Email from Counter Extremism Project (CEP) Iran recruited Swedish minors for attacks on Israeli, Jewish targets Eye on Extremism April 8, 2025   Top Stories NBC News: Trump administration weighs drone strikes on Mexican cartels The Trump administration is considering launching drone strikes on drug cartels in Mexico as part of an ambitious effort to combat criminal gangs trafficking narcotics across the southern border, according to six current and former U.S. military, law enforcement and intelligence officials with knowledge of the matter. Discussions among White House, Defense Department and intelligence officials, which are still at an early stage, have included possible drone strikes against cartel figures and their logistical networks in Mexico with the cooperation of Mexico’s government, the sources said. Still, the administration has made no final decision and reached no definitive agreement about countering the cartels. And unilateral covert action, without Mexico’s consent, has not been ruled out and could be an option of last resort, the sources said. It is unclear whether American officials have floated the possibility of drone strikes to the Mexican government. Jerusalem Post: Iran recruited Swedish minors for attacks on Israeli, Jewish targets Iran is allegedly using criminal gangs in Sweden to target Israeli and Jewish interests, CNN reported on Monday. According to Sweden's Security Service (SÄPO), at least four known attacks or attempted attacks were directed at the Israeli embassy in Stockholm in 2023 and 2024. These incidents include shootings and an attempted bombing, with several suspects under the age of 18. Swedish police and prosecutors say these youth are being manipulated by criminal gangs acting on behalf of Iranian intelligence units. In one case, a 15-year-old boy from the city of Vasteras left his home in the middle of the night in May 2024, believing he had been hired for a minor errand. He was later arrested by Swedish police while in possession of a weapon. A day later, a 14-year-old boy fired a semi-automatic pistol near the Israeli embassy.   S1 E5: Guns, Drugs, and Swastikas: Europe’s Neo-Nazi Mafias Dr Hans-Jakob Schindler and Alexander Ritzmann explore the deepening ties between right-wing extremists and organized crime across Europe. Drawing on CEP’s research, they reveal how groups like the Bandidos and Turonen operate as Neo-Nazi mafias, dealing in drugs, weapons, and money laundering, while law enforcement often misses ideological links due to structural blind spots. Listen here.   CEP Mentions The Times: Prisoners ‘held in isolation to keep them safe from Islamists’ CEP Senior Advisor Ian Acheson quoted: Ian Acheson, a former prison governor who also served in the Home Office as the director of community safety, warned that a failure to tackle this issue represented a “national security threat” and could lead to race riots in prisons. Acheson blamed “weak leadership at the top distracted by progressive fads” and those who are “scared by allegations of racism”. The Times: Islamist control of a high-security prison must be tackled CEP Senior Advisor Ian Acheson quoted: Back in 2016 the former prison governor Ian Acheson produced an official review of the threat of Islamist extremism in prisons, probation and youth justice, and the capability of the National Offender Management Service to control it. He found that prisoners, both Muslim and non-Muslim, who were sentenced for crimes unrelated to terrorism were nonetheless vulnerable to radicalisation once in jail. The means by which such new recruits could be captured included charismatic Islamist extremists acting as self-styled “emirs” to exert sway over the wider Muslim prison population, and the aggressive encouragement of conversions to Islam. The Times: Roblox safety failings leave children at risk, claim experts CEP Senior Advisor Ian Acheson quoted: Ian Acheson, a former director of community safety at the Home Office, who previously said such games had become one of the main recruitment tools used by the far right, said the new precautions did not go far enough. Acheson accused David Baszucki, the CEO of Roblox, which is valued at about $35 billion, of being “complacent” and said “vulnerable kids remain at risk”. Roblox is a platform where users can create, share, and play games. RTL Nachtjournal: Broadcast from April 8, 2025 CEP Senior Director Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler spoke with RTL Nachtjournal about the closure of schools in the western German city of Duisburg following right-wing extremist threats. Analysis Perspectives on Terrorism: On Querdenken, Reichsbürger and the Patriotic Union: Exploring the Formation of an Anti-Government Extremist Network in Germany This article examines the digital convergence of distinct extremist milieus involved in the Patriotic Union’s thwarted plot to overthrow the German government in December 2022. By specifically investigating the merging process of involved digital networks of the German Corona-protest and Sovereign Citizens milieu over time, this article analyses the event’s broader implications for the German extremism landscape linked to the transnational evolution of anti-government extremism (AGE). Middle East Forum Observer: Bombing the Houthis Is a Good Start, but a Successful Strategy Must Be Broader The United States must move beyond reactive airstrikes and naval patrols to implement a persistent military campaign. Special operations forces must conduct sabotage missions targeting key infrastructure including missile stockpiles, drone assembly facilities, radar stations, and command-and-control (C2) nodes in Saada, Sanaa, Hodeidah, and key Red Sea coastal areas. United States New York Times: Lawsuit Accuses Prominent Palestinian American of Supporting Hamas Families of victims of the Hamas-led terrorist attack on Oct. 7, 2023, sued a prominent Palestinian American businessman on Monday, accusing him of supporting Hamas by developing properties that were crucial to the terrorist group’s operations. According to the lawsuit, Bashar Masri, a wealthy developer, operated hotels and an industrial site in Gaza to “construct and conceal” a labyrinthine network of tunnels that allowed Hamas to “store and launch its rockets at Israel.” “The properties defendants developed with Hamas were not only part of the infrastructure Hamas used in connection with the Oct. 7 attack itself,” the lawsuit added. “Their development deliberately advanced Hamas’s false narrative that it was interested primarily in the economic development of Gaza and a grudging coexistence with Israel.” The Tribune: US Supreme Court denies Tahawwur Rana’s application seeking stay on his extradition to India The US Supreme Court has denied Mumbai terror attack accused Tahawwur Rana’s application seeking a stay on his extradition to India. Rana, 64, a Canadian national of Pakistani origin, is currently lodged in Metropolitan Detention Centre in Los Angeles. He had submitted an “Emergency Application For Stay Pending Litigation of Petition For Writ of Habeas Corpus” on February 27, with Elena Kagan, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the US and Circuit Justice for the Ninth Circuit. Jewish Insider: Trump, Hegseth, Senate Republicans stand behind Houthi strikes Administration officials, Israeli officials and Senate Republicans are standing behind the Trump administration’s recent series of strikes on the Houthis following reports suggesting that the strikes are failing to significantly affect the terror group’s capabilities. CNN reported that individuals briefed on the strikes see them as having largely failed to make a significant dent in the Houthis’ capabilities or kill senior-level officials, even as significant resources have been expended, reportedly approaching $1 billion. In an indication of their continued capabilities in spite of the U.S. onslaught, the Houthis have reportedly downed two U.S. drones since the beginning of the American campaign. Administration officials said on Monday they were confident that the strikes are working. Associated Press: Trump says the US will hold direct talks with Iran; Tehran says they’ll be indirect negotiations President Donald Trump said Monday the U.S. will hold direct talks with Iran about its nuclear program, while warning the Iranians they would be in “great danger” if the talks don’t succeed in persuading them to abandon their nuclear weapons program. For its part, Tehran confirmed talks would happen but insisted they would be indirect discussions through a mediator. West-Central Tribune: Jury convicts Redwood Falls, Minnesota, man on federal firearm, drug charges A federal jury convicted a Redwood Falls man, said to be a member of a white supremacist organization, of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition as a felon on April 4, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. Andrew David Munsinger, 41, also was convicted of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. A news release from Kirkpatrick's office says that Munsinger was a member of the Aryan Freedom Network, a white supremacist organization, according to evidence presented at trial. Belleville-News Democrat: No arrests after confrontation between O’Fallon demonstrators and man with Nazi flag No arrests were made following a disturbance between a protester and counter-protester on Saturday in O’Fallon. Police Chief Kirk Brueggeman said officers responded to a call when a young man was seen carrying a red flag bearing a swastika near Schildknecht Funeral Home and City Hall on Lincoln Avenue around 11: 30 a.m. Columbia Missourian: Antisemitism bill advances in House despite strong opposition The Missouri House moved forward Monday with a bill that would provide protections against antisemitism in public schools. House Bill 937, sponsored by Rep. George Hruza, R-St. Louis, establishes a definition for antisemitism, which public school districts and institutions of higher education would be required to integrate into their codes of conduct. The definition referred to is the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism. According to the text of HB 937, the IHRA definition states, “antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews that may be expressed as hatred toward Jews and that rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals, their property, or both, and toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.” Times of Israel: Harvard to borrow $750 million as federal funds threatened over antisemitism charges Harvard University plans to borrow $750 million from Wall Street as part of contingency preparations, it said on Monday, days after US President Donald Trump’s administration announced a review of $9 billion in federal grants and contracts to the Ivy League school in a crackdown on alleged antisemitism on campuses. In a letter to Harvard last week, the government listed conditions that Harvard must meet to receive federal money, including a ban on protesters wearing masks to hide their identities and other restrictions. Canada The Gazette: Antisemitism reached ‘perilous, record-setting heights’ in 2024, especially in Quebec: B’nai Brith Canada Antisemitism in Canada has reached “perilous, record-setting heights,” according to the latest edition of the annual audit of antisemitic incidents by B’nai Brith Canada. The Canadian Jewish rights advocacy group announced Monday morning at a news conference in Ottawa that it has recorded the highest tally of antisemitic incidents in the country since it began its annual audit of such incidents more than 40 years ago. There were 6,219 reported cases of hatred targeting Jews in 2024. The figure represents a 124.7 per cent increase from the 2022 audit and a 7.4 per cent increase from 2023, when there were 5,791 incidents recorded in what was then the highest tally. Jewish News Syndicate: Toronto Jewish leaders appalled police spent $14m, mostly on anti-Israel rallies without permits The Toronto Police Service spent about $14 million—some 20 million Canadian dollars—in 2024 to maintain security at protests connected to Israel’s war against the Hamas terror group, according to an official report slated to be presented to the police department’s board, CTV News reported. Police officers responded to more than 2,000 “unplanned events,” and about 40% of the money spent on security went to costs like overtime and call-back pay, per the report. France Associated Press: French anti-racism group files complaint over far-right flyers distributed near Le Pen rally A French anti-racism group has filed a legal complaint against the far-right fringe group Luminis Paris after it distributed graphic flyers calling for action against foreigners near a rally for Marine Le Pen. The flyers, handed out near the National Rally meeting on Sunday, featured a bloodied knife and the words “French people, fight back.” They also echoed violent, xenophobic language. One line read: “French people, today the foreigners come into our arms to slit the throats of your sons and wives.” RFI: France deepens Egypt ties as Macron rejects Hamas role in Gaza Speaking in Cairo alongside Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Macron said he supported a plan led by Arab states to help rebuild Gaza and establish new governance once the fighting stops. "Hamas must have no role in this governance, and must no longer constitute a threat to Israel," Macron said at a joint press conference Germany Deutsche Welle: Schools closed over extremist right threats Several schools in the German city of Duisburg remained closed on Monday as a precaution after warnings that they would be targeted with criminal actions. The messages contained "threatening and right-wing extremist statements," police in the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia said. Police said a German comprehensive school had received a letter from an unknown individual on Friday. It threatened criminal actions to take place Monday. The same school on Sunday received another letter also containing threats, but this time linked to 13 other schools in the city. Experts from Duisburg's State Security Service do not believe the "seriousness of the announced offenses," they added. However, state government officials suspended in-person classes at all secondary and comprehensive schools and one grammar school in Duisburg. Deutsche Welle: Ex-German President warns of far right at Buchenwald event Politicians, survivors, relatives and descendants gathered on Sunday to mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Buchenwald concentration camp in Weimar, in the German state of Thuringia. The Nazi camp was liberated by US soldiers on April 11, 1945. Sunday's commemoration began with speeches by Mario Voigt, Thuringia's state premier, and Christian Wulff, a former German president. Wulff delivered a warning regarding the dangers in the "brutalization and radicalization" seen in the global rise of right-wing political forces. In his speech, Wulff said that the comparison between the time before World War Two and the current global shift to the right makes him "uneasy." But at the same time he said he "can imagine more clearly how this could have happened back then." Wulff also spoke about the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, saying that the ideology of the party "is creating a breeding ground for people to feel uncomfortable in Germany and that they [those people] are actually in real danger." Switzerland Jerusalem Post: Antisemitic incidents increased by 90% in French-speaking Switzerland in 2024, report finds Nearly 2,000 antisemitic incidents were reported in the French-speaking area of Switzerland in 2024, according to a new report by the Intercommunity Coordination against Antisemitism and Defamation (CICAD). The 1,789 cases mark the highest number of incidents recorded since 2014 and represent a 90% increase compared to 2023. United Kingdom BBC: Asylum seeker jailed for glorifying terrorism An Islamic extremist who arrived in the UK seeking asylum has been jailed for supporting terror group Islamic State. Turkish national Hakan Barac, 28, of Commercial Road, Newport, posted videos on social media sites glorifying terrorists Osama bin Laden and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. He admitted five counts relating to the online distribution of terrorist publications, and one of expressing support for a proscribed organisation. Barac was sentenced to three years and nine months at Bristol Crown Court and will referred to authorities to consider deportation. Ynet: London Matzah package defaced with 'Free Palestine' message sparks alarm A matzah package delivered to a Jewish community in London as part of a Europe-wide Passover campaign was defaced with the words “Free Palestine,” sparking concern among Jewish leaders over rising antisemitism. The package was part of an annual distribution initiative led by the European Jewish Association (EJA), in cooperation with the Rabbinical Centre of Europe (RCE) and the BASSAD organization. The program aims to ensure that even small or under-resourced Jewish communities can observe the traditional Seder meal by providing them with matzah, the unleavened bread eaten during the holiday. Israel Times of Israel: Israel intercepts Yemen drone; US defense chief: ‘It’s about to get worse’ for Houthis A drone launched at Israel “from the east” was intercepted by the Israeli Air Force Monday evening, the military said. According to the IDF, the drone was shot down before crossing into Israel, and therefore no sirens sounded, “according to protocol.” The Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen quickly took responsibility for the attack, saying they launched a drone at Israel, claiming to have had their sights on a “military target” in the Tel Aviv area. Jerusalem Post: IDF targets Hamas terrorist who documented breach on Oct. 7, posed as journalist The IDF claimed to have killed Hassan Abdel Fattah Mohammed Eslaih, a member of Hamas's Khan Yunis Brigade, in a strike in Khan Yunis, the military said on Monday. Eslaih, who was previously employed by both CNN and the Associated Press (AP) and owned a media company, took part in the October 7 massacre, infiltrating into southern Israel and sharing footage from the massacre to social media, the IDF noted. Times of Israel: Egypt said to float release of 8 hostages in new truce; Israel denies receiving terms Egypt has put forward a new proposal for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, according to an Arab report Monday, though an Israeli official said that Jerusalem has not received any new offer from Cairo. The London-based Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat reported, citing an informed Egyptian source, that the new proposal provides for the return of eight living hostages and the bodies of eight slain hostages in exchange for the release of large numbers of Palestinian terrorists and security prisoners and a truce lasting between 40 and 70 days. Lebanon The New Arab: Lebanon PM Nawaf Salam to visit Syria next week in bid to reset bilateral ties Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam is scheduled to visit Syria next week in a move aimed at rebooting bilateral relations and tackling long-standing issues that have plagued ties between the two neighbouring countries. Official Lebanese sources confirmed to The New Arab's Arabic language edition, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, that the visit would focus on key security and economic files, most notably border demarcation and smuggling - two issues that have taken on heightened urgency in recent months. According to Lebanese sources, the visit seeks to "correct the trajectory of the relationship" and "open a new chapter based on good neighbourliness", with particular attention to reviewing and updating old agreements and negotiating new ones. Iran International: Iran’s Quds Force oversees weapons transfers to Hezbollah via sea - Al Arabiya Iran’s Quds Force is overseeing the transfer of weapons, equipment and money to Hezbollah in Lebanon via maritime routes, a Western security source told Al Arabiya on Tuesday. Iran’s Quds Force is managing the operation through its Unit 190 and Unit 700, according to the unidentified source. Shipments are arriving either directly to Lebanon or through intermediary countries. Intelli Times also reported the same information about Quds Force involvement, citing the same two units. “Hezbollah has refocused and reimposed its control over the port of Beirut,” the source said, referring to the facility’s gradual return to normal operations following the August 2020 explosion. The Arab Weekly: US pressures Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah ‘as soon as possible’, introduce reforms US envoy Morgan Ortagus said in an interview broadcast on Sunday that Hezbollah and other armed groups should be disarmed “as soon as possible” and that Lebanese troops were expected to do the job. Ortagus spoke to Lebanese broadcaster LBCI at the end of a three-day visit to Beirut, where she met with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri and other officials and political representatives. Her visit followed several weeks of intensifying Israeli air strikes on Lebanon targeting members of Iran-backed Hezbollah and the group’s weapons depots, including two strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs, and rocket fire from Lebanon onto Israel. Hezbollah denied any role in the rocket attacks. Syria Newsweek: Exclusive—Syria's New 'Resistance' Takes on Israel and a US 'Axis of Evil' The overthrow of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad may have marked a major blow to the Iran-aligned Axis of Resistance coalition, but a new group styling itself in a similar manner has emerged to challenge the interests of the United States and its feuding top Middle Eastern allies. With post-Assad Syria now at the center of a regional struggle for influence between neighboring Israel and Turkey, the militia known as Uli al-Baas, or "the Possessors of Might," argues it is "positioned with the Axis of Resistance against the Axis of Global Evil," of which Washington is said to be a part due to President Donald Trump's support for both foreign powers. New Lines Magazine: In Syria’s Detention Camps, Fears Grow of an Islamic State Resurgence Al-Hawl is not just a refugee camp. It is a reliquary of the defeat of the Islamic State group and, at the same time, its lingering ghost. Here, among rows of dust-covered tents, the wives and widows of the caliphate survive alongside their children — children who had no say in where they were born but are growing up in the shadow of a war that has already scarred them. The New Arab: Syria dismisses Moscow and Riyadh ‘pro-Assad’ envoys amid diplomatic reshuffle Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shiabani issued a decision to remove Syria’s ambassadors in Moscow and Riyadh from their positions, as part of a wider diplomatic reshuffle, according to an official source cited by the country’s SANA news agency. Bashar al-Jaafri, Syria’s envoy to Moscow, and Ayman Sousan, the ambassador to Riyadh, have now been reassigned to the ministry’s central administration in Damascus. The affairs of the embassies in Moscow and Riyadh will now be managed by the charge d’affaires until Interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa issues official appointments for the two positions. Iraq Kurdistan 24: Iran-Backed Iraqi Militia Group Denies Reuters Disarmament Claims Iraqi paramilitary group Kataib Hezbollah on Tuesday rejected claims made in a recent Reuters report that suggested it was prepared to disband its forces due to fear of potential U.S. military strikes under President Donald Trump's administration. The Reuters article, citing anonymous Iraqi officials and alleged senior commanders, claimed that several Iranian-backed militia groups, including Kataib Hezbollah, were ready to dismantle their arsenals and end operations in response to private U.S. warnings delivered to Baghdad. The report portrayed these developments as a reaction to intensified U.S. pressure and fears of renewed airstrikes targeting militia strongholds across Iraq. The National: Who are the main Iran-backed militias in Iraq? Iran's regional proxy network has come under unprecedented pressure since the war in Gaza began, with leaders and officials being killed in targeted Israeli attacks over the past year. Iran-backed militias in Iraq have been discussing future roles amid pressure to disarm, said an Iraqi source close to the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), a coalition of militias dominated by groups with ties to Iran. The militias are part of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of about 10 hardline Shiite armed factions that collectively command about 50,000 fighters and arsenals that include long-range missiles and anti-aircraft weapons, according to two security officials who monitor militias' activities. Iran Bloomberg: Iran Says It Will Start Nuclear Talks With US This Weekend Iran said it will start high-level talks with the US in Oman this weekend, confirming Donald Trump’s announcement that they’ll discuss a standoff over Tehran’s nuclear program. “The talks will be held on Saturday in Oman,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Tuesday, adding that sanctions relief was Iran’s main goal. “They will take place in an indirect format, and we don’t accept any other method of negotiation.” Yemen Jerusalem Post: US strikes Houthi sites in Yemen, killing top intelligence official The United States continued its airstrikes in Hodeidah, Marib, and the Houthi-run capital city of Sana'a in Yemen, Houthi-linked media outlets reported on Monday night. The Houthi movement claimed that its senior intelligence leader, Abdul Nasser Al-Kamali, was killed in the strike, Al Hadath reported. US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told Prime Minister Sudani in a phone call on March 16, shortly after the American strikes on the Houthis began, to prevent the militias carrying out revenge attacks on Israel and US bases in the region in support of their allies, according to two government officials and two security sources briefed on the exchange. Pakistan India New England News: U.S., Pakistan Hold First Phone Call to Discuss Counterterrorism Cooperation U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held their first telephone conversation, focusing on strengthening counterterrorism cooperation between the two nations. A key topic of discussion was the return of U.S. military equipment left behind in Afghanistan following the 2021 withdrawal. According to Pakistan’s Foreign Office, the two officials also discussed bilateral relations, regional security, and economic cooperation during the call. Dunya News: US lauds Pakistan's efforts in fight against terrorism Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held a telephonic conversation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday. Both the counterparts discussed bilateral relations, regional security, and economic cooperation. Ishaq Dar reiterated Pakistan's commitment to strengthen partnership with the United States and emphasized strengthening cooperation in trade, investment and counter-terrorism. The US Secretary of State reciprocated the desire to collaborate with Pakistan in trade and investment in various sectors, especially critical minerals. Somalia Horn Observer: Al-Shabaab Advances Near Mogadishu as International Partners Call for Unity Against Militants Al-Shabaab militants have made significant territorial gains in recent days, seizing control of the strategic Afgoye-Mogadishu and Mogadishu-Balcad corridors, effectively tightening their grip on the outskirts of Somalia's capital. The extremist group has also escalated attacks inside Mogadishu, launching a series of deadly mortar bombardments and bombings that have raised fears among residents and exposed vulnerabilities in the city’s security apparatus.   The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) is a nonprofit and non-partisan international policy organization working to combat the growing threat posed by extremist ideologies. CEP depends on the generosity of its supporters. If you value what we do, please consider making a donation. DONATE Were you forwarded this email? Subscribe for yourself here. Counter Extremism Project (CEP) | PO Box 3980 | NEW YORK, NY 10185 US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice