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CEP Mentions
UK Commission for Countering Extremism: Don’t do anything I say in this song: countering extremism with candour not censorship
An essay written by CEP Strategic Advisor Liam Duffy, part of a series of essays on defending free speech commissioned by Robin Simcox, the former Commissioner for Countering Extremism. This essay examines how the counter-extremism sector has expanded beyond its original focus on terroristic radicalisation to encompass broader political phenomena, often at the expense of freedom of expression. Using the case of rapper Tyler, the Creator’s 2015 UK ban as a starting point, it argues for a more focused approach to countering extremism that protects free speech and maintains public trust in institutions.
Euronews: This is how satanic and neo-Nazi groups seduce and manipulate young people.
In July 2025, the Counter Extremism Project , together with the Auschwitz Research Center, organized a webinar entitled: "Are we back in the 1990s? New neo-Nazi youth groups in Germany and Poland ." Experts highlighted the emergence of neo-Nazi youth groups in Poland and Germany in recent years, reminiscent of the German "Kameradschaft" scene of the 1990s. This phenomenon suggests that the problem is not limited to individual extremists , but is taking organized forms, targeting young people, which certainly raises alarm bells.
Analysis
War on the Rocks: The Islamic State Prison Camps in Syria are a Powder Keg
The Trump administration has cut $117 million in humanitarian aid to detention camps in northeast Syria. These cuts include funding that had been earmarked for managing essential camp services, including data collection and security database analysis. At the same time, the administration is considering a drawdown of its force posture in northeast Syria from current levels — approximately 2,000 special operations forces — to approximately 700. These cuts in both funding and personnel have the potential to produce destabilizing second- and third-order effects that will reverberate not just in Syria but throughout the region, impacting American allies and interests in the Middle East.
Jerusalem Post: All or nothing: Why Israel should stand firm, avoid phased hostage deals
Up until now, the formula has been phased deals. A few hostages here, a few there, in exchange for temporary truces, prisoner releases, or humanitarian concessions. Each partial deal brought relief to some families, moments of indescribable joy as loved ones were reunited. But each deal also left dozens still trapped in Gaza. Each deal left Hamas with more bargaining chips to play. And each deal kept Israeli society hostage to Hamas’s cynical manipulations.
That model must end. The shift to an “all or none” approach is not just a negotiating tactic. It is a much-needed strategic reset on multiple fronts.
Small Wars Journal: Lessons in Counterterrorism in Saudi Arabia’s Expulsion of Al-Qaeda in the Kingdom and Challenges Going Forward
Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s numerous influential countries and a leading member state of the Arab League in terms of soft power. Nevertheless, the Kingdom has been enshrouded in controversy, particularly Islamic extremism. In the early 2000s, against the backdrop of the September 11th Attacks and the Global War on Terror, Saudi Arabia became embroiled in deadly terrorism and massacres by al-Qaeda, which successfully infiltrated the Kingdom. Realizing an existential threat that not only killed hundreds of civilians but was a public relations nightmare, Riyadh needed to act decisively and combat the root of extremism within the Saudi Kingdom.
United States
Jewish Telegraphic Agency: Trump says remaining hostages will be released when Hamas is ‘confronted and destroyed’
President Donald Trump said Monday morning that the remaining hostages in Gaza will only be returned when Hamas is “confronted and destroyed.” “We will only see the return of the remaining hostages when Hamas is confronted and destroyed!!! The sooner this takes place, the better the chances of success will be,” wrote Trump in a post on Truth Social.
Newsbreak: Why neo-Nazis marched in Indianapolis this weekend, and almost every weekend in the US
Armed neo-Nazis, shouting “white power!” and carrying swastika flags, marched through downtown Indianapolis on Saturday. This follows similar incidents in Ohio in February and last October. “Almost every single weekend, white supremacists are rallying in some neighborhood,” Oren Segal, vice president of the Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism, said in a Nov. 2024 interview. The group’s data found 282 such events in 2023 and more than 750 since 2020.
Jerusalem Post: Texas officials seek vandals after ‘antisemitic’ flags hung on Heath school
Nazi flags were hung on the side of a Texas school, outraging local officials and sparking calls for the perpetrators to be held responsible. Students on Saturday spotted the flags displayed on the east side of the Rockwall-Heath High School, Mayor Jeremiah McClure and the Heath Department of Public Safety announced on social media on Sunday, and officials immediately removed the “antisemitic materials.” McClure and the Heath DPS didn’t detail the exact nature of the antisemitic flags and didn’t immediately respond to Jerusalem Post inquiries, but the Dallas-based WFAA Channel 8 reported that residents confirmed that the flags contained Nazi symbols.
Jerusalem Post: Huckabee to 'Post': 'European leaders gave Hamas cover - that's when negotiations were over'
As rumors gathered pace on Monday night of a possible Israel-Hamas deal to see the release of 10 Israeli hostages, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee strongly endorsed US President Donald Trump’s declaration that hostages will only be freed when Hamas is “confronted and destroyed,” while sharply criticizing European leaders for providing what he called “cover” to the terror organization. Speaking in an exclusive sit-down with The Jerusalem Post, Huckabee described Trump’s position as “spot on and as concise and firm as it could possibly be,” emphasizing that the president’s view becomes his own as a representative of the administration.
The Diplomat: Pakistan-US Counterterrorism Cooperation Takes Big Strides Forward
The Pakistan-United States defense relationship has entered a promising new phase. On August 11, the U.S. State Department designated the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) as a “foreign terrorist organization.” In a statement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the move “demonstrates the Trump Administration’s commitment to countering terrorism.”
Capitol News Illinois: Billboard promoting far-right group Proud Boys springs up in southern Illinois
A billboard rising from a Clinton County cornfield near Breese that appears to be a recruiting tool for the Proud Boys — a far-right extremist group tied to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol — has touched off outrage in the small southern Illinois community. The sign is located at Old U.S. Route 50 and St. Rose Road, about 1,000 feet from the entrance to Central Community High School. It lists a local phone number for people to call. Repeated calls to a phone number on the recruiting billboard went to a voicemail that is full.
Canada
Jewish Telegraphic Agency: Oct. 7 documentary is reinstated at Toronto film festival after cancelation brouhaha
“The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue” will premier at the Toronto International Film Festival after all, following a backlash over the festival’s apparent decision to cancel the Israeli Oct. 7 documentary. TIFF drew criticism earlier this week over its decision to rescind the invitation over concerns about security and about the film’s legal rights to use some of its footage — allegedly the live footage recorded by Hamas terrorists as they attacked Israel.
Germany
B.Z.: Police break up Israel-hate demo at the Chancellery in Berlin
A good 100 people demonstrate unannounced against the war in the Gaza Strip near the Chancellery. The police intervened - according to their own statements because of banned slogans. Berlin police have broken up an unregistered pro-Palestinian demonstration near the Federal Chancellery. A police spokesperson said in the evening that the approximately 110 demonstrators had repeatedly shouted forbidden slogans. As some participants did not leave immediately despite being asked to do so, they were taken by the police for identification checks. Police officers established the identities of the individuals and filed charges for using the symbols of unconstitutional and terrorist organizations and for violating the Freedom of Assembly Act. The police were deployed with 230 officers.
Deutsche Welle: Pakistan deports Afghans with German resettlement rights
The German Foreign Ministry said on Monday that 211 Afghans who were approved for resettlement in Germany were deported back to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan from Pakistan, where they had been temporarily living. According to a spokesperson, the German Foreign Ministry is in contact with the Pakistani authorities to enable these 211 people to return to Pakistan. In the meantime, accommodation has reportedly been arranged for the deportees in Afghanistan with the help of a service provider.
Deutsche Welle: West Bank settlement plan illegal, Germany tells Israel
A plan presented by an Israeli minister would divide the occupied West Bank and complicate efforts for a two-state solution, a German Foreign Ministry spokesperson said. "The German government calls on the Israeli government to stop settlement construction and will only recognize changes to the borders of June 4, 1967, that have been agreed upon by the parties to the conflict," the Foreign Ministry spokesperson said late on Thursday. "The settlement construction violates international law and relevant UN Security Council resolutions," the spokesperson added. "It complicates a negotiated two-state solution and an end to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, as demanded by the International Court of Justice."
Deutsche Welle: Germany: Magdeburg market attacker charged with murder
German prosecutors have pressed murder charges against the man who drove a car into a Christmas Market in the eastern German city of Magdeburg in December. Taleb A.* is accused of six counts of murder and 338 counts of attempted murder, among other charges. Prosecutors said in their statement they would seek the German legal equivalent of a first-degree murder conviction.
The Times: Secret files reveal the Nazis chosen to run West Germany
The first systematic analysis of the early West German chancellery’s personnel files, conducted by the Stuttgart University historian Gunnar Take, shows that stories like Vialon’s were so common as to be almost normal in the 1950s and 1960s. He found that out of the 107 senior officials in the chancellery between 1949 and 1970, 57 were too young to have occupied positions of any influence under the Nazi dictatorship. Of the remaining 50, 20 had held mid or high-ranking posts in the Third Reich, ranging from Wehrmacht and Gestapo officers to powerful administrative jobs or deployments to oversee occupied territory. Most of these individuals, like Vialon, had also been members of the Nazi party.
Romania
Jewish Telegraphic Agency: After a contentious election, Romania’s few Jews remain on guard against antisemitism
“It’s getting worse for sure,” said Alexandru Muraru, a member of Romania’s parliament and vice-president of its National Liberal Party, who is not Jewish. “In Western Europe, they have big Muslim communities, which generates antisemitism. In Romania, there are only one or two mosques, but our antisemitism has historical roots.”
Spain
Policia Nacional: The National Police arrest two people linked to jihadist terrorism.
National Police officers have arrested two people in the town of Vallfogona de Balaguer (Lleida) for their alleged involvement in the crimes of self-indoctrination, active terrorist indoctrination, and collaboration. The investigation began a year and a half ago, when counterterrorism specialists identified a highly active individual online, linked to websites belonging to the terrorist organization Daesh.
Switzerland
Associated Press: Swiss watchmaker Swatch apologizes for ad showing gesture seen as racist
Swiss watchmaker Swatch apologized Monday for an ad campaign that upset consumers in China and elsewhere and said it had “immediately removed all related materials worldwide.” In an image for the Swatch Essentials collection, an Asian male model is shown pulling the edges of his eyelids upward and backward with his fingers — a gesture seen as derogatory and racist, Swiss public broadcaster SRF reported.
United Kingdom
The Guardian: Labour condemns Robert Jenrick’s visit to rally attended by far-right activist
Robert Jenrick has been severely criticised by Labour after the shadow justice secretary was pictured at an anti-asylum rally in Essex attended by a veteran far-right activist. Jenrick posted photos on X showing himself visiting the protest outside the Bell hotel in Epping, where police have been attacked and police vehicles vandalised by groups of men taking part in the demonstration. The MP met protesters including a woman with a T-shirt bearing the message: “Send them home.”
BBC: Campaigners say anti-asylum hotel protesters are 'extremists'
An anti-racism group has hit out at "extremists" who took part in a protest against asylum seekers being housed in a former hotel in Falkirk. Hundreds gathered outside the Cladhan Hotel on Saturday - at least one protester was seen performing a Nazi salute while another carried a banner that said Kill 'Em All, Let God Sort 'Em Out".
Afghanistan
Afghanistan International: Taliban Deputy PM Cautions Countries With ‘Ill Intentions’ Toward Afghanistan
Taliban Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Abdul Ghani Baradar warned countries with “ill intentions” toward Afghanistan. Speaking On the 106th anniversary of Afghanistan’s independence, he said that his administration was closely monitoring foreign activity.
Afghanistan International: Taliban Defence Minister Warns Afghans Against Losing Independence Again
On the 106th anniversary of Afghanistan’s independence, Taliban Defence Minister Mullah Yaqub warned that Afghans have repeatedly failed to safeguard their freedom after regaining it on three separate occasions in the past century. “This time, conditions should not be created that, God forbid, we lose this freedom,” Yaqub said in a speech on Tuesday, August 19.
Afghanistan International: Taliban Fuel Ethnic Tensions With Forced Displacement, Says Ex-Afghan Commander
A former Afghan army commander has accused the Taliban of driving Afghanistan toward collapse through forced displacement, land seizures and the resettlement of outsiders in the country’s north and west. General Farid Ahmadi, who once led Afghanistan’s special forces, said the Taliban’s policies have inflamed ethnic hostilities and placed national unity at risk. In a statement marking the anniversary of the Afghan republic’s fall, he said the group had destroyed not only Afghanistan’s political system and two decades of progress, but also the foundations of social cohesion.
Gaza Strip
Jerusalem Post: 'Hamas must give up control': Fatah official lays out vision for Gaza after war
Munther Al-Hayek, spokesperson for the Palestinian Fatah Movement in the Gaza Strip, spoke with The Media Line about Fatah’s vision for post-war Gaza. He described a future government under Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa, the removal of Hamas from power, coordination with Arab states, and the role of the Palestinian Authority (PA).
Iran
Iran International: Iran’s Revolutionary Guard weakened by war but more central than ever – Bloomberg
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) emerged from its 12-day confrontation with Israel in June bruised but more entrenched in the country’s power structure, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday. Bloomberg said the Israeli strikes killed many senior commanders in what was described as the most damaging conflict in the Guard’s history, forcing a restructuring of Iran’s security decision-making. Yet the confrontation has also reinforced the IRGC’s role at the heart of the Islamic Republic.
Iran International: IRGC moves to keep factions on message as Khamenei fades from view
With the supreme leader’s retreat from view since the 12-Day War with Israel, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) appear to have taken on his role as political disciplinarian, nudging senior figures to keep their feuds out of public view. It’s a task Ali Khamenei once handled directly — intervening to rein in factions and reassert unity — but his low profile in recent weeks has left a vacuum. Not long before this “visible invisibility,” Khamenei publicly warned against the perils of political loose talk.
Telegraph: Iran using Taliban ‘kill list’ to hunt British spies
Iran’s revolutionary guards are hunting British spies using a leaked Ministry of Defence list provided by the Taliban, The Telegraph has learnt. A group of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officials flew to Kabul last week to discuss a cooperation deal with Taliban leadership, according to senior Iranian and Afghan officials.
Iraq
The National: Iraq begins exhuming thousands of ISIS victims from massive sinkhole grave
Authorities in Iraq on Sunday began exhuming bodies from a vast natural sinkhole south of Mosul that is believed to have been turned into the country's largest mass grave by ISIS. The Governor of Nineveh, Abdul Qadir Al Dakhil, announced the start of the first phase of the excavation of Al Khasfa cemetery, which lies in a remote area about 20km outside Mosul. The provincial government will work to build a memorial to commemorate the victims, Mr Abdul Qadir said. Senior judicial officials oversaw the operations, marking a long-delayed step to recover the remains of thousands of people believed to have been executed and dumped into the pit during ISIS control of the city between 2014 and 2017.
Israel
Reuters: Israel studying Hamas reply to Gaza ceasefire proposal
Israel is studying Hamas' response to a Gaza ceasefire proposal, two officials said on Tuesday of a potential deal for a 60-day truce and the release of half the Israeli hostages still held in the battered enclave. Efforts to pause the fighting gained new momentum over the past week after Israel announced plans for a new offensive to seize control of Gaza City, and Egypt and Qatar have been pushing to restart indirect talks between the sides on a U.S.-backed ceasefire plan.
Jerusalem Post: Israel insists all hostages must be freed before reaching end of Gaza war, source tells 'Post'
Israel remains consistent in its policy and demands the release of all 50 hostages in accordance with the principles set by the security cabinet for ending the war, a senior diplomatic source said on Tuesday. "We are at the final decisive stage against Hamas and will not leave any hostage behind," the source added.
New York Times: Israel Is in Talks to Send Gazans to South Sudan, Officials Say
For months, Israeli officials have spoken in increasingly strident tones about wanting Palestinians to leave Gaza en masse. Now, a potential destination being discussed is the impoverished, war-torn African nation of South Sudan, part of the broader Israeli push for wholesale emigration from the devastated enclave. Unable so far to find countries willing to accept large numbers of Gazan refugees from the nearly two-year Israeli campaign against Hamas, Israel has held talks with South Sudan on taking them, according to officials and people briefed on the discussions.
Lebanon
Reuters: UN Security Council starts talks on fate of peacekeeping force in Lebanon
The United Nations Security Council started negotiations on Monday on a French-drafted resolution to extend a long-running peacekeeping mission in Lebanon and signal an intention to work on an eventual withdrawal of the U.N. troops. The U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), established in 1978, patrols Lebanon's southern border with Israel. The mandate for the operation is renewed annually, and its current authorization expires on August 31. The United States - a veto-wielding council member - told a closed-door council meeting on Monday that the mission should only be extended for one final year, said diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Associated Press: US envoy to discuss long-term ceasefire with Israel after Lebanon commits to disarming Hezbollah
The U.S. special envoy to Lebanon said Monday that his team would discuss the long-term cessation of hostilities with Israel, after Beirut endorsed a U.S.-backed plan for the Hezbollah militant group to disarm. Tom Barrack, following a meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, also said Washington would seek an economic proposal for post-war reconstruction in the country, after months of shuttle diplomacy between the U.S. and Lebanon.
Naharnet: Geagea hopes Hezbollah will respect govt. decisions to avoid state's use of 'force'
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea has stressed that no one is targeting the Shiite community in the current period, describing it as “an essential component of Lebanon.” “We’ve been living with the Shiite community for hundreds of years and our relation is good with it, seeing as we are the sons of the same people,” Geagea added, in an interview on Al-Arabiya television.
Naharnet: Aoun stresses importance of UNIFIL's presence in south
President Joseph Aoun on Tuesday warned against ending the United Nations peacekeepers' mandate in the country's south, after the U.N. Security Council began debating extending their mission. The annual mandate renewal this year comes after Lebanese authorities, under heavy U.S. pressure, have committed to disarming Hezbollah by year end, following a November ceasefire deal that sought to halt more than a year of hostilities between the Iran-backed group and Israel.
Qatar
Associated Press: Qatar urges a Gaza ceasefire after ‘positive response’ from Hamas
A key mediator on Tuesday stressed the urgency of brokering a ceasefire in Gaza after Hamas showed a “positive response” to a proposal, but Israel has yet to weigh in as its military prepares an offensive on some of the territory’s most populated areas. The prospect of an expanded assault on areas sheltering hundreds of thousands of civilians has sparked condemnation inside Israel and abroad. Most war-weary Palestinians see no place in Gaza as safe, not even declared humanitarian zones, after 22 months of war.
Syria
Naharnet: Syria says seized Grad rockets headed for Lebanon
Syrian security forces in the central Homs province have seized a truck loaded with Grad-type rockets that was headed for Lebanon, Syrian state media reported on Tuesday. Syria’s al-Ekhbaria news channel said the truck was intercepted in a well-planned ambush near the Lebanese border.
Yemen
Asharq al-Awsat: Yemen Minister: Houthis Claiming Support for Gaza to Mask Repression, Looting
Yemen’s information minister accused the Iran-aligned Houthi militias of using their rocket launches toward Israel under the banner of “supporting Gaza” as a propaganda tool to cover up repression and systematic looting of national resources. In an official statement, Moammar al-Eryani said repeated Houthi claims of firing “hypersonic” missiles at Israel had lost credibility at home and abroad, describing them as “media stunts” aimed at distracting from internal crises and justifying the militants’ abuses against civilians in areas under their control.
India
Christian Today: Christian pastor beaten after communion service disrupted by extremists
A Christian pastor in Maharashtra, India, was assaulted in early July after a mob of Hindu nationalist extremists stormed a church in Solapur, accusing him of “distributing blood” during a communion service. The incident, which took place on 6 July, was captured on video by members of the mob and has since spread widely across social media.
Pakistan
Afghanistan International: Pakistan Today: Afghan Taliban Provide Regular Funding To TTP
Pakistan Today has reported that the Afghan Taliban are providing regular financial support to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), including monthly payments of about three million Afghanis (USD 43,000) to the family of the group’s leader, Noor Wali Mehsud. According to the report, the funds are used to purchase weapons, develop military infrastructure, and organise attacks against Pakistan. It also alleged that the Taliban have been providing the TTP with safe havens and training camps in Afghanistan’s Kunar, Nangarhar, Paktika and Khost provinces, enabling the group to expand recruitment networks and operations.
Congo
Reuters: Congo and M23 rebels miss deadline to reach Doha peace deal
The Congolese government and M23 rebels have missed Monday's deadline to reach a peace agreement in Doha, raising fears that tensions between the two parties might derail talks and reverse progress made to end the conflict. Fighting in eastern Congo has intensified this year, with the M23 group launching an offensive that allowed it to capture the two largest cities in the region.
Morocco
North Africa Post: Morocco helps Spain foil terrorist plot
A joint counterterrorism operation between Spain and Morocco has led to the arrest of two individuals suspected of jihadist activity in Catalonia, underscoring the role of Morocco’s security services in pre-emptive action against terrorist cells. On Thursday, Spanish National Police, with critical support from Morocco’s General Directorate for Territorial Surveillance (DGST), detained two men aged 24 and 26 in the town of Vallfogona de Balaguer, in the province of Lleida.
Nigeria
Reuters: Nigerian court to rule on bail for deadly church attack suspects on Sept 10
Five men charged with carrying out a deadly Islamist militant attack on a Catholic church in southwestern Nigeria in 2022 were remanded in custody on Tuesday until a court ruling on September 10 on their application for bail. The suspects, who pleaded not guilty when arraigned last week, appeared in court at the start of their trial on Tuesday, seeking bail three years after their arrest.
Somalia
Task & Purpose: US forces bomb al-Shabab in Somalia over eight days
U.S. forces carried out a series of airstrikes against al-Shabab in Somalia at the start of the month, the latest escalation of the American involvement in the country. U.S. Africa Command confirmed that American aircraft “conducted a series of airstrikes against al Shabaab in the vicinity of Bariire in central Somalia” between Aug. 1-8. According to reports in local media, including BBC News Somali, the Somali military and Ugandan troops on the African Union mission to the country captured the town of Bariire after a week of fighting. The Somali government did not mention U.S. involvement, but AFRICOM’s statement confirms American support from the skies.
Australia
Times of Israel: Israeli man says Melbourne salon owner called him ‘baby killer’ and kicked him out
An Israeli man has said he was called a “baby killer” and kicked out of a Melbourne hair salon by its owner last week after she realized where he was from, the latest in a series of incidents involving Australia’s Jewish and Israeli communities. According to the Ynet news site, the man — who asked not to be publicly named — said the owner of the salon recognized his accent and began her tirade, at which point he told her that she was parroting talking points from the Hamas terror group.
New Zealand
Associated Press: A New Zealand soldier admits attempted espionage in the country’s first spying conviction
New Zealand soldier who tried to spy for a foreign power has admitted to attempted espionage in a military court. Monday’s conviction was the first for spying in New Zealand’s history. The soldier’s name was suppressed, as was what country he sought to pass secrets to. Military court documents said the man believed he was engaged with a foreign agent in 2019 when he tried to communicate military information including base telephone directories and maps, assessments of security weaknesses, his own identity card and log-in details for a military network. The wording of the charge said his actions were “likely to prejudice the security or defense of New Zealand.”
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