Islamist Extremism |  | A masked Islamic State soldier poses holding the ISIL banner somewhere in the deserts of Iraq or Syria - via History/Universal Images Group via Getty Images | US Drone Strike Kills ISIS Leader in Syria The US said that on July 7, Usamah al-Muhajir, an ISIS leader in eastern Syria, was killed by a Reaper drone as he was riding a motorcycle near Aleppo, Syria. “The strike on Friday was conducted by the same drones that had, earlier in the day, been harassed by Russian aircraft in an encounter that had lasted almost two hours,” a statement from US Central Command (CENTCOM) said. According to CENTCOM, there are no indications that any civilians were killed in the strike. Read More Princeton University Student Being Held Captive by Terrorist Group Elizabeth Tsurkov, a Princeton University graduate student and Israeli-Russian dual citizen, is being held captive by the Shiite militia Kataib Hezbollah in Iraq, according to the Israeli Prime Minister's Office. Kataib Hezbollah is a U.S.-designated terrorist organization and is known for targeting American forces in Iraq. It has close ties to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. Tsurkov was conducting field research for her PhD in political science when she went missing. She entered Iraq on her Russian passport since Israeli citizens are not allowed to enter the country due to the lack of diplomatic relations. Her safety and well-being are a concern, and efforts are being made to secure her release. Read More | | | | | Alt-Right & Alt-Left Extremism |  | A woman walks away from a makeshift memorial outside Walmart, where mass shooter Patrick Crusius killed 23 people on August 4, 2019 in El Paso, Texas - Mario Tama/Getty Images | White Supremacist Behind Walmart Massacre Sentenced A federal judge in El Paso, Texas, sentenced white supremacist Patrick Crusius to 90 consecutive life terms in prison for the 2019 shooting at a Walmart that killed 23 people and injured 22 others, targeting Hispanics. Crusius pleaded guilty in February and agreed to the consecutive life sentences to avoid the federal death penalty. He still faces state charges in Texas that could result in the death penalty. The plea included 45 counts of violating hate crimes and 45 counts of using a firearm during a violent crime. During the sentencing, witnesses, survivors, and relatives of the victims delivered emotional impact statements, expressing their pain and anger toward the shooter. Read More January 6 Defendant Accused of Targeting Obama - Taylor Taranto, arrested for his alleged participation in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, is accused of targeting former President Barack Obama's home in Washington, D.C., after Donald Trump posted what he claimed was Obama's address on social media.
- Taranto was charged with four misdemeanor offenses related to the Jan. 6 riot and was arrested in the Kalorama neighborhood where the Obamas reside.
- He reposted Trump's social media post containing the alleged address and livestreamed his drive through the neighborhood, expressing intent to access the private residences.
- Taranto was apprehended by the Secret Service after attempting to flee. Firearms, ammunition, and a machete were found in his van, where he had been living for the past two months. Read More
University Student Charged for Vandalizing Pro-Life Pregnancy Center Whitney M. Durant, also known as Soren Monroe, has been charged under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act for intentionally damaging the property of HerChoice, a pregnancy care center in Bowling Green, Ohio, by defacing it with spray paint. Durant is a 20-year-old student at Bowling Green State University. At the time of the incident, it was reported that someone used green spray paint to write the words “Liars,” “Fake clinic,” “Fund abortion,” “Abort God,” and “Jane’s Revenge.” If convicted, the sentence will be determined by the court, taking into account factors such as the defendant's criminal record, role in the offense, and the nature of the violations, with a maximum sentence of one year incarceration. Read More Antifa Couple Indicted for Throwing Explosive Fireworks at Police Brian DiPippa and his wife, Krystal DiPippa, from Pittsburgh, Penn., have been indicted on charges of conspiracy and obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder. The indictment states that on April 18, 2023, the DiPippas participated in a protest at the University of Pittsburgh campus, where Brian DiPippa allegedly ignited and dropped two homemade smoke bomb containers and threw a large explosive firework at police officers, causing injuries. Brian DiPippa was also charged with using an explosive to commit a federal felony. The couple has a history of far-left extremism and was federally indicted for their involvement in Antifa explosive attacks at the event. Read More | | |  | Hate Crimes |  | Frederick Eugene Pierallini - via FirstCoastNews.com screenshot
| Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Racially Motivated Attack Against Black Women A Florida man, Frederick Eugene Pierallini III, pleaded guilty to two federal hate crimes for attacking two Black women with a gun. Pierallini intimidated and interfered with the victims' enjoyment of federally protected activities because of their race and color. The incidents occurred on September 10 and 12, 2022, when Pierallini directed racial slurs, pointed a shotgun, and fired a shot at the victims. The defendant faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine up to $250,000 for each count. The sentencing hearing is yet to be scheduled. Read More New Mexico Mosque Vandalized A mosque in eastern New Mexico has been vandalized multiple times in recent weeks, with vandals ripping up a Quran and pouring beer on it. The police in Portales are investigating the incidents and following up on possible leads, although they believe it is unlikely to be a hate crime. The vandals also caused damage to the mosque's walls, furniture, air conditioning unit, and spray-painted vulgar language on a wall, according to the center's director. Read More |  | | School Threats |  | King’s Fork Middle School schoolbus, Suffolk, Va. - via 3 WTKR screenshot | Suffolk Middle School Cleared After Gun and Bomb Threats Suffolk, Va., police have cleared King's Fork Middle School of all threats following a report of a gun and bomb threat. Law enforcement conducted a search of the building but did not find a gun. Students were briefly evacuated during the incident, and after the school was deemed safe, they were allowed to return. Suffolk police will increase their presence at the school for the rest of the day, and investigations into both incidents are ongoing. Read More | | |  | Hostile Foreign Influence Operations |  | Flag of Iran and binary code displayed on a laptop screen - Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images | Iran Hackers Targeting Nuclear Security Experts Hackers linked to the Iranian government, known as TA453 or Charming Kitten, are targeting experts in Middle Eastern affairs and nuclear security with a new campaign involving malware for Apple and Microsoft products. The campaign aims at reconnaissance, with the hackers deploying backdoors in victims' systems to gather intelligence. They have been adapting their tools and tactics, including sending Mac malware to one of their recent targets. The campaign began with an email posing as a senior fellow from the UK think tank RUSI requesting feedback on a project called "Iran in the Global Security Context." The hackers used various cloud hosting providers to deliver the malware and offered to pay the expert for their input. The likely goal is to monitor experts involved in the Iran nuclear agreement negotiations. Read More US Plans to Restrict Chinese Access to Cloud Services - U.S. officials are reportedly planning to restrict Chinese companies' access to cloud computing services, such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft, as a security measure to safeguard advanced technology.
- The proposed controls would require providers to obtain government approval before offering cloud services that utilize powerful artificial intelligence (AI) chips to Chinese clients, closing a loophole in existing chip export sanctions. The U.S. Commerce Department is expected to announce these measures in the coming weeks.
- In response, the Chinese government plans to implement controls on exports of gallium and germanium, crucial materials for semiconductor production, potentially impacting the chip manufacturing industry. Read More
| | |  | Research and Trends in Extremism |  | A bouquet marks the entryway to the Sandy Hook Permanent Memorial in Newtown, Conn. - John Moore/Getty Images
| New Research Develops Comprehensive Profile of Students Who Threaten Schools A study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry reveals that students who make threats in school have a wide range of psychiatric diagnoses, learning disorders, and major needs for educational and psychiatric interventions. The study examined threat assessment evaluations of 157 school-age youth referred to the Stony Brook University Child and Adolescent Outpatient Clinic. Findings show that a significant number of students had brought weapons to school (29 percent) or made verbal threats (80 percent). The majority of students reported traumatic life experiences, and many had psychiatric diagnoses such as ADHD, depression, anxiety, and autism spectrum disorders. Recommendations for mental health treatment, including psychotherapy and medications, were common, and some students were advised to transition to a more supportive school setting. 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 “If children do not understand the Constitution, they cannot understand how our government functions, or what their rights and responsibilities are as citizens of the United States.”
- John Stevens
| | | 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. | | | | |
