CEP WEEKLY ROUNDUP

News and Updates from the Counter Extremism Project

CEP Policy and Program Updates

Foreign Fighters: Fact or Fiction
As of December, as many as 31,000 people had flocked to ISIS-controlled territory with the intention to live in, fight for, and die for the self-proclaimed caliphate. While governments struggle to identify strategies to stem the flow of fighters to the war-torn region, the lies propagated by ISIS and its sympathizers continue to draw new recruits. In a bold new report, CEP presents the unvarnished truth in response to the ‘fictions’ that the terror group perpetuates about its ideology, living conditions, love and marriage, the role of women, freedom, and the motives of its leaders.
Apple’s Response to FBI Points to Need for Encryption Policy
This week, Apple announced it would oppose a judge’s order that it assist the FBI in unlocking the iPhone of Sayed Rizwan Farook, one of the killers in the San Bernardino, California rampage. Apple CEO Tim Cook defended his company’s stance, saying that, “This would be bad for America.” Additionally, it was reported that Apple is developing new iPhone security enhancements that would make it impossible for the company to help the government in the way it is being asked to now. In a Washington Post op-ed, CEP CEO Ambassador Mark D. Wallace called for the development of a national policy on encryption that balanced the needs of law enforcement and security with the desire for privacy. “As, Americans, we have never shied away from robust discussions about balancing the rights of free speech, privacy and safety. It is one we must have about encryption, if we are to have a chance of preventing the next slaughter of innocent people.”
CEP Supports Twitter's Renewed Effort to Battle Extremists; Calls for Even Stronger Response to Violent Extremism
CEP applauded Twitter’s recent announcement of renewed efforts to suspend accounts tied to violent extremist groups, calling the announcement “a positive step in the fight to curb extremists’ weaponization of online platforms and digital technologies.” CEP pointed out that the steps came 18 months after CEP initially raised the alarm over the misuse of Twitter by extremists to radicalize, recruit, and incite violence and that it was “critical for Twitter and other social media platforms to work to stop extremist users from posting dangerous content in the first place.”
CEP Research and Analysis

CEP Resource on Pakistani Terror Group Lashkar-e-Taiba
A new resource was released by CEP detailing the history, doctrine, and violent activities of one of Pakistan’s largest Islamic terror groups, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). LeT, or “Army of the Righteous,” and its predecessor, Markaz Dawa-wa’l-Irshad (the Center for Call and Guidance), have played a central role in indoctrinating, recruiting, and training thousands of jihadists in Pakistan since the 1980s. The group has carried out terrorist attacks in Kashmir along the border with India and has collaborated with other militant groups like the Taliban and al-Qaeda. In November 2008, LeT coordinated the horrific attacks in Mumbai, India, that targeted a railway station, a popular restaurant, a hospital, two hotels, and a Jewish center, killing more than 160 people and injuring approximately 300.
CounterPoint Blog: Single EU and Border Guard Proposed to Address Security Threats
The European Commission, in response to an unprecedented wave of refugees fleeing conflict, has proposed a single, EU-wide Border and Coast Guard. In this blog, the CEP Brussels staff details the unprecedented plan, what it would mean for EU Member States, and why its adoption may be an uphill battle.
CounterPoint Blog: ISIS’s Dangerous Weapons Arsenal: Exposed
ISIS atrocities detailed in news stories and captured on film is but one disturbing aspect of the group. In this blog, CEP Research Analyst Marielle Harris describes how ISIS has amassed chemical weapons, scud missiles, American tanks, Humvees, artillery, and even helicopters, and the type of research it is conducting on using repurposed anti-aircraft missiles.
CounterPoint Blog: U.K. Review Raises Concerns about Operations of Muslim Brotherhood
The United Kingdom published a report in December on the Muslim Brotherhood’s ideology and activities. In this blog, the CEP Brussels staff summarizes the report’s findings and concludes that though the British government is committed to tackling the Brotherhood’s extremist, illegal, and at times violent behavior, the report fails to address the larger ideological battle that the Brotherhood is waging within the Muslim community and against Western societies.
Counterpoint Blog: All in the Family
Families in the West have suffered the pain of watching a loved one become radicalized and join ISIS in Syria or Iraq. In this blog, CEP Research Analyst Robert Kuenzle details the extraordinary and creative tactics families have employed to prevent their loved ones from leaving or to convince them to come home.
Tweet of the Week
CEP extensively monitors Twitter and other social media sites. In each Weekly Roundup, CEP features a tweet emblematic of messaging from pro-ISIS followers.