Today In Issues:
FDD Research & Analysis
The Must-Reads
U.S. faces new challenges as potential Iran attack on Israel nears Hamas seeks Iran-friendly leader to help post-war recovery Foreign Policy’s Jack Detsch: The already stretched U.S. military prepares to defend Israel Mideast war reaching new levels, as Tehran lists potential Israeli targets and world powers get more involved US Senator Lindsey Graham: Three ways to confront Iran The Atlantic’s Arash Azizi: Iranian insiders warn that attacking Israel is a trap WINEP’s Michael Knights and Crispin Smith: What to make of recent attacks on coalition bases in Iraq and Syria? As Israel braces for Iran’s retaliation, diplomats work to avoid wider war Hong Kong activist Samuel Bickett and Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation’s Shannon Van Sant: How Russia, Iran and North Korea use Hong Kong to evade sanctions Bloody Bangladesh protests seen fueled by notorious Pakistan intelligence agency U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, and National Security Adviser’s Jake Sullivan: Biden’s Indo-Pacific diplomacy has made America’s future more secure U.S. troops withdraw from strategic West African base as militant threat growsIn The News
Israel
The Biden administration is working to blunt a potential Iranian attack on Israel, but it faces an array of fresh challenges as it seeks to replicate the success it had in April when a multinational coalition helped Israel intercept a barrage of Iranian missiles and drones. U.S. officials said they have since the weekend started seeing Iran moving missile launchers and conducting military drills, which could indicate Tehran is preparing for an attack in the coming days. – Wall Street Journal
An Israeli military investigation that has roiled the country with allegations of sexual abuse by its own ranks was set in motion by doctors who reported injuries to a Palestinian detainee that were so severe they required surgery, medical staffers familiar with the matter said. – Wall Street Journal
Nine employees of the United Nations agency that for decades has provided schooling, healthcare and other assistance to Palestinians in Gaza were fired after an investigation found they might have participated in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel. – Wall Street Journal
Hundreds of Israelis sent orange balloons into the air Monday to mark the fifth birthday of one of two children held captive by militants in the Gaza Strip. – Associated Press
At least four Palestinians were killed and seven others injured by Israeli fire in the town of Aqaba, Tubas District, in the occupied West Bank early on Tuesday, according to the Palestinian health ministry. Two of the injured were in critical condition. – Reuters
Israel returned the bodies of more than 80 Palestinians killed in its military offensive in the Gaza Strip, as Israeli airstrikes killed at least 18 more people on Monday, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said. – Reuters
The killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was intended to prolong the Gaza conflict, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told Russia’s state news agency, adding that he will discuss the regional crisis with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. – Reuters
In choosing its next leader, Hamas will be looking for a candidate who can safeguard deep ties with Tehran at a time when Iranian support will be more important than ever to help the Palestinian group recover after the Gaza war, analysts say. – Reuters
A top American general visited Israel in a weighty show of support for Jerusalem Monday and US diplomats were furiously scrambling in hopes of curtailing the fallout from an expected Iranian reprisal attack following a series of high-profile assassinations. – Times of Israel
An unnamed high-ranking Egyptian source denies the existence of active tunnels between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, saying that Jerusalem has not provided evidence of these passages being open and in use. – Times of Israel
Israeli officials are confident that its Western allies would come to its defense in the event of a missile and drone attack from Iran and Hezbollah, as Israel prepares for the threatened response to the assassination of leading Hamas and Hezbollah terrorists last week. – Jewish Insider
Editorial: So, what is it? The public is desperate to know. Who is telling the truth, and who is doctoring the facts? Is it Hamas, as we would like to believe, who are continuing to cynically exploit the hostages with no intention of ever releasing them, or has Netanyahu’s determination for “total victory” blinded him to the advice that seasoned security professionals are providing? After more than 300 days in captivity, the hostages – and their families – deserve straightforward answers as to who – or what – is holding up a deal. So do the rest of us. – Jerusalem Post
Walter Russell Mead writes: Israelis and Palestinians alike need to become less “battle-minded” if peace is to come to the Middle East. Washington can’t change the way people think, but it can give people something new to think about. A compelling vision for peace that makes sense to majorities of Israelis and Palestinians would be a good place to start. Developing and publicizing that vision would be a good use of Team Biden’s remaining months in office. – Wall Street Journal
Jonathan Hessen writes: As for Israel and the pragmatic Arab camp, they must join forces to implement a campaign of reality-building to push back on Iran’s malign encroachment by effectively inserting much-needed hope for a future of peace and prosperity for all peoples of the Middle East. – Jerusalem Post
Amos Harel writes: Netanyahu’s need to remain in power has now brought him into major conflicts with both the defense establishment and the U.S. administration. They disagree with his course of action and think he is intentionally letting a hostage deal slip away. – Haaretz
Daniel Flesch writes: In the meantime, Iran will replenish Hezbollah’s arsenal and continue its sprint for a nuclear weapon; Secretary of State Blinken recently stated Tehran is “probably one to two weeks” away from producing enough weapons grade material. The Biden administration’s anti-Israel deterrence has undermined our ally and emboldened our enemies, which in the Middle East is a recipe for future war. – Heritage Foundation
Dalia Dassa Kaye writes: Ending the war in Gaza would certainly help reduce the daunting threats Israel now faces, although the current round of escalation is unlikely to bring a cease-fire deal or the release of the remaining Israeli hostages any closer. But even an end to the Gaza conflict will not ultimately solve Israel’s bigger strategic dilemma. If Israel still believes that integrating itself more fully into the Middle East by striking normalization deals with its Arab neighbors will marginalize Iranian-backed extremist groups and reduce the hostility toward the country, it must come to terms with the fact that its conflict with the Palestinians constitutes its most fundamental existential threat. – Foreign Affairs
Jack Detsch writes: If Iran decides to do a cheaper attack—such as by using mostly Shahed drones rather than missiles to hit Israel—the slow-moving unmanned aerial vehicles could be detected by early warning systems and picked off one by one with bullet-to-bullet air defenses. That’s with help from the region, though. While U.S. allies such as Jordan are more likely to help, Egypt has already publicly stated that it won’t help Israel fend off an attack. – Foreign Policy
Iran
Less than a week after the killing of a top Hamas leader in Tehran and a top Hezbollah commander in Beirut, the entire Middle East is on edge. Fears of a broader regional war have been mounting amid vows of revenge from Iranian leaders that have left Israel in a state of deep uncertainty. – New York Times
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian told a senior ally of Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin on Monday that Tehran was determined to expand relations with its “strategic partner Russia”, Iranian state media reported. – Reuters
As Iran threatens to respond to the suspected Israeli assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, the regional militias that the Islamic Republic has armed for decades could play a role in any attack. – Associated Press
Iran reiterated it wants to avoid all-out war with Israel, even as it threatened to retaliate for last week’s assassination of a leading Hamas figure in its capital. – Bloomberg
At a time when Iran is at the center of a growing conflict in the Middle East, Khamenei’s speech at the ceremony provides critical insights into his views, expectations, and strategic directions. His demand: continue Raisi’s legacy. – Washington Examiner
As Israelis brace for a new Iranian-coordinated attack, the Mideast wars are growing in prominence and world powers are entering the fray. The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps on Monday posted a list of potential Israeli targets in what is widely described as an imminent multi-front attack. Those included Ben Gurion airport, Israel train routes, the Haifa seaport, and other infrastructure targets. – New York Sun
Iran has reportedly begun creating a unified central military force – the ‘Qassem Soleimani Forces’ – with a similar structure to the IRGC and comprising 10,000 extremist fighters from Iranian proxy groups, the UAE-based site Al-Ain revealed in an exclusive Monday report. – Jerusalem Post
US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were told by their national security team on Monday that it is still unclear when Iran and Hezbollah are likely to launch an attack against Israel and what specifically the attack might entail, three US officials told Barak Ravid of Axios. – Arutz Sheva
Lindsey Graham: We live in dangerous times. The best way to prevent further bloodshed and upheaval in the Middle East and protect America is to stand up to the Iranian regime. Together, these three legislative proposals will send an unambiguous message to Iran that the old way of doing business is over. – Wall Street Journal
Salem Alketbi writes: In my view, the rhetoric of Jomhouri Eslami could set the stage for Iran to side-step a forceful response to Haniyeh’s assassination despite its official promises. This narrative offers a convenient excuse to avoid retaliation, claiming that Iran’s priority is to cleanse the internal ranks of suspected infiltrators. – Jerusalem Post
Yossi Mansharoff writes: The war obliges Israel to urgently redesign its strategy vis-a-vis Iran, which aims to strengthen its array of emissaries and tighten its “circle of fire” surrounding Israel. The smuggling of the Sayyad sniper rifle from Iran to Gaza, as well as to other Iranian proxies in the region, is carried out as part of this strategy. – Jerusalem Post
Zvi Bar’el writes: In realpolitik terms, the considerations Iran needs to weigh ought to dictate a “restrained response” as part of that same “heroic flexibility.” But now, a hidden factor has been added to the mix, what Friedman defined as “the single most underappreciated force in international relations” – humiliation. And as Israel knows very well, in the face of humiliation, rational considerations tend to melt away. – Haaretz
Arash Azizi writes: As the head of Iran’s national-security council, Pezeshkian should technically have at least some role in shaping the debate. But he lacks any foreign-policy experience and seems overwhelmed by the moment. He is thus unlikely to be a forceful proponent for Zarif’s views, especially because he has repeatedly declared his primary loyalty to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei—the old, hard-line ayatollah who has brought his country closer than it has ever been to a catastrophic war. “No one knows what’s going on in Khamenei’s office,” the political consultant said. – The Atlantic
Kasra Aarabi and Jason M. Brodsky write: However, Tehran’s main concern will be with its own intelligence and security failures. These could have significant long-term implications for the Iranian regime’s military and security services—with purges and paranoia lasting long after the promised riposte to Israel. – Foreign Policy
Russia & Ukraine
As the Ukrainian soldiers raced through the ruins of the destroyed city under the spying eye of Russian drones, the skeletal remains of blasted-out buildings cast eerie shadows in the light of a full moon. – New York Times
With former President Donald J. Trump and his allies signaling that he will scale back assistance to Ukraine if he retakes the White House, a onetime close adviser has accepted a $50,000-a-month contract to lobby for Ukrainian interests. – New York Times
Escaping the brutal Russian penal system would seem like blessed deliverance to most inmates. But not to Ilya Yashin, who stunned the world last week when he angrily condemned his inclusion in a sweeping prisoner swap that freed him and a handful of other opposition figures in Russia. – New York Times
Ukraine on Monday condemned Mali’s decision to cut diplomatic ties as short-sighted and hasty, saying that no evidence had been provided to show Kyiv had played any role in fighting that killed Malian soldiers and Russian mercenaries last month. – Reuters
Ukraine has received a $3.9 billion grant from the United States via the World Bank, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Monday. – Reuters
Ukraine’s air defence shot down two Iskander-M or KN-23 ballistic missiles, two cruise Kh-59 cruise missiles and 15 attack drones that Russia launched overnight, it said on Tuesday on the Telegram messaging app. – Reuters
Ukraine shelling injured five people, including three children, in Russia’s Kursk region, the interim governor of the region said on Tuesday, adding that air defence systems destroyed at least 26 Ukraine launched drones overnight. – Reuters
Russia had suspicions that Ukraine planned to attack Russia during the Navy Day parade which was attended by President Vladimir Putin last month and Moscow contacted Washington about its concerns, Russian state television reported. – Reuters
A Russian pianist and anti-war activist has died in prison after going on hunger strike, his mother said, in what the European Union called a shocking case of political repression. – Reuters
Russia’s pro-Kremlin media know how to create an alternative reality, and last week’s historic prisoner swap was no exception. On Monday, Russian state-backed media outlets treated viewers to lurid footage of the arrests of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former US Marine Paul Whelan. – CNN
Ukrainian forces used drones to target a key oil hub in Russia’s southern Rostov region, and U.S.-made ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile Systems) and Storm Shadow missiles to strike a fuel hub in occupied Luhansk, according to reports. – Newsweek
Fabrice Deprez writes: The rise in popularity of the Tsukorok in late 2023, boosted by positive word of mouth from a Ukrainian military blogger, represents one of these adaptations. The constant threat of drones created the need for a small detector that could be used by any soldier without the training that more accurate and reliable—but also more complex—spectrum analyzers require. Selin, who moved to the United Kingdom in 2019, developed the first prototype in the summer of 2022, focusing at the time on detecting signals from the Russian Orlan reconnaissance drone. – Foreign Policy
Hezbollah
The town in south Lebanon appeared deserted, its roads empty and its market shuttered, after months of fighting between Hezbollah and Israel across the nearby border made many residents flee. – New York Times
South Korea said on Tuesday it will issue a ban on its citizens travelling to the border areas of Israel and Lebanon after advising them to leave the countries amid escalating tensions in the Middle East. – Reuters
A bipartisan group of 46 House members, led by Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), called on the administration on Monday to “fully utilize all the tools at its disposal to crack down on Hezbollah’s international financing network, including the imposition of sanctions,” as well as law enforcement, criminal prosecutions and diplomatic tools. – Jewish Insider
Sirens sounded early Tuesday morning, around 5:30 a.m. in Kerem Ben Zimra and Gush Halav in the Upper Galilee. The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said that the IDF Aerial Defense Array successfully intercepted a suspicious aerial target that crossed from Lebanon. – Arutz Sheva
Amos Harel writes: Like other officers before him, Hiram, who fought bravely in the war, would do well to take more care in choosing his words. He is making it harder for himself and the IDF right before assuming an assignment in which civilians’ trust has become particularly critical. His remarks are inflammatory and unnecessary. – Haaretz
Iraq
Several U.S. service members were injured Monday in a suspected rocket attack at an Iraqi air base, defense officials said, an incident that risks further escalation in a region on the brink of wider conflict. – Washington Post
A Yemeni drone specialist who had traveled to Iraq to train other Iranian-backed fighters was among those killed in a U.S. airstrike near Baghdad last week, American and Iraqi defense officials said, illustrating the extensive cooperation among militant groups supported by Tehran. – Washington Post
Michael Knights and Crispin Smith write: The July-August attackers are, on the balance of evidence, a part of Kataib Hezbollah that seeks a greater role in the current regional struggle – something that the PMF’s operational commander, U.S.-sanctioned KH commander Abdul-Aziz al-Mohammadawi (aka Abu Fadak) has stressed in public addresses recently. This camp could want to draw Iraq deeper into a clash with the U.S. that could trigger the withdrawal of U.S. forces. – Washington Institute
Michael Knights writes: Former Badrists like Najjar got themselves even more powerful friends in the Muhandis era and threw off Hadi’s control for a decade. Najjar’s connections to more aggressive sub-groups within Kataib Hezbollah are worth looking into, and this may cast useful light on why his Northern Axis was so involved in attacks on Khor Mor and why (for now) Najjar has fallen. The incident is a pointer to how fluid the command dynamics within the PMF remain, with pieces shuffling all the time, and with Falah al-Fayyadh staying broadly on the right side of Hadi and at least some parts of Kataib Hezbollah. – Washington Institute
Turkey
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused social media platforms of “digital fascism” on Monday for allegedly censoring photographs of Palestinian “martyrs.” – Associated Press
Zvi Bar’el writes: Turkey, which in April placed the responsibility for the Iranian attack on Israel, has declared the need to punish Israel for the assassination of Haniyeh. However, Turkey is also considering its own political gain, recognizing that a regional war at this time does not serve its interests. Turkey is not alone in this; it appears that all regional countries are preparing not only for the military assault but also for the new political landscape that the conflict between Israel and Iran is likely to create. – Haaretz
Michael Rubin writes: Turkey may believe it can act with impunity due to its illusion of strength and NATO membership. Terrorists see Istanbul and Ankara as playgrounds where they can relax and regroup, safe from drones and assassins. Perhaps those days should now be over. Erdogan cannot complain: His own government openly kidnaps and assassinates opponents across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Haniyeh died in Tehran. Hamas’s next leader is as likely to die in Ankara. – Washington Examiner
Arabian Peninsula
Saudi oil giant Aramco reported half-year profits Tuesday of $56.3 billion, down from the year before due to weakening volumes sold amid worries about the global economy. – Associated Press
Iran’s ally in Yemen has signaled to Newsweek the group’s plans for substantial operations ahead as Israel braces for anticipated retaliation from the Islamic Republic and its regional partners for the killing of Hamas’ political chief in Tehran. – Newsweek
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Monday that American forces recently destroyed three uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) belonging to Houthis. – Fox News
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains committed to a normalization deal with Saudi Arabia, a diplomatic source told The Jerusalem Post. – Jerusalem Post
Middle East & North Africa
The Middle East braced for another round of violence Monday, after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on a call Sunday with Group of Seven foreign ministers that Iran could attack Israel within 24 to 48 hours, according to two diplomats briefed on the call. – Wall Street Journal
Diplomats across the Middle East worked on Monday to contain escalating tensions between Israel and Iran as fears grew of a widening conflict in the region and Tehran vowed to retaliate for the killing of a senior Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh, on Iranian soil. – New York Times
The Biden administration is carrying out a full-court, diplomatic press on its allies and partners in the Middle East to limit escalation in the likely attack by Iran and its proxies against Israel. – The Hill
Financial markets across the Middle East tumbled Monday, as concerns over a potential Iranian attack on Israel added to bearish sentiment spawned by the ongoing global equity rout. – Bloomberg
A Tunisian court on Monday sentenced four potential presidential election candidates to eight months in prison and banned them from running for office on a charge of vote buying, politicians and a lawyer told Reuters, a move they said was aimed at excluding serious competitors of President Kais Saied. – Reuters
Tunisian President Kais Saied filed papers Monday to run in the October presidential election, where he is expected to face little competition as potential challengers have been imprisoned during his first term. – Associated Press
Korean Peninsula
By the time Kim Chang-gyu returned to Jecheon, South Korea, after four decades away to become the mayor, his hometown felt resigned to its decline. The town’s center was dotted with vacant storefronts, and local businessmen fretted about how tough it was to find workers. – New York Times
South Korea’s policymakers urged calm against a global market rout that has sent the country’s top companies plunging in stock markets, seeking to restore confidence in an economy that continues to grow on an export rally. – Bloomberg
Former President Donald Trump revealed new insights to popular internet personality Adin Ross about his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. – Washington Examiner
China
Mr. Hu has not explained his silence; nor have China’s internet authorities. But many in China think he has been censored, pointing to signs that party officials may have been irked — paradoxically — because Mr. Hu lauded them in the wrong way. In China, even misplaced praise for the party may be enough to draw the ire of censors. – New York Times
Chinese tech giants including Huawei and Baidu (9888.HK), opens new tab as well as startups are stockpiling high bandwidth memory (HBM) semiconductors from Samsung Electronics in anticipation of U.S. curbs on exports of the chips to China, three sources said. – Reuters
A remote Australian island close to an Indian Ocean chokepoint for Chinese oil shipments is on a list of possible locations for U.S. military construction aimed at detering China, with the U.S. saying it “may or may not” support American forces. – Reuters
Josh Rogin writes: If the Biden administration can successfully negotiate prisoner releases with the governments in Russia, Iran and Venezuela, then why not with China? Biden’s legacy as a president who returned U.S. citizens to their families would be secured if he could get this deal done. – Washington Post
Samuel Bickett and Shannon Van Sant write: Finally, the process of investigating and sanctioning evaders must be completed much faster; the Treasury, Commerce, and State departments must receive all the resources they need to do the job. Hong Kong is undermining the world’s security, stability and liberty. The United States and its allies need to curb the city’s behavior before sanctions become ingrained as little more than symbolic gestures. – Washington Post
Vas Shenoy writes: What started as China’s appeasement of Muslim organizations worldwide, aimed at deflecting its Uighur genocide – and the ethnic replacement of its Muslim majority Uighur population – has now become a strong alliance with Islamic extremist non-state actors to disrupt democracies and accelerate geopolitical change. – Jerusalem Post
South Asia
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country on Monday after a government crackdown on violent student protests sparked a revolt against her rule. –Wall Street Journal
Afghanistan’s Taliban government said Monday it would allow people in the country on visas issued by the former Western-backed government to stay for now, but that they wouldn’t be allowed back in without documents from a Taliban-approved diplomatic mission. – Associated Press
A key organizer of Bangladesh’s student protests said Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus was their choice as head of an interim government a day after longtime Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned. – Associated Press
Thousands of supporters of Pakistan’s imprisoned former prime minister rallied Monday in the country’s volatile northwest to mark the first anniversary of his arrest and demand his immediate release, officials said. – Associated Press
Bangladesh’s army chief will meet student protest leaders on Tuesday as the country awaits the formation of a new government a day after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled following a violent uprising against her. – Reuters
The hand of Pakistan’s notorious Inter-Services Intelligence is suspected in bloody rioting in Bangladesh, known as “East Pakistan” before winning independence in a war that cost 3 million lives more than half a century ago – New York Sun
These numbers reflect the grave security situation that India faces due to longstanding tensions with Pakistan. What’s more, “India perceives a major defense challenge from China, which is a far larger economy and is spending more than India on its own defense,”. – Defense News
Ali Riaz writes: Bangladesh needs focused and decisive leadership to strengthen its democracy (quite possibly through constitutional reform), to cut through the networks of patronage through which the state operates, and to make sure the institutions work for the people. The energies of the popular movement may dissipate and fail to guide the country toward the change it needs. In a heroic effort, Bangladeshis brought down the Hasina regime. But what now will emerge from the rubble? – Foreign Affairs
Salil Tripathi writes: With Hasina fleeing, India has lost an ally it thought it could rely on. The road ahead for Bangladesh will be difficult. Expectations will be high, and the people will want early elections. If those are free and fair, a different Bangladesh can emerge. Whether it will be consistent with the liberal, secular, democratic ethos that Bangladesh’s founders fought for remains to be seen. – Foreign Policy
Asia
A rebel army in Myanmar announced this weekend that it had overrun a regional military base near the border with China in what is likely to be the most significant victory yet for a patchwork of resistance groups that have challenged the country’s junta. – New York Times
Meta Platforms has restored social-media posts by Malaysia’s prime minister concerning Hamas’s late political leader, saying their removal last week was in error. – Wall Street Journal
Hiroshima officials urged world leaders Tuesday to stop relying on nuclear weapons as deterrence and take immediate action toward abolishment — not as an ideal, but to remove the risk of atomic war amid conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East and rising tensions in East Asia. – Associated Press
The charismatic Thai politician who led his young, progressive party to a stunning general election victory a year ago is urging supporters not to lose hope, even if the party is disbanded by a legal order. – Associated Press
Myanmar’s military regime acknowledged Monday it had lost communications with the commanders of a strategically important army headquarters in the northeast, adding credence to a militia group’s claims it had captured the base. – Associated Press
Gunmen stormed a helicopter and killed its New Zealand pilot shortly after it landed in Indonesia’s restive Papua region on Monday, and they released two health workers and two children it was carrying, police said. – Associated Press
Japan’s defense minister held talks with senior officials in Cambodia, a top ally of China, on Monday as he began a Southeast Asian trip that will also take him to Vietnam, whose relations with Beijing are complicated by maritime disputes. – Associated Press
Israel’s envoy to Japan has hit out at authorities in Nagasaki after they declined to invite him to a peace ceremony commemorating the 1945 atomic bombing of the city, accusing the local mayor of “inventing” security fears. – CNN
Antony Blinken, Lloyd Austin, and Jake Sullivan write: All this is producing historic security dividends. We’re locking arms with our allies and partners against North Korea’s destabilizing weapons programs. We’re pushing back together against China’s dangerous brinkmanship in the region’s waterways. Our security partnerships across the Indo-Pacific are more effective and more unified — which makes us and our neighbors safer and stronger. – Washington Post
Arman Mahmoudian and Valentina Pegolowrite: Due to Russia’s preoccupation with the war in Ukraine, China’s trading position in the region has strengthened considerably at the expense of Russia, especially in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. Moreover, China’s BRI mainly focused on expanding the “Middle Corridor,” connecting Chinese manufacturers with European consumers through Central Asia and Iran while bypassing Russia. The operability of the Middle Corridor could provide a win-win scenario for Europe and China by providing alternative trade routes that can insulate both parties from overreliance on maritime supply chains, which are susceptible to geopolitical shocks and blockades through the Taiwan Strait and the Suez Canal, respectively. – The National Interest
Europe
When Labour’s Keir Starmer was elected as prime minister last month, he planned to tackle some of the long-term issues bedeviling Britain. His first priorities included reviving a stagnant economy and repairing the struggling National Health Service. Now, he faces a more immediate and unexpected problem, one that is proving to be his government’s first major domestic test. – New York Times
Antisemitic incidents in the Czech Republic sharply increased last year, with their peak appearing in the final quarter of 2023 following the deadly Hamas attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, an assault that triggered the war in Gaza, the country’s Jewish community said Monday. – Associated Press
French authorities are making unprecedentedly broad use of discretionary powers under an anti-terror law to keep hundreds of people they deem to be potential security threats away from the biggest event modern France has ever organized. – Associated Press
A German federal court said Monday it has rejected a former Syrian secret police officer’s appeal against his conviction for overseeing the abuse of detainees at a jail in his homeland. – Associated Press
The European Union on Monday slapped sanctions on 28 officials accused of human rights violations in Belarus and links to the ongoing crackdown against opponents of authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko. – Associated Press
The British government said on Monday officials were examining the role foreign states had played in amplifying disinformation online which had helped fuel violent protests, while warning social media firms they had to do more to stop it.- Reuters
If Europe wants to deter possible Russian aggression, it has to do a much better job of moving tanks, troops and ammunition across the continent, a top French general told POLITICO. – Politico
Africa
The last U.S. troops flew out of their sprawling base in Niger’s northern desert on Monday, marking a closing chapter in the American military relationship with this West African country and a substantial strategic setback for Washington. – Washington Post
Every day, emaciated children are dying from lack of food, clean water and medicine. Aid groups are rationing malnutrition treatments. Desperate mothers are feeding their children with leaves, while others are sheltering in knee-deep water as floods worsen. These are the dystopian conditions inside the Zamzam displacement camp in Sudan’s Darfur region, home to more than 500,000 people and now the site of the world’s first confirmed famine since 2017 – Wall Street Journal
Police arrested 14 Ugandan opposition officials and supporters on Monday as they marched through their capital towards the Kenyan embassy to protest against Nairobi’s decision to detain and deport a group of their colleagues, local media said. – Reuters
Nearly 100 police officers from the Democratic Republic of Congo fled to neighbouring Uganda over the weekend as fighting between M23 rebels and the military in Congo’s east intensified, a Ugandan military spokesperson said on Monday. – Reuters
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in a call on Monday with Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, reiterated the need for Sudan’s military to participate in ceasefire talks this month in Switzerland, the State Department said. – Reuters
Protests against economic hardship continued for a fifth day in several Nigerian states on Monday, a day after the president called for an end to the demonstrations that have faced a crackdown from security forces. – Associated Press
Hundreds gathered Monday at a Somalia beach hotel, the site of an attack claimed by al-Qaida’s East Africa affiliate that left 37 people dead and dozens wounded, to condemn the violence and demand stronger security measures. – Associated Press
The Americas
When illegal migration surged across the U.S.-Mexico border last fall, Phoenix’s largest migrant shelter was so busy that cots filled the cafeteria and lined the hallways. Today the shelter, housed in a converted elementary school, is empty. The U.S. has experienced a stark decline in illegal border crossings in the past six months, thanks to a newly sprung security gantlet migrants encounter traveling to the U.S. border through Mexico. – Wall Street Journal
Alejandro Martínez was no stranger to covering the kind of news that took him to crime scenes and fatal accidents across Celaya, a city in central Mexico that has become a cauldron of violence as murder cases pile up. – New York Times
Canada cautiously waded into the Venezuelan election dispute, rejecting the official results released by Nicolas Maduro’s government but stopping short of declaring opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez the rightful winner. – Bloomberg
Latin America
Souvenirs depicting the late Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar could be banned in Colombia if legislators approve a bill introduced this week in the nation’s congress. The proposal is criticized by vendors who sell his merchandise to tourists from around the world, but backed by those who believe the country should shed its image of mafia bosses. – Associated Press
More federal law enforcement officers are being sent to Brazil’s Mato Grosso do Sul state after clashes over land between Indigenous peoples and farmers over the weekend, the Ministry of Justice said Monday. – Associated Press
Peru’s reclusive Mashco Piro ethnic group recently used bows and arrows to attack loggers suspected of encroaching on their territory in the Amazon, according to a regional Indigenous organization. – Associated Press
Venezuela is launching a criminal probe against the opposition leaders contesting last month’s election for inciting police and military officials to break the law, the country’s top prosecutor said, as security forces targeted people they say committed violent crimes during recent election protests. – Reuters
The Mexican government said on Monday that it had submitted a request to allow Ecuador’s jailed former Vice President Jorge Glas to be able to go to a third country. – Reuters
Brazil announced a diplomatic agreement on Monday that will allow it to represent the interests of Argentina and Peru in Caracas, after Venezuela severed ties with the two nations following its contested presidential vote. – Reuters
Colombia’s armed forces have restarted operations against leftist rebel group the National Liberation Army (ELN), Defense Minister Ivan Velasquez said on Monday. – Reuters
The European Union and the Mercosur group of South American countries aim to conclude negotiations for a long-delayed trade deal before the end of the year, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday. – Reuters
President Nicolás Maduro asked his supporters to remove WhatsApp, the Meta-owned messaging app, from their phones, as he said it’s being used by “fascists” to spread violence. – Bloomberg
United States
It was billed as the “biggest ever economic development project” in north Michigan when Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2022 welcomed a Chinese lithium-ion battery company’s plan to build a $2.36 billion factory and bring a couple thousand jobs to Big Rapids. – Associated Press
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was caught by surprise by a defense official’s decision to agree to plea deals with the man accused of masterminding the Sept.11 attacks, along with two of his accomplices, the Pentagon said on Monday, a move the Pentagon chief revoked last week. – Reuters
Liza Ashley writes: Israel is our greatest ally, not just because it provides vital intelligence information, a counterbalance to Iran, or a safe haven to religious minorities fleeing radical Islamism, but because its enemies are our enemies, and the story of the West owes everything to the story of Jerusalem, and Bethlehem, and Galilee. – Jerusalem Post
Keith Johnson writes: Still, sentiment matters, and falling markets beget a crisis of confidence. At a time when Western economic models, let alone Western democratic templates, are under fire and under stress, a global crisis of confidence is a very unwelcome addition to an already powder-kegged geopolitical situation. – Foreign Policy
Mark A. Milley and Eric Schmidt writes: War is nasty, brutish, and often much too long. It is an illusion to think that technology will change the underlying human nature of conflict. But the character of war is changing both rapidly and fundamentally. The United States must change and adapt, as well, and American officials must do so faster than their country’s adversaries. Washington won’t get it exactly right—but it must get it less wrong than its enemies. – Foreign Affairs
Cybersecurity
TikTok agreed to remove a rewards program in many European countries Monday after the European Union argued that it made the social media app addictive. – Washington Post
Authorities have seized more than $41 million stolen from a Singaporean commodities firm in a business email compromise scam (BEC), Interpol announced Monday. – The Record
A cyberattack discovered in May by the manufacturer Key Tronic has cost the company more than $17 million, according to a Friday regulatory filing. – The Record
Ukrainian law enforcement officials detained the leader of an organized group that set fire to the cars of Ukrainian enlistment officers at the request of Russian intelligence and advertised other services to Russia on the darknet. – The Record
The launch date for the repeatedly delayed replacement service for Action Fraud, the much-criticized reporting center for fraud and financially motivated cybercrime in Britain, has again been pushed back, a senior police officer has confirmed to Recorded Future News. – The Record
Defense
A U.S. Air Force AC-130J gunship took part in battering and sinking a retired U.S. Navy vessel during this summer’s 2024 Rim of the Pacific exercise, according to explosive footage released by the Air Force. – Defense News
The Japanese island near Taiwan has been often passed by Chinese military ships, aircraft and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles transit near it. Meanwhile, on Saturday, a Chinese Y-9 electronic intelligence aircraft and two UAVs presumed to belong to China carried out surveillance missions west of Taiwan and transited around Japan’s southwest islands, passing near Yonaguni Island. – USNI News
When sailors assigned to USS Mason (DDG-87) were in workups last year, many expected a standard Mediterranean Sea deployment. […] But after Hamas launched attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7 and the Yemen-based Houthis started attacking commercial shipping in the Red Sea in response to Israel’s ongoing bombardment of the Gaza Strip, the destroyer quickly became one of several U.S. warships to engage in sustained naval combat for the first time since World War II – USNI News