CLARION PROJECT 04/13/2021

 

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  Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING Islamist Terror Attack Targets D.C. Police, Killing 1 The terrorist, Noah Green, traveled from Indiana to commit a vehicular attack against Capitol police officers, crashing his vehicle into the barricade protecting the Capitol. He then brandished a knife and was shot and killed. One police officer died and one was injured. Capitol Police say it is currently believed that he was not on law enforcement’s radar. He identified himself as a “Follower of Farrakhan,” referring to the anti-American leader of Nation of Islam, who has repeatedly justified violence against U.S. law enforcement and other perceived enemies. Days later, Farrakhan and his group still have not condemned the attack or issued any kind of statement. Media reports are emphasizing reported mental health issues and personal difficulties faced by Green to explain the motivation for his attack. Last month, Green donated to Nation of Islam and publicly posted a Farrakhan video prophesying that Allah will destroy the U.S. and other apocalyptic videos. Several extremists influenced by Nation of Islam have carried out terrorist attacks on police in recent years.    INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING New Book Reveals How Jihadists Enter the U.S. through Human Smugglers America’s Covert Border War describes how a complex, international human smuggling network smuggles illegal aliens from around the world into the U.S., including Islamist extremists. Somalis connected to Al-Shabaab, an Al-Qaeda affiliate, have entered North America using human smuggling rings in Zambia. One terror-linked Somali who smuggled illegals through the Texas border admitted to facilitating the arrival of jihadists willing to die carrying out attacks inside the U.S. INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING U.S. Likely to Increase Involvement in Fighting ISIS in Mozambique It is probable that the U.S. will increase its involvement in fighting ISIS’ growing presence in Mozambique by sending special forces. Portugal recently announced it would send 60 troops for the effort. The response comes after ISIS attacked the town of Palma, killing 60 civilians. In another incident, ISIS beheaded 50 people in a football field. The terrorist group carried out an estimated 570 attacks in Zimbabwe last year. GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM 16-Year-Old in UK Who Created Nazi Group Advocating Anti-Muslim Terror Pleads Guilty The 16-year-old boy created an online neo-Nazi group and endorsed the vehicular terrorist attack on a mosque in Finsbury Park in London that killed 1 and injured 9 shortly after the ISIS attack on London Bridge that killed 8 and injured 48. The boy tried to inspire support for National Action, a neo-Nazi terrorist group that is banned in the U.K. and operates in secret. Although neo-Nazis are anti-Muslim, National Action endorsed the ISIS-inspired shooting in the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida in 2016 that killed 49 and wounded 53. Alt-Right & Alt-Left Extremism MARANIE R. STAAB/AFP via Getty Images   THURSTON COUNTY’S SHERIFF’S OFFICE Killed Antifa Extremist Attacked Police First, Investigation Confirms The Sheriff’s Office investigation concluded that Michael Forest Reinoehl, an Antifa extremist killed in Portland last year, opened fire on police first. Reinoehl was wanted by police for shooting and killing a man who attended a pro-Trump rally in Portland. The review of the case found that Reinoehl attacked the Trump supporter first. INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING Viral Video Shows Black Panthers Threatening Civilians The video shows a group of extremists belonging to the Original Black Panthers of Milwaukee harassing an Asian-owned nail salon, confronting a man for allegedly insulting a black woman and disparaging the Black Lives Matter movement. The Black Panther Party they idolize followed a Communist ideology. The group threatens to “shut down” the business and one member is seen carrying a possible weapon as they exit the store. Another video from the group’s Facebook page shows members intimidating store-owners in July 2019, accusing two Asian men of insulting and assaulting black women. The group’s Facebook page has about 3,500 “likes,” and its YouTube channel has almost 900 subscribers. MICHIGAN ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE Three Militiamen to Stand Trial for Plot to Kidnap Michigan Governor Three members of the Wolverine Watchmen militia will stand trial for a plot to attack the Michigan state capitol and kidnap the Democratic Governor. The militia also planned to assassinate police officers and hoped to ignite a civil war. A total of 14 suspects have been arrested. Plotters also identified themselves as part of the Boogaloo Bois group frequently associated with white supremacism and neo-Nazism, and with the anti-government Michigan Liberty Militia. Members also had relationships with other anti-government militias. The plot involved both Alt-Right and Alt-Left extremists. One defendant, Brandon Caserta, posted a video with a flag used by anarchists and anarcho-communists like Antifa.   JUSTICE DEPARTMENT Over 400 Charged for Jan. 6 Assault on Capitol Michael Sherwin, the federal prosecutor who led the investigation into the assault until last month, says over 400 people have been charged for participating in the January 6 riot. The figure includes approximately 100 facing charges for assaulting police officers.  About 139 police officers were assaulted and one died, likely due to injuries from the attack. He estimates that about 10% of those charged are members of militia-like groups, particularly Oathkeepers, Three Percenters and Proud Boys.   Hostile Foreign Influence Operations WANG ZHAO/AFP via Getty Images   INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING Chinese Regime Website Boasts of Influence on U.S. Think-Tanks & Social Media Leaders The Cyberspace Administration of China, a government entity that promotes Chinese Communist propaganda, boasts on its website about using the state-controlled China Daily to build relationships with opinion-makers in the U.S. The website says it has promoted over 10,000 articles and collaborates with prominent think-tanks like Berggruen Institute in the U.S. The Institute’s Council members include Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, CNN host Fareed Zakaria and Arianna Huffington, creator of Huffington Post. The Berggruen Institute’s public list of partners also includes various other Chinese government entities like the Chinese Association on Artificial Intelligence and Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. CONGRESS Senators Question Tech Companies About Selling Data to Foreign Entities A bipartisan group of 6 senators are demanding answers from 8 companies including Verizon, Twitter, Google and AT&T about whether digital advertisers who auction for ad-space are acquiring sensitive data about Americans and selling that data to foreign companies that could pose a security risk. Hundreds of companies participate in auctions to bid for targeted ad placement and receive data about the users who could see their ads. “This information would be a goldmine for foreign intelligence services that could exploit it to inform and supercharge hacking, blackmail and influence campaigns,” the senators stated. Other Ideological Extremism Spencer Platt/Getty Images INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING Rise in Violent Threats Against Asians in America In San Francisco, a man has been arrested after repeatedly entering an Asian-owned bakery and making threatening statements like threatening to “shoot Chinese people.” In New York City, a man seen in a viral video brutally attacking a 65-year old Asian woman has been arrested. The attacker shouted racial slurs at the woman, including saying, “You don’t belong here.” He was previously convicted of murdering his own mother and was released on parole in 2019.    In Utah, several Asian-Americans received an anonymous letter telling them that they and other Asian-Americans must leave the U.S. before they are killed. The letter justified the threat by blaming Asians for the outbreak of Covid-19 and “lying about it,” referring to the Communist Chinese government’s handling of the pandemic. INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING Church of Scientology Using Australia as Tax Haven, Persecuting Defectors in America The Church of Scientology has close ties to the Nation of Islam extremist group. It is often described as a cult, organized crime syndicate and abuser of human rights. There are new calls in Australia to review the Church’s non-profit status after an expose revealed it is using the country as a tax haven for international operations, with its assets in the country amounting to about $326 million. The Church has also launched websites to attack the character of Marc and Claire Headley, two former U.S members who spoke out about its targeting of detractors and various abuses of members, including disciplinary measures that qualify as torture and forced abortions. QUOTABLE “America united with a handful of troops, or without a single soldier, exhibits a more forbidding posture to foreign ambition than America disunited, with a hundred thousand veterans ready for combat.” — James Madison: Federalist No. 14, November 30, 1787 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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