Terrorism Watch

THE HAGUE – On December 3, the European Commission finally  added  Russia to its list of high-risk countries with insufficient controls against money laundering and terrorist financing. The long-awaited decision means that European banks and firms are now legally obligated to perform enhanced due diligence on clients with a Russian nexus. The aim is not to encourage Russian President Vladimir Putin, a brutal dictator, to undertake compliance reforms, but rather to restrict further the Kremlin’s access to the European economy. Will this punitive measure work?  To answer this question, we should first ask why it took the European Union so long to conclude that Russia has “strategic deficiencies” in its anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorist financing (CTF) frameworks. While that seems laughably obvious, the story is more complex. The EU’s assessment criteria revolve around countries’ internal AML/CTF controls. And Russia, as the Financial Action Task Force (FATF,...

The Philippine coast guard said on Saturday that three Filipino fishermen had been wounded and two fishing vessels suffered “significant damage” when Chinese coast guard ships fired water cannon in a disputed South China Sea shoal. Manila’s coast guard said nearly two dozen Filipino fishing boats near Sabina Shoal were targeted with water cannon and blocking manoeuvres on Friday. A small Chinese coast guard boat also cut the anchor lines of several Filipino boats, endangering their crews, it said. “The PCG calls on the Chinese Coast Guard to adhere to internationally recognised standards of conduct, prioritising the preservation of life at sea over pretensions of law enforcement that jeopardize the lives of innocent fishermen,” Manila’s coast guard said in a statement. China’s embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside office hours. On Friday, China’s coast guard said it had driven away multiple Philippine vessels and taken “control measures”. That s...

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado on Friday promised political change after slipping out of the country in secret to collect the Nobel Peace Prize , as the shock waves intensified from the Trump administration ’s seizure of an oil tanker earlier this week. That escalation came on the heels of a large-scale U.S. military buildup in the southern Caribbean as President Donald Trump campaigns to oust Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, pushing relations to their most volatile point in years. The effects could ripple through the region, with Venezuelan oil exports falling sharply and crisis-stricken Cuba , already straining to power its grid, at risk of losing supply. The U.S. seizure of the Skipper tanker off Venezuela’s coast on Wednesday marked the first U.S. capture of Venezuelan oil cargo since sanctions were imposed in 2019. The vessel is now heading to Houston, where it will offload its cargo onto smaller ships, Reuters reported. The Trump administration does not rec...

US military to host conference in Doha next week to discuss plans for International Stabilization Force, though it remains unclear how Hamas will be disarmed International troops could be deployed in the Gaza Strip as early as next month to form a UN-authorized stabilization force, two US officials told Reuters, but it remains unclear how the Palestinian terror group Hamas will be disarmed. The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the International Stabilization Force (ISF) would not fight Hamas. They claimed lots of countries have expressed interest in contributing and US officials are currently working out the size of the ISF, composition, housing, training and rules of engagement. The US Central Command will host a conference in Doha on December 16 with partner nations to plan the International Stabilization Force for Gaza, the officials said. More than 25 countries are expected to send representatives to the conference, which will include sessions on the command ...

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said Friday that at least 2,000  Afghan  refugees in the U.S. have terrorism ties, during a Fox & Friends  interview .  Why it matters:  The  Trump  administration has singled out the Afghan community in the U.S. and suspended immigration applications since the  shooting  of National Guard members allegedly by an Afghan refugee.  The other side:  "F--king prove it," Shawn VanDiver, the president of #AfghanEvac, told Axios. "They keep lying to us over and over and over again. And we know 100% for sure that they were all vetted." Driving the news:  Gabbard claimed "the vast majority" of Afghan refugees who entered the U.S. after the Biden administration's withdrawal in Afghanistan were not properly vetted. Of those, at least 2,000 "have ties to or are known or suspected terrorists," she said. They were identified based on intelligence information collected, assessed and analyzed...

SRI NAGAR: After a series of encounters and brief gunfights in the forest belts of Jammu region in the last six months, security forces have launched a major winter offensive to track down militants hiding in the dense and rugged forest areas.  With winter restricting civilian movement to the higher reaches, officials say the conditions offer a strategic opportunity to track down the armed militants. Sources said Army, paramilitary forces and Special Operations Group (SOG) of J&K police are carrying out joint operations in the upper reaches of Jammu region to trace militants, who are using natural caves in the forests and mountains as their hideouts. The members of People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), which is considered off-shoot of Jaish-e-Mohammad, and Lashkar-e-Toiba are suspected to be hiding in the forested stretches of Doda, Kishtwar, Udhampur, Rajouri, Poonch and Kathua districts in Jammu region. They said most of the terrorists are Pakistanis and they are being assisted...

  The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG) mutual evaluation of Malaysia assessed the effectiveness of the country’s anti-money laundering , countering terrorist financing and proliferation financing ( AML/CFT/CPF ) measures, and their level of compliance with the FATF Recommendations , at the time of an on-site visit in February 2025. The assessment found that Malaysia has significantly strengthened its defences against illicit finance since 2015, notably by enhancing its legal framework and supervisory approaches. However, Malaysia faces significant challenges in translating money laundering investigations into prosecutions and convictions. Key findings from the report are set out below. Malaysia’s money laundering risks stem from a range of factors, including corruption and fraud (including scams and investment fraud), the presence of an informal economy , rapid growth of digital finance , and the country’s strategic location a...

Global organised crime is booming, and only 1 to 2 percent of the $4 trillion black economy is intercepted, according to figures from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). Its new guidance suggests that countries should focus on rapid investigations, collaborative intelligence gathering, and confiscating the proceeds of criminal activity. It also highlights the criticality of identifying the beneficial owners of assets. The guidance, Asset Recovery Guidance and Best Practices, was published on Nov 16. It suggests that confiscating the proceeds of crime is a more effective deterrent than a jail sentence. Assets that are seized can then be used to compensate victims and fund further enforcement activities – creating a virtuous circle. FATF President Elisa de Anda Madrazo said in the report: “Recovering criminal assets is not an afterthought – it has a real impact on lives around the world and demonstrates that justice systems work.” She added that the guidance equips countries to a...

A Sudanese paramilitary commander, whose role in the el-Fasher massacre was revealed by BBC Verify, has been sanctioned by the UK government. Brig Gen Al-Fateh Abdullah Idris, also known as Abu Lulu, was filmed shooting dead at least 10 unarmed captives after the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) seized the city in late October. Thousands of people are believed to have been killed by the RSF after the army withdrew from el-Fasher. UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the atrocities taking place in Sudan were "a scar on the conscience of the world" which "cannot, and will not, go unpunished." The UK has also sanctioned three other RSF commanders, including deputy head Abdul Rahim Hamdan Dagalo. Dagalo, who was also placed under EU sanctions in November, was shown in verified footage touring an army base in the city in the hours after el-Fasher fell. He is the brother of RSF chief Mohamed "Hemedti" Dagalo. Sudan's civil war - sparked after the RSF and the mi...

The state-run Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation reported late Thursday that the Israeli army finalized a plan in recent weeks to launch a large-scale offensive against Hezbollah positions should the Lebanese government and army fail to dismantle the party's weapons before the end of 2025. It quoted unnamed Israeli security sources as saying that the plan was prepared by the Israeli army command, the Northern Command and the Intelligence and Operations directorates , as part of preparation for the potential collapse of political efforts led by Beirut to disarm Hezbollah. The same sources added that the air force conducted extensive exercises in recent days with the aim of raising readiness for the potential execution of the military operation in south Lebanon . The corporation quoted a senior security official as saying that Israel has informed the United States that it would act on its own to disarm Hezbollah if it was not done effectively, even if that led to days of...

‘He didn’t think twice, he went and fought,’ says Itzik Gvili as family holds Kabbalat Shabbat gathering in Hostages Square; father of Itay Chen calls for state commission of inquiry   For the second week in a row, hundreds gathered at Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square to support the family of police officer   Master Sgt. Ran Gvili , the final hostage whose body is held captive in Gaza. Itzik Gvili, Ran’s father, spoke about his son in the present tense. “It’s hard for me to accept condolences. Until I see his body, I don’t speak about him in the past tense,” he said. Promoted: Thoughts & Prayers 00:00 / 01:00 Gvili mentioned the police officers present at the gathering, “who saved the nation,” and described that October 7 morning, when they woke Ran early in the morning to tell him about the Hamas invasion. Ran Gvili, a police master sergeant who had a broken shoulder, went to fight at Kibbutz Alumim. Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition   by email and never miss our top...

Police in Argentina raided the country’s national football association headquarters and more than 30 soccer clubs on Tuesday, according to a police source who spoke with CNN. The source said that Federal Judge Luis Armella ordered the raids as part of a case investigating alleged money laundering by the financial firm Sur Finanzas, one of the main sponsors of Argentine football’s governing body. Sur Finanzas said in  a statement  last week that all the services it provides are carried out in compliance with current regulations and referred to the accusations as “unfounded.” Video taken by CNN and affiliate TN on Tuesday shows uniformed federal police moving in and out of the Argentine Football Association   building in Buenos Aires. CNN contacted the AFA for comment and is still awaiting a response. A source familiar with the case told CNN that the investigation began following suspicions of irregularities in Sur Finanzas’ contract with Club Atlético Banfield, one of the ...

Hamas has broken a key promise to US negotiators by rejecting total disarmament, stalling Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan. Can a procedure based on the IRA peace process work? Source:  https://www.theaustralian.com.au/subscribe/news/1/  

Lebanese state media says about a dozen sites targeted, including some north of the Litani River; no casualties reported   The Israel Defense Forces said Friday that it carried out a wave of airstrikes in southern Lebanon targeting Hezbollah sites, including a training facility used by the terror group’s elite Radwan Force. It marked the second time in the past week that the IDF has struck Hezbollah sites in Lebanon. According to the military, the Radwan Force “training and qualification compound” was used by the terror group to plan and advance attacks against Israel. Promoted: Thoughts & Prayers 00:00 / 01:00 In addition, the IDF said it struck other Hezbollah sites in several areas of southern Lebanon. “Holding military drills and establishing terror infrastructure for activity against Israel constitute a violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon and a threat to the State of Israel,” the military said. Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition   by email ...