“The US Air Force general who once led the air war against ISIS is set to
become the Pentagon's top officer. Gen Charles Brown, 60, commanded air
operations against ISIS in 2015 as a US-led coalition of dozens of countries
sought to push the extremists from their self-proclaimed caliphate in Iraq and
Syria. President Joe Biden formally nominated Gen Brown as Chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff at a White House ceremony on Thursday, flanked by Vice
President Kamala Harris and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin. ‘Gen Brown is a
warfighter who's commanded in Europe, the Middle East and the Indo Pacific,’ Mr
Biden said during his remarks.”











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**NOTE: CEP's Eye On Extremism will be suspended on Monday, May 29 in
observance of Memorial Day. It will resume Tuesday, May 30.**



Eye on Extremism



May 26, 2023



The National: US General Who Led Anti-ISIS Air War Set To Become Pentagon's
Top Officer
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“The US Air Force general who once led the air war against ISIS is set to
become the Pentagon's top officer. Gen Charles Brown, 60, commanded air
operations against ISIS in 2015 as a US-led coalition of dozens of countries
sought to push the extremists from their self-proclaimed caliphate in Iraq and
Syria. President Joe Biden formally nominated Gen Brown as Chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff at a White House ceremony on Thursday, flanked by Vice
President Kamala Harris and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin. ‘Gen Brown is a
warfighter who's commanded in Europe, the Middle East and the Indo Pacific,’ Mr
Biden said during his remarks.”



Anadolu Agency: US Warns Of Heightened Extremist Threat Ahead Of 2024
Presidential Election
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“The US remains in a ‘heightened threat environment’ ahead of the 2024
presidential election, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said
Wednesday. ‘In the coming months, DHS expects the threat environment to remain
heightened and that individuals may be motivated to violence by perceptions of
the 2024 general election cycle and legislative or judicial decisions
pertaining to sociopolitical issues,’ said the National Terrorism Advisory
System Bulletin issued by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. ‘U.S.
critical infrastructure, faith-based institutions, individuals or events
associated with the LGBTQIA+ community, schools, racial and ethnic minorities,
and government facilities and personnel are likely targets of potential
violence,’ it added. Mayorkas said ‘recent tragic events’ highlight the
continued heightened threat environment the US faces. He added that these
threats are ‘driven by violent extremists who seek to further their ideological
beliefs and personal grievances.’ The latest bulletin is the eighth one issued
since Jan. 21, replacing the previous bulletin, which expired today, informing
the public every few months about the terrorism threat landscape in the US.”




Recent CEP Press Releases

* Tech & Terrorism: Supreme Court Rulings Should Prompt Congress To Pass
Section 230 Reforms
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* Extremist Content Online: Library Of White Supremacist Literature Located
On New Zealand-Based Mega.Nz
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* New CEP Report: Civilian Counterterrorism Forces And The Fight Against
Extremism – A Review Of Nigeria, Somalia, And Burkina Faso
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* Ahead Of Presidential Runoff Election, Turkish Stance On Authoritarianism
And Extremism In The Balance
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* New CEP Report: Extremism In Erdoğan’s AKP
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United States



New York Post: Left-Wing Extremism Linked To Psychopathy And Narcissism: Study
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“Left-wing extremism is linked to toxic, psychopathic tendencies and
narcissism, according to a new study published to the peer-reviewed journal
Current Psychology. ‘Based on existing research, we expected individuals with
higher levels of left-wing authoritarianism to also report higher levels of
narcissism,’ the authors wrote. As result of the new data, study authors Ann
Krispenz and Alex Bertrams have coined a new term for such psychological
behavior: the ‘dark-ego-vehicle principle.’ ‘According to this principle,
individuals with dark personalities — such as high narcissistic and
psychopathic traits — are attracted to certain forms of political and social
activism which they can use as a vehicle to satisfy their own ego-focused needs
instead of actually aiming at social justice and equality,’ they told PsyPost.”



Jewish News Syndicate: US State Department Designates Five Al-Shabaab Leaders
As Terrorists <[link removed]>



“Maxamed Siidow, Cali Yare, Maxamed Dauud Gabaane, Suleiman Cabdi Daoud and
Mohamed Omar Mohamed—all influential leaders of al-Shabaab, a terror group
based in Somalia—have now been labeled Designated Global Terrorists under
Executive Order (E.O.) 13224 by the U.S. State Department. Referring to
al-Shabaab, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that countering one of
Al-Qaeda’s most dangerous affiliates, ‘which has killed thousands of people,
including Americans, in Somalia and across East Africa, remains a shared
priority with the Somali government.’ Al-Shabaab was designated a Foreign
Terrorist Organization by the State Department in March 2008. Four of the
individuals listed are finance emirs for the terrorist organization. Siidow
also commands Jabha, al-Shabaab’s militant wing.”



Iraq



The Mirror: RAF Typhoons Blitz ISIS Terrorists With SEVEN 500lb Bombs In Iraq
Raid
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“RAF jets have blitzed ISIS extremists with seven, 500lb bombs, the Ministry
of Defence revealed today. Typhoon aircraft attacked the terrorists with
Paveway IV laser-guided weapons after intelligence pointed to Islamic State
operating from a lair buried in mountains in Iraq. The air raid took place
earlier this month but has only just been disclosed by the MoD. It said in a
statement: ‘UK forces, as part of the coalition, continue to support the Iraqi
government in its unrelenting work to prevent any attempts by the Daesh
terrorist movement to re-establish a presence in the country.’ ‘Careful
intelligence analysis revealed that a Daesh (ISIS) group was basing itself at
two remote locations in the Hamrin mountains in north-eastern Iraq.’”



Turkey



Daily Sabah: PKK Terrorists Caused Türkiye $3 Trillion In Damages: Yıldırım
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“The PKK terrorist group caused $3 trillion in financial damage to Türkiye,
the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Deputy Chairman Binali
Yıldırım said Thursday. ‘PKK caused us $3 trillion in financial damage,’ he
told a meeting with workers at a textile factory in Istanbul on Thursday,
noting that the terrorist group has indirectly caused $400 billion in damages.
Yıldırım said this would only be possible with a favorable atmosphere, security
and stability, highlighting that production is key to achieving a more robust
economy. ‘If a country does not have stability and security, then you cannot
produce anything,’ he said, adding that Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Libya and
Yemen are all unable to produce because they’re either dealing with war,
internal strife or occupation. The PKK is responsible for over 40,000 civilian
and security personnel deaths in Türkiye over an almost four-decade campaign of
terror. Türkiye has been conducting military operations in northern Iraq since
2019, with ground and air forces to battle the organization.”



Pakistan



Dawn: Terrorist Arrested In Hangu
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“Addressing a press conference at the Hangu Press Club, the district police
officer, Asif Bahadar told journalists that Saadullah had been declared
proclaimed offender in 2000 by the counter-terrorism department but was hiding
from police since then. He belonged to Mohallah Alikhel of Kurram district and
had a house in Orakzai district in the Dabori area where he was living with his
family. He used to travel to Hangu, Peshawar, and Kohat to collect funds for
TTP operations. Saadullah was nabbed on intelligence reports while crossing the
border of Naryab to enter Hangu, the DPO said.”



Middle East



The Jerusalem Post: Armed Terrorist Killed By Security Guard At Entrance To
West Bank Synagogue <[link removed]>



“An attempted terror attack was thwarted in the West Bank settlement of Teneh
Omarim, close to Hebron, on Friday morning. Shortly before 10 a.m., a terrorist
infiltration alert was sounded, and the Home Front Command issued instructions
for residents to immediately go inside, lock the doors and close the windows,
adding that they must remain indoors until further notice. After infiltrating
the settlement, the terrorist, who was armed with a knife, headed for the
community synagogue, where holiday prayers were taking place. and was shot by
security forces at the entrance to the building before anyone was injured.”



Somalia



AFP News: Al-Shabaab Raid African Union Army Base In Somalia
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“Islamist Al-Shabaab fighters attacked an African Union military base in
Somalia on Friday, the AU force said, without specifying if there were any
casualties. The Al-Qaeda-linked jihadist group has been waging a jihadist
insurgency against the central government in the fragile Horn of Africa nation
for more than 15 years. The army base in Bulo Marer, 120 kilometres (75 miles)
southwest of the capital Mogadishu ‘came under Al-Shabab attack,’ the AU force
known as ATMIS said in a statement on Facebook and Twitter. ‘ATMIS forces are
currently assessing the security situation,’ it said, without giving details.”



Garowe Online: Somalia: Injured Al-Shabaab Commander Becomes "Unconscious"
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“The recently injured Al-Shabaab commander Osman Mohamed Abdi alias Moallim
Osman is in ‘critical and unconscious’ condition, multiple sources have
claimed, just a few days after the US confirmed an airstrike in Jilib town
which injured a ‘senior Al-Shabaab commander’ in Somalia. State media reported
that Abdi suffered ‘major injuries’ in the airstrike which targeted him and
that his situation was ‘deteriorating on an hourly basis’. Details about his
injury were reported by the government of Somalia which disclosed his name
after the US put it under wraps. ‘Al-Shabaab leader Osman Mohamed Abdi [Ma'alin
Osman], in charge of recruiting foreign terrorists to Somalia, was critically
injured in an operation by National Army and international allies in Jilib
district 2 days ago. Suffered major injuries and currently unconscious, in
critical condition,’ state media reported, citing anonymous sources.”



Africa



Garowe Online: Uganda Probes Al-Shabaab Complex Attack On Its Troops In Somalia

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“The Ugandan military says it is investigating an attack on an African Union
military base manned by the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) in Bulo Marer
town in Somalia on Friday morning. UPDF spokesperson Felix Kuläyigye told
Nation Africa that the attack was carried out by ‘foreign insurgents’ without
giving further details. He said they were ‘cross-checking the information’ with
the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) headquarters before
issuing a statement. ‘This morning, ATMIS FOB in Bulo Marer came under an
Al-Shabab attack. ATMIS forces are currently assessing the security situation.
More information will be issued later,’ said the African Union Transition
Mission in Somalia [ATMIS].”



United Kingdom



BBC: Teenager Charged With Terrorism Offences
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“A 15-year-old boy has been charged with two terrorism offences, police said.
The boy, from Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire, is charged with possession
of an explosive substance and inviting support for a proscribed far-right
group. He was arrested in December 2022 by officers from Counter Terrorism
Policing South East and Thames Valley Police. They said the group's ideology
was linked to the extreme right wing. The boy, who cannot be named, is due to
appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 26 June.”



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