“Hamas officials said on Tuesday that there had been no breakthrough in the
mediated talks with Israel aimed at pausing the war and freeing the remaining
hostages in the Gaza Strip, one day after President Biden said he was hopeful
that a cease-fire would be in place by next week. Basem Naim, a Hamas
spokesman, said in a text message that the militant group had yet to formally
receive “any new proposals” since senior Israeli officials met with Qatari,
Egyptian and U.S. mediators in Paris last week to advance a possible deal.”











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Eye on Extremism



February 28, 2024



New York Times: Hamas Rejects Cease-Fire Proposal, Dashing Biden’s Hopes Of
Near Term Deal
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“Hamas officials said on Tuesday that there had been no breakthrough in the
mediated talks with Israel aimed at pausing the war and freeing the remaining
hostages in the Gaza Strip, one day after President Biden said he was hopeful
that a cease-fire would be in place by next week.

Basem Naim, a Hamas spokesman, said in a text message that the militant group
had yet to formally receive “any new proposals” since senior Israeli officials
met with Qatari, Egyptian and U.S. mediators in Paris last week to advance a
possible deal.”



Associated Press: 3 Men Snared In Right-Wing Extremism Probe Charged In London
Court With Prepping For Terrorism
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“Three men arrested in an investigation into right-wing extremism were charged
Tuesday in a London court with preparing to commit a terrorist act, authorities
said. They were arrested on Feb. 21, Counter Terrorism Policing North East
said. Prosecutors said the men had joined extreme right-wing online chat
forums, had right-wing text messages and distributed information on guns and
ammunition. The men had manufactured an FGC-9 semi-automatic gun, had
instructions on assembling a 3D-printed firearm and identified an Islamic
education center in Leeds as a possible target. Christopher Ringrose, 33, and
Brogan Stewart and Marco Pitzettu, both 24, were held in custody after their
appearances by video at Westminster Magistrates’ Court and ordered to return to
the Central Criminal Court on March 15. They did not enter pleas.”




The CEP CounterPoint: Expert Analysis

* Germany Should Address Male Supremacist Extremism
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* Afghanistan Content Report: February 17 – February 23
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* Violence-Oriented Right-Wing Extremist Actors in Russia: Smaller extremist
movements in Russia
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* CEP – KAS: Sahel Monitoring December 2023
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* ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency in January 2024
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CEP Mentions



BNN Breaking: Germany Constructs Medieval Fortification At Reichstag To
Fortify Democracy Against Attacks
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“... The decision to build a trench around one of Germany's most iconic
buildings is not just about physical security; it's a symbolic gesture
reflecting the government's resolve to protect its democratic values at all
costs. The move comes amid a rising tide of extremism in Germany, with the
Counter Extremism Project highlighting the increasing menace of male
supremacist extremism. Such groups have been linked to past attacks, and their
potential for future violence against democratic institutions remains a
significant concern for German intelligence agencies. Parallel to these
security measures, there's been a groundswell of pro-democracy sentiment across
Germany. Sparked by revelations of the right-wing AfD party's plans for mass
deportations, nearly two million people have taken to the streets in nationwide
protests. As reported by The Ink, these demonstrations are not just a rebuke of
far-right policies but a vibrant affirmation of democratic values. Spearheaded
by figures like German Greens MP Ricarda Lang, the movement has galvanized a
broad coalition of citizens committed to defending democracy, emphasizing the
importance of voting and civic engagement in the face of authoritarian threats.”



The Limited Times: This Is How RAF Terrorist Daniela Klette Was Able To Go
Into Hiding For 30 Years: “Grandmas And Grandpas Who Are Adored”
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“... The fact that Daniela Klette was able to stay hidden in Kreuzberg for so
long is no coincidence, says terrorism expert Hans-Jakob Schindler from the
Counter Extremism Project (CEP) to IPPEN.MEDIA. “There is a large and very
active left-wing extremist scene in Berlin. Many people in this milieu still
consider the RAF men to be heroes. For the new generation of left-wing
extremists, these are grandmas and grandpas who are revered.” With such a
well-connected support scene behind them, it was easier to go into hiding: “The
trio didn’t have to rent an apartment and were also supported financially,”
explains Schindler. “Even the first generation of the RAF had little difficulty
going into hiding for long periods of time.” The first generation of the Red
Army Faction (RAF) around the central figures Andreas Baader, Gudrun Ensslin
and Ulrike Meinhof had left the student movement at the end of the 1960s
educated and quickly radicalized. In the years that followed, their successors
tried, among other things, to free imprisoned RAF members through acts of
terrorism.”



The Spectator: Why Britain’s Prison Guards Are Losing Control
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"Professor Ian Acheson, a Spectator contributor and former prison governor who
was a Tornado section commander in the 1990s, agrees that low staff numbers,
and their relative inexperience may be contributing factors. These days, when
faced with acts of indiscipline, but ‘lacking the numbers, there simply isn’t
the capacity’ to resolve problems before they escalate, he says. Much easier to
retreat from the wing, and let the governor bring in external resources.
Acheson does not believe that there has been a rise in large scale
disturbances, although there are particular establishments in which ‘the state
does not have control and appeasement is now the default.'"



United States



Reuters: Extremism Is US Voters' Greatest Worry, Reuters/Ipsos Poll Finds
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“Worries about political extremism or threats to democracy have emerged as a
top concern for U.S. voters and an issue where President Joe Biden has a slight
advantage over Donald Trump ahead of the November election, a new Reuters/Ipsos
poll showed. Some 21% of respondents in the three-day poll, which closed on
Sunday, said "political extremism or threats to democracy" was the biggest
problem facing the U.S., a share that was marginally higher than those who
picked the economy - 19% - and immigration - 18%. Biden's Democrats considered
extremism by far the No. 1 issue while Trump's Republicans overwhelmingly chose
immigration. Extremism was independents' top concern, cited by almost a third
of independent respondents, followed by immigration, cited by about one in
five. The economy ranked third. During and since his presidency, Trump has kept
up a steady drumbeat of criticism of U.S. institutions, claiming the four
criminal prosecutions he faces are politically motivated and holding to his
false claims that his 2020 election defeat was the result of widespread fraud.”



Iran



Iran International: Iran Continues To Offer Safe Haven To Al-Qaeda, US Confirms
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“Iran continues to allow al-Qaeda to facilitate its terrorist activities, a
key communication channel to transfer funds and fighters to South Asia, Syria,
and elsewhere, the US State Department told Iran International. The State
Department said that “Iran continues to deny al-Qaeda’s presence in the
country, despite their knowledge of al-Qaeda leadership figures’ activities
there," the relationship dating back to as early as 2009. The State Department
also confirmed remarks by James Rubin, the US special coordinator for the State
Department’s Global Engagement Center, who recently talked of “a new
partnership between Iran and al-Qaeda" in a briefing in London, saying that
Iran is harboring al-Qaeda leaders inside its soil.”



Yemen



Associated Press: Rocket Fire Reported Off Yemen In Red Sea In A New Suspected
Attack By Houthi Rebels
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“A rocket exploded late Tuesday night off the side of a ship traveling through
the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen, authorities said, the latest suspected
attack to be carried out by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. The attack comes as the
Houthis continue a series of assaults at sea over Israel’s war on Hamas in the
Gaza Strip and as the U.S. and its allies launch airstrikes trying to stop
them. The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center,
which oversees shipping in the Mideast, reported the attack happened about 110
kilometers (70 miles) off the coast of the Houthi-held port city of Hodeida.
The rocket exploded several miles off the bow of the vessel, it said. “The crew
and vessel are reported to be safe and are proceeding to next port of call,”
the UKMTO said. The private security firm Ambrey reported that the vessel
targeted appeared to be a Marshall Islands-flagged, Greek-owned bulk carrier in
the area at the time. Another ship, a Panama-flagged, Emirati-owned chemical
tanker was nearby as well, Ambrey said. The Associated Press could not
immediately identify the vessels involved.”



Lebanon



Reuters: Lebanon's Hezbollah Will Halt Fire If Hamas Oks Gaza Truce, Sources
Say
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“Lebanon's Hezbollah will halt fire on Israel if its Palestinian ally Hamas
agrees to a proposal for a truce with Israel in Gaza - unless Israeli forces
keep shelling Lebanon, two sources familiar with Hezbollah's thinking told
Reuters on Tuesday. Hezbollah has been exchanging near-daily fire with Israel
across Lebanon's southern border since Oct. 8, a day after a bloody Hamas
assault in southern Israel that triggered a fierce Israeli land, air and sea
offensive on the Gaza Strip. A temporary truce between Hamas and Israel to
allow for hostage and prisoner releases led to a week of calm across the
Lebanese-Israeli border in late November. Hamas is now weighing a new proposal,
agreed by Israel at talks with mediators in Paris last week, for a deal that
would suspend fighting for 40 days, which would be the first extended pause of
the five-month-old war. "The moment Hamas announces its approval of the truce,
and the moment the truce is declared, Hezbollah will adhere to the truce and
will stop operations in the south immediately, as happened the previous time,"
one of the two sources close to the heavily armed, Shi'ite Muslim group said.”



New York Times: Israel Launches Its Deepest Airstrikes In Lebanon In Years
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“Israeli airstrikes inside Lebanon on targets associated with the Hezbollah
militia hit deeper than any in recent years on Monday, targeting an area close
to the Syrian border. The Israeli military said that its fighter jets had
struck Hezbollah air defenses in the Bekaa Valley, about 60 miles from the
Israeli border. It said that the strikes were in response to a surface-to-air
missile attack that downed an Israeli drone over southern Lebanon. Hezbollah
claimed responsibility for that attack.”



Middle East



Associated Press: A Deal Between Israel And Hamas Appears To Be Taking Shape.
What Would It Look Like?
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“Israel and Hamas are inching toward a new deal that would free some of the
roughly 130 hostages held in the Gaza Strip in exchange for a weekslong pause
in the war, now in its fifth month. U.S. President Joe Biden says a deal could
go into effect as early as Monday, ahead of what is seen as an unofficial
deadline — the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, around March 10. A
deal would bring some respite to desperate people in Gaza, who have borne a
staggering toll, as well as to the anguished families of Israeli hostages taken
during Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack that sparked the war. Here is a look at the
emerging agreement. According to a senior official from Egypt, a six-week
cease-fire would go into effect, and Hamas would agree to free up to 40
hostages — mostly civilian women, at least two children, and older and sick
captives. Israel would release at least 300 Palestinian prisoners held in
Israeli jails, the official said.”



Reuters: Gaza's Warring Enemies Cautious Over Truce Talks After Biden Says
Deal Nearing
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“Israel and Hamas as well as Qatari mediators all sounded notes of caution on
Tuesday about progress towards a truce in Gaza, after U.S. President Joe Biden
said he believed a ceasefire could be reached in under a week to halt the war
for Ramadan. Hamas is weighing a proposal, agreed by Israel at talks with
mediators in Paris last week, for a 40-day ceasefire, which would be the first
extended truce of the five-month-old war. Both sides have delegations in Qatar
this week hammering out details. According to a source close to the ceasefire
talks, the Paris proposal would see militants free some but not all of the
hostages in return for Israel's release of hundreds of Palestinian detainees, a
surge in humanitarian aid for Gaza and Israeli troops pulling out of populated
areas in the enclave. But it appears to stop short of satisfying Hamas' main
demand that any agreement include a clear path towards a permanent end to the
war and Israeli withdrawal, or resolving the fate of fighting-age Israeli men
among the hostages.”



Somalia



New York Times: Hunger, Terrorism And The Threat Of War: Somalia’s Year Of
Crises
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“A 10-year defense and economic deal with Turkey to protect its seacoast and
bolster its naval force. An agreement with the United States to construct five
military bases for over $100 million. An enhanced defense cooperation accord
with Uganda to boost the fight against the terrorist group Al Shabab. The three
security pacts signed by Somalia in recent days underscore the increasing
perils the Horn of Africa nation faces both internally and externally.
Internally, the nation confronts the persistent threat of Al Shabab, the Qaeda
affiliate that has remained resilient even as the departure date for African
Union peacekeeping forces — whose offensives helped put the group on the back
foot — looms in December. Equally worrisome, tensions are growing between
Somalia and its western neighbor, Ethiopia, over Somalia’s coastline — the
longest in mainland Africa — threatening to set off a new conflict in a vital
global shipping route in an increasingly volatile region.”



Germany



New York Times: Red Army Faction Fugitive Wanted for Decades Is Arrested in
Germany
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“One of Germany’s most wanted fugitives was arrested on Monday after living in
plain sight in Berlin, just miles from the seat of government that the police
say she fought to overthrow in the 1990s. The woman, Daniela Klette, who had
evaded the police for decades, was wanted in connection with the bombing of a
prison in 1993. The police say they believe she was a guerrilla with the Red
Army Faction, originally know as the Baader-Meinhof gang, Germany’s most
infamous postwar terrorist group.”



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