“In October, we traveled to the Cabo Delgado Province in northern Mozambique to
understand how terrorists who claim an affiliation with the Islamic State have
gained a foothold and wreaked havoc on Muslims and Christians alike. Officials
in the region and in the West say they are deeply concerned that if the Islamic
State affiliate known as ISIS-Mozambique is not contained, then the loosely
linked Islamic State network that has been gaining ground in pockets of Africa
could become a bigger global threat. What locals call “the war” has robbed the
region of what was a largely peaceful life of fishing and farming. Nearly 6,000
people have been killed and up to half of the province’s 2.3 million people
have been displaced.”











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Eye on Extremism



January 13, 2025



The New York Times: This Part Of Mozambique Was Like Paradise. Now It’s A
Terrorist Hotbed.
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“In October, we traveled to the Cabo Delgado Province in northern Mozambique
to understand how terrorists who claim an affiliation with the Islamic State
have gained a foothold and wreaked havoc on Muslims and Christians alike.
Officials in the region and in the West say they are deeply concerned that if
the Islamic State affiliate known as ISIS-Mozambique is not contained, then the
loosely linked Islamic State network that has been gaining ground in pockets of
Africa could become a bigger global threat. What locals call “the war” has
robbed the region of what was a largely peaceful life of fishing and farming.
Nearly 6,000 people have been killed and up to half of the province’s 2.3
million people have been displaced.”



Reuters: Gaza Truce Deal Final Draft Presented After 'Breakthrough'
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“Mediator Qatar gave Israel and Hamas a final draft of a deal on Monday to end
the war in Gaza, after a midnight "breakthrough" in talks attended by U.S.
President-elect Donald Trump's envoy, an official briefed on the negotiations
told Reuters. The official said the text for a ceasefire and release of
hostages was hammered out at talks in Doha which included the chiefs of
Israel's Mossad and Shin Bet spy agencies and Qatar's prime minister as well
Steve Witkoff, who will become U.S. envoy when Trump takes office next week.
Officials from the outgoing U.S. administration are also thought to have
participated. "The next 24 hours will be pivotal to reaching the deal," the
official said.”




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



Frankfurter Rundschau: Syria: Allies Of The New Rulers Target China
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“... The TIP is "still officially part of the global al-Qaida network and,
unlike HTS, has never distanced itself from al-Qaida," explains terrorism
expert Hans-Jakob Schindler of the Counter Extremism Project. "The fact that
HTS accepts the TIP in its coalition is one of the main arguments that call
into question the ideological orientation of the HTS," Schindler told the
Münchner Merkur. Beijing's UN envoy Fu Cong told the UN Security Council on
Wednesday that China was "extremely concerned" about reports that members of
the TIP had been given high-ranking positions within the Syrian army.”



The Express Tribune: Reemergence Of Islamic Extremism
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“The internet and its extensive use have made it possible for people with a
strong view of the world to communicate with like-minded folks. Common
philosophies are finding new followers while those who are "fence sitters" come
down and become adherents of the views being advertised on the internet.
Belonging to this category of believers are the Islamic extremists who are able
to spread their word among those who are searching for new ways of ordering
their lives. "Terrorism is essentially communications," said Hans-Jacob
Schindler, a former United Nations diplomat who is a senior director of the
Counter Extremist Project, a think-tank with offices in New York and Berlin.
"It is not warfare because obviously ISIS cannot militarily defeat the West.
They tried and it didn't exactly end well."”



The New York Times: ISIS Says It Inspired New Orleans Attack, But Doesn’t
Claim Responsibility
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“... The newsletter bulletin, obtained by the Counter Extremism Project, a
terrorism watchdog, appeared to mock the American news media for “holding its
breath” while waiting for ISIS to claim the attack. While the ISIS message did
not directly mention New Orleans, it did describe an attack by an American man
and referenced Meta glasses. The F.B.I. has said the attacker, Shamsud-Din
Bahar Jabbar, was wearing Meta glasses. and the Counter Extremism Project said
the ISIS message was referring to the New Orleans attack. The truck driven by
Mr. Jabbar, a 42-year-old U.S. Army veteran from Texas, carried an ISIS flag.”



The Telegraph: British Organisations Deemed Terror Groups By The UAE For
Alleged Links To The Muslim Brotherhood
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“Eight organisations in the UK have been deemed terror groups by the United
Arab Emirates (UAE) over their alleged links to the Muslim Brotherhood. The UAE
cabinet named the eight groups to be added to the country’s approved “local
terror list” of individuals and organisations. It means they face travel and
financial sanctions for their alleged support of terrorism. It means anyone
working for the organisations face travel bans and the freezing of their
assets… Ian Acheson, a senior adviser to the Counter Extremism Project, a think
tank, said the eight organisations were not breaking any British laws as the UK
had not proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood even though it is banned in some
countries including Syria and Austria.”



NOLA.com: How The Bourbon Street Attack In New Orleans Came Straight From
Online ISIS Playbooks
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“The man who plowed through Bourbon Street on New Year’s Day with an ISIS
flag on his truck was closely following the terror group’s playbook, promoted
in English language magazines and online content circulated globally in an
attempt to inspire lone-wolf attacks. Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the Army veteran from
Texas whose attack killed 14 and injured dozens more, checked almost every box
of ISIS’s guidance for carrying out such an attack, based on a review of ISIS
literature and interviews with experts… “Even before reviewing my notes, the
details of the attack struck me as being particularly reminiscent of ISIS
advice,” said Joshua Fisher-Birch, researcher at the Counter Extremism Project,
a nonprofit. ISIS and its affiliates have called for attacks similar to
Jabbar’s for years, and ISIS followers have carried out or attempted several
attacks on New Year’s celebrations before, according to the Counter Extremism
Project. Several plots have been foiled in the U.S. and Europe in recent years.”



UnHerd: Is The UAE Stricter On Terrorism Than The UK?
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“On Thursday, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced that it had added 19
individuals and entities to its “Local Terrorist List” for their links to the
Muslim Brotherhood, according to reports by local media. In the UAE, the
Brotherhood is a proscribed terror group. What is striking about this list is
that eight of the “entities” listed are UK organisations. This means that, in
effect, a Muslim country is sanctioning legal UK organisations for their
affiliation with terrorism… Having worked in the past with the Emirati
Government on a counter-extremism project, I have been impressed by the
resolute stand it has taken against violent extremism. It is crucial that the
UK Government uses all the regulatory and security machinery at its disposal to
ensure that we are not undermining one of our most important regional partners,
and ourselves, in the fight against terrorism. Ian Acheson is a former prison
governor and author of Screwed: Britain’s Prison Crisis and How To Escape it.”



WTOP News: 462 | Terror Attack Sets Off Security Scramble In The U.S.
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“Don Mihalek, Retired Sr. Secret Service agent and Hans-Jakob Schindler, Sr.
Director at the Counter Extremism Project break down the impact of the New
Orleans terror attack on U.S. security -especially in Washington, D.C.”



United States



Fox News: Body Language Expert Says New Orleans Terrorist Exhibited 'Red
Flags' Before Attack
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“The New Orleans terrorist attacker raised "red flags" as he placed two IEDs
in the French Quarter hours before he carried out an attack that left 14
civilians dead, according to behavioral analyst Susan Constantine. Constantine
described Shamsud-Din Jabbar as an "anomaly" in the French Quarter on New
Year's Eve, as shown in videos released by the FBI last week. In the videos,
Jabbar can be seen wearing a long, formal-looking coat and glasses, carrying a
cooler on wheels and frequently looking at his phone. "These are all red
flags," Constantine told Fox News Digital. "Anyone looking for danger would
pull out these anomalies, he’s texting very quickly, obviously in communication
with someone else. And then he’s motioning to someone."”



Reuters: Biden Spoke With Families Of Americans Detained In Afghanistan, White
House Says
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“U.S. President Joe Biden spoke on Sunday with the families of three
Americans detained in Afghanistan by its Taliban rulers since 2022, and
emphasized his commitment to bringing home Americans wrongfully held overseas,
the White House said. Biden's administration has been negotiating with the
Taliban since at least July about a U.S. proposal to release the three
Americans - Ryan Corbett, George Glezmann and Mahmood Habibi - in exchange for
Muhammad Rahim al-Afghani, a high-profile prisoner held in Guantanamo Bay,
Reuters reported last week, citing a source familiar with the discussions.

Efforts to secure the release of the Americans continue, a second source
familiar with the initiative said on Sunday.”



Syria



Associated Press: Syrian Intelligence Agency Says It Thwarted A Planned
Islamic State Attack On A Shiite Shrine
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“Intelligence officials in Syria’s new de facto government thwarted a plan by
the Islamic State group to set off a bomb at a Shiite shrine in the Damascus
suburb of Sayyida Zeinab, state media reported Saturday. State news agency SANA
reported, citing an unnamed official in the General Intelligence Service, that
members of the IS cell planning the attack were arrested. It quoted the
official as saying that the intelligence service is “putting all its
capabilities to stand in the face of all attempts to target the Syrian people
in all their spectrums.” Sayyida Zeinab has been the site of past attacks on
Shiite pilgrims by IS — which takes an extreme interpretation of Sunni Islam
and considers Shiites to be infidels.”



Reuters: Syria's Al-Sharaa Meets Lebanese PM In Bid To Improve Long-Fraught
Ties
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“Syria's de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa met Lebanon's caretaker Prime
Minister Najib Mikati in Damascus on Saturday in a bid to improve long-fraught
ties, with the pair focusing on strengthening their shared border. The trip was
the first by a head of government to Syria since Bashar al-Assad was toppled by
a sweeping rebel offensive on Dec. 8, and the first visit by a Lebanese premier
to neighbouring Syria in 15 years. Ties between Damascus and Beirut have often
been fraught since they became independent states in the 1940s. The countries
agreed to work together to secure their land borders and delineate their shared
land and sea borders as a matter of priority, Mikati said following the
meeting.”



Turkey



Reuters: Turkey Detains 2013 Bombing Suspect Inside Syria
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“Turkey's intelligence agency conducted a cross-border operation inside Syria
and seized a man suspected of perpetrating a 2013 bomb attack near the Syrian
border that killed dozens of people, a Turkish security source said on Monday.
Twin car bombs ripped through the border town of Reyhanli in Hatay province on
May 11, 2013, killing 53 people. At the time, Turkey accused a group loyal to
Syria's then-President Bashar al-Assad of carrying out the attacks. Damascus
denied any involvement. Turkey's National Intelligence Agency (MIT) found out
that Muhammed Dib Korali, who was suspected of planning the attack and
providing the bombs, was inside Syria, the source said.”



Afghanistan



Voice Of America: Afghan Taliban Skip Pakistan-Hosted Summit On Girls Education

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“Pakistan hosted a two-day global conference Saturday, where delegates
advocated for the promotion of girls education worldwide in Muslim communities
and denounced restrictions on female schooling as contrary to the principles of
Islam. However, speakers, including the host, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz
Sharif, and scholars from participating nations, refrained from mentioning
Afghanistan, the sole Islamic country where its hard-line Taliban leaders have
banned girls from seeking education beyond the sixth grade. Pakistani officials
announced on the eve of the conference that the Taliban government in Kabul had
been formally invited to attend the Global Summit on Girls' Education in Muslim
Communities, but Islamabad did not receive a response.”



BBC: Taliban 'Do Not See Women As Human', Says Malala
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“Malala Yousafzai has urged Muslim leaders to challenge the Taliban
government in Afghanistan and its repressive policies for girls and women.
"Simply put, the Taliban in Afghanistan do not see women as human beings," she
told an international summit hosted by Pakistan on girls education in Islamic
countries. Ms Yousafzai told Muslim leaders there was "nothing Islamic" about
the Taliban's policies which include preventing girls and women from accessing
education and work. The 27-year-old was evacuated from Pakistan at 15 after
being shot in the head by a Pakistan Taliban gunman who targeted her for
speaking out about girls' education.”



Yemen



NBC News: 15 Killed In An Explosion And Fire At A Gas Station In Central Yemen
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“An explosion at a gas station triggered a massive fire in central Yemen,
killing at least 15 people, health officials said Sunday. The explosion
occurred Saturday at the Zaher district in the province of Bayda, the Houthi
rebel-run Health Ministry said in a statement. At least 67 others were injured,
including 40 in critical condition. The ministry said rescue teams were
searching for those reported missing. It wasn’t immediately clear what caused
the explosion. Footage circulated online showing a massive fire that sent
columns of smoke into the sky and left vehicles charred and burning. Bayda is
controlled by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, who have been at war with Yemen’s
internationally recognized government for more than a decade.”



Qatar



CBS: Israel Sends Mossad Intelligence Agency Director To Gaza Ceasefire Talks
In Qatar
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“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has approved sending the director
of the Mossad foreign intelligence agency to ceasefire negotiations in Qatar in
a sign of progress in talks on the war in Gaza. Netanyahu's office announced
the decision Saturday evening, local time. It was not immediately clear when
David Barnea would travel to Qatar's capital, Doha, for the latest round of
indirect talks between Israel and the Hamas militant group. His presence means
high-level Israeli officials who would need to sign off on any agreement are
now involved. Just one brief ceasefire has been achieved in 15 months of war,
and that was in the earliest weeks of fighting. The talks mediated by the
United States, Egypt and Qatar have repeatedly stalled since then.”



Middle East



Reuters: Israeli Military Confirms Hostage Killed Alongside Father In Gaza
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“Israel confirmed on Friday that the remains of a hostage found killed in
Gaza were of Hamza Ziyadne, the son of deceased hostage Youssef Ziyadne, whose
body was found beside him in an underground tunnel near the southern city of
Rafah. Israeli forces continued on Friday to pound Gaza, with Palestinian
medics saying at least 15 people had been killed, including a journalist for
Cairo-based Al-Ghad TV who had been covering an incident at Nuseirat refugee
camp in central Gaza. There was no immediate comment on the latest fighting
from Israeli's military, which earlier announced it had concluded forensic
tests to identify Hamza Ziyadne, an Israeli Bedouin taken hostage by Hamas-led
fighters alongside his father and two of his siblings.”



Voice Of America: Israeli Military Says 4 Soldiers Killed In North Gaza
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“Four soldiers died in combat in the north of the Gaza Strip, the Israeli
military said Saturday, more than 15 months into its war with Hamas militants.
The deaths brought to 403 the number of soldiers killed in the Palestinian
territory since Israel launched its ground offensive in retaliation for Hamas'
October 7, 2023, attack. The United States, United Kingdom, European Union and
others have designated Hamas as a terror organization. An officer and a
reservist soldier were "seriously wounded" during the same incident and were
taken to a hospital, the military said in a statement.”



The New York Times: Israel Strikes Houthi-Controlled Ports And A Power Plant
In Yemen
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“Israeli warplanes bombed ports and a power plant in Yemeni territory
controlled by the Houthis on Friday, the Israeli military said, in the latest
attempt to force the Iranian-backed militant group to stop firing at Israel and
commercial ships in the Red Sea. Israel has escalated its strikes on the
Houthis in recent weeks in response to repeated attacks by the Yemeni militia,
which has been launching missiles and drones against Israel in solidarity with
Hamas in Gaza. The United States and Britain have also struck Yemen repeatedly
in an effort to secure international waterways from Houthi attacks, including
new American strikes on Wednesday.”



Egypt



Reuters: Tourist Sites On Alert As Militants Go For Egypt's Economic Lifeline
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“After a violent campaign directed at security forces, Egyptian militants
appear to be zooming in on President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's most vulnerable
point: the economy. Attacks on two prime tourist sites in the space of eight
days are deeply worrying for a government which has staked much of its
credibility on reviving the economy after years of political turmoil. A suicide
bomber blew himself up on Wednesday near the ancient Karnak temple in Luxor,
wounding four Egyptians. A week earlier, two police officers were killed in an
attack near the Giza Pyramids, hundreds of miles to the north. Security forces
on Thursday dismantled a bomb found at the entrance of the supplies ministry in
Cairo, state news agency MENA said.”



Nigeria



BBC: Nigeria Military Kills 16 Civilians In Air Strike 'Mistake'
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“At least 16 civilians in Nigeria's north-western Zamfara State have been
killed in a military air strike, apparently after being mistaken for criminal
gangs. Residents told local media the victims were members of local vigilante
groups and civilians defending themselves from armed gangs notorious for
kidnapping people for ransom. The strikes targeted militant gangs in Zurmi and
Maradun areas and the state governor, Dauda Lawal, offered his condolences to
the community. The military has acknowledged conducting air strikes, which it
said had dealt "a decisive blow to bandits terrorising villages in the area".
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) said it was investigating "reports of vigilante
losses".”



Somalia



Reuters: Somalia's President Visits Ethiopia In Boost To Strained Relations
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“Somalia's president visited Ethiopia on Saturday, his office said, the
strongest sign yet of improving relations between the two neighbours after a
year of tensions over Addis Ababa's plans to build a naval base in a breakaway
Somali region. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud flew to Ethiopia from Uganda
where he travelled earlier on Saturday to attend a summit on African
agriculture, his office said in a statement posted on the X social media
platform. While in Ethiopia, he held discussions with Ethiopian leadership "to
strengthen bilateral relations and advance shared priorities", the statement
said. "This renewed cooperation underscores a new era of collaboration between
Somalia and Ethiopia."”



United Kingdom



BBC: UK Should Consider Letting IS Members Return, Terror Watchdog Says
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“The government should consider repatriating British members of the Islamic
State group (IS) who are being held in Syrian detention camps, the government's
independent terrorism legislation reviewer Jonathan Hall KC has said. Mr Hall's
comments come after Donald Trump's incoming counter-terrorism chief, Sebastian
Gorka, said that if the UK wanted to be seen as a "serious ally" of the US it
should take back its citizens who joined IS. One Briton who travelled to Syria
to support the jihadist movement was Shamima Begum, who left London as a
teenager in 2015 and was stripped of her UK citizenship in 2019. Foreign
Secretary David Lammy has insisted Ms Begum "will not be coming back to the
UK".”



Germany



Associated Press: Germany Welcomes Release Of German-Iranian Rights Activist
From Prison In Iran And Her Return Home
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“Germany’s foreign minister on Monday welcomed the release of a
German-Iranian rights activist from prison in Iran and her return to Germany.
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock wrote on the social media platform X that
it’s “a great moment of joy that Nahid Taghavi can finally embrace her family
again.” Baerbock retweeted a post by Taghavi’s daughter, Mariam Claren, with a
photo of herself hugging her mother, which said: “It’s over. Nahid is free!
After more than 4 years as a political prisoner in the Islamic Republic of Iran
my mother Nahid Taghavi was freed and is back in Germany.” Taghavi was
sentenced to 10 years and eight months in prison in Iran in 2021.”



Europe



Associated Press: EU Ministers Will Consider Easing Sanctions On Syria At A
Meeting Later In January
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“European Union foreign ministers will meet in late January to discuss easing
sanctions imposed on Syria, the bloc’s foreign policy chief said Sunday.
However, she said the move would depend on Syria’s new rulers carrying out an
inclusive political transition after last month’s overthrow of President Bashar
Assad. Kaja Kallas’ comments came at a gathering of top European and Middle
Eastern diplomats in the Saudi capital of Riyadh to discuss Syria’s future.
Saudi Arabia called for the lifting of sanctions, which threaten to undermine
Syria’s recovery from nearly 14 years of civil war that killed an estimated
500,000 people and displaced half the country’s prewar population of 23
million.”



Australia

Voice Of America: Australian Counter-Terrorism Police Probe Rise In
Antisemitic Hate Crimes
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“Australian authorities are warning of escalating acts of antisemitism, which
are now being investigated by counter-terrorism officers. A synagogue in
Sydney, the country’s most populous city, was defaced Saturday with hate
symbols and an attempt was made to start a fire. Red swastikas were daubed
along the front fence of the synagogue in the latest act of hate thought to be
linked to conflicts in the Middle East. Security images released by the police
show two people wearing black hooded jackets and dark clothing outside the
building. Authorities say the vandalism was an act of “violence, hatred and
racism.””



Technology



The Guardian: Fears For UK Boomer Radicalisation On Facebook After Meta Drops
Factcheckers
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“Experts fear the decision by Meta to drop professional factcheckers from
Facebook will exacerbate so-called boomer radicalisation in the UK. Even before
what Keir Starmer described as “far-right riots” in England last summer, alarm
bells were ringing amid fears older people were even more susceptible to
misinformation and radicalisation than younger “digital natives”. Suspects were
generally older than those charged in the 2011 unrest, according to a Guardian
analysis of hundreds of defendants that found that as many as 35% were in their
40s or older.”



The Guardian: Rise In Vigilante Attacks In US Highlight Growing Online DIY
Terrorism Resources
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“A spate of recent vigilante and extremist attacks in the US have highlighted
how the booming availability of internet resources is a growing national
security concern. Experts and world governments have been sounding the alarm on
digital radicalization as accessibility to materials such as assassination
manuals, files for 3D printed guns, or something as simple as ChatGPT grows.
During the early days of the war on terror, obtaining literature and guidance
on lone actor terrorist attacks from an organization like al-Qaida could
require more obscure dark web access or specific tradecraft from harder to
reach parts of the internet.”



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