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FAR- RIGHT GROUPS BEHIND MOST US TERROR ATTACKS

White supremacis­ts and other likeminded extremists conducted two- thirds of attacks in 2020, finds new study

- NEWYORK BYJENNY GROSS ON GULFNEWS. COM How far- right became Europe’s new normal We have two distinct visions of America now

White supremacis­ts and other rightwing extremists are responsibl­e for 67 per cent of domestic terror attacks and plots so far this year, with at least half of that violence targeting protesters, a new report said |

White supremacis­ts and other likeminded groups have committed a majority of the terrorist attacks in the United States this year, according to a report by a security think tank that echoed warnings made by the Department of Homeland Security this month.

The report, published by the Center for Strategic and Internatio­nal Studies ( CSIS), found that white supremacis­t groups were responsibl­e for 41 of 61 “terrorist plots and attacks” in the first eight months of this year, or 67 per cent. The finding comes about two weeks after an annual assessment by Homeland Security warned that violent white supremacy was the “most persistent and lethal threat in the homeland” and that white supremacis­ts were themost deadly among domestic terrorists in recent years.

Mass protests in US cities

The think tank researcher­s found that the threats of violence were linked in part to this year’s mass protests and confrontat­ions with protesters from a variety of factions. The report said that “far- left and far- right violence was deeply intertwine­d” and that far- left groups, including anarchists and antifascis­t organizati­ons, were responsibl­e for 12 attacks and plots so far this year, or 20 per cent of the total number, up from8 per cent in 2019.

The report by CSIS, which describes itself as a nonpartisa­n center, found that far- left extremists most frequently targeted law enforcemen­t, military and government facilities and personnel. The report highlighte­d several cases, including fatal shootings related to protests and the FBI’s arrest of 13men accused of plotting to kidnap the governor of Michigan, a Democrat. Those cases, along with President Donald Trump’s denunciati­ons of left- wing activists and his refusal at a presidenti­al debate to condemn an extremist right- wing group, have repeatedly raised fears this year of politicall­ymotivated violence.

Politicall­y- charged climate

“Part of the issue we’re seeing is with people congregati­ng, whether it’s for protests or other issues, in cities, is it has basically brought together extremist individual­s from all sides in close proximity,” said Seth Jones, the director of the Transnatio­nal Threats Project at the center. “We’ve seen people on all sides armed, and it does raise concerns about escalation of violence in US cities.”

The report also linked the threat of violence to the country’ s charged politics, the coronaviru­s pandemic and its financial fallout. It warned that violence could rise after the presidenti­al election because of increasing polarisati­on, growing economic challenges, concerns about racial injustice and the persistenc­e of coronaviru­s health risks.

Aftermath of elections

It said that if the Democratic presidenti­al candidate, Joe Biden, wins the election, white supremacis­ts could mobilise, with targets likely to be Black people, Latinos, Jews and Muslims. A Republican presidenti­al victory could involve violence emanating out of large- scale demonstrat­ions, the report said.

There were some encouragin­g signs. The number of fatalities from domestic terrorism has been relatively low so far this year, compared with some periods of US history.

Five fatalities were caused by domestic terrorism in the first eight months of this year, compared with the past five years, in which total fatalities ranged from22 people to 66.

The study attributed the lower number of fatalities to effective interventi­on by the FBI and other lawenforce­ment agencies.

Lownumber of fatalities

The relatively low number of fatalities that resulted from a high number of terrorist incidents showed that extremists this year have wanted to send messages through threats and intimidati­on. Many of the incidents involved vehicles orweapons, so therewas a high potential for fatalities, but “an apparent lack ofwill,” the report said.

Of the five fatal attacks this year, the report attributed one in Portland, Oregon, to an activist affiliated with the loose far- left movement known as “antifa”; one in Austin, Texas, to a man described as a “far- right extremist”; one inNewJerse­y to an “anti- feminist”; and two in California to a man linked to the socalled Boogaloo movement, an anti- government group whose members seek to exploit public unrest to incite a racewar.

In an endnote, the researcher­s said they did not classify the shooting in Kenosha, Wisconsin, that killed two protesters in August, as a terrorist attack.

Spike in organised violence

They said that the person charged in the shooting, a teenager whose social media accounts showed strong support for the police, “lacked a clear politicalm­otive for the killings.”

Jones said the number of small, structured groups has increased over the past couple of years, as part of broader increase in organised violence recently compared to the 1960s and ‘ 70s, when attacks tended to be carried out by relatively decentrali­sed extremists.

A continued increase in organised violence in the United States, perpetrate­d by groups with sophistica­ted structures for training and fundraisin­g, Jones said, would be “a very concerning developmen­t.”

It is fundamenta­lly concerning that Americans exercising their right to freedom of assembly and speech at protests are being targeted.”

Bruce Hoffman| Professor at Georgetown University

Part of the issue is with people congregati­ng, it has basically brought together extremist individual­s from all sides in close proximity.”

Seth Jones | Director of Transnatio­nal Threats Project, CSIS

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 ?? AFP ?? The Boogaloo Bois stand on the steps of the Capitol Building during a rally last week in Lansing, Michigan.
AFP The Boogaloo Bois stand on the steps of the Capitol Building during a rally last week in Lansing, Michigan.
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