LAST WEEK'S PICKSDisaster at FEMA | Neo-Nazi “Fitness Clubs” Surge in U.S. | Pentagon Snaps Up Ownership Stake in America's Only Rare Earths Mine | Toward an Abundance National Security Agenda, and more

EXTREMISM

Neo-Nazis and Black Extremists “Forming Antisemitic Alliances”  (Matt Dathan, The Times)
Neo-Nazis are forging alliances with black extremist groups over a shared hatred of Jews, posing a growing threat to UK national security, research has warned. Antisemitism is emerging as an ideological “glue” binding white and black nationalists, according to a report that calls for a change in the way extremism is combated because ideologies no longer fit traditional far-right or Islamist profiles. Dr Ariel Koch, a fellow at the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT), described the phenomenon as “bridge hate” —a tactical alliance between racial supremacists who would otherwise be ideological enemies.

Neo-Nazi “Fitness Clubs” Surge in U.S., Recruiting Teens via TikTok and Telegram  (Gila Isaacson, JFeed)
A growing network of neo-Nazi youth groups, disguised as fitness clubs, is recruiting American teenagers as young as 15 through social media platforms like TikTok and Telegram, spreading Adolf Hitler quotes and white supremacist ideology, according to a new investigation by the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism. The report reveals a 59% surge in “Active Clubs” across the United States since October 2023, with the number of chapters rising from 49 to 78, now operating in 42 states.

UK Counter-Radicalization Scheme Prevent Must “Up Its Game,” Review Concludes (Reuters)
Britain’s counter-radicalization scheme Prevent needs to rapidly adapt to avoid mistakes which saw two men who had been referred to the program go on to commit deadly knife attacks, a review concluded on Wednesday. Prevent has been a key strand of Britain’s security apparatus since the September 11 attacks on the United States in 2001, with the aim of stopping radicalization and preventing people from going on to commit acts of violence.

Too Young to Drive, Old Enough for Extremism: Youth Radicalization’s New Reality  (Megan Norris, HSToday)
The counterterrorism landscape has undergone a fundamental shift in recent years, with one trend emerging as particularly alarming to practitioners and researchers alike: the dramatic increase in youth radicalization. This phenomenon, spanning from pre-teens to young adults, represents a paradigm shift that challenges traditional assumptions about terrorist recruitment and demands urgent attention from policymakers, security professionals, and communities worldwide.