The Extremism Roundup

Islamist Extremism

A demonstrator holds a sign at a makeshift memorial at the site where Paul Kessler, who was Jewish, was fatally struck by pro-Palestinian protestor Loay Abdelfattah Alnaji, on November 7, 2023 in Thousand Oaks, Calif. - Mario Tama/Getty Images

Anti-Israel College Professor to Stand Trial for Manslaughter 

• A judge decided that Loay Abdelfattah Alnaji, a Southern California college professor, will stand trial for involuntary manslaughter and battery in the death of a Jewish counter-protester during demonstrations over the Israel-Hamas war.

• Alnaji, 51, is accused of striking Paul Kessler with a megaphone in November 2023 during a confrontation at an anti-Israel event in Thousand Oaks, Calif.

• Alnaji was charged with involuntary manslaughter and battery causing serious bodily injury, with special allegations of personally inflicting great bodily injury on each count. If found guilty of all charges, he could be sentenced to more than four years in prison. Read More

Detroit Man Arrested for Attempting to Provide Money to ISIS

• Jibreel Pratt, 25, from Detroit, was arrested and charged in an indictment with attempting to provide material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS).
• According to the indictment, Pratt is charged with two counts of attempting to provide currency and monetary instruments to ISIS in March and May 2023.
• Pratt faces up to 20 years in prison for each count if convicted. Read More

Congresswoman Speaks at Event With Terrorist

• Rep. Rashida Tlaib spoke at a conference alongside individuals linked to a terrorist organization.
• Wissam Rafidi, member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a Marxist terrorist group founded in 1967, also addressed the conference.
• During her speech, Tlaib criticized the Biden administration and U.S. support for Israel, aligning with the views expressed at the conference, which also included discussions of direct action against Israel and U.S. policies. Read More

  Hate Crime

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the arrest of a California man charged with communicating threats against individuals, law enforcement and synagogues in North Carolina - Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

California Man Faces 10 Years for Threats

• Kevin Dunlow, 62, of Huntington Beach, Calif., was arrested on federal charges relating to sending threats to individuals and knowingly making false bomb threats to several North Carolina synogogues.

• Dunlow faces up to 10 years in prison for threatening an elected official and telling a rabbi, “I am coming to the temple to kill all the Jews and the children.”

• “The Justice Department will prosecute anyone who makes illegal threats motivated by antisemitism or bias of any kind,” said U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland. Read More

Teen Counter-Protester Arrested for UCLA Assault

• Edan On, 18, was arrested in connection to attacks on anti-Israel protesters at an encampment at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA).
• On reportedly hit protesters with a wooden pole. Read More

Man Faces Charges for Ordering His Dog to Attack Security Guard

• Zachary T. Hay, 29, of Portland, Ore., is facing assault and bias crime charges after allegedly ordering his dog to assault a Black man.
• Hay has been charged with two counts of second-degree assault and one count of first-degree bias crime. Read More

  School Threats

Beauclerc Elementary, Jacksonville, Fla., where an 11-year-old was arrested for bringing a loaded gun to school - via Google Maps screenshot

11-Year-Old Arrested After Bringing Gun to School

• An 11-year-old Florida boy has been arrested and charged after he allegedly brought a loaded gun to school and wanted to kill another student.

• He has been charged with possession and concealing a firearm on school property and sending a written threat to kill. Read More

North Carolina Man Arrested Following School Threat

• A 19-year-old was arrested after being found in possession of a loaded rifle on the campus of Julius L. Chambers High School in Charlotte, N.C.

• The man was taken into custody and charged with possession of a firearm on educational property and possession of a firearm with obliterated/altered serial number. Read More

Hostile Foreign Influence Operations

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) and Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) at the first hearing of the Weaponization of the Federal Government subcommittee on Capitol Hill on February 9, 2023 - Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

State Department Blocked FBI From Arresting Supporters of Iran Nuclear Program

• During the negotiations of the Iran nuclear deal, the Obama State Department reportedly blocked FBI efforts to arrest individuals in the U.S. who supported Iran's nuclear program.
• Senators Chuck Grassley and Ron Johnson raised concerns based on whistleblower disclosures and FBI emails, suggesting political interference in law enforcement activities.
• The alleged blocks on arrests are suggested to have had implications for U.S. national security, especially in relation to Iran's nuclear capabilities. Read More

Former CIA Officer Pleads Guilty to Espionage

• Alexander Yuk Ching Ma, 71, of Honolulu, a former CIA officer, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to gather and deliver national defense information to the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
• The plea agreement, if accepted by the Court, calls for an agreed-upon sentence of 10 years in prison. Read More

Research and Trends in Extremism

Members of the far-right group Patriot Front march through Washington, DC on May 13, 2023 - Nathan Posner/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

White Supremacist Propaganda Surges

• White supremacist propaganda in the U.S. reached a record high in 2023, with Ohio ranking second in such incidents.

• Propaganda included the distribution of racist, antisemitic, and anti-LGBT materials. Read More

QUOTABLE 

“To the press alone, checkered as it is with abuses, the world is indebted for all the triumphs which have been gained by reason and humanity over error and oppression.”

- James Madison

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.