“If the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal goes according to the current draft, then
fighting will stop in Gaza for 42 days, and dozens of Israeli hostages and
hundreds of Palestinian prisoners will be freed. In this first phase Israeli
troops will pull back to the edges of Gaza, and many Palestinians will be able
to return to what remains of their homes as stepped-up aid flows in. The
question is if the ceasefire will survive beyond that first phase. That will
depend on even more negotiations meant to begin within weeks. In those talks,
Israel, Hamas, and the U.S, Egyptian and Qatari mediators will have to tackle
the tough issue of how Gaza will be governed, with Israel demanding the
elimination of Hamas.”











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Eye on Extremism



January 15, 2025



Associated Press: A Look At The Terms — And Tensions — In The Israel-Hamas
Draft Ceasefire Deal
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“If the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal goes according to the current draft, then
fighting will stop in Gaza for 42 days, and dozens of Israeli hostages and
hundreds of Palestinian prisoners will be freed. In this first phase Israeli
troops will pull back to the edges of Gaza, and many Palestinians will be able
to return to what remains of their homes as stepped-up aid flows in. The
question is if the ceasefire will survive beyond that first phase. That will
depend on even more negotiations meant to begin within weeks. In those talks,
Israel, Hamas, and the U.S, Egyptian and Qatari mediators will have to tackle
the tough issue of how Gaza will be governed, with Israel demanding the
elimination of Hamas.”



The New York Times: Biden Will Remove Cuba From List Of State Sponsors Of
Terrorism <[link removed]>



“President Biden will remove Cuba from a list of state sponsors of terrorism,
U.S. officials announced on Tuesday, as a part of a deal that is expected to
free protesters jailed during a sweeping 2021 crackdown on dissent by the
Communist government. Removing Cuba from the list would typically raise
expectations of improved relations between Washington and Havana and renewed
hope for economic investment in Cuba. But Mr. Biden’s decision is only the
latest in a series of conflicting U.S. approaches to Cuba by different
administrations. The Obama administration made the decision to remove the
terrorism designation for Cuba as part of a broader effort to normalize
relations with the nation.”




The CEP CounterPoint: Expert Analysis

*
Artificial Intelligence and Extremism: “Cybertruck Bomber”
<[link removed]>

*
The Muslim Brotherhood in Britain: Analysis of Recent Sanctions
<[link removed]>

*
CounterPoint Brief: Terror Attack In New Orleans
<[link removed]>

*
Luigi Mangione and the Mainstreaming of Accelerationist Saints Culture
<[link removed]>

*
The Fall of the Assad Regime: Terrorism Challenges
<[link removed]>




CEP Mentions



The New York Times: A House At Auschwitz Opens Its Doors To A Chilling Past
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“... Last summer, Ms. Jurczak agreed to sell the home to the Counter Extremism
Project, a New York-based group that wants to open the house to visitors. She
moved out in August, and in October the New York group completed its
acquisition of the home and an adjacent house built after thewar. “I had to get
out of there,” Ms. Jurczak said at her new home in a modern apartment block in
Oswiecim, a mile from her former house. She declined to say how much the house
was sold for, but indicated that it was somewhat more than the property’s
estimated value of around $120,000.”



The Long Journal: Analysis: The Role Of Iraqi Shia Militias As Proxies In
Iran’s Axis Of Resistance
<[link removed]>



“Iran’s 45-year trajectory from the Khomeini revolution to its current
challenge to Israel, the West, and the Rules-Based International System (RBIS)
led to developing and solidifying its “Axis of Resistance.” Tehran supports and
coordinates this group of regional proxies, including Yemen’s Houthis, Hamas,
and Lebanese Hezbollah, to challenge its enemies in various theaters. A key
Iranian proxy is found among the Iraqi Shia, who have a history with Iran that
goes back to the Saddam Hussein era but whose full value to Tehran only started
to be realized after the 2003 US invasion made Iraq’s largest community
dominant in that nation’s politics… Edmund Fitton-Brown is a senior advisor to
the Counter Extremism Project.”



The Jerusalem Post: 'Place Of Incredible Evil': House Of Auschwitz Commander
To Open To Visitors <[link removed]>



“A three-story house overlooking an Auschwitz gas chamber, formerly owned by
the camp's commander, Rudolf Hoss, has been purchased by the Counter Extremism
Project (CEP) with the aim of opening it up to visitors, the New York Times
revealed on Wednesday. In addition to its historical significance, the house is
famous for its prominence in the Oscar-winning 2023 film Zone of Interest. CEP
bought the house from Garzyna Jurczak, who raised her children there but who
found living in it too challenging when people began peering into her windows
following the release of the film.”



Rivista Studio: Rudolf Höss's House In Auschwitz Can Be Visited
<[link removed]>



“Rudolf Höss's house in Auschwitz, or rather, in Oswiecim, has become famous
throughout the world thanks to Jonathan Glazer's film The Zone of Interest ,
winner of two Oscars. The camp commander lived right next to the camp: from the
upstairs window the view opened onto the ovens, as Glazer shows, but on the
ground floor there was a flowery and well-kept garden, a path leading to a
river for the summer, and an ice rink for the winter. The house, in recent
years, was inhabited by Grazyna Jurczak, a 62-year-old widow, who raised two
children there. After several years, the woman decided to sell the house to a
New York-based organization called Counter Extremism Project. Among the reasons
for the sale, Jurczak said, was the excessive attention of visitors to
Auschwitz to the house following the success of Glazer's film.”



Firstpost: Who Is The Other Sinwar Trying To Rebuild Hamas In Gaza?
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“Hamas is down in the Gaza Strip but not out. Hamas has been traying rebuild
itself in Gaza under a new leader. The new leader is Mohammed Sinwar, a senior
Hamas commander the younger brother of slain former Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar…
Before the war elevated him to his current role, Mohammed was the Hamas’ head
of logistics and manpower and one of the top commanders of Hamas’s military
wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, according to the think tank Counter
Extremism Project (CEP).”



United States



Axios: Growing Number Of Military Veterans Committing Extremist Crimes,
Research Shows
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“Pete Hegseth, President-elect Trump's pick for Defense secretary, on Tuesday
called the problem of extremism in the military "fake," but researchers warn
there's a growing trend of military-linked terrorism. The big picture: The
rising number of people with military backgrounds engaging in domestic
terrorism over the past three decades can partially be attributed to the
difficulty transitioning from active duty to veteran status and a lack of
community or purpose, experts say. Driving the news: In the most recent
high-profile cases, the New Year's Day attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas
were both carried out by Army veterans.”



Fox News: Bourbon Street Terrorist Researched Germany Christmas Market Attack,
Mardi Gras Before Deadly Rampage: FBI
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“The FBI has released a new image of New Orleans terrorist attacker
Shamsud-Din Jabbar along with new details about his internet search history as
the investigation into the New Year's attack continues. In a press release, the
FBI said the Bourbon Street terrorist’s internet history showed he was looking
into Bourbon Street balcony access, information on Mardi Gras and shootings
that happened in the city, as late as mid-November. Investigators also revealed
that Jabbar researched the Christmas market ramming attack in Germany just
hours before the attack on Bourbon Street. On Nov. 10, officials said, Jabbar
took a train from Houston, Texas to New Orleans and returned to Texas that
evening on a bus.”



The Washington Examiner: Hegseth Defends Christian Tattoos In Senate Hearing
<[link removed]>



“President-elect Donald Trump‘s proposed secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth,
used his Senate confirmation hearing to address questions over his Christian
tattoos, which critics say represent an “extremist” ideology. Hegseth clashed
with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) at his Tuesday hearing when the lawmaker
accused the defense secretary nominee of advocating a prohibition against
personnel who hold left-wing and liberal viewpoints opposed to his own. “The
statements you said about people who have views differently than you — that
we’re the enemy. Are you saying that 50% of the DOD, if they hold liberal views
or leftist views or are democrats, are not welcome in the military?” Gillibrand
asked.”



Turkey



Reuters: Erdogan Says Turkey Can "Crush" All Terrorists In Syria, Calls For
Foreign Powers To "Take Hands Off"
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“Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday urged all countries to "take
their hands off" Syria and said Turkey had the capacity and ability to crush
all terrorist organisations in the country, including Kurdish militia and
Islamic State. Speaking in parliament, Erdogan said the Kurdish YPG militia was
the biggest problem in Syria now after the ousting of former President Bashar
al-Assad, and added that the group would not be able to escape its inevitable
end unless it lays down its arms.”



Lebanon



Reuters: PM-Designate Salam Extends Hand To Hezbollah, Aims To Rebuild Lebanon
<[link removed]>



“Lebanon's Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam said on Tuesday his hands
were "extended to everyone", in a gesture to the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant
group that accused opponents of seeking to exclude it by nominating him for the
post. President Joseph Aoun formally designated Salam, who has been serving as
presiding judge at the International Court of Justice, to form the next
government on Tuesday, after he won the backing of a majority of lawmakers the
previous day. Salam's nomination has reflected a dramatic shift in the power
balance in Lebanon, a result of the heavy blows dealt to Hezbollah in last
year's war with Israel, compounded by the ousting last month of its Syrian ally
Bashar al-Assad.”



Middle East



Voice Of America: Negotiators Push To Finalize Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Deal
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“Mediators pushed Wednesday to finalize a ceasefire deal between Israel and
Hamas in the Gaza Strip, while Israel’s military reported carrying out
airstrikes overnight in northern, central and southern Gaza. The Israel Defense
Forces said it struck Hamas targets in Gaza City, Khan Younis and Deir
al-Balah. U.S. and Qatari officials expressed optimism Tuesday that Israel and
Hamas were close to a deal, while cautioning that some details remained to be
worked out. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a Washington speech,
"I believe we will get a ceasefire," but added that it was up to Hamas to give
its final assent. "It's right on the brink. It's closer than it's ever been
before."”



Mali



Reuters: Barrick Confirms Suspension Of Mali Operations, Seizure Of Gold
<[link removed]>



“Canada's Barrick Gold (ABX.TO), opens new tab on Tuesday confirmed it had
suspended operations in Mali and that the government had moved gold stock from
the miner's Loulo-Gounkoto site to a bank. Reuters reported on Monday that the
authorities had seized gold worth $245 million in an escalation of their
long-running dispute with the company. "As a result, Barrick has regrettably
initiated the temporary suspension of operations while it continues to work
towards a resolution," it said in a statement. Barrick did not say what amount
of gold had been seized. Malian officials did not reply to requests for
immediate comment.”



Southeast Asia



BBC: Why India Is Reaching Out To The Taliban Now
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“India's latest diplomatic outreach to Afghanistan's Taliban government
signals a marked shift in how it sees the geopolitical reality in the region.
This comes more than three years after India suffered a major strategic and
diplomatic blow when Kabul fell to the Taliban. Two decades of investment in
Afghanistan's democracy - through military training, scholarships and landmark
projects like building its new parliament - were swiftly undone. The collapse
also paved the way for greater influence from regional rivals, particularly
Pakistan and China, eroding India's strategic foothold and raising new security
concerns.”



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