Türkiye froze the local assets of 20 organizations and 62 individuals based in Australia, Japan and a number of European countries, citing alleged ties with the PKK terrorist organization, a decision published in the country’s Official Gazette showed on Wednesday.

The Ministry of Treasury and Finance said the decision was “based on the existence of reasonable grounds” that they committed acts falling within the scope of the law on preventing the financing of terrorism.

The list included three organizations from Germany and another three from Switzerland. It also named two organizations each from Australia, Italy and Japan.

Other affected organizations were in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Sweden, Norway, the United Kingdom and Iraq-Syria.

A spokesperson for “Insamlingsstiftelsen Kurdiska Roda Solen,” the one organization on the list in Sweden, claimed they are a “humanitarian aid organization” with no operations and no assets in Türkiye.

Sweden as well as Finland requested to join NATO in May last year following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan raised objections to both requests, citing the Nordic nations’ protection of terrorists, as well as their defense trade embargoes. Türkiye endorsed Finland’s bid in April, while the decision on Sweden’s membership is in the hands of the Turkish Parliament.

Türkiye has been pushing Swedish authorities to take concrete steps to alleviate its security concerns, especially regarding support for terrorist groups such as the PKK and FETÖ, whose 2016 defeated coup bid claimed over 200 lives.

Along with Hungary, Türkiye is yet to ratify Sweden’s accession protocol, as membership requires unanimous approval of all NATO members.

In its nearly 40-year-long terrorist campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the United States and the European Union – has been responsible for the deaths of some 40,000 people, including innocent women, children and infants.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who met Tuesday with his U.S. counterpart Antony Blinken and NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg, provided a likely timeline for the Nordic country to formally join the alliance, which could take place before the end of the year, a senior U.S. State Department official said.

Source: Daily Sabah

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Israel has not only been the victim of a vicious and despicable terrorist attack. It is also the victim of a brazenly cynical move to disrupt the international stage and subvert tranquility in the Middle East. The Israeli-Palestinian powder keg conveniently served to add yet another full scale crisis putting even further pressure on a global order already strained to breaking point. Although no concrete evidence exists of any involvement in the attacks, Russia stands to gain the most from this extra flash point on the world map, as violence and war in the Middle East distracts from Putin’s unjustified war in Eastern Europe and stretches the resources of Ukraine’s allies.

Led by the elusive Mohammed Deif, a series of coordinated and well-executed surprise attacks on 7 October by Hamas caught Israeli defences completely off-guard. The dead run up to 1200 and thousands are wounded as the attacks set off a war against Hamas and Hezbollah, affecting Palestine and Lebanon, and reverberating across Syria and Yemen.

In retrospect, the attack’s material aspects and sophistication seemed to go beyond the known abilities of Hamas. Firstly, there was the advanced technical gear that managed to circumvent Israel’s monitoring capabilities so the attackers could pass undetected. As Israel has state of the art equipment it required equally advanced electronic warfare applications to neutralize it – of the kind only a state actor able to invest in such sophisticated means would be able to provide. The list of countries able to defeat Israeli technical intelligence equipment is small. Secondly, the assault was preceded by an increase in cyberattacks which again would have needed hacking abilities of a particular prowess. Thirdly, Hamas used cryptocurrency to finance its attack, and the links to where the transfers came from still have to be exposed. It should not be surprising therefore, before long speculation arose that there had been help from a powerful state actor, with Iran as the prime suspect. The Iranian envoy to the UN denied Iran’s involvement in the attack saying “We firmly support Palestine, but we are not involved in its response that was carried out alone.” They also added that blaming Iran was a way of justifying Israel’s failure.

However, reports indicate Iran and Hezbollah’s direct involvement in greenlighting and orchestrating the multi-pronged assault by Hamas. According to an October 8 report by The Wall Street Journal, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had been working with Hamas since August to plan the multipronged attacks against Israel. Details of the operation were reportedly discussed at several meetings in Beirut, which were also attended by Hezbollah and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). A Hamas spokesperson confirmed Iranian support to the BBC. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) involvement in the operational planning and execution, if confirmed, may partially explain the sophistication and elevated capabilities exhibited by Hamas in this lethal assault, as well as how this elaborate conspiracy evaded detection by Israeli intelligence. That Iran might have orchestrated this large-scale attack on Israel reiterates Tehran’s attempt to coordinate and facilitate the activities of the so-called “axis of resistance”, through direct operational support and offering safe haven for the enemies of Israel.

But obviously this was much more than just a resistance attack against Israel. The most direct effect of the conflagration, apart from the suffering and destruction, has been the halting of peace talks between Israel and Saudi Arabia. But the ripple effects will extend beyond politics in the Middle East with much wider strategic consequences on the global stage.

A normalization of relations between Tel Aviv and Riyadh would have facilitated the containment of Iran and its terrorist proxies like Hamas and Hezbollah through the added American security guarantees. Sabotaging these talks is therefore a direct gain. Saudi Arabia has not cancelled normalization talks, however a Senior Saudi official has stated everything is on hold. But a cascading effect of Israel’s counterassault, if too violent and draconian, could be that Saudi Arabia suspends talks altogether. After the attacks, there was also an incident in Egypt, where a police officer opened fire and killed two Israeli tourists in Alexandria, increasing the risk that Egypt will be in for Israeli retaliation as well. In a statement published by the White House, US Secretary of State Blinken encouraged Turkey to continue their involvement with an emphasis on efforts to free the hostages. But some assess that behind the scenes, Turkey along with Qatar are in support of Hamas. There is small chance of an Arab block forming against Israel, but the incident in Egypt and the reticent attitude of the other Middle Eastern nations show that some countries are not unhappy to see Israel undermined.

All-out war along the West Bank of course distracts from already ongoing crises the world over, such as the war in Eastern Europe. Israeli media reported that US President Joe Biden, in a conservation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the morning of 8 October 2023, informed the prime minister that additional aid to the IDF was on its way to Israel, and would continue in upcoming days. Several vessels from US Carrier Strike Group 12 moved towards the Eastern Mediterranean in a show of support for Israel. The need to monitor the situation in the Middle East and a possible diverting of resources could negatively impact the support of Ukraine’s allies, all of whom are as impacted by what is happening in Ukraine as this new crisis. Both conflicts are in Europe’s near abroad yet Europe does not have the capability to meaningfully influence events as long as the lack of a real EU common security and defence policy keeps it powerless. Adding another crisis further strains Western ability to maintain peace and global order, opening the door for rogue nations to achieve their goals undisturbed while the West is distracted with two wars in its backyard.

As in crime, in hybrid warfare cui bono is the guiding principle towards finding the ultimate culprit. Which begs the question who stands to gain the most from the global strategic repercussions of this event. A question so loud that there might be cause to speculate that Iran was perhaps inspired to execute this attack by a third nation? In any case all the mayhem and disorder resulting from this serious escalation stands to benefit mainly one party: Vladimir Putin’s Russia. Indirectly the Kremlin enjoys all the benefits from the chaos resulting from this drama. Israel has taken a serious blow and risks losing its credibility by becoming the main force of severe violence in the region. The position of the US is checked in the Middle East once more, but more than that the US has to divert attention and resources from helping Ukraine to assisting Israel, as war fatigue takes an increasing grip on US politics and public opinion. The EU is shown once more to be unable to control events within its near abroad and is relegated to about as much irrelevance as the UN in this matter. It is a perfect storm.

An operation like this could come straight out of the aktivye meriopratia toolbox of the GRU and the KGB’s successor SVR. Indeed, within hours of the attacks Russian disinformation mills put out fake stories about Hamas having gotten its weapons from Ukraine in a blatant but obvious attempt to blur where the weaponry might have come from. So even if not inspired by or even clandestinely masterminded by Russian intelligence, Iran and Hamas’ actions certainly played right into the hands of their Russian friends while serving their own direct interests. On 11 October senior Hamas official Ali Baraka stated on Memri TV their intentions could count on Moscow’s sympathy, indicating that the Kremlin approved the operation and may have known beforehand when it would take place. Last year, a high-level Hamas delegation travelled to Moscow twice to meet with Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergei Lavrov. They discussed working together to weaken the West. It would increasingly seem the contents of those discussions included some concrete actions with beneficial domino effects for all the enemies of peace and stability.

The question is if more is to follow. Unfortunately, it looks like it. Multiple crises coming together towards a global conflagration that breaks the international order seems to be the endgame in the war against the international rules-based order and the West currently being waged by the forces of authoritarianism.

Source: DAFZ

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Abu Hasan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, the leader of the Islamic State (ISIS)—also known as ISIL, Daesh, or IS—has been killed in combat, the terrorist group announced on Wednesday, November 30th.

At the apex of its power in 2014, ISIS controlled approximately forty percent of Iraq and about a third of Syria. By 2017, the group had lost direct control over most of its territory. However, the threat posed by the group remains in the form of terrorist cells and pockets of insurgency.

ISIS did not elaborate much on the circumstances of its leader’s death but did announce a successor.

ISIS leader killed

On Wednesday, a representative of the terrorist group said that its leader, Abu Hasan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, had been killed. Abu Hasan was an Iraqi who became the third caliph of the so-called Islamic State on October 31, 2019.

Abu Omar al-Muhajer, a spokesperson for the group, did not give many details on Abu Hasan’s death, but announced, “he was killed while struggling against the enemies of God.”

The announcement appeared as an audio message on the ISIS media outlet, al-Furqan. Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurashi was named Abu Hasan’s successor in the statement.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) also confirmed that the caliphate leader had been killed on Wednesday. According to CENTCOM, his death occurred in mid-October. CENTCOM said that “this operation was conducted by The Free Syrian Army in Dar’a province in Syria.”

The Free Syrian Army (FSA) is a loose grouping of armed factions opposed to both ISIS and the government of President Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian Civil War.

Impact

The CENTCOM press release stated that the death of its leader is “another blow” to ISIS. The White House’s press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, said that US military personnel were not involved in the operation to kill the ISIS leader.

John Kirby, the spokesman for the US National Security Council, commented: “We certainly welcome the news of the death of another ISIS leader. I don’t have any additional operational details to provide at this time.”

Abu Hasan’s death is the second time this year that a prominent member of the Islamic State’s upper echelons has been killed. In February, the group’s previous leader, Abu Ibrahim al-Qurashi, was eliminated by US special forces. One of al-Qurashi’s lieutenants was also killed in the raid.

The caliphate’s first leader was likewise killed during a US military operation. In October 2019, US special forces conducted a raid in Syria’s Idlib Province. During the operation, special forces located and pursued ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Al-Baghdadi fled into a tunnel and detonated a suicide vest, killing himself and three young children he had taken with him.

It is unclear to what extent the death of its third caliph will impact ISIS operations. The group has sustained the loss of its leadership on two previous occasions but remained capable of posing a threat.

According to an analysis by the Small Wars Journal, “The move to decentralized, flexible, adaptive networks limits the ability of the United States and its allies to effectively conduct strikes against terrorist sanctuaries, while maximizing the unpredictability and effectiveness of global terror organizations.”

Nevertheless, ISIS has been unable to replicate the success it had on the battlefields of Syria and Iraq between 2014 and 2017. Instead, it now functions as a militant terrorist organization.

The situation in Syria and Iraq

Even though ISIS collapsed as a territorial entity in 2017, the security situation in Syria and Iraq remains unpredictable.

In Syria, the US and Coalition forces continue to fight against the remnants of ISIS and their affiliate groups. Pro-Assad forces control most of the country, backed by Russia and Iran. Kurdish militias control the second largest portion of the country in the northeast from Rojava.

In the north, the Turkish military, together with the Syrian National Army (SNA), occupies just under nine thousand kilometers of Syrian territory. From here, they launch operations against ISIS but also the Kurds.

Recently, Turkish forces targeted Kurdish groups with airstrikes and artillery fire after blaming them for a terrorist attack in Istanbul. Ankara is now reportedly considering another ground offensive.

A similar degree of instability exists in Iraq, and ISIS remains active in the country. For example, an Iraqi army position in the northwestern governorate of Kirkuk was attacked by militants in November. Four Iraqi soldiers were killed.

Iraq, like Syria, continues to be a source of tension between competing external actors. Iranian Quds Force operators are active in the region, as are a residual force of US personnel still based in the country.

Turkey has maintained a permanent military presence in northern Iraq since 2018. There are approximately five to ten thousand Turkish personnel in the region.

Although ISIS no longer directly rules large sections of Iraq and Syria, terrorist cells affiliated with the group remain operational across the region. ISIS affiliates are also active across the Greater Middle East and Africa.

Source : GreekReporter

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