“Yemen's Houthi rebels have sent a reminder that their "hands are on the
trigger", ready to attack Israel if the Gaza ceasefire ends. In the lead-up to
the deal, the rebels were the only Iran-backed militant group still regularly
launching attacks in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. For more than 14
months, they fired at commercial vessels in the Red Sea, and increasingly
launched missile and drone strikes towards Israeli territory. Repeated
retaliation from Israel and the United States did little to deter them. Since
the Israel-Hamas ceasefire came into effect on January 19, the rebels have been
scaling back their attacks. As the deal appeared on shaky ground this week, the
group vowed to "immediately escalate" if it unravelled.”











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Eye on Extremism



February 14, 2025



**NOTE: Eye on Extremism will be suspended on Monday, February 17th in
observance of Presidents’ Day. It will resume Tuesday, February 18th.**



ABC: Fragile Gaza Ceasefire A Reminder Of The Lingering Houthi Rebel Threat
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“Yemen's Houthi rebels have sent a reminder that their "hands are on the
trigger", ready to attack Israel if the Gaza ceasefire ends. In the lead-up to
the deal, the rebels were the only Iran-backed militant group still regularly
launching attacks in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. For more than 14
months, they fired at commercial vessels in the Red Sea, and increasingly
launched missile and drone strikes towards Israeli territory. Repeated
retaliation from Israel and the United States did little to deter them. Since
the Israel-Hamas ceasefire came into effect on January 19, the rebels have been
scaling back their attacks. As the deal appeared on shaky ground this week, the
group vowed to "immediately escalate" if it unravelled.”



Associated Press: Prosecutors See An Islamic Extremist Motive In The Munich
Car-Ramming Attack
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“The suspect in the car-ramming attack in Munich that left more than 30 people
injured appears to have had an Islamic extremist motive, but there’s no
evidence that he was involved with any radical network, authorities said
Friday. The 24-year-old Afghan, who arrived in Germany as an asylum-seeker in
2016 and lived in Munich, was arrested after driving his Mini Cooper into the
back of a labor union demonstration in the Bavarian city on Thursday. Police
officers pulled him out of the car after firing a shot at the vehicle, which
didn’t hit him, and arrested him. It was the fifth in a series of attacks
involving immigrants over the past nine months that have pushed migration to
the forefront of the campaign for Germany’s Feb. 23 election.”





Counter Extremism Perspectives

ARCHER at House 88 - the new initiative from the Counter Extremism Project
(Podcast in German)
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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



The Guardian: Trump’s Gaza Plan Unites Jihadist And Far-Right Circles, Experts
Warn
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“As Donald Trump continues to threaten to take control over the Gaza Strip, an
unlikely consensus has emerged across hardcore jihadist and far-right circles:
both strongly oppose any new US military actions in the territory. Now experts
are warning that Trump’s plan is galvanizing two of the most dangerous and
organized extremist movements with track records of domestic terrorist attacks…
Joshua Fisher-Birch, a terrorism analyst at the non-profit Counter Extremism
Project, said that a prospective Gaza occupation has angered the far right
“more than any other issue has in 2025 so far”. “White supremacist online
propagandists have reacted to Trump’s idea to take over Gaza with disgust and
have stated that it is an act of betrayal,” he said. “The proposal is being
portrayed as Trump sending white Americans to die on behalf of Israel.””



Frankfurter Rundschau: Car Drives Into Crowd In Munich: Why There Are So Many
Crimes In Germany At The Moment
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“... Schindler is a terrorism expert and director of the Counter Extremism
Project (CEP). " Cars were used on Christmas in Magdeburg and on New Year's Day
in New Orleans. So it's not totally surprising that another car attack has been
attempted," he says. According to the vice president of the Munich police
headquarters, Christian Huber, the suspected attack in Munich happened like
this: At around 10:30 a.m., a 24-year-old man drove behind the demonstration in
his car, overtook a police car protecting the group, accelerated - and drove
into the back of the demonstration.”



GB News: 'We Have To Be Prepared!' Counter-Terror Expert Calls For Urgent
Reform In Germany's Migration And Security Systems After Shocking Munich Attack
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“A leading counter-terrorism expert has called for urgent reforms in Germany
following three attacks in as many months, with the latest suspected terror
incident unfolding in Munich on Thursday. The expert's comments come after a
car rammed into protesters in central Munich - leaving 28 people injured. Two
people are fighting for their lives and 26 others were injured after a Mini
Cooper ploughed into a crowd of trade union protesters in Munich. Speaking to
GB News, Hans Jakob Schindler said: "Clearly, there is a very tragic situation
in Germany. "We had now three attacks in three months, one in December by
someone who's been living here in Germany for many, many years was an
anti-islamist.”



Foundation For Defense Of Democracies: Timid UN Response To Death Of Aid
Worker Held Captive By Houthis
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“The United Nations pronounced itself “grief-stricken and outraged” about the
death on February 10 of a veteran aid worker taken hostage in Yemen, yet its
statements barely criticized the Houthi rebels forces who held the victim in
captivity. This timid response underscores the extent to which the United
Nations has accommodated itself to persistent abuse by the Iran-backed Houthis,
who also divert vast amounts of aid intended for those facing deprivations as a
result of Yemen’s decade-long civil war… Yet according to a June 2024 report
from the Counter-Extremism Project, the situation remained as bad as ever: “The
regime oversees and controls every aspect of humanitarian work in their
territory: determining beneficiary lists, providing permits for any movements
of aid organizations’ personnel, and deciding which local entities are eligible
to serve as contractors, local implementation partners, or third-party monitors
for humanitarian projects.””



Artribune: Architect Daniel Libeskind Designs New Center Against Hatred And
Extremism At Auschwitz
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“The museum complex will take shape in the former Commandant's House of the
Auschwitz-Birchenau concentration camp, made famous by the Oscar-winning film
The Zone of Interest. The space will soon be created on the initiative of the
Counter Extremism Project… In fact, Libeskind will create the new Auschwitz
Research Center on Hate, Extremism, and Radicalization (ARCHER) at House 88,
which will take shape inside the former Commandant's House in the coming
months. Open to visitors for the first time on the occasion of the 80th
anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, celebrated last January
27, the Commandant’s House, a few meters from the concentration camp, became
famous in 2023 as the set of the Oscar-winning film The Zone of Interest.
Directed by Jonathan Glazer, the film reconstructs the events of the Nazi
officer and camp commander Rudolf Höss and his family, who lived in the
building from 1941 to 1944. Having changed ownership, the House was purchased
in the summer of 2024 by the non-governmental organization Counter Extremism
Project, the client of the future museum project.”



Forum: "We Are Living In A Digital Colonialism", Warns Data Analyst About Big
Tech Dossier
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“Many people are still surprised by the power that the so-called big techs
have been accumulating in the “globalized” world. In the second Trump
administration, this became more than explicit. A report by Forum, in fact,
showed that the wealth of millionaires increased three times faster in 2024,
all of them owners of technology companies, according to the Oxfam report "At
whose expense? – The origin of wealth and the construction of injustice in
colonialism”, in addition to giving in advance the direct millionaire
investment of the owners of big techs to the inauguration of the Republican
president… Algorithms that lead people to extremism: The dossier mentions a
study by the Counter Extremism Project, which exposes how YouTube's algorithm
favors disinformation, conspiracy theories and extremism. The same occurs with
Twitter, TikTok and Meta.”



T-Online: “A Winning Narrative Has Developed”
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“A car drove into a demonstration in Munich. A terrorism expert believes the
event could have been better secured. Shortly after the attack on a Verdi
demonstration in Munich, much is still unclear. The suspect has been arrested,
however, and there are already initial findings on him that point to terrorism.
Several people's lives are in danger. It is the third attack in Germany within
just two months. After Magdeburg and Aschaffenburg, the debate about security
precautions and deportations is flaring up again - because the perpetrator was
an asylum seeker from Afghanistan. In an interview with t-online, terrorism
expert Hans-Jakob Schindler also sees major shortcomings in security and
contradicts Bavaria's Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann.”



DW News: Munich Case Taken Over By Extremism And Terror Prosecutors
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“In the German city of Munich a car has ploughed into a crowd of people. 30
people were injured in what police are treating as an attack. The crowd was
made up of people taking part in a trade union demonstration. Police have
arrested a suspect, described as a 24-year-old asylum seeker from Afghanistan.
Timestamps: 00:00- 30 people injured in car-ramming attack in Munich, 02:29-
Hans-Jakob Schindler, Counter Extremism Project.”



ABC: Massive Car Ramming Leaves At Least 28 Wounded In Munich
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“Hans Jakob Schindler is a from the Counter Extremism Project, a policy
organisation that focuses on extremist ideologies. He spoke to ABC news and
says there's indications the attack was not random.”



Phoenix: Munich: Car Drives Into Crowd - Classification By Hans-Jakob
Schindler On 13.02.25 <[link removed]>



“Munich: Car drives into crowd - assessment by Hans-Jakob Schindler
(terrorism expert for Counter Extremism Project)”



Zeit Online: Munich Between Shock And Security Conference
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“Yesterday a car drove into a crowd in Munich. How do such incidents affect
the feeling of security? And: The Munich Security Conference begins. In the
Munich district of Maxvorstadt, a 24-year-old Afghan drove a vehicle into a
crowd and injured numerous people. The suspected perpetrator, who had been in
Germany since 2016 and whose asylum application was rejected, was arrested.
Initial investigations indicate an Islamist motive. Could the crime have been
prevented? Hans-Jakob Schindler is an expert on security and terrorism. In the
podcast, he analyzes the current security situation in Germany and explains how
it could be improved.”




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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United States



Fox News: Georgetown Probes Student Event Headlined By Convicted Terrorist;
Advocates Demand It Be Canceled
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“An anti-Israel student group at Georgetown University's law school planned to
hold an event on campus headlined by a Palestinian terror group member
convicted for his role in the killing of a 17-year-old Israeli girl. But the
event was postponed by the university. Now, a Jewish legal advocacy group is
calling on the law school to formally cancel the event. Flyers on campus,
captured in images taken by a Georgetown law student and shared with Fox News
Digital, show that Georgetown Law Students for Justice in Palestine organized
an event with Ribhi Karajah for Feb. 11. "Palestinian Prisoners, an evening
with Ribhi Karajah, student activist and former political prisoner," the flyer
states, adding that Karajah will speak to students about his "arrest,
detention, and torture in the Israeli military judicial system."”



USA Today: USAID Cuts Fallout: Wasted Food, 'Free-For-All' ISIS Camps, Less
HIV Prevention
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“Two months ago, Mang Hre Lian was on a stage in Washington being lauded by
then-U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken for his courageous and inspiring
work promoting human rights and religious freedom in Burma. Since Friday, the
2024 recipient of the State Department's Human Rights Defender Award has been
roaming the same corridors of American power. Only now he's trying to convince
U.S. policymakers his work matters. He has struggled to get what he called the
"right meetings" to discuss the "crisis moment" for countries like his after
President Donald Trump's executive order to freeze spending, pending a review,
at the U.S. Agency for International Development.”



Syria



Reuters: Syrian Groups Must Disarm To Take Part In National Dialogue, Official
Says
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“Groups that refuse to lay down their arms and submit to the defence
ministry's authority will play no part in a national dialogue on Syria's
future, a committee set up to prepare for a national conference said on
Thursday. The statement raises the prospect of the Kurdish-led Syrian
Democratic Forces (SDF), which hold much of northern and eastern Syria, being
excluded from the national conference unless they disarm in line with the
demands of the new Damascus government. The seven-member preparatory committee
was launched on Thursday to lay the ground for the national conference, which
interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa has said will produce a statement forming the
basis of a constitutional declaration.”



Reuters: US Aid Cuts Risk Riots, Breakouts At Islamic State-Linked Camps In
Syria
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“Moves by President Donald Trump's administration to cut U.S. foreign aid
funding risk destabilising two camps in northeastern Syria holding tens of
thousands of people accused of affiliation with the Islamic State, aid
officials, local authorities and diplomats say. The seven sources told Reuters
Washington's funding freezes and staff changes had already disrupted some aid
distribution and services in Al-Hol and Roj, which host people who fled cities
where IS was making its last stand between 2017-2019. They are "closed camps,"
meaning residents were not detained or charged as IS fighters but cannot
independently leave the camps because of suspicions that they are affiliated
with or support the ultra-conservative group.”



Iran



Bloomberg: Hezbollah Supporters Converge On Beirut Airport Over Iran Flight
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“Supporters of the militant group Hezbollah blocked the entrance to Beirut’s
Rafic Hariri International Airport and surrounding roads after Lebanese
authorities prohibited an Iranian plane from landing. The confrontation
unfolded a day after the Israel Defense Forces accused Hezbollah, which is
backed by Iran, and the Quds Force, a wing of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary
Guard Corps, of using Beirut-bound civilian flights to smuggle money. The
protesters, some of whom held placards bearing photos and slogans championing
the late leader Hassan Nasrallah, set tires alight, causing congestions near
the airport. The Lebanese army stepped in to disperse the angry crowds and make
the airport accessible, according to the state-run news agency NNA.”



Afghanistan



Voice Of America: Taliban Chief Claims Afghan Governance Rooted In Divine
Commands
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“The leader of Afghanistan’s governing radical Taliban has defended his
policies, including banning female access to education and employment,
asserting that they are derived from the “commands of Allah.” Hibatullah
Akhundzada's assertions came days after the chief prosecutor of the
International Criminal Court announced he was seeking arrest warrants for the
reclusive Taliban leader, holding him “criminally responsible for persecuting
Afghan girls and women.” A Taliban statement said that Akhundzada addressed
teachers, staff and students at a public university in the southern province of
Kandahar on Wednesday during his first known visit to a modern education
institution, where he also discussed the significance of his edicts.”



Pakistan



Associated Press: A Roadside Bomb Struck A Vehicle Carrying Miners In
Southwestern Pakistan, Killing 11 People
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“A roadside bomb struck a vehicle carrying coal miners in restive southwest
Pakistan on Friday, killing at least 11 people and wounding five others,
officials said. The attack happened in Harnai, a district in Balochistan
province, according to a government administrator Wali Kakar. He said police
had transported the dead and wounded to a hospital and officers are still
investigating. Wasim Baig, a spokesman at a hospital, said medics received nine
bodies and two others who were critically wounded died at the hospital. He said
at least two people were still listed in a critical condition. Authorities said
the victims were from the country’s northwestern Swat Valley and other areas in
the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which has witnessed a surge in militant
attacks in recent years.”



Middle East



Reuters: Hamas Says It Is Willing To Move Ahead With Gaza Ceasefire
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“Hamas signalled on Thursday that a crisis threatening to unravel an already
fragile ceasefire in Gaza could be avoided even after trading accusations with
Israel this week of ceasefire breaches. The 42-day ceasefire has appeared close
to failure since Hamas on Monday unexpectedly announced it would stop releasing
hostages, leading Israel to respond with a threat to return to war. Hamas said
it did not want the deal to collapse, though it rejected what it called the
"language of threats and intimidation" from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump. They have said the ceasefire should
be cancelled if the hostages are not released.”



Reuters: Gaza Militant Groups Name Three Hostages To Be Released On Saturday
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“Palestinian militant groups in Gaza said they would release hostages Iair
Horn, U.S.-Israeli Sagui Dekel-Chen and Russian-Israeli Alexandre Sasha
Troufanov on Saturday, in accordance with the terms of the ceasefire with
Israel. The announcement, after days of uncertainty about whether the ceasefire
agreed last month would hold, followed intense efforts by Egyptian and Qatari
mediators to keep last month's U.S.-backed agreement on track. A statement from
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Israel accepted the list but
that was later corrected to say Israel had received the list, which it said was
a "purely factual description" that did not reflect any Israeli approach to the
issue.”



United Kingdom



The Guardian: High Court To Hear Claim Of Secret Ireland-UK Terrorism Defence
Pact
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“A legal bid to establish whether or not the Irish government entered a
secret pact with the UK to defend Irish airspace in the event of a terrorist
attack will be heard in Ireland’s court of appeal on Friday. It comes as
taoiseach Micheál Martin admits that Ireland’s defence spending, one of the
lowest in Europe, “will have to rise amid escalating security threats”
including marine subsea cable infrastructure. The hearing on Friday in the
Irish court of appeal is the latest chapter in independent senator Gerard
Craughwell’s three-year campaign to find out whether the Irish government has
an agreement, rumoured to have been sealed after the terrorist attacks on the
twin towers in New York in 2001, with the UK in the event of a hijacking or a
terrorist attack in Irish airspace.”



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