• Defining Domestic Terrorism: Does the U.S. Need New Criminal Penalties for Domestic Terrorism Events?

    Debates over what legally constitutes domestic terrorism—and the barriers to prosecuting these incidents—stretch back decades. “Significant political opposition to anti-domestic terrorism statutes are already being observed among lawmakers,” Lucy Tu writes, adding that “Individual lawmakers, however, are not the only opponents to the new bill.”

  • Is Covid-19 a Bio-Weapon?

    The “racial disparity” of the deaths from Covid should raise alarms.  Not the relatively small differences between white, black and Hispanic death rates in America, but the massive disparity between death rates of East Asian countries, and everyone else on earth. On a per capita basis, non-East Asians are dying at rates 20 times higher that of East Asians. That is not a statistical “blip.” It screams that the virus has massively unequal kill rates - and kills people of different races very differently. That is the signature of a bio-weapon.

  • The Evolution of Extremist Groups

    Early online support for the extremist antigovernment Boogaloos followed the same mathematical pattern as ISIS, despite the stark ideological, geographical and cultural differences between their forms of extremism, a new study finds. The findings suggest new strategies to limit the growth of groups like the Boogaloo and ISIS.

  • Antisemitism on TikTok

    Over the last few years, TikTok—the social media app that allows users to create and share short videos—has gained immense popularity. While much of the content on TikTok is lighthearted and fun, extremists have exploited the platform to share hateful content and recruit new adherents.

  • Why a Commission Should Investigate the U.S. Capitol Attack

    Far too little is known about how the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol happened. A bipartisan investigation should address this, to dispel falsehoods and to help prevent such an assault from happening again.

  • Prominent Voices Demonize Israel Regarding the Conflict

    In response to the recent conflict in Israel and Gaza, prominent voices, including among NGOs and activists, have engaged in problematic rhetoric about Israel. Such harsh criticism, especially when it goes beyond criticizing Israel’s policies to a denunciation of the entire entity of Israel and its guiding ideology of Zionism, may not always cross the line into antisemitism, but it enables an environment in which hateful actions against Jews and supporters of Israel are accepted more freely, and in which anti-Jewish tropes may be normalized. We are already seeing too many examples of Jews and Jewish institutions being targeted in the guise of opposition to Israel and its policies.

  • On Christchurch Call Anniversary, a Step Closer to Eradicating Terrorism Online?

    Is it possible to eradicate terrorism and violent extremism from the internet? To prevent videos and livestreams of terrorist attacks from going viral, and maybe even prevent them from being shared or uploaded in the first place? Courtney C. Radsch writes that the governments and tech companies involved in the Christchurch Call are dealing with a difficult issue: “The big question is whether the twin imperatives of eradicating TVEC while protecting the internet’s openness and freedom of expression are compatible,” Radsch writes.

  • U.S. Anti-Hate Crime Law Provides New Enforcement Tools, but Will It Work?

    A bill that President Joe Biden signed into law Thursday gives local and federal officials new tools and resources to combat hate crimes, while putting the spotlight on a surge in anti-Asian hate during the COVID-19 pandemic. The impetus for the new law was a dramatic increase in attacks on Asian Americans since the start of the pandemic in Wuhan, China, more than a year ago.

  • “Racially or Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremists” Pose “Most Lethal” Threat to Homeland: DHS, FBI

    A joint report from the FBI and the DHS  on domestic violent extremism (DVE) warns that lone wolf attackers, who have ready access to weapons, pose the most serious terrorism threat to the United States. The report notes that the number of people killed by racially motivated violent extremists (RMVEs) has been on the rise every year since 2017.

  • Agreement Reached for Bipartisan Probe into U.S. Capitol Riot

    The House Homeland Security Committee announced a bipartisan agreement Friday to form a panel to conduct an investigation into the Jan. 6 insurrection on the U.S. Capitol. A bill will be introduced for House consideration as early as next week. The measure will call for an investigative commission similar to the one that probed the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the U.S. 

  • Al Qaeda, Supporters Advocate for Lone Actor Attacks in the West

    A pro al-Qaeda digital propaganda group has released digital articles which call on Americans to engage in lone-wolf terror attacks against fellow Americans. Because American counterterrorism pressure has severely degraded its capabilities, Al Qaeda appears to believe its best hope of achieving a terrorist attack against the West is to inspire domestic extremists.

  • France, Britain Fearful of Resurgent Jihadist Threat After Lockdown

    Nearly 200 jihadists imprisoned in France are due to be released over the next two years and French security officials are pressing French lawmakers to approve fresh antiterrorist measures to impose enhanced restrictions on those freed and to give police new legal powers to fight terrorism.

  • Videos: Proof of Life or Death?

    Can the fate of hostages be determined from proof-of-life video messages? While terrorist hostage-taking is uncommon, ideologically motivated hostage-takers often provide a video demonstrating proof of control and proof of life (POL). These videos establish that a hostage is alive at the time the video was made, and hence provide valuable information for families and governments charged with their safe recovery. What they don’t reveal, however, is the likely fate of hostages.

  • Second Open Letter by French Soldiers Warns of Civil Insurrection

    Disquiet is growing within France’s military ranks, with the publication of a second open letter — this time by serving soldiers — warning growing Islamism, delinquency and violence threaten the country’s very survival.

  • Germany Sees Spike in Politically Motivated Crimes

    German interior minister Horst Seehofer has warned of what he called an alarming rise in politically motivated crime last year, particularly among far-right groups.