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Potential Terrorists Can Be Identified from Social Media Posts
Researchers have identified signals in social media posts that can predict when someone posting on far-right forums is likely to go on to commit a terrorist act.
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Alarmism about Terrorism Is Risky and Unjustified
The annual chance of being murdered in an attack committed by a foreign-born terrorist is about one in 4.5 million—about 323 times lower than the chance of being murdered in a normal homicide during that 1975–2023 timeframe. The U.S. ought to be more realistic about the foreign-born terrorist threat. Alarmism in the face of small and manageable risks that probably haven’t arisen is a tremendous vice that policymakers should avoid.
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France Investigates 'Massive Attack' on Fast Train Network
French intelligence is working to identify who is behind acts of intentional vandalism on several high-speed rail routes. The incidents, which have led to a disruption, come ahead of the opening of the Paris Olympics.
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Protecting Major Sporting Events from Terrorism: Considerations for the Paris Olympics and Beyond
As France prepares to host the Summer Olympic Games next month, recent developments have highlighted the challenging threat environment that exists for the country’s security services. The scale of the events planned during the Paris Olympics, in a tense terrorist environment, presents a series of unique challenges for French security services under the scrutiny of an international audience.
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Far-Right Influencers on X Promote Anti-Zionism, Hate and Conspiracy Theories
An analysis identified five influencers on X whose engagement spiked in the days and weeks after Hamas’s attack on Israel, with content that included virulent anti-Zionism alongside antisemitic tropes, disinformation and other forms of hateful or harmful rhetoric.
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How AI Can Aid Decision Making in Mass-Casualty Events
EMTs and paramedics are sometimes confronted with a series of life-and-death questions and dilemmas at the scene. Researcher Omer Perry says his team’s study on paramedic behavior during high-stress situations helped them develop a potentially lifesaving algorithm.
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Trump Assassination Attempt Poses New Test for U.S. Democracy
After a shooting that injured former President Donald Trump and killed a spectator at a campaign rally, leaders of both parties must unite behind efforts to calm and stabilize the political climate.
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Want to Spot a Deepfake? Look for the Stars in Their Eyes
In an era when the creation of artificial intelligence (AI) images is at the fingertips of the masses, the ability to detect fake pictures – particularly deepfakes of people – is becoming increasingly important. So what if you could tell just by looking into someone’s eyes?
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How 'Islamic State' Uses AI to Spread Extremist Propaganda
Groups like the “Islamic State” and al-Qaeda are urging followers to use the latest digital tools to spread their extremist message, avoid censorship and recruit.
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Anti-Israel Sentiments Emerge as the Strongest Predictor of Belief in Anti-Jewish Tropes Among Students
Belief in classic antisemitic tropes increased on four University of California (UC) campuses after Oct. 7, 2023, as did negative sentiments toward Israel. This change in attitude is happening in a broader context of dramatically increasing antisemitism across the country.
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Denial and Distortion of the Hamas-led October 7 Attack: An Overview of False Narratives
Since October 7, extremists and conspiracy theorists have promoted mis- and disinformation narratives about the reality of Hamas’s unprecedented, multi-pronged attack on Israel, attempting to deny or minimize the tragedy and shift the blame towards victims, a majority of whom were innocent civilians.
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U.S.’s Terrorist Listing of European Far-Right Group Signals Fears of Rising Threat − Both Abroad and at Home
The rise of the radical far right in Europe poses a threat not only to the continent but also to Americans at home and abroad. But while the U.S. government tends to be quick to use sanctions against perceived bad actors across the globe, when it comes to the transnational threat that far-right violence poses, successive U.S. administrations have been more coy about using another critical and effective tool: terrorist designations.
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New Migration Patterns Could Fuel IS Plans for U.S.: Officials
Recent changes in global migration patterns and smuggling routes have created an opening for terror groups like the Islamic State to set their sights on the U.S. southern border.
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Evidence Mounts Islamic State Is Looking to the U.S. Southern Border
U.S. intelligence and security officials are increasing their focus on the country’s southern border, worried the constant flow of migrants has attracted the attention of the Islamic State terror group. The heightened concern follows the arrests earlier this month of eight men from Tajikistan, all of whom entered the United States via its southern border with Mexico, some making the trip over a year ago.
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ICC Convicts Mali Insurgency Chief of War Crimes
Al Hassan Mahmoud was convicted of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity during Islamist militants’ one-year rule over Timbuktu in 2012. His crimes against women were particularly marked.
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The long view
The Chilling Crime Spree of The Order – and Its Lasting Effect on Today’s White Supremacists
The new historical crime drama, “The Order,” starring Jude Law and Nicholas Holt, is being described as a riveting “cat-and-mouse thriller.” But for criminologists like us, the white supremacist extremism that takes place in the film is not a nod to a distant past, but a reflection of beliefs and rhetoric that still percolate on social media and inspire acts of terror.
Islamist Terror Incidents Targeting U.S. Increase in 2024
Islamist terror incidents targeting the United States increased in 2024 after several years of reduced activity, with federal and state authorities arresting individuals in seven different incidents on charges related to five unsuccessful plots and two actual attacks.