Below is a joint statement from the leadership of the Counter Extremism Project, Ambassador Mark Wallace, Former Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Advisor Fran Townsend and Senator Joseph Lieberman:

“Today, President Obama spoke strongly and passionately about the dangers of the rise of extremism.  He made clear that stopping extremism depends on our ability to fight the extremists, to deconstruct their architecture of financial support, to counter the spread of their insidious ideology through mass communications and social media aimed at vulnerable populations the world over, and to adopt laws and policies that go directly to the heart of the spread of extremism.  President Obama made clear that this strategy is the responsibility of all people and countries – and all faiths.  We agree.’’ 

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The president’s speech aligns with the mission of the new Counter Extremism Project (CEP), a not-for-profit, non-partisan, international action and policy organization formed to combat the growing threat from violent extremist ideology. CEP employs a global network of experts and policymakers to protect the interests and values of a stable, modern international system by revealing and holding accountable the persons, businesses, political parties, social institutions and governments that support extremist groups.