The Extremism Roundup

Islamist Extremism

Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi shot a man wearing a Jewish Kippah while yelling, "Allahu Ackbar" - via screenshot from X

Militant-Right and Militant-Left Extremism

National Guard troops were called out to restore order in Los Angeles in the wake of the 1992 Rodney King riots - Peter Turnley/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images

National Guard Put On Standby Ahead Of Election

• The National Guard was placed on standby in Washington state, Oregon, and Nevada as a precaution against potential civil unrest related to the 2024 presidential election.
• Incidents of arson targeting ballot drop boxes had been reported, with hundreds of ballots in Washington state and Oregon either damaged or destroyed, prompting heightened security measures. Read More

White Supremacists Sentenced for Plot to Destroy Energy Facilities

• Three men with ties to white supremacy, Paul James Kryscuk, Liam Collins, and Justin Wade Hermanson, have been sentenced for conspiring to destroy an energy facility. Kryscuk received 78 months, Collins 120 months, and Hermanson 21 months in prison for various related charges.
• The defendants allegedly planned to target America's power grid, motivated by a desire to sow chaos and promote their white supremacist ideology. They researched previous attacks on power grids and made preparations for their own assault.
• A list of potential targets in Idaho and surrounding states was found among their possessions, indicating their intent to attack energy facilities.
• Collins and Kryscuk were active on the "Iron March" forum, known for neo-Nazi recruitment and organization, until its closure. They used encrypted messaging to further plan their actions outside of public forums. Read More

Hate Crime

Michael Joseph Knox, 28, and Charles Antonio Clippard, 26, were indicted for Hate Crimes - DOJ via The Independent

South Carolina Men Plead Guilty to Targeting Hispanics

• Charles Antonio Clippard and Michael Joseph Knox pleaded guilty to federal charges, which included hate crimes targeting Hispanic victims, armed robbery, and firearms offenses.

• Between January and February 2021, they conspired to target individuals they believed to be Mexican or Hispanic, committing armed robberies at gas stations and a Mexican grocery store, including one incident of carjacking.

• The plea deal stipulates that they face a mandatory minimum sentence of 14 years for the firearms charges, with each hate crime charge carrying up to 10 years, and the carjacking charge up to 15 years. Read More

Jewish Man Attacked in Manhattan

• A Jewish man named Stephen Zeffren was reportedly attacked while leaving a Manhattan market.
• The perpetrator spat in his face, called him a "dirty Jew," and then sucker-punched him. NYPD is investigating this as a hate crime. Read More

School Threats

Poinciana High School - Facebook page

Florida Teen Arrested After Making Threats to School: Gun Found

• A 17-year-old student from Osceola County, Fla., was arrested after allegedly making a threat to "shoot up a school."

• During a subsequent search of the teen's home, authorities found a Glock 19 and a 34-round extended magazine in his backpack. The firearm was reported to be stolen.

• Aside from the school threat, the teenager faces charges including grand theft of a firearm, possession of a firearm by a minor, possession of marijuana under 20 grams, possession of alcohol by a person under 21, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Read More

Former Student Arrested for Hit List Targeting Georgia Schools

• A former student was arrested after making a social media threat of a “hit list” that targeted students at two Cobb County, Ga., high schools, Pope and Walton High Schools.
• The threat was brought to the attention of the district through multiple tips.
• The juvenile suspect was charged with terroristic threats and disruption of the operation of a public school after a thorough investigation. Read More

Foreign Influence Operations

Shutterstock image

Investigation Into Illegal Foreign Donations Being Laundered to Democratic Campaigns

• The Republican-led House Administration Committee has uncovered evidence suggesting that illegal donations from nations like China, Russia, Iran, and Venezuela may have been channeled to Democratic campaigns via ActBlue, the Democratic Party's primary online fundraising platform.
  

• ActBlue has confessed to the committee that they did not require the CVV code for donations, thus making it easier for contributions to be made without identity verification.
  

• The committee is seeking further information through classified briefings with various federal agencies to delve deeper into these foreign donation issues. They are also in the process of subpoenaing records related to donations made with prepaid or gift cards. Read More

Chinese Hackers Target U.S. Telecoms

• OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, identified and deactivated a series of Iranian government accounts involved in a covert operation to influence voters. This operation was part of what's known as Storm-2035, focusing on promoting false content about the U.S. presidential election.
  
• The Iranian operation not only targeted U.S. elections but also generated misleading content in Spanish and English concerning politics in Venezuela and the rights of Latino communities in the U.S., aiming to create discord and promote specific narratives. Read More

QUOTABLE
“The very idea of the power and the right of the people to establish government presupposes the duty of every individual to obey the established government.”

-- George Washington

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.