who make up the government.”
The New York Times: Pakistan To Force Tens Of Thousands Of Afghan Refugees Out Of The Capital
“Tens of thousands of Afghan refugees who have congregated in Pakistan’s capital region to seek resettlement in other countries are being ordered to move elsewhere in Pakistan by March 31. The refugees have arrived in large numbers in the capital, Islamabad, and in neighboring Rawalpindi because of the embassies and refugee agencies based there. Forcing them to go elsewhere in the country is intended to put pressure on Western nations, including the United States, to accept them quickly. The Pakistani government’s announcement, issued last week, said that Afghan refugees who could not find a country to take them would be deported to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, although it did not say how quickly that would happen after the March 31 deadline.”
The Spectator: Cracking Down On Facebook Won’t Stop Teenagers Being Radicalised
“I’ve yet to meet an oncologist, thank God. But if I did turn up to be told I had cancer I wouldn’t expect him to start treating me with a chainsaw. That was my thought this morning when I read that our national counter-terrorism chief had described the effect of exposing kids to violent content online as carcinogenic. Matt Jukes, Assistant Commissioner for Specialist Operations for the Met Police, suggested that a ban on social media for the under 16s was a way to address the scourge of adolescent maniacs mobilised by online extremism who turn hateful thought into lethal action.”
Intercept Brasil: Every Time Someone Doubts The Harm Caused By Big Tech, Show Them This Dossier
“Today, the alignment of big tech companies with Donald Trump – and with the global far right – has become obvious. But it wasn’t always like this. A well-aligned public relations pitch, a team of lobbyists with various ideological hues and sophisticated techniques to win the hearts and minds of politicians, journalists and civil society were crucial in shielding these large corporations from regulation and public scrutiny for years… They deny, deny, deny. They say they are neutral platforms, that their recommendation algorithms follow users' preferences. But several studies, including one by Facebook itself, show that this is nonsense. The dossier cites this one, from the Counter Extremism Project, which shows how YouTube's algorithm promotes misinformation, conspiracy theories, and extremism. The same goes for Twitter, TikTok, and Meta.”
The New York Times: Despite Waivers, U.S. Funding Freeze Sows Doubt About Camp Holding ISIS Members
“President Trump’s funding freeze has thrown into confusion the future of a Syrian desert camp holding thousands of Islamic State members and their families, the camp’s director and people familiar with it said, describing it as a potential security threat in the region. The camp, Al Hol, which houses some 39,000 people, has been whipsawed by a halt to U.S.-funded programs then short reprieves, and is still struggling to understand its status. Even as some programs critical to securing the camp received temporary extensions, another organization essential to managing the camp said it might have to halt its work there as soon as Monday.”
BBC: Why Trump Is On The Warpath In Somalia
“Finding and fighting the militants who have become the beating heart of the Islamic State (IS) group in Africa can be tough work as they hide deep in the mountains of north-eastern Somalia. But in typical Donald Trump style, after the new US president ordered an airstrike on the area last weekend, he posted on social media: "WE WILL FIND YOU, AND WE WILL KILL YOU!" Trump said the hit, less than two weeks into his term, had targeted a senior IS attack planner and other militants in Somalia's semi-autonomous region of Puntland and had "destroyed the caves they live in, and killed many terrorists without, in any way, harming civilians".”
“For over 850 years, the leaning minaret of the Great Mosque of al-Nuri stood as an iconic landmark in the Iraqi city of Mosul until it was destroyed by the Islamic State group in 2017. Nearly eight years after IS militants were driven out of the city, the minaret has been rebuilt as part of a massive internationally-funded reconstruction project in the historic city. Saad Muhammed Jarjees, who lives in Mosul’s Old City, remembered how he used to look at the Al-Hadbaa Minaret from the window of his house every day — and how his heart sank when it fell.”
Voice Of America: Gunfight Kills Pakistani Soldier, 12 Militants Near Afghan Border
“Pakistan reported Thursday that one soldier and 12 insurgents were killed in intense predawn clashes in a volatile northwestern district bordering Afghanistan. A military statement said the deadly shootout in North Waziristan occurred after security forces conducted an "intelligence-based" raid against a "khawarij" hideout, a term officially used to describe militants affiliated with the banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP. Insurgent attacks targeting security forces and government functionaries occur nearly daily in several districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, including the Waziristan region.”
The New York Times: Trump Envoy Pushes Lebanon’s New Leaders To Isolate Hezbollah
“A Trump administration envoy to the Middle East pressed Lebanon’s new leaders on Friday to ensure that Hezbollah does not become part of the government, as it grapples with a fragile cease-fire and violence that could undermine its push for stability. The United States deputy envoy to the Middle East, Morgan Ortagus, said at a news conference in Beirut after meeting Lebanon’s new president, Joseph Aoun, that Hezbollah had been “defeated” by Israel. She added that the leadership of Lebanon was committed to ensuring that Hezbollah, a powerful Iran-backed militia, “is not a part of this government in any form.” There was no immediate comment from Lebanese officials on her account. Lebanon’s new leaders will need to strike a balance with Hezbollah, which has long been the country’s dominant political force but has been battered by a 14-month war with Israel.”
BBC: Battered But Defiant - What Will Happen To Hezbollah's Weapons?
“On 26 January, thousands of displaced Lebanese, who had been living across the country, tried to return to their homes in southern Lebanon. They travelled in convoys, played revolutionary songs and waved, proudly, the yellow Hezbollah flag. Many found out that, aer more than a year of war, there were no homes to return to. They mourned what had been lost and, in the rubble of destroyed buildings, put up posters remembering the group's late leader, Hassan Nasrallah. The date marked the end of a deadline for the withdrawal of Israeli troops, part of a ceasefire brokered by the US and France, that required Hezbollah to remove its weapons and fighters from the south.”
Axios: Netanyahu Told U.S. Officials War Could End If Hamas Leaders Go Into Exile: Sources
“During his meetings in Washington, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented a plan for ending the war in Gaza in return for Hamas giving up power and its leaders leaving Gaza, according to two U.S. sources and one Israeli source. Netanyahu has said he doesn't see a path to a post-war plan for Gaza as long as Hamas is in control. If Hamas relinquishes power and its leaders go into exile, it could open the door for a day-after plan, possibly including President Trump's "Gaza takeover." Netanyahu wanted to reach an understanding with Trump and his team about how to move forward with the Gaza hostage-release and ceasefire deal. As part of that, Netanyahu wants to get to an agreement with the Trump administration about making some changes in the deal.”
Associated Press; At Least 10 Soldiers In Niger Are Killed In An Ambush, The Army Says
“Armed assailants in western Niger killed at least 10 soldiers in an ambush on a military unit that had been sent to hunt cattle rustlers in a border region near Burkina Faso, Niger’s ruling junta said. The military unit was deployed Monday to catch criminals who had been stealing the cattle in the western village of Takzat, the military said in a statement broadcast Wednesday night. “It was during the operation that a group of criminals ambushed the detachment of the internal security forces which resulted in the loss of 10 of our soldiers,” the statement said. It did not identify the attackers. The attackers managed to flee, but the military caught and neutralized 15 “terrorists” on Tuesday, the statement added.”
Extremists: Their Words. Their Actions.
Fact:
On October 7, 2023, Hamas invaded southern Israel where, in the space of eight hours, hundreds of armed terrorists perpetrated mass crimes of brutality, rape, and torture against men, women and children. In the biggest attack on Jewish life in a single day since the Holocaust, 1,200 were killed, and 251 were taken hostage into Gaza—where 101 remain. One year on, antisemitic incidents have increased by record numbers.
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