Email from Counter Extremism Project (CEP) Iraqi officials arrest man wanted by Australian police as 'number one priority' Eye on Extremism January 14, 2026   Top Stories Associated Press: What to know about the Muslim Brotherhood after the US terrorist designation The Trump administration waded into a regional debate over the Muslim Brotherhood on Tuesday, designating the Lebanese, Jordanian and Egyptian chapters of the transnational Sunni Islamist group as terrorist organizations. The group founded in the 1920s in Egypt inspired Islamist political movements around the region. Its ideology has been both popular and divisive in the Arab and Muslim world. The Brotherhood’s leaders say it renounced violence decades ago and seeks to set up Islamic rule through elections and other peaceful means, but some of the group’s offshoots have armed wings. Critics, including a number of autocratic governments across the region, view it as a threat. Reuters: Iraqi officials arrest man wanted by Australian police as 'number one priority' Iraqi officials have arrested a man wanted by Australian Federal Police as a person of interest in the investigation into a spate of firebombings, including an antisemitic attack on a Melbourne synagogue, police said on Wednesday. Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said the arrested man, Kazem Hamad, was a threat to national security and that she had identified him as her "Number One priority".   CounterPoint Blogs The Continuing Threat of Doxing as an Extremist Tactic The Case of Shamima Begum: Balancing Victimhood, Accountability, and National Security The Faked Death of the “White King” in Ukraine: What the Kapustin ‘Killing’ Episode Means for Europe’s Violent Extreme Right Islamic State Propaganda Evolution Since October 7 — Content   CEP Mentions Berliner Morgenpost: Merz's bold statement on Iran's mullahs – the facts speak for themselves. "It's at least theoretically conceivable that Iran could offer American companies access to its oil. The Iranian oil industry is dilapidated and urgently needs investment," Hans-Jakob Schindler, head of the Berlin-based think tank Counter Extremism Project, told our editorial team. It would be the Venezuela model . Homeland Security Today: U.S. Designates Three Muslim Brotherhood Chapters as Terrorist Organizations As described by the Counter Extremism Project, the Muslim Brotherhood is a transnational Sunni Islamist movement, founded in Egypt in 1928, that seeks to implement sharia (Islamic law) under a global caliphate. The group has already been labeled a terrorist organization by the governments of Bahrain, Egypt, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and the United Arab Emirates. Jerusalem Post: An original Auschwitz plan, a warning for our time – opinion Philanthropist Elliott Brody writes: Prior to acquiring the whiteprint, in 2024, I helped the Counter Extremism Project, a nonprofit organization, purchase a house next door to Auschwitz. Commandant Rudolf Hoss lived there from May 1940 to December 1943, and again in early 1944, with his wife and five children. His chillingly dispassionate approach to the horror he oversaw at Auschwitz was portrayed in the Academy Award-winning film The Zone of Interest. Analysis Jerusalem Post: Has Gaza's post-Hamas government already been created, despite Phase II delays? – analysis Three months after the Gaza ceasefire began in October, it appears that some aspects of the US-backed peace plan are taking shape. It is worth recalling that US President Donald Trump pushed through a peace plan in September and early October that had a multi-phase approach that was supposed to lead to peace in Gaza. The twenty-point plan envisioned a Board of Peace and a transitional technocratic government for Gaza. United States The Intercept: DHS Used Neo-Nazi Anthem for Recruitment After Fatal Minneapolis ICE Shooting Less than two days after Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Jonathan Ross fatally shot Renee Good in Minneapolis during a controversial enforcement operation, the Department of Homeland Security’s official Instagram account made a recruitment post proclaiming “We’ll Have Our Home Again,” attaching a song of the same name by Pine Tree Riots. Popularized in neo-Nazi spaces, the track features lines about reclaiming “our home” by “blood or sweat,” language often used in white nationalist calls for race war. The Guardian: Union leaders accuse Trump administration of ‘shift toward white supremacy’ with online posts Union leaders have accused the Trump administration of a “rhetorical shift towards white supremacy” after social media posts by the US Department of Labor drew comparison with a Nazi slogan. Recent posts from the agency include a video captioned “remember who you are, American”, with the phrase: “One Homeland. One People. One Heritage.” Times of Israel: Mississippi synagogue arson suspect hid extremism behind ‘scripture-backed fitness’ persona The US suspect accused of torching Mississippi’s largest synagogue posted an antisemitic cartoon on Instagram shortly before his attack, and built a website for a strange brand of Christian “scripture-backed fitness” that relied heavily on Jewish sources. But little in his online presence would have indicated beforehand that he was preparing for an arson attack. Times of Israel: NY governor pushes for buffer zone to protect synagogues from protests New York State Governor Kathy Hochul on Tuesday vowed new protections for synagogues this year, after two caustic protests outside New York City synagogues in recent months. “In 2026, we’ll take new steps to protect our houses of worship against the rising tide of antisemitism and Islamophobia,” Hochul said in her annual State of the State speech in Albany, the state capital. “Just last week, protestors led pro-Hamas chants outside a synagogue in Kew Gardens Hills. That’s not free expression. That’s harassment, and targeting a Jewish community in this way is antisemitism.” CBS News: Teen arson suspect faces new terrorism charges after string of social media videos, Fort Worth police say An arson suspect faces new terrorism charges after Fort Worth police linked a series of threatening social media videos to a string of car fires south of downtown. Police say the investigation expanded after threatening videos began circulating online, including one showing a masked man vowing mass violence. Detectives believe the video originated overseas from an extremist hate group. KY3: Nixa police arrest man with white supremacist ties in domestic assault case Nixa police arrested a man with ties to white supremacist groups Saturday following a domestic disturbance investigation that led to first-degree domestic assault charges. Police responded to a domestic disturbance at a Nixa residence on Saturday. The victim reported that their domestic partner, Anthony Altick, who also lives at the residence, returned after a prior argument, and the situation escalated into verbal threats, physical assault, and property damage. Jewish Telegraphic Agency: Rubble of Pasadena synagogue destroyed in wildfire is vandalized with anti-Zionist graffiti The remains of a synagogue in southern California destroyed in last January’s Eaton wildfire were vandalized over the weekend with anti-Zionist messages. The rabbi of the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center and the Anti-Defamation League decried the vandalism as antisemitic. Jewish Telegraphic Agency: Jersey City’s outgoing Jewish mayor Steven Fulop signs antisemitism orders as ‘guardrails’ for his successor As he leaves office after nearly 13 years, Jersey City’s Jewish mayor Steven Fulop is leaving his successor “guardrails” he hopes will help protect the city’s Jewish community. Fulop, who has served as Jersey City’s mayor since 2013, signed two executive orders on Dec. 22: one banning the city from participating in efforts to “boycott, divest from, and sanction the State of Israel,” and the other to protect houses of worship and congregants from protest. Jerusalem Post: Mamdani praises disbanding of far Right Jewish organization accused of Islamaphobia, extremism New York City Zohran Mamdani praised New York Attorney General Letitia James for ordering Betar US to cease its "campaign of violence, harassment, and intimidation against Arab, Muslim, and Jewish New Yorkers." The AG announced the settlement with Betar, which is considered to be a far-right Zionist not-for-profit group, on Tuesday. It follows an extensive investigation by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) into Betar's campaigning against, and "widespread persecution" of Muslim, Arab, Palestinian, and Jewish New Yorkers. Jewish News Syndicate: Alexandria police adopt new hate crime policy amid elevated bias incidents in Virginia The Alexandria Police Department in Virginia has adopted the city’s first comprehensive hate crime and bias incident policy, citing elevated reports of bias incidents. The department said the policy, announced on Monday, was developed in collaboration with community partners, including the Anti-Defamation League and local Jewish congregations. The measure intends to standardize how bias-motivated incidents are identified, documented and reviewed. Jewish News Syndicate: Stop arguing about definitions of Jew-hatred, Jewish Dem lawmaker says In a statement about the arson attack on Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, Miss., Rep. Greg Landsman (D-Ohio), who is Jewish, urged Americans to stop debating definitions of antisemitism. France Reuters: France bans 10 British far-right activists that sought to destroy migrant boats France's interior ministry said on Wednesday it has banned 10 British far-right activists from entering or staying in the country, after they carried out actions deemed to incite violence and seriously disturb public order on French territory. The activists, identified as members of a group called "Raise the Colours" that was involved in a national flag-raising campaign, seek to find and destroy boats used to carry migrants and spread propaganda on France's northern coast calling on the British public to stop migration, the French interior ministry said in a statement. Jewish News Syndicate: Israeli FM presses France on IRGC terrorist designation Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar on Wednesday urged France to back European Union designation of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization. Sa’ar made the appeal during a phone call with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, according to a statement from Jerusalem’s top diplomat. Germany Brussels Signal: German parliament push to deny access and pay to ‘extremists’ working for MPs The leader of Germany’s Bundestag, or parliament, is pushing for stricter rules to deny both access and pay to “extremists” who work for German MPs. Bundestag President Julia Klöckner has sent a letter to all parties asking for their support to change the German Members of Parliament Act. If given, that would allow the parliament’s administration to ban Germany’s 630 MPs from employing people who fail a test of their political reliability. Washington Post: Germany’s nationalist AfD party hopes to take power in 2026 For the 13 years since its founding, the nationalist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party — labeled “right-wing extremist” by the country’s domestic intelligence agency and accused by others of xenophobia, antisemitism and Islamophobia — has stood in opposition. Opposition to the European Union. Opposition to immigration. And, as the largest party outside the governing coalition after last year’s federal election, opposition to Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Jewish News Syndicate: Suspect nabbed for synagogue arson in Germany Police in Germany have arrested a man in connection with suspected arson on Tuesday outside a synagogue in Giessen near Frankfurt. Security camera footage of the incident outside the Beith-Jaakov synagogue shows a man with a black backpack performing a gesture that appears to be the Nazi salute before setting fire to a large heap of cardboard boxes pressed against the facade of the building housing the synagogue. He then walks away. Portugal Reuters: Portugal presidential race wide open with far-right just ahead, rare runoff vote is likely Portugal's presidential election on Sunday is all but guaranteed to require a runoff vote for the first time in 40 years amid growing political fragmentation, and the race for a place in the second round is still wide open, a new opinion poll showed. The presidency is a largely ceremonial role in Portugal but wields some key powers, including in some circumstances to dissolve parliament, to call a snap parliamentary election, and to veto legislation. United Kingdom Reuters: UK interior minister has no confidence in police chief after Israeli soccer fan ban British interior minister Shabana Mahmood said on Wednesday she no longer had confidence in one of Britain's top police officers after his force recommended Israeli fans be barred from attending an Aston Villa soccer game last year. The ban, imposed on security grounds, was condemned by both the British and Israeli governments, while Jewish community leaders accused the force of misrepresenting intelligence and undermining public confidence. The Telegraph: Al-Qaeda killer cannot be deported because he could be tortured in Algeria An al-Qaeda terrorist who killed a police officer cannot be deported to Algeria because he could be tortured. Kamel Bourgass is serving two jail terms for stabbing a Special Branch detective to death and plotting a major ricin poison attack in Britain. Reuters: UK prosecutors try to reinstate terrorism charge against Kneecap rapper British prosecutors sought to reinstate a terrorism charge against a member of Irish rap group Kneecap on Wednesday for displaying a flag of Iran-backed Lebanese militia Hezbollah at a London gig, after a court threw out the case last year. Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, whose stage name is Mo Chara, was accused of having waved the flag of the banned militant group Hezbollah during a November 2024 gig. Sky News: Guantanamo Bay detainee to get 'substantial' sum from UK government - as Badenoch criticises use of taxpayers' money A Guantanamo Bay detainee will be paid a "substantial" sum as he settles a legal claim against the UK government, his lawyers have said, as Kemi Badenoch said UK taxpayers' cash was being handed to a "terror suspect". Abu Zubaydah, 54, has been detained by US authorities since his capture in Pakistan 2002 in the aftermath of the 9/11 terror attacks, and in 2006 was sent to Guantanamo Bay in Cuba where he has remained ever since. Afghanistan Amu: Taliban say UN political chief to visit Afghanistan The Taliban-run foreign ministry said UNAMA has informed it that the United Nations deputy chief Rosemary DiCarlo will visit Kabul later this month, as progress under the UN-led Doha engagement process remains uneven. In a statement, the ministry said Georgette Gagnon, acting head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), discussed the Doha process during a meeting with Taliban foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Kabul. Gaza Strip/West Bank Jerusalem Post: Trump expected to announce Phase II of Gaza ceasefire despite conditions not being met – exclusive US President Trump is expected to announce a move to Phase II of the ceasefire in Gaza on Wednesday, including the establishment of a peace council and the formation of a Palestinian technocratic government, two sources familiar with the details told The Jerusalem Post. Times of Israel: Egypt says all parties agree on Gaza technocratic committee members Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty announces that “a consensus has been reached on the members” of the 15-person Palestinian technocratic committee to govern the besieged Gaza Strip. “We hope that following this agreement, the committee will be announced soon… and will then be deployed to the Gaza Strip to manage daily life and essential services,” he says, indicating that all Palestinian factions back the members of the new committee. Times of Israel: Palestinian technocrats invited to join transitional Gaza governing committee — sources Roughly a dozen Palestinians received official invitations on Tuesday to serve on the technocratic committee slated to manage Gaza’s daily affairs in place of Hamas, an Arab diplomat and a Palestinian official told The Times of Israel. Times of Israel: Security forces recover firearm used in Nablus attack on IDF troops Security forces say they have located the weapon used in Sunday’s shooting attack on IDF troops in the northern West Bank city of Nablus, in which one soldier was moderately wounded. Times of Israel: IDF kills 2 gunmen in Rafah firefight, search for additional suspects The Israel Defense Forces said on Tuesday that forces had killed at least two armed suspects in western Rafah, located on the Israeli-controlled side of the Yellow Line in the southern Gaza Strip. The clash started after soldiers identified six armed individuals close to troops deployed in the area. Jerusalem Post: IDF troops locate rockets ready for launch towards Israel found in Gaza strip IDF troops located rockets prepared for launch toward Israel during operations in the Gaza Strip, the IDF stated on Wednesday. In northern Gaza, east of the Yellow Line, soldiers discovered a rocket launcher loaded with a rocket, the military said. Iran Reuters: Iran's Revolutionary Guards point to battle readiness and increased missile stockpiles, state media says Iran's stockpile of missiles has increased since a 12-day war with Israel last year, Revolutionary Guards' Aerospace Commander Majid Mousavi said on Wednesday according to state media, following U.S. President Donald Trump's threats of intervention amid anti-government protests in Iran. Iran International: Khamenei adviser warns of strikes on US Al Udeid base Ali Shamkhani, an adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, warned on Wednesday that Iran would respond to any attack, referring to a past Iranian missile attack on the US Al Udeid base in Qatar. "The President of America, who repeatedly mentions the futile aggression against Iran's nuclear centers, would do better to also refer to the plowing of the American Al Udeid base by Iranian missiles," Shamkhani wrote on X. Associated Press: Iran signals fast trials and executions for protesters as crackdown death toll exceeds 2,500 Iran’s judiciary head signaled Wednesday there would be fast trials and executions ahead for suspects detained in nationwide protests despite a warning from U.S. President Donald Trump. The comments by Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei came as activists had warned hangings of those detained could come soon. The security force crackdown on the demonstrations has killed at least 2,586, the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported. The current death toll exceeds that of any other round of protest or unrest in Iran in decades and recalls the chaos surrounding the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution. Associated Press: Activists say Iran has aired at least 97 coerced confessions from protesters, often after torture Iran alleges these confessions, which often include references to Israel or America, are proof of foreign plots behind Iran’s nationwide protests. Activists say they are coerced confessions, long a staple of Iran’s hard-line state television, the only broadcaster in the country. And these videos are coming at an unprecedented clip. Iranian state media has aired at least 97 confessions from protesters, many expressing remorse for their actions, since the protests began on Dec. 28, according to a rights group that is tracking the videos. Iraq Reuters: Exclusive: Armed Kurdish groups sought to cross into Iran from Iraq, sources say Armed Kurdish separatist groups sought to cross the border into Iran from Iraq, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters, in a sign of foreign entities potentially seeking to take advantage of instability after days of crackdown on protests against Tehran. The three sources, who included a senior Iranian official and who all spoke on condition of anonymity, said neighbouring Turkey's intelligence agency had warned Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) of the Kurdish fighters crossing the frontier in recent days. Israel Times of Israel: IDF says it’s on alert for ‘surprise scenarios,’ as US mulls military strikes on Iran The Israel Defense Forces said Monday that it remained on alert for possible “surprise scenarios” as anti-government unrest in Iran has prompted the United States to threaten intervention over the killing of protesters. Tehran has threatened to retaliate against Israel and US military bases if it comes under American attack. Reuters: Syria asks Lebanon to hand over Assad-era officers after Reuters report Syrian authorities have asked Lebanese security forces to hand over more than 200 senior officers who fled to Lebanon after the fall of Bashar al-Assad, following a Reuters investigation that showed how the neighboring country was a hub for insurgent plotting. Lebanon Reuters: Hezbollah warns Lebanese state against expanding disarmament push A senior Hezbollah official has warned Lebanon's government that pressing on with efforts to disarm the group throughout the country would trigger chaos and possibly civil war, according to comments circulated by the armed group on Wednesday. Lebanon has pledged to bring all arms in the country under state control, in line with a 2024 agreement that ended a devastating war between Hezbollah and Israel. Times of Israel: Lebanese military source: Preparations underway to seize non-state weapons north of Litani A senior Lebanese military source cited by Al Jazeera says the military is surveying the area between the Litani and Awali rivers in preparation for the second phase of its effort to enforce a monopoly on arms in the country. Naharnet: Military official says army evaluating situation between Awwali and Litani rivers The Lebanese Army is “logistically assessing the situation between the Awali and Litani rivers," a Lebanese military source said, noting that "based on this assessment, the army will develop a vision for the second phase of arms monopolization." The source emphasized to Al-Jazeera that "military efforts in phase 2 must coincide with political, social and economic efforts," pointing out that "Israeli attacks and a lack of cooperation from Hezbollah’s social environment could obstruct the implementation of the second phase." Naharnet: Hezbollah won't interfere in potential Iran escalation, report says President Joseph Aoun is reassured that Hezbollah will not join a potential war between U.S.-Israel and Iran, official sources close to the president said. The sources claimed that high-level talks with Hezbollah have reassured the president that the group would not join a potential regional escalation in Iran. Associated Press: Lebanon arrests Syrian citizen suspected of funding pro-Assad fighters Lebanese authorities have arrested a Syrian citizen who is suspected of sending money to fighters loyal to former Syrian President Bashar Assad in Syria, judicial officials said Wednesday. Ahmad Dunia was detained in recent days in Lebanon’s region of Byblos north of Beirut and is being questioned over alleged links to Assad’s maternal cousin Rami Makhlouf as well as a former Syrian army general who left the country after Assad’s fall in December 2024, the officials said. Syria Associated Press: Syrian army and Kurdish forces exchange strikes east of Aleppo Syrian government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces exchanged fire Tuesday in a tense area of eastern Aleppo province, marking a possible escalation after days of clashes in the northern city. No casualties were immediately reported, as an impasse continues in negotiations between the central government and the SDF over merging its thousands of fighters into the national army. India Lokmat Times: Al Qaeda scales up tech enabled operations as it eyes pan-India footprint Al Qaeda has been using high-end technology to carry out operations in India, which has made investigations more challenging. Probe agencies have found that servers are being hosted in multiple countries to carry out propaganda and radicalise the people. An Intelligence Bureau official stated that the outfit is targeting the entire country and seeks to disseminate content to every corner of India. Unlike the Islamic State, which has decided to target people down South only, Al-Qaeda has bigger plans. The official added that the idea behind the outfit is to proceed slowly and steadily, without engaging in any major operation. The operations are very low, so the detection is very hard. Nigeria Reuters: Thousands of Nigerians flee after gang leader threatens to kill them Thousands of people fled their homes in northwestern Nigeria this week after the leader of one of the armed gangs in the region ordered them out in retaliation for a security raid, officials and residents said on Wednesday. Officials say Bello Turji leads one of many armed gangs which terrorise predominantly Muslim northwest Nigeria, killing and abducting residents, farmers, students and motorists for ransom. Somalia Fox News: US launches wave of strikes in Somalia targeting ISIS, al-Shabab terror threats The U.S. stepped up airstrikes in Somalia in January, targeting al-Shabab and the local affiliate of the Islamic State group, ISIS, according to U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM). In a Jan. 12 release, AFRICOM said U.S. forces, working with the Somali federal government, carried out airstrikes against al-Shabab militants. CEP Podcasts Unpacking the week's extremism-related anniversaries and news, as well as counter extremism developments and prospects. A deep dive into CEP's research and topics that are relevant to our mission, from our Berlin-based team.   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? 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