|
CEP Mentions
WDR: Aktuelle Stunde | Drone chaos: Much alarm, little insight
Counter Extremism Project (CEP) Senior Director Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler interviewed regarding drones in Germany, this time at the Munich Airport [starting at 09:28].
Analysis
ICCT: Russia’s Crime Terror Nexus: Criminality as a Tool of Hybrid Warfare
This report takes stock of Russian hybrid warfare in Europe in the context of its war of aggression against Ukraine. While doing so, it offers more than a catalogue of kinetic incidents attributed to Moscow; it focuses on the perpetrators and situates their actions within Russia’s longstanding reliance on hybrid warfare. This analysis highlights that many of these actors have criminal backgrounds and demonstrates how Russia has built its own state-driven “crime-terror nexus.” The phenomenon recalls earlier patterns seen in terrorist organisations such as ISIS, which recruited Europe’s criminals into violent campaigns under the guise of ideological redemption.
Perspectives on Terrorism: Bibliography: Hezbollah
This bibliography contains journal articles, book chapters, books, edited volumes, theses, grey literature, bibliographies and other resources on the Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and militant group Hezbollah. It focuses on recent publications (up to August 2025) and should not be considered as being exhaustive. The literature has been retrieved by manually browsing more than 200 core and periphery sources in the field of Terrorism Studies. Additionally, full-text as well as reference retrieval systems have been employed to broaden the search.
The Economist: Rising antisemitism reflects wider social ills, says Britain’s former counter-terrorism co-ordinator
THE ATTACK on worshippers at the Heaton Park synagogue in Manchester on Yom Kippur, Judaism’s holiest day, provides another grim reminder that the struggle with hate-fuelled extremism and political violence continues. Yes, within seven minutes armed police had arrived and shot the terrorist dead. But the potential damage to community confidence—and to the wider social fabric—lingers.
Jerusalem Post: Houthi figures may have connections to Al-Qaeda, other terror groups, UAE media reveals – analysis
The Houthis have woven a complex network of connections to other terrorist and militia groups in the Middle Eastern region. A new article at Al-Ain Arabic media, which is usually based on good sources, reveals the role of one of the key figures in the Iranian-backed regime.
United States
Kurdistan24: Rubio Says U.S. Is Closer Than Ever to Hostage Deal, Insists Gaza Cannot Be Run by Terrorists
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared on Sunday that negotiators are the "closest we have been in a very long time" to securing the release of all Israeli hostages held by Hamas, a breakthrough he unequivocally attributed to a comprehensive peace framework put forth by President Donald Trump and the powerful international coalition he assembled to support it.
Times of Israel: Antisemitism now a ‘normal’ part of life in the US, new survey finds
More than half of Jewish Americans say they experienced antisemitism in the past year, and many now consider such hostility a normal part of Jewish life, according to a study published Monday by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA).
Jewish Telegraphic Agency: 1 in 3 US Jews have taken action amid antisemitism many now see as ‘normal,’ analysis finds
American Jews are installing security systems and buying guns in large numbers, according to survey data released nearly two years into the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. The surveys by the Anti-Defamation League and Jewish Federations of North America took the pulse of U.S. Jews as the second anniversary approached of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel that triggered the war and a wave of anti-Israel and antisemitic incidents around the world.
Jewish Telegraphic Agency: U of Maryland student government passes BDS resolution on Yom Kippur
The University of Maryland Student Government Association passed a boycott, divestment and sanctions resolution on Yom Kippur, drawing condemnation from Jewish leaders on campus who said its scheduling was “exclusionary.”
Times of Israel: Anti-Israel activists to ‘flood’ New York City on Oct. 7
Anti-Israel activists in New York City have announced mass rallies scheduled for Tuesday, the second anniversary of the October 7, 2023, terror invasion of Israel. Within Our Lifetime, the leading anti-Israel activist group on the city’s streets, announced a plan to “Flood New York City for Gaza.” The activists often dub their rallies “floods,” echoing the Hamas name for the October 2023 attack, the “Al Aqsa Flood.” “Honor our martyrs. Break the siege. End the genocide. Resist for Palestine,” Within Our Lifetime announced in its plan for a citywide rally, centered in midtown Manhattan on Tuesday afternoon.
Times of Israel: Hamas faces ‘complete obliteration’ if it clings to power in Gaza, warns Trump
Hamas faces annihilation if it tries to cling to power in Gaza, US President Donald Trump warned on Sunday, as Israel and the Gaza terror group sent delegations to Egypt ahead of talks on Trump’s plan to return the hostages and end the war. Trump’s warning to Hamas came as reports emerged that the US president held an acrimonious call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in which he reportedly became annoyed at the Israeli leader, telling him to stop being “so fucking negative.” Israeli sources downplayed the disagreement.
Jerusalem Post: Cuomo calls on Mamdani to condemn the phrase ‘Globalize the Intifada’ ahead of Oct. 7
Mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo, on Sunday, called on Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani to explicitly condemn the phrase “Globalize the Intifada” ahead of planned protests marking the second anniversary of the October 7 Hamas terror attack.
Harvard Crimson: Pellet Gun Incident Involving HLS Prof. Apparently Not Motivated by Antisemitism, Brookline Synagogue Leaders Say
After a Harvard Law School visiting professor was arrested for shooting a pellet gun near a Brookline synagogue last week, synagogue leaders told affiliates in a Sunday email that the incident “does not appear to have been fuelled by antisemitism.”
Germany
Deutsche Welle: The AfD is drawing support from Russia Germans
Researchers have found that the AfD enjoys particular support among ethnic Germans who resettled from the former Soviet Union and their descendants, people often referred to as Russia Germans. According to a recent study by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, 31% of Russia Germans are prepared to vote for the AfD. "This share is significantly higher than the AfD's average support among Germans with a migrant background, which stands at 19%," the report read. People from post-Soviet countries make up 12.4% of all voters with migrant backgrounds in Germany, or roughly 900,000 people, according to calculations by the DeZIM research center.
BZ: Israel-haters smear Foreign Office - five arrests
Israel-haters are smearing and vandalizing party offices and public institutions throughout Germany. Now they have even defiled the Foreign Office in Berlin-Mitte. As a police spokesperson told X, the paint attack took place on Thursday at around 1.15 pm. Two women poured red paint on the facade of the ministry. Another woman and a man left lettering and a large pool of red paint on the sidewalk. When the federal police intervened and arrested the four activists, a passer-by intervened. He did not comply with an order to leave. Instead, he slapped a police officer's hand away and was also provisionally arrested.
Ireland
Reuters: Right-wing activists divide Dublin with lamp-post flag blitz
Right-wing activists are lining the streets of Dublin with Irish tricolour flags in a campaign that is dividing communities and fuelling a bitter debate about immigration. Supporters say the flags, informally attached to lamp-posts without permission, are a simple expression of patriotism - and many react furiously to the idea of restricting the flying of the national flag.
Netherlands
Reuters: Hundreds of thousands protest in Amsterdam against Gaza war
Hundreds of thousands of protesters marched through Amsterdam on Sunday, calling for the Dutch government to take a tougher stance against Israel's war in Gaza. Organisers estimated that around 250,000 people joined the demonstration - a figure supported by local police. Most wore red to signal their support for a symbolic "red line" against Israel's siege of Gaza.
United Kingdom
Financial Times: Why yesterday’s terrorist attack felt inevitable
There are just 287,360 Jews in England and Wales, per the last census. (That includes everyone who ticked “Jewish” in the religion or ethnicity boxes.) This contextualises the more than 3,000 antisemitic hate crimes reported last year. The average British Jew is very few degrees of separation from someone who has experienced an antisemitic hate crime. All that adds to why yesterday’s attack felt inevitable. But what is new is that it came at a time when many Jews feel concerned about their future in Britain and alienated by the Labour government, whether because of its position on Palestinian state recognition or its sluggishness to respond to the street racism this summer.
Reuters: UK police to get new powers after latest pro-Palestinian protest
British police will get powers to restrict repeat protests held in the same place, the government said on Sunday, a day after the latest pro-Palestinian demonstration went ahead despite requests to cancel it in the wake of a deadly attack at a synagogue. The new powers will allow senior police officers to consider the cumulative impact of previous protests on a local community, the interior ministry said.
Times of Israel: Anger, defiance in the UK as October 7 anniversary colored by Manchester attack
British Jews gathered on Sunday to mark two years since the October 7, 2023, Hamas massacres in southern Israel with anger, sadness, and defiance in ceremonies that were heightened by the shock of the deadly terror attack on a synagogue over the Yom Kippur holiday. Participants lamented that the wave of antisemitism unleashed after the Hamas attack and subsequent war in Gaza had been left unchecked in the UK, where rabid anti-Israel and antisemitic protests have become regular events. In Manchester, where a knifeman assaulted congregants on Thursday at the Heaton Park Synagogue in an attack that left two dead and four seriously injured, thousands gathered under the banner, “We are not Jews with trembling knees.”
Independent: Gun murder was planned assassination reminiscent of terrorist ambush, court told
The murder of a man in Co Down in 2019 was a “planned assassination reminiscent of a terrorist ambush”, a judge has said. Two men have been told they must serve sentences in excess of 20 years in prison before they can be considered for parole for the murder of Malcolm McKeown.
Homeland Security Today: Self Proclaimed Satanist Convicted of Terrorism Offences After Questioning at London Airport
A UK man caught with extreme right-wing material after his phone was seized during a schedule 7 stop at a London airport has been convicted of terrorism offences. Declan George-Candiani, (09.09.99) 26, of Streatham, was stopped at Stansted Airport by counter-terrorism police on 13 August 2024.
The Telegraph: Synagogue terrorist taunted me moments before attack, says guard
A synagogue security guard has described how the terrorist who carried out the Manchester attack taunted worshippers about being “brave inside the fence”. Ivor Rosenberg recalled his “terrifying” encounter with Jihad al-Shamie, 35, who asked staff, “What are you looking at?” before ramming his car into the gates of Heaton Park synagogue and going on a knife rampage.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan International: UN Council Approves Mechanism To Probe Afghan Rights Abuses
The UN Human Rights Council on Monday approved the establishment of an independent mechanism to investigate and document human rights violations in Afghanistan. Malek Sitez, a legal and international relations expert, said the decision represents a major step towards ensuring justice and oversight in Afghanistan. “This initiative is designed to bring accountability for perpetrators of human rights violations and marks a significant step in monitoring human rights in the country,” he told Afghanistan International.
Afghanistan International: Taliban Flog Seven Men, One Woman In Kabul On Drug & Morality Charges
Taliban authorities in Kabul have flogged a woman and seven men on charges including drug trafficking, drug sales, and “running away from home,” according to a statement from the group’s Supreme Court. The court said the punishments ranged from 10 to 39 lashes, along with prison terms of between seven months and two years.
Afghanistan International: Taliban Leader Convenes Senior Officials In Kandahar To Discuss Bagram Air Base
Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada has convened the group’s senior officials including governors and district chiefs in Kandahar to discuss the future of Bagram Air Base and other key issues, sources told Afghanistan International. The three-day meeting began on Saturday, 4 October, in Kandahar, the group’s stronghold. According to the sources, Akhundzada plans to deliver “recommendations on communication and reforms” and issue “directives for dismissing members” accused of disobedience.
Afghanistan International: Taliban Enforce New Smartphone Ban Across Afghan Universities
The Taliban’s Ministry of Higher Education has banned professors and administrative staff below grade four from using smartphones at universities, citing concerns that mobile phone use “causes distraction and complicates work.” A document obtained by Afghanistan International shows that the decision was approved by the ministry’s leadership council. It also directs senior professors and staff ranked above grade three to “gradually reduce” their smartphone use.
Gaza Strip
Times of Israel: Hamas said to demand release of terror chiefs, Oct. 7 terrorists in deal for hostages
Citing Hamas sources, Channel 12 reported that among the terrorists Hamas is demanding are Marwan Barghouti, the Fatah Tanzim chief serving five life sentences for his part in planning three terror attacks that killed five Israelis during the Second Intifada, and Ahmad Sa’adat, leader of the Marxist-Leninist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), who was sentenced in 2008 to 30 years behind bars for masterminding the 2001 assassination of Israeli tourism minister Rehavam Ze’evi.
Jerusalem Post: Hamas starts gathering hostage remains, denies agreeing to gradually disarm
Senior Hamas political bureau official, Mahmoud al-Mardawi, denied earlier reports of the terror organization's commitment to future disarmament under international supervision in a Sunday night statement. Al-Mardawi called the claims "fabricated" and "baseless," aiming to "distort the movement's stance and confuse public opinion." Earlier on Sunday, a Hamas source told Saudi-owned Al Arabiya that the organization had begun collecting the remains of deceased Israeli hostages for a potential handover.
Jerusalem Post: Hamas 'committed' to reaching agreement to end Gaza war
The Hamas delegation arriving in Cairo for hostage negotiation talks will be led by Khalil al-Hayya, a source told Saudi channel Asharq on Sunday. The source emphasized that Hamas is committed to reaching an agreement to end the war in the Gaza Strip.
Sky News Australia: Anti-Hamas groups launch violent uprising inside Gaza
Former British colonel Richard Kemp says anti-Hamas groups inside Gaza have killed “quite a few terrorists” in the past 24 hours. “In the last day or so, there seems to be a stronger uprising among one or two of the clans inside Gaza, the non-Hamas clans against Hamas,” Mr Kemp told Sky News Australia.
Iraq
Shafaq News: Human remains found in Mosul linked to ISIS-era killings
On Monday, security forces in Iraq's Nineveh discovered human remains believed to belong to victims executed during ISIS’s rule over Mosul, a source told Shafaq News. ISIS captured the city in 2014 and ruled it until 2017, carrying out mass executions, abductions, and massacres that left thousands dead or missing–particularly Yazidis.
Israel
New York Times: Strong-Armed by Trump, Netanyahu Embraces Gaza Deal as a Personal Win
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel took much personal credit this weekend for an emerging plan to free all remaining hostages from Hamas and end the two-year war in Gaza. But it was abundantly clear to Israelis, and to Palestinians and others in the region, that the one calling the shots was President Trump. Mr. Netanyahu asserted in a brief, televised address to the nation on Saturday that the plan was the result of a diplomatic move that he had coordinated over weeks, and jointly presented, with Mr. Trump and his team. Mr. Trump told it a bit differently. In a conversation on Saturday with a leading Israeli correspondent for Axios and for Israel’s most popular news channel, the president suggested that he had strong-armed a somewhat reluctant Mr. Netanyahu into accepting the terms.
Reuters: Netanyahu faces far-right backlash as Trump presses to end Gaza war
A rift within Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right coalition is emerging as a flashpoint in efforts to end the war in Gaza, threatening to derail a U.S. push to reshape the political landscape of the Middle East. Under pressure from Donald Trump to end the two-year-old war, Netanyahu is facing a backlash from ultra-nationalist allies whose opposition to the U.S. president's Gaza proposal could force the Israeli leader into early elections.
Reuters: Israel deports Greta Thunberg and 170 other activists to Greece and Slovakia
Israel said it deported on Monday campaigner Greta Thunberg and another 170 activists from an international flotilla it prevented last week from delivering aid to Gaza, sending them to Greece and Slovakia. Earlier, Swiss and Spanish activists from the flotilla said they were subjected to inhumane conditions during their detention by Israeli forces. Monday's expulsions brought to 341 the total number deported from 479 detained.
Lebanon
Times of Israel: Hezbollah chief: Trump’s plan ‘full of dangers,’ but up to Hamas whether to back it
The head of Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah said Saturday that Washington’s plan for a ceasefire in Gaza was “full of dangers,” accusing Israel of using the proposal to achieve what it “failed” to do during the war. Naim Qassem, the leader of the Hamas-aligned terrorist organization, suggested Israel would use the plan as a pretext to take over the land and strip Palestinians of their self-determination, but said the decision of whether to accept it was ultimately Hamas’s.
Naharnet: Cabinet discusses ban of Hezbollah NGO, army's report on disarmament
Cabinet was on Monday discussing the Lebanese Army's first report on its weapons monopolization plan ahead of moving to two controversial clauses related to the uproar over Hezbollah’s illumination of the Raouche Rock with images of its slain chiefs. "The atmosphere is positive in the cabinet session and a solution is likely in light of the closed-door meeting that was held between President Joseph Aoun and PM Nawaf Salam," Al-Jadeed TV said, referring to the issue of the possible termination of the license of the Hezbollah-linked Rissalat art association over its role in the rock controversy.
Naharnet: Hezbollah voices support for Hamas' response to Trump's plan
Hezbollah has voiced support for “the stance taken by the Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas in coordination and consultation with the rest of the Palestinian resistance factions regarding Trump’s plan to halt the Israeli war on Gaza.” In a statement, Hezbollah said Hamas’ stance stems out of “extreme keenness on stopping the brutal Israeli aggression against our people in the Gaza Strip.”
Naharnet: Fadel Shaker turns himself in to army
Lebanese crooner-turned-fugitive militant Fadel Shaker surrendered himself to Lebanese authorities on Saturday after hiding in a Palestinian camp for over a decade, the Lebanese Army said said. Shaker, a popular singer born to a Palestinian mother and a Lebanese father, was accused of taking part in 2013 clashes in Sidon, south Lebanon, that opposed Salafist Sheikh Ahmad al-Assir and his supporters with the Lebanese military which left 17 soldiers dead.
Naharnet: Qassem says Gaza ceasefire plan 'full of dangers'
Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem said that Washington's plan for a ceasefire in Gaza was "full of dangers", accusing Israel of using the proposal to achieve what it "failed" to do during the war. Qassem suggested Israel would use the plan as pretext to take over the land and strip Palestinians of their self-determination, but said the decision of whether to accept it was ultimately Hamas'.
Syria
Associated Press: Minorities had hoped to break into Syria’s new political order in the weekend vote but few succeeded
Syria’s minority religious and ethnic communities were divided in the runup to the first parliamentary elections after the ouster of Bashar Assad, the former Syrian president. In the end, some chose to take part in the weekend vote but few managed to break into the country’s new political order, according to preliminary results.
Turkey
Jerusalem Post: Turkey makes contact with Hamas groups holding hostages, source tells 'Post'
Turkey has made contact with two Hamas groups holding hostages with whom there has been no communication until now, a source told The Jerusalem Post on Monday. This comes two days after 137 of the flotilla activists were deported from Israel to Turkey.
Times of Israel: ‘Zionist Robbie Williams’ has Istanbul concert canceled over safety concerns
British singer Robbie Williams said city authorities called off his upcoming Istanbul concert “in the interests of public safety” after anti-Israel Turkish NGOs and social media users campaigned for the event to be cancelled and protested against his appearance, accusing him of being a “Zionist.” The October 7 concert was scheduled to take place on the second anniversary of the Hamas-led invasion and massacres in southern Israel that killed 1,200 people, and saw another 251 taken hostage, triggering the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.
Afghanistan International: Türkiye Invites Taliban To ECO Trade Ministers’ Meet In Istanbul
Türkiye’s ambassador to Afghanistan, Cenk Ünal, has invited Taliban Commerce Minister Nooruddin Azizi to attend the Fifth Meeting of Trade Ministers of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) in Istanbul.
Pakistan
New York Times: Pakistan Fights Its Fiercest Taliban Insurgency in a Decade
In the rugged mountains of Pakistan, the resurgent Pakistani Taliban are waging a relentless and deadly guerrilla war against Pakistani security forces, in the biggest terrorism threat the South Asian nation has faced in a dozen years.
Mali
Reuters: Mali army holds back 70 Allied Gold trucks as militants block fuel imports
Mali's military has prevented about 70 fuel trucks from travelling to Allied Gold's (AAUC.TO), opens new tab Sadiola mine after al Qaeda-linked militants imposed a blockade on fuel imports to the landlocked country, two people familiar with the matter said. Fuel supplies are dwindling at the remote gold mine, located some 650 km (400 miles) from the capital Bamako, they said.
Nigeria
Reuters: Thousands flee to Cameroon as Boko Haram seizes Nigerian border town
More than 5,000 people have fled Nigeria's northeast into neighbouring Cameroon after Boko Haram militants seized the border town of Kirawa in Borno state, residents and community leaders said on Friday. Insurgents in Nigeria's Borno state, the epicentre of a 16-year conflict driven by Boko Haram and its splinter group Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), have upped their attacks this year against civilians and security forces.
Somalia
Reuters: Somali forces fighting al Shabaab attack on high-security prison
Somali government forces were fighting on Saturday to repel al Shabaab militants who stormed a high-security underground prison in the capital Mogadishu, a witness and the government said. Godka Jilaow, near the Villa Somalia presidential palace compound, houses several fighters from the al Shabaab group, which has waged an insurgency in Somalia since 2007 and made significant advances in the countryside this year. "We heard a huge blast at the cell gate and soon an exchange of gunfire started," a paramilitary soldier in the area who gave his name as Ahmed told Reuters. "More forces were deployed to eliminate the fighters. (The) operation (is) still ongoing."
Sudan
Reuters: ICC convicts first Darfur militia leader for war crimes
The International Criminal Court on Monday convicted the first militia leader ever put on trial for atrocities committed in Sudan's Darfur region more than 20 years ago. The court found Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman guilty of 27 counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes, including rape, murder and persecution. His sentence will be determined at a later date after a new round of hearings.
Australia
Sky News Australia: Assessment of ISIS brides who returned to Australia not necessarily ‘effective’
Former AFP detective superintendent David Craig discusses the return of ISIS brides to Australia and the assessment of these women and their offspring.
Sky News Australia: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese silent on return of ISIS brides from Syria after government denies role in repatriation
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has refused to explain his government’s role in the return of ISIS brides and children to Australia. It comes after Mr Albanese insisted in September that reports of their repatriation were “not accurate”.
Sky News Australia: Pro-Palestine protesters claim right to bring Sydney to ‘standstill’ over Gaza
Sky News host Danica De Giorgio discusses Labor’s Industry Minister Tim Ayres defending pro-Palestinian demonstrators planning to march on the Opera House. Mr Ayres said Labor wants to see them demonstrate in a ‘respectful’ manner which is not about ‘bringing conflict’ to Australia.
| 
