CEP Mentions
La Razon: The House Of Nazi Rudolf Höss, The Protagonist Of "The Zone Of Interest", A New Tourist Attraction In Auschwitz
“… Last summer, Jurczak sold his home to the Counter Extremism Project (CEP), an NGO that has been fighting extremism since its creation in 2014, and has now decided to open the doors of this three-story house to the public. On January 27, coinciding with the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz , visitors will be able to visit the house that Commander Höss once lived in. The aim of this opening is to "create a global centre to fight extremism in the home of one of the worst extremists and anti-Semites who ever existed," explains Hans Jakob Schindler, director of the NGO. He points out that "while it is essential to never forget , that is not enough to prevent the hatred and anti-Semitism that are taking over our society today."”
MEI: Security In Alawite Regions In Post-Assad Syria
“Syria’s first post-Assad protests broke out on Dec. 25 after a video claiming to show the destruction of an Alawite shrine spread rapidly across Facebook. The video was quickly debunked as several weeks old, the shrine only partially damaged, and the damage occurring during the capture of Aleppo city rather than in an act of sectarian vandalism. But those first hours were enough to stir up the widespread fears lingering just below the surface among Syria’s Alawite minority, bringing many Alawites (as well as Sunnis) to the streets to denounce sectarianism. Rumors of apparently sectarian-motivated violations by Syria’s new security forces against minorities have been widespread since Dec. 9, the day after the fall of the regime of Bashar al-Assad — rumors fueled by both pro-Assad fake news campaigns and the very real violations that had occurred within these communities.”
United States
Associated Press: Mexico Defends Sovereignty As US Seeks To Label Cartels As Terrorists
“Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum said Tuesday that President Donald Trump’s executive order moving toward designating drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations would only impact Mexico if there’s close coordination between the two governments. She said that Mexico would defend its sovereignty and independence while seeking coordination with the U.S. in the wake of the order signed Monday. “We all want to fight the drug cartels,” Sheinbaum said at her daily press briefing. The U.S. “in their territory, us in our territory.” Trump’s order highlighted Mexican drug cartels and other Latin American criminal groups like Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and Salvadoran gang Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13).”
The Washington Post: Clemency For Oath Keepers, Proud Boys Fuels Extremism Threat, Experts Say
“President Donald Trump defended his decision to free all of roughly 1,600 Jan. 6 riot defendants on Tuesday as the leaders of two extremist groups who played outsize roles in the Capitol attack walked out of federal prisons after serving a fraction of their sentences for seditious conspiracy. Trump called the conspirators’ sentences “ridiculous and excessive,” saying he pardoned “people that were treated unbelievably poorly.” But counterterrorism experts say the pardons could further embolden fringe groups and hamper the Justice Department’s fight against political violence.”
Associated Press: White House Cheers Release Of Two Americans Freed In A Swap With Taliban Brokered By Biden, Qatar
“A prisoner swap between the United States and Afghanistan’s Taliban freed two Americans in exchange for a Taliban figure imprisoned for life in California on drug trafficking and terrorism charges, officials said Tuesday. The deal to release two Americans, Ryan Corbett and William McKenty, was brokered by Joe Biden ‘s administration before he left office Monday, according to a Trump administration official who was not authorized to comment publicly and requested anonymity. The Taliban’s Foreign Ministry in Kabul said the two U.S. citizens had been exchanged for Khan Mohammed, who was sentenced to two life terms in 2008. Biden, who oversaw the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, on Monday handed power to President Donald Trump.”
Syria
Voice Of America: Syrian Kurds Look For Continued US Support Under Trump
“Kurdish groups in Syria are expressing hope for continued support from the United States as President Donald Trump begins his second term in office. Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces have been a key U.S. partner in the fight against the Islamic State terror group, also known as IS or ISIS. Supported by a U.S.-led global coalition, the SDF runs a large territory once controlled by IS in northeastern Syria. Mazloum Abdi, general commander of the SDF, congratulated Trump on Monday after he was sworn in. "We look forward to continuing cooperation in achieving stability, defeating terrorism, and supporting peace in Northeast Syria," Abdi said in a post on the social media platform X.”
Yemen
The Guardian: Strike Houthis While Iran Is Weak, UN-Backed Yemeni Government Urges West
“The west should seize the opportunity to target the Tehran-backed Houthi leadership in Yemen while the Iranian government is weakened, the vice-president of the UN-backed government in Aden has said. Aidarus al-Zoubaidi said that Iran’s reverses in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza had left the country “massively weakened”. “They have one remaining domain and that is Yemen,” Zoubaidi told the Guardian. “Now is the time to counter the Houthis and push them back into their position.” He said Yemen ground forces should work in cooperation with western airstrikes as part of a multi-pronged strategy.”
Middle East
BBC: Ten Palestinians Killed As Israeli Forces Launch Major Operation In Jenin
“At least 10 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 40 injured by Israeli forces during a major operation in the Jenin area in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry says. Palestinian media reported that on Tuesday there were several air strikes as a large number of troops entered the city and its refugee camp, backed by drones, helicopters and armoured bulldozers. Israel's prime minister said it launched an "extensive and significant" operation to "defeat terrorism" in Jenin, long seen as a stronghold of Palestinian armed groups. It comes three days after the start of a ceasefire in Gaza and highlights the threat of more violence in the West Bank, where suspected Israeli settlers also went on the rampage on Monday night.”
Mali
Associated Press: Mali Rebel Group Frees Spanish National Kidnapped In Algeria
“A rebel alliance in Mali said Tuesday it has freed a Spanish man who was kidnapped in southern Algeria last week. The Azawad Liberation Front, or FLA, a coalition of separatist armed groups in Mali’s predominately Tuareg north, said on X that it freed Spanish citizen Gilbert Navarro. “The former Spanish hostage, Mr. Navarro Giane Gilbert, has been released by the FLA and is in good health,” said Mohamed Maouloud Ramaadan, a spokesperson for the separatist movement. Boubacar Sadigh Ould Taleb, the FLA’s communications officer, told The Associated Press that Navarro was kidnapped on Jan. 17 by a “transnational mafia,” without identifying the group.”
United Kingdom
Reuters: UK's Starmer Vows To Uncover Failings, Lead Change After Southport Murders
“UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer vowed on Tuesday to "leave no stone unturned" to uncover failings in preventing the killings of three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed event, saying an inquiry could lead to a change in terrorism laws. Starmer defended his government's stance to not divulge many details earlier about the British teenager guilty of the killings by saying he did not want to collapse the case, but admitted there were failings. Axel Rudakubana, 18, unexpectedly pleaded guilty on Monday to murdering Bebe King, 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9, in the English town of Southport in July, and to producing ricin and possessing an al Qaeda training manual.”
BBC: Far-Right Group Exposed In Undercover BBC Investigation
“A far-right organisation should be banned and some members investigated by police, the BBC has been told, after we secretly filmed people in the group saying migrants should be shot. Former Counter-Extremism Commissioner Dame Sara Khan believes the UK government should urgently change the law to make groups like Patriotic Alternative illegal. Barrister Ramya Nagesh watched some of the footage and said: "There's more than enough evidence for the police to investigate and refer to the Crown Prosecution Service." An undercover BBC reporter spent a year investigating the far-right group and its members were recorded using racial slurs.”
France
Reuters: France Issues New Arrest Warrant For Syria’s Assad, Source Says
“French investigating magistrates have issued an arrest warrant against ousted Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad for suspected complicity in war crimes, notably the launch of a deliberate attack on civilians, a legal source said late on Tuesday. The mandate was issued on Jan. 20 as part of an investigation into the case of Salah Abou Nabour, a Franco-Syrian national, who was killed on June 7, 2017 in a bombing raid in Syria. This is the second arrest warrant issued by French judges, for the former Syrian leader, who was overthrown in early December 2024 by insurgent forces led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).”
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