“The Taliban on Monday confirmed the arrest of a British couple in their 70s in
Afghanistan after a plea from their children for their release. The four adult
children of Peter and Barbie Reynolds said their parents have lived in
Afghanistan for 18 years, remaining after the Taliban toppled the
Western-backed government in 2021. The couple run Afghanistan-based Rebuild, an
organization that provides education and training programs for businesses,
government agencies, educational organizations and nongovernmental groups. The
Sunday Times, which first reported the arrests, said one project was for
mothers and children. The Taliban has severely restricted women’s education and
activities.”











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Eye on Extremism



February 25, 2025



Associated Press: Taliban Confirm British Couple In Their 70s Arrested In
Afghanistan As Family Call For Their Release
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“The Taliban on Monday confirmed the arrest of a British couple in their 70s
in Afghanistan after a plea from their children for their release. The four
adult children of Peter and Barbie Reynolds said their parents have lived in
Afghanistan for 18 years, remaining after the Taliban toppled the
Western-backed government in 2021. The couple run Afghanistan-based Rebuild, an
organization that provides education and training programs for businesses,
government agencies, educational organizations and nongovernmental groups. The
Sunday Times, which first reported the arrests, said one project was for
mothers and children. The Taliban has severely restricted women’s education and
activities.”



Associated Press: Pakistani Security Forces Kill 10 Militants In A Raid Near
Afghanistan
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“Pakistani security forces raided a militant hideout in the restive northwest
near the Afghan border, killing 10 militants, the military said Monday. The
military did not provide additional details about the militants killed in Bagh,
a town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. But such operations are often conducted
against the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan. The group is
an ally of the Taliban in Afghanistan and has been emboldened since the Afghan
Taliban seized power there in 2021. Meanwhile, a main crossing on the
Afghan-Pakistan border remained shut Monday for the third day, officials said,
after Pakistan closed the key trade route in a dispute over the construction of
a post along the border by Afghanistan, authorities said.”





Counter Extremism Perspectives

Active Clubs: White supremacist network
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CounterPod

U.K. Home Office Counter Terror ‘sprint’ report; Donald Trump on Gaza; Eric
Glass; extremism in South Africa; kicked off by an irreverent explanation of
the Tush Push.
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CEP Mentions



BBC: Inadequate Information Released After Southport Attack By Authorities,
Says Terror Law Reviewer <[link removed]>



“... Counter-extremism expert Ian Acheson agrees. "I don't think they could
conceivably have arrived at that conclusion on the basis of the evidence," he
said. "I think the comms decision was 'let's say as little as possible and
let's try to dampen down community feeling by saying, 'no, there's nothing to
see here',' which of course then created a narrative that was exploited by
misinformation and disinformation." The day after the attack, Merseyside Police
issued a press release reiterating that the incident was "not currently being
treated as terror-related". That same day, however, police halted their search
of the attacker's house after finding a substance under his bed that they
suspected may be poison.”



BBC: Newshour February 24, 2025
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“BBC interviewed CEP Senior Director Hans-Jakob Schindler in a Newshour
segment on February 24, 2025. The interview, on the security situation in
Germany, starts at the 39:00 mark.”



United States



The Guardian: Neo-Nazi Group Plots Rebuild As Trump’s FBI Chief Takes Helm,
Audio Reveals
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“An international neo-Nazi terrorist group with origins in the US appears to
be quickly rebuilding its global and stateside ranks, according to information
obtained by the Guardian from its digital accounts. Founded in 2018, the Base
has been the intense focus of a years-long FBI counter-terrorism investigation
that has resulted in more than a dozen of its members arrested. It has plotted
an assassination, mass shootings and other actions in Europe, which made it a
proscribed terrorist organization in several countries. By 2022, it seemed to
disappear. Yet its founder and leader, Rinaldo Nazzaro, a former US special
forces contractor residing in Russia, used the safety of Russian apps before
the November election to recruit and reorganize during a tense political
moment.”



Syria



The New York Times: Syria Begins A ‘National Dialogue,’ But Without A Major
Player
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“Syria’s interim government is bringing together people from the country’s
many religions and sects for a two-day national dialogue that began on Monday.
Ahmed al-Shara, the country’s interim president, whose rebel coalition seized
control of Syria in early December, promised to hold a national dialogue to
discuss the formation of a representative government. His government set a
March 1 deadline to begin the process. Invitations for the event were sent out
on Sunday, Feb. 23, to hundred of participants, including community leaders,
academics and religious leaders, only one day before the conference was set to
begin. Also invited were journalists, businessmen, activists, former detainees
of the Assad government and the families of people who were killed or wounded
in Syria’s brutal, 13-year civil war.”



Iran



Reuters: US Imposes New Sanctions On Iran's Shadow Oil Fleet
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“The United States imposed a fresh round of sanctions targeting Iran's oil
industry on Monday, hitting more than 30 brokers, tanker operators, and
shipping companies for their role in selling and transporting Iranian
petroleum, the Treasury Department said. The announcement comes as U.S.
President Donald Trump seeks to bring Iran's crude exports to zero to prevent
the country from obtaining a nuclear weapon, and builds on the layers of
sanctions already imposed by his government and the previous Biden
administration. "Iran continues to rely on a shadowy network of vessels,
shippers, and brokers to facilitate its oil sales and fund its destabilizing
activities," said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in a statement. "The United
States will use all our available tools to target all aspects of Iran’s oil
supply chain, and anyone who deals in Iranian oil exposes themselves to
significant sanctions risk," he added.”



Lebanon



Associated Press: Hezbollah Chief Who Was Killed Days After Taking Up Post
Laid To Rest In South Lebanon Hometown
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“The late leader of Lebanon’s Hezbollah group who was killed in an Israeli
airstrike days after he took the post was laid to rest in his southern hometown
Monday, a day after his cousin and predecessor was buried in Beirut. Hashem
Safieddine, who was about 60, was killed in early October in a series of
Israeli airstrikes in a southern suburb of Beirut at the height of the
Israel-Hezbollah war. He was killed days after his cousin and predecessor
Hassan Nasrallah was killed in Israeli airstrikes south of Beirut. Following
Nasrallah’s death on Sept. 27, Safieddine was secretly named Hezbollah’s
secretary-general but was killed just days later.”



Middle East



The New York Times: Hamas Official Expresses Reservations About Oct. 7 Attack
On Israel
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“For months, leaders of Hamas have defended the militant group’s decision to
launch the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, even though it ignited a devastating
Israeli offensive that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza and
reduced the territory to rubble. Hamas has declared “victory” over Israel, and
some of its officials have vowed that their fighters will carry out more Oct.
7-style attacks in the future. But now one of Hamas’s top officials is publicly
expressing reservations about the assault, which also touched off a
humanitarian crisis that displaced nearly two million and led to critical
shortages of food and health care.”



BBC: Israel Demands Complete Demilitarisation Of Southern Syria
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“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has demanded the complete
demilitarisation of much of southern Syria. It is an announcement that could
make conflict between Israel and the new leadership in Syria, after the
toppling of President Bashar al-Assad, more likely. In a speech to Israeli
military cadets on Sunday, Netanyahu said that Israel would not allow the
forces of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) - the Islamist group that led the
overthrow of Assad - nor the new Syrian army that is being formed to "enter the
area south of Damascus". "We demand the complete demilitarisation of southern
Syria in the provinces of Quneitra, Deraa and Suweida from the forces of the
new regime," he added.”



Africa



Associated Press: Morocco Says It Dismantled Islamic State Cell That Was
Planning Attacks
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“Moroccan authorities this month arrested a dozen people they said were
planning attacks on behalf of the Islamic State in the Sahel, a region south of
the Sahara Desert, officials said Monday. The discovery of the terrorist cell
and what authorities called an “imminent dangerous terrorist plot” reflect the
expanding ambitions of extremist groups in the region. Authorities did not
provide details of the suspects’ motives or their plot, beyond saying they
planned to set off bombs remotely. They released photographs and videos showing
officers raiding terrorist cells throughout the country. The images showed
weapons stockpiles found during police raids, Islamic State flags drawn on
walls, and thousands of dollars of cash.”



Europe



Reuters: EU Suspends Sanctions Against Syria Including On Energy, Banking
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“European Union countries suspended a range of sanctions against Syria with
immediate effect on Monday, including restrictions related to energy, banking,
transport and reconstruction. The EU has a range of sanctions in place
targeting individuals and economic sectors in Syria. European leaders began
rethinking their approach after insurgent forces led by the Islamist Hayat
Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) ousted Bashar al-Assad as president in December. Meeting
in Brussels on Monday, EU foreign ministers agreed to suspend restrictions on
oil, gas and electricity, and sanctions on the transport sector. They have also
lifted asset freezes for five banks, eased restrictions on the Syrian central
bank and indefinitely extended an exemption to facilitate delivery of
humanitarian aid.”



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