Eye on Extremism: September 15, 2026
Top Stories
Associated Press: As the last US troops pack up in Iraq, militias signal their weapons will stay
Two deadlines are looming for Iraq at the end of the month: the end of a decades-long U.S. military presence and the disarmament of non-state armed groups. The U.S. withdrawal is underway, and officials say the hundreds of troops remaining in northern Iraq will be out by the Sept. 30 deadline.
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
The World: German police arrest suspect in case of apparent climate extremism
Police in Germany apprehended a man last week suspected of planning and carrying out sabotage against the country’s electricity network. Authorities say the 48-year-old suspect’s apparent motive was to draw attention to fossil fuels and the climate crisis. The case is raising questions about a form of politically motivated violence that some are calling “climate terrorism” or “climate extremism.” The World’s Marco Werman learned more from Hans-Jakob Schindler, senior director at The Counter Extremism Project.
Analysis
Homeland Security Today: France’s Antisemitism Data Should Be Treated as a Security Warning
France recorded 1,320 antisemitic acts in 2025 (two-thirds aimed at people, with violence above the 2024 level), and a suspected plot against a synagogue now sits in a terrorism file. Read together, those records trace a targeting environment, not only a prejudice problem.
United States
CNN: Concerns about bigotry in GOP ranks come roaring back with a Texas candidate’s new racist posts
For a brief period last year, portions of the Republican Party seemed to recognize that their party had racism and antisemitism problems in their midst that needed to be reckoned with. Then, prompted by Vice President JD Vance, they largely dropped the subject. But now those concerns have come roaring pack, thanks to public comments from influential figures and disclosures about more private activities of staffers.
Washington Post: GOP nominee for Florida House marched with neo-Nazis
A Republican nominee to Florida’s state legislature marched alongside white supremacists at the deadly 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville. Marshall Rawson, 34, won the Republican primary for Florida House District 10 on Aug. 18 with about 55 percent of the vote. And he is heavily favored to win his race in the strongly Republican district.
CBS News: FBI believed Pennsylvania man was planning attack in support of ISIS
A Pittsburgh-area man is facing a terrorism-related charge after the FBI believed he was planning an attack in support of ISIS. According to the criminal complaint, Jonathan Kramer of Valencia was arrested outside a hotel in Cranberry where he allegedly paid cash to stay for a week.
A 21-year-old man is facing a federal charge after allegedly obtaining a firearm and ammunition that investigators say he knew — or had reason to believe — would be used in support of a terror attack on behalf of ISIS.
Times of Israel: Pink says standing up for Jews has been ‘lonelier’ than she expected
Pink said Friday that “standing up for my own people” had proven even lonelier than she had expected, as she explained why she had criticized Macklemore’s recent pro-Palestinian performance at an Ed Sheeran concert and pushed back at assumptions about her views on Israel.
Far-right activist Jake Lang led a march last week protesting Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s presence at the 9/11 25th anniversary memorial ceremony. The protest attracted swastika-sporting men describing themselves as Nazis; they were there to counterprotest Lang, whose mother is Jewish.
Associated Press: Mahmoud Khalil lawsuit says Columbia failed to protect pro-Palestinian activists
Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil sued Columbia University on Monday, alleging it failed to address harassment against him and other members of a pro-Palestinian campus group and retaliated against them when they reported it.
Macklemore has been dropped from the remainder of singer Ed Sheeran’s U.S. tour after several venues objected to hosting the rapper, according to the tour’s promoter, following the rapper’s chants of “Free Palestine” and comments and imagery on Gaza during two recent opening sets for Sheeran.
Macklemore claimed Monday the Jewish NFL owner Robert Kraft pressured Ed Sheeran to drop him from his tour after pro-Palestinian elements of his show. The “Thrift Shop” rapper issued a self-aggrandizing statement in which he painted himself as a victim of a conspiracy to silence critics of Israel – claiming Kraft masterminded the whole thing.
WSMV 4: Antisemitic graffiti found at popular East Nashville park
Metro Parks employees covered up antisemitic graffiti, including a swastika, found at Cornelia Fort Airpark in East Nashville. The Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville says the graffiti reflects a broader rise in antisemitism, noting Jewish people make up 2% of the population but account for 69% of hate crimes.
Fox 5 KUSI: Deputies investigate reported antisemitic vandalism in Imperial Beach
Two homes were vandalized with antisemitic graffiti in Imperial Beach on Saturday, according to law enforcement. San Diego County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the 100 block of Elm Avenue around 2:30 p.m. after a victim reported a swastika and antisemitic graffiti on their home’s exterior. Deputies additionally responded to a second home later that evening, at 700 Seacoast Drive, also marked with a swastika and antisemitic messaging on their window.
ABC 7: Man in custody after 14-year-old congregant slashed inside Brooklyn synagogue: police
A man was taken into custody after a teen congregant was slashed inside a synagogue in Brooklyn on Monday. Police say they received a 911 call around 7:20 p.m. for an emotionally disturbed person inside a synagogue located at 1675 54th St. in Borough Park.
WDIV 4: Police recover 19 firearms from man who made Islamophobic threats outside Troy library
A 79-year-old Troy man is facing multiple charges after allegedly making threats of violence against four men offering to discuss Islam with the public outside the library on Saturday. Investigators say the man told the victims that he hates Muslims, and reportedly threatened to kill them with a firearm. When police arrived, the man was carrying the loaded weapon and he was arrested without incident.
Canada
Since Hamas’s terror attack on the Supernova Sukkot Gathering (known as the Nova Music Festival) and on residents of several kibbutzim in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 — which killed 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage — incidents of antisemitism in Canada rose dramatically.
A 27-year-old man from Stoney Creek was arrested and charged last Wednesday with multiple hate crimes following an investigation into antisemitic online content by the Hamilton Police Hate Crime Unit.
Haaretz: Mezuzahs Smashed at Canadian Jewish University Over Rosh Hashanah, Students Say
A statement by Hillel Ontario and StandWithUs Canada said that students from Wilfrid Laurier University returned to their dorms after Rosh Hashanah only to realize they were 'targeted with antisemitic hatred' as some of the mezuzahs vandalized
Niagara candidates in the upcoming Ontario municipal elections are being surveyed on their views on race-related topics that the Niagara Region Anti-Racism Association considers priorities. In its first such survey of municipal candidates, the association has reached out to hundreds of people running for city and town councils, and school board trustee positions to question them on five topics.
Law Times: Jewish lawyers’ group decries LSO inaction on antisemitism at TMU
The Canadian Jewish Law Association (CJLA) has criticized the Law Society of Ontario (LSO) for its response to the Benotto report on antisemitism at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) and called for regulatory and governmental oversight of the university’s Lincoln Alexander School of Law.
France
Brussels Times: Frenchman tells court he has given up religious extremism
French jihadist Othman Garrido appeared before a Paris court on Monday, accused of acting as an Islamic State executioner in Syria and Iraq, among other charges. The Frenchman is being prosecuted in connection with the murders of two Iranians during a public execution in Syria in 2015.
Germany
Deutsche Welle: SPD governor campaigns as one-woman bulwark against AfD
Manuela Schwesig, of the center-left SPD, has governed the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, on the Baltic Sea coast, since 2017. Ahead of this weekend's election, she is campaigning against the nationalist AfD.
Arutz Sheva: German Jewish group: ‘Firewall’ against AfD must also apply to extremism on the left
The Jewish German organization WerteInitiative - jüdisch-deutsche Positionen e.V. has issued an open letter to Berlin's democratic parties, arguing that the political “firewall” used to exclude the AfD from government cooperation must also apply to extremism on the political Left.
Greece
AFP: Prominent Greek neo-Nazi exits prison, vows return to politics
The former spokesman of Greek neo-Nazi party Golden Dawn, Ilias Kasidiaris, was released from prison Tuesday and vowed a return to politics, having already drawn attention from Elon Musk. Kasidiaris, 45, had been handed a 13-year sentence as a leading member of the violent outfit that for years carried out beatings of migrants and political opponents, and the 2013 murder of anti-fascist rapper Pavlos Fyssas.
Poland
Politico: MEPs lift immunity from Polish far-right leader charged with Holocaust denial
Members of the European Parliament voted Tuesday to waive the parliamentary immunity of far-right MEP Grzegorz Braun, who is facing Holocaust denial charges in Poland.
United Kingdom
A nurse was given a Nazi salute by an NHS colleague after he discovered she was Jewish, an investigation has claimed. The case is among a series of allegations of anti-Semitic abuse involving Jewish patients and staff in the health service, detailed in a new documentary by the Campaign Against Antisemitism.
MyLondon: Three Jewish schoolboys, 14, attacked on North London bus
A police investigation is underway after three 14-year-old schoolboys were attacked on a bus in North London. On the morning of Thursday, September 10, the trio were verbally assaulted on a bus around Sanders Lane, Mill Hill, officers say, while two reported also being physically assaulted.
Middle East
Deutsche Welle: Saudi Arabia faces hard choices as Houthis gain in Yemen
Saudi Arabia is being increasingly affected by the rapidly escalating conflict across its southern border in Yemen, where the Iran-backed Houthis are fighting Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces. Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia injured another 13 people on Monday night bringing the total number of people injured since the conflict escalated in July to about 100.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan International: Taliban Seeks Kyrgyzstan’s Support At UN Security Council
Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi spoke by phone with Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Jeenbek Kulubaev and asked Bishkek to support the Taliban at the UN Security Council. Kyrgyzstan will serve on the council in 2027–28.
Afghanistan International: Former Taliban Leader Sought Talks With ISIS, Says The Group Spokesperson
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid says former Taliban leader Akhtar Mohammad Mansour sought talks with ISIS and instructed him to exchange messages by email with the group’s spokesman.
Amu TV: Taliban morality police detain three women in Herat, residents say
Taliban morality enforcers detained three women in the western city of Herat over accusations that they were not wearing clothing that complied with Taliban requirements, residents told Amu TV on Tuesday. The women were detained this weekend on Herat’s Lailami Road, according to residents. One of the women was later released after a guarantee was provided on her behalf, while the other two remained in custody, the sources said.
Amu TV: Taliban forces detain head, members of Shiite commission in Kabul, sources say
Taliban forces detained the head and several members of a commission representing Afghanistan’s Shiite community after surrounding its office in Kabul, sources within the commission and Shiite representatives told Amu TV.
Gaza Strip/West Bank
Jerusalem Post: IDF kills Hamas battalion commander in northern Gaza strike
The IDF, in coordination with Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), killed the commander of Hamas's Jabaliya Battalion in a strike in the northern Gaza Strip on Monday night, the military announced on Tuesday.
Iran
The Islamic Republic has signaled it will begin hunting dissidents and critics abroad with new momentum after state media announced on Monday the launch of the monitoring and intelligence system “Elaaj,” the same day Iranians who signed up for “Janfada” (self-sacrifice campaign) received an invitation to begin military training.
Israel
Police and the Shin Bet announced on Tuesday the recent arrest of a 19-year-old from the central Arab town of Kafr Qasim on suspicion of planning a terror attack.
Lebanon
Times of Israel: Troops near border in Lebanon locate Hezbollah rocket launcher, projectiles — IDF
Troops operating on the Lebanese side of Mount Dov located a Hezbollah rocket launcher and several projectiles, the military says. The IDF says the rockets were found yesterday by troops of the 810th “Mountains” Regional Brigade during scans of Mount Dov, in the military’s south Lebanon buffer zone.
Jerusalem Post: Lebanon seeks UN-backed replacement for UNIFIL as US opposes mandate extension
The Lebanese government is pressing members of the UN Security Council to establish a multinational force that would replace the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which currently serves as a buffer between Israeli and Lebanese forces and whose mandate is set to expire at the end of the year, two Western diplomats told The Jerusalem Post.
Turkey
For decades, Iran has been at the center of international security debates over state sponsorship of terrorism, support for armed proxy organizations, and threats to U.S. interests in the Middle East. Since the 1979 Iranian Revolution, the country has developed networks of political, religious, intelligence, and security influence well beyond its borders. In the Middle East, Tehran has supported armed groups and proxy organizations as instruments of regional power, while also seeking political and ideological influence in countries with significant Shia communities. Iranian influence activities have extended even further, including into Europe and other Western countries.
Yemen
Reuters: Houthis strike Saudi targets anew as talks over Strait of Hormuz stall
Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis launched a new wave of attacks on Saudi Arabia and were digging into positions on the western coast of Yemen along the Red Sea, Yemeni officials said, as urgent deliberations took place in Riyadh over how to respond to their lightning advance. Meanwhile, Gulf Arab states postponed planned talks with Iran, raising concerns the Middle East conflict could spread further and threaten global oil supplies.
The Houthis’ rapid advance toward one of the world’s most important shipping chokepoints is putting fresh scrutiny on the sprawling financial network that has helped transform the Iran-backed group from a Yemeni insurgency into a heavily armed regional power capable of threatening global trade.
Australia
The Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia has condemned alleged verbal abuse hurled at a 13-year-old girl, who was called an “immigrant mutt” and a “terrorist” on a Sydney bus last week. The 50-year-old man, who was charged on Tuesday, appeared in videos of the incident obtained by the ABC allegedly telling another girl, “I can’t wait until they kill all of you.”
Guardian: Australia’s outdated technology is vulnerable to AI hacking attacks, signals chief says
One of Australia’s top intelligence agencies has warned that AI attacks could exploit the country’s old technology, as the government negotiates its guardrails on artificial intelligence’s rapid development.
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