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Title: January 7, 2026

GRAY ZONE BRIEF 7 JANUARY 2026
TERROR THREAT HUB
 
**Pakistan warns that Afghanistan is becoming 'hub for terrorists' and poses regional threat** - Pakistan ’s military on Tuesday warned that Afghanistan is becoming a “hub for terrorists and non-state actors,” widening its allegations to assert that its Taliban government is patronizing al-Qaida, the Islamic State group and the Pakistani Taliban. Military spokesman Lt. Gen. Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry also told a news conference, without offering evidence, that about 2,500 foreign militants recently entered Afghanistan from Syria following the ouster there of former President Bashar Assad. Chaudhry asserted that the militants were invited to Afghanistan. “These terrorists are neither Pakistanis nor Afghan citizens and belong to other nationalities,” Chaudhry said, adding that the reemergence of international militant groups could pose security risks beyond neighboring Afghanistan’s borders.
 
**NOTE: The TIC (Transatlantic Intelligence Consortium), the Gathering Storm Analysts and GZB have been emphasizing and warning of this for the past two years. This is nothing new.
 
Through what little vetted HUMINT (Human Intel) sources are left — verified by OSINT, SIGINT, IMINT (Open Source, Signals & Imagery Intel) this has been reported on in well researched books, briefs and reports.
 
That being said, why would Pakistani ISI suddenly release this into now? They’ve known about it for two years and have only twice, that I am aware of publicly shared Intel regarding terrorists threats on the U.S. — and one of them for sure was Junk Intel — the other was likely Disinformation. And it came from Command 11 — all former ISI and likely still controlled by ISI to some extent.
 
That being said, I get a lot of my info in the Tehrik-I-Taliban and the BLA (Balochistan Liberation Army) from them. Getting back to the ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence), Pakistan's primary foreign intelligence agency, which is responsible for national security, counterintelligence, and covert operations, acts as a powerful body often described as a "state within a state" due to its significant influence on domestic politics, foreign policy, and military affairs, works to protect Pakistan's strategic interests through intelligence gathering and strategic implementation.
 
ISI has been accused of involvement in undermining stability, promoting sectarianism, and influencing regional politics, particularly concerning India, Afghanistan, and the US.
In essence, ISI is Pakistan's most crucial intelligence organization, deeply embedded in the nation's security apparatus and political landscape, with a broad mandate extending far beyond traditional intelligence gathering.
 
Therefore, whenever the publicly release info/intel — I have to either take it with a grain of salt — or attempt to determine the motive. Currently, the border clashes between Afghanistan and Pakistan provide the motive — but not the objective or reason they are releasing this now.
 
INDIANA
 
**Indianapolis FBI disrupts 2 acts of terrorism** - The Federal Bureau of Investigation Indianapolis Field Office says they played a critical role in stopping an ISIS-inspired attack planned at a central Indiana high school. There were no details of the incident in the release sent by the FBI on Monday, including the name of the high school. The release states that they “disrupted an ISIS-inspired plot targeting a Central Indiana high school through rapid coordination with local partners.” They also arrested an individual who was attempting to travel overseas to support ISIS. The FBI Detroit Field Office in October had disrupted an attack which they call the “Pumpkin Day Attack.” Indianapolis FBI assisted with this disruption. The release did not specify any details on what or when this attack was.
 
CANADA: OUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBOR TO THE NORTH
 
**CANADIAN ANARCHISTS CALL FOR TARGETING U.S. MULTINATIONALS:
 
**Canada-based Organisation Révolutionnaire Anarchiste (ORA) published a call to action for the Far Left in Canada to target U.S. multinationals in Montreal with direct action demonstrations in response to the “kidnapping” of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. ORA called on Far Left groups to “do the most brilliant and daring actions this century has seen” by targeting fast food chains, tech companies, and defense contractors. The call to action drew inspiration from the U.K.-based Palestine Action, which illegally entered weapons factories and caused millions of dollars in property damage over the past couple years. (Forward Observer)
 
VENEZUELAN OIL TANKER
 
**Venezuelan ‘dark fleet’ tanker evades US, reflags as Russian, flees to Irish coast: reports** - A Venezuela-linked oil tanker operating in the so-called "dark fleet" painted a Russian flag on its hull, changed its name, and reflagged to Russia in an apparent bid to evade the U.S. Coast Guard, according to reports. The vessel has since been spotted off Ireland, with the U.S., U.K., France and Ireland reportedly conducting aerial surveillance after it escaped U.S. interception in December, The Times reported. The tanker, Bella 1, had renamed itself Marinera and registered under the Russian flag after fleeing the region, according to an intelligence report from AI maritime analytics firm Windward. "Runaway Venezuela-trading tanker Bella 1 painted a Russian flag on its hull, changed its name, and reflagged to Russia mid-voyage last week to avoid capture by the U.S. Coast Guard in the Atlantic Ocean," Windward said.
 
AMERICAN TRAITOR DIES IN PRISON
 
**Aldrich Ames, CIA officer convicted of spying for Russia, dies at age 84** - Aldrich Ames, a counterintelligence officer for the CIA who spied for the Soviet Union and later Russia, has died, according to a Bureau of Prisons spokesperson. Ames, who was serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole, died Monday at the age of 84 at the Federal Correctional Institution in Cumberland, Maryland. The 31-year veteran of the CIA is believed to have compromised more than 100 intelligence operations and sent a number of Soviet agents to their deaths or prison, as he traded information for large sums of money that funded his lavish lifestyle.
 
**NOTE: **While he was damaging, there were others overlaping that were just as destructive to the US —
James Walker, Robert Hanssen, and Harold James Nicholson among others.
 
IRAN UPDATE
 
**CTP-ISW has not observed a demographic or geographic change in protests since its last data cutoff at 2 pm on January 5.** - The Iranian weekend—which is on Friday and Saturday—may have driven the higher rate of protests from Friday, January 2, to Sunday, January 4. CTP-ISW observed an increase in protests across Tehran on January 5 and 6, however, in contrast to the declining national rate on January 5 and January 6. Nineteen protests took place in Tehran between January 5 and 6, while only eight protests occurred in Tehran between January 4 and 5.
 
**DOD TO DEMOTE KELLY OVER “ILLEGAL ORDER” VIDEO**: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the Department of Defense (DOD) initiated retirement grade determination proceedings against Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), which could lead to Kelly receiving a post-retirement demotion and pension cut. Hegseth said the proceeding was in response to the “reckless and seditious” video Kelly participated in last year, which was “clearly intended to undermine good order and military discipline.” Kelly said he will fight the determination proceedings.
 
Why It Matters:
 
Kelly and other Democrats claim the video was a general warning for military personnel not to follow illegal orders, and that there was no seditious intent behind the video. In context, the establishment Left is assembling the building blocks of a potential Color Revolution in 2028. Because military and police are one of the six pillars of support eroded, it’s difficult to separate this video from the efforts of a Color Revolution. This is likely the understood context of administration officials. (Mike Shelby - Forward Observer)
 
MINNESOTA
 
**Hilton Hotels denying service to DHS Law Enforcement in Minneapolis?** The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) publicly accused Hilton Hotels of engaging in a “coordinated campaign” to refuse service to DHS law enforcement officers, specifically by canceling hotel reservations in the Minneapolis area that were booked using official government emails. DHS wrote on X on Monday “When officers attempted to book rooms using official government emails and rates, Hilton Hotels maliciously CANCELLED their reservations,” and “After further investigation online, we have found information about immigration work connected with your name and we will be cancelling your upcoming reservation. You should see a proper cancellation email in your inbox shortly from Hilton.”
 
Please pass on this info to your coworkers that we are not allowing any immigration agents to house on our property.” DHS posted a screen shot of the message.
 
ARIZONA
 
**Arizona Supreme Court, buildings evacuated after package tests positive for homemade explosive substances** — Authorities are investigating a "suspicious package" near the Arizona State Capitol found in downtown Phoenix on Monday. Officials with the Arizona Department of Public Safety say a suspicious package was received at around 8 a.m. by the Arizona Supreme Court. DPS says the package contained multiple vials. No further info was released at the time of this brief.
 
—R.D., M.B. & J.G.
 
—END REPORT