Eye on Extremism: September 14, 2026
Top Stories
Afghanistan International: Taliban Denies Al-Qaeda Presence In Afghanistan
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid on Sunday denied the presence of al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, rejecting a Washington Post report that cited Western security officials and a UN body as saying the group is active again in the country.
Anthropic disclosed in a new report released on Thursday that it had over the past eight months disrupted efforts by Iran and other state-aligned groups and actors to use the AI giant’s artificial intelligence tools for “malicious activity” such as tracking U.S. forces, developing weapons guidance software and waging “cognitive warfare” to spread propaganda.
CEP Mentions
NTV: Terror expert Schindler on the explosive nature of the case of suspected spy Ilona W.
Ilona W. moved in the highest political circles in Berlin and is alleged to have passed sensitive information to the Russian secret service. Terrorism expert Hans-Jakob Schindler discusses the seriousness of the case for ntv.
ZDFheute: Houthis in Yemen control the Bab al-Mandab Strait: What the consequences are
To what extent can the Houthis damage global trade? What does their advance mean for energy prices in Germany? And will the strait soon be safe to navigate again? Barbara Parente discusses these questions with Middle East expert Hans-Jakob Schindler on ZDFheute live.
Terrorism expert Hans-Jakob Schindler discusses the role of the Russian military intelligence service GRU in sabotage and assassination plots in Germany and Europe and the latest news concerning the German investigation of the sabotage attack against Leipzig airport.
WELT TV: “Al-Qaeda and IS are trying to achieve their goal through many small attacks.”
Terrorism expert Hans-Jakob Schindler analyzes the changed strategies of Islamist groups since 9/11 and the role of social networks. “We in the West need to become more vigilant and technologically better.”
BR24: 25 Years After 9/11 – How Great Is the Terrorist Threat Today?
According to terrorism expert Hans-Jakob Schindler, the threat remains high 25 years after 9/11.
Analysis
Guardian: Dover unrest exposes serious flaws in Britain’s handling of far-right extremism
To anybody watching the videos of a group of masked men, all wearing black, descending on the port of Dover last weekend, it was immediately obvious that something novel and disturbing was happening: a mass intimidation in uniform not seen in Britain since the 1930s.
Washington Institute for Near East Policy: Iran’s Second Front
The latest Houthi offensive has shattered the status quo along Yemen’s west coast, upended a years-long truce, and set the stage for further consolidation of their control in the north—but the victory is also Iran’s.
United States
The United States is taking action under Operation Economic Outcast targeting Kata’ib Hizballah (KH), Hizballah, and the broader financial networks that sustain Iran’s campaign of regional destabilization. These groups serve as Tehran’s instruments for projecting violence and subversion across the Middle East and the globe, threatening the security of Iraq, Lebanon, the safety of American personnel and diplomatic facilities in the region, and global energy flows.
Fox News: Intel chief warns of ‘evolving’ threats as terror groups now ‘recruit their agents online’
Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton warned about the growing threat global terror organizations pose to the United States through their ability to radicalize individuals online at home. Speaking on “Special Report,” Clayton pointed to an attempted bombing in New York City as an example of how modern extremists no longer need distant foreign training camps to launch attacks and instead can be recruited online.
Boston Herald: Former Boston, NY Police Commish says terrorism threats today ‘multifaceted’
The nature of terrorism is evolving, with technology at the forefront of the shift, according to former Boston Police Commissioner William Bratton. “Twenty-five years after 9/11, it’s a very different world than existed at the time,” Bratton, who also served as New York Police Commissioner, twice, and Los Angeles Police Chief, told the Herald just a few days after the anniversary. “The threat picture has changed dramatically.”
Cronkite News: 25 Years After Balbir Singh Sodhi’s Murder, Sikhs Call for More Cultural Education
Twenty-five years after Sikh businessman Balbir Singh Sodhi was murdered, his family and members of the community who knew him say more needs to be done to change people’s misconceptions about religions from other parts of the world, especially the Middle East and South Asian countries.
In a victory for President Donald Trump, the Justice Department announced Friday that it secured a first-of-its-kind deportation through the Alien Terrorist Removal Court, a secretive tribunal that had never been used before the administration activated it this summer.
Twenty-five years after nearly 3,000 people were killed on Sept. 11, families waiting to see the accused plotters brought to justice are confronting another extraordinary possibility: They may still never see a verdict.
JNS: Over 50 Jewish organizations declare: ‘Zionism is part of Jewish identity’
Jewish organizations from around the world signed the J50 Declaration on Zionism and Antisemitism in Jerusalem on Thursday, which states unequivocally that “Zionism is part of Jewish identity.”
The Mesa Tribune: Service honors Mesa 9/11 hate crime victim
Twenty-five years after Balbir Singh Sodhi was shot to death at his Mesa gas station in retaliation for the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, his family and members of Arizona’s Sikh community will gather Tuesday at the site of his killing to remember him.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Ossoff targets Collins over extremist ties at Athens rally
With early voting a month away, U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff used a rally in Athens to sharpen his attacks on Republican challenger U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, calling him a “bigot” and accusing him of refusing to answer questions about his ties to his extremist son-in-law. The comments came as Ossoff and Collins held competing events in Athens on the same day, highlighting two sharply different messages in Georgia's Senate race.
Your Sun: Competency questioned on defendant: Man accused of threatening religious facilities
The lawyer for a man accused of three internet threat crimes is seeking a determination of whether his client is competent to assist in his own defense. Attorney Andrew J. Pouget filed a “Suggestion of Incompetence” on Wednesday.
Just 20 minutes before the first hijacked plane struck the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, the USS Cole’s former commander made a chilling prediction inside CIA headquarters.
Federal agents are warning families across South Carolina about what they describe as a growing online threat targeting children and teens, as the FBI says “nihilistic violent extremism” is on the rise.
WCYB CBS 5: Kansas man arrested for online antisemitic death threats toward Ben Shapiro
A Kansas man is accused of posting antisemitic death threats about conservative commentator and Boca Raton resident Ben Shapiro, including an online countdown to Yom Kippur, court records show.
OPB: Anti-Muslim rhetoric is finding a growing foothold in GOP messaging ahead of November
Within hours of securing the Democratic Senate nomination in Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed was called a “terrorist” by one of his potential future colleagues, Sen. Tommy Tuberville. “Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed is a RADICAL ISLAMIST who will do everything he can to destroy America,” the Alabama Republican posted.
Dallas Morning News: As protesters gather outside, life inside a Plano mosque carries on
A rally of about 50 people invited by the Lone Star Legionaries demonstrated against Islam. The group’s website says it’s committed to preserving “the history, heritage, culture and values that make Texas unique.” Zeba Siddiqui was one of the dozens of women in peaceful prayer and came to the Friday service despite a warning of the demonstration nearby.
Canada
CBC: Iranian told he may have to leave Canada over past IRGC service
An Iranian man is one of hundreds told by the government that he may have to leave over his past mandatory service in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which Canada considers a terrorist organization. Farzin Jafari says he had an administrative job in 2011, and has since protested the IRGC publicly.
CBC: Stoney Creek, Ont., man charged with promoting antisemitism, advocating genocide
A 27-year-old man from Hamilton's Stoney Creek area has been charged for allegedly running an X account promoting hate propaganda, according to Hamilton police. The force’s Hate Crime Unit began investigating after receiving a report about the social media account in July, Hamilton police said in a release Saturday.
NPR: How a young woman was recruited to ISIS — and how she eventually escaped
Outside a tall apartment building we meet a slim, smiling woman dressed in a black shirt and jeans. She invites us inside, and we sit in a conference room, where she begins to tell her story.
She was born in Pakistan to Somali parents and raised in Canada since the age of two. She was a teenager when her brother was shot and killed by an acquaintance who was high on drugs. She was devastated and yearned for some kind of solace, some kind of peace.
France
Reuters: French extreme candidates steam ahead in 2027 presidential race, poll shows
French far-right leader Marine Le Pen maintained her lead ahead of the presidential election and far-left rival Jean-Luc Melenchon was second in most tested scenarios, a poll showed on Monday, stressing the electorate’s growing polarisation as Emmanuel Macron's era ends.
Germany
German authorities said Friday that Charlotte Knobloch, a prominent leader of the Jewish community in Munich who has called for the potential banning of Alternative for Germany (AfD), has received a death threat linked to the far-right party’s recent state election victory.
The Berlin police opened an investigation on Saturday into a suspected antisemitic attack after a 43-year-old woman was targeted by two men who noticed the Star of David necklace she was wearing, directed antisemitic insults at her, and assaulted her with a broken glass bottle.
Deutsche Welle: AfD puts pressure on German aid to Ukraine
Emboldened by its win in Saxony-Anhalt, the far-right Alternative for Germany wants the government to change its Ukraine and Russia policies. Berlin is staying the course, but support is fading — especially in the east.
Greece
eKathimerini: Leading Golden Dawn figure prepares political comeback
The leading figure of the now-defunct neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party, Ilias Kasidiaris, will be released from prison on Tuesday and is preparing for a political comeback. “I return free and with full political rights to the central political arena and to the forefront of the national struggles,” he said. His lawyer said she is certain Kasidiaris will stand as a candidate for a political party in the upcoming parliamentary elections and confirmed that he will hold a press conference in the coming days.
Sweden
Reuters: Sweden’s centre-left bloc leads close election against right-wing government
Sweden’s national election results showed a narrow lead early on Monday for the centre-left opposition over the right-wing government, which could halt the Nordic nation's drift away from its liberal heritage.
Guardian: The far right’s march to power in Sweden has been halted, but its influence remains
Since the party was founded in 1988, the story of the far-right Sweden Democrats (SD) has been one of such continuous growth that a triumph in Sunday’s general election seemed inevitable. In 2022, the party capitalised on electoral gains – and the desperation of right-leaning parties to form a minority administration – and almost made its way into government. A supporting role in prime minister Ulf Kristersson’s Tidö coalition earned the party, which has neo-Nazi roots, huge influence and mainstream acceptance by the political establishment.
Middle East
Associated Press: Fighting in Yemen intensifies, and Houthis launch more attacks on Saudi Arabia
The conflict in Yemen intensified on Sunday, as government forces launched attacks against Iran-backed Houthi rebels along the Red Sea and Houthis fired into neighboring Saudi Arabia, which supports Yemen’s government.
AzerNews: IRGC-linked cell blamed for drone attack on Saudi oil pipeline
A small armed network allegedly operating directly under a senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander carried out a drone attack on Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline, according to three commanders from Iran-backed Iraqi armed factions.
Afghanistan
Washington Post: Al-Qaeda regroups in Afghanistan, 25 years after 9/11
Al-Qaeda’s plans for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks took root in dusty, mud-walled compounds in Afghanistan that served for years as terrorist training camps. A quarter-century later — despite decades of U.S. military and counterterrorism operations aimed at eradicating those strongholds — al-Qaeda is again operating training camps in Afghanistan, according to U.S. and Western intelligence officials and a United Nations organization responsible for monitoring terrorist networks.
Afghanistan International: Muslim & Western Countries Want Girls’ Schools Reopened, Says Taliban FM
Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi says both the Muslim world and Western countries have urged the Taliban administration to reopen schools for girls, acknowledging that their continued closure is a problem.
Afghanistan International: ISIS-K Remains Serious Security Threat, Says Russian UN Envoy
Vasily Nebenzya, Russia’s permanent representative to the United Nations, warned at a UN Security Council meeting on Friday that ISIS-Khorasan in Afghanistan remains a serious security threat.
Afghanistan International: Taliban Detains At Least Eight Women In Northern Kabul, Say Sources
At least eight women were detained in Kabul’s Taimani area on Saturday evening, 12 September. A resident told Afghanistan International that they had personally witnessed the arrests.
Khaama Press: France Warns ISIS-K Has Become One of Islamic State’s Most Active Global Branches
France has warned the United Nations Security Council that ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K) in Afghanistan has become one of the Islamic State group’s most active and dangerous branches worldwide, citing its growing ability to conduct attacks beyond Afghanistan’s borders.
AmuTV: Taliban opponents warn of wider conflict if talks remain off table
Several political and armed opponents of the Taliban have called for negotiations to resolve Afghanistan’s political crisis, warning that continued rejection of talks could lead to a broader conflict in the country. The remarks came during a virtual gathering marking Afghanistan’s Martyrs’ Week that brought together a number of prominent political figures and leaders of groups opposed to Taliban rule. Afghanistannews updates
Gaza Strip/West Bank
US President Donald Trump on Sunday extolled the work of his special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner amid reports he was looking to elevate CIA chief John Ratcliffe in their stead with regard to Washington’s efforts to bring an end to the war between Ukraine and Russia.
Times of Israel: IDF says it killed two Hamas engineers in Gaza strike; 13 others reported injured
An Israeli airstrike on a vehicle in western Gaza City killed at least two Palestinians and wounded 13 others on Sunday, according to medical staff, with the Israeli military saying it had targeted two Hamas terror operatives.
Times of Israel: Reports of settler assaults and arson across West Bank on Rosh Hashanah
Multiple reports of settler violence in the West Bank surfaced over Rosh Hashanah, with no reported arrests, as lawlessness in the territory continued unabated. In the central West Bank village of Beitillu, Arabic media reported Saturday evening that a 23-year-old Palestinian man was brutally beaten during a settler raid.
Times of Israel: Galilee Arab municipality says West Bank settlers erected an outpost on its land
Settlers from the West Bank have erected an outpost on state land within the jurisdiction of the Arab town of Majd al-Krum in northern Israel, the local council said Friday, warning of the “dangerous political context” as the government seeks to boost Jewish presence in the Galilee.
Iran
Iran International: US pilot rescue inside Iran draws mockery of Guards
A newly disclosed US operation that sent more than 90 American troops into Iran to rescue an airman shot down during the war drew ridicule from Iranians online over the Revolutionary Guards’ failure to find him before his extraction in April.
Iran International: Fall of Hezbollah heights ignites blame game in Tehran
The fall of the Ali al-Taher heights to Israel has turned Iran's hardliners on the negotiators of the June deal with Washington, whose clause on Lebanon was sold at home as a victory and whose defenders now say it has been dead for two months.
Molavi Yusef Gorgij, a senior Sunni Muslim cleric, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in southeastern Iran on Monday, the official news agency IRNA reported. IRNA quoted a local governor as saying Gorgij “was active in the fight against divisive elements and Zionism,” a description suggesting the cleric was pro-government.
Caliber: Iran’s IRGC says it destroyed US MQ-1 Predator drone
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Space Force has said it destroyed a US MQ-1 Predator reconnaissance and strike drone over the waters of the Strait of Hormuz, Tasnim reports.
Iraq
Arab Weekly: Kurdistan crackdown exposes ISIS bid to rebuild local cells
Iraqi Kurdish security forces have arrested 22 suspected Islamic State (ISIS) members in Sulaymaniyah and Halabja, including an alleged senior religious official, after uncovering what authorities said was a planned campaign of attacks in the Kurdistan Region this month.
Shafaq: Airstrike hits three ISIS positions in Diyala
An airstrike targeted three ISIS positions in the Hamrin Mountains in Iraq’s Diyala province on Saturday, a security source told Shafaq News. Security forces closed Lake Hamrin to fishing after ISIS militants were spotted using boats in the area and attempted to abduct three fishermen, who managed to escape, according to the source.
Lebanon
Naharnet: Iranian report says 48 Hezbollah fighters were in Ali al-Taher, 8 killed
Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency, which is close to the Revolutionary Guard, has denied reports suggesting that members of the Revolutionary Guard had been trapped in the tunnels of the Ali al-Taher ridge in south Lebanon prior to Israel’s seizure of the strategic area.
Naharnet: Katz says Israel won’t withdraw until Hezbollah disarmed across Lebanon
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has stressed that Israel will not leave the so-called security zone, nor will it withdraw or redeploy its forces in southern Lebanon, until Hezbollah is disarmed across the country.
Naharnet: Where does Israel’s destruction of underground Hezbollah base leave the group?
Israel's demolition on Thursday of a tunnel network used by Hezbollah as a command center in southern Lebanon, near the border, represents a significant setback for the Iran-backed group. Experts said that while Hezbollah is far from defeated, the group was now exposed after two fierce wars with Israel in which it suffered major blows including the loss of much of its top leadership and Israel's occupation of parts of southern Lebanon.
Yemen
The National: Shadow Man, IRGC flight and a secret meeting: Iran’s hand in Houthi offensive revealed
Less than a week after Yemen’s Houthi rebels seized the Red Sea coast, Iran’s hand in the offensive is coming to light. Sources in Tehran, Aden and Cairo who spoke to The National in recent days detailed a plan by Iran to use the conflict in Yemen as a new pressure point in its war with the US.
Fox News: Houthis enter US ‘kill box’ after seizing Red Sea 'cork,' former Pentagon official warns
Iran-backed Houthi rebels captured Perim Island in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait Sept. 11, opening a new front at a vital global shipping chokepoint as a former Pentagon official warned Sunday the militants had entered a "kill box."
The desperate pleas for air cover from Yemeni generals started coming mid-morning on Thursday. An advance by the Iran-backed Houthis toward Yemen’s strategic port city of Mocha was in full swing, and backup support from chief ally Saudi Arabia was nowhere in sight.
Reuters: Houthis’ Yemen advance leaves Gulf states with uncomfortable choice
The Houthi capture of Yemen's Red Sea coastline is reshaping the balance of power in the Gulf, strengthening Iran's hand and confronting Saudi Arabia and its neighbours with a difficult choice: absorb mounting costs or seek accommodation with Tehran.
Somalia
Hiiraan: Somali government closes 82,000 extremist-linked social media pages in 2026
Somalia’s federal government has shut down 82,000 social media pages in 2026 that were allegedly being used by terrorist groups to spread extremist propaganda.
Shabelle Media: Muslim World League chief meets Somali scholars to discuss extremism
Muslim World League Secretary-General Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa has met senior Somali Islamic scholars in Mogadishu to discuss the role of religious leaders in countering extremist ideas.
Australia
SBS News: Muslim schoolgirl called a ‘terrorist’ during racist tirade on Sydney bus
A Muslim teenager was subjected to a stream of racist abuse on a Sydney bus after, according to her mother, she confronted a man she believed was photographing another schoolgirl.
A seized phone belonging to a man arrested at Melbourne airport allegedly contained violent extremist material including videos showing beheadings, a Melbourne court has heard. Australian Federal Police today charged 30-year-old Mohammad Ahmadzai, from Roxburgh Park in Melbourne’s outer-north, with possessing violent extremist material, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
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