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".
| Formation | September 22, 2014 |
|---|---|
| Type | NGO |
| Legal status | 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization |
| Purpose | Combat extremist groups |
| Location |
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CEO | Mark Wallace |
President | Frances Townsend |
| Website | www |
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.
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). 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. Other prominent board members include Gary Samore, August Hanning, Dennis Ross and Irwin Cotler.
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.