The Extremism Roundup

Islamist Extremism

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) campaigns for Rep. Rashida Tlaib and Andy Levin at a rally in  Michigan - Bill Pugliano viaGetty Images

Rep. Tlaib Hosts Nakba Day on Capitol Hill

• Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) held a Nakba Day event inside a Senate office building, initially scheduled to be held at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center but canceled by Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy.

• The event took place in the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Hearing Room, and was sponsored by Senator Bernie Sanders.

• Tlaib accused Israeli police of a "sustained campaign of terror" at the Temple Mount during the event, and she criticized U.S. support for Israel, calling it an "apartheid state" and accusing it of ethnic cleansing. Read More

DOJ Seizes Hezbollah Domains

• The Justice Department has seized 13 domains used by individuals and groups associated with Lebanese Hezbollah, including Specially Designated Nationals and Specially Designated Global Terrorists.
• Five domains registered to the Public Interest Registry and eight domains registered to Verisign Inc. were authorized for seizure.
• The seizure of these domains will cut off a source of support and influence for these terrorist organizations and their affiliates.
• The FBI and Department of Commerce have investigated the case and are dedicated to disrupting web domains controlled by Specially Designated Nationals. Read More

Iranian National Arrested After Bomb Threat

• A bomb threat at Pittsburgh International Airport resulted in the arrest of a 37-year-old Iranian national named Hossein Dehnavifard.
• Dehnavifard claimed to have a bomb in his luggage after he was refused entry on his American Airlines flight.
• Police arrested the suspect for charges of terroristic threats and a threat to use weapons of mass destruction.
• No explosives were found in his possession after the Allegheny County Police searched the aircraft and luggage on board. Read More

Alt-Right & Alt-Left Extremism

Daniel Perry reacts after being sentenced to 25 years for the murder of Garrett Foster at the Blackwell-Thurman Criminal Justice Center on May 10 - Jay Janner, via Austin American-Statesman screenshot

Army Sergeant Receives 25-Year Sentence for Shooting BLM Protester

• Army sergeant Daniel Perry, 36, received a 25-year prison sentence for the fatal shooting of a Black Lives Matter protester in 2020.

• Perry was working as an Uber driver in Austin when he ran a red light and turned into a Black Lives Matter march on July 25, 2020. Perry claimed self-defense, stating that the protester approached his car with a raised AK-47. He shot the protester five times with a handgun before fleeing the scene.

• Governor Greg Abbott vowed to pardon Perry following the guilty verdict, but the pardon cannot be granted without a request from the Board of Pardons and Paroles, which is currently considering the case. Read More

Patriot Front Marches to Capitol

• Far-right white nationalist group Patriot Front marched toward the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., with approximately 200 participants.
• The group claims to assert "cultural independence" based on their European race.
• The group was escorted by police to keep them separated from a small group of counter protestors.
• Members of Patriot Front wore tan khaki pants, navy shirts, white masks, and sunglasses to conceal their identities. Read More

 Hate Crimes

David Chou, accused of opening fire in a Laguna Woods church in May 2022, appears for an arraignment in Superior Court in Santa Ana, August 19, 2022 - Mark Rightmire/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images

Nevada Man Charged for Irvine, Calif. Church Shooting

• A Nevada man, David Chou, has been charged with 98 counts of federal hate crimes, weapons offenses and explosives offenses for his involvement in the shooting and attempted bombing at the Irvine (Calif.)Taiwanese Presbyterian Church in May 2022.

• Chou allegedly killed one person and attempted to kill 44 others using firearms and explosive devices inside the church. Five individuals were also injured by gunfire during the incident.

• If convicted, Chou could face the maximum penalty of death or life in prison without parole. He is currently in state custody awaiting state criminal charges. Read More

Man Arrested for Throwing Rocks at People Entering New York Synagogue

• Kenneth Azogue, 21, from Brooklyn was arrested after he threw a rock at a 23-year-old man who was entering a synagogue in Kew Gardens Hills.  

• The victim was not injured. Azogue was charged with a hate crime assault. Read More

School Threats

Goochland (Va.) High School - via 6 News Richmond screenshot

Teen Charged in School Threat in Virginia

• A teenager was arrested for sending text message threats against Goochland High School in Virginia.

• The text message referenced weapons and the intent to harm, prompting an hours-long lockdown of both Goochland High School and Goochland Middle School. Read More

Florida Teen Arrested After Fake Bomb Threats

• A 16-year-old from Dania Beach, Fla., was arrested for allegedly making false bomb threats at several schools and the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

• The teenager made additional false bomb threats at Coconut Creek High School, Blanche Ely High School, Coral Glades High School, and the airport, causing disruptions. No actual threats were found. Read More

Hostile Foreign Influence Operations

A float takes part in Chinese New Year celebrations in Chinatown, New York City, on Feb. 12 - Li Rui/Xinhua via Getty Images

Massachusetts Man Indicted for Acting as Illegal Chinese Agent

• Litang Liang, of Massachusetts, was arrested for allegedly acting as an agent of the People's Republic of China (PRC) without notifying the U.S. Attorney General.

• Liang was indicted on charges of acting as an agent of a foreign government without notification and conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government without notification.

• According to charging documents, Liang provided information on Boston-area individuals, organized a counter-protest against pro-democracy dissidents, and shared dissidents' information with PRC officials without disclosing his status as a PRC government agent. Read More

DOJ Dismantles Russian Malware Network

• U.S. and international authorities have successfully disabled advanced malware known as Snake, which was used by Russian intelligence services for over 20 years to steal secrets from the U.S. and NATO countries.
• The malware was deployed by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) to target government agencies, defense companies, media organizations and research facilities in more than 50 countries.
• Snake was a sophisticated tool that provided clandestine access to victims’ computers, allowed covert communication between compromised devices, and acted as a staging point for additional espionage activities.
• U.S. authorities, after years of investigation, developed a tool called Perseus to disable Snake and turn the Russian malware against itself, neutralizing a significant cyber-espionage capability. Read More

 Research and Trends in Extremism

Online retailers have started to cash in on Ye's new status among neo-Nazis and antisemites by selling merchandise and clothing with the rapper's 2024 presidential campaign slogan resembling a swastika - STR/NurPhoto via Getty Images

New Study Shows Connection Between Online Incitement and Physical Attacks

• A new report by the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) and Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) reveals the direct connection between online incitement of hate crimes against Jews and physical attacks on Jewish targets.

• Antisemitic language like "Synagogue of Satan '' has gained popularity on platforms like Twitter, often accompanied by calls for violence against Jewish houses of worship.

• The study shows a statistical relationship between the use of such terms and real-time synagogue attacks using spatial regression analysis.

• The report highlights the need for policymakers and social media platforms to take action, including greater transparency and accessibility to research institutions and law enforcement agencies, to combat online antisemitic rhetoric and prevent real-world incidents of hate. Read More

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QUOTABLE 

“It was one of the greatest errors in evaluating dictatorship to say that the dictator forces himself on society against its own will. In reality, every dictator in history was nothing but the accentuation of already existing state ideas which he had only to exaggerate in order to gain power”

- Wilhelm Reich - "The Mass Psychology of Fascism"

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.