“Turkey has terminated the mission of diplomats appointed by Afghanistan’s
former pro-Western government, the outgoing diplomatic team said, in a move
that paves the way for the Taliban to appoint their own envoys. The departing
team said on X that it had handed over the embassy in Ankara to Turkey’s
Foreign Ministry on Thursday. The unusually strongly-worded statement said that
the decision by the Turkish government to end the mission was the result of
pressure by the Taliban on the diplomats and Turkish officials.”











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Eye on Extremism



February 10, 2025



Associated Press: Turkey Ends Former Afghan Government’s Diplomatic Tenure,
Paving Way For Taliban-Appointed Mission
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“Turkey has terminated the mission of diplomats appointed by Afghanistan’s
former pro-Western government, the outgoing diplomatic team said, in a move
that paves the way for the Taliban to appoint their own envoys. The departing
team said on X that it had handed over the embassy in Ankara to Turkey’s
Foreign Ministry on Thursday. The unusually strongly-worded statement said that
the decision by the Turkish government to end the mission was the result of
pressure by the Taliban on the diplomats and Turkish officials.”



Associated Press: 25 Civilians Killed In An Attack By Gunmen In Mali
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“Gunmen have attacked a convoy of vehicles escorted by Mali’s army, killing 25
civilians mostly gold miners, a military spokesman said Sunday. The attack took
place Friday about 30 kilometers (18 miles) from Gao, the largest city in the
country’s northeast where armed groups hostile to the ruling junta operate. It
was the deadliest attack on civilians this year. The assailants targeted a
convoy of some 60 vehicles escorted by the army, military spokesman Col. Maj.
Souleymane Dembélé told The Associated Press. He said soldiers assisted the
victims and transferred 13 wounded to the Gao hospital. He said four of the
attackers were wounded and declined to comment on any army casualties.”




CEP Expert Analysis

* ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency, Special Edition
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*
ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency In October 2024
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*
ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency In September 2024
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*
CEP Report: Civilian Counterterrorism Militias Take Action, Introduce New
Challenges to Combatting Violent Extremism in Africa
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*
CEP Policy Brief: Identifying and Disrupting Key Antisemitic Actors
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CEP Mentions



Spiked: Valdo Calocane Was Dangerous, Not Vulnerable
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“The best description of the failures of multiple agencies to contain the risk
posed by the Nottingham triple-murderer, Valdo Calocane, came from the parent
of one of his victims. Speaking on Wednesday night’s edition of Newsnight, Emma
Webber, the mother of 19-year-old student Barnaby, described it as ‘an
appalling horror show’. Webber was reacting to an independent review
commissioned by the NHS into the care of Calocane, a profoundly mentally
disturbed man who went on a knife rampage in Nottingham city centre in June
2023.”



The Guardian: Extremists Who Were Targeted By FBI Cheer Trump Maga Pick To
Head Agency
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“... “White supremacist extremists will likely continue to see the FBI as a
threat to their organizing and as a convenient opponent in propaganda,” said
Joshua Fisher Birch, a terrorism analyst at the non-profit Counter Extremism
Project. “These same extremists are also cheering the firing of FBI agents and
are hoping that the agency is weakened going forward.” Christopher Pohlhaus,
the leader of the Blood Tribe neo-Nazi group, cheekily congratulated the pardon
of Riley June Williams, one of the Trump pardonees for actions on January 6.
She was previously linked to his group, which he downplayed, until now.”



The Jerusalem Post: ‘Zone Of Interest’ Nazi House To Become Center To Combat
Antisemitism <[link removed]>



“... “I had to get out of there,” Grazyna Jurczak, the home’s former owner,
told The New York Times earlier this year.Enter Mark D. Wallace, a former US
ambassador to the United Nations and founder of the Counter Extremism Project,
a New York-based nonprofit, and fellow philanthropists Elliott Broidy and Dr.
Thomas Kaplan. Recognizing the urgent need to push back against the
normalization of Jew-hatred, they purchased Höss’s former home with the
intention of converting it into a center dedicated to combating antisemitism,
extremism, and hate.”



The New York Times: Springfield, Ohio, Sues Neo-Nazi Group, Saying It
Intimidated Haitians
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“... After the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va., in 2017,
national attention focused on extreme right-wing groups in the country. Some
groups retreated from public view and became more active online, but the groups
never went away, said Joshua Fisher-Birch, a researcher with the Counter
Extremism Project, a think tank with offices in New York and Berlin. Now, some
extremists are hoping to take advantage of the growing popular support for
policies like mass deportation, even if many remain deeply suspicious of the
government, Mr. Fisher-Birsch said. But even within the universe of radical
groups, Blood Tribe is an outlier, he added.”



Bianet: Nazi House In Auschwitz Becomes Centre For Combating Hatred
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“Nazi house number 88 in Oswiecim, Poland, just outside the barbed wire of
Auschwitz and the inspiration for the film The Zone of Interest , is opening to
visitors for the first time in 80 years. This building, where Rudolf Höss, the
commandant of the Nazi camp, lived with his family, will now house studies on
hatred and radicalization. While Höss created a heavenly life for his family in
this house, he was organizing mass murders right next door. The former owner of
the house, Maria Jurczak, told the New York Times that she decided to sell the
property because it had become a burden on her and her family. The Counter
Extremism Project purchased the house and began the process of returning it to
society. Counter Extremism Project (CEP) is a non-governmental organization
that works to investigate radicalism and ideologies of hate, combat such
threats, and raise public awareness.”



United States



NBC News: Trump's Gaza Comments Hand Jihadist Terrorists A 'Rallying Cry,'
Experts Say
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“President Donald Trump’s calls for the United States to “take over” and
“develop” the Gaza Strip have handed jihadist terrorist groups a rallying cry
to recruit and inspire attacks against Americans at home and abroad, security
experts and former intelligence officials say. Trump’s comments this week,
proposing that the United States would control the Palestinian enclave while
its residents would be forced to relocate abroad, have caused shock and outrage
around the world — and terrorists will pounce on that anger to attract more
support and organize attacks, experts said.”



Syria



Voice Of America: Authorities In Somalia Warn Against Financing Terrorism
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“Somalia's government Saturday sent stern warnings to businesses and
individuals that pay extortion money to al-Shabab, saying the full force of the
law would be brought against traders and individuals who pay the al-Qaida ally.
Presenting a unified front, Somalia's Minister of Internal Security Abdullahi
Sheikh Ismail and Minister of Religious Affairs Mukhtar Ali Robow joined the
government's attorney general and the deputy minister of information at a joint
news conference in Mogadishu, Somalia. They said, any business found to have
paid or collaborated with al-Shabab in any way would "face legal action,"
including having their government-issued trading permits revoked.”



Voice Of America: VOA Kurdish: USAID Freeze Threatens Security Of Syria's
Al-Hol Camp
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“The USAID freeze has had a direct impact on the al-Hol camp in northeast
Syria, where 90% of the funding for organizations working in the camp depends
on USAID. The camp administrator said that if aid is cut and no solution is
found, the camp will get out of control, which would threaten the security of
the region as a whole.”



Associated Press: Chemical Weapons Watchdog Delegation Meets With Syria’s New
Leaders
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“A delegation from the global chemical weapons watchdog was in Damascus on
Saturday for talks with Syria’s new leaders for the first time since the fall
of former President Bashar Assad. The Organization for the Prohibition of
Chemical Weapons, or OPCW, had found evidence of repeated use of chemical
weapons by Assad’s government during Syria’s nearly 14-year civil war. Syria
joined the OPCW in 2013 to ward off the threat of airstrikes in response to a
chemical attack on the outskirts of Damascus, and Assad denied using chemical
weapons. Last year, the organization also found the Islamic State group had
used mustard gas against the town of Marea.”



The Guardian: Kurdish Officials Fear Islamic State Revival As US Aid Cuts Loom
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“Kurdish officials have warned of an Islamic State resurgence if US foreign
aid cuts take effect on Monday, which would cripple essential services for tens
of thousands of people detained in tented camps in north-east Syria, including
suspected members of IS and their families. Blumont, a Virginia-based
humanitarian aid group responsible for the management of two of Syria’s IS
detention camps, al-Hol and al-Roj, was given a stop-work order on 24 January
by the US state department. The sudden cessation of services prompted panic in
the camps after aid workers failed to turn up for work. Three days later,
Blumont was given a two-week waiver to the aid cuts, which unless extended,
will expire on Monday.”



Iran



The New York Times: Iran’s Supreme Leader Denounces Talk With U.S. But Seems
To Leave Door Ajar
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“Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, said negotiating with the
United States was “unwise, unintelligent, and not honorable,” just days after
President Trump said he was willing to revive negotiations with Tehran. But Mr.
Khamenei stopped short of ordering Iran’s government, which for months has sent
signals that it is interested in negotiations, not to engage with Washington.
And though Mr. Khamenei made an unusual gesture last year of openness to talks,
he has generally taken a publicly hostile posture toward Washington even while
quietly allowing Iranian officials to negotiate. In comments on Friday, Mr.
Khamenei argued that Iran’s previous experiences negotiating with the United
States showed that Washington could easily renege on agreements.”



Lebanon



Associated Press: US Draws ‘Red Line’ Over Including Hezbollah In Lebanon’s
Government, New Envoy Says
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“A newly appointed U.S. envoy said Friday that she hoped Lebanese authorities
were committed to making sure that the Hezbollah militant group isn’t a part of
the new government in any form. Morgan Ortagus, a former U.S. State Department
spokesperson and U.S. Navy Reserve officer, recently assumed the role of deputy
special envoy for Middle East peace in President Donald Trump’s administration,
replacing Amos Hochstein, who helped broker the ceasefire that ended the
14-month war between Israel and Hezbollah. “We are grateful to our ally Israel
for defeating Hezbollah,” Ortagus said at a news conference in Beirut’s
southeastern suburb of Baabda after a meeting with Lebanese President Joseph
Aoun. “”



Bloomberg: US Aircarft Carrier Leaves Red Sea As Houthis Pause Attacks
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“A US aircraft carrier strike group left the Red Sea for Europe weeks after
Yemen’s Houthi rebel group said it will stop attacking vessels in the region.
The USS Harry S. Truman and its embarked fighter jets arrived in Greece
following two months of combat operations in the Red Sea area, the US Navy said
in a statement. The move comes as the shipping industry waits for signs that
vessel traffic in the Red Sea will begin to return to normal after more than a
year of disruption. While there have a been a handful of US and UK ships
sailing through the waterway since the Houthis said they would pause their
attacks, the majority of vessels are continuing to sail thousands of miles
around Africa instead.”



Qatar



Reuters: Israeli Delegation In Qatar For Gaza Ceasefire Talks
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“An Israel delegation arrived in Qatar on Sunday for more Gaza truce talks,
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's spokesperson said, as its military withdrew
from an important crossing point in the enclave, as agreed under the truce with
Hamas. Indirect negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian militant group
Hamas on the next stage of the ceasefire are set to start this week following
Netanyahu's visit to the United States last week. However, a source in
Netanyahu's office said the Israeli delegation at this point will only discuss
technical issues, rather than the bigger matters which are supposed to be
hammered out, including the administration of post-war Gaza.”



Middle East



CBS News: 3 More Israeli Hostages Released By Hamas As Ceasefire Deal
Continues To Hold
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“Three more Israeli hostages were released Saturday in exchange for dozens of
Palestinian prisoners as the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas continued
to hold. It was the fifth hostage and prisoner exchange to occur as part of the
first phase of the deal, which began on Jan. 19. Ohad Ben Ami, 56, Eli Sharabi,
52, and Or Levy, 34, were all taken hostage during Hamas' brutal attack on Oct.
7, 2023 that killed 1,200 people in Israel and sparked the war in Gaza. More
than 47,000 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, according to the local
Hamas-run ministry of health.”



Libya



Reuters: 2 Mass Graves With Bodies Of Nearly 50 Migrants Found In Southeastern
Libya
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“Libya authorities have uncovered nearly 50 bodies from two mass graves in
the country’s southeastern desert, officials said Sunday, in the latest tragedy
involving people seeking to reach Europe through the chaos-stricken North
African country. The first mass grave with 19 bodies was found Friday in a farm
in the southeastern city of Kufra, the security directorate said in a
statement, adding that authorities took them for autopsy. Authorities posted
images on its Facebook page showing police officers and medics digging in the
sand and recovering dead bodies that were wrapped in blankets. The al-Abreen
charity, which helps migrants in eastern and southern Libya, said that some
were apparently shot and killed before being buried.”



Somalia



Reuters: Puntland Offensive Deals Blow To Islamic State In Somalia
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“Forces from Somalia's semi-autonomous Puntland region have captured swathes
of territory from Islamic State during a weeks-long offensive they hope will
draw increased international support, according to officials and Reuters
reporters. The advances come against an IS faction that has gained in
importance and was the target last week of the first air strikes of U.S.
President Donald Trump's new administration. Before those strikes, Reuters
reporters who gained rare access to the village of Balidhidin, which IS
controlled for a decade, saw Puntland security forces patrolling and residents
circulating on foot near the carcasses of army trucks destroyed in recent
fighting.”



Germany



BBC: Why More Young Men In Germany Are Turning To The Far Right
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“"What my parents taught me is that they used to live in peace and calm,
without having to have any fear in their own country," says 19-year-old Nick.
"I would like to live in a country where I don't have to be afraid." I meet him
in a small bar on a street corner in the ex-mining town of Freiberg, Saxony –
where he is playing darts. It's a cold, foggy night in February with just over
two weeks to go until Germany's national election. Nick and his friend Dominic,
who is 30, are backers or sympathetic to Alternative für Deutschland - a party
that has been consistently polling second in Germany for more than a year and a
half, as the far right here and elsewhere in Europe attracts an increasing
number of young people, particularly men, into its orbit.”



Europe



Reuters: Swedish Mass Shooting Victims Include Christians Who Fled Syria
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“Ten years ago, Salim Iskef fled Syria - where Islamic State militants had
killed his father - for Sweden, only to be gunned down this week by an
unemployed Swedish man with no apparent ideological motive. The 29-year-old
victim was one of several members of Sweden's Syriac-speaking community caught
up in Tuesday's attack at an adult education school in Orebro, central Sweden -
which left 11 people dead, including the attacker, and many injured. He was due
to get married in the summer and had recently bought a house with his fiancée.”



Southeast Asia



The Tribune: 3 Militants Arrested In Manipur’s Imphal West District
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“Manipur Police arrested three militants from Imphal West district, an
officer said on Sunday. Police arrested two militants of the banned United
National Liberation Front (UNLF-Pambei) group from Narankonjil area of the
district on Saturday. The two militants were involved in extortion activity and
also in illegal smuggling of arms and ammunition, the officer said. One .32
pistol and Rs 3,120 in cash was seized from their possession, he said. One
militant of the banned outfit People’s Liberation Army (PLA) involved in
extortion activity was arrested from Kangjabi Leirak Machin area on Saturday,
the officer added.”



Technology



ABC: Australia's Sanctions Against Terrorgram May Amount To Symbolism Under A
Trump US Presidency
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“In October 2022, 19-year-old Juraj Krajcik shot dead two young men outside a
gay bar in the Slovakian capital, Bratislava, before ending his own life. The
incident shook the central European city but the murders received little
international attention. Like shooters before him, Krajcik posted online before
and after the murders — making public a manifesto and venerating the
Australian-born Christchurch shooter who killed 51 people during a mosque
attack in 2019. Terrorgram derives its name from the encrypted messaging
service Telegram — where it largely operates.”



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