Eye on Extremism: September 29, 2026
Top Stories
Reuters: US forces exit Iraq after two decades, leaving opening for Iran
US forces are set to pull out from their last bases in Iraq by Wednesday, a departure celebrated as a victory by Iran and its allies who now have deep influence in the country where 4,500 Americans died during more than two decades of war.
RFI: Le Pen ally Bardella sues over antisemitism claims, alleges ‘total war’
“We are seeing the beginnings of a total war, an attempt to destabilise the presidential campaign,” National Rally (RN) leader Bardella, flanked by Le Pen, told party deputies on Tuesday. He denounced what he called a bid to “kill my political career,”, with the allegations published by the investigative website Mediapart, which he has denied.
Analysis
Inkstick Media: The Seditionist: The Rise and Fall of an American White Nationalist
On a sunny day in April 1981, the Grand Dragon of the Texas Knights of the Ku Klux Klan strolled along outside of a United States federal courthouse with the confidence of someone who had no plans to see the inside of a prison cell. Louis Ray Beam Jr. was wearing checkered pants, a salmon pink button-up, and a dark blue tie, and although he surrendered himself to the criminal justice system without the fight to the death he so often promised, the 34-year-old Klan leader struck a defiant note with the press.
Homeland Security Today: New Report Examines Growing Impact of Terrorism and Extremism on Children
A new report published by the McCain Institute at Arizona State University examines how terrorism and violent extremism affect children—and why the consequences extend beyond immediate security concerns to human rights, democratic resilience and global stability.
Lawfare: The AI Threat We’re Not Talking About
Large language models. Artificial general intelligence. Sentience. The singularity. All terms that a few years ago were barely in the lexicon. Now that they’re becoming commonplace in discussions about artificial intelligence (AI), it’s important to introduce one more.
Wired: Meta-Led Anti-Terrorism Group Faces Mass Resignation of Expert Advisers
Meta and other tech giants are pushing through structural changes at the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism that outside researchers allege will weaken oversight of an already embattled consortium.
United States
Gloucestershire police arrested five men on suspicion of terror offenses near RAF Fairford in England after a local farmer reported suspicious activity. Retired two-star Marine Corps Gen. Arnold Punaro joins ‘America Reports’ to analyze the potential national security threat, discussing the likelihood of foreign state proxies targeting the military facility during a period of heightened geopolitical tensions.
Not enough is being done to address the growing problem of Jew-hatred on college campuses, according to a report that the bipartisan U.S. Commission on Civil Rights released on Monday.
Sen. Chuck Schumer labeled people who don’t think Israel should exist as a Jewish state are antisemites — a definition that could include Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed. Schumer, the Senate’s Democratic minority leader, dropped the assessment during a New York Public Library Event in May 2025, where he discussed his book, “Antisemitism in America, A Warning.”
New Haven Register: Connecticut man gets more than 7 years in prison for attempting to join ISIS
A West Haven man will serve more than seven years in prison after providing material support to ISIS and attempting to join the terrorist organization, officials say. In a release, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut David Sullivan said Ahmad Khalil Elshazly, 29, was sentenced in federal court in New Haven on Monday to 92 months of imprisonment and a lifetime of supervised release for attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, a designated foreign terrorist organization.
Tensions flared in downtown Greensboro as a group of white supremacist demonstrators marched in downtown Greensboro. On Sunday at about 3:30 p.m., a group of people dressed in black and wearing face masks, dark glasses and hats marched down North Eugene Street and the surrounding area, near Fisher Park. One person was carrying the Confederate Battle Flag. Another was carrying the first flag of North Carolina, which was adopted after joining the Confederacy.
Local Jewish leaders are urging officials with Montgomery County Public Schools to do more to combat antisemitism.
JTA: Why is Karl Rove supporting a progressive Jewish candidate in Texas?
Progressive Jewish Texas state Sen. Jon Rosenthal has earned an unusual distinction: He is the first Democrat to win the vote of GOP guru Karl Rove in more than 30 years. What did the only Jew serving in the Texas state house do to earn this distinction? It’s more what he didn’t do: run for statewide office with a track record of spewing racially charged and antisemitic comments.
CBS News: School board member defends controversial Facebook post, says he was using “hyperbole”
A Beaver Area School District board member is facing calls to step down after a social media post that others are calling sexist and Islamophobic.
Canada
CBC: Toronto man convicted of participating in terrorist group activities has bail revoked
An Ontario judge has revoked the bail of a Toronto man convicted of participating in the activities of a terrorist group. Kristoffer Nippak, 33, was found guilty in Ontario Superior Court of Justice on Sept. 9 of producing recruitment and propaganda videos for the Atomwaffen Division, a now disbanded international neo-Nazi group that was designated a terrorist entity in Canada.
CBC: Saskatoon man sentenced to house arrest for inciting hatred against Jewish people
Moore, 45, was arrested last December after police investigated complaints about antisemitic comments on his account on X, formerly Twitter. He was also charged with wilfully promoting hatred, wilfully promoting antisemitism and unsafe storage of a firearm; those charges were stayed at the conclusion of his sentencing on Monday.
CBC: Lethbridge youth charged with terrorism offences related to violent online group 764
RCMP have charged a 17-year-old in Lethbridge, Alta., with multiple offences and say the teen's online activity was consistent with the designated terrorist group 764. The group is a transnational network of online predators targeting vulnerable youths with the goal of coercing victims to commit acts of self-harm as well as violence and abuse against others and animals, according to police.
The chief of a First Nation located in B.C.’s Interior is cautioning members to stay safe after what is being called a “white nationalist gathering” took place on their land Sunday. This warning comes after images circulated online Sunday appearing to show a group wearing facial coverings, sunglasses, and black clothing, gathered on Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc land.
Austria
An Israeli family was denied service at a restaurant in Bad Hofgastein, a town in Austria located in the Gastein Valley of Salzburg, because they were Jewish, Austrian newspaper Krone reported on Sunday.
Italy
The investigation by the Verona DIGOS began in the autumn of 2025 with the monitoring of white supremacist channels. The 17-year-old soon drew attention due to his marked ideological radicalization and a significant violent streak. He advocated for the “defense of the white race” and posted online propaganda linked to the notorious terrorist group Atomwaffen Division.
United Kingdom
Fox News: Rubio confirms ‘foreign actor’ involved in UK terror plot
Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that a recent thwarted terror plot near a United Kingdom military base used by the United States involved a “foreign actor,” linking the incident to global threats from adversaries such as Iran.
The Telegraph: Palestinian refugee scheme could fuel anti-Semitism, Mahmood warned
A new resettlement scheme for Palestinian refugees could fuel anti-Semitism in Britain, Jewish leaders have told Shabana Mahmood. During her Labour conference speech on Monday, the Home Secretary announced that the resettlement scheme – which was frozen two years ago – would be targeted at the most vulnerable refugees, with about a quarter of the places expected to be taken up by Palestinians and women and girls from Afghanistan.
TellMama: Anti-Muslim Hate Rises in UK as Mosque Vandal Pleads Guilty
Two separate incidents targeting mosques within days of each other have again put anti-Muslim hate at the centre of national attention, as fresh data confirms the trend is accelerating rather than easing. On 17 September, a Ukrainian national pleaded guilty to a graffiti campaign against five Muslim institutions in east London that investigators say was orchestrated by a Russian-linked network. That same week, Cornwall’s only mosque was rammed by a car and doused in oil in an attack now being investigated as racially aggravated criminal damage. Together, the two cases illustrate how anti-Muslim hate in the UK is being fuelled by both organised, externally-directed extremism and opportunistic local hostility.
Manchester Evening News: Primark security guard jailed for posting Islamic State propaganda videos
A Primark security guard has been jailed for posting propaganda videos for Islamic State, appearing masked in one of the clips armed with a large knife.
The Telegraph: Police were lectured about Farage in Islamophobia talk
Police officers were lectured about Nigel Farage in a publicly funded talk about Islamophobia, The Telegraph can reveal. Officers at a hate crime conference attended training sessions that compared the Reform UK leader’s opinions, specifically his doubts about young Muslims’ ability to subscribe to British values, to a racially aggravated offence.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan International: Taliban Detains 10 People Over Explosion At Governor’s Office In Ghor
Following the explosion at the Taliban governor’s office in Ghor, sources said Taliban forces detained at least 10 people over alleged involvement in the incident and tightened security across Firozkoh. Local sources told Afghanistan International that the Taliban had blocked roads leading to the governor’s office.
Afghanistan International: United Front Takes Responsibility For Ghor Governor’s Office Attack
The Afghanistan United Front claimed responsibility for the explosion at the Taliban governor’s office in Ghor. Sources said Taliban forces detained at least 10 people over alleged involvement in the attack. The Afghanistan United Front, led by Sami Sadat, has not yet released further details about the attack.
Kabul Tribune: Taliban Says Four Civilians Killed in Pakistani Airstrikes
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Thursday that four civilians were killed in Pakistani airstrikes on areas of Afghanistan’s Kandahar, Paktia and Khost provinces. Mujahid described the strikes as “brutal aggression” and said the Taliban would take a “firm position” against Pakistan’s military actions and provide an “appropriate response.”
Afghanistan International: 38 Opposition Fighters Have Been Killed In Nuristan, Says Taliban
Mohammad Hassan Saqib, the Taliban police spokesman in Nuristan, claimed that at least 38 opposition fighters were killed in three days of clashes in Kamdesh district. He said another 60-armed opponent were detained.
Atlas Press: Explosion reported at Taliban security post in Herat
An explosion was reported at a Taliban security post in the city of Herat, and the group confirmed the incident while releasing limited details. Local Taliban officials did not provide a clear explanation of the exact time, location or possible number of wounded. Syed Masoud Hosseini, spokesman for the Taliban police command in Herat, said initial investigations had been carried out and preliminary findings indicate the incident occurred “involuntarily and in connection with ammunition present at the site.” According to him, the explosion damaged the booth or security post.
8AM Media: Taliban Arrest Former Kandahar Anti-Narcotics Chief and His Son
Local sources say the Taliban have arrested Gul Mohammad Shukran, the former head of the anti-narcotics department in Kandahar under the previous government, and his son, Nazir Ahmad Shukran. Sources told the Hasht-e Subh Daily on Tuesday, September 29, that Gul Mohammad Shukran had been working at a private hospital in Kandahar city since the fall of the republic.
Gaza Strip/West Bank
Times of Israel: Hamas confirms death of Northern Gaza Brigade commander in Israeli strike
Hamas confirms the death of Izz al-Din al-Bik, the commander of the Northern Gaza Brigade in the terror group’s military wing, in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City overnight.
The arrest of a senior Hamas official on September 2 gave Israel tremendous intelligence which has helped create a spike in locating and assassinating other top Hamas officials, funds, and weapons, The Jerusalem Post has learned.
Times of Israel: Over 100 settlers attack West Bank village, block Palestinian family’s return home
More than 100 Israeli settlers rioted in the West Bank village of Jalud overnight Monday-Tuesday, preventing Israeli forces from enabling a displaced Palestinian family from returning to their home.
Iran
Fox News: Iran under scrutiny after plot foiled near UK base used by US military
Just days after left-wing British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband shook hands with the Islamic Republic of Iran’s top diplomat at the United Nations, U.K. authorities arrested five men with possible links to Tehran who allegedly sought to bomb a military base in Fairford used by American forces.
Iran International has obtained exclusive information and documents indicating that Mostafa Ahadi, a senior official in the IRGC Intelligence Organization, runs the organization’s corruption network in the sale of Iran’s oil.
Iran International: IRGC outlet accuses reformists of feeding Trump’s pressure campaign
Iranian reformists are helping sustain Washington’s pressure campaign by signaling that sanctions and other coercive measures are pushing Tehran toward negotiations and concessions, the IRGC-affiliated Fars news agency argued Monday.
Iraq
The first phase of interrogations for thousands of Islamic State (ISIS) detainees transferred from Syria in February is complete, an Iraqi judicial official told Rudaw on Monday, adding that testimonies from Yazidi survivors have been submitted to advance litigations on an individual basis.
Deutsche Welle: Iraq: US withdrawal leaves security questions
For Iraq’s government in Baghdad, September 30, 2026, marks the end of an era. “October 1 will be a new day in the course of the Iraqi state, with the country free of any foreign military presence and the completion of national sovereignty over its territory,” Iraq’s Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi said in a statement. The occasion will be celebrated as “Independence Day” with four official public holidays.
Israel
Times of Israel: Netanyahu: Enemies may be planning to attack Israel before election
There are suspicions that “enemies” may attempt to attack Israel ahead of the October 27 election, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claims during a visit to the Tel Nof air base.
Former defense minister Yoav Gallant said Sunday that Israel received a broad warning from Hamas before the terror group’s October 7, 2023, onslaught, but that security officials interpreted the message as relating to a possible prisoner exchange rather than preparations for an attack.
I24: Exclusive: Netanyahu orders preparation of ICC case against Erdogan over Kurds, Hamas funding
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered Israel’s inter-ministerial team and the Director of the International Law Department to begin preparing a legal case at the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over his treatment of Kurds and his funding of Hamas, i24NEWS learned on Sunday.
Lebanon
Times of Israel: Lebanese PM meets Rubio, stresses need for IDF withdrawal, Hezbollah disarmament
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Monday pushed for the further implementation of a framework agreement with Israel during his meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington.
Naharnet: European official says any European mission to back army in disarming Hezbollah
While the mission of the UNIFIL forces in southern Lebanon is expected to end late this year, a senior European diplomatic official confirmed on Tuesday that any European security mission in Lebanon will not replace UNIFIL. The diplomat also clarified to Al-Arabiya television that the proposed European security mission “will support the Lebanese Army in disarming Hezbollah.”
Naharnet: US Treasury Secretary urges Salam to ‘disrupt Iranian, Hezbollah finance networks’
U.S. Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent met Monday with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Finance Minister Jaber Yassine in Washington. Bessent said the meeting discussed the need for “decisive action to disrupt Iranian and Hezbollah financial networks” and the importance of key financial sector reforms to restore confidence in Lebanon’s banking system.
Syria
The New Arab: Syria says IS network dismantled across four provinces
India
A special NIA court in Delhi on Monday sentenced four operatives of the proscribed terrorist organisation ISIS in connection with the ‘Voice of Hind’ terror conspiracy case. Umar Nisar alias Qasim Khurasani (A-1), Rameez Ahmad Lone (A-2) and Tanveer Ahmad Bhat (A-3) have each been sentenced to six years of rigorous imprisonment, while Afshan Parvaiz Jarabi (A-5) has been sentenced to five years of rigorous imprisonment, along with fines of Rs 36,000, Rs 31,000, Rs 23,000 and Rs 9,000 respectively.
South Korea
Chosun Daily: University Student Sentenced for ISIS Allegiance, Bomb Plot
A university student who pledged allegiance to the Islamic extremist group ISIS (Islamic State) during high school and planned a bomb terror attack has been sentenced to a prison term. Judge Choi Ji-heon of the Chungju District Court’s Criminal Division 4 sentenced A (18 years old) to a prison term of up to 1 year and 6 months, with a minimum of 1 year, on September 29, on charges of violating the Anti-Terrorism Act for the Protection of the People and Public Safety.
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