Users on TikTok endorsed the letter, claiming it explained both 9/11 & the Israel-Hamas conflict.

[View in browser]([link removed] 202311-23&utm_medium=email)


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 Extremism
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*Terrorist Osama bin Laden in video footage recorded in Afghanistan, October 7, 2001 - AFP via Getty Images*
**


**Osama bin Laden Letter Justifying 9/11 Goes Viral on TikTok**


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A 2002 essay by Osama bin Laden promoting antisemitism and justifying the 9/11 attacks has gone viral on TikTok.


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The letter includes antisemitic tropes, such as Jewish control over policies, media, and the economy.


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TikTok announced it would prohibit videos promoting the letter after it spread widely online.


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Users on TikTok endorsed the letter, expressing support and claiming it explained various issues, including the Israel-Hamas conflict.  **[Read More]([link removed] 202311-23&utm_medium=email)**


**Texas Shooter Was on Terror Watch List**


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The gunman who killed a Texas SWAT officer and two hostages was identified as Ahmed Mohamed Nassar, armed with a rifle, wearing body armor, and barricaded in a bedroom during the standoff.


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A search warrant revealed that authorities believed the gunman might have been making bombs. Cutting instruments, body armor, and tactical gear were found to be worn or used by the suspect.


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Senior Officer Jorge Pastore was killed in the incident, and another officer was wounded when SWAT members confronted Nassar, who opened fire.


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The FBI had previously visited the home, and the suspect was on the terror watch list. The search warrant listed items investigators were looking for, including body armor, firearms, ammunition, explosive devices, and bomb-making materials.  **[Read More]([link removed] 202311-23&utm_medium=email)**

**Video of Jewish Students Evacuating Hostile Protest was Real Despite Earlier UCSD Denial**


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A video showing students leaving a building amid an anti-Israel protest at UC San Diego has been confirmed as real by Hillel San Diego, a Jewish student organization.


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The video, taken during a Nov. 1 meeting on campus, captures a protest where some participants carried flags of Al Qaeda, creating a hostile environment.


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Contrary to the university's earlier denial of an evacuation, Hillel stated that some students received a police escort back to the Hillel center off campus due to the protest.


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UC San Diego clarified on Sunday that the video is real but maintained that the police did not evacuate the building, acknowledging a previous incorrect statement.  **[Read More]([link removed] 202311-23&utm_medium=email)**

Militant-Right & Militant-Left Extremism
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* (L-R) Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO) and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) attend a bipartisan candlelight vigil with members of Congress on Nov. 7 to commemorate one month since the Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel - Drew Angerer/Getty Images*


**Fistfights Outside Holocaust Museum**


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Rep. Rashida Tlaib is a member of the secret Facebook group "Palestinian American Congress," where members have glorified Hamas.


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The group, hidden from non-members, featured pro-Hamas posts after the October 7 attack on Israel, and some posts included anti-Israel sentiments and imagery.


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Maher Abdel-qader, the group's founder with ties to Tlaib, has a history of sharing antisemitic content and has been linked to other liberal politicians.


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Tlaib, the only Palestinian American in Congress, faced censure for her recent anti-Israel comments. She has a longstanding association with Abdel-qader, who has been a key fundraiser for her.  **[Read More]([link removed] 202311-23&utm_medium=email)**


********

**40 Anti-Israel protesters Arrested at University of Michigan**


- Approximately 200 protesters at the University of Michigan called for divestment from Israel.
- Forty people were arrested, and two officers reported injuries during the protest.
- Those arrested were processed and released at the scene, after the demonstrators “forcefully gained access” to a locked administration building that houses the president’s office.  **[Read More]([link removed] 202311-23&utm_medium=email)**
**Neo-Nazis March Through Wisconsin**


- A group of nearly two dozen people, identified as the neo-Nazi Blood Tribe, marched on the Wisconsin state Capitol grounds, waving swastika flags and chanting antisemitic rhetoric.
- The group chanted "Israel is not our friend," made threats, and shouted racial slurs while marching, stopping at Madison's iconic State Street and a local synagogue, Gates of Heaven.  **[Read More]([link removed] 202311-23&utm_medium=email)**
**Utah Man Arrested for Threatening Pro-Palestinian Organization**


- Kevin Brent Buchanan, of Tooele, Utah, was arrested and charged for threatening a Palestinian rights organization.
- According to court documents, Buchanan called the organization and left at least five voice messages threatening violence.
- Buchanan is charged with transmitting in interstate commerce a communication containing a threat to injure the person of another. If convicted, Buchanan faces a maximum of five years in prison and a fine not to exceed $250,000.  **[Read More]([link removed] 202311-23&utm_medium=email)**

  Hate Crime
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*Hesham Ayyad, 20, charged with lying to police about being the victim of an anti-Palestinian hate crime - North Ridgeville Police Department via New York Post screenshot*


**Ohio Man Arrested for Faking Anti-Palestinian Hate Crime**


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Hesham A. Ayyad is facing multiple misdemeanor charges after allegedly faking a hate crime near North Ridgeville, Ohio.


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Hesham Ayyad claimed he had been hit by a car driven by a man who yelled "Kill all Palestinians," but police investigations revealed he fabricated the entire story.


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Surveillance video and further inquiry showed that Ayyad was not struck by a vehicle or subjected to racial slurs; instead, he was injured during an earlier fight with his brother, Khalil A. Ayyad.


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Both brothers were arrested and charged with domestic violence and assault, with Hesham Ayyad facing additional charges of making false alarms, falsification, and obstructing official business.  **[Read More]([link removed] 202311-23&utm_medium=email)**

  School Threats
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*Theodore Roosevelt High School, Kent, Ohio - Kent City School District via WKYC Studios screenshot*


**Ohio Student Arrested Following Social Media Threat**


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A student from Theodore Roosevelt High School in Kent, Ohio, has been arrested for allegedly making a threat toward the school on Snapchat.


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The threat, described as "vague" but concerning, led to the cancellation of classes at the school on Wednesday.


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Kent police identified and arrested the 17-year-old student responsible for the threat. The student was charged with inducing panic, a second-degree felony.  **[Read More]([link removed] 202311-23&utm_medium=email)**


**Georgia Teen Arrested for Threatening Students**


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A 15-year-old boy in Rockdale County, Ga., has been arrested by the Conyers Police Department for making a threat to students at Rockdale County High School.


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The police department stated that, based on the information gathered in the investigation so far, the threat did not seem credible. However, they continue to investigate.  **[Read More]([link removed] 202311-23&utm_medium=email)**


**Florida Student Arrested for School Threats**


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A 16-year-old from Hillsborough County, Fla., has been arrested for making school threats on social media, specifically on the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office's Instagram. The threats included statements about bombing schools and placing explosives.


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The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office acted swiftly, arresting the student within an hour of being notified about the online threats.


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The teen admitted to making the comments, and a search of his home found no bomb-making materials. He now faces charges, including three counts of written or electronic threat to conduct a mass shooting or act of terrorism.  **[Read More]([link removed] 202311-23&utm_medium=email)**

Hostile Foreign Influence Operations
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*Montage of harassing social media posts sent to Chinese American citizens - CNN investigative report via CNN screenshot*


**China Using Disinformation Operation to Harass Americans**


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The Chinese government has established the world's largest online disinformation operation, targeting U.S. residents, politicians, and businesses, according to court documents and social media disclosures.


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The disinformation campaign, known as "Spamouflage" or "Dragonbridge," employs hundreds of thousands of accounts across major social media platforms to harass and intimidate individuals critical of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).


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Victims face thousands of social media posts, including threats and personal attacks, with the goal of instilling fear and paranoia. The Chinese government aims to shape the global information environment and silence critics through this multi-billion-dollar effort.


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While tech and social media companies have taken down thousands of accounts associated with Spamouflage, new accounts continue to emerge, making it challenging to curb the disinformation campaign. The CCP uses evolving tactics, including spreading negative content about the Biden administration, promoting divisive messages on global issues, and attempting to manipulate public perceptions.  **[Read More]([link removed] 202311-23&utm_medium=email)**


**Two Men Sentenced for Conspiring to Sell Sanctioned Iranian Petroleum to China**


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Zhenyu "Bill" Wang and Daniel Ray Lane were convicted on charges related to attempting to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).


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The defendants engaged in a conspiracy to purchase petroleum from Iran, violating U.S. economic sanctions, with plans to sell it to a refinery in China.


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To conceal their actions, the defendants used tactics such as obtaining foreign passports, engaging in sham contractual agreements, and attempting to launder proceeds through shell entities and offshore accounts. Wang also arranged bribe payments to Chinese officials and bankers.


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Both defendants face a maximum penalty of 45 years in prison for various charges.  **[Read More]([link removed] 202311-23&utm_medium=email)**

Research and Trends in Extremism
--------------------------------

*An image of Elon Musk is seen displayed on a mobile device with the Twitter and X logos - Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images*


**X Leaves Up Antisemitic Posts**


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New research from the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), shows X (formerly known as Twitter) is reportedly failing to effectively moderate hate speech on its platform amid the Middle East conflict.


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The researched analyzed 200 X posts across 101 accounts featuring hate speech, including antisemitic caricatures and posts denying the Holocaust, and most of them remain online.


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Despite using X's reporting tools, only one account was suspended, two were "locked," and 196 posts remain online, with some receiving over 100,000 views.  **[Read More]([link removed] 202311-23&utm_medium=email)**


**Chicago Sees Rise in Hate Crimes**


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Chicago has seen a significant increase in reported hate crimes, surpassing the total for 2022 by October 2023.


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The surge is not solely attributed to the Israel-Hamas War, but various threats over the past couple of years, according to Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly.


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In 2023, there have been 256 reported hate crimes as of October 31, compared to 206 for the entire year of 2022.


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Anti-Jewish hate crimes are approaching last year's total, while anti-Muslim hate crimes have already surpassed three times the number reported in 2022.


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Reported hate crimes against other groups, including anti-Black, anti-gay (Male), anti-Hispanic/Latino, anti-Islamic, and anti-lesbian, have also increased.


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Law enforcement experts note that hate crimes are often underreported, and initiatives like the FBI's counter-hate crime initiative aim to address this issue.  **[Read More]([link removed] 202311-23&utm_medium=email)**

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**]([link removed] 202311-23&utm_medium=email) under the appropriate "news tip" category.  

QUOTABLE
 
=

“United States is in a state of war: undeclared, total war against the basic principles and foundations of this system.”

*- KGB defector Yuri Bezmenov's warning to America*

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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