CEP Mentions
Voice Of America: Exclusive: Facing Cash Crunch, Hezbollah Seeks To Boost Illegal Drug Sales In Europe
“... Selling illegal drugs in Europe is a quick way for Hezbollah to raise money because of ample demand and supply, according to Hans-Jakob Schindler, senior director of the Counter Extremism Project, a U.S.-German nonprofit policy organization. “Europe is the largest consumer of cocaine worldwide, bigger than the United States, so the demand is there,” said Schindler, a former U.N. Security Council and German government official. On the supply side, Schindler said Hezbollah has established relationships with South American drug cartels who ship their illicit cargos to West Africa, from where they are transported first to Africa’s northern coast and then to Europe’s southern coast. “Unlike drug trafficking, Hezbollah’s other money-making ventures are not easy to ramp up quickly,” Schindler said.”
EU Reporter: French Neocolonialism: A Threat To The European Economy And Security
“France is facing a significant economic crisis, which threatens not only its domestic stability but also risks creating ripple effects across the European Union (EU). Key challenges include record high public debt, now over €3 trillion, or 112% of its GDP, and a widening budget deficit. These issues are compounded by rising inflation, political turmoil, and public unrest, placing France’s finances under intense EU scrutiny. […] According to the experts of the Counter Extremism Project (CEP) France and Qatar’s relationship deepened in 2024 with a €10 billion investment agreement, marking a strategic partnership. While the partnership boosts the French economy, particularly in luxury, sports, and real estate sectors, it raises concerns about Qatar’s influence on French policies.”
Yahoo News: Leader Of Islamic State In Iraq Killed, Prime Minister Says
“Security forces in Iraq have killed the leader of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group in the country, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said on Tuesday. In addition to the leader of Islamic State in Iraq, eight other senior figures in the group were killed during a "heroic operation" in the Hamrin Mountains, he said. "There is no place for terrorists in Iraq," al-Sudani said. […] The organization Counter Extremism Project counted around 70 attacks in Syria alone in March this year. Islamic State cells have also regained some of their strength in parts of Africa and South Asia.”
Daily Mail: Islamic State’s Iraqi Chief Is Assassinated In Strike On Mountain Stronghold
“Islamic State's top commander in Iraq has been killed after Iraqi security forces launched punishing airstrikes on the terrorist outfit's stronghold in the Hamrin mountains, the prime minister declared this afternoon. The ISIS commander, named as Jassim al-Mazrouei Abu Abdel Qader, died along with eight other terrorists in the operation conducted early last week, according to Iraqi premier Mohammed Shia al-Sudani's statement. […] Edmund Fitton-Brown, Senior Advisor to the Counter Extremism Project and former Ambassador of the UK to Yemen, told MailOnline: 'ISIS methodically kept itself alive during the height of military and counterterrorism pressure it faced by creating a global structure of mutually supportive regional networks.'”
Tagesspiegel: "Heoric Effort" In The Hamrin Mountains: Security Forces Kill Leader Of IS Terrorist Militia In Iraq
“Security forces in Iraq have killed the leader of the terrorist militia Islamic State (IS). Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani announced this and spoke of a "heroic operation" in the Hamrin Mountains. In addition to the Wali ("governor") of IS in Iraq, eight other high-ranking leaders of the terrorist militia were killed. […] But IS has not disappeared. According to the US Central Command, there are currently around 2,500 IS fighters in both countries who carry out attacks again and again . The Counter Extremism Project organisation counted around 70 attacks in Syria alone in March of this year. IS cells have also regained some strength in parts of Africa and South Asia.”
RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland: Where The Millions Of Hezbollah And Hamas’ Fortunes Come From
“Beirut, end of September: A Boeing 747-200 F of the Iranian airline Qeshm Fars Air is approaching Rafiq Hariri Airport in the south of the Lebanese capital. The Israeli military, which has hacked the communication channel, suddenly intervenes in the conversation between the tower and the crew. The Israelis warn the crew of Qeshm Fars Air not to land in Beirut. If they do so, the plane will be destroyed immediately. But if the Boeing changes course and returns to Tehran, it will remain unharmed. […] Terrorism expert Hans-Jakob Schindler calls Hezbollah "a state within a state," "which requires several hundred million dollars of funding per year," the employee of the transatlantic think tank Counter Extremism Project (CDP) told RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND).”
FOCUS Online: Expert Warns: Violence At Anti-Israel Demonstrations Reaches New Dimension
“The security situation in Germany has been particularly tense since Hamas' pogrom-like attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Just hours after this terrorist attack, Islamist extremist actors mobilized their supporters and sympathizers in Germany to demonstrate against Israel. […] After an international career in research, public service, the private sector and as terrorism advisor to the United Nations Security Council, Hans-Jakob Schindler currently works as Senior Director at the Counter Extremism Project in Berlin and New York and on advisory boards of various international organizations. He studied in Tübingen, Georgetown, St Andrews and Tel Aviv and wrote his PhD thesis on international terrorism in St Andrews.”
Newsrael: What Sinwar’s Possessions Say About His Pre-Death Movements
“When Israeli forces examined Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar’s body after killing him in a surprise ground operation on Thursday, they discovered several curious items, including grenades, an assault rifle, nearly $11,000 in cash, and a passport belonging to an employee of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency. […] “Having access to a humanitarian passport—even if expired in 2017—could possibly provide access to humanitarian corridors to evacuate a crisis zone,” said Riza Kumar, a research analyst with the Counter Extremism Project, a nonprofit policy group. “Given that only two others died alongside Sinwar, his small entourage suggests he was attempting to make moves that wouldn’t be so easily detected.””
United States
Associated Press: US Charges Iran Revolutionary Guard Official In Alleged Plot To Kill A Human Rights Activist In NYC
“Federal prosecutors on Tuesday charged a senior Iranian military official and three others with links to that country’s government with plotting to kill an Iranian American author on U.S. soil — a development lauded by the alleged target. “This is a beautiful day for me. It’s like I’ve been given a second life,” Masih Alinejad said of her reaction after eight FBI agents and Justice Department officials told her about the charges filed against Brig. Gen. Ruhollah Bazghandi, a senior official in Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, and three other men. Bazghandi, who previously served as chief of the Revolutionary Guard’s counterintelligence department, and the three other defendants live in Iran and remain at large, according to prosecutors. Five others were previously charged in the alleged plot, including three people who are in custody.”
Iraq
Voice Of America: Iraq Says It Killed Top Islamic State Group Figure
“Iraqi forces have killed nine Islamic State group commanders, including the militants’ top figure in the country, Baghdad announced Tuesday, with the Pentagon saying two U.S. troops were injured during the raid. Iraq's Joint Operations Command said in a statement that counterterrorism forces "killed nine terrorists, among them the so-called governor of Iraq" for IS, naming him as Jassim al-Mazroui Abu Abdel Qader. The statement said the raid in the northern Hamrin Mountains was carried out "with technical support" and intelligence provided by the U.S.-led anti-jihadi coalition and said that "large quantities of weapons" were seized in the operation which was "still ongoing." Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder said that U.S. Central Command and Iraqi forces "conducted a partner raid in Iraq targeting several senior ISIS leaders" overnight.”
Pakistan
Associated Press: Pakistan Police Arrest 3 Men Who Stabbed And Killed 2 Transgender Women At Their Home
“Pakistan’s police arrested three men on suspicion of killing two transgender women with daggers at their home in the country’s conservative northwest, police said on Wednesday. District police chief Zahur Babar Afridi told reporters that the men were arrested Tuesday over the killings, which took place Sunday in Mardan, a city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The men, who were handcuffed and whose faces were covered with hoods, were present at the police news conference. Afridi said the three men had confessed to the killings during questioning. Their arrest came a day after representatives of trans community in northwestern Pakistan urged police to detain the perpetrators. Transgender people are often subjected to harassment, abuse and attacks in Muslim-majority Pakistan. They are also among the victims of so-called honor killings carried out by relatives to punish perceived sexual transgressions.”
Middle East
The Washington Post: IDF Confirms Death Of Top Hezbollah Leader; Blinken Meets With Netanyahu
“Hashem Safieddine, the senior Hezbollah leader widely seen as the successor to the group’s former leader, Hassan Nasrallah, was killed around three weeks ago, the Israel Defense Forces announced Tuesday. The IDF said it could confirm the news following weeks of speculation about whether Safieddine, who headed Hezbollah’s executive council, was still alive. Earlier Tuesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, the prime minister’s office said, as part of Blinken’s latest tour of the Middle East to try to de-escalate tensions in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip. Blinken “emphasized the need for Israel to take additional steps to increase and sustain the flow of humanitarian assistance into Gaza,” and pushed for a path to ramp down the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.”
Reuters: Israel Issues Travel Warning To Parts Of Sri Lanka Over Terrorism Threat
“Israel's national security council on Wednesday called on Israelis to immediately leave some tourist areas in southern Sri Lanka over the threat of a possible terrorist attack. The agency said the warning pertained to the area of Arugam Bay and beaches in the south and west of Sri Lanka, and stemmed from "current information about a terrorist threat focused on tourist areas and beaches". The security council did not specify the exact nature of the threat and called on Israelis in the rest of Sri Lanka to be cautious and refrain from holding large gatherings in public areas. "The Israeli security establishment ... is in close contact with the security authorities in Sri Lanka and is following the developments," it said.”
Mali
Reuters: Drone Attack In Northern Mali Kills At Least 8, Tuareg Rebels Say
“At least eight people including children were killed and 20 injured in a drone strike at a fair in Mali's northern Timbuktu region, Tuareg rebels said on Tuesday. The rebel coalition known as the Permanent Strategic Framework for the Defence of the People of Azawad (CSP-DPA) said in a statement on Monday that a Turkish drone had carried out several strikes on a local market and civilian dwellings. The CSP-DPA blamed Mali's army and its allies for the attack. Mali's armed forces did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the incident. The Tuareg are an ethnic group that inhabits the Sahara region, including parts of northern Mali, and is fighting for an independent homeland. The separatist group launched an insurgency against Mali's junta government in 2012 but the rebellion was later hijacked by Islamist groups. They signed a peace agreement with Bamako in 2015, but CSP-DPA pulled out of the talks at the end of 2022.”
Africa
The Washington Post: Swiss Tourist Suffers ‘Violent Death’ Visiting Algeria With Tour Group
“A Swiss tourist was killed earlier this month in Algeria, which has in recent years aimed to attract tourists and put a history of instability and terrorism in the Sahara in the past. Switzerland’s Department of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday said in a statement to The Associated Press that it had been in contact with Algerian authorities about the “violent death” of an unnamed Swiss citizen on Oct. 11. The woman was part of a tour group of five Swiss travelers. Algerian authorities did not respond to a request for comment and had not issued a public statement as of Tuesday.”
France
Associated Press: France Defends Restrictions On Israeli Firms Supplying Middle East Wars And Says It’s Not A Boycott
“France’s government on Tuesday defended its decision to bar Israeli companies supplying the wars in the Middle East from exhibiting at an upcoming trade fair outside Paris. Organizers of the Nov. 4-7 naval defense exhibition, called Euronaval, posted on the event’s website that Israeli firms can take part in the show and “may have an exhibition stand, provided that their products are not used in military operations in Gaza and Lebanon.” The organizers attributed the restrictions to French government decisions taken earlier this month. Addressing parliament Tuesday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said the policy doesn’t amount to a boycott of Israeli firms. But he also said it would be “incoherent” for France to allow the promotion of weapons used in the wars when Paris is also pushing for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and Lebanon.”
Germany
The Washington Post: A Man Who Allegedly Planned A Bomb Attack For The Islamic State Group Is Indicted In Germany
“German prosecutors said Tuesday they have filed an indictment against a man who allegedly joined the Islamic State group in Iraq and planned to carry out an attack in Germany on its behalf. The Iraqi national, identified only as Mahmoud A. in line with German privacy rules, was arrested in June in Esslingen, near Stuttgart. The federal prosecutor’s office said he has now been formally charged at the state court in Stuttgart with membership in a foreign terrorist organization and preparing a serious act of violence.The suspect joined IS in Iraq in May 2016, and fought and carried out guard duties for the extremist group until October 2017, according to prosecutors. He then allegedly went to Turkey in consultation with IS, and continued to Germany in October 2022.”
Russia
Reuters: Senior Hamas Official Arrives In Russia, RIA Reports
“A senior member of Hamas, the militant Palestinian group that controls Gaza, Mousa Abu Marzouk has arrived in Moscow on a planned visit, Russian state-run news agency RIA Novosti reported on Wednesday, citing a diplomatic source. Hamas politburo member, Abu Marzouk, intends to hold a series of meetings with Russian officials, RIA said without providing any further details. Russia has ties to all key players in the Middle East, including Israel, Iran, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority and Hamas. Moscow has repeatedly blamed the current crisis in the Middle East on the failure of U.S. diplomacy, and called for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and the resumption of talks aimed at finding a peace settlement.”
Southeast Asia
The Independent: Abu Sayyaf: Militants Jailed For Life For Mass Kidnapping Of Tourists From Tropical Island Resort
“A court has sentenced to life 17 Islamic militants for kidnapping 21 people, including European tourists and Asian workers, from a dive resort in Malaysia more than two decades ago. The Filipino militants belonged to the small but violent Abu Sayyaf group. Among those convicted by the Regional Trial Court in Taguig city, a suburb of the capital region, were two Abu Sayyaf leaders, Hilarion Santos and Redendo Dellosa, who had been included in a United Nations terrorism blacklist, the Department of Justice in Manila said. The 17 were sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of pardon after 30 years, according to justice officials. In April 2000, Abu Sayyaf militants armed with assault rifles and machetes, traveled by speedboats from their southern Philippine jungle strongholds and raided the Sipadan Island dive resort in neighboring Malaysia, where they abducted 21 Western tourists and resort workers at gunpoint.”
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