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Monday, November 20th, 2023

Good morning everyone,

Let’s jump right in today.

In Europe, the US Senate seeks to halt military aid to Azerbaijan, and Spain’s Prime Minister is re-elected by Parliament.

Over in the Middle East, Hezbollah significantly damages an IDF base, an Israeli hostage is spotted for the first time since March in Iraq, and France sends aid to Gaza while calling for a ceasefire.

Meanwhile, in Africa, Kenya’s mission to Haiti faces further delays, the DRC prepares for next months election, and Mali’s military junta makes some gains.

In the Americas, Argentina’s libertarian presidential candidate, Javier Milei, wins the presidential election, a Canadian white nationalist was found guilty of first-degree murder, and a captain of the Mara Salvatrucha crime gang is set to be tried in New York.

In Asia and Oceania, Japanese marines conduct amphibious operations on islands considered Chinese targets, Japan will meet with Italy and the United Kingdom, and hundreds are evacuated as the fighting in Myanmar intensifies.

As usual - just another day at the office. Let's take a look.

- Joshua Paulo, Sebastien Gray, Trent Barr, & the Atlas team

Houthi Militants Seize Cargo Vessel in Solidarity with Palestine

Sunday, November 19th, 2023: (2 Minute Read) Early Sunday, reports emerged that Iran-backed Houthi rebel forces hijacked the Bahamian-flagged roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) vessel “Galaxy Leader” off the coast of Yemen in the Red Sea. The Houthis have since confirmed the reports with a statement.

The hijacking comes as the Houthi’s announced that “in solidarity with Palestinian people in the wake of the brutal Israeli aggression on Gaza, Yemen reiterates the threat against Israeli vessels in the Red Sea.”

The vessel involved has been identified as the Galaxy Leader, a Bahamian-flagged RoRo vessel that was transiting from Turkey to India. The vessel is also owned by a British company with links to Israeli business tycoon Abraham Ungar, but was being leased out to a Japanese company at the time of the hijacking, according to the Times of Israel. The Galaxy Leader is a roll-on/roll-off vessel that is normally used for transporting cars and other wheeled vehicles.

The IDF released a brief statement, calling the hijacking a “very grave incident of global consequence.” Likewise, the statement added that the vessel was “staffed by civilians of various nationalities, not including Israelis. It is not an Israeli ship.”

In a statement, the Houthis announced that “the naval forces of the Yemeni Armed Forces, with the help of God Almighty, carried out a military operation in the Red Sea, the results of which were the seizure of an Israeli ship and taking it to the Yemeni coast. The Yemeni armed forces deal with the ship’s crew in accordance with the teachings and values of our Islamic religion.”

The statement also reiterated previous statements that any Israeli-owned or operated vessel will now be considered a target by the group.

“The Yemeni armed forces renew their warning to all ships belonging to the Israeli enemy or dealing with it that they will become a legitimate target for the armed forces. It calls on all countries whose nationals work in the Red Sea to refrain from any work or activity with Israeli ships or ships owned by Israelis,” the statement added.

The statement concluded by saying that “the Yemeni armed forces confirm that they will continue to carry out military operations against the Israeli enemy until the aggression against the Gaza Strip stops and the heinous crimes that continue until this moment against our Palestinian brothers in Gaza and the West Bank stop.”

Europe

November 16th, 2023 - The US Senate has passed the “Armenia Protection Act of 2023”, which seeks to bar any military aid to Azerbaijan for the next 2 years. The act, which must head through the House of Representatives before it is implemented, was passed due to recent Azeri military action in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), as well as threats against Armenia. Technically speaking, US law already prohibits sending military aid to Azerbaijan. However, in 2001, the US passed a law which stated the President could waiver this blockage, allowing them to send aid to Azerbaijan, which they have since done. This new bill seeks to remove that power.

November 16th, 2023 - The Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, has been elected by Parliament to serve another term as prime minister, ending a long-standing deadlock following uncertain general elections in July. Sanchez’s Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) negotiated deals with a number of local parties, which included a deal offering amnesty to Catalan separatists, which led to widespread protests across Spain. Sanchez secured his place in office with 179 votes in favor and 171 against, with no abstentions, narrowly defeating the conservative People’s Party’s (PP) Alberto Nunez Feijoo, who won a parliamentary majority but failed to foster alliances with other blocs. Protests began last week following Sanchez’s plans to offer amnesty to Catalan separatists who attempted to secede from Spain in 2017 and continued throughout the week, with an estimated 4,000 protestors gathering outside the PSOE’s headquarters in Madrid. The protests took a violent turn when several demonstrators began to throw beer cans, bottles, firecrackers, and flares at police and journalists, calling officers "Sanchez's dogs," while others displayed flags from the Franco era or emblazoned with far-right and Nazi symbols while chanting slogans against Muslim migrants and singing the anthem of the fascist Falange movement while making Roman salutes.

Middle East

November 20th, 2023 - Hezbollah has launched one of its largest yet attacks upon Northern Israel, firing a large rocket barrage which severely damaged an IDF base. It is unknown if there were any IDF casualties, and if there were, how many. The attack was said to have been carried out with Hezbollah’s new Burkan short-range rockets, which can have an explosives payload of up to 500kg. The strikes have served to further stoke fears of a potential intervention in the Israel-Gaza war by Hezbollah, and/or other regional militias. 

November 13th, 2023 - Russian-Israeli researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov, who was taken hostage in Iraq in March, has been spotted for the very first time since her abduction. Iraqi militant groups have accused her of being an Israeli spy, saying she operates as an intelligence officer. Iraqi militants released a video which appears to show what is likely a forced confession from Tsurkov of organizing Shia-Shiite conflict within Iraq. She is presently being held by the Hezbollah Brigades within Iraq. 

November 19th, 2023 - France is preparing to send its helicopter carrier, Dixmude, to Egypt in order to provide medical assistance to Gaza. President Macron said it is to arrive in Egypt “in the coming days”. A statement from the Presidents office reads “France is mobilizing all its available means to contribute to the evacuation of wounded and sick children requiring emergency care from the Gaza Strip to its hospitals”. On top of the helicopter carrier, a charter flight carrying 10 tons of medical supplies is also expected within the next few days. Macron further called for a ceasefire, in his statement he said that there have been “too many civilian losses”, and told Netanyahu that it is an “absolute necessity to distinguish terrorists from the population”. 

Africa

November 16th, 2023 - Kenya’s parliament approved the nations deployment of 1,000 police officers to Haiti, as a part of a UN mission to combat gangs, which they are to head. However, this approval came the same day as a rejection of the deployment by Kenya’s High Court, which followed an earlier rejection in October. Kenya’s High Court stated that a final decision on the matter would be made on January 26th, several months after Ruto announced the deployment in July. Opposition groups have accused Ruto’s government of attempting to ignore the High Court, as the Parliament's approval is in direct legal contrast with the court decision. As things presently stand, if the government goes ahead with the deployment, it would technically be illegal for them to do so.  

November 14th, 2023 - Mali’s government, with support from Russian Wagner PMC, has seized the northern Malian city of Kidal following UN withdrawals from the area. The city had been under militant control since 2012. Photographs of Malian troops attacking the city, as well as from Telegram posts of Belarusian fighters, confirm the Wagner presence. The seizure of the city marks a significant gain for Mali’s military Junta, who had been facing distinct setbacks in its fight against militant groups in the country.  However, as UN forces withdraw from the country, it appears they may be taking a more aggressive approach to reclaiming territory than before. 

November 20th, 2023 - The DRC’s election is now exactly one month away, to be held on December 20th, as the nation prepares for the electoral campaign. The election, however, is marked with uncertainty. The nation of 100 million has 44 million registered voters, however it is marred by political tension and war within the east, which will make running an election rather difficult. Primarily, citizens within the city of Goma are worried that the myriad of rebel groups, most notably the M23, may seek to take advantage of the election and launch some sort of attack. DRC President Felix Tshisekedi is seeking re-election to a seconds term. Many political analysts have slated him as the likely winner of the upcoming election.

The Americas

November 19th, 2023 - Javier Milei, Argentina’s libertarian presidential candidate, was elected the country’s new president on Sunday after winning 56% of the vote against his Peronist rival, Sergio Massa. Milei has vowed to solve the economic stagnation of the nation with a plan to revitalize the country’s economy that includes shutting down the central bank, cutting national spending, and abandoning the peso in favor of the US dollar. Milei has also championed libertarian gun policies and is a vocal critic of abortion and Pope Francis, criticizing his stance on social justice while labeling him as a “communist.” While some, such as Colombia’s president, Gustavo Petro, and Pope Francis, have been critical of Milei, others, most prominently former United States president Donald Trump, have celebrated Milei’s win, with the former president stating Milei will “truly make Argentina great again." Despite his win and a political alliance with the country’s conservative party, Milei will still need to grapple with a heavily divided Congress in order to enact legislation, as no bloc has a majority.

November 16th, 2023 - Nathaniel Veltman, a 22-year-old Canadian self-identified white nationalist, was found guilty of first-degree murder on Thursday after deliberately running over and killing four members of a Muslim family in his truck in 2021. Prosecutors stressed that the attack was an act of terrorism meant to instill fear in racial and religious minorities, citing a manifesto he had written entitled "A White Awakening," in which he outlined hatred of Islam alongside opposition to mass immigration and multiculturalism. The victims were members of the Afzaal family who had originally migrated to Canada from Pakistan and included Salman Afzaal, 46; his wife, Madiha Salman, 44; their 15-year-old daughter, Yumnah; and Afzaal's 74-year-old mother, Talat. The couple's nine-year-old son also suffered injuries during the attack but survived. Veltman pleaded not guilty to the charges of murder, while his defense argued the attack amounted to a lesser charge of manslaughter, arguing Veltman suffered from mental challenges.

November 15th, 2023 - A leader of the notorious Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang will face terrorism charges in New York following his arrest by Mexican authorities and subsequent extradition to the United States. Elmer "Crook de Hollywood" Canales, an El Salvadorian citizen, was indicted by the United States in 2020 on terrorism charges in relation to his supposed connection to organized crime in the United States, El Salvador, and Mexico, which has spanned over two decades. Attempts to extradite Canales were pursued in 2021 following his arrest by El Salvadorian authorities but ultimately fell through after the El Salvadoran government released him in November, a move that led to widespread criticism within the country. The government of El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, has previously claimed they had no part in the release of Canales and have made no comments regarding his recent arrest. If convicted, Canales will face a minimum of life imprisonment for his alleged crimes.

Asia and Oceania

November 19th, 2023 - Japanese marine forces conducted a simulated amphibious assault on an island beach near the East China Sea, aiming to repel potential invaders from territory deemed susceptible to Chinese threats. Amid heightened tensions with neighboring China, Russia, and North Korea, this exercise, part of the 11-day nationwide series named 05JX, showcased the preparedness of Japan's ground, sea, and air forces. The strategic location of the drill on Tokunoshima, a southwest island, emphasized Japan's commitment to defending its territory and critical infrastructure, such as nuclear power plants, in the face of geopolitical uncertainties and potential security challenges from regional adversaries.

November 18th, 2023 - According to sources familiar with the topic, British Defense Minister Grant Shapps, Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara, and Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto will most likely meet in December to establish a coordinating body for the joint development of a new jet aircraft set to deploy in 2035.

November 18th, 2023 - Over two hundred Thai nationals, affected by the escalating conflict between Myanmar's junta soldiers and armed ethnic-minority factions in the northern region, are undergoing evacuation to Thailand through China, as reported by the Thai Foreign Ministry. The Myanmar military, which seized power in a 2021 coup, is witnessing a loss of control over various towns and military outposts, particularly in the northern areas, due to a substantial coordinated offensive launched in October by an alliance comprising three ethnic-minority groups and pro-democracy forces. The ongoing evacuation involves 266 Thai citizens and an unspecified number of individuals from the Philippines and Singapore, originating from Laukkaing in northern Shan state. Myanmar authorities are facilitating the evacuation process towards the Myanmar-China border, underscoring the complex humanitarian dynamics amid the intensifying conflict.

• Boeing confirms cyber incident after threats - Warez

• Israeli Aircraft strike Palestinian ambulance convoy - Joshua Paulo

• Blinken makes surprise visit to Iraq, causing protests - Trent Barr

• Former FTX CEO convicted on several charges - Liam Fegan

• Bahrain severs ties with Israel - Tessaron

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