Counter Extremism Project
The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) is a non-profit non-governmental organization that combats extremist groups "by pressuring financial support networks, countering the narrative of extremists and their online recruitment, and advocating for strong laws, policies and regulations".[1]
Formation
September 22, 2014
Combat extremist groups
CEP was formally launched on 22 September 2014, by former senior government officials, including former the Homeland Security adviser Frances Townsend, former Connecticut Senator Joseph Lieberman and Mark Wallace, a former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Other senior members of CEP include Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler and Ambassador Edmund Fitton-Brown, both of whom served as coordinators for U.N. Sanctions Monitoring teams.[2]
The mission of the organization is to fight global extremism, with an initial goal of disrupting the financing and online recruitment and propaganda of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS).[3] The group is modeled on United Against Nuclear Iran, an advocacy group led by Wallace which has had success increasing economic pressure on the Islamic Republic of Iran.[4] Other prominent board members include Gary Samore, August Hanning, Dennis Ross and Irwin Cotler.[5]
CEP is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. It can accept tax-deductible contributions on a confidential basis. For security reasons, CEP generally declines to name its financial backers, except for Thomas Kaplan, a billionaire investor who also supports United Against Nuclear Iran.[6]
Global Youth Summit Against Violent Extremism[edit]
On 28 September 2015, CEP co-hosted the first Global Youth Summit Against Violent Extremism with the U.S. Department of State and Search for Common Ground at The Roosevelt Hotel in New York City.[11] The event "drew more than 80 youth leaders from 45 countries with the objective of developing outreach and social-media intervention initiatives that can be shared globally".[12] Senior U.S. government officials who addressed the attendees included the U.S. Homeland Security Advisor Lisa Monaco, the Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Richard Stengel, and the Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights Sarah Sewall.[13] The summit also used presentations from Facebook and Microsoft.[14][15] A panel of judges at the summit awarded $100,000 to youth activist programs it believed would have the greatest impact.[14]
NORex[edit]
In June 2016, CEP unveiled a software tool for use by Internet and social media companies to "quickly find and eliminate extremist content used to spread and incite violence and attacks". A CEP senior advisor. Hany Farid, a computer scientist who specializes in the forensic analysis of digital images, developed the software. It functions similarly to PhotoDNA, a system that uses robust hashing technology that Farid worked on developing with Microsoft, which is "now widely used by Internet companies to stop the spread of content showing sexual exploitation or pornography involving children".[16][17]
To operate this new technology to combat extremism, CEP proposed the creation of a National Office for Reporting Extremism (NORex), which would house a comprehensive database of extremist content and function similar to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. President Obama supported this initiative. Lisa Monaco, Obama's top counterterrorism adviser, said, "We welcome the launch of initiatives such as the Counter Extremism Project's National Office for Reporting Extremism that enables companies to address terrorist activity on their platforms and better respond to the threat posed by terrorists' activities online."[18] Wallace stated that if this system were to be adopted by social media companies and the private sector, it "would go a long way to making sure that online extremism is no longer pervasive".[16]
Extremism database[edit]
CEP’s website contains an extensive database of extremist individuals and groups, from the extreme right, left and Islamist spheres, which is regularly updated. The database contains long-form, analytical reports, as well as shorter analysis, blog pieces and commentaries. The research regularly appears in the media and is cited by governments and government organisations. In 2020, the U.S. Library of Congress elected to archive the CEP website in recognition of its status as an important online resource.[31]
Leaked emails[edit]
In 2017, GlobaLeaks obtained information allegedly originating from the email account of Yousef Al Otaiba, revealing a relationship between Otaiba, the UAE government, CEP and United Against Nuclear Iran. CEP and UANI are both led by Mark Wallace, who was employed as a senior adviser of The Electrum Group LLC by its chairman, Thomas Kaplan, the UANI’s top donor. Kaplan also maintains business relations with the UAE.[32][33]
The claimed leaks revealed that in January 2015, Frances Townsend wrote an email to Otaiba for arranging meeting with the UAE President, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Both CEP and UANI have also been alleged of continuously running campaigns against the Emirati rivals like Iran and Qatar on the request of the UAE. CEP was also supported by The Harbour Group’s managing director, Richard Mintz, who served as an adviser to the UAE government for 7 years.[34] Based on the emails, it has also been claimed that CEP receives funding from foreign governments like the UAE and Saudi Arabia. [35]