Author: M Barbu

The end is not near: Sleepwalking through human and military security crises in MENA

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is shouldering the world’s largest humanitarian caseload and most severe crises of undernourishment since World War II. Tens of millions of people in five MENA countries are struggling with chronic hunger, and millions of them are on the brink of famine. MENA has also been grappling with the world’s longest chain of consecutive regional wars every decade since the mid-20th century, now spanning nearly 75 years. These human and military security crises are dangerous because, due to their concurrence and prolongation, they could become locked into a mutually reinforcing cycle.

Extremist Content Online: White Supremacist T-Shirts Found On Teespring

The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) reports weekly on the methods used by extremists to exploit the Internet and social media platforms to recruit followers and incite violence. This week, Teespring was found to be selling t-shirts glorifying violence, white supremacists and neo-Nazis. Additionally, an American white supremacist group on Telegram praises the recent mass shootings, and ISIS releases a new video and radio broadcast on several websites.

Russia Moves in on Sudan

Given Russia’s increasing diplomatic and military efforts to upgrade its presence in Africa, it came as no surprise when Russia backed Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir during the popular protests that sparked Bashir’s removal him from power on April 11. Pictured: Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Bashir in Sochi, Russia on November 23, 2017.

Moscow has reportedly signed a “draft military agreement” with Sudan, “to facilitate entry of Russian and Sudanese warships to the ports of the two nations.” According to Maj.

Al-Qaeda and the Decentralization of Terrorism

According to several anonymous American intelligence officials, Osama Bin Laden’s favorite son, Hamza, has been killed. Information on when (sometime in the past two years), how (possibly an airstrike), where (likely in Afghanistan) and by whom (involving America) remains unclear. According to some Afghan sources, Hamza had allegedly been spending time in January 2019 in the Shultan Valley of Afghanistan’s northeastern Kunar province, where he was residing with a Lashkar-e-Tayyiba commander known as “Mawyaa.” According to Hamza himself, one of his sons was killed in a possible airstrike in Afghanistan in 2017, so Hamza was clearly being tracked, presumably by those who finally killed him.

Haftar, Hemeti, and a Canadian lobbyist’s Libyan connection

Middle East Eye looked through public documents showing how a former Israeli intelligence officer lobbying for Sudan’s military council became a major player in war-torn Libya

Last week, around 1,000 members of Sudan’s notorious Rapid Support Forces (RSF) were reported to have arrived in eastern Libya, joining the ranks of Khalifa Haftar’s self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) which is waging war against the country’s UN-recognised government in Tripoli.

Libya’s Grim Civil War Escalates

The civil war in Libya between the militias from the east and fighters from the west is escalating and keeps on drawing in foreign powers. One commander has been fighting for eight years — and sees no end in sight.