Our picksTaking Domestic Nuclear Terrorism Seriously | Russia Stepping Up Its Hacking Game | The Power Struggle of Anti-Semitism, and more
· DHS Issues Its First National Terrorism Bulletin for Domestic Extremists
· Member of Extremist Group Pleads Guilty in Michigan Governor Kidnapping Plot
· Man Arrested on Pipe Bomb Charges Discussed Attacking Twitter and Facebook, Aimed to Keep Trump President
· 3 People from Extremist “Oath Keepers” Indicted on Capitol Riot Conspiracy Charges
· The Power Struggle of Anti-Semitism
· Intel Report Warns Officials Are “Very Likely” to Be Cyberattack Targets Amid Remote Transition
· It’s Time to Take Domestic Nuclear Terrorism Seriously
· Social Media Influencer Charged by Feds for Spreading Disinformation in 2016 Election
· Why Russia May Have Stepped Up Its Hacking Game
· How a Dystopian Neo-Nazi Novel Helped Fuel Decades of White Supremacist Terrorism
DHS Issues Its First National Terrorism Bulletin for Domestic Extremists (Rachael Levy and Ben Kesling, Wall Street Journal)
The Department of Homeland Security issued its first-ever national terrorism bulletin about violent domestic extremists, warning they could attack in the coming weeks, emboldened by the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. DHS, in an advisory Wednesday, said violent extremists opposed to the government and the presidential transition “could continue to mobilize to incite or commit violence,” though the department said it doesn’t have evidence of a specific plot. The bulletin said that violent extremists have been “motivated by a range of issues, including anger over Covid-19 restrictions, the 2020 election results, and police use of force” as well as “long-standing racial and ethnic tension, including opposition to immigration.” DHS has commonly issued terrorism bulletins, though those warnings usually focus on foreign-inspired threats. While this advisory mentions terrorists inspired by foreign ideologies, it is notable for its focus on domestic violent extremists—the first such bulletin ever published, according to a DHS spokesman. The most recent DHS bulletin—a warning that Iran had the potential to carry out cyberattacks—came a year ago. DHS didn’t issue a bulletin ahead of the planned Jan. 6 rally in Washington, D.C. that devolved into a mob attack at the Capitol, despite public chatter online about the extremists’ plans.
Member of Extremist Group Pleads Guilty in Michigan Governor Kidnapping Plot (Neil MacFarquhar, New York Times)
One member of an antigovernment group accused of plotting to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan last fall pleaded guilty on Wednesday in federal court, with documents revealing new details about the group’s plans to storm the Michigan Capitol and commit other violence. Ty G. Garbin, a 25-year-old airplane mechanic, agreed to testify against the other five defendants charged in federal court in Western Michigan, according to the plea agreement filed by prosecutors. Eight other men have been accused in state court of cooperating with the violent plans, and Mr. Garbin will serve as a witness against them, too, it said. (Cont.)
