CEP Mentions
Tagesschau.De: How Right-Wing Extremists Organize Themselves In "Active Clubs"
“... For extremism expert Alexander Ritzmann, this is precisely the strategy of the "Active Clubs". "Violent right-wing extremists train, prepare for violence, but act as if they were just doing sports." Ritzmann works for the non-governmental organization "Counter Extremism Project", which operates in the USA and Europe and deals with extremist movements worldwide. In his opinion, the "Active Clubs" serve one main purpose: to build a network of right-wing extremists who are prepared to fight and use violence. According to Ritzmann, it remains to be seen what really drives the right-wing extremists behind the still young "Active Club" movement: "Will it remain a fist fight? Or is it just a pretense, a pretext, and in fact it is an armed militia, an armed vigilante group."”
Spiked: How Usman Khan Slipped Through The Net
“Five years ago, convicted terrorist Usman Khan murdered two young people at an event hosted by the prisoner-rehabilitation scheme, Learning Together, at London Bridge. Saskia Jones and Jack Merritt were both involved in running Learning Together, which was part of the University of Cambridge. They were stabbed to death on 29 November 2019 by the 28-year-old Khan, who was supposedly on community supervision nearly a year after being released from HMP Whitemoor. Khan had taken part in previous publicity for Learning Together, which showcased him as a reformed character, moving on from his terrorist lifestyle. He had been sentenced to prison indefinitely in 2012 for planning a terrorist bomb attack on the London Stock exchange with a group of nine extremists. Prior to this sentence, Khan had written to the trial judge stating he had repented his views.”
Spiked: Is There No End To The Prison Service’s Incompetence?
“At the last count, in April of this year, Britain’s failing prison system accommodated 246 prisoners convicted of terrorism-related offences. Not all of them are extremely dangerous but enough are to warrant their dispersal across several high-security prisons. Last week, The Times newspaper revealed that detailed schematic plans of these high-security prisons had been found on the dark web and could now be in the hands of criminals and terrorists. These schematics could include the precise location of violent extremists, murderers and other serious offenders including those deemed an escape risk. I remember these blueprints before they were digitised. I spent some time at the headquarters of HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) as a junior governor and staff officer to a national-incident command unit.”
TalkTV: “Inhumane!” Former Prison Governor Blasts Standard Of Living In UK Jails
“Talk's Ian Collins is joined by former prison governor Ian Acheson to discuss the standard of living in UK prisons. Cases of rats, broken windows, overcrowding and violence have been reported in prisons. Ian Acheson says the conditions are "inhumane" and prisons "don't have sufficient staff to help prisoners" to be rehabilitated.”
UnHerd: Islamophobia Laws Would Be Disastrous For Britain
“Yesterday in Parliament, Labour MP Tahir Ali asked Keir Starmer whether the Government would “commit to introducing measures to prohibit the desecration of all religious texts and the prophets of the Abrahamic religions”. Both the question and the Prime Minister’s response have already attracted a great deal of attention and criticism, but of perhaps overlooked significance is the way in which the question was introduced with reference to Islamophobia Awareness Month. Critics of both the term “Islamophobia” and its proposed definitions have long warned that it could amount to a backdoor blasphemy law. In response, they have frequently met with scorn, derision, and allegations of Islamophobia — which you’d think rather proves their misgivings.”
The Guardian: Trump’s Promise To Loosen Crypto Regulations May Be Boon For Extremist Groups
“The return of Donald Trump in the White House is promising many things: mass deportations, an end to inflation, and perhaps the first cryptocurrency-friendly presidency, which is widely expected to loosen regulations on the emergent technology… Besides legal funds, groups like the Base and others ask for myriad reasons to send crypto. “Different entities have previously requested cryptocurrency donations to allegedly pay for equipment, the costs of making and spreading physical propaganda, web hosting, travel, legal, and prisoner support,” said Joshua Fisher-Birch, an analyst at the Counter Extremism Project. “Crypto is attractive to the extreme right because it is easy to create a wallet and solicit donations online.”’
AlterNet: Experts Warn Trump’s Plan To Deregulate Crypto Will Help Terrorists And Domestic Extremists
“President-elect Trump campaigned on being a "crpyto president," promising to open up the floodgates on cryptocurrency by undoing regulations imposed by President Joe Biden's Securities and Exchange Commission… According to Joshua Fisher-Birch, who is an analyst at the Counter Extremism Project, crypto is extremists' preferred method of crowdfunding as any group can easily post a link to a wallet that can serve as a central destination where supporters around the world can channel funds. And while Bitcoin and Ethereum are among the most popular cryptocurrencies for mainstream investors, one of terrorist groups favorite cryptocurrencies is called Monero, due to its "untraceability." "Monero has also become popular with pro-Islamic State and IS-linked propagandists, who have asked for Monero donations and have posted advice on how to purchase it," Fisher-Birch said.”
Deutsche Welle: Thousands Of Lebanese Return Home As Ceasefire Takes Hold
“Hans-Jakob Schindler, senior director at the NGO Counter Extremism Project, spoke to DW about what the new Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire means. Asked whether the deal could hold, as Iran, Hezbollah's main backer, seems to have agreed to its terms, Schindler said: "Absolutely. Hezbollah, especially now in its weakened form, is more dependent on Iran than it was a year ago. And hence, if the guys who are paying for the show are telling you that this is the decision, it is very clear that Hezbollah is going to keep to the agreement." Though Schindler attested to Hezbollah's acute military weakness, he said it won't last forever. "Hezbollah is unfortunately only temporarily weakened a couple of years, maybe to rebuild everything. And then Israel may find itself in a very similar situation again."”
Welt: Security Expert Warns Of New “Streams Of Refugees From Syria”
“With the capture of Aleppo by radical Islamist rebels, the Syrian civil war has flared up again. Ruler Assad has announced a counter-offensive. Terrorism expert Hans-Jakob Schindler believes new flows of refugees to Europe are possible.”
United States
USA Today: Pentagon Study On Military Extremism Used Old Data To Downplay Problem: Report
“A Pentagon-funded study relied on old data to conclude extremism isn’t a major problem in the U.S. military, according to a new analysis. Meanwhile, incoming President Trump reportedly plans to sign an executive order removing thousands of trans service members from the military. And body camera footage shows locals in Columbus, OH, fought back when neo-Nazis came to town. It’s the week in extremism, from USA TODAY. Over the last few years, USA TODAY has closely followed the Pentagon’s approach to tackling extremism in the armed forces. In 2021, weeks after the Jan. 6 insurrection, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced a big push to weed extremists out of the military, but as USA TODAY reported, that push largely fell apart in the years that followed.”
Fox News: Suspected Terrorist From Jordan Arrested At US Northern Border: ICE
“Federal authorities believe a Jordanian migrant caught trying to enter the U.S. through its northern border is a terrorist, according to ICE Enforcement Removal Operations in Seattle. Mohammed Hasan Abdellatif Albana, 41, was captured near the northern border of Lynden, Washington, the agency said in a Wednesday press release. It is unclear when or where he snuck into the country. A U.S. immigration official identified Albana as a "known or suspected terrorist," the agency said. Albana was sent back to Jordan on November 15 after immigration proceedings, per the agency. "ERO Seattle is committed to the removal of noncitizens who pose a risk to the national security of the U.S. Our officers perform these removals dutifully as a part of a federal law enforcement effort to protect Pacific Northwest Communities," said ERO Seattle Field Office Director Drew H. Bostock.”
Syria
Associated Press: After Entering Aleppo, Syrian Insurgents Advance To A Nearby Province. Assad Says He’ll Defeat Them
“Thousands of Syrian insurgents took over most of Aleppo on Saturday, establishing positions in the country’s largest city and controlling its airport before expanding their shock offensive to a nearby province. They faced little to no resistance from government troops, according to fighters and activists. A war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said the insurgents led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham seized control of Aleppo International airport, the first international airport to be controlled by insurgents. The fighters claimed they seized the airport and posted pictures from there. Thousands of fighters also moved on, facing almost no opposition from government forces, to seize towns and villages in northern Hama, a province where they had a presence before being expelled by government troops in 2016.”
The Guardian: Syrian Militants Reach Central Aleppo As Government Forces Appear To Retreat
“Islamist rebels once exiled to a mountainous pocket of the Syrian countryside now roam the streets of central Aleppo, taking pictures below its ancient citadel and tearing down symbols of President Bashar al-Assad’s rule. The surprise offensive in which insurgents seized territory across north-western Syria appears to have dramatically shifted the balance of power in Aleppo, the country’s second largest city, and marks the most serious challenge to Assad’s control in years. On Saturday night, images emerged of fighters pushing deep into Syrian government-controlled territory towards the city of Hama, including Kafr Nabl, a town once seen as symbolic for its opposition to Assad. Within hours, video showed insurgents in the centre of Hama.”
Reuters: At Least 25 Killed As Russian, Syrian Jets Intensify Bombing Of Syrian Rebel Territory
“At least 25 people were killed in northwestern Syria in air strikes carried out by the Syrian government and Russia, the Syrian opposition-run rescue service known as the White Helmets said early on Monday. Russian and Syrian jets struck the rebel-held city of Idlib in northern Syria on Sunday, military sources said, as President Bashar al-Assad vowed to crush insurgents who had swept into the city of Aleppo. The army also said it had recaptured several towns that rebels had overrun in recent days. Residents said one attack hit a crowded residential area in the centre of Idlib, the largest city in a rebel enclave near the Turkish border where around four million people live in makeshift tents and dwellings. At least seven people were killed and dozens injured, according to rescuers at the scene."
Iraq
Associated Press: Iraqi Militias Deploy In Syria To Back Government’s Counteroffensive Against Insurgents
“Iranian-backed Iraqi militias have deployed in Syria to back the government’s counteroffensive against a surprise advance by insurgents who seized the largest city of Aleppo, a militia official and a war monitor said Monday. Insurgents led by jihadi group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham launched a two-pronged attack on Aleppo last week and moved into the countryside around Idlib and neighboring Hama province. Government troops built a fortified defensive line in northern Hama in an attempt to stall the insurgents’ momentum while jets on Sunday pounded rebel-held lines. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with Syrian President Bashar Assad in Damascus Sunday and announced Tehran’s full support for his government. He later arrived for talks in Ankara, Turkey, one of the rebels main backers.”
Afghanistan
The Washington Post: Women Despair Over Taliban Rules, But Many Afghan Returnees Don’t See It
“For the first time since the Taliban takeover three years ago, Afghans living outside the country have begun flocking back to their homeland, usually to visit relatives who have remained in Afghanistan. Upon their return, few seem preoccupied by the Taliban’s increasingly draconian restrictions on women — including bans on women going to university and school above sixth grade — or by the reluctance of many local women to leave their homes out of fear of encountering the morality police, according to interviews with residents and visitors. Instead, many of the visitors, carrying foreign passports or visas, marvel about the sense of security and the construction of new roads under Taliban rule. They post photos of their favorite Afghan dishes, discuss business plans and shop in the Kabul airport’s new duty-free store.”
Pakistan
Reuters: Pakistani Journalist Probing Imran Khan Protest Casualties Charged With Terrorism, Lawyer Says
“A Pakistani journalist investigating claims of casualties in a protest march demanding the release of jailed ex-prime minister Imran Khan was picked up off the street on Wednesday night and charged with terrorism, according to a colleague and his lawyer. Television host Matiullah Jan is known as a critic of the military's heavy influence in Pakistani politics. Hours before being picked up, he had done a TV show where he read from what he said were hospital records contradicting the government's denial that live ammunition had been used when security forces dispersed the protest, or that any protesters had been killed. Jan's colleague Saqib Bashir said on Thursday that they had both been picked up by men wearing black uniforms from the car park of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad.”
Yemen
Reuters: US Navy Destroys Houthi Missiles And Drones Targeting American Ships In Gulf Of Aden
“U.S. Navy destroyers shot down seven missiles and drones fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels at the warships and three American merchant vessels they were escorting through the Gulf of Aden. No damage or injuries were reported. U.S. Central Command said late Sunday that the destroyers USS Stockdale and USS O’Kane shot down and destroyed three anti-ship ballistic missiles, three drones and one anti-ship cruise missile. The merchant ships were not identified. The Houthis claimed the attack in a statement and said they had targeted the U.S. destroyers and “three supply ships belonging to the American army in the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden.””
Lebanon
CBS News: Israel Says It Struck Hezbollah Weapons Smuggling Sites Along Syria-Lebanon Border
“Israeli aircraft struck Hezbollah weapons smuggling sites along Syria's border with Lebanon, the Israeli military said Saturday, testing a fragile, days-old ceasefire that has seen continued sporadic fire. The military said it struck sites that had been used to smuggle weapons from Syria into Lebanon after the ceasefire took effect, which the military said was a violation of its terms. There was no immediate comment from Syrian authorities or Hezbollah. Israeli aircraft have struck Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, citing ceasefire violations, several times since the truce began on Wednesday. The ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah does not address the war in Gaza, where fighting rages on. An Israeli airstrike on a car in the Gaza Strip on Saturday killed five people, including employees of World Central Kitchen.”
Middle East
Associated Press: UN Halts Aid Shipments Through Gaza’s Main Crossing After Looting. It Blames The Crisis On Israel
“The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees said Sunday it is halting aid deliveries through the main cargo crossing into the war-ravaged Gaza Strip because of the threat of armed gangs who have looted convoys. It blamed the breakdown of law and order in large part on Israeli policies. In Israel, a former defense minister and fierce critic of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — and a hard-liner on the Palestinians — accused the government of ethnic cleansing in northern Gaza, where a military offensive continues. The U.N. agency’s decision could worsen Gaza’s humanitarian crisis as a second cold, rainy winter sets in, with hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in squalid tent camps and reliant on international aid. Experts already warned of famine in the north, which Israeli forces have almost completely isolated since early October.”
Egypt
Reuters: Egypt Hosts Hamas In New Gaza Ceasefire Push, Looting Halts Aid
“Hamas leaders held talks with Egyptian security officials on Sunday in a fresh push for a ceasefire in the Gaza war, two Hamas sources said, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was set to hold security talks on the matter, two Israeli officials said. The Hamas visit to Cairo was the first since the United States announced on Wednesday it would revive efforts in collaboration with Qatar, Egypt and Turkey to negotiate a ceasefire in Gaza, that would include a hostage deal. White House national security advisor Jake Sullivan said he thought the chances of a ceasefire and hostage deal in the Palestinian territory were now more likely. "(Hamas) are isolated. Hezbollah is no longer fighting with them, and their backers in Iran and elsewhere are preoccupied with other conflicts," he told CNN on Sunday.”
Europe
Bloomberg: Arrests Made After Kosovo Blast Called Terrorism By Premier
“Kosovo’s prime minister Albin Kurti said an explosion late Friday night that damaged a key water canal was a “terrorist act” and accused groups aligned with Serbia of having been behind it — an accusation Serbia called baseless. Kosovo’s interior minister, Xhelal Svecla, announced the arrest of eight people linked to the explosion and said police seized a large cache of weapons and military equipment during the operation. He said the searches were carried out at ten locations in northern Kosovo. The searches “to the confiscation of arms, explosives, hundreds of uniforms, and other military gear, which will serve as evidence in criminal proceedings,” he said during a press conference on Saturday evening.”
Reuters: Three Persons Charged In Sweden With Preparation Of IS-Linked Terrorist Crime
“Swedish prosecutors have charged three persons with preparation of terrorist crime with links to Islamic State (IS), they said on Monday. The Swedish Prosecution Authority said in a statement it had also charged the three, and one more person, with being members of a terrorist organisation, and that the suspected crimes took place between September 2023 and March 2024. "The investigation shows that the terrorist crimes have international links to IS, mainly IS in Somalia, but also to people under terrorist-related investigation abroad," it said.”
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