Rodriguez said, “I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza.”

Clarion Project ( [link removed] 202505-29&utm_medium=email )

View in browser ( [link removed] 202505-29&utm_medium=email )

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The Extremism Roundup
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*Focused on Evidence Instead of Narratives*
A weekly compilation of the most important developments in the struggle against radical ideologies

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A Word From the CEO
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Dear Reader,

The past two weeks have highlighted a spike in U.S. violent extremism, with the first-degree murder of two Israeli embassy workers by a pro-Palestinian activist, a Texas mother charged for aiding her son’s planned school shooting, and a Georgia student detained for Snapchat threats. Antisemitic and hate-driven threats also targeted public officials, including Senator Jacky Rosen and Michigan AG Dana Nessel, while Salman Rushdie’s attacker received a 25-year sentence, reflecting ongoing domestic radicalization.

Foreign influence operations persist, with Qatar’s heavy lobbying of U.S. lawmakers, particularly in South Carolina, exposed through campaign donations and policy-shaping efforts. The University of Pennsylvania faces a federal probe for unreported foreign funds, part of a broader crackdown. These incidents, alongside a foiled neo-Nazi plot in New York, underscore the intertwined threats of extremism and foreign influence to U.S. security.

Sincerely,

-------------------
A Word From the CEO
-------------------

Dear Reader,

The past two weeks have highlighted a spike in U.S. violent extremism, with the first-degree murder of two Israeli embassy workers by a pro-Palestinian activist, a Texas mother charged for aiding her son’s planned school shooting, and a Georgia student detained for Snapchat threats. Antisemitic and hate-driven threats also targeted public officials, including Senator Jacky Rosen and Michigan AG Dana Nessel, while Salman Rushdie’s attacker received a 25-year sentence, reflecting ongoing domestic radicalization.

Foreign influence operations persist, with Qatar’s heavy lobbying of U.S. lawmakers, particularly in South Carolina, exposed through campaign donations and policy-shaping efforts. The University of Pennsylvania faces a federal probe for unreported foreign funds, part of a broader crackdown. These incidents, alongside a foiled neo-Nazi plot in New York, underscore the intertwined threats of extremism and foreign influence to U.S. security.

Sincerely,

RIchard Green

CEO, Co-Founder

Clarionproject.org

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Militant-Right and Militant-Left Extremism
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People attend a candlelight vigil at Lafayette Square in Washington, DC, on May 22, following a shooting that left two Israeli embassy staffers dead - Mandel NGAN / AFP via Getty Images ( [link removed] 202505-29&utm_medium=email )

People attend a candlelight vigil at Lafayette Square in Washington, DC, on May 22, following a shooting that left two Israeli embassy staffers dead - Mandel NGAN / AFP via Getty Images

*Israeli Embassy Workers Murdered by Pro-Palestininian Activist*
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* Elias Rodriguez, a 31-year-old from Chicago, was charged with first-degree murder for killing Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, two Israeli Embassy employees, outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC, on May 21.
* Rodriguez had ties to pro-Palestinian activism and far-left groups like the Party for Socialism and Liberation. Rodriguez told police at the scene, “I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza,” and shouted, “Free Palestine” while in custody.
* The couple, about to be engaged, was shot in the back at close range after leaving an event focused on humanitarian aid for Gaza.
* The FBI is investigating the shooting as a hate crime and act of terrorism, with Rodriguez facing additional charges of murdering foreign officials and firearms offenses. *Read More ( [link removed] 202505-29&utm_medium=email )*

*Las Vegas Man Sentenced for Threats to Senator Jacky Rosen*
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* John Anthony Miller, a Las Vegas man, was sentenced to 46 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to threatening a U.S. Senator from Nevada and the family members of two U.S. Senators.
* Between October 11 and October 25, 2023, Miller left numerous threatening voicemails at the offices of two U.S. Senators, including threats to assault and murder one senator with the intent to impede or retaliate against their official duties.
* Miller’s threats against Senator Jacky Rosen, a Nevada Democrat, included antisemitic slurs referencing the Israel-Hamas war and the Holocaust, and he appeared at a Las Vegas courthouse demanding to see her, yelling profanities after being denied entry. *Read More ( [link removed] 202505-29&utm_medium=email )*

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Islamist Extremism
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Former Army National Guard member Ammar Abdulmajid-Mohamed Said, 19 - DOJ via CBS News screenshot ( [link removed] 202505-29&utm_medium=email )

Former Army National Guard member Ammar Abdulmajid-Mohamed Said, 19 - DOJ via CBS News screenshot

*Former National Guard Member Charged for ISIS Plot to Attack Military Base*
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*

Ammar Abdulmajid-Mohamed Said, a 19-year-old former Michigan Army National Guard member from Melvindale, was arrested on May 13 for plotting a mass shooting at the U.S. Army’s Tank-Automotive & Armaments Command (TACOM) facility in Warren, Mich., on behalf of ISIS.

*

Said communicated with two undercover FBI agents, mistakenly believing them to be ISIS supporters, and provided material support, including armor-piercing ammunition, magazines, firearms training, and Molotov cocktail construction guidance, while also conducting drone reconnaissance over TACOM to plan the attack.

*

Since June 2024, Said expressed a desire for violent jihad, with evidence from a 2023 Facebook message exchange with a user in the Palestinian territories and images of him posing with an ISIS flag.

*

Said faces charges of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and distributing information related to a destructive device, with a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison per count if convicted. *Read More ( [link removed] 202505-29&utm_medium=email )*

*Salman Rushdie Attacker Receives Maximum Sentence*
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*

Hadi Matar, 27, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for the 2022 attempted murder of author Salman Rushdie, leaving him blind in one eye, and the assault of Henry Reese at a New York lecture.

*

Matar, a U.S. citizen of Lebanese descent, was allegedly motivated by a 1989 Iranian fatwa against Rushdie for The Satanic Verses, endorsed by Hezbollah. However, prosecutors focused on the attack’s execution rather than motive.

*

Matar faces a separate federal trial for terrorism-related charges, with investigations linking him to Hezbollah ties from a trip to southern Lebanon. *Read More ( [link removed] 202505-29&utm_medium=email )*

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Hate Crime
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Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel departs after speaking on stage during the Democratic National Convention on August 21, 2024, in Chicago - Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images ( [link removed] 202505-29&utm_medium=email )

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel departs after speaking on stage during the Democratic National Convention on August 21, 2024, in Chicago - Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

*New York Man Guilty of Hate Crime Against Michigan Attorney General*
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*

Kevin Delgado, 40, from Bayside, N.Y., pleaded guilty to a federal hate crime for threatening Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel on October 22, 2023, facing up to five years in prison.

*

Delgado admitted targeting Nessel due to her Jewish faith and perceived sexual orientation, responding to her X post about a murdered friend with a threatening message. *Read More ( [link removed] 202505-29&utm_medium=email )*

*Georgian National Extradited to Face Charges for Soliciting Hate Crimes and Planning Mass Casualty Event*
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* Michail Chkhikvishvili, 21, a Georgian national who was extradited from Moldova, was charged in Brooklyn for soliciting hate crimes and planning a mass casualty attack in NYC. He faces up to 50 years in prison if convicted.
* As “Commander Butcher” of the Maniac Murder Cult, he used Telegram since July 2022 to incite hate crimes, targeting racial minorities and Jews with bombings and murders.
* In 2023, he solicited an undercover FBI agent to poison minority and Jewish children in Brooklyn on New Year’s Eve, providing poison and bomb-making instructions. *Read More ( [link removed] 202505-29&utm_medium=email )*

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School Threats
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Ashley Pardo, 33, who aided her son in his plans to commit a school shooting - police handout via BBC screenshot ( [link removed] 202505-29&utm_medium=email )

Ashley Pardo, 33, who aided her son in his plans to commit a school shooting - police handout via BBC screenshot

*Mother Charged With Helping Son Plan School Shooting*
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*

Ashley Pardo, 33, was charged with aiding terrorism after allegedly buying ammunition and tactical gear for her 13-year-old son, knowing he planned a mass attack at Jeremiah Rhodes Middle School in San Antonio.

*

The boy, detained off-campus, was charged with terrorism after appearing at school in a mask and tactical gear. He had drawn a “suicide route” map of the school and researched past mass shooters. *Read More ( [link removed] 202505-29&utm_medium=email )*

*Texas Teen Charged With Terroristic Threats*
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* A 16-year-old Ridgeland High School student in Walker County, Ga., was charged with terroristic threats after posting a threatening message on Snapchat targeting the school.
* The Walker County Sheriff’s Office investigated after the threatening post was reported, leading to the juvenile’s detention at a juvenile detention center. *Read More ( [link removed] 202505-29&utm_medium=email )*

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Foreign Influence Operations
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U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) speaks to reporters outside the White House on February 28, 2025, on the heated Oval Office meeting between Ukrainian President Zelensky, U.S. President Trump, and Vice President Vance - Andrew Harnik/Getty Images ( [link removed] 202505-29&utm_medium=email )

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) speaks to reporters outside the White House on February 28, 2025, on the heated Oval Office meeting between Ukrainian President Zelensky, U.S. President Trump, and Vice President Vance - Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

*Qatar Foreign Agents are Major Donors to Congressmen and Spent $72 Million on Lobbying and PR*
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*

Qatar has targeted South Carolina lawmakers, particularly Sen. Lindsey Graham and Rep. Joe Wilson, with over 100 contacts since 2020, facilitated by firms like Nelson Mullins, leveraging the state’s Boeing plant.

*

Qatari foreign agents donated nearly $30,000 to Graham’s campaign and $5,000 to Wilson’s 2022 reelection, alongside $700,000 to various congressional offices since 2020, often securing access to influence policy.

*

Qatar paid Nelson Mullins $110,000 monthly and has spent over $71.9 million on lobbying and PR in the U.S. since 2017, aiming to shape U.S.-Qatar relations and defense policies.

*

Qatari operatives, including former Graham aide Andrew King, organized meetings and dinners, such as at the Qatari ambassador’s residence, to push Qatar’s interests, including National Defense Authorization Act language. *Read More ( [link removed] 202505-29&utm_medium=email )*

*US Probing Foreign Donations at University of Pennsylvania*
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*

The U.S. Department of Education opened a probe into the University of Pennsylvania for allegedly making inaccurate and untimely foreign financial disclosures.

*

The Education Department requested UPenn’s tax records since 2017, details of agreements with foreign governments, and information on personnel tied to foreign entities within 30 days, citing “tremendous concern” over compliance.

*

The probe follows a 2019-2021 investigation uncovering $6.5 billion in unreported foreign funds across U.S. universities, with UPenn’s lack of immediate response noted amid heightened federal oversight. *Read More ( [link removed] 202505-29&utm_medium=email )*

QUOTABLE
“Why has government been instituted at all? Because the passions of man will not conform to the dictates of reason and justice without constraint.”

-- Alexander Hamilton

NOTE TO OUR READERS: We have pulled out the salient points of the articles in this newsletter to keep you informed and focused on the most relevant, important and timely news in national security and extremism. While our national security experts stand behind the summary bullets and deem them trustworthy, Clarion Project does not endorse all the views expressed in the articles linked.

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