In August 2014, ISIS launched an assault on Sinjar, home to Iraq’s vulnerable
Yazidi religious minority. More than 3,000 Yazidis are thought to have b


<[link removed]>
<[link removed]>
CEP Roundup

Resources And Updates From The Counter Extremism Project

 

Islamist Extremism

 

Western Foreign Fighters and the Yazidi Genocide
<[link removed]>

In August 2014, ISIS launched an assault on Sinjar, home to Iraq’s vulnerable
Yazidi religious minority. More than 3,000 Yazidis are thought to have been
killed in the initial assault, many in mass executions, while almost 7,000
Yazidi women and children were kidnapped and enslaved throughout ISIS’s
so-called caliphate. Justice for the crimes has never taken place. On March 16,
CEP conducted awebinar <[link removed]> to
discuss the Yazidi genocide and to launch its new report,Western Foreign
Fighters and the Yazidi Genocide
<[link removed]>
, authored by London-based CEP Strategic Advisor Liam Duffy. Using archived
social media activity, interviews with captured or stranded foreign fighters,
and first-hand testimonies from survivors of ISIS captivity, the report
collates evidence of Western foreign fighters’ extensive involvement in the
atrocities committed by ISIS against Iraq’s marginalized Yazidi minority. Media
coverage:The Spectator
<[link removed]>
,Le Vie
<[link removed]>
, The National
<[link removed]>
, and La Libre
<[link removed]>
.

 

CEP Book Discussion: Black Flags of the Caribbean – How Trinidad Became an
ISIS Hotspot
<[link removed]>

On March 31, CEP hosted a webinar
<[link removed]> and book discussion with
Dr. Simon Cottee, senior lecturer in criminology at the University of Kent and
author ofBlack Flags of the Caribbean – How Trinidad Became an ISIS Hotspot.
Published on March 25, Dr. Cottee’s work analyzes how and why ISIS came to
amass such an unlikely, yet significant foothold in Trinidad. On a per-capita
basis, Trinidad was one of the largest providers of volunteers for the
caliphate. By 2017, over 240 Trinidadian nationals (population 1.3 million) had
traveled to Syria and Iraq to join ISIS. Another unusual element is the high
proportion of female Trinidadians recruited by ISIS. Of 70 foreign fighters
analyzed by Dr. Cottee, 40 percent of the adults were women. This places
Trinidad at the top of the list of Western countries for female ISIS migrants.

 

CEP Webinar with Gilles Kepel: Atmospheric Jihadism And The New Middle East
Fault Lines – The Next Generation Of Terror
<[link removed]>

Dr. Gilles Kepel, author of more than 20 academic books on contemporary Islam,
the Arab World, and Muslims in Europe, was the featured presenter at CEP’s
April 28webinar <[link removed]>, Atmospheric
Jihadism and The New Middle East Fault Lines – The Next Generation of Terror. 
Dr. Kepel discussed his most recent book of essays,The Prophet and the Pandemic
/ From the Middle East to Atmosphere Jihadism, as well as Jihadism in general
and recent developments in the Middle East. Dr. Kepel is a tenured professor at
Paris Sciences et Lettres University and chairs the Middle East and
Mediterranean Excellence Program at the Ecole Normale Supérieure of Paris. His
book of essays was recently released in French, topping the best-seller lists,
and is now being translated into English and six other languages. An excerpt
from the essay,The Murder of Samuel Paty, was published in the spring issue of
Liberties Journal.

 

CEP Webinar: The Current Threat Posed by ISIS Globally and European Threat
Assessment
<[link removed]>

On March 11, CEP conducted a webinar
<[link removed]>
to discuss the current status, capacities, and capabilities of ISIS globally
and in Europe, including Germany, and outlined the current level of threat
posed by this global terror network. Despite restrictions imposed by COVID-19,
ISIS supporters were able to carry out a string of attacks in France throughout
2020 and an attack in Vienna, Austria, on November 2, 2020, which killed two
and injured 23. On February 12, 2021, in Denmark and Germany, 14 members
belonging to an ISIS-connected network were arrested while preparing bomb
attacks. Featured speakers at the webinar included: Ambassador Edmund
Fitton-Brown is the Coordinator of the ISIL, al-Qaida and Taliban Monitoring
Team, advising the United Nations Security Council on the threat posed by these
organizations and on the development of global counter-terrorism sanctions; and
Dr. Guido Steinberg, a leading German terrorism analyst at the Stiftung
Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP) who advises the German government on security
and terrorism related issues.

 

Sir Ivor Roberts: “Joe Biden must tell hate preacher Abu Hamza to abandon hope
of return to Britain”
<[link removed]>
In January, CEP Senior Advisor Sir Ivor Roberts, the former head of
counter-terrorism in the U.K. Foreign Office, urged President Biden not to
allow U.S. imprisoned hate preacher Abu Hamza al-Masri to return to Britain. “I
have no doubt he hankers after a return to the days when he was allowed to
preach freely in London, turning vulnerable youngsters into acolytes hellbent
on murder and destruction. It was clear that the UK failed to recognise the
horrific damage he caused to the country for almost a decade, giving him far
too much freedom to spread his dangerous ideology.”

 

ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency
<[link removed]>
In 2020, CEP introduced “ISIS Redux: The Central Syria Insurgency,” a monthly
feature detailing the resurgence of the terrorist group ISIS in central Syria.
Each update is accompanied by an interactive map indicating the exact location
and nature of major attacks carried out by ISIS or by Syrian and Russian forces
in retaliation. Updates thus far in 2021 includeJanuary
<[link removed]>
,February
<[link removed]>
, andMarch
<[link removed]>
. A full background and analysis of ISIS’s resurgence can also be exploredhere
<[link removed]>
.

 

Far-Right Extremism

 

The Threat Posed by Transnational Violent Right-Wing Extremism and Terrorism
in Europe and the United States
<[link removed]>
The violent right-wing extremist and terrorist milieu in the United States and
Europe has developed a distinctly transnational character in its activities and
therefore presents an increasing security threat on both sides of the Atlantic.
In November 2020, CEP released its report, Violent Right-Wing Extremism –
Transnational Connectivity, Definitions, Incidents, Structures and
Countermeasures
<[link removed]>
, commissioned by the German Federal Foreign Office. The report, also available
inGerman
<[link removed]>
, focuses on the rise and metastasis of the violent extreme right-wing (XRW)
threat and analyzes its growing transnational connectivity between 2015-2020 in
six countries: Finland, France, Germany, Sweden, United Kingdom, and the United
States. In 2021, CEP hosted a series of webinars dedicated to the sections of
the report. Onewebinar
<[link removed]> was
dedicated to the current threat landscape and provided an overview and the main
findings of the report, while awebinar
<[link removed]> on
January 18 was dedicated to the situation in France and Germany. Thewebinar
<[link removed]> on
February 9 was focused on the challenges facing the United Kingdom and the
United States, while the fourthwebinar
<[link removed]>
on March 4 highlighted the risk environment in Finland and Sweden. Media
coverage:The New York Times
<[link removed]>,
Lawfare
<[link removed]>
, andHomeland Security News Wire
<[link removed]>
.

 

CEP Webinar: Extremism Meets Paramilitarism in Central, Eastern, and Southern
Europe
<[link removed]>
One pivotal event in the development of transnational right-wing extremist
connectivity was the start of the conflict in Ukraine in 2014, which galvanized
violent right-wing individuals and networks in Europe and beyond. The
increasing significance of extreme right-wing networks in Central and Eastern
Europe as well as in the Balkans has previously not been broadly understood. On
April 20, CEP conducted awebinar
<[link removed]>
focused on an in-depth examination of contemporary right-wing networks in
Central, Eastern, and Southern Europe, including in the Balkans, featuring
three eminent experts located in the region. Presentations focused on the links
between extremists in Europe with organizations in “the East,” including
Russian networks; and examined the phenomenon of right-wing extremists
traveling eastward, specifically to receive paramilitary training.
Additionally, experts discussed the extent to which activities like travel and
training are sources of revenue for the Eastern transnational violent extreme
right, in addition to music production and festivals, mixed martial art events,
the sale of merchandise, donations, and criminal activities.

 

Dr. Kacper Rekawek: “Don’t Designate Azov”
<[link removed]>

Recently, Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) urged U.S. Secretary of State
Antony Blinken to combat the rise of U.S. domestic extremist activity by
designating more than a dozen white supremacist groups abroad as Foreign
Terrorist Organizations (FTOs). CEP Affiliated Researcher Dr. Kacper Rekawek
argues that while he agrees with most of organizations suggested for FTO
designation, the Azov Regiment, a socio-political organization based in
Ukraine, is not terrorist in nature and does not belong on the list. Media
coverage:Buzzfeed News
<[link removed]>
.

 

France Makes Plans To Ban Ethno-Nationalist Group Generation Identity
<[link removed]>

In February, France <[link removed]>
announced plans to implement a ban and begin the dissolution ofGeneration
Identity <[link removed]> (GI),
a pan-European youth movement and ethno-nationalist group that seeks to stop
globalization and what it views as the Islamization of Europe. The move comes
after the group allegedlyincited violence and racial hatred
<[link removed]>
against migrants in January along the country’s border with Spain. CEP’s
resource,European Ethno-Nationalist and White Supremacy Groups
<[link removed]> details the
origins, beliefs, and violent activities of GI and other groups. The decision
to ban GI came the same week of the French National Assembly’spassage
<[link removed]>
of a new bill to combat Islamist extremism and violence. The bill was passed
in response to a recent series of violent attacks in France last year,
including the fatal stabbing of three in Nice, the beheading of Samuel Paty in
a Paris suburb, and the stabbing of two bystanders near the formerCharlie Hebdo
office.

 

Australia Designates Neo-Nazi Sonnenkrieg Division A Terrorist Organization
<[link removed]>

Australian <[link removed]> government
officials on March 22 designated the neo-Nazi groupSonnenkrieg Division
<[link removed]> (SKD) as a
terrorist organization, making it the first far-right group to be banned in
that country. According to the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation
(ASIO), in the last year, far-right groups accounted for 40 percent of the
country’s terrorism investigations. SKDformed
<[link removed]> in 2018 as a
British offshoot of the U.S.-basedAtomwaffen Division
<[link removed]>
(AWD), a neo-Nazi organization that sought the creation of a National
Socialist government through a violent “white revolution.” Britain banned SKD
in February 2020. SKD’s neo-Nazi ideology is based on Siege, a compilation of
writings by former American Nazi Party memberJames Mason
<[link removed]>.

 

Alexander Ritzmann: Transnational Right-Wing Extremism: No Beer for Neo-Nazis
<[link removed]>
CEP Advisor Alexander Ritzmann discusses the dangers inherent in right-wing
extremists building international networks and what can be done about it: “At
the regional or municipal level, there are some positive examples across the EU
– particularly in Germany – of how activities of violence-oriented right-wing
extremists can be disrupted, e.g., through alcohol bans at music festivals, and
bans on martial arts events, due to the danger to public safety. However, there
are many disturbing examples of enemies of the constitution being allowed to
operate undisturbed; all reveal that structural cooperation between security
authorities, local governments and tax offices, as well as voluntary dialogue
forums within civil society, are urgently needed.”

 

Tech & Terrorism



Tech Companies That Algorithmically Amplify Terrorist Content Should Not
Receive Section 230 Immunity
<[link removed]>

As calls for reform to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act continue,
lawmakers
<[link removed]>
such as Reps. Tom Malinowski and Anna Eshoo have begun to focus on how tech
companies algorithmically amplify, recommend, or promote hateful and terrorist
content. CEP Senior Advisor Dr. Hany Farid, a professor at UC Berkeley,
testified before Congress in 2020 about the dangers of the tech industry’s
algorithmic amplification. “Representatives Malinowski and Eshoo’s proposed
legislation is an important measure that will work to hold the technology
sector accountable for irresponsibly deploying algorithms that amplify
dangerous and extremist content,” Dr. Farid said. “The titans of tech have long
relied on these algorithms to maximize engagement and profit at the expense of
users, and this must change. This bill will help to encourage better behavior
from the industry in the interest of public safety.” Dr. Farid alsoco-authored
a report <[link removed]>
analyzing YouTube’s efforts to curb its algorithm’s tendency to spread
conspiracy theories. It concluded that YouTube’s efforts did not make the
“problem of radicalization on YouTube obsolete nor fictional.”

 

David Ibsen: “Big Tech Running Is Out of Excuses for Inaction”
<[link removed]>

CEP Executive Director David Ibsen observes that Facebook and Twitter’s
reactive response to the January 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol masks a sad
history of ignoring the systemic ills that plague social media platforms: “We
at the Counter Extremism Project have long fought against extremists’ and
terrorists’ misuse of social media and the internet, urging Facebook, Twitter,
YouTube and others to remove and prevent the reposting of content clearly
prohibited by their Terms of Service. Nonetheless, the tech industry has pushed
back on such efforts through lobbying and PR campaigns seeking to stymie
criticism and paths to smart regulation, choosing instead an approach of
inaction that is ineffective and ultimately dangerous.” 



Ian Acheson: “Online radicalisation won’t be stopped with the click of a
button”
<[link removed]>

In March, CEP Senior Advisor Ian Acheson discusses the failure of Google’s
‘Redirect Program’ and the problems caused by technology-enabled radicalization
: “Some of the accelerant is provided by Big Tech’s cash cow – the algorithms
that analyse the viewers consumption patterns and interests, then direct the
innocent browser to other sites including those commercial sites that pay
Google, Twitter and Facebook to advertise on. However, this approach also has
the effect of building a digital echo chamber for those interested in
ideological violence and the disinformation/conspiracy theories that amplify
it. Whatever effort is needed ought to be the sole responsibility of the big
platforms.”



Lucinda Creighton: “The EU’s recent steps to combat online extremism”
<[link removed]>

CEP Senior Advisor Lucinda Creighton notes in January that the Regulation on
Preventing the Dissemination of Terrorist Content Online (TCO) and the Digital
Services Act (DSA), both designed to combat extremism online, are finally
moving forward: “Now, we have in place the beginning of a continent-wide
architecture for holding both individuals and big tech companies accountable
for harmful content.”

 

Resources and Analysis

 

New CEP Report Reveals that Illicit Trade in East Africa is Funding
Extremists, Terrorists, and Warlords
<[link removed]>

East Africa—a key security partner in the war on terror and a principal engine
of economic development on the African continent—is being critically undermined
by illicit trade, according to CEP’s new report An Unholy Alliance: Links
Between Extremism and Illicit Trade in East Africa 
<[link removed]>. Terror groups from
al-Shabaab to ISIS-linked affiliates in Somalia and Mozambique, as well as
Central African militias, urban gangs, and international crime groups are
increasingly targeting East Africa as a destination market and as a transport
hub for illegal goods. Terrorist groups cash in on the illegal ivory and
wildlife trade, sugar and tobacco smuggling to pay their soldiers and fund
their campaigns of terror. Study author, CEP Senior Advisor Sir Ivor Roberts,
said that it was critical that regional leaders combat illicit trade, which is
robbing East Africa of its future. “The most effective way for the East African
region, and the wider international community, to fight extremism, crime, and
corruption is to turn off the taps of illicit trade. This can ensure critical
revenues are not lost to the shadow economy but are instead invested in key
services.” Select media coverage:The Times
<[link removed]>
,The National
<[link removed]>
,VOA News <[link removed]>, Financial
Fortune
<[link removed]>
, Kenya Broadcasting Company
<[link removed]>
,allAfrica <[link removed]>, The Frontier Post
<[link removed]>
,Ventures Africa
<[link removed]>
,Soko Directory
<[link removed]>
,Newz Post
<[link removed]>
,The Insider
<[link removed]>
,Africa.direct.news <[link removed]>, EABW News
<[link removed]>,
The Star
<[link removed]>
,BusinessFocus
<[link removed]>
, andIllicit Trade News Network
<[link removed]>.

 

The Top 20 Most Dangerous Extremists On Earth
<[link removed]>

CEP published a new report on January 5, The Top 20 Most Dangerous Extremists
On Earth <[link removed]>, that
profiles the 20 most dangerous and deadly extremists living today. The listings
are based on deaths attributed to these harbingers of terror, the extent of
their influence over their followers and extremist movements, and their threat
to international security. The report also highlights each extremist’s last
known location. The notorious leader ofHezbollah
<[link removed]>, Hassan Nasrallah; the
founder of theRussian Imperial Movement
<[link removed]>,
Stanislav Anatolyevich Vorobyev; Ashin Wirathu, the communal leader of the
anti-Muslim Movement in Myanmar; and Samantha Lewthwaite, the infamous “White
Widow” member of al-Shabaab, are all featured in this extensive report
highlighting extremist threats that span the spectrum of ideologies and
beliefs, from ISIS to the Muslim Brotherhood to Generation Identity. Select
media coverage:Al Arabiya
<[link removed]->
,Free Malaysia Today
<[link removed]>
,South China Morning Post
<[link removed]>
,The Irish Sun <[link removed]>, The Coverage
<[link removed]>
, Mashable
<[link removed]>
, andYahoo News
<[link removed]>.

 

CEP Report: Understanding The History And 21st Century Manifestations Of
Anti-Semitism
<[link removed]>

On January 27, CEP new reports that chronicle the historic roots of
anti-Semitism, its persistent themes, and its modern manifestations. CEP’s
anti-Semitismresource
<[link removed]>
is comprised of two reports:Anti-Semitism: A History
<[link removed]>
, andAnti-Semitism Resurgent: Manifestations of Anti-Semitism in the 21st
Century
<[link removed]>
. Together, they provide a basis for understanding modern anti-Semitism, its
resurgence in the United States, Europe, and the Middle East, and how historic
tropes are re-packaged to fit into mainstream political discourse. “To
understand the modern incarnation of anti-Semitism requires an examination of
the roots and evolution of institutional anti-Semitism and how it led to events
such as the Spanish Inquisition and the Holocaust. Understandings its origins
and the violence it has borne throughout history is essential to slowing its
surge in popularity,” said report author, CEP Senior Research Analyst Josh
Lipowsky. “This hatred is evident on both the far left and the far right. It
has fueled attacks by individuals, terror groups, and state sponsors of
terror.” Media coverage:Times of Israel
<[link removed]>.

 

DGAP-IFRI-CEP Webtalk: Opening the Black Box – Inside France’s
Deradicalization Program
<[link removed]>

France has been a prominent target of Islamist terrorism both within and
outside its borders for decades, and the beheading of teacher Samuel Paty near
Paris in 2020 is but only one grisly example. Traditionally focusing on
security measures to counter this threat, France has only started to establish
prevention programs. Dr. Marc Hecker’s new study“Once a Jihadist, Always a
Jihadist? A Deradicalization Program Seen from the Inside”
<[link removed]>
provides the first comprehensive insights into the program PAIRS, which has
been running since 2018. After an extensive field survey of staff,
participants, and partners, the study offers a nuanced assessment of the
program’s disengagement and deradicalization efforts. In a March 29webinar
<[link removed]> conducted by CEP, the German
Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP), the French Institute of International
Relations (IFRI), the study’s results and implications for French and German
prevention efforts were discussed in detail. Media Coverage:The National
<[link removed]>
.

 

David Ibsen and Lara Pham: “We cannot let fear create a new PATRIOT Act for
Americans”
<[link removed]>

CEP Executive Director David Ibsen and Deputy Director Lara Pham cautioned in
March against enacting sweeping new domestic terrorism statues that could erode
Constitutional protections for U.S. citizens: “The USA PATRIOT Act
<[link removed]> — which was
passed just less than a month after al Qaeda operatives killed nearly 3,000
people — passed with overwhelming support. However, over time, it became clear
that the law empowered the U.S. government to carry out roving wiretaps,
unfettered surveillance of individuals, and indefinite detention of suspects —
all in the name of protecting national security. Creating equivalency between
domestic and foreign terrorists in the law could open the opportunity for
similar types of government overreach.”

 

Ian Acheson: “Counter-extremist programmes need a radical overhaul”
<[link removed]>

CEP Senior Advisor Ian Acheson argues in March that the U.K.’s counter
extremist programs must be redesigned in order to be effective: “What should we
do about terrorist prisoners who subvert attempts to treat them? This week
Jonathan Hall QC, the government’s independent terror laws watchdog, published
his latest report. In it he cites the ‘significant problem’ of extremists on
either side of the prison walls who disrupt and undermine the joint Home
Office/Ministry of Justice desistance and disengagement programme, which is
designed to wean them off toxic ideologies. Subjects feigned sleep, wore
headphones, went for extended lavatory breaks and read books to frustrate the
efforts of therapists to engage with them.”

 

CEP Podcast: Fighting Terror
<[link removed]>
In 2020, CEP launched Fighting Terror, a podcast that explores different ways
that society can combat the impacts of terrorism. Each episode of the podcast
is hosted by CEP Senior Advisor and former European Affairs Minister Lucinda
Creighton and features an expert guest from an area of counterterrorism.
Episodes thus far in 2021 have included:The European approach to
counter-terrorism, featuring EU Counter-Terrorism Coordinator Gilles de
Kerchove;The present state of the extreme-right online and what the future
might look like, featuring CEP Senior Research Analyst Joshua Fisher-Birch; The
links between extremism and illicit trade in East Africa, featuring CEP Senior
Advisor Sir Ivor Roberts, author of a new CEP report,An Unholy Alliance: Links
Between Extremism and Illicit Trade in East Africa
<[link removed]>; and Fighting
Terrorist Financing with CEP Senior Director Dr. Hans Jakob Schindler. All of
the podcasts can be accessed on theCEP website
<[link removed]>, and on Spotify
<[link removed]>, Buzzsprout
<[link removed]>, and Podcast Addict
<[link removed]>.

 

Extremist Movements Anchored in Historical Interpretation
<[link removed]>

CEP Research Intern Zachary Schroeder observes that one of the keys to
overcoming extremism is to understand its historical underpinnings: “While much
research has examined the psychological and sociological underpinnings of
radicalization, there has been considerably less research into how their view
of history informs what extremists believe. We continue to neglect this at our
own peril.”

 

CEP in the News

 

ABC News (Australia): The Base Tapes
<[link removed]>
CEP Senior Research Analyst Joshua Fisher-Birch was featured in a March ABC
News
<[link removed]>
story that revealed how the global white supremacist terror group The Base
actively targeted young Australian men for recruitment, including a One Nation
candidate for federal parliament. “This very extreme neo-Nazi ideology, the way
that they organised and kind of passed these skills onto one another, made them
very dangerous,” he said. Fisher-Birch added that there could be too much
emphasis on the question of whether the group still exists. “They might be
laying low as members of other white supremacist groups.” Additional media
coverage:MSN Australia
<[link removed]>
.

 

ISIS Still on Facebook
<[link removed]>
Facebook claims it has banned terror groups from its platform, yet ISIS
continues to post radicalizing materials on the platform. In an interview with
WTOP
<[link removed]>
radio national security correspondent J.J. Green, CEP Senior Director Dr.
Hans-Jakob Schindler discusses ISIS’s objectives online and how the notorious
terror group is still managing to post its horrific propaganda on Facebook.

E-commerce platform sells Nazi-glorifying merchandise, despite removal request
<[link removed]>
An e-commerce platform continues to sell merchandise that promotes racism,
anti-Semitism and white supremacy two months after being asked to remove the
items from its website by CEP. GearBubble is a Las Vegas-based e-commerce
platform that allows businesses to sell products online. CEP discovered in
February that the website was selling mugs, pillowcases and apparel that
feature Adolf Hitler, the Nazi “death’s head” symbol, swastikas, “Heil Hitler”
insignias, the neo-Nazi black sun and white-power symbols, as well as other
neo-Nazi and fascist symbols. CEP wrote a letter to CEO Donald Wilson on Feb.
4, informing him of the merchandise and asking GearBubble to suspend the
accounts that posted the objects. More than two months later, CEP still has not
received any response. “Anti-Semitism continues to be a pervasive threat, and
T-shirts and coffee mugs that feature neo-Nazi symbols and Hitler icons make
this danger clear,” said CEP Executive Director David Ibsen. “By allowing these
materials to remain for sale on its site, GearBubble allows for the spread of
anti-Semitism and helps those who promote it to profit from such hateful
ideologies.” Additional media coverage: Israel Hayom
<[link removed]>
, andAlgemeiner
<[link removed]>
.

 

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<[link removed]>