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September 17, 2024 Georgetown’s Qatari Branch to Host Former Al Jazeera Executive Who Praised October 7 Massacre Georgetown University’s branch in Qatar has invited Wadah Khanfar, a former Al Jazeera executive who celebrated the October 7 massacre of 1,200 Israelis, to speak at its “Reimagining Palestine” conference, which begins in Doha on September 20... September 13, 2024 Pro-Hamas Islamists Win the Most Seats in Jordanian Elections The Muslim Brotherhood’s Islamic Action Front (IAF) secured 31 of 138 seats in Jordanian parliamentary elections on September 10, the most of any party. The IAF achieved its best result in 35 years by... September 11, 2024 South Africa’s Ties with U.S. Adversaries Continue Unabated A Russian naval ship made a port call in Cape Town on August 29, after stops in Cuba and Venezuela. This is the latest indication that South Africa’s new Government of National Unity (GNU) will continue... September 11, 2024 MSCI’s Anti-Israel ESG Ratings Merit State and Federal Investigations The New York-based MSCI, Inc., imposed “severe controversy” environmental, social, and governance (ESG) ratings on two Illinois-based companies for doing business in territories controlled by Israel,... September 9, 2024 Escalating South China Sea Tensions Demand Urgent U.S. Response A series of recent maritime provocations between China and the Philippines near Sabina Shoal, a disputed atoll within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ), have exacerbated Indo-Pacific tensions.... September 6, 2024 FDD Identifies 19 Websites as Part of an Iranian Global Influence Operation FDD researchers have uncovered the Iranian role in creating a network of at least 19 websites that present themselves as independent sources of opinion and analysis for audiences across the globe. Other... September 5, 2024 U.S. Marines in Turkey Assaulted by Nationalist Youth Group Two U.S. Marines in Turkey were assaulted on Monday by more than a dozen members of the Turkish Youth Union (TYU), a secular nationalist youth group opposed to U.S. and European Union influence in the... August 29, 2024 Syria’s Assad Rebuffs Erdogan’s Effort to Normalize Ties Syrian President Bashar al-Assad told the country’s parliament on August 25 that initiatives to revive relations with Turkey had not yielded “any results worth mentioning despite the seriousness and... August 28, 2024 Mitigating Threats to American Farming Starts With Secure Technology Earlier this month at its Omaha Agriculture Threats Symposium, the FBI briefed farmers and cybersecurity professionals from across 30 states on the increasing cyber threats to agriculture. The FBI’s... August 22, 2024 Swift U.S. Response Needed to Contain Mpox Outbreak in Africa The director general of the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) on August 14 due to a surge in cases of mpox, formerly known as monkeypox,... August 9, 2024 First B-52H Bomber Deployment to Romania With Cross-Theater Operations in CENTCOM The United States operated two B-52H Stratofortress long-range strategic bombers from Romania for the first time on July 21 and, in another first, forward deployed one of the B-52H aircraft just days later... August 9, 2024 Pro-Hamas Protesters in Turkey Call for Military Strikes Against Israel Thousands of protestors took to the streets of Istanbul on August 3 to express their anger over the death of senior Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in Iran on July 31. Emboldened by President... August 1, 2024 Treasury Sanctions Highlight Hong Kong’s Role as Emerging Sanctions Evasion Hub The Treasury Department designated 12 individuals and entities in Iran, China, and Hong Kong on Monday for supporting Iran’s ballistic missile and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) programs. This action... July 30, 2024 Turkey Threatens to Invade Israel Speaking to members of his governing party on July 28, 2024, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey threatened to invade Israel. Erdogan’s inflammatory rhetoric suggests Ankara may pursue a more escalatory... July 26, 2024 Russian and Chinese Strategic Bombers Patrol near Alaska Russian and Chinese strategic bombers conducted a combined patrol near Alaska on Wednesday in the latest sign of military cooperation between the two U.S. adversaries. The incident underscores the determination... July 19, 2024 Sisi’s New Cabinet Reflects Continuity Over Change Egyptian President Abdel Fatah el-Sisi accepted the credentials of a new cabinet on July 3, stating that its main priorities will be the economy, investments, and social services. However, some of the... July 12, 2024 U.S. Sanctions Impede Russia’s Arctic LNG Ambitions U.S. Sanctions Impede Russia’s Arctic LNG Ambitions By Max Meizlish In a setback to Russia’s Arctic ambitions, the Chinese vessel Wei Xiao Tian Shi reversed course on Monday, opting not to deliver... July 12, 2024 OPCW Visits Ukraine After Accusations of Russian Chemical Weapons Use The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) visited Ukraine last week to deliver critical chemical weapons detection equipment and training. The visit — following accusations by Kyiv... July 10, 2024 Newly Enforced Chinese Coast Guard Law Heightens Maritime Miscalculation Risks Beijing began enforcing a new protocol last month authorizing China’s Coast Guard to seize vessels operating within China’s claimed maritime borders, a move that coincided with several provocative... July 10, 2024 U.S. Considers Nuclear Cooperation With Turkey as Congress Tees Up Sanctions The United States and Turkey are reportedly in talks for American companies to build nuclear reactors in Turkey — an effort Washington claims will help Ankara shift away from Russian nuclear supply.... July 3, 2024 New South African Government Likely to Continue Anti-Israel, Anti-U.S. Policies South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the formation of a coalition government on Sunday. Given the dominant position of his African National Congress (ANC), the government is poised to continue... July 3, 2024 Treasury Highlights Role of Chinese Underground Banking in U.S. Fentanyl Crisis The Treasury Department sanctioned key money launderers on Monday linked to Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel, targeting a growing national security concern: China’s underground banking network. This action,... June 27, 2024 Turkey Should Remain on FATF Grey List The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is expected to announce on Friday whether it will remove Turkey from its so-called grey list of jurisdictions that warrant increased monitoring. While Turkey anticipates... June 22, 2024 Iran’s Presidential ‘Election’ Seeks to Consolidate Regime’s Control Iran’s Guardian Council, a 12-person body appointed by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei that approves candidates for office, has permitted six out of 80 potential candidates to run in the special presidential... June 21, 2024 U.S. Broadens Scope of Sanctions to Target Facilitators of Russian Evasion Schemes The Departments of State and the Treasury announced extensive new sanctions on June 12 targeting over 300 individuals and entities aiding Russia in evading sanctions and perpetuating its aggression in... June 20, 2024 Swedish Hostage Deal Set to Underwrite More Hostage-Taking As part of a deal to release Swedish hostages in Iran, Stockholm freed Hamid Nouri, a former Iranian official convicted of crimes against humanity for his role in the mass execution of political prisoners... June 14, 2024 Istanbul Court Censors Reports That Halkbank Loaned $17 Million to Alleged Organized Crime Boss An Istanbul court on June 5 ordered the removal of all references to allegations by the newspaper Birgun that Halkbank, a public lender, extended a 550 million lira ($17 million) loan to a person accused... June 12, 2024 Tehran’s Possible New Enrichment Plant While the White House remains preoccupied with Gaza, Iran is moving toward completion of a brand-new nuclear facility 100 meters below ground, where it could enrich uranium to weapons-grade with immunity... May 28, 2024 Under Pressure From Washington, Cairo Resumes Aid to Gaza Egypt resumed providing humanitarian aid to Gaza on May 26 after more than two weeks of withholding it. With food insecurity in Gaza a major challenge, the Egyptian blockade exacerbated the humanitarian... May 24, 2024 Antisemitism in Schools Shows Need for Stronger Enforcement of Title VI and Accountability Policies A Jewish teacher hid in a locked classroom on May 16 when 400 anti-Israel student protesters rampaged through a Bronx high school campus, just one week after the House convened a hearing on K-12 antisemitism.... May 24, 2024 Mohammad Mokhber: Khamenei’s Confidant On May 19, 2024, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi died in a helicopter crash. Mohammad Mokhber, the first deputy president, will serve as interim president until Iran holds elections for a new president. Iran... May 23, 2024 Lawmakers Urge Blinken to Hold Turkey to Account for Assault on U.S. Citizens More than 70 U.S. lawmakers signed a bipartisan letter on May 15 urging Secretary of State Antony Blinken to hold Ankara to account for the 2017 assault on American citizens by Turkish security officials.... May 22, 2024 U.S. Should Revoke Chabahar’s Sanctions Waiver India Ports Global Limited (IPGL) and the Ports and Maritime Organization of Iran signed a 10-year deal on May 13 that allows New Delhi to develop and operate the Iranian port of Chabahar. Washington issued... May 10, 2024 Washington Accuses Russia of Chemical Weapons Attacks in Ukraine The United States last week accused Russia of using chemical weapons against Ukrainian troops and sanctioned 12 Russian entities and individuals associated with Vladimir Putin’s ongoing chemical weapons... May 6, 2024 China Lies About Its Oil Imports from Iran The China Customs Organization states that in the first quarter of 2024, Beijing officially imported $1.26 billion worth of goods from Tehran. The unofficial value of Chinese imports from Iran, however,... May 5, 2024 Turkey’s Suspension of Trade With Israel Cuts off Its Nose to Spite Its Face On May 2, 2024, the Turkish Ministry of Trade ordered a total and immediate suspension of trade with Israel. Ankara’s punitive move may set a dangerous precedent for other states to follow. The Turkish... May 2, 2024 Gaza Health Ministry Cannot Provide Names for More Than 10,000 It Says Have Died The Gaza Ministry of Health cannot provide names of more than 10,000 of the 34,000 individuals it says have died during the war between Israel and Hamas. While the Health Ministry conceded earlier this... May 2, 2024 Safeguarding U.S. Interests in the Face of China’s ‘New Productive Forces’ Strategy Amidst China’s economic downturn, Chinese leader Xi Jinping recently announced new industrial policies aimed at cementing China’s dominance in several emerging technology sectors, such as batteries,... April 19, 2024 Iran’s Oil Exports Continue to Rise Iran exported 141.7 million barrels of oil during the first quarter of 2024, a 28 percent increase over the same period last year. Increased oil exports enhance Tehran’s currency reserves and enable... April 16, 2024 Anti-Defamation League Report Card Grades 85 Universities’ Records on Antisemitism The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) unveiled its new Campus Antisemitism Report Card on April 11, assessing 85 U.S. colleges and universities according to 21 criteria. The Report Card serves as a valuable... April 12, 2024 IAEA Condemns Drone Strikes on Russian-Occupied Ukrainian Nuclear Plant International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi on April 11 condemned three recent drone strikes on Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), although it remains unclear... April 12, 2024 Turkish Organizations Ready Flotilla to Ignite Tensions With Israel The “Freedom Flotilla Coalition” (FFC), consisting of several pro-Palestinian activist groups, including two Turkish charities — one designated by Israel as a terrorist organization — plans to send several... April 11, 2024 MSCI ESG Ratings May Violate State Anti-BDS Laws Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody and 17 other state attorneys general sent a letter on March 28 to financial analytics firm MSCI Inc. following a report the firm may be imposing punitive environmental,... April 2, 2024 Russian Veto Kills UN Body Monitoring North Korea Sanctions Russia vetoed a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution on March 28 that would have renewed the mandate of a key panel of experts tasked with monitoring the implementation of UN sanctions against... April 2, 2024 EU Would Aid Tehran’s Repression by Lifting Sanctions on Iranian Tech Firm The European Union (EU) is reportedly contemplating the removal of sanctions on ArvanCloud, an Iranian internet technology company accused of facilitating regime censorship. This would enable ArvanCloud... March 29, 2024 Arming Consumers With Cybersecurity Data Can Protect U.S. Critical Infrastructure The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) earlier this month approved the U.S. Cyber Trust Mark program, a voluntary cybersecurity labeling initiative for Internet of Things (IoT) devices. This much-needed... March 29, 2024 FTX Founder Receives 25-Year Prison Sentence FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried was sentenced on Thursday to 25 years in prison for massive financial fraud. The sentence, coupled with an $11 billion forfeiture order, marks a significant milestone in one... March 27, 2024 Washington Hits Syrian Narco-Trade With New Sanctions The United States imposed sanctions Tuesday on five Syrian targets for supporting the Assad regime in Syria by trafficking illegal drugs. The sanctions reflect the Biden administration’s continuing efforts... March 27, 2024 New Legislation Seeks to Stop Pentagon From Using China-Controlled Tutoring Service Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Representative Elise Stefanik (R-NY) introduced legislation on March 21 that would prohibit the Pentagon from offering educational services to U.S. servicemembers and their... March 12, 2024 U.S. Should Tap Remaining Aid Authority for Ukraine Until Congress allocates funding to replace any donated materiel, the Defense Department does not want to tap its $4.2 billion of presidential drawdown authority to send much-needed military aid to Ukraine,...

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