“Four Italian soldiers were lightly hurt Friday in a rocket "attack" on the
U.N. peacekeeping mission in Lebanon amid reported intense clashes between
Hezbollah militants and Israeli forces, Rome said Friday. Italian Foreign
Minister Antonio Tajani said initial evidence pointed to Hezbollah being behind
the strike that wounded the peacekeepers. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni
expressed "deep indignation and concern" over "new attacks suffered by the
Italian headquarters of UNIFIL in southern Lebanon." "These attacks are
unacceptable," she said in a statement, calling on "the parties on the ground
to guarantee, at all times, the safety of UNIFIL soldiers and to collaborate to
quickly identify those responsible."”











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Eye on Extremism



November 25, 2024



CBS News: Four Italian U.N. Peacekeepers Wounded As Israel And Hezbollah
Militants Clash In Lebanon
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“Four Italian soldiers were lightly hurt Friday in a rocket "attack" on the
U.N. peacekeeping mission in Lebanon amid reported intense clashes between
Hezbollah militants and Israeli forces, Rome said Friday. Italian Foreign
Minister Antonio Tajani said initial evidence pointed to Hezbollah being behind
the strike that wounded the peacekeepers. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni
expressed "deep indignation and concern" over "new attacks suffered by the
Italian headquarters of UNIFIL in southern Lebanon." "These attacks are
unacceptable," she said in a statement, calling on "the parties on the ground
to guarantee, at all times, the safety of UNIFIL soldiers and to collaborate to
quickly identify those responsible."”



Associated Press: The UAE Arrests 3 Uzbek Nationals For The Killing Of An
Israeli-Moldovan Rabbi
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“The United Arab Emirates said Monday police arrested three Uzbek nationals
for the killing of an Israeli-Moldovan rabbi. The statement from the country’s
Interior Ministry offered no motive for the slaying of Zvi Kogan. Kogan, 28, an
ultra-Orthodox rabbi who went missing on Thursday, ran a kosher grocery store
in the futuristic city of Dubai, where Israelis have flocked for commerce and
tourism since the two countries forged diplomatic ties in the 2020 Abraham
Accords. The agreement has held through more than a year of soaring regional
tensions unleashed by Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack into southern Israel.”




CEP Expert Analysis

*
ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency In October 2024
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ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency In September 2024
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CEP Report: Civilian Counterterrorism Militias Take Action, Introduce New
Challenges to Combatting Violent Extremism in Africa
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*
CEP Policy Brief: Identifying and Disrupting Key Antisemitic Actors
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Extremist Content Online: Extreme Right Celebrates Anti-Muslim Immigration
Riots on Telegram and X
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CEP Mentions



The Times: Jailbreak Fears As Prison Maps Are Leaked On The Dark Web
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“Security officials are investigating a major leak of detailed prison layouts
amid fears they will be exploited by criminals to smuggle drugs and weapons
into prisons or used to aid an escape. Emergency security measures have been
deployed at multiple jails across England and Wales after the blueprints were
shared on the dark web over the past fortnight. The schematic plans are also
understood to include the location of sensors and cameras… Ian Acheson, a
former prison governor and a counter-terrorism expert who reviewed extremism in
prisons for the government, said that organised crime groups could use copies
of the layouts along with other public information to co-ordinate drone
deliveries of drugs and weapons, and potentially orchestrate an escape.”



Tagesspiegel: Israel Reports Murder Of Rabbi In Abu Dhabi
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"Zvi Kogan had been missing in the United Arab Emirates for days , and now
Israel has announced the violent death of the 28-year-old rabbi. Kogan, who
holds both Israeli and Moldovan citizenship , was murdered, the offices of
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said
in a joint statement on Sunday. It was a case of "anti-Semitic terrorism."… "At
the moment, the information regarding the circumstances of the death is still
relatively vague," terrorism expert Hans-Jakob Schindler told the Tagesspiegel.
"The investigations are now in full swing." We have to wait for the results…
The extremism researcher, who is senior director of the international Counter
Extremism Project, explains: "Iran has announced that it will respond to the
last Israeli military attack on the country in October. This response can look
many different. International attacks on Israeli and Jewish targets are always
possible as well.””



El Pais: The American Far Right Is Emboldened By The Arrival Of Donald Trump
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“It was just a theatrical performance of Anne Frank’s Diary , but the night
of the performance in the small town of Fowlerville, Michigan, it turned
chilling. On November 12, while the cast was on stage and the audience, some 75
people, were in their seats, a handful of masked men were lurking outside the
venue… Even so, more organized groups do not necessarily see the
president-elect and his MAGA movement as representing them, Joshua Fisher
Birch, an expert on neo-Nazi and supremacist groups at the Counter Extremism
Project, explains via video call from New York. “Trump is, in fact, heavily
criticized by the far right for his support of Israel and his ties to the
Jewish community ,” he explains, “which is who they see as the ultimate global
enemy, responsible for all the evil they imagine they face in the world. For
many, Trump is the other side of the same coin.””



The Boca Raton Observer: Broidy Capital Holdings
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“... The tragic events of Oct. 7th further heightened Broidy’s commitment to
Israel. “These events made us painfully aware of the extraordinary danger
facing Israel and Jewish communities worldwide,” he reflects. “It prompted me
to deepen my support for several organizations, including The Counter Extremism
Project and The Jewish Agency for Israel, as well as various groups fighting
antisemitism on U.S. campuses and beyond.” With a deeply rooted commitment to
both business and philanthropy, Broidy exemplifies the kind of leadership and
compassion that continues to attract top talent to South Florida and Boca Raton
in particular.”



United States



The Hill: Former New York Resident Arrested Over Plan To Support ISIS
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“An Albanian man with dual citizenship in the U.S. was charged Friday for
attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State and distributing
instructional material on making explosives, according to the Department of
Justice (DOJ). Erald Alimehmeti, 33, of Tirana, Albania — a former New York
City resident — served from late 2015-2019 and again from 2020-2022 in an
Albanian prison over weapons and assault charges. Alimehmeti allegedly used
online accounts to research “D.C. Sniper” style attacks and request “tactical”
equipment and “gear” for “training” and “operations” in support of ISIS, per
the DOJ release. He also reportedly solicited “magazine pouches,” and “knives,”
and described modifications he intended to make to his “AKM” — an apparent
reference to an assault rifle.”



The Guardian: John Bolton Rips Into Trump’s Pick For Counter-Terrorism Chief
Sebastian Gorka
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“Trump’s former national security adviser John Bolton has laid into Sebastian
Gorka, the president-elect’s pick for counter-terrorism chief, as a “conman”
whose selection is not “going to bode well for counter-terrorism efforts when
the [national security council’s] senior director is somebody like that”. Trump
praised Gorka, who was born in the UK to Hungarian parents, as a “tireless
advocate for the America First Agenda and the MAGA Movement”. But Bolton came
out swinging at Gorka on Friday. The arch-conservative, who served in the
Reagan, George W Bush and first Trump administrations, has set out his stall
against many of Trump’s picks, including former Democrat and Iraq veteran Tulsi
Gabbard for director of national intelligence, and told CNN that he “wouldn’t
have him in any US government”.”



Iran



Reuters: Iran's Khamenei Calls For Death Sentence For Israeli Leaders
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“The supreme leader of Iran, which backs the Hamas and Hezbollah militants
fighting Israel in Gaza and Lebanon, said on Monday that death sentences should
be issued for Israeli leaders, not arrest warrants. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was
commenting on a decision by the International Criminal Court to issue arrest
warrants on Thursday for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former
defence chief and a Hamas leader, Ibrahim Al-Masri. "They issued an arrest
warrant, that's not enough... Death sentence must be issued for these criminal
leaders", Khamenei said, referring to the Israeli leaders.”



Iraq



Voice Of America: Islamic State Figure Arrested In Iraqi Kurdistan
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“Iraqi national security officials on Saturday said they arrested the
top-ranking Islamic State figure in Iraqi Kurdistan. Azad Shakhi, the so-called
emir of the Kurdistan faction of Islamic State, which is also known as IS, ISIS
or ISIL, was detained in Kirkuk province alongside six other suspected
terrorists, one of whom blew himself up amid the siege on their hideout. "The
detainees were working underground and were found and arrested after a thorough
investigation and gathering information," Colonel Salam Abdulkhaliq, spokesman
for the Kurdistan Regional Security Agency, told VOA's Kurdish Service.
Regional security officials with knowledge of the investigation said the group
had been planning to target security figures and government institutions,
according to regional news outlets.”



Afghanistan



NPR: For The First Time Ever, Taliban Reps Were Invited To The Big U.N.
Climate Conference
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“For the first time since the Taliban takeover in 2021, a delegation from
Afghanistan has been invited to the United Nations signature climate
conference: the 29th Conference of Parties (COP). Following U.N. protocol, this
year's host nation — Azerbaijan — issued the invite. It's not a full-blown
invitation. Because the U.N. does not recognize the Taliban as the official
government of Afghanistan due to its repressive policies, the Afghan delegates
— members of the National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA — cannot
participate in decision-making events. Nonetheless, the Taliban has said it is
eager to participate. "The Afghan delegation will discuss strengthening
international cooperation in the field of environmental protection and climate
change," stated a Taliban press release prior to the U.N. event.”



Voice Of America: Afghan Girls Turn To Online Learning, Defying Taliban
Education Ban
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“Saliha began taking online classes after she lost hope of returning to
school to pursue her dream of becoming a doctor in Afghanistan. She was in
ninth grade when U.S.-led forces withdrew from the country and the Taliban
seized power in August 2021, banning girls' secondary education. "I used to
dream of finishing school and going to university," said Saliha, 18, who did
not want her family name to be revealed for security reasons. "But now,
considering all the limitations, my hope is just to have any kind of education,
whether via online courses or underground school." With the Taliban's ban on
secondary education in its fourth year, some Afghan girls and young women like
Saliha are looking for an alternative source of education.”



Pakistan



Associated Press: Pakistani Police Arrest Thousands Of Imran Khan Supporters
As Capital Under Lockdown Ahead Of Rally
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“Pakistani police arrested thousands of Imran Khan supporters as the capital
remained under lockdown ahead of a rally there to demand the ex-premier’s
release from prison, a security officer said Sunday. Khan has been behind bars
for more than a year and has over 150 criminal cases against him. But he
remains popular and his political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf or PTI, says
the cases are politically motivated. Shahid Nawaz, a security officer in
eastern Punjab province, said police have arrested more than 4,000 Khan
supporters. They include five parliamentarians. Pakistan has since Saturday
sealed off Islamabad with shipping containers and shut down major roads and
highways connecting the city with PTI strongholds in Punjab and northwestern
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.”



Lebanon



Associated Press: An Israeli Strike That Killed 3 Lebanese Journalists Was
Most Likely Deliberate, Watchdog Says
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“An Israeli airstrike that killed three journalists and wounded others in
Lebanon last month was most likely a deliberate attack on civilians and an
apparent war crime, an international human rights group said Monday. The Oct.
25 airstrike killed three journalists as they slept at a guesthouse in
southeast Lebanon in one of the deadliest attacks on the media since the
Israel-Hezbollah war began 13 months ago. Eleven other journalists have been
killed and eight wounded since then, Lebanon’s Health Minister Firass Abiad
said. More than 3,500 people have been killed in Lebanon, and women and
children accounted for more than 900 of the dead, according to the Health
Ministry.”



Reuters: Powerful Israeli Airstrike In Central Beirut Kills 20, Lebanese
Health Ministry Says
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“An Israeli airstrike killed at least 20 people in central Beirut on
Saturday, Lebanon's health ministry said, one of the deadliest strikes on the
heart of the capital since Israel began its assault against the Iran-backed
Hezbollah group in September. Another 13 people, including at least four
children, were killed in attacks on the villages of Chimsar and Bodai northeast
of the capital in Baalbek district, the ministry said. In Beirut, an
eight-storey building was struck with four missiles, including
bunker-penetrating types designed to hit underground targets, said a Lebanese
security source. Israel has used bunker-busting weapons to kill senior
Hezbollah figures, including its veteran leader Hassan Nasrallah in a strike on
southern Beirut in September.”



Associated Press: Lebanon’s Shiite Muslims Pay High Price In War Between
Israel And Hezbollah
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“The Lebanese civilians most devastated by the Israel- Hezbollah war are
Shiite Muslims, and many of them believe they are being unfairly punished
because they share a religious identity with Hezbollah militants and often live
in the same areas. “This is clear,” said Wael Murtada, a young Shiite man who
anxiously watched paramedics search rubble after a recent Israeli airstrike
destroyed his uncle’s two-story home and killed 10 people. “Who else is being
attacked?” Israel has concentrated its attacks on villages in southern and
northeastern Lebanon and neighborhoods south of Beirut. This is where many
Hezbollah militants operate from, and their families live side by side with
large numbers of Shiites who aren’t members of the group.”



Middle East



The Guardian: Islamic State Is Primed To Be Thorn In The Side Of Incoming
Trump Administration
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“Amid a presidential campaign with foreign policy discussions more focused on
the wars in Ukraine, Gaza and Lebanon, the Islamic State stayed under the radar
while calling on supporters and operatives to attack Americans on election day.
The FBI thwarted a serious plot in Oklahoma City only weeks before the vote,
prompting a similar public reaction to news involving the terror group that has
become customary of late: is the Islamic State a renewed threat? But the
reality is that the terror group has always been one to watch. For the last few
years, since the fall of its so-called caliphate, IS was forced to reimagine
itself and rallied by restructuring its cells in Europe and reinforcing
strongholds in Afghanistan under the banner of the very busy Khorasan (ISKP)
branch, and another in Somalia among others.”



The New York Times: An Israeli Rabbi Is Abducted And Killed In The U.A.E.
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“An Israeli rabbi in the United Arab Emirates who had been missing since
Thursday has been found murdered, Israeli and Emirati authorities announced on
Sunday. Israeli officials called the death of the rabbi, Zvi Kogan, an act of
terrorism, without providing any further details. The Emirati government said
in a statement on Sunday that “three perpetrators involved in the murder” had
been arrested. It offered no additional information on the arrests but said
“full details” would be disclosed when the investigations conclude. Rabbi
Kogan, a dual citizen of Israel and Moldova, worked in Abu Dhabi as part of the
Chabad-Lubavitch movement, a branch of Orthodox Judaism that conducts Jewish
outreach around the world.”



Reuters: Israeli Strikes Kill Dozens In Gaza Over 48 Hours, Palestinian
Officials Say
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“Israeli military strikes across the Gaza Strip have killed at least 120
Palestinians over the last 48 hours and hit a hospital on the northern edge of
the enclave, wounding medical staff and damaging equipment, Palestinian medics
said on Saturday. Among the dead were seven members of one family whose house
was hit overnight in the Zeitoun suburb of Gaza City, the health officials
said. The rest were killed in separate Israeli strikes in central and southern
Gaza. At the same time, Israeli forces deepened their incursion and bombardment
of the northern edge of the enclave, their main offensive since early last
month. A spokesperson for the armed wing of Hamas said a female Israeli hostage
in the group's custody had been killed in a northern area under attack by
Israeli forces.



Mali



Associated Press: At Least 6 Mercenaries With Russia’s Wagner Group Killed In
An Extremist Attack In Mali
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“At least six Russian mercenaries were killed in an attack by an
al-Qaida-linked group in central Mali, according to a statement by the
extremists on its media platform. The group, known by its acronym, JNIM, said
it ambushed a convoy of mercenaries working for the Wagner Group on Thursday in
the Mopti region, killing fighters and burning vehicles. A Mali security
official who works in the area confirmed an attack on Russian soldiers occurred
on Thursday and that several people died while manning a checkpoint in the
center of the country. The official spoke on condition of anonymity on Saturday
because he was not authorized to speak to the media. Russia has capitalized on
deteriorating relations between the West and coup-affected Sahel nations in
West Africa to send fighters and assert its influence.”



Africa



Associated Press: Police In Jordan Kill A Gunman In A Shootout Near The
Israeli Embassy
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“Police in Jordan shot and killed a man after he opened fire near the Israeli
Embassy early on Sunday, authorities said. Three police officers were wounded
in the shootout in the Rabiah neighborhood of the capital, Amman. Authorities
did not identify the shooter or say what his motive was. Jordan is a close
Western ally that made peace with Israel in 1994. But Israel’s devastating
offensive in the Gaza Strip, launched after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack, has
strained relations. Jordan has a large Palestinian population and has seen
repeated protests outside the Israeli Embassy, with demonstrators sometimes
clashing with police. Jordan’s Public Security Directorate said in a statement
that police pursued the gunman after he opened fire in the area.”



Financial Times: Military Juntas In Africa’s ‘Coup Belt’ Fail To Contain
Extremist Violence
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“Military juntas in the Sahel have failed to contain a surge in jihadi
violence, with fatalities rising in the years since they took over pledging to
bring security to a region that became known as Africa’s “coup belt”. Mali,
Burkina Faso and Niger were all taken over by military governments between 2020
and 2023 as soldiers seized on popular anger against democratic governments for
their failure to stop the Islamist and insurgent violence that had plagued the
region for more than a decade. Yet instead of ushering in a new era of security
in the central Sahel, the semi-arid strip south of the Sahara, extremist groups
have become emboldened over the past year.”



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