Islamist Extremism |  | Kaan Sercan Damlarkaya, left, is taken to Federal Court on Thursday, Dec. 14, 2017, in Houston - Godofredo A. Vasquez via Houston Chronicle screenshot | Texas ISIS Supporter Sentenced Kaan Sercan Damlarkaya, 23, from Houston, Texas, has been sentenced to 13 years and nine months in prison for attempting to provide material support to ISIS. Damlarkaya attempted to join and support ISIS from August 2017 until his arrest in December 2017. He pleaded guilty to the charges. Damlarkaya provided information to ISIS supporters about the use of machetes, homemade construction of an automatic weapon, and how to build and use explosive materials. He planned to travel overseas to fight for ISIS but also expressed his willingness to conduct an attack on non-Muslims in the U.S. if unsuccessful in joining the organization. Read More | | | | | Alt-Right & Alt-Left Extremism |  | Anti-Nazi protestors shout at neo-Nazi supporters during a neo-Nazi rally at the Michigan State Capitol Building, April 22, 2006 - Bill Pugliano/Getty Images | Michigan Neo-Nazis Indicted for "Operation Kristallnacht" Nathan Weeden, 23, a member of The Base, was indicted for conspiring to deface Temple Jacob, a Jewish synagogue in Michigan, with swastikas and symbols associated with the white supremacist group. Weeden, along with co-conspirators Richard Tobin and Yousef Barasneh, planned the act of vandalism using encrypted messaging in a scheme they called "Operation Kristallnacht." The term "Operation Kristallnacht" references the infamous events of Nov. 9-10, 1938, during which German Nazis targeted Jewish people and their properties, resulting in massive destruction and violence. Weeden is charged with conspiracy against rights and damage to religious property, facing a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, and a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine, respectively. He was arrested on June 29. Read More Proud Boys Ordered to Pay Over One Million Dollars to Vandalized Church - A judge ordered the Proud Boys and its leaders to pay over $1 million for a racially motivated attack on the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church in December 2020.
- The defendants were found to have engaged in an unlawful conspiracy, violating federal and state civil rights laws, including the Ku Klux Klan Act and the D.C. hate crimes statute.
- During the attack, Proud Boys members trespassed onto the church and destroyed a large Black Lives Matter sign, which was part of a series of attacks on four churches that night. Read More
"The Florida 4" Abortion Activists Indicted Four abortion rights activists, known as "the Florida 4," have been indicted by a federal grand jury for civil rights conspiracy and violating the FACE Act. The activists are accused of spray-painting anti-abortion centers following the overturning of Roe v. Wade last year, and they face potential prison sentences of up to 12 years. The Heartbeat of Miami, one of the targeted centers, has filed a conspiracy case against the activists, alleging they were engaged in a conspiracy with pro-abortion group Jane's Revenge. The activists claim they have no affiliation with Jane's Revenge and argue that the charges are an attempt to make an example out of them and discourage others from speaking out against injustices. Read More | | | | | School Threats |  | Chippewa Valley High School, Clinton Township, Mich. - Macomb Daily file photo via Macomb Daily screenshot | Arrest Warrant Issued for Puerto Rican School Threat Suspect An arrest warrant has been issued for an 18-year-old Puerto Rican man after he allegedly made a threat that led to the closure of Chippewa Valley High School in Clinton Township, Mich., for multiple days. The suspect will be charged with a 20-year felony for false report or threat of terrorism, pending extradition from Puerto Rico to the mainland U.S. The threat was made through a private text message and reported to the state tip line. Authorities traced the message back to the suspect and discovered that he had a history of pranking people, although they couldn't assume it was a prank at the time. Read More | | |  | Hostile Foreign Influence Operations |  | U.S. Air Force pilot looks down at the suspected Chinese surveillance balloon as it hovered over Central Continental U.S., February 3 - U.S. Department of Defense/Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images | Chinese Balloon Used American Tech to Spy on US A federal investigation has found that China used American technology in a spy balloon that conducted surveillance on U.S. military bases earlier this year. The balloon carried a combination of commercial products, including some available online, as well as specialized Chinese sensors and equipment for capturing photos, videos, and other information to transmit to Beijing. While the Defense Department believes the spy balloon did not collect data while flying over U.S. territory, the debris collected from the balloon's remnants included various components, including sensors, solar panels, and devices for capturing imagery and radar data. Read More Iran Attempts to Procure Military/Nuclear Components in Europe - The Islamic Republic of Iran has been attempting to acquire various components for its military industry, including those related to weapons of mass destruction, through illicit means in Europe.
- European intelligence services, including those in the Netherlands, Sweden, and Germany, have been tracking these deals and documenting Iran's illicit nuclear proliferation activities.
- Despite the intelligence findings, media outlets in these countries have largely refrained from reporting on Iran's activities related to acquiring technology for its illegal nuclear program and weapons of mass destruction. Read More
| | |  | Research and Trends in Extremism |  | A monitor displays a presentation as Stamford (Ct.) Police Department officers speak to eighth grade students about cyberbullying at the Scofield Magnet Middle School on Oct. 24, 2022 - John Moore/Getty Images | More Than Half of ADL Survey Respondents Report Online Harassment in 2022 According to a new survey released by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), 52 percent of respondents have experienced online harassment or hate, a significant increase from the 40 percent recorded in the previous year. Harassment online has increased across all demographics, with particularly high levels reported by the LGBTQ+ community, especially transgender individuals, as well as teenagers, Black people, Muslims, and Jewish people. Read More |  | Have You Found A Story You Think We Should Cover? | If you see an article on violent extremism in the U.S. or hostile foreign influence that is reliable, timely, and fits into one of the six categories that we cover in this newsletter, please send us a note, either by replying directly to this email or by submitting a contact form under the appropriate "news tip" category. | | | | | QUOTABLE “The particular phraseology of the constitution of the United States confirms and strengthens the principle, supposed to be essential to all written constitutions, that a law repugnant to the constitution is void; and that courts, as well as other departments, are bound by that instrument.”
- John Marshall
| | | 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. | | | | |
