Fighting Terror

Today's fourth episode of our series on blasphemy will focus on the worldwide protests against the Danish cartoons of the Muslim Prophet, also known as the case of Jyllands-Posten. Lucinda speaks with author of The Cartoons that Shook the World,  Dr. Jytte Klausen, who will be able to offer a distinct perspective and unique insight into her experience of freedom of expression. Together they explore her book in more detail and discuss the parallels between the current trend of Quran burnings in Denmark and the Jyllands-Posten affair from 2005. Dr. Jytte Klausen is the Lawrence A. Wien Professor of International Cooperation at Brandeis University and an Affiliate at the Center for European Studies at Harvard University. She is the author of The Cartoons That Shook the World, The Islamic Challenge: Politics and Religion in Western Europe, and Western Jihadism: A Thirty-Year History . In 2006, Klausen founded the Western Jihadism Project, which studies Western violent extremists associated with Al Qaeda. Klausen has written for Foreign Affairs, The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe, and other national and international outlets, and she is a regular commentator on the BBC, Voice of America, and other U.S. and international media.

Today's third episode of our series on blasphemy will focus on the Quran burning incidents that have occurred in Scandinavia recently. Lucinda speaks with distinguished counterterrorism expert Dr. Magnus Ranstorp to try to understand the reactions as well as the political and social impact the incidents have had thus far. Magnus has been researching counterterrorism and CVE issues for almost thirty years. He was the first author to seriously map out the Lebanese Hizbollah movement and its connection to international terrorism and relationship with Iran and Syria. Currently, he is the Research Director at the Centre for Asymmetric Threat Studies at the Swedish Defense University and Special Adviser of the EU Radicalization Awareness Network (RAN). Magnus guided the process of establishing RAN in September 2011 and has been an instrumental operational part of it since then. 

Today's second episode of Fighting Terror's new series will shed light on the concept of blasphemy in Islamic theology and its significance within the religion. Lucinda speaks with Professor Jocelyne Cesari who will offer insights into the concept of blasphemy and its historical roots and how some Islamist extremist groups use blasphemy to further their agendas and mobilise followers, as well as the implications for societal cohesion. Professor Jocelyne Cesari holds the Chair of Religion and Politics at the University of Birmingham (UK) and is a Senior Fellow at the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs at Georgetown University. She has written extensively on Islam in Europe, focusing on issues of integration, radicalisation, and religious freedom. 

What is blasphemy and blasmphemy violence and what drives violence against perceived blasmphemers? Who are the main victims and perpetrators of blasmphemy violence? How did the Salman Rushdie affair shape perceptions and discussions around blasphemy in the Western world and are there risks associated with curtailing freedom of expression? The first episode of Fighting Terror's new series on blasphemy will aim to provide our listeners with a deeper understanding of free speech and blasphemy affairs in Western Europe. Lucinda speaks with Liam Duffy, Strategic Advisor to CEP and together they discuss Liam's recent CEP report on Violence against perceived blasphemers in the West: From Khamenei's Fatwa To The Present and the current state of play in the United Kingdom. Liam is a regular contributor for UnHerd on extremism, and has written on the subject for The Spectator, The Times Educational Supplement, The Jewish Chronicle, and CapX, among others. Liam is also a Fellow of the Salzburg Global Seminar. To read Liam Duffy's recent CEP report on Violence against perceived blasphemers in the West: From Khamenei's Fatwa To The Present, please click here.

In today's final episode of CEP's Eye on Antisemitism, Lucinda turns to the EU and looks at what they are currently doing to combat antisemitism. She speaks with Katharina von Schnurbein who is the European Commission Coordinator for the EU strategy on combatting antisemitism and fostering Jewish life.Katharina was appointed the first European Commission Coordinator on combating antisemitism in December 2015. Her mandate includes liaising closely with the Jewish community on behalf of the European Commission, proposing and implementing European Commission policy to prevent and fight antisemitism. Prior, she worked for five years as advisor to European Commission President José Manuel Barroso on the dialogue with churches, religions and non-confessional organisations. Katharina started working for the Commission in 2002, serving as press officer for the EU Delegation in Prague. With enlargement in 2004, she moved to Brussels as spokesperson on employment, social affairs and equal opportunities for the Czech EU Commissioner Vladimir Špidla.

Today marks the two-year anniversary of the Taliban takeover and the fall of Kabul. In this episode, Lucinda and CEP Senior Director Hans-Jakob Schindler discuss the past, present and future of Afghanistan, the Taliban takeover, women's rights, and EU recommendations.From 2001 until 2005, Hans headed the federal government of Germany's team investigating al-Qaida in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Central Asia. Between 2005 and 2011, Hans held the position of First Secretary Political Affairs and Liaison to the Security Forces at the German Embassy in Tehran. Acting as a special advisor to the ambassador, he led the embassy's crisis management team during the 2006 and 2009/10 disturbances in Iran. Hans then worked as an associated partner for West Sands and an associated consultant for Stirling Assynt, while he also advised several companies in Europe. He also served as Program Director for the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) in London, leading and increasing its work in its foreign policy-centred program area. 

What are some of the key factors contributing to the rise of antisemitism in France? How is the dynamic between the Jewish and Muslim communities in Toulouse, and what efforts have been made to address and bridge these divides? Why are Jews leaving France and does that have an impact on the Jewish community and the broader society?In today's fifth episode of CEP's Eye on Antisemitism series, Lucinda explores the resurgence of antisemitism in France with Deputy Mayor Nicole Yardeni from Toulouse. Nicole's previous position as President of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions of France (CRIF), a national Jewish representative organisation, coincided with the horrific attack against Jewish schoolchildren and a Rabbi in 2012, conducted by Mohamed Merah. Together, they discuss how this event impacted Nicole personally and professionally, and how it shaped her approach to combatting antisemitism.

In today's fourth episode of CEP's Eye on Antisemitism series, Lucinda speaks with Fiyaz Mughal about antisemitism among native-born immigrant communities in the United Kingdom. They discuss Fiyaz's work in the field of preventing extremism and working towards racial equality and Fiyaz shares his expert insights into how to create meaningful connections between Muslim and Jewish communities.Fiyaz is the founder of Faith Matters and Tell MAMA (Measuring Anti-Muslim Attacks), focusing on social cohesion and work on anti-extremism projects.  Working on faith related issues in the two organisations has become a core theme, particularly in supporting integration, countering extremism and tackling hate crime work. Today, Fiyaz continues to be an active member of society, serving as an advocate and expert on community cohesion and anti-extremism projects with a particularly strong understanding of the Muslim community and a passion for Muslim and Jewish dialogue projects.

In today's third episode of CEP's Eye on Antisemitism series, Lucinda will delve into how antisemitism manifests among right-wing extremists in Germany with guest Marina Chernivsky. How does the growth of right-wing political movements in Germany influence the prevalence of antisemitic sentiments? Are there any connections between antisemitism and broader issues like nationalism, xenophobia, or Islamophobia? What kind of support or resources do mental health professionals need to effectively combat antisemitism?Marina is the initiator and director of the Competence Center for Prevention and Empowerment, which is supported by the Central Welfare Board of Jews in Germany. She also founded and directs the Counselling Centre for Antisemitic Violence and Discrimination (OFEK), a Germany-based non-profit organisation and counselling centre specialised in antisemitic violence and discrimination.

In today's second episode of the Eye on Antisemitism, Lucinda delves into the complex issue of antisemitism among the left-wing extremists in the United Kingdom (UK), specifically looking at the UK political landscape. How has the Labour Party, which is historically associated with left-wing politics in the UK, addressed or failed to address the issue of left-wing antisemitism within its ranks? And how does it affect Jewish communities, both in terms of their safety and sense of belonging? What steps can be taken to effectively combat and counter left-wing antisemitism in the UK?Lucinda speaks with Dave Rich who is a leading expert on left-wing antisemitism. He is currently the Head of Policy at the Community Security Trust, a UK-based charity that protects British Jews from antisemitism and related threats. Dave is also the author of the recently published book ‘Everyday Hate: How Antisemitism Is Built Into Our World – and How You Can Change It',  in which he provides a wide examination of antisemitism among different social groups in the UK.

How is antisemitism defined? What is the current state of antisemitism in Europe and the United States (U.S.)? How have recent global events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, contributed to the popularity of antisemitic conspiracy theories among extremists? The first podcast episode in our new series on antisemitism will provide our listeners with a deeper understanding of antisemitism and current trends on both sides of the Atlantic. With the threat landscape indicating that antisemitic incidents are on the rise in both Europe and the U.S., thereby influencing a variety of violent and non-violent extremists across the political spectrum, there is a need to combat this pervasive challenge. In today's episode, Lucinda speaks with Mitch Silber, who is a former Director of Intelligence at NYPD, where he oversaw research, collection, and analysis for the department's Intelligence Division. Now, he's the Executive Director of the Community Security Initiative, a small team dedicated to securing the Jewish institutions of New York from antisemitic violence.

In today's episode, Lucinda is joined by CEP Senior Advisor Alexander Ritzmann. He leads the work of CEP Berlin on violent far-right extremist or terrorist (transnational) networks, both offline and online. Together they take a closer look at a recently published CEP study, titled Transnational linkages between violent right-wing extremism, terrorism and organized crime, of which the main author is Alexander.  About the study:Existing studies on the extremism/terrorism-crime nexus in recent years have focused on Islamist extremism and terrorism, while the transnational nexus between right-wing extremism/terrorism and organized crime groups remains under-researched. This gap in knowledge can lead to a misunderstanding of the strategies of right-wing extremists as well as of the risks those actors pose to potential victims and society as a whole. A new CEP study, commissioned by the Federal Foreign Office of Germany, shows that several violence-oriented right-wing extremist individuals and groups in Europe and the U.S. engage in or maintain ties with organized crime. Many of the identified cases have a transnational dimension, be it through cross-border activities like the acquisition of illegal drugs for distribution or through supposedly legal activities such as co-organizing hate music concerts, including events with a transnational character. As the study demonstrates, Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs, VRWE-affiliated football hooligan groups, prison gangs, and a range of VRWE individuals and groups are part of transnational networks. Such connections are particularly visible in Austria, Germany, Poland, Sweden, and the U.S. The study aims at informing policymakers working on the prevention and countering of violent extremism or terrorism and organized crime with the goal of fostering a better understanding of the phenomena and to encourage further cooperation between relevant government agencies and civil society organizations.CEP resourcesThe new CEP study can be accessed here.Watch the CEP Webinar: The Transnational Nexus of Right-Wing Extremism and Organized Crime here.

In today's episode, Lucinda speaks with Liam Duffy, CEP Strategic Advisor. They discuss the findings of the recent Manchester Arena Inquiry, which is the third - and final - report of the inquiry. Chaired by Sir John Saunders, this report focuses on radicalisation and preventability. Liam sheds some light on what the inquiry is all about, the tragedy that occurred back in 2017 in Manchester, the radicalisation process of the perpetrator Salman Abedi and - most importantly - whether the attack could have been prevented.

Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in cases that raise questions about liability shields afforded to tech companies under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.  In this breaking news episode, Lucinda speaks with Dr. Hany Farid, Senior Advisor to CEP and professor at University of California, Berkley. Hany is CEP's in-house expert when it comes to digital forensics. Together, Lucinda and Hany take a closer look at one of the cases,  Gonzalez v. Google, and discuss the Section 230 Liability Shield. LinksTo read the amicus curiae brief, please click here.To read CEP's latest press release, please click here.To read the March 2020 study A Longitudinal Analysis Of YouTube's Promotion Of Conspiracy Videos, co-authored by Dr. Farid and other UC Berkeley researchers, please click here. To watch a recording of a CEP web event, Algorithmic Amplification of Divisive Content on Tech Platforms, please click here.

Last Wednesday, the long-awaited Prevent review was published by the Home Office. Led by William Shawcross, who was appointed Independent Reviewer of Prevent in 2021, the review sets out to understand how effectively this strand of the government's counterterrorism strategy works and how it can be improved. But what is Prevent? Why was it created and why was last week's review commissioned in the first place ? What are the key takeaways from Shawcross' review and will Prevent make Britain safer? In this breaking news episode, Lucinda speaks with CEP experts, Ian Acheson and Liam Duffy, and explores the heated debate around the recent Prevent review.ICYMI:CEP Statement On the Independent Review Of The British Government's Prevent StrategyCEP Experts React To U.K. Prevent Strategy Review

In today's episode of our series on the 4R Network, Lucinda speaks to two former extremists, Ryan Lo'Ree and Bryant Vinas. Ryan was once a right-wing extremist with one of the largest Nazi movements in the United States. After being confined, Ryan went through a process of transformation that focused on healing from trauma. As part of his healing and deradicalization, Ryan created the Team Revelation Mixed Martial Arts, a program utilized to prevent troubled youth from entering gang and extremist cultures. Today, he contributes his expertise to Parallel Networks as Programme Director and Interventionist. Bryant was the U.S. first foreign fighter after 9/11. In September 2008, he participated in al-Qaeda attacks against U.S. Army bases in Afghanistan. After he was arrested in Pakistan in November 2008, he pled guilty in a New York federal court. While incarcerated, Bryant cooperated with U.S. law enforcement and provided helpful intel. U.S. authorities have called him the “single most valuable cooperating witness” in disrupting al-Qaeda operations.In this final episode of our series on the 4R Network, Bryant and Ryan will share what it is like to come home after being convicted for offences related to extremism. The episode will explore differences and similarities in their reintegration processes, and we will learn which factors were essential for a successful reintegration process. And just like that, our eight-episode series on the 4R-Network comes to an end. In case you have not listened to any of the previous episodes, we strongly encourage you to do so to learn more about the new CEP initiative, the 4R Network.For more information about the 4R Network, see below the website:https://4rnetwork.org/You can find the video recording of the 4R Network launch event here:https://www.counterextremism.com/video/cep-webinar-launch-4r-network-november-16-2022

In today's episode of our series on the 4R Network, Lucinda talks to Mitch Silber. He is the executive director of the Community Security Initiative, visiting lecturer at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs and the author of the book The Al Qaeda Factor & Radicalization in the West.Mr. Silber's CV is extensive, ranging from more than 20 years of experience in providing high-end finished intelligence, bespoke consulting and advisory work for a wide range of corporate, financial and governmental clients to being a former Director of Intelligence Analysis at the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”). At NYPD, he supervised the research, collection and analysis for the Intelligence Division's entire portfolio of ongoing terrorism related investigations and was responsible for strategic assessments of emerging and future threats to the City of New York.In today's episode of our series on the 4R Network, Mitch will discuss concerns faced by law enforcement regarding rehabilitation and reintegration of extremist offenders, and how partnerships with civil society could help mitigate associated risks.For more information about the 4R Network, see below the website:https://4rnetwork.org/You can find the video recording of the 4R Network launch event here:https://www.counterextremism.com/video/cep-webinar-launch-4r-network-november-16-2022

In today's episode of our series on the 4R Network, Lucinda speaks with social neuroscientist Mike Niconchuk and Noah Tucker, consultant for CEP's Rehabilitation & Reintegration project in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.  As an applied neuroscience researcher and practitioner, Mike Niconchuk focuses on trauma recovery in conflict-affected populations, and the relationship between trauma, extremism, intergroup violence. Noah Tucker is a Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council and a Research Associate at the GWU Central Asia Program. He works primarily on social conflict and conflict prevention, from violent extremism and (Islamist and far-right groups) to ethnic and regional conflict. In this episode, Mike and Noah will pull from their experience in Central Asia. Central Asia has been among the first areas of the world to repatriate women and children from conflict zones and have spearheaded the first attempts at Rehabilitation and Reintegration (R&R). Mike and Noah will discuss successful in-community reintegration and rehabilitation practices for children and adult women and explore the importance of inculcating culturally-relevant and appropriate methods of care to ensure long-term well-being and thus effective reintegration and rehabilitation. For more information about the 4R Network, see below the website:https://4rnetwork.org/You can find the video recording of the 4R Network launch event here:https://www.counterextremism.com/video/cep-webinar-launch-4r-network-november-16-2022

In today's episode of our series on the 4R Network, Lucinda talks to Dr. Vivian Khedari DePierro. She is the Chief Psychologist & Director of Research at Beyond Conflict, who also happen to be our partners in this 4R Network endeavour. As a Clinical Psychologist, Vivian focuses on the development and evaluation of accessible and culturally-tailored approaches to trauma recovery among communities affected by violence and conflict across the globe.In today's episode of our series on the 4R Network, Vivian will touch upon the connection between unresolved trauma and the perpetuation of violence, and how failure to address mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) needs of extremist offenders may hamper rehabilitation and reintegration efforts of extremist offenders.For more information about the 4R Network, see below the website:https://4rnetwork.org/You can find the video recording of the 4R Network launch event here:https://www.counterextremism.com/video/cep-webinar-launch-4r-network-november-16-2022

In today's episode of our series on the 4R Network, Lucinda speaks to co-authors of Pastels and Pedophiles: Inside the Mind of Qanon Dr. Sophia Moskalenko and Dr. Mia Bloom. Sophia is a psychologist studying mass identity, inter-group conflict, and conspiracy theories. She has written several books, including the award-winning Friction: How Conflict Radicalizes Them and Us. Mia is a fellow with New America's International Security program and professor of communication and Middle East studies at Georgia State University in Atlanta. She has authored books on violent extremism including Small Arms: Children and Terrorism.In the context of increasing sociopolitical polarization, conspiracy theories and mis- and disinformation play in meaning-making,  Dr. Sophia Moskalenko and Dr. Mia Bloom will discuss how coping mechanisms can affect the rehabilitation and reintegration of extremist offenders.For more information about the 4R Network, see below the website:https://4rnetwork.org/You can find the video recording of the 4R Network launch event here:https://www.counterextremism.com/video/cep-webinar-launch-4r-network-november-16-2022

In today's episode of our series on the 4R Network, Lucinda speaks to Sofia Koller and Jorgos Sotiriadis. Sofia is a Senior Research Analyst at the CEP Berlin office. Her research focuses on the prosecution, reintegration, rehabilitation of returned foreign fighters into European states, specifically female offenders.  Jorgos Sotiriadis is a consultant in the Working Group on Strategies of Prevention and Countering Islamist Extremism at the Berlin Senate Department of Interior Affairs, Digital Transformation and Sports. He is also the Head of Office of Deradicalisation Network, the DeRadNet, in Germany, which is a body that coordinates distancing and exit work in the field of security related Islamist extremism across departments and authorities.In this episode, Sofia and Jorgos will speak on German efforts to coordinate P/CVE activities between law enforcement and civil society organizations and how this networked approach can facilitate the rehabilitation and reintegration of extremist offenders, including female offenders.For more information about the 4R Network, see below the website:https://4rnetwork.org/You can find the video recording of the 4R Network launch event here:https://www.counterextremism.com/video/cep-webinar-launch-4r-network-november-16-2022

In today's second episode of our series on the 4R Network, Lucinda speaks with Ian Acheson, Senior Advisor to the Counter Extremism Project. Ian has long been involved in prison security and counter-terrorism. In 1994, he joined Her Majesty's Prison Service as a prison officer, rising rapidly to governor rank. In 2015, Ian led an independent review of Islamist extremism in prisons and probation in the UK. He has extensive involvement in operational command of serious prison incidents, hostage negotiation, and counter-terrorism policy and practice.In this episode, Ian will pull from his experience and expertise in the tactical and strategic management of violent extremism in UK correctional settings and community to deliver a training that covers monitoring in correctional settings and the importance of connecting in-prison programming to coordinated post-release care.For more information about the 4R Network, see below the website:https://4rnetwork.org/You can find the video recording of the 4R Network launch event here:https://www.counterextremism.com/video/cep-webinar-launch-4r-network-november-16-2022

In today's first episode of our series on the 4R Network, Lucinda speaks to Juncal, Programme Manager at the Counter Extremism Project and Co-founder of Parallel Networks (PN), a non-profit organisation dedicated to combating polarization, hate and extremism.Juncal has gained professional experience researching conflicts, forced migrations, organized crime and security. Her research has developed through collaboration in projects with institutions like Georgetown University, Comillas ICADE (Madrid), the Hague Centre for Strategic Studies and UNICEF. She also gained hands-on experience in peacebuilding while in Latin America and Africa, where she provided psychosocial support to internally displaced populations and other victims of extremism and violence in post-conflict settings. In this episode, Juncal will cover the rehabilitation and reintegration of extremism offenders in the United States and explain the goal and objectives of the 4R Network, based on the understanding that rehabilitation and reintegration requires a whole-of-society approach.For more information about the 4R Network, see below the website:https://4rnetwork.org/You can find the video recording of the 4R Network launch event here:https://www.counterextremism.com/video/cep-webinar-launch-4r-network-november-16-2022

Last week, various media outlets were reporting that the German government has formally taken a decision to start the withdrawal of troops, which are stationed in Mali for the UN peacekeeping mission. Germany is not alone amongst its EU partners in making this call. What does this mean for extremism and terrorism in the wider Sahel region and what does this mean for the future of Mali?In this breaking news episode, Lucinda Creighton speaks with Hans-Jakob Schindler, Senior Director at the Counter Extremism Project. From 2001 until 2005, Hans headed the federal government of Germany's team investigating al-Qaida in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Central Asia. Between 2005 and 2011, Hans held the position of First Secretary Political Affairs and Liaison to the Security Forces at the German Embassy in Tehran. Acting as a special advisor to the ambassador, he led the embassy's crisis management team during the 2006 and 2009/10 disturbances in Iran.

A term that has become a ubiquitous part of public discourse on terrorism and radical Islam ever since the rise of al Qaeda and ISIL/Da'esh back in 2014/15 is the term jihad. In today's last episode of the miniseries on Eye on Islamism, we will shift gear and focus on the current threat of jihadism and its potential evolution.In this episode, Lucinda Creighton speaks with Liam Duffy who is a strategic advisor for the Counter Extremism Project based in the United Kingdom. He is a regular contributor for UnHerd on extremism, and has written on the subject for The Spectator, The Times Educational Supplement, The Jewish Chronicle, and CapX, among others. Liam is also a Fellow of the Salzburg Global Seminar

On Tuesday this week, the Dutch Cabinet confirmed that twelve Dutch women were picked up in Syria and will be transported to the Netherlands where they will be taken into custody for crimes related to terrorism offenses. What is the process of repatriating female IS members and the potential challenges that may arrive when prosecuting such returnees? Why is there so much reluctance on behalf of European capitals to repatriate foreign fighters? How should the risk of returning foreign fighters be managed and can we learn from best practices? What are some of your recommendations for policymakers and security agencies?In this breaking news episode, Lucinda Creighton speaks with Sofia Koller, a Senior Research Analyst at CEP. She also supports the European Commission's Radicalization Awareness Network (RAN) and the Council of Europe as an expert. From 2018 to 2021 she was a research fellow at the German Society for Foreign Relations (DGAP) where she led the International Forum for Expert Exchange on Countering Islamist Extremism (InFoEx) in the field of distancing work.

Founded in Egypt in 1928, the Muslim Brotherhood is that country's oldest Islamist organization and has branches throughout the world. While these branches operate under a variety of names and use a variety of social, political, and occasionally violent methods, they share a commitment to the overarching goal of establishing rule according to sharia. The third episode in our miniseries on Islamism will explore the Muslim Brotherhood and associated groups in the West.In this episode, Lucinda Creighton talks to Dr. Lorenzo Vidino who is the Director of the Program on Extremism at George Washington University. An expert on Islamism in Europe and North America, his research over the past 20 years has focused on the mobilization dynamics of jihadist networks in the West; governmental counter-radicalization policies; and the activities of Muslim Brotherhood-inspired organizations in the West.

Academic reflection on Islam started in the early 1960s in Europe. It began as a phenomenon linked to migration dynamics when Europe witnessed many migrant populations settling in at that time. More than 4 decades later, this reflection has had to confront new approaches that frequently tend to associate Islam with immigration or violence, especially after jihadist attacks, which have taken place on European soil. The second episode in our mini-series on Islamism will focus on Islam and terrorism in the West by exploring different aspects, including political Islam and Islamist terrorism.In this episode, Lucinda Creighton talks to Moussa Bourekba, who is a research fellow at the Barcelona Centre for International Affairs where he focuses on international relations in the MENA region, democratisation processes in North Africa, Arab youth, and violent extremism in Europe and North Africa. His research also covers Islamophobia in Western countries. Moussa is also an adjunct professor at Blanquerna Faculty of Communication and International Relations at the University of Barcelona where he teaches international relations in the MENA region, violent radicalisation, and P/CVE policies.

“What is Islamism? Are there any overlaps between the religion Islam and the term Islamism? Who are the Islamists and how do they view the West? What constitutes a good policy response to Islamism? The first podcast episode in our mini-series on Islamism will explore what the term Islamism means and how to respond to the Islamist challenge.In this conceptual episode Lucinda Creighton talks to Sir John Jenkins, a former British diplomat and currently a Senior Fellow at Policy Exchange. Sir John Jenkins has enjoyed a 35 year career in the British Diplomatic Service where he has lived and worked in several countries in the Middle East, such as Kuwait, Malaysia, and the UAE. Amongst other things, he was the director for the Middle East and North Africa in the Foreign Office in London from 2007 to 2009 and was asked to be the lead author of the British Government's Muslim Brotherhood Review in 2014.”

In today's podcast, we will focus on the year long investigation of Death Weapons by a consortium of international reporters from Germany's Die Welt, Politico, and Insider. The  investigation reveals internal details of how this network of young neo-Nazis is setting up terrorist cells across Europe and the US to carry out armed attacks.In this episode Lucinda talks to Nick Robins-Early, New-York-based journalist and Senior Editor for Digital Culture News at Insider, where he covers disinformation, extremism and the future of the internet. Together with colleagues at Politico and Germany's Die Welt, Nick investigated Death Weapons, an international network of young neo-Nazis setting up terrorist cells across Europe and the US to carry out armed attacks.For the full investigation read: https://www.politico.eu/article/inside-teenage-terrorist-network-europe-death-weapons/

On Saturday, US President Joe Biden announced that the United States had killed Ayman al-Zawahiri, current emir of al-Qaeda and longtime deputy to Osama bin Laden, in Kabul (Afghanistan). Zawahiri's death raises questions about the succession and the relevance of al-Qaeda in the current terrorist threat landscape, as well as Afghanistan's role following last year's rushed exit by Western forces. In this episode, Lucinda speaks with Hans-Jakob Schindler, the Senior Director at the Counter Terrorism Project. From 2001 until 2005, Hans headed the federal government of Germany's team investigating al-Qaida in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Central Asia. Between 2005 and 2011, Hans held the position of First Secretary Political Affairs and Liaison to the Security Forces at the German Embassy in Tehran. Acting as a special advisor to the ambassador, he led the embassy's crisis management team during the 2006 and 2009/10 disturbances in Iran.

Studies have shown that there appears to be a strong link between those committing domestic violence, and those ready to commit acts of terrorism - especially among young men. Yet, while terrorism and domestic abuse share profound parallels, they couldn't be further apart in how they are treated in today's society and by law enforcement. In this episode Lucinda talks to Joan Smith, a novelist, essayist, columnist and campaigner for human rights. She was Co-Chair of the Mayor of London's Violence Against Women and Girls Board from 2013-2021, and her latest book is Home Grown: How Domestic Violence Turns Men Into Terrorists (Riverrun, 2019). 

On Tuesday, Belgium's parliament debated whether to ratify a Treaty with Iran that could allow an Iranian convicted of terrorism in Belgium to be sent back to Iran.  The Treaty, however, is highly controversial among Western critics of the Iranian regime, as well as members of the Iranian opposition living in exile.In this episode, Lucinda speaks with Jason Brodsky, the policy director of United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI). Before joining UANI, Jason was a senior Middle East analyst and editor at Iran International TV and served in a variety of capacities at the Wilson Center. Earlier in his career, Jason also served as a fellow at the White House in the Executive Office of the President. His research specialties include leadership dynamics in Iran and its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Shiite militias, and U.S. Middle East policy. 

The Global Terrorism Index recently released its ninth edition, clearly indicating two key developments - deaths from terrorism have continued to fall since their peak in 2015, and terrorism has become more concentrated, with 119 countries recording no deaths, the best result since 2007.In this episode Lucinda speaks to Steve Killelea, an entrepreneur in high technology business development and philanthropist focused on sustainable development and peace. Steve founded the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) in 2007 as an independent non-profit global research institute analysing the intertwined relationships between business, peace, and economic development. As one of the world's most impactful think tanks, IEP's research is extensively used by multi-laterals, including the United Nations, World Bank, Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). 

Digital advancement and new technologies have transformed the dynamics of propaganda dissemination, recruitment and radicalisation. This is resulting in easier accessibility of violent extremist and terrorist material, increasing the risk of radicalising online and helping violent extremists to establish international links. Throughout the two last years, new forms of extremist ideologies and polarising ideas have spread online, in particular as a reaction to the measures taken by governments to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, but also the online response to the war in Ukraine. In this episode Lucinda talks to Ilkka Salmi, the EU Counter-Terrorism coordinator. As EU Counter-Terrorism coordinator, Ilkka Salmi is responsible for coordinating the EU Council's work in combating terrorism, maintaining an overview of all EU counter-terrorism instruments, and strengthening cooperation and dialogue on counter-terrorism initiatives between the Council, the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the High Representative. He represents the European Union in matters relating to the fight against terrorism. 

History has proven that foreign fighters, including mercenaries and volunteers, get easily drawn to civil war and insurgencies between states where they seek to support several different ideologies and causes. The case is no different with the Russia-Ukraine war; both in 2014 and now in 2022. The only slight difference in the 2022 situation would be the scale of foreigners who have mobilised in record numbers and governments encouraging their citizens to travel to Ukraine.In this episode Lucinda talks to Alexander Ritzmann, who has been working on the promotion of liberal democracy and the prevention of violent extremism for 20 years. Alexander is an Associate Fellow at the German Council of Foreign Relations (DGAP), where he co-develops and facilitates the "International Forum for Expert Exchange on Countering Islamist Extremism“. In addition, he advises the Counter Extremism Project (CEP) Berlin on internet regulation (e.g., NetzDG, AI/Transparency, and EU Digital Services Act) and on the effective countering of extremist/terrorist actors and content online.Shownotes:CEP Policy Brief on Foreign Fighters in the 2022 Russia-Ukraine War (UPDATE 1)

Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine has brought an unexpected twist to France's Presidential election and its coordinating role as the rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU. Although President Emmanuel Macron won the first round of the election, the unexpected strength shown by his far-right opponent Marine LePen also highlights the domestic and international political, security and defence challenges with which France continues to wrestle with. In this episode, Lucinda Creighton is joined by Tara Varma to discuss how Russia's invasion of Ukraine has influenced the recent first round of the French Presidential election and the French Council of the EU Presidency. Tara Varma is a senior policy fellow and head of the Paris office of the European Council on Foreign Relations, where she follows French foreign policy and European and Asian security developments. She looks particularly at current French defence and security proposals in the European framework. She is also interested in Asian security, and the role Europeans could play in it, notably in the Indo-Pacific region. Varma joined ECFR in January 2015 as a coordinator and then deputy head of the Paris office.

Why are displaced young people at such high risk of radicalisation? What can we do to work with them, and other institutions, to ensure their full integration into society? And what are the impacts if all efforts fail?In this episode, Lucinda Creighton is joined by Kayte Cable, Co-founder & Programme Manager of the UK-based Big Leaf Foundation. Big Leaf Foundation is a small charity working with displaced young people aged 16-25 living in Surrey, UK, aimed at providing a nurturing programme of activities, projects and events focused on combating social isolation and improving wellbeing for displaced young people. 

Recent years have seen a considerable increase in people radicalizing online. This is both true for extreme right-wing extremist and religious extremist groups. In response to this proliferation, social, community, police and intelligence services have increasingly begun setting up early detection schemes to prevent people from radicalization or supporting terrorist activities. In this episode, Lucinda Creighton is joined by Nik Adam, National Coordinator for the UK's Prevent Program. Nik Adams is a chief superintendent with the Metropolitan Police London and is the national coordinator for UK's Prevent program. Before being appointed as the national coordinator for Prevent, Nik has spent 18 years working in front-line neighborhood policing roles, and over 10 years volunteering as a school governor of a large inner-city school in London. The Prevent program seeks to stop people from becoming radicalized or supporting terrorist activities, including those of extreme right wing and Islamist ideologies. 

At the end of August, amidst the US military's withdrawal from the country, the Taliban swept to victory in Afghanistan. Tens of thousands of foreigners and Afghans have been flown out of the country, but many remain, including American and EU citizens as well as Afghan allies. As the Taliban swept through and took Kabul the Afghan military disintegrated within the space of two weeks. The result has been a wide-scale humanitarian crisis which the United Nations Refugee Agency has warned will result in the displacement of half a million more Afghans by years end. The threat of terrorism and Afghanistan becoming a safe haven for terror groups such as Al Qaeda is a prominent security concern. Concerns of a large-scale migration crisis. Concerns even for the Transatlantic relationship between Europe and the US due to the US' lack of consideration or consulting of its European allies in the build-up to its withdrawal. In this episode, Lucinda Creighton is joined by Polish MEP Radek Sikorski to discuss Afghanistan from an EU perspective. He is a member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET), the Special Committee on Artificial Intelligence in a Digital Age (AIDA) and the Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE). Sikorski also served as Poland's Minister of Defence between 2005 and 2007, Minister of Foreign Affairs between 2007 and 2014, and Speaker of Parliament in Poland between 2014 and 2015. 

After the fall of ISIS in the Levant,  hundreds of foreign terrorist fighters have been incarcerated in Syria, Iraq or their home countries in the West.  In addition, radicalised potential terrorists have already been released or will be released soon.  Many of these individuals  minimised their role in the atrocities committed by ISIS or claim that they have left their past behind them or. As the focus more and more shifts on their rehabilitation, many fear that some of these terrorist offenders might hide their true intentions.In this episode, Lucinda Creighton is joined by CEP adviser Ian Acheson to discuss the phenomenon of false compliance by terrorist offenders. Ian Acheson is the co-author of a discussion paper entitled "Hiding in plain sight? Disguised compliance by terrorist offenders" published this week as part of a collaboration between the Counter Extremism Project and the European Policy Centre. The paper raises awareness of the danger posed by terrorist deception and provides recommendations on how this risk can be tackled.

Who is Hezbollah and how should be define the militant group's role in Lebanon and the wider Middle East. In this episode, Lucinda Creighton is joined by David Daoud to discuss the role of Hezbollah from a US and Israeli perspective. David Daoud is a research analyst on Hezbollah and Lebanon at United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI). Prior to that, he held a similar position at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. David has previously worked as a staff member on Capitol Hill, advising on matters related to the Middle East, Israel, and Iran.

The seizure of power by the Taliban has left the whole world in a state of shock. Due to the withdrawal of international troops, chaos now reigns throughout the country. Tens of thousands of foreigners and Afghans have been flown out of the country. At the same time, the Taliban have taken command, and their strict interpretation of Islam rules over most of the country. The Taliban's swift and summary takeover of Afghanistan's territory and political leadership has also left many wondering what their return to power means for international jihadism. When they last they ruled Afghanistan, they harbored al-Qaida. This transnational jihadist movement was behind the 9/11 attacks, which prompted the US invasion in 2001 and two decades of military involvement, which now came to a rather disastrous end.In this episode, Lucinda Creighton is joined by Ambassador Nathan A. Sales, a nonresident senior fellow with the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative and Middle East Programs and former Ambassador-at-Large and Coordinator for Counterterrorism to discuss how the Taliban's resurgence may affect international jihadism. 

September 11th 2001, will always be remembered as an infamous date in US and global history. Twenty years ago, the world held its breath as the events in New York and Washington unfolded. The terrorist attacks perpetrated by Al-Qaeda that day were the bloodiest ever seen on American soil, launching the US Government's global "war on terror". The country increased the pressure and started military operations against terrorist groups, and states that were sheltering them, and significantly changed its policymaking with regards to national security.As part of this, the US intervened in Afghanistan and launched what became the longest sustained military campaign in US history,  ending only with the withdrawal of US troops and an almost instant return to power of the Taliban in August 2021.  In this episode, Lucinda Creighton is joined by Martha Crenshaw, a senior fellow at CISAC and FSI and a professor of political science by courtesy at Stanford to discuss the legacy of 9/11 and the war on terrorism 20 years later. 

In December 2020, the European Commission presented the Digital Services Act (DSA) proposal, a major update to internet regulation in the EU. The ambitious legislation aims to create a safer digital space by introducing various new rules and obligations for the Big Tech companies, such as measures to counter the algorithmic amplification, notice and takedown mechanisms or higher transparency. The text is currently in the negotiation phase between the Parliament, the EU Council and the Commission. The DSA is only the latest of several initiatives to regulate Big Tech companies and counter harmful content online, such as the German NetzDG, which came into force in 2018, or the EU Terrorist Content Regulation adopted in April 2021. Policymakers in Europe and elsewhere increasingly understand the great responsibility of Big Tech in spreading hate online and address it. In today's podcast, Lucinda Creighton was joined by CEP Senior Adviser Alexander Ritzmann to discuss internet regulation and extremist content online while particularly focussing on the DSA. Alexander Ritzmann advises the Counter Extremism Project (CEP) Berlin on internet regulation, including the NetzDG, Artificial Intelligence/Transparency, and the EU Digital Services Act as well as on the effective countering of extremist/terrorist actors and content online. In this context, he authored several policy papers on various internet regulations, most recently the DSA. He has also testified before the German Bundestag, the European Parliament and the US House of Representatives on these matters.

Northern Ireland is known for its violent sectarian conflict that opposed the protestants unionists and the catholic nationalists. The conflict reached its climax between the 1960s and the 90s, during a period known as the troubles, which resulted in the death of over 3600 people. The Good Friday agreement in 1998 established a political equilibrium between both sides and ended most of the hostilities. However, the consequences of this period are still felt throughout Northern Ireland to this day as many fear a return of sectarian violence in the context of Brexit that has further strained the relations between the communities. In today's episode, Lucinda Creighton is joined by Professor Richard English to discuss the current state of sectarian violence in Northern Ireland. Mr English is a Professor of Politics at Queen's University Belfast. His research and publications focus on the politics and history of nationalism, political violence, and terrorism, with a particular emphasis on Ireland and Great Britain. 

The rise and fall of ISIS in the Levant has been the most significant development with regard to Islamist terrorism in recent years. The terrorist group put Iraq and Syria to fire and sword and orchestrated several attacks in Europe and elsewhere. Despite serious setbacks suffered by ISIS, Islamist terrorism continues to thrive and remains one of today's most significant security threats in the West and the Middle East. In today's podcast, Lucinda Creighton is joined by Dr Emile Nakhleh, a former CIA Senior Intelligence Service Officer and a Research Professor at the University of New Mexico, to shed light on Islamist terrorism. Nakhleh is an expert on political Islam, radicalisation and terrorism in the Middle East and was a founding Director of the CIA Political Islam Strategic Analysis Program Office. After taking us through his rich career in the US government, Emile Nakhleh provided us with some insights on the origins and current state of Islamist terrorism, the challenges the Islamic world faces in relation to extremism, and the role of the United States in the Middle East.

In today's episode Lucinda Creighton is joined by Mitch Silber, a global political risk and intelligence analyst and terrorism expert, to discuss the current state of Islamist extremism as well as the resurgence of antisemitism and hate crimes against the Jewish community. Mitch Silber is the executive director of the Community Security Initiative, a position created in February 2020  as part of a $4 million plan to help secure local Jewish institutions in the New York region. He also served as Director of Intelligence Analysis at the New York City Police Department (NYPD), where he was the principal counter-terrorism advisor to the Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence and was responsible for building out and managing the Analytic and Cyber Unit.

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine in 2014, about 17.000 predominantly far-right foreign fighters joined the frontline to fight on both the Ukrainian and the separatist pro-Russian side. The majority of these fighters come from Russia and former Soviet republics, while around 1.000 also joined from the West.In today's podcast, Lucinda Creighton is joined by Kacper Rekawek, a researcher at CEP and a GLOBSEC associate fellow, to discuss this phenomenon. Kacper Rekawek has been working on Western foreign terrorist fighters engaged in the war in Donbas for the last five years. He is also the author of a CEP report entitled "Career Break or New Career? Extremist Foreign Fighters in Ukraine". Together they explore different aspects of the topic, such as the motivations of western foreign fighters, the context on the ground, transnational extreme right networks and the potential danger these fighters represent for their home countries.

Terrorist financing is an old phenomenon that keeps evolving and remains at the heart of global counter-terrorism efforts. It is the lifeblood for terrorist groups that need funding to sustain themselves and carry out attacks. In this 7th episode of our podcast series, Lucinda Creighton discussed this topic with Hans-Jakob Schindler, a Senior Director at CEP and the head of the CEP Berlin office. After taking us through his rich career that led him to the German government's team investigating al-Qaida, the German Embassy in Iran and the ISIL, al-Qaida, and Taliban Sanction Monitoring Team at the UN Security Council, Hans provided us with some insights on the terrorist financing landscape. He examined various trends and new phenomena, ranging from the use of cryptocurrencies, the role of social media to the financing methods used by right-wing organisations.  

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 the new report An Unholy Alliance: Links Between Extremism and Illicit Trade in East Africa from the Counter Extremism Project (CEP).  In this 6th episode of the Counter extremism podcast series, Sir Ivor Roberts, CEP senior advisor and author of the report, outlined how illicit trade in the region finances extremism, funds criminal enterprises, and breeds corruption while threatening economic and social structures and leeching vital resources.