CLARION PROJECT 05/13/2021

 

The Extremism Roundup Promoting Civil Discourse and Marginalizing the Extremes A weekly compilation of the most important developments in the struggle against radical ideologies

Islamist & Anti-Muslim Extremism  Chris McGrath/Getty Images   LAW ENFORCEMENT Anti-Government Militiamen Sought to Ally with Hamas A member of the “Boogaloo Bois” anti-government movement from Minnesota has pled guilty to charges related to a plot with a co-conspirator to sell weapons to Hamas for use against U.S. troops and Israel. The two Boogaloo Bois planned to use the funding from Hamas to set up a compound and launch terrorist attacks on American soil. The two anti-government terrorists were prosecuted after communicating with an undercover FBI agent who posed as a Hamas member. The Boogaloo Bois discussed killing police officers, attacking a National Guard Armory, bombing a courthouse and assassinating Senators and white supremacists.  Clarion Intelligence Network has observed numerous anti-government extremists and white supremacists online who profess their affinity for Hamas, Hezbollah and other Islamist terrorist groups, even though they simultaneously talk about fighting Muslims in the U.S. INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING CAIR Angry Over Biden’s Muslim Judicial Nominee The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), which the Justice Department has described as a Muslim Brotherhood entity, is upset that the Biden Administration has nominated a Muslim to serve as a federal judge without their input. The director of CAIR’s San Francisco Bay Area chapter, Zahra Billoo, tried to raise concern about nominee Zahid N. Quraishi for serving in the U.S. Army and suggested he could share responsibility for torturing of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib. CAIR and the broader Islamist network in America seeks to stop the rise of any Muslim who could challenge their self-proclaimed leadership of the Muslim-American community. However, a 2011 poll found that only about 12 percent of Muslim-Americans say CAIR is the group that most represents them, and there are good reasons to believe that percentage has decreased since then. INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING Stones and Eggs Thrown at Muslims Outside London Mosque At least five Muslims who were outside of a London mosque were struck by stones and eggs thrown from a vehicle driving by. Witnesses believe there were four people inside the car. Clarion Project’s Ryan Mauro has explained on Fox News that ISIS’ strategy in Europe is to provoke anti-Muslim extremism, believing that it would force Muslims into their arms.   LAW ENFORCEMENT Knife Attack Targets Virginia Mosque A man in Falls Church, Va. has been arrested after trying to stab a security guard at the Dar al-Hijrah Islamic Center and then appeared to try to attack other Muslims nearby.  A witness said that he made anti-Muslim comments during the attack. Alt-Right & Alt-Left Extremism @MrAndyNgo, Twitter INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING Florida: Antifa Extremist Found Guilty of Plotting Attacks on Trump Supporters An Alt-Left extremist in Tallahassee, Fla. has been found guilty of planning to attack Trump supporters. The self-proclaimed Antifa supporter and anarchist served in the U.S. Army but was expelled for going AWOL in 2007 before a deployment to Iraq. In 2017, he traveled to Syria to join Kurdish forces fighting ISIS. In 2020, he participated in Antifa’s creation of the “CHAZ/CHOP” zone in Seattle and gave recommendations on how to attack police officers. He also talked about violently targeting military personnel and opponents he considers to be “fascists” in hopes of provoking a civil war. The Antifa group “Atlanta Anti-Fascists” expressed its support for the convicted terrorist. INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING Antisemitic Group Announces Purchase of Land in Colorado for Black Commune An antisemitic anarchist group named “Black Hammer” claims it has purchased 200 acres in the mountains of Colorado to build a commune for “colonized people only” named “Hammer City.” The group also supports the destruction of Israel and condemns Anne Frank as a “colonizer.” It even said they’d burn copies of Anne Frank’s diary to keep warm. Black Hammer says it “supports armed revolutionary struggle” and overthrowing the U.S. government. Its membership manual tells members to prepare to use weapons “for self-defense as well as offense.”   Black Hammer expresses support for Communist China and North Korea. It condemns liberalism and derides former President Obama as a “NeoColonialist.”  INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING Neo-Nazi Flyers Distributed in Wisconsin Neighborhoods Residents in Wisconsin’s Greene County woke up to find plastic bags on their lawns with flyers advertising a neo-Nazi group. The flyers promoted New Order, a neo-Nazi group headquartered in Milwaukee. LAW ENFORCEMENT Other Alt-Right Prosecutions In Texas, at least one white supremacist was among the six arrested with $100,000 worth of drugs. The group was also in possession of firearms and military-grade body armor.  A neo-Nazi member of the National Socialist Club-131 from Maine was arrested in New Hampshire on child pornography charges. Members of the group participated in the January 6 attack on the Capitol building. Two members of the white supremacist Aryan Circle gang from Houston and Tyler, Texas, pled guilty to assaulting another member who wanted to join a different gang. They also pled guilty to selling methamphetamine and high-caliber firearms to felons.  France arrested three members of the “Honor and Nation” neo-Nazi terrorist group who were planning to bomb a masonic lodge. The arrests come as concerns are rising about Nazi sympathizers in the French military, as well as the military and security services of Germany.  Hostile Foreign Influence Operations Alex Wong/Getty Images INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING Qatar Expands Lobbying In the U.S Qatar, a state sponsor of extremism and terrorism, increased its spending on lobbying by almost $200,000 every month since January. Seven additional firms were hired, with at least five of the firms having known relationships with Democrats on the Senate and House Foreign Affairs Committees. Over a dozen lobbying firms were already working for Qatar. It is likely that the Qatari regime will use its special interests in Washington, D.C. to push for a softer policy toward Iran and a tougher policy toward Israel, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and other Arab rivals. INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING Marine Corps Adviser Featured in Communist Chinese Propaganda A science advisor to the U.S. Marine Corps who served in Iraq wrote an op-ed for a Chinese Communist newspaper known for anti-American propaganda. The article blamed the U.S. and Taiwan for tensions with the Communist Chinese regime and predicted that the U.S. will lose a war with China if it tries to defend Taiwan from invasion.  Other Ideological Extremism Greg Nash-Pool/Getty Images LAW ENFORCEMENT Violent Threats to Congress Have Doubled Violent threats toward members of Congress are already at more than double the amount that occurred over the entire course of 2020, according to the Capitol Police.   The Capitol Police are described as “understaffed and overtaxed.”  INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY Russia Suspected of Attacking U.S. Personnel with Energy Weapons The intelligence community considers Russia’s GRU military-intelligence agency to be the top suspect for apparent directed-energy attacks on U.S. government personnel. The apparent attacks were first noticed in Cuba in 2016. Since then, at least five suspected attacks have taken place on U.S. soil, including in Miami, Arlington, Alexandria and right near the White House. Dozens of U.S. diplomats, government personnel, intelligence operatives and military servicemen have been reportedly attacked around the world.  The attacks can cause long-term illnesses and impairments, including permanent brain damage.  QUOTABLE “We must never remain silent in the face of bigotry. We must condemn those who seek to divide us. In all quarters and at all times, we must teach tolerance and denounce racism, antisemitism and all ethnic or religious bigotry wherever they exist as unacceptable evils. We have no place for haters in America -- none, whatsoever.” -Ronald Reagan (1984) NOTE TO OUR READERS: We have pulled out the salient points of the articles in this newsletter to keep you informed and focused on the most relevant, important and timely news in national security and extremism. While our national security experts stand behind the summary bullets and deem them trustworthy, Clarion Project does not endorse all the views expressed in the articles linked.

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