“Hamas has yielded to two of Israel’s key demands for a cease-fire deal in
Gaza, Arab mediators said, raising hopes of an agreement that could release
some hostages within days despite the repeated collapse of previous
negotiations. The militant group told mediators for the first time that it
would agree to a deal that would allow Israeli forces to remain in Gaza
temporarily when the fighting stops. Hamas also handed over a list of hostages,
including U.S. citizens, whom it would release under a cease-fire pact,
something it hasn’t done since the first truce in the conflict last year. The
new plan, proposed by Cairo and backed by the U.S., seeks to build on momentum
generated by the cease-fire in Lebanon secured in November, which has broadly
held despite both Israel and Hezbollah accusing each other of violations.”











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Eye on Extremism



December 13, 2024



The Wall Street Journal: Hamas Concedes On Israeli Troops In Gaza, Raising
Hopes For Hostage Deal
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“Hamas has yielded to two of Israel’s key demands for a cease-fire deal in
Gaza, Arab mediators said, raising hopes of an agreement that could release
some hostages within days despite the repeated collapse of previous
negotiations. The militant group told mediators for the first time that it
would agree to a deal that would allow Israeli forces to remain in Gaza
temporarily when the fighting stops. Hamas also handed over a list of hostages,
including U.S. citizens, whom it would release under a cease-fire pact,
something it hasn’t done since the first truce in the conflict last year. The
new plan, proposed by Cairo and backed by the U.S., seeks to build on momentum
generated by the cease-fire in Lebanon secured in November, which has broadly
held despite both Israel and Hezbollah accusing each other of violations.”



Alarabiya News: Blinken, In Turkey, Stresses Need To Keep ISIS Contained In
Syria
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“US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan
discussed on Friday the need for continued efforts to counter any resurgence of
ISIS in Syria following the fall of Bashar-al Assad. “Our countries worked very
hard and gave a lot over many years to ensure the elimination of the
territorial caliphate of ISIS, to ensure that threat doesn’t rear its head
again, and it’s imperative that we keep at those efforts,” Blinken said
alongside Fidan after they met in Ankara. Talks also focused on a critical
aspect of establishing stability in Syria - clashes in the north of the country
between US-backed Kurdish forces and Turkish-backed opposition forces. Fidan
said after the meeting that Turkey’s “priority in Syria is to ensure
stability...as soon as possible, to prevent terrorism from gaining ground and
to prevent [ISIS] and the PKK from dominating there.””




Recent CEP Press Releases

*
Antisemitic Violence Instigated by Pro-Palestinian Protestors in Amsterdam
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Statement on the Death of Hamas Leader Yahya Sinwar
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One Year After October 7
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CEP Report: Civilian Counterterrorism Militias Take Action, Introduce New
Challenges To Combatting Violent Extremism In Africa
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Counter Extremism Project Statement Marking 9/11
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CEP Mentions



DW: Syria: How Germany Plans To Help With The Transition
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“Germany has offered to support Syria following the fall of President Bashar
al-Assad's regime — but only if all of the country's many population groups are
included, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has said. She spoke of a "moment
of hope" for the country but also expressed concern that this could be
deceptive. All efforts must now be made to "ensure that Syria finds the path to
a peaceful and stable future for all…" How should HTS be seen now? Hans-Jakob
Schindler, Middle East expert and director of the international organization
Counter Extremism Project, welcomed al-Jolani's initial statements but pointed
out that the HTS "did not fight and bleed alone (against Assad)," but also
alongside hardline Islamist groups.”



Berliner Morgenpost: Will The Mullah Regime In Iran Also Collapse After
Assad's Fall?
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“... Nevertheless, experts believe it is unlikely that the Mullah regime will
collapse in the near future. "The Iranian state and its armed forces are not as
hollowed out as was the case with Assad," stresses Middle East researcher
Parsi. "Internally, the Iranian regime is weakened. However, there is currently
no sign of disruption," Hans-Jakob Schindler, Senior Director at the
Berlin-based think tank Counter Extremism Project, told our editorial team.
According to Schindler, the revolutionary potential in Iran and Syria is not
comparable. "The resistance in Iran has energy, but no vision for the country's
future. And it has neither organization nor structure. The opposition in Syria
had all of these things," the expert emphasizes.”



Merkur.de: Experts Warn Of Terrorist Threat After Assad's Fall: "With
Consequences For Germany"
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“... One thing is clear: the Syrian alliance Hai'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS),
which together with other groups overthrew Assad, is not a simple rebel
alliance, but an Islamist militia. Some of the main founding members of HTS
have their origins in the terrorist organization al-Qaeda. Experts fear a
resurgence of religiously motivated terrorism in the region. Terror expert and
Middle East expert Hans-Jakob Schindler from the Counter Extremism Project sees
another risk that could also affect Europe and Germany in the medium term.
"From the perspective of international counterterrorism, this is an extremely
delicate situation - for two reasons," said Schindler in an interview with
IPPEN.MEDIA.”



ZDF Heute: Rebel Leader Al-Julani "To Be Judged By His Actions"
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“For years, diplomatic relations between Germany and Syria were largely on
ice. This is now set to change, given the fall of Bashar al-Assad and the
change of power in Damascus. Germany wants to become more present in Syria
again. The Foreign Office has appointed Tobias Lindner ( The Greens ), Minister
of State in the Foreign Office, as the new special coordinator for Syria . His
goal… For example, access to schooling must be guaranteed for girls, and
protection from sexual violence for women is also "a very important point".
Parts of the HTS alliance in Syria are clearly extremist and Islamist, even if
their leader appears moderate, explains extremism expert Hans-Jakob Schindler.”



The Jerusalem Post: Germany Turned Blind-Eye Against PFLP Website Run On
German Servers, Report Reveals
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“... Hans-Jacob Schindler of the Counter Extremism Project told BR24 that
there is a complete lack of understanding that, while the PFLP is designated a
terrorist organization by the EU, it is not banned in Germany. German MP
Stephan Thomae of the FDP demanded that the SPD-led Internal Affairs Ministry
take action: "We must not give space to terrorist organizations. Germany must
act accordingly on the EU's terror list." Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt,
president of the Conference of European rabbis, told BR24 that the fact that
the PFLP has not yet been banned in Germany is "scandalous." He added that the
"lax attitude over the years toward terrorist organizations like Hamas,
Hezbollah and the PFLP, and towards terrorist supporters like Iran,
demonstrates the naivete with which politicians deal with security risks, which
European companies subsequently profit from."”



United States



Associated Press: Biden Administration Makes Final Diplomatic Push For
Stability Across A Turbulent Mideast
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“Top U.S. officials were in the Middle East on Thursday, pushing for
stability in Syria and an end to Israel’s 14-month war in the Gaza Strip in a
last-ditch diplomatic push by the outgoing Biden administration before
President-elect Donald Trump takes office in a few weeks. Secretary of State
Antony Blinken was in Jordan and Turkey for talks on how to ensure a peaceful
transition of power in Syria following the ouster of longtime President Bashar
Assad, while White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan was in Israel
in a bid to wrap up a ceasefire with Hamas militants. A ceasefire would give
President Joe Biden a final diplomatic victory after a turbulent term in which
his administration has been unable to halt a brutal war that has claimed tens
of thousands of lives in Gaza and plunged the territory into a humanitarian
crisis.”



Syria



The New York Times: Rebel Group’s Terrorist Label Could Hinder Efforts To Aid
Syria
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“A few weeks ago, world leaders likely were not thinking about Hayat Tahrir
al-Sham and its designation as a terrorist organization. But now, the rebel
faction that drove a surprise offensive that toppled the Assad regime is
Syria’s de facto government. Suddenly, that terrorist label — used by the
United States, the United Nations and others — has became a matter of
international concern and debate. The designation means that countries and
international organizations are severely restricted in providing aid to a
Syrian government that desperately needs it to assert control, provide basic
services and rebuild after years of war. Those limits could have broad
consequences for Syria and the Middle East, with analysts and regional
officials warning that a weak and fractured state would incubate terror groups
like the Islamic State.”



Fox News: Top US Ally, SDF Commander In Syria Warns Of ISIS Return If Turkish
Airstrikes Don’t Stop
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“In an exclusive interview with Fox News, Gen. Mazloum Abdi, the commander of
the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the main U.S. ally whose fighters are
currently guarding 45,000 ISIS militants and their families at camps and
prisons in Eastern Syria, said the Turkish military and its allied forces
continue to attack his Kurdish forces, despite a U.S. brokered ceasefire deal
Wednesday. "We are still under constant attack from the Turkish military and
the Turkish-supported opposition which is called SNA," Gen. Mazloum told Fox.
"Eighty drone attacks a day we have from the Turkish military. There is
intensive artillery shells. This situation has paralyzed our counterterror
operation." The attacks by the Turkish military on the SDF have increased since
Bashar Al Assad’s fall on December 8. Gen. Mazloum warned that if his Kurdish
fighters have to flee, ISIS would return.”



Reuters: Russia In Contact With Syrian Rebels, Hopes To Keep Military Bases,
Interfax Reports
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“Russia has established direct contact with the political committee of
Syria's Islamist rebel group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Interfax news agency
quoted Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov as saying on Thursday.
Interfax reported that Bogdanov, speaking to journalists, also said Moscow
aimed to maintain its military bases in Syria. Bogdanov said contacts with HTS,
the most powerful force in the country after the overthrow of President Bashar
al-Assad, were "proceeding in constructive fashion". Russia, he said, hoped the
group would fulfil its pledges to "guard against all excesses", maintain order
and ensure the safety of diplomats and other foreigners. Bogdanov said Russia
hoped to maintain its two bases in Syria - a naval base in Tartous and the
Khmeimim Air Base near the port city of Latakia - to keep up efforts against
international terrorism.”



Turkey



Reuters: Turkish Intel Head In Syria For Meetings, Sources And Ministry Say
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“Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin was in Damascus on Thursday, two
sources with knowledge of the visit told Reuters, for what the Syrian
information ministry said would be talks involving its new rebel leadership.
The ministry said that Kalin and Qatar's head of state security, Khalfan
al-Kaabi, arrived in the capital to meet with Syrian rebel leader Ahmed
al-Sharaa and caretaker prime minister Mohammad al-Bashir. Turkey's foreign
ministry denied the Syrian ministry's additional notice that Foreign Minister
Hakan Fidan was also in Damascus for talks, saying he remained in Turkey. Fidan
attended events in Ankara on Thursday including the arrival of Hungarian Prime
Minister Viktor Orban, and is to meet Secretary of State Antony Blinken in
Ankara on Friday. Doha did not immediately confirm that Kaabi had arrived.”



Afghanistan



Voice Of America: Funeral Held For Slain Afghan Taliban Minister; IS-K Claims
Credit For Killing
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“Thousands of mourners assembled in eastern Afghanistan Thursday for the
funeral of the high-profile Taliban minister of refugees, a day after his
assassination in a suicide bombing for which a regional Islamic State affiliate
has claimed responsibility. Minister Khalil-Ur-Rahman Haqqani was targeted
while he was exiting his office building in the Afghan capital, Kabul, on
Wednesday, marking the most significant casualty inflicted on the Taliban since
they swept back to power in August 2021. The blast also killed and injured
several ministry employees, but Taliban officials have refrained from
commenting on the reported casualties from what they denounced as a "cowardly
attack” against Haqqani. The funeral was held in Haqqani’s native eastern
Afghan province of Paktia, which borders Pakistan, where senior Taliban
leaders, ministers, and other officials were also in attendance.”



Middle East



Reuters: Dozens Of UAE Flights Head To Airstrip UN Says Supplies Arms To Sudan
Rebels
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“Since civil war erupted in Sudan last year, dozens of cargo planes from the
United Arab Emirates have landed at a small airstrip in Chad that some U.N.
experts and diplomats suspect is being used to funnel arms across the border
into the conflict, flight data and satellite images show. At least  86  flights
from the UAE have headed for an airstrip at Amdjarass in eastern Chad since the
war began in April 2023, three-quarters of them operated by carriers accused by
the U.N. of ferrying Emirati weapons to a warlord in Libya, according to the
flight data and corporate documents reviewed by Reuters. The UAE, a key Western
ally in the Middle East, says it has been sending aid for Sudan via Chad, not
arms. The country rejected a report by a U.N. panel of experts in January that
cited "credible" allegations the UAE was providing military supplies via the
Chad airstrip to Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group
fighting the Sudanese army in a conflict that has killed tens of thousands of
people and driven millions from their homes.”



Egypt



Reuters: China And Egypt Agree On Need To Promote Peace In Middle East
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“China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Beijing agreed with Egypt that both
nations should promote peace and negotiations to achieve stability in the
Middle East, amid several crises in the region including Syria, according to a
media pool report. Wang met his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty in Beijing
on Friday. He said both countries were deeply concerned about the situation in
Syria, and called for respect for the nation's sovereignty, independence and
territorial integrity. Syrian rebels seized the capital Damascus unopposed on
Sunday after President Bashar al-Assad fled to Russia, ending decades of his
family's autocratic rule. Abdelatty said he and Wang discussed the importance
of a "comprehensive political process in Syria and managing a transitional
phase that does not exclude anyone and reflects the sectarian, religious,
ethnic and racial diversity within Syria".”



United Kingdom



BBC: Man Who Shared Terrorist Videos Online Jailed
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“A man with extremist views who shared videos online to encourage other
people to plan and carry out terror attacks has been jailed. Devices owned by
Mohammed Jaza Hamasaleh were found by counter-terror police in a raid on his
home in Longsight, Manchester, in February last year. Hamasaleh, 25, admitted
sharing incendiary content including an audio recording by a leader of the
Islamic State group on the messaging app Telegram. He pleaded guilty to seven
counts of disseminating terrorist publications and was jailed for 11 years at
Manchester Crown Court. Det Supt Ben Cottam, head of investigations for Counter
Terrorism Policing North West, said Hamasaleh had shared the material
"recklessly". He had also admitted he "intended to encourage individuals to
subscribe to the same extremist views he held", he added.”



South America



Fox News: Tren De Aragua Are Ideological Terrorists Disguised As A Street Gang
Warns Former Military Officer
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“A former high-ranking Venezuelan military officer is sounding the alarm
about the migrant gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) being used as a tool of the
Venezuelan government to sow violence and discord throughout the United States.
Tren de Aragua, which means "Train from Aragua," is a massive criminal and
terrorist organization that originated a decade ago in a Venezuelan prison and
is already present in more than 30 major U.S. cities. José Gustavo Arocha, a
former lieutenant colonel in the Venezuelan army, told Fox News Digital that
socialist Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro is behind much of TdA’s growth and
rapid expansion, first in Latin America and now in the U.S. Arocha fled
Venezuela to the United States in 2015 after being imprisoned by the Maduro
regime for eight months.”



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