(New York, N.Y. / Berlin) – Despite a reduction of Islamist terror attacks in Europe, both ISIS and al-Qaeda networks continue to operate successfully in several regions: a suicide attack by the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISIS-K) against the Russian embassy in Kabul on September 5 killed two embassy staff members and a number of Taliban security guards; a siege of a upscale hotel in Mogadishu, Somalia in August by al-Qaeda affiliate al-Shabaab killed at least 30 individuals and injured at least 50; a string of arrests by the Indonesian security forces dismantled cells of al-Qaeda affiliate Jemaah Islamiyah during the past two years, reportedly culminating in the death of the group’s deputy leader in March; an ISIS-led attack on al-Hasakah prison in Northeast Syria in January freed a number of ISIS fighters, some of which are still at large; and finally, frequent attacks on vital supply lines in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Nigeria by ISIS and al-Qaeda affiliates in recent months further deteriorated the regional security situation.
This Counter Extremism Project (CEP) webinar will analyze the current status, capacities, and capabilities of ISIS and al-Qaeda globally and in Europe, including Germany, and will outline the current level of threat posed by these global terror networks.
Three of the most eminent experts on this subject will present their analysis of the situation:
Ambassador Edmund Fitton-Brown is the former coordinator of the ISIL, al-Qaida and Taliban Monitoring Team. In this role he advised the U.N. Security Council on the threat posed by these organizations and on the development of global counterterrorism sanctions.
Dr. Gerhard Conrad is the former director of EU INTCEN and currently serves as the intelligence advisor to the Munich Security Conference. Due to his long experience in the intelligence and diplomatic field, including as a special mediator for U.N. General Secretary Kofi Annan, he delivers education on intelligence and politics for members of German intelligence and security services and is a visiting professor with King’s College, London, and Sciences Po, Paris.
Dr. Guido Steinberg is a leading German terrorism analyst and in his role at the Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP) advises the German government on security and terrorism related issues. Dr. Steinberg also regularly provides expertise in terrorism trials in Germany, Europe, and the United States.
The event will be held in English via Zoom on
Thursday, September 22, 2022, at 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. ET / 15:00 to 16:30 CET
The agenda is as follows:
Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler, senior director, CEP
Opening remarks and moderator
Amb. Edmund Fitton-Brown, former coordinator, ISIL (Da’esh), al-Qaida and Taliban Monitoring Team, U.N. Security Council and member of the CEP Advisory Board
Current status of global threat of ISIS and al-Qaeda
Dr. Gerhard Conrad, former director EU INTCEN, intelligence advisor Munich Security Conference (MSC) and member of the CEP Advisory Board
Current threat posed by ISIS and al-Qaeda to Europe and EU security structures
Dr. Guido Steinberg, senior fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) and member of the CEP Advisory Board
Current threat posed by ISIS and al-Qaeda to Germany
Participants will have the opportunity to discuss the issues with the speakers following their respective presentations in a Q&A segment. Please feel free to share this invitation with colleagues.
If you like to participate in this webinar, please register via the following link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_MQfBT6wSRLuHAA2vO5Cdng
This virtual event is part of a series of CEP global terrorism threat assessments. For previous webinars in this series see the virtual events in April 2020, March 2021, September 2021, and March 2022.
You will receive the login details after the approval of your registration. Please register up to 1 hour prior to the start of the event. Thank you.