“President Trump wants to deploy a blunt new tool to fight Mexican cartels that
flood the U.S. with drugs, by adding them to a list of terrorist groups that
includes the likes of al Qaeda and Hamas. The move could increase pressure on
the cartels by directing more money to intelligence gathering. It could also
lay the groundwork for going after cartel financiers and allied businesses—and
for unilateral U.S. military action such as drone strikes on drug labs,
according to officials and security experts. But even without direct U.S.
intervention, adding cartels to the terrorism list risks straining ties with
Mexico, at a time when the two countries are in delicate talks over ending drug
smuggling and migration to avoid a trade war.”











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Eye on Extremism



February 5, 2025



The Wall Street Journal: Trump’s Next Fight With Mexico: Designating Drug
Cartels As Terrorists
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“President Trump wants to deploy a blunt new tool to fight Mexican cartels
that flood the U.S. with drugs, by adding them to a list of terrorist groups
that includes the likes of al Qaeda and Hamas. The move could increase pressure
on the cartels by directing more money to intelligence gathering. It could also
lay the groundwork for going after cartel financiers and allied businesses—and
for unilateral U.S. military action such as drone strikes on drug labs,
according to officials and security experts. But even without direct U.S.
intervention, adding cartels to the terrorism list risks straining ties with
Mexico, at a time when the two countries are in delicate talks over ending drug
smuggling and migration to avoid a trade war.”



Associated Press: Islamic State Members Held For Years In A Syria Prison Say
They Know Nothing Of The World
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“Men of various ages and nationalities sit silently in their cells, a small
window in the metal doors their only opening to the world. All are alleged
members of the Islamic State group, captured during the final days of the
extremists’ so-called caliphate declared in large parts of Iraq and Syria. The
Gweiran Prison, now called Panorama has held about 4,500 IS-linked detainees
for years. The Associated Press was given an exclusive visit to the prison,
nearly two months after the fall of the 54-year Assad dynasty in Syria — an
upheaval the detainees might not even know about as prison officials try to
limit outside information.”




The CEP CounterPoint: Expert Analysis

*
CounterPoint Brief: Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Deal
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*
Artificial Intelligence and Extremism: “Cybertruck Bomber”
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The Muslim Brotherhood in Britain: Analysis of Recent Sanctions
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CounterPoint Brief: Terror Attack In New Orleans
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Luigi Mangione and the Mainstreaming of Accelerationist Saints Culture
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CEP Mentions



The Wall Street Journal: This Is The House That Höss Built
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“‘Why does the Ayatollah Khamenei of Iran have a f— Twitter account?” asks
Mark Wallace, a rare lapse in language from a courtly man. “Why should the No.
1 state sponsor of terrorism be on f— social media?” [...] Mr. Wallace’s
decade-old nonprofit, the Counter Extremism Project, acquired the Höss house
and one next door from the Polish family that had owned them for the past 80
years. He declines to say how much he paid but says there were “at least 10
different family members across two houses, and many were estranged from each
other.” The purchase “took years to accomplish because we didn’t believe it
appropriate to pay a significant premium because of its Nazi history. As for
his broader mission, he speaks of an “algorithm of evil” and wants to “make it
untenable for social media to reward hate and antisemitism.””



Jewish Journal: A Former Nazi “Paradise” Will Be Transformed Into A Global
Center For Combatting Antisemitism
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“The former Polish residence of the Nazi commandant at Auschwitz will soon
open its doors to the public as a center dedicated to combatting antisemitism,
extremism and hate... The property at 88 Legionow Street, dubbed “House 88,”
served as the family home to Rudolph Höss, the orchestrator behind the gas
chambers and crematorium at Auschwitz, where approximately one million Jews
were sent to their deaths. The upscale villa, once famously referred to by
Höss’ wife as a “paradise” with its lush gardens and a swimming pool, was
recently purchased by New York-based charity the Counter Extremism Project
(CEP), with the intention of transforming it into a space for research,
education and advocacy.”



Delo: Höss' "Paradise House" Near Auschwitz Will Not Be A Tourist Attraction,
But An Oasis Of Peace
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“House number 88 on Legionów Street in Oświęcim is nothing special at first
glance. Gray walls, a facade in need of renovation. It would be almost like any
other house around there if it weren't marked by the family that once lived in
it. For four years, the three-story villa was home to the Höss family – the
commandant of the Auschwitz concentration camp, Rudolf Höss , his wife Hedwig ,
and their five children. The new owners want to give the house a bright future
after its dark past… Peeking through the windows of strangers and constantly
staring at the crematorium have taken their toll. The house was purchased by
the Counter Extremism Project (CEP), an NGO that fights extremist groups,
radicalism, and online recruitment of extremists. They have clear plans for the
building – they want it to become the home of the Center for Research on Hate,
Extremism, and Radicalism, and they would like to turn it into a space where
people can learn and talk about extremism and the fight against it.”



United States



CBS News: Neo-Nazi Leader Found Guilty Of Plotting Attack On Maryland Power
Grid
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“Brandon Russell, the leader of a neo-Nazi group, was found guilty of
conspiring to attack Maryland's power grid in a terrorist plot, the U.S.
Attorney's Office said. Russell, 29, from Orlando, Florida, was convicted of
one count of conspiracy to damage an energy facility after a jury deliberated
for less than an hour on Monday. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in
federal prison. Russell and Sara Beth Clendaniel plotted to blow up several BGE
substations within the Baltimore region in 2023.”



The Guardian: Far-Right Group Proud Boys Loses Legal Naming Rights To Black
Church It Vandalized
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“The Proud Boys have lost control of their own name after the far-right
extremist group subjected a Black church in Washington DC to a “hateful and
overtly racist” attack during the violent final days of Donald Trump’s first
presidency. The ruling Monday by Judge Tanya Jones Bosier of Washington DC’s
superior court grants the church – the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal
church – power over how the Proud Boys moniker is used. Bosier’s decision opens
a pathway to seizing proceeds from the sale of any merchandise featuring the
white supremacist group’s name, logos and insignia, too.”



The New York Times: Man Sentenced To 44 Years In Prison After Pleading Guilty
To Qaeda Ties
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“A man who pleaded guilty to federal terrorism charges nine years ago after
being accused of plotting a suicide bombing at Heathrow Airport in London in
support of Al Qaeda’s Yemeni affiliate was sentenced on Tuesday to 44 years in
prison. Prosecutors said that the man, Minh Quang Pham, planned the bombing
after having received military training in Yemen from Anwar al-Awlaki, an
American-born radical Muslim cleric and a leader of the Al Qaeda affiliate in
Yemen. The United States later killed him in a drone strike.”



Syria



Reuters: Syria's Sharaa Aims To Restore US Ties, No Contacts Yet With Trump
Administration
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“Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa said his government aims to
restore ties with the United States in the coming days but has not yet had any
contact with the Trump administration, according to an interview with The
Economist. Sharaa, declared Syria's interim head of state last week, also noted
that U.S. troops were in Syria without government approval, adding that any
such presence should be agreed with the state. He described U.S. sanctions
still imposed on Syria as "the gravest risk" to the country. "I believe that
President Trump seeks peace in the area, and it is a top priority to lift the
sanctions.”



Turkey



The New York Times: In Turkey, New Syrian Leader And Erdogan Pledge To Work
Together
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“Syria’s new interim leader, meeting on Tuesday with the president of Turkey,
thanked him for backing the rebel forces that toppled the Assad dictatorship
and said he now sought a deep strategic relationship that would benefit both
their countries. The meeting was President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s first with
Ahmed al-Shara, who led the offensive that toppled President Bashar al-Assad of
Syria last month. Both countries have a lot riding on their relationship, and
the public comments by the two leaders after they met in the Turkish capital,
Ankara, made clear that they are both looking to the future.”



Afghanistan



CBS News: Taliban Holding On To $7 Billion Of U.S. Military Equipment Left
Behind After Withdrawal
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“More than three years after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, the
country's new leaders insist they have improved people's lives, but for years
the Taliban has ruled with an iron fist — aided by abandoned U.S. military
hardware. Last year, the Taliban put on a parade showing off its massive haul,
including assault rifles and Humvees. According to a 2022 Department of Defense
report, 78 aircraft, 40,000 military vehicles and more than 300,000 weapons
were among some of what was left behind. On the eve of his inauguration,
President Trump accused the Biden administration of handing over U.S. military
assets to the Taliban following the 2021 withdrawal — a withdrawal that Mr.
Trump negotiated.”



Qatar



Reuters: Middle East Envoy Witkoff To Meet Qatar PM In Florida Thursday
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“U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff says he will be meeting with Qatari
Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Florida on Thursday.
The meeting comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits the U.S.
and will coincide with the scheduled resumption of indirect negotiations this
week between Israel and Hamas on the crucial second stage of a Gaza ceasefire
deal and hostage release. Qatar has served as a mediator in the negotiations.”



Middle East



Reuters: Hamas Ready For Talks With Trump Administration, Hamas Official Tells
RIA
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“The Palestinian Hamas movement is ready to establish contact and hold talks
with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, Russia's RIA state news
agency cited a senior Hamas official as saying in remarks published early on
Wednesday. "We are ready for contact and talks with the Trump administration,"
RIA cited senior Hamas Politburo member Mousa Abu Marzouk as saying. "In the
past, we did not object to contacts with the administration of (former U.S.
President Joe) Biden, Trump or any other U.S. administration, and we are open
to talks with all international parties." It was not clear when RIA interviewed
Marzouk, who was visiting Moscow on Monday for talks with the Russian foreign
ministry.”



Reuters: Hamas Says Talks Start On Second Phase Of Gaza Ceasefire Deal
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“Talks have started on the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal, the
spokesperson for the Palestinian militant group Hamas said on Tuesday. The
first phase of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas went into force on Jan.
19 after 15 months of war and involved a halt to fighting, the release of some
of the Israeli hostages held by Hamas and the freeing of some Palestinian
prisoners. Phase two of the three-phase deal is intended to focus on agreements
on the release of the remaining hostages and the withdrawal of Israeli troops
from Gaza. "Contacts and negotiation on the second phase have begun," Hamas
spokesperson Abdel-Latif Al-Qanoua said, without providing further details.”



Associated Press: Trump Won’t Rule Out Deploying US Troops To Support
Rebuilding Gaza, Sees ‘Long-Term’ US Ownership
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“President Donald Trump on Tuesday suggested that displaced Palestinians in
Gaza be permanently resettled outside the war-torn territory and proposed the
U.S. take “ownership” in redeveloping the area into “the Riviera of the Middle
East.” Trump’s brazen proposal appears certain to roil the next stage of talks
meant to extend the tenuous ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and secure the
release of the remaining hostages held in Gaza. The provocative comments came
as talks are ramping up this week with the promise of surging humanitarian aid
and reconstruction supplies to help the people of Gaza recover after more than
15 months of devastating conflict.”



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