“Syria is open to letting Russia keep its air and naval bases along the
Mediterranean coast as long as any agreement with the Kremlin serves the
country’s interests, Syrian Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra said in an
interview this week, underscoring the pragmatic approach taken by his
government as it charts new alliances and reassesses old ones forged under the
previous regime. Russia’s attitude toward the new Syrian government has
“improved significantly” since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad in
December, and Damascus is weighing Moscow’s demands, Abu Qasra said, signaling
a dramatic shift among the former militants who make up the government.”











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Eye on Extremism



February 7, 2025



The Washington Post: Syria Could Allow Russia To Keep Its Bases, New Defense
Minister Says
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“Syria is open to letting Russia keep its air and naval bases along the
Mediterranean coast as long as any agreement with the Kremlin serves the
country’s interests, Syrian Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra said in an
interview this week, underscoring the pragmatic approach taken by his
government as it charts new alliances and reassesses old ones forged under the
previous regime. Russia’s attitude toward the new Syrian government has
“improved significantly” since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad in
December, and Damascus is weighing Moscow’s demands, Abu Qasra said, signaling
a dramatic shift among the former militants who make up the government.”



The New York Times: Pakistan To Force Tens Of Thousands Of Afghan Refugees Out
Of The Capital
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“Tens of thousands of Afghan refugees who have congregated in Pakistan’s
capital region to seek resettlement in other countries are being ordered to
move elsewhere in Pakistan by March 31. The refugees have arrived in large
numbers in the capital, Islamabad, and in neighboring Rawalpindi because of the
embassies and refugee agencies based there. Forcing them to go elsewhere in the
country is intended to put pressure on Western nations, including the United
States, to accept them quickly. The Pakistani government’s announcement, issued
last week, said that Afghan refugees who could not find a country to take them
would be deported to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, although it did not say how
quickly that would happen after the March 31 deadline.”




Recent CEP Press Releases

*
Extremist Content Online: ISIS-K-Linked Voice of Khorasan Web Magazine
Recommends Use of Telegram Communications App Despite Terms of Service Change,
U.S. White Supremacist Groups Continue to Promote Mass Deportations
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*
Counter Extremism Project CEO Ambassador Mark D. Wallace Thanks the Government
of Canada and Prime Minister Trudeau for Visiting CEP’s ARCHER at House 88 and
Ongoing Efforts in Fighting Antisemitism
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*
Counter Extremism Project CEO Ambassador Mark D. Wallace Thanks the Government
of Germany and its Official Delegation for Visiting CEP’s ARCHER at House 88
and Ongoing Efforts in Fighting Antisemitism
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*
Counter Extremism Project CEO Ambassador Mark D. Wallace Applauds President
Trump for His Commitment to Fighting Antisemitism and Thanks Him and His
Delegation Members at the 80th Anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz for
Their Visit to CEP’s ARCHER
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*
Extremist Content Online: Nashville School Shooter’s Manifesto Spread on
Several Platforms, Including White Supremacist Telegram Channels
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CEP Mentions



The Spectator: Cracking Down On Facebook Won’t Stop Teenagers Being Radicalised

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“I’ve yet to meet an oncologist, thank God. But if I did turn up to be told I
had cancer I wouldn’t expect him to start treating me with a chainsaw. That was
my thought this morning when I read that our national counter-terrorism chief
had described the effect of exposing kids to violent content online as
carcinogenic. Matt Jukes, Assistant Commissioner for Specialist Operations for
the Met Police, suggested that a ban on social media for the under 16s was a
way to address the scourge of adolescent maniacs mobilised by online extremism
who turn hateful thought into lethal action.”



Intercept Brasil: Every Time Someone Doubts The Harm Caused By Big Tech, Show
Them This Dossier
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“Today, the alignment of big tech companies with Donald Trump – and with the
global far right – has become obvious. But it wasn’t always like this. A
well-aligned public relations pitch, a team of lobbyists with various
ideological hues and sophisticated techniques to win the hearts and minds of
politicians, journalists and civil society were crucial in shielding these
large corporations from regulation and public scrutiny for years… They deny,
deny, deny. They say they are neutral platforms, that their recommendation
algorithms follow users' preferences. But several studies, including one by
Facebook itself, show that this is nonsense. The dossier cites this one, from
the Counter Extremism Project, which shows how YouTube's algorithm promotes
misinformation, conspiracy theories, and extremism. The same goes for Twitter,
TikTok, and Meta.”



United States



The New York Times: Despite Waivers, U.S. Funding Freeze Sows Doubt About Camp
Holding ISIS Members
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“President Trump’s funding freeze has thrown into confusion the future of a
Syrian desert camp holding thousands of Islamic State members and their
families, the camp’s director and people familiar with it said, describing it
as a potential security threat in the region. The camp, Al Hol, which houses
some 39,000 people, has been whipsawed by a halt to U.S.-funded programs then
short reprieves, and is still struggling to understand its status. Even as some
programs critical to securing the camp received temporary extensions, another
organization essential to managing the camp said it might have to halt its work
there as soon as Monday.”



BBC: Why Trump Is On The Warpath In Somalia
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“Finding and fighting the militants who have become the beating heart of the
Islamic State (IS) group in Africa can be tough work as they hide deep in the
mountains of north-eastern Somalia. But in typical Donald Trump style, after
the new US president ordered an airstrike on the area last weekend, he posted
on social media: "WE WILL FIND YOU, AND WE WILL KILL YOU!" Trump said the hit,
less than two weeks into his term, had targeted a senior IS attack planner and
other militants in Somalia's semi-autonomous region of Puntland and had
"destroyed the caves they live in, and killed many terrorists without, in any
way, harming civilians".”



Iraq



Associated Press: Historic Landmarks In Iraq’s Mosul Are Reopening As The City
Heals From Islamic State Devastation
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“For over 850 years, the leaning minaret of the Great Mosque of al-Nuri stood
as an iconic landmark in the Iraqi city of Mosul until it was destroyed by the
Islamic State group in 2017. Nearly eight years after IS militants were driven
out of the city, the minaret has been rebuilt as part of a massive
internationally-funded reconstruction project in the historic city. Saad
Muhammed Jarjees, who lives in Mosul’s Old City, remembered how he used to look
at the Al-Hadbaa Minaret from the window of his house every day — and how his
heart sank when it fell.”



Pakistan



Voice Of America: Gunfight Kills Pakistani Soldier, 12 Militants Near Afghan
Border
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“Pakistan reported Thursday that one soldier and 12 insurgents were killed in
intense predawn clashes in a volatile northwestern district bordering
Afghanistan. A military statement said the deadly shootout in North Waziristan
occurred after security forces conducted an "intelligence-based" raid against a
"khawarij" hideout, a term officially used to describe militants affiliated
with the banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP. Insurgent attacks targeting
security forces and government functionaries occur nearly daily in several
districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, including the Waziristan region.”



Lebanon



The New York Times: Trump Envoy Pushes Lebanon’s New Leaders To Isolate
Hezbollah
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“A Trump administration envoy to the Middle East pressed Lebanon’s new
leaders on Friday to ensure that Hezbollah does not become part of the
government, as it grapples with a fragile cease-fire and violence that could
undermine its push for stability. The United States deputy envoy to the Middle
East, Morgan Ortagus, said at a news conference in Beirut after meeting
Lebanon’s new president, Joseph Aoun, that Hezbollah had been “defeated” by
Israel. She added that the leadership of Lebanon was committed to ensuring that
Hezbollah, a powerful Iran-backed militia, “is not a part of this government in
any form.” There was no immediate comment from Lebanese officials on her
account. Lebanon’s new leaders will need to strike a balance with Hezbollah,
which has long been the country’s dominant political force but has been
battered by a 14-month war with Israel.”



BBC: Battered But Defiant - What Will Happen To Hezbollah's Weapons?
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“On 26 January, thousands of displaced Lebanese, who had been living across
the country, tried to return to their homes in southern Lebanon. They travelled
in convoys, played revolutionary songs and waved, proudly, the yellow Hezbollah
flag. Many found out that, aer more than a year of war, there were no homes to
return to. They mourned what had been lost and, in the rubble of destroyed
buildings, put up posters remembering the group's late leader, Hassan
Nasrallah. The date marked the end of a deadline for the withdrawal of Israeli
troops, part of a ceasefire brokered by the US and France, that required
Hezbollah to remove its weapons and fighters from the south.”



Middle East



Axios: Netanyahu Told U.S. Officials War Could End If Hamas Leaders Go Into
Exile: Sources
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“During his meetings in Washington, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
presented a plan for ending the war in Gaza in return for Hamas giving up power
and its leaders leaving Gaza, according to two U.S. sources and one Israeli
source. Netanyahu has said he doesn't see a path to a post-war plan for Gaza as
long as Hamas is in control. If Hamas relinquishes power and its leaders go
into exile, it could open the door for a day-after plan, possibly including
President Trump's "Gaza takeover." Netanyahu wanted to reach an understanding
with Trump and his team about how to move forward with the Gaza hostage-release
and ceasefire deal. As part of that, Netanyahu wants to get to an agreement
with the Trump administration about making some changes in the deal.”



Africa



Associated Press; At Least 10 Soldiers In Niger Are Killed In An Ambush, The
Army Says
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“Armed assailants in western Niger killed at least 10 soldiers in an ambush
on a military unit that had been sent to hunt cattle rustlers in a border
region near Burkina Faso, Niger’s ruling junta said. The military unit was
deployed Monday to catch criminals who had been stealing the cattle in the
western village of Takzat, the military said in a statement broadcast Wednesday
night. “It was during the operation that a group of criminals ambushed the
detachment of the internal security forces which resulted in the loss of 10 of
our soldiers,” the statement said. It did not identify the attackers. The
attackers managed to flee, but the military caught and neutralized 15
“terrorists” on Tuesday, the statement added.”



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