The Extremism Roundup

Islamist & Anti-Muslim Extremism 

• An Afghan who identifies as Jewish and a descendent of the lost tribes of Israel was targeted for death by the Taliban but was evacuated to safety through the Clarion Intelligence Network’s Afghan Rescue Project.
• The individual, identified as “Moshe,” is safe in the United Arab Emirates.  
• The Taliban recently told him to surrender or be responsible for the murder of his family members, who haven’t been evacuated yet.

• A family member identified 43-year-old Isela Camerena as the person wanted for deliberately setting fire to the Islamic Center of New Mexico in November 2021.
• Camarena is facing charges of arson and negligent arson. 
• Mosque officials have indicated that Camerena has tried to enter the building on previous occasions while yelling anti-Islamic obscenities and threatening to burn down the mosque.

Alt-Right & Alt-Left Extremism

• A federal judge refused to dismiss an indictment charging four alleged leaders of the far-right group Proud Boys with conspiring to attack the U.S. Capitol.
• Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl and Charles Donohoe were indicted in March on charges including conspiracy and obstructing an official proceeding.
• U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly rejected defense attorneys’ arguments that the four men are charged with conduct that is protected by the First Amendment right to free speech.

• Kuachua Billion Xiong, 25, from Merced, Calif. was arrested during a traffic stop in Iowa after police discovered a “hit list” including the names of President Biden and Dr. Anthony Fauci.
• An AR-15-style assault rifle, ammunition, loaded magazines, body armor, medical kits, and a grappling hook were found in his vehicle.
• In an interview, Xiong stated that nothing would stop him from carrying out his plan of gaining access to the White House and killing the people on his hit list, and if released from custody he would immediately resume his plan.

• Lyndon McLeod, 47, a former tattoo shop owner from Denver, killed five victims in a shooting spree.
• The victims are believed to have been people McLeod knew and were specifically targeted.
• McLeod espoused alt-right conspiracy theories online and had a history of psychiatric episodes.
• McLeod died after an exchange of gunfire with police.

Hostile Foreign Influence Operations

• A joint military exercise between Russia and China this summer points to a solidifying defense alignment.
• The exercises were the first to use a joint Russian-Chinese command-and-control set up and comprised 13,000 troops and hundreds of aircraft, drones, artillery pieces, anti-aircraft batteries and armored vehicles. 
• In October, the two countries launched joint naval drills off Russia’s Far East coast.
• The Office of the Director of National Intelligence reported that Beijing and Moscow are now more aligned than at any point in the past 60 years.
• According to analysts and U.S. officials, U.S. steps to contain the two countries have given the previously contentious rivals an incentive to marshal resources and intelligence against a common adversary.