Islamist Extremism |
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Osama Siblani, Arab Community Leader In Dearborn, Mich. - via MEMRI.org screenshot
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Dearborn Arab Community Leader Declares They’re on Their Way to the White House
Osama Siblani, the editor and publisher of The Arab-American News, said in a May 10, 2024, address at the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn, Mich., that the Arab-American community is on the way to the White House, Congress, and decision-making everywhere in America. Read More Anti-Israel Protesters Harass Elementary School Children
- Anti-Israel protesters in Woodstock, N.Y., blocked a road and confronted Jewish elementary school children with harsh accusations, calling their parents "complicit in genocide" and labeling the children as "baby killers."
- The incident involved protesters chaining themselves and blocking access to a road, leading to significant distress among the children and parents. Read More
Anti-Israel Protesters Harass University of Michigan Regents at Their Homes
- Masked protesters targeted the homes of University of Michigan Regents, demanding the university adopt BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) policies against Israel.
- Regent Jordan B. Acker posted images on social media stating a “masked intruder” came to his door at 4:40 am, with a list of demands.
- Regent Sarah Hubbard said a group of around 30 protesters came to her home, erected tents, and placed fake corpses wrapped in bloodied sheets on her lawn. Read More
Student at Philadelphia Leaders Academy Praises Jihad and Martyrdom
- During last week’s “cultural day” event, a student at Philadelphia Leaders Academy, Raneem Mustafa, spoke highly of jihad, framing it as the pinnacle of Islam, and praised the martyrdom observed in Gaza.
- Mustafa reflected on the sacrifices made by the people of Gaza, portraying them as models of strength and devotion during adversity. Read More
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Militant-Right & Militant-Left Extremism |
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U.S. House Speaker Emerita Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) speaks to reporters at the U.S. Capitol Building about her husband Paul Pelosi's recovery on January 27, 2023 - Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images |
Man Sentenced in Connection to Assault Against the Pelosis
David DePape, 44, of Richmond, Calif., was sentenced to 30 years in prison for assault and attempted kidnapping of Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and her husband, Paul Pelosi. DePage planned and executed the attack in the Pelosis’ home in October 2022 with the intent to kidnap Nancy Pelosi. Read More Pro-Life Activists Sentenced
- Seven defendants were sentenced for violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, following a 2020 incident where they blocked access to a D.C. reproductive health clinic.
- The protest involved chaining themselves inside the clinic and was part of a broader strategy to oppose abortion practices.
- The sentences range from 21 to 57 months in prison. Read More
Maryland Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Attack Power Grid
- Sarah Beth Clendaniel of Baltimore County pleaded guilty to charges related to a plot to attack the Baltimore area's power grid.
- Clendaniel pleaded guilty to conspiracy with Brandon C. Russell, of Florida, to destroy the power grid as part of a white supremacist plan to accelerate societal and government collapse.
- Clendaniel faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison on the conspiracy charge and 15 years on the felony possession charge. Read More
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Hate Crime |
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People attend a Holocaust memorial ceremony held a block away from Columbia University as protests both for and against Israel continue at area campuses on May 06, 2024 - Spencer Platt/Getty Images
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College Student Vandalizes Holocaust Memorial
Jenna Kandeel, 23, of York County, Del., damaged several flags at the Holocaust memorial on the University of Delaware's campus and made vulgar statements about the Jewish community and Holocaust. Kandeel confessed her actions to police after being taken into custody. Kandeel is banned from campus and charged with three misdemeanors: hate crime, criminal mischief, and disorderly conduct. Read More Los Angeles Man to Plead Guilty to Antisemitic Shooting
- Jamie Tran has agreed to plead guilty to shooting two Jewish men in Los Angeles last year.
- Tran is expected to receive a sentence of 35 to 40 years in prison. Read More
Jewish Children Assaulted in New York City
- An unidentified man in New York City assaulted Jewish children playing on a sidewalk. The incident involved the attacker getting off his bike, hitting, and repeatedly kicking the children.
- The attack was captured on video and reported on social media. At the time of publication, there were no arrests and the investigation is ongoing. Read More
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School Threats |
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Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly with Superintendent LaShakia Moore at a press conference covering an area school threat - via FlaglerLive screenshot
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Teen Arrested Over Threat
A 13-year-old adolescent was arrested by Daytona Beach police and charged with calling in a threat to blow up Buddy Taylor Middle School in Flagler County, Fla. The boy was allegedly acting on a dare by another student at the school. Read More Woman Arrested for Bomb Threat
Demarie Spontis, 23, of Florence County, S.C., was arrested and charged with making a bomb threat to a beauty school in Florence County. Investigators said Spontis, along with a co-conspirator who has not been named, made the fake threat toward the beauty school. A judge set a $10,000 bond for Spontis, and she was released hours later after making bail. Read More |
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Hostile Foreign Influence Operations |
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Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee May 2, 2024 in Washington, DC - Win McNamee/Getty Images
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Director of National Intelligence Warns of Foreign Actors Influencing Elections
- U.S. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines has indicated that an increasing number of foreign actors, including non-state entities, are seeking to influence U.S. elections.
- In her Senate hearing remarks, Haines specifically identified Russia as the most active foreign threat, followed by concerns about China and Iran's roles in attempting to sway U.S. electoral outcomes. Read More
China Using “Gray Zone” Tactics to Deepen Polarization Within US
- Before COVID-19, Chinese propaganda directed at Americans attempted to cultivate a positive image of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Now it uses social media to deepen domestic polarization.
- The U.S. Director of National Intelligence notes “growing [PRC] efforts to actively exploit perceived U.S. societal divisions,” by which “the PRC aims to sow doubts about U.S. leadership [and] undermine democracy.”
- According to Clint Watts, general manager of Microsoft's Threat Analysis Center, “[PRC government] efforts have shifted to exploiting existing partisan divides in the U.S.,” including “the Chinese actually going into U.S. audience spaces, masquerading as Americans, and posting inflammatory content around current events or social issues or political issues.” Read More
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Research and Trends in Extremism |
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A protester yells as he gets loaded into a police van after being arrested during an anti-Israel protest against the war in Gaza at Emory University on April 25, 2024 in Atlanta - Elijah Nouvelage / AFP via Getty Images |
Students at Top Universities See Antisemitism as an Issue on Campus
A U.S. News & World Report survey found that 67 percent of students from America's top 25 universities see antisemitism as an issue on their campuses. While 53 percent perceive it as a small problem, 14 percent regard it as a significant issue. Read More Jewish Students Say Anti-Israel Encampments Make Them Feel Less Safe
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QUOTABLE “It is time in the West to defend not so much human rights as human obligations.”
- Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
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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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