“The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court said on Thursday he
had requested arrest warrants for the supreme leader of Afghanistan’s Taliban
government and the country’s chief justice for their “unprecedented”
persecution of Afghan women and girls. The prosecutor, Karim Khan, said in a
statement that the Taliban’s leader, Sheikh Haibatullah Akhundzada, and the
head of Afghanistan’s supreme court, Abdul Hakim Haqqani, had committed a crime
against humanity: “persecution on gender grounds.” “Afghan women and girls, as
well as the LGBTQI+ community, are facing an unprecedented, unconscionable and
ongoing persecution by the Taliban,” the statement said.”











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Eye on Extremism



January 24, 2025



The New York Times: I.C.C. Prosecutor Seeks Arrest Of Taliban Leader For
Persecution Of Afghan Women And Girls
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“The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court said on Thursday he
had requested arrest warrants for the supreme leader of Afghanistan’s Taliban
government and the country’s chief justice for their “unprecedented”
persecution of Afghan women and girls. The prosecutor, Karim Khan, said in a
statement that the Taliban’s leader, Sheikh Haibatullah Akhundzada, and the
head of Afghanistan’s supreme court, Abdul Hakim Haqqani, had committed a crime
against humanity: “persecution on gender grounds.” “Afghan women and girls, as
well as the LGBTQI+ community, are facing an unprecedented, unconscionable and
ongoing persecution by the Taliban,” the statement said.”



Associated Press: Middle East Latest: UK Warns Of Iranian Attempts To Force
Ships Into Its Waters
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“A warning has gone out to seafarers in the Persian Gulf over what appear to
be attempts by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard to compel ships to enter Iranian
waters. While Iran has a history of harassing and impounding vessels, it hasn’t
directly launched many such attacks recently. Instead, the Iran-backed Houthi
rebels have been attacking ships since November 2023, a campaign that now
appears to be winding down after the ceasefire in Gaza. Meanwhile, Palestinians
displaced from the war-battered north are facing an agonizing wait before the
days-old ceasefire allows them to see what remains of their homes.”




Recent CEP Press Releases

*
Counter Extremism Project Announces Purchase of Former Home of Auschwitz
Commandant Rudolf Höss and Its Transformation Into a Center for Research,
Education, and Action on Antisemitism, Extremism, and Radicalization
<[link removed]>

*
Extremist Content Online: White Supremacist Telegram Channels Identify Need
for Alternative Platform After State Department’s Terrorgram Collective
Designation
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*
Extremist Content Online: ISIS Propaganda Allegedly Helped Inspire New Orleans
Attacker
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*
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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CEP Mentions



UNESCO: 80 Years After The Liberation Of Auschwitz: UNESCO Mobilized For The
Memory Of The Holocaust
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“... On the sidelines of this ceremony, the Director-General of UNESCO will
visit the future Auschwitz Centre on Hatred, Extremism and Radicalization
(ARCHER) created by the Counter Extremism Project (CEP) under the patronage of
UNESCO and in partnership with the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum. This research and
education centre will be established in the former home of Auschwitz commandant
Rudolf Höss. On the occasion of this important commemoration, UNESCO is
publishing three new guides intended to help teachers and journalists better
combat Holocaust denial, distortion and instrumentalization of historical facts
related to the Holocaust, as well as contemporary forms of anti-Semitism.”



Archinect News: Daniel Libeskind Will Remake Former Auschwitz Commandant's
House Into Learning Center
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“... The nonprofit Counter Extremism Project (CEP) is guiding the effort,
which also includes a renovation of the former Block 17 prisoner barracks of
the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum to install a new permanent
exhibition. Libeskind is himself the son of two Polish Holocaust survivors.”



RTL Today: Hibatullah Akhundzada: Afghanistan's Reclusive Taliban Leader
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“... "Akhundzada's relative anonymity has reportedly served as a factor in
the Taliban's decision to elevate him. Previously, many had assumed that more
well-known figures... would succeed Mullah Mansour," according to the Counter
Extremism Project (CEP), a non-profit policy organisation. "Significantly less
public and controversial" than other choices, he seemed like the ideal
candidate to ensure discretion for the movement and "retain control over its
internal factions", the CEP said. Unlike many Taliban figures, Akhundzada is
not on the United Nations sanctions list.”



E2 Employment & Education: The Shadowy Financier Said To Control Islamic State
Network
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“... With Mumin’s help, “they have recently turned to the jihad” seeking
“radicalism, weapons, and funding”. Some observers have described him as the
caliph of the jihadist command structure. However, such an official designation
would signal an ideological reversal for the group with deep roots in the
Levant, the territory of the IS caliphate that lasted from 2014 to 2019 and
spanned Iraq and Syria. “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.”



Blick: Does Germany Have A Security Problem?
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“One day after the horrific attack in Aschaffenburg, many questions remain
unanswered. In particular: How could this even happen? Enamullah O.* (28) was
no stranger to the authorities. He was called out to police several times. He
is said to have once strangled a Ukrainian woman. "How could the police fail so
badly? They all knew that he wasn't right in the head," said an Afghan who
lives in the same refugee shelter as O., stunned… The background to the attack
in Aschaffenburg is still unclear. For Hans-Jakob Schindler, an expert at the
Counter Extremism Project, the knife attack shows how tense the situation in
Germany is. And that the authorities have a system problem. "At the moment, it
looks as if the complex administrative processes for deportation from Germany
were once again not implemented effectively," the former UN Security Council
advisor on global terrorism sanctions told Blick.”



Frankfurter Rundschau: After Knife Attack In Aschaffenburg: Merz Announces
Permanent Border Controls If He Wins The Election
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“In Aschaffenburg, a man kills two people. Politicians react to the act of
violence by criticizing Olaf Scholz… Hans -Jakob Schindler, director of the
Counter Extremism Project in Germany, told IPPEN.MEDIA about the knife attack
in Aschaffenburg: "The case shows once again that the management of deportation
procedures simply does not work effectively enough in Germany." The topic is
not new, however: "It has been talked about repeatedly since Solingen at the
latest, but apparently nothing has really improved." Regarding the possible
motive for the knife attack in Aschaffenburg, Schindler said: "Based on the
current information, I also believe that there are no elements that would
indicate an Islamist act. For example, previous contact with extremist circles
or indications and announcements that would indicate such a motive." At the
same time, however, he made it clear that the attack played into the hands of
populists. "Alice Weidel and Sahra Wagenknecht were among the first to express
such a view."”



Oświęcim Naszemiasto: The Oświęcim Villa Of Rudolf Höss, Commandant Of The
Auschwitz Concentration Camp, Has Been Sold. The New Owner Is An American
Non-Governmental Organization.
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“The house in Oświęcim where Rudolf Höss, commandant of the Auschwitz
concentration camp, lived with his family during the war has been sold. The new
owner of the historic building, which borders the Auschwitz Memorial, is the
American non-governmental organization Counter Extremism Project. Plans of the
American organization in the former house of the commandant of the Auschwitz
concentration camp. The American organization has decided to create a Center
for Research, Education and Action against Anti-Semitism, Extremism and
Radicalization in the former home of the Auschwitz concentration camp
commandant, whose main goal will be to combat hate speech in public debate.”



Fakty Oświęcim: Hate Speech Combating Centre Opens Only On January 27th
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“As we have already reported HERE, the building where Rudolf Höss, commandant
of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, lived, was purchased by the
American non-governmental organization Counter Extremism Project (CEP). On
January 27, 2025, on the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the German Nazi
concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, the center officially
named Auschwitz Research Centre on Hate, Radicalization and Extremism (ARCHER)
will open its doors for one day primarily to Survivors, invited guests, and
official delegations. "After this date, construction work will resume and
visiting the house will not be possible. We consider making the house available
on the anniversary of the liberation of the camp to be our duty and an
expression of respect for the Survivors and all Victims of the Holocaust,"
wrote Jacek Purski, director of ARCHER, in an e-mail to Fakty Oświęcim.”



De Standaard: House From 'The Zone Of Interest' Becomes Research Center
Against Anti-Semitism <[link removed]>



“The former home of the Höss family next to Auschwitz will soon be open to
visitors. It will become the new base of operations for the Counter Extremism
Project (CEP). The research center will open on Monday, the 80th anniversary of
the liberation of Auschwitz. Visitors will see photos of the Höss family, as
well as diaries of the housekeeper and Rudolf Höss, who was forced to write
down his experiences after the war to gain insight into his psyche. The Counter
Extremism Project is a New York-based NGO that has been fighting extremism for
ten years. They bought the home of a Polish family that had owned it since the
liberation of Auschwitz. “The idea behind the project is to create something
that doesn’t exist yet, and to fight extremism in the home of one of the worst
extremists and anti-Semites that ever existed,” CEP director Hans Jakob
Schindler told CNN. CEO Mark Wallace also stressed the importance of the
center: “Since the Holocaust, we have been taught never to forget. Eighty years
later, it is clear that ‘never forget’ is essential, but it is not enough to
prevent the hatred and anti-Semitism that grips us today.””



Voice Of America Kurdish: Crackdown In Iran's Kurdistan: Arrests Amid Protests
Of Death Sentences
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“Several individuals in Sanaa, Saqiz and Sardasht, in Iran’s Kurdistan
region, have been arrested for participating in strikes protesting the death
sentences of Pakhshan Azizi and Varisha Moradi, two ethnic Kurdish women. The
Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) reported the detention of six citizens in
Sanaa, while three others were arrested in Saqiz and Sardasht by the Ministry
of Intelligence… Ari Heistein, an Israel-based researcher with the Counter
Extremism Project, said Houthi military leaders risk losing relevance in
running their regime if they disconnect from electronic communications for
prolonged periods. “Running a country of more than 32 million people with
serious problems is hard to do from isolation in a remote environment,”
Heistein said.”



United States



NPR: President Trump Aims To End Investigations Into Extremism In The U.S.
Military
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“President Trump is eliminating federal DEI programs, including in the
Department of Defense. He is also aiming to end investigations into extremism
in the U.S. military.”



Reuters: Trump Designates Yemen's Houthis As A 'Foreign Terrorist Organization'

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“U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday re-designated Yemen's Houthi
movement, known formally as Ansar Allah, as a "foreign terrorist organization",
the White House said. The move will impose harsher economic penalties than the
Biden administration had applied to the Iran-aligned group in response to its
attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and against U.S. warships
defending the critical maritime chokepoint. Proponents of the move say it is
overdue, though some experts say it could have implications for anyone seen as
aiding the Houthis, including some aid organizations.”



New York Post: American Hiker Shot Twice By Suspected Cartel Terrorist Near
US-Mexico Border
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“A suspected cartel terrorist attacked and shot an American hiker multiple
times near the San Diego-Mexico border, according to the US Customs and Border
Protection. Border patrol said a group of hikers were bombarded with gunfire,
with the victim struck twice and robbed in El Centro Sector’s area in the
Jacumba Wilderness. “Cartels think they can bring their war here. Think again!”
Chief Patrol Agent Gregory K. Bovino posted to X Wednesday afternoon. “He was
here legally, visiting and out for a hike with his friends,” according to the
post. “He was shot at (uninjured) and later robbed after bravely staying at his
wounded friend’s side.””



Iran



Reuters: Iran Says Trump's 'Terrorist' Designation Of Yemen's Houthis Is
'Baseless'
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“Iran on Thursday condemned as "baseless" a move by U.S. President Donald
Trump to re-designate Yemen's Tehran-aligned Houthi movement as a "foreign
terrorist organization (FTO)". Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil
Baghaei said that the move, which will impose harsher economic penalties than
the Biden administration had applied to the Houthis, was "an excuse to apply
anti-human sanctions against the Yemeni people". "Such arbitrary and baseless
unilateral actions will further weaken the rule of law in international
relations and threaten regional peace and stability," Baghaei was quoted by
state media as saying.”



Lebanon



Associated Press: Saudi Foreign Minister Makes First Official Trip To Lebanon
In A Decade After Years Of Strained Ties
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“Saudi Arabia’s top diplomat visited Lebanon on Thursday for the first time
in a decade following years of strained relations between the oil-rich kingdom
and the small Mediterranean country. Prince Faisal bin Farhan’s visit comes
almost two months after a ceasefire went into effect that halted Israel and the
Hezbollah group’s war that battered southern Lebanon and destroyed much of the
group’s military capabilities. It also comes following a lightening insurgency
in Syria in December that ousted Bashar Assad and ended decades of his family’s
rule.”



Middle East



The New York Times: Israeli Forces Kill 2 Palestinian Militants Wanted In
Deadly Attack
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“Israel’s military on Thursday pressed ahead with its offensive in and around
Jenin, a city known as a center of militant opposition to the Israeli
occupation of the West Bank, killing two men in a nearby village who were
wanted for the murder of three Israelis. The men, identified on Thursday as
Mohamad Nazzal and Qutayba Shalabi, had earlier this month shot at Israeli
vehicles in the West Bank village of Al Funduq, the Israeli military said. The
attack killed three Israelis: a police investigator and two women from a nearby
settlement. Since the cease-fire in Gaza began this week, Israel has turned its
attention to the West Bank, particularly Jenin. The Israeli military has
launched at least three major operations there over the past year and a half,
arresting militants, tearing up roads and leaving many Palestinian civilians
hiding in their homes in fear.”



Associated Press: Israelis Await Names Of Next 4 Hostages To Be Released By
Hamas As Part Of The Ceasefire
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“Relatives of hostages still being held by militants in Gaza called on
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Friday to ensure all remaining
captives are freed, while also appealing to U.S. President Donald Trump to
continue pressing for their release. As a fragile six-week ceasefire between
Israel and Hamas entered its sixth day, Israelis waited anxiously for the names
of the next four hostages who will be released from among the more than 90
still held in Gaza. In the Palestinian enclave, civilians in the central and
southern part of the Gaza Strip hoping to return to the remnants of their home
in the battered north faced an agonizing wait.”



Reuters: Israel Sees More To Do On Lebanon Ceasefire As Deadline Nears
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“Israel said on Thursday the terms of a ceasefire with Hezbollah were not
being implemented fast enough and there was more work to do, while the
Iran-backed group urged pressure to ensure Israeli troops leave south Lebanon
by Monday as set out in the deal. The deal stipulates that Israeli troops
withdraw from south Lebanon, Hezbollah remove fighters and weapons from the
area and Lebanese troops deploy there - all within a 60-day timeframe which
will conclude on Monday at 4 a.m (0200 GMT). The deal, brokered by the United
States and France, ended more than a year of hostilities triggered by the Gaza
war.”



Nigeria



BBC: New Nigerian Jihadist Group Declared Terrorists
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“Nigeria's authorities have officially declared the Lakurawa armed group -
which flogs people for listening to music - a terrorist organisation and banned
it across the country. Lakurawa is a new militant group which carries out
attacks, targeting local communities in north-western Nigeria and across the
border with Niger. Nigerian officials say Lakurawa is affiliated with jihadist
factions in Mali and Niger, and its militants have for years settled in
communities along the Nigeria-Niger border, marrying local women and recruiting
youths. This adds to Nigeria's security concerns, as it is already fighting
against several armed groups, from Islamist militants Boko Haram to kidnapping
gangs.”



United Kingdom



BBC: Could Calling Attacks Like Southport 'Terrorism' Help To Prevent Them?
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“Axel Rudakubana had a long-standing obsession with violence, killing and
genocide, but prosecutors said there is no evidence he ascribed to any
particular political or religious ideology. He admitted a terrorism offence for
downloading an al-Qaeda training manual. But the knife attack has not been
treated as terrorism by police or prosecutors, and the judge stressed that he
"must accept" that there was no evidence of terrorist cause. He added, however,
that Rudakubana's culpability is "equivalent to terrorist matters, whatever its
purpose". Following Rudakubana's guilty pleas earlier this week, Prime Minister
Sir Keir Starmer declared "terrorism has changed" and Britain is facing a "new
threat".”



Technology



BBC: Terror Cop's Extreme Online Content Warning To Parents
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“A top counter terror police officer has called for parents to "be alive" to
extreme content children may be viewing online. Lone extremists "fed" by
violent material on social media now pose "one of the biggest risks", Assistant
Chief Constable Wendy Gunney believes. The head of counter terrorism policing
in Wales warned parents not to be "complacent" about the risks. It comes after
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said terrorism had "changed" following the
conviction of Cardiff-born Axel Rudakubana for the murder of three young girls
in Southport. Rudakubana was sentenced to a minimum of 52 years in prison on
Thursday, where the judge said he planned to kill as many people as he could.”



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