“Israel and Hamas once again appear to be inching toward a ceasefire that could
wind down the 15-month war in Gaza and bring home dozens of Israelis held
hostage there. Both Israel and Hamas are under pressure from outgoing U.S.
President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump to reach a deal before the
Jan. 20 inauguration. But the sides have come close before, only to have talks
collapse over various disagreements. The latest round of negotiations has
bogged down over the names of hostages to be released in a first phase,
according to Israeli, Egyptian and Hamas officials, who spoke on condition of
anonymity because they were discussing ongoing negotiations. Israel wants
assurances that the hostages are alive, while Hamas says that after months of
heavy fighting, it isn’t sure who is alive or dead.”











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Eye on Extremism



January 7, 2025



Associated Press: Hurdles Remain As Israel And Hamas Once Again Inch Toward A
Ceasefire Deal
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“Israel and Hamas once again appear to be inching toward a ceasefire that
could wind down the 15-month war in Gaza and bring home dozens of Israelis held
hostage there. Both Israel and Hamas are under pressure from outgoing U.S.
President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump to reach a deal before the
Jan. 20 inauguration. But the sides have come close before, only to have talks
collapse over various disagreements. The latest round of negotiations has
bogged down over the names of hostages to be released in a first phase,
according to Israeli, Egyptian and Hamas officials, who spoke on condition of
anonymity because they were discussing ongoing negotiations. Israel wants
assurances that the hostages are alive, while Hamas says that after months of
heavy fighting, it isn’t sure who is alive or dead.”



The Wall Street Journal: U.S. In Talks To Swap Detained Americans In
Afghanistan For Guantanamo Prisoner
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“The Biden administration is negotiating with the Taliban to exchange
Americans detained in Afghanistan for at least one high-profile prisoner
alleged to be an Osama bin Laden associate held in Guantanamo Bay. The Biden
administration, which has been discussing a deal with the Taliban since at
least July, told the group on Nov. 14 that the U.S. would release Muhammad
Rahim al Afghani, who the U.S. government alleges was a senior al Qaeda aide,
if the Afghan rulers released George Glezmann, Ryan Corbett and Mahmoud Habibi,
American citizens seized in Afghanistan in 2022. Rahim is currently held in
Guantanamo Bay. The Taliban counteroffered that day, seeking Rahim and two
others in exchange for Glezmann and Corbett. The Taliban denies holding Habibi.”



CEP Mentions



The Spectator: Elon Musk Isn’t An Extremist Threat
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“At conferences and roundtables on counter extremism in recent months, it has
been impossible to escape the terms ‘mis’ and ‘disinformation’. For among
experts, practitioners, academics, civil servants and police officers, it is
the default explanation for understanding not only extremism in Britain, but
the wider mood of popular discontent. Over the weekend, this view was lent
further credence in the pages of the Observer by two counter-extremism
heavyweights, former counter-extremism commissioner Dame Sara Khan and the
former head of counter-terrorism police, Neil Basu. Together, they warn that
the government’s new counter-extremism plans are not enough ‘to address a toxic
pool of hatred, conspiracy theories and “dangerous rhetoric” from high-profile
figures including Elon Musk.’”



WA.de: Expert Warns Of New Danger From IS Attacks: “Terrorists Are Becoming
More Daring”
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“For a few years, the Islamic State seemed to be nothing more than a ghost
from the past. A fallacy, because it is now clear that the terrorist
organization never really disappeared and is once again highly active.
Terrorism expert Hans-Jakob Schindler from the Counter Extremism Project warns
of a new danger of attacks in Europe and Germany. "What is new is that the
terrorists are again daring to use more resources for elaborate attacks like
the one in Moscow," said Schindler in an interview with IPPEN.MEDIA . At the
end of March 2024, armed men carried out an attack on a concert hall in the
Russian capital, leaving more than 140 people dead and hundreds injured.”



Inside Time: Prison Service Blocks Jobseekers Trying To ‘Infiltrate’ Jails
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“In 2023, HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) handled 57,000 security
vetting applications – and rejected 8,600 of them, or 15 per cent of the total,
on the grounds that the individuals were deemed unsuitable to be employed…
Steve Gillan, general secretary of the Prison Officers’ Association, told the
Daily Mail, which reported the figures: “I would suggest the individuals that
are sifted out could have links to organised crime gangs, or are being coerced
by organised crime gangs, as there is big money to be made on smuggling drugs
in. It is a very real concern.” Professor Ian Acheson, a former prison governor
and now senior adviser to the Counter Extremism Project, told the newspaper:
“This is the first time I have seen the insider threat explicitly acknowledged
by HM Prison Service, albeit you have to really hunt to find the admission.”



Planet Today: Islamic Caliphate Conference In Canada: Trudeau Says “Diversity
Is Canada’s Strength”
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““HT seeks to establish a global caliphate and presents its Islamist ideology
(based on the writings of the organization’s founder, Taqiuddin Nahbani) as an
alternative to both capitalism and secular democracy.” So reads the doctrine of
Hizb ut-Tahrir, a designated terrorist organization which is set to hold a
caliphate conference in Canada later this month. Hizb ut-Tahrir Canada, a
branch of a global Islamist organization banned in numerous countries across
the West, Middle East, and Asia, is hosting its “Khilafah Conference” on
January 18, 2025, in Ontario. Despite being linked to extremism and being
banned in most Arab and Central Asian nations, as well as Russia, China,
Turkey, Germany, Pakistan, and the UK, Hizb ut-Tahrir operates legally and
openly in Canada… According to a report by the Counter Extremism Project, Hizb
ut-Tahrir (HT) seeks to establish a global Islamic caliphate governed by Sharia
law, where all Muslims live under Islamic rule, positioning its Islamist
ideology as an alternative to capitalism and secular democracy.”



Malay Mail: London Preacher Turns Islamic State Financier: Behind Somalian
Leader Abdul Qadir Mumin’s Shadowy Ascent
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“His orange henna-dyed beard and striking eyewear would make him easy to pick
out in a crowd, but Abdul Qadir Mumin has remained elusive. The Somalian leader
of the Islamic State (IS) group has in all likelihood risen to the status of
strongman of the entire organisation, even if he lacks the official title,
analysts say. While observers wonder who is behind IS-designated caliph Abou
Hafs al-Hachimi al-Qourachi — the would-be leader of all Muslims — or whether
such a person actually exists, Abdul Qadir Mumin may already be running IS’s
general directorate of provinces from Somalia… “That would create some kind of
uproar within the community of supporters and sympathisers of IS,” said
Hans-Jakob Schindler, director of the Counter-Extremism Project (CEP) think
tank.”



United States



The Washington Post: U.S. Transfers 11 Yemeni Prisoners From Guantánamo To Oman

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“The Biden administration has released 11 additional detainees from the U.S.
military prison in Guantánamo Bay, sending the men, all natives of Yemen, to
neighboring Oman, the Pentagon said Monday. The move ends their more than two
decades of imprisonment without charges and leaves the detainee population at
15. Over the years, the notorious prison in southeast Cuba has held roughly 780
men, all of them swept up amid the frantic global “war on terror” that followed
9/11. Monday’s announcement is part of President Joe Biden’s fervent effort
during his final weeks in office to reduce the number of those held in
Guantánamo. The secretive facility, which for much of the world came to
symbolize a subversion of justice by the United States, continues to divide
Washington — where Democrats and Republicans disagree on the question of
whether the prison should be permanently shuttered.”



Syria



Reuters: Jordan And Syria To Combat Arms And Drugs Smuggling, Islamic State's
Resurgence
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“Jordan and Syria have agreed to form a joint security committee to secure
their border, combat arms and drug smuggling and work to prevent the resurgence
of Islamic State militants, the Jordanian foreign minister said on Tuesday.
Western anti-narcotics officials say the addictive, amphetamine-type stimulant
known as captagon has for years been mass-produced in Syria and that Jordan is
a transit route to the oil-producing Gulf states.Jordan's army has conducted
several pre-emptive airstrikes in Syria since 2023 that Jordanian officials say
targeted militias accused of links to the drug trade, as well as the militias'
facilities. "We discussed securing the borders, especially the threat of arms
and drugs smuggling and the resurgence of Islamic State. Our security is one,
we will coordinate together to combat these mutual challenges," Jordanian
Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi told a joint press conference with Syrian Foreign
Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani.”



Turkey



The Jerusalem Post: Turkey's Erdogan Says End Is Near For Kurdish Militants In
Syria <[link removed]>



“Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that the end of Kurdish
militants in Syria was getting closer, and added there was no room for terror
in Syria's future after the ousting of Bashar al-Assad last month. Speaking
after a cabinet meeting in Ankara, Erdogan also threatened to mount a new
cross-border operation into Syria against the Kurdish militia if it felt
threatened. Turkey, which has carried out several incursions into northern
Syria, has made similar warnings before. "God willing, we have the capacity to
do this. Everyone should make their calculations according to this," he said.”



Afghanistan



Amu TV: Taliban Flog Over 580, Including 42 Women, In 2024
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“Taliban publicly flogged more than 580 people, including 42 women, in 23
provinces of the country in 2024, according to statistics released by the
Taliban-controlled Supreme Court. In the final two months of the year alone, 93
individuals, including 12 women, were flogged in 10 provinces. The charges
against those punished included “adultery, running away from home, sodomy,
theft, and acts deemed contrary to Sharia law,” according to Taliban officials.
The public punishments, which have drawn sharp criticism from human rights
advocates, underscore the group’s rigid interpretation of Islamic law and its
escalating use of corporal punishment since returning to power in 2021.”



Lebanon



The New York Times: U.S. Envoy Says Israel Will Withdraw From Southern Lebanon
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“A top U.S. envoy who helped broker the cease-fire between Israel and
Hezbollah issued reassurance on Monday that Israel would withdraw fully from
southern Lebanon, as called for in the fragile 60-day truce deal that paused
the bloodiest war between the two sides in decades. Speaking to reporters in
Beirut, the Lebanese capital, the envoy, Amos Hochstein, said that Israeli
troops had pulled out on Monday from the southern town of Naqoura. In a
statement, the Lebanese military said it had redeployed in the town, after the
Israeli withdrawal. “These withdrawals will continue until Israeli forces are
fully out of Lebanon,” Mr. Hochstein said after meeting with senior Lebanese
officials. “There’s been much progress in recent days, and I expect to see
additional progress being made in the days to come.””



Middle East



The Washington Post: U.S. Envoy In Beirut Amid Uncertainty Over Future Of
Israel, Hezbollah Ceasefire
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“Israeli troops withdrew from the southern Lebanese town of Naqoura on Monday
as U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein traveled to Beirut and chaired a meeting of the
committee tasked with monitoring the ceasefire amid growing accusations from
both sides of major violations of the deal. “The Israeli military started its
withdrawal from Naqoura … and back into Israel proper today, south of the Blue
Line,” Hochstein told reporters, referring to the U.N.-demarcated boundary
between the two countries. “These withdrawals will continue until all Israeli
forces are out of Lebanon completely, and as the Lebanese army continues to
deploy into the south.” Israel did not immediately comment on the withdrawal.”



Jewish News Syndicate: ISIS Comeback Sparks Global Concern
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“Three hours into 2025, a white pickup truck plowed into a crowd on New
Orleans’ famous Bourbon Street. After the attack, the assailant, identified as
Shamsud-Din Jabbar, got out of the truck and opened fire on responding police,
wounding two officers before being killed in the shootout. The attack left 14
people dead and dozens wounded. Attached to the back of the pickup was the
black and white flag of the Islamic State (ISIS). This attack was the latest in
a recent surge of operations carried out by ISIS or its affiliates, including a
massacre at a Russian music hall, which left almost 150 dead, a bombing in
Kerman, Iran, which left nearly 100 dead and a foiled plot to attack a Taylor
Swift concert in Vienna.”



Voice Of America: Israeli Military Says It Killed 3 Militants In West Bank
Raids
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“Israel’s military said Tuesday it carried out raids in the occupied West
Bank, killing at least three militants and arresting 18 others. The Israel
Defense Forces said an airstrike killed two militants in the village of Tamun
after they fired at troops. Israeli forces killed another militant during
fighting in Taluza, while an Israeli soldier was wounded. The raids came a day
after gunman attacked a bus and car near the West Bank town of Al-Funduq,
killing three people and wounding seven others. Violence has surged in the West
Bank since the October 2023 Hamas attack on southern Israel and the resulting
Israeli military campaign in the Gaza Strip.”



Nigeria



The Washington Post: Explosive Device Kills 2 At A School Near Nigeria's
Capital, Police Say
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“An improvised explosive device detonated at a school on the outskirts of
Nigeria’s capital Monday, killing two people who were handling the bomb and
injuring two others, police said. The IED was suspected to have been brought to
the Tsangagyar Sani Uthman Islamiyya School in Abuja’s Bwari council area by
three men visiting the school’s owner, police spokeswoman Josephine Adeh said
in a statement. “Tragically, two of the men died in the explosion while
tampering with the improvised explosive device on the school veranda, while the
third man and a female trader sustained severe injuries,” Adeh said.”



Reuters: At Least 46 Kidnapped In Nigeria's Zamfara State, Residents Say
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“Gunmen kidnapped at least 46 people, including women and children, in a raid
on Gana town in Nigeria's northwest Zamfara state, residents and a local
traditional leader said on Tuesday. The attack, which follows a similar mass
kidnapping in the state last month, occurred at about 2200 GMT on Sunday, with
dozens of gunmen on motorbikes unleashing a barrage of gunfire on the community
and setting fire to several homes and businesses, residents said. Zamfara
police spokesperson Yazid Abubakar was unavailable for comment when contacted
by Reuters. Efforts to reach him by phone and text message were unsuccessful.”



Somalia



Voice Of America: US-Somali Operation Kills 10 Al-Shabab Militants
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“The Somali government said 10 al-Shabab militants were killed in an operation
conducted in collaboration with the United States military. In a statement,
Somalia’s information ministry said the operation took place in Beer Xaani
town, approximately 60 northwest of Kismayo. The statement was issued on Sunday
but did not specify when the operation took place. “The operation destroyed a
group of Khawaarij [deviants] who were planning to launch an attack. No
civilians were harmed during the operation” which, according to the statement,
was conducted “with the help of US strikes.””



Germany



Romea.Cz: German Police Report Almost 34,000 Right-Wing Extremist Crimes In
2024, A Record High
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“German Police recorded almost 34,000 crimes last year which were motivated by
right-wing extremism. The RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND) website has
reported the number, noting it is preliminary.

According to RND this is a record-high number of such crimes in one year that
could rise further by the time the final report is published in May. In 2023
the Federal Crime Bureau (BKA) recorded 28,945 crimes which it categorized in
its statistics as “politically-motivated crimes from the right”. As of 30
November 2025 the BKA had recorded 33.963 such crimes. Of those, 1,136 involved
violence. The biggest part of the right-wing extremist crimes committed in 2024
fell into the category of promoting movements to suppress rights and freedoms.
There were more than 21,000 of them.”



The Counter Extremism Project depends on the generosity of its supporters. If
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