CEP Senior Director Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler interviewed for story on the ISIS threat in Germany during the European Football 2024 UEFA European Football Championship.

"“Berlin – Visually, the poster is reminiscent of pixelated 3D shooting games from the 90s: A man in camouflage clothing and with a machine gun stands in a stylized football stadium. Above it in broken English is the sentence: "Score the last goal" - and three possible targets: Berlin, Dortmund and Munich . The message of this and numerous other images in the radical Islamist propaganda magazine Stimme von Khorasan is nothing less than a call for terrorist attacks during the 2024 European Championships in Germany. […] "IS wants to exploit Moscow's momentum," believes terrorism expert Hans-Jakob Schindler from the Counter Extremism Project (CEP). At the end of March, more than 130 people were killed in a terrorist attack on an event center near Moscow . Immediately after the attack, IS released a long speech as an audio recording. The message: Europe is the next target. "They want to show that they are active and are now putting it into action," explains Schindler.”

CEP Senior Director Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler interviewed: "Tragic events with a connection to the European Championship - but no cause for concern for terrorism expert Hans-Jakob Schindler. "The incidents are within the range of what was to be expected," he emphasizes. Such acts are difficult to prevent."

"Today's guest on the "Alles Muss Raus" podcast is Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler from the Counter Extremism Project. Together with his colleagues, he pursues the goal of countering threats from extremist ideologies. In today's interview, Thilo wants to know from him how Germany has prepared for possible attacks. Should people be worried when they go to a soccer stadium or should they even stay at home? Is it possible to enjoy this year's European Championship in your own country? Dr. Schindler gives the all-clear - according to the expert, the European Championship is very well protected against possible attacks. The police and security apparatus have been preparing for possible dangers for months. Nevertheless, Thilo has an oppressive feeling. Could people want to imitate the Mannheim attacker? How safe are other major events, such as the Fusion Festival, which Thilo will be attending again this year? He also wonders how to prepare for an attack if the worst comes to the worst. How do civilians recognize terror?"

“Footage has now come through of the moment police confronted an attacker at the Euro 2024 Championship earlier this afternoon. The clip shows the individual, dressed in black, holding an axe in one hand and what appears to be a Molotov cocktail in the other. The individual shouts at officers deployed in Hamburg’s Reppenbahm district before he is doused in pepper spray. Turning away from the spray, the attacker then heads off down the street in the opposite direction. […] Experts have recently said how the championship has presented an exceptionally ‘complex security challenge’ as authorities seek to monitor and contain a wide variety of different threats. Dr Hans-Jakob Schindler has identified terrorism, hooliganism and far-right violence as some of the most pressing concerns at present.”

"Dr Hans-Jakob Schindler identified terrorism, hooliganism and far-right violence as being among the red flags for police and security services.  

The former terror analyst for the German government told Metro.co.uk that ISIS and other Islamic extremist groups present a resurgent threat.

Drone and ‘lone actor’ attacks are also part of the matrix, he said."

""Everyone is going to look at Germany during those couple of weeks when we have the championship here," Hans-Jakob Schindler of the Counter Extremism Project told DW.

"That means our adversaries are going to try to do whatever they can to disrupt this."

Fears of a terrorist attack on the Euros have increased since an attack on a concert hall in Moscow earlier this year claimed by an offshoot of the so-called "Islamic State" group left 145 people dead. A threat subsequently published in an IS propaganda magazine suggested the Euros tournament was a target. Still, Schindler said the public nature of that threat makes it less likely that a coordinated attack is planned."

"The AfD’s woes – also including spying claims against a Krah aide and a police raid on number-two candidate Petr Bystron – mean its campaign is 'pretty much collapsing', said Hans-Jakob Schindler of the Counter Extremism Project.

The usual far-right strategy is to 'point out the inefficiencies of the system, link that to what they call an uncontrolled immigration problem, and essentially undermine trust in the established institutions', he told The National."

CEP Senior Director Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler and CEP Senior Research Analyst Sofia Koller interviewed: "With the destruction of the "IS Caliphate" in 2017, one danger seemed to have been averted. But the terrorist organization's attacks continue. This is demonstrated by the attack on a concert hall near Moscow. The money that "IS" needs for this also comes from Germany."

“Interview with Hans-Jakob Schindler on AFD in Germany.”