He provided tactical firearms training to racially motivated violent extremist groups and white supremacist organizations
Clarion Project ( [link removed] 202507-24&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,
Over the past few weeks, the U.S. has seen a surge in incidents tied to violent extremism and foreign influence operations. From a failed Molotov cocktail attack on a Michigan GOP headquarters to a neo-Nazi assault in Nashville, domestic extremists are leveraging violence to advance their agendas. Meanwhile, two Texas teenagers pleaded guilty to plotting a mass casualty attack on a Houston school, underscoring the ongoing risk of radicalization among youth. These events reflect a troubling spectrum of ideologically driven violence across the country.
Foreign influence operations also remain a critical concern, with Qatar’s $6 billion in U.S. university funding raising questions about its role in shaping academic narratives, potentially tied to Islamist ideologies. Concurrently, the DOJ’s civil forfeiture action against $2 million in digital currency linked to Hamas further exposes how foreign actors exploit financial systems to support terrorism. These incidents collectively demand heightened vigilance and robust countermeasures to protect national security and public discourse.
Sincerely,
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A Word From the CEO
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Dear Reader,
Over the past few weeks, the U.S. has seen a surge in incidents tied to violent extremism and foreign influence operations. From a failed Molotov cocktail attack on a Michigan GOP headquarters to a neo-Nazi assault in Nashville, domestic extremists are leveraging violence to advance their agendas. Meanwhile, two Texas teenagers pleaded guilty to plotting a mass casualty attack on a Houston school, underscoring the ongoing risk of radicalization among youth. These events reflect a troubling spectrum of ideologically driven violence across the country.
Foreign influence operations also remain a critical concern, with Qatar’s $6 billion in U.S. university funding raising questions about its role in shaping academic narratives, potentially tied to Islamist ideologies. Concurrently, the DOJ’s civil forfeiture action against $2 million in digital currency linked to Hamas further exposes how foreign actors exploit financial systems to support terrorism. These incidents collectively demand heightened vigilance and robust countermeasures to protect national security and public discourse.
Sincerely,
RIchard Green
CEO, Co-Founder
Clarionproject.org
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Militant-Right and Militant-Left Extremism
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Extremists training in use of firearms - via United States Attorney’s Office Western District of Washington State screenshot ( [link removed] 202507-24&utm_medium=email )
Extremists training in use of firearms - via United States Attorney’s Office Western District of Washington State screenshot
*Army Veteran Sentenced for Training Violent Extremist Groups*
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* Kyle Christopher Benton, a 29-year-old Army veteran from Snohomish, Wash., was sentenced to two years in prison on July 17 for illegally possessing high-powered firearms, including an unregistered machine gun and short-barrel rifles.
* Benton provided tactical firearms training to racially motivated violent extremist groups and white supremacist organizations, leveraging his military experience to enhance his standing within these groups.
* The FBI investigated Benton after his Army discharge and after he threatened to kill his wife, uncovering his online posts of neo-Nazi propaganda, antisemitic content, and participation in "hate rallies" across Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. *Read More ( [link removed] 202507-24&utm_medium=email )*
*Molotov Cocktail Thrown at Michigan GOP Headquarters*
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* Zayn Edward Arcand, 19, from Iron Mountain, Mich., threw two Molotov cocktails at the Dickinson County Republican Committee Headquarters on July 12, but they failed to ignite.
* Arcand was arrested and charged with arson and manufacturing/possessing a Molotov cocktail; he admitted to targeting the building to protest corruption.
* The attack caused no significant damage or injuries. *Read More ( [link removed] 202507-24&utm_medium=email )*
*FBI Captures Alleged Prairieland Shooter*
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* Benjamin Hanil Song, a former U.S. Marine Corps reservist, was captured by FBI agents in Dallas, Texas, on July 15 after a weeklong manhunt following his alleged role in a July 4 ambush at the Prairieland Detention Center ( [link removed] 202507-24&utm_medium=email ).
* Song faces federal charges of three counts of attempted murder of federal agents and three counts of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, linked to an attack where an Alvarado police officer was shot in the neck.
* The assault involved 10 others, using fireworks and graffiti to lure officers out, with Song allegedly purchasing four of the guns used, including AR-style rifles.
* Fourteen total arrests were made, including two individuals charged with helping Song evade capture and one for obstructing justice by concealing evidence. *Read More ( [link removed] 202507-24&utm_medium=email )*
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Islamist Extremism
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A Palestinian masked child holds a rifle as he stands between two Hamas militants at the site where the bodies of four Israeli hostages were handed over to the Red Cross in Khan Yunis, February 20, 2025 - EYAD BABA/AFP via Getty Images ( [link removed] 202507-24&utm_medium=email )
A Palestinian masked child holds a rifle as he stands between two Hamas militants at the site where the bodies of four Israeli hostages were handed over to the Red Cross in Khan Yunis, February 20, 2025 - EYAD BABA/AFP via Getty Images
*Justice Department Targets Hamas Fundraiser*
* U.S. DOJ targets $2M in digital currency linked to BuyCash, a Gaza-based money transfer firm, in a civil forfeiture action.
* BuyCash and owner Ahmed Alaqad allegedly funded Hamas and other terrorist groups such as ISIS since 2017.
* The action aims to disrupt financial networks supporting international terrorism by seizing funds from accounts connected to BuyCash, which were used to obscure illegal transactions. *Read More ( [link removed] 202507-24&utm_medium=email )*
*New Report Documents DHS Funding of Terror-Linked Islamic Organizations*
* The Middle East Forum just released a report documenting $25 million in Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding that went to terror-supporting groups associated with Hamas, Hezbollah, the Muslim Brotherhood, and the Islamic Republic of Iran. *Read More ( [link removed] 202507-24&utm_medium=email )*
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Hate Crime
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William James Wilson, 26 - Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office screenshot via The Detroit News screenshot ( [link removed] 202507-24&utm_medium=email )
William James Wilson, 26 - Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office via The Detroit News screenshot
*Man Faces Hate Crime Charges After Attacking Couples Outside Detroit Casino*
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William James Wilson, 26, from Fort Worth, Texas, faces hate crime and assault charges for attacking two same-sex couples outside MGM Grand Detroit on July 13.
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The attack occurred around 1 a.m. in the casino’s valet area, where Wilson allegedly used homophobic slurs and punched a woman, leaving her unconscious with a severe concussion.
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Wilson faces charges including assault with intent to do great bodily harm and four hate crime counts, with a $100,000 bond. *Read More ( [link removed] 202507-24&utm_medium=email )*
*Second Neo-Nazi Charged for Antisemitic Assault*
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* Louis Edward Dunn, 43, faces civil rights intimidation and assault charges for a July 2024 attack on a Jewish man in Nashville, indicted by a Davidson County Grand Jury.
* Dunn and Ryan Scott McCann allegedly assaulted a 20-year-old Jewish man in a 10th Avenue South parking lot, taunting him and striking his neck and legs.
* Both suspects are linked to the antisemitic Goyim Defense League, which was active in Nashville during July 2024, causing multiple disturbances. *Read More ( [link removed] 202507-24&utm_medium=email )*
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School Threats
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Memorial High School, Houston - via Eyewitness News ABC13 screenshot ( [link removed] 202507-24&utm_medium=email )
Memorial High School, Houston - via Eyewitness News ABC13 screenshot
*Houston Teens Plead Guilty to Bomb Plot*
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Two teenage girls, aged 15 and 16, pleaded guilty to charges related to plotting a "mass casualty attack" on Memorial High School in Houston, involving pipe bombs and guns.
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The FBI intercepted the girls' social media communications, leading to their swift arrest in February.
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Both girls will remain on probation until age 18, with one also receiving continuous monitoring and psychiatric care. *Read More ( [link removed] 202507-24&utm_medium=email )*
*Texas Teen Arrested in Connection With Social Media Threat*
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* A 14-year-old incoming freshman was arrested on July 23 for a social media threat against Vanguard Academy in Edinburg, Texas, and is detained in a juvenile facility.
* The same teen was detained on June 23 for bringing a kitchen knife to Barrientes Middle School with the intent to engage in a fight.
* A second student was also charged in connection with a June 16 threat. *Read More ( [link removed] 202507-24&utm_medium=email )*
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Foreign Influence Operations
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China has been identified as the most active and persistent cyber threat to U.S. Government and critical infrstructure networks. Shutterstock Illustration ( [link removed] 202507-24&utm_medium=email )
China has been identified as the most active and persistent cyber threat to U.S. Government and critical infrstructure networks. Shutterstock Illustration
*Microsoft Program Exposes Pentagon Computers to Potential Chinese Cyberattacks*
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An investigation by Pro-Publica has exposed that for nearly a decade, Microsoft has used engineers in China to help maintain highly sensitive Defense Department computer systems.
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Microsoft hired "digital escorts" to oversee the work of the Chinese engineers, but, according to the report, these digital escorts include former military personnel with little coding experience who are paid barely more than minimum wage for the work and who lack the technical expertise to supervise foreign engineers with far more advanced skills.
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National security and cybersecurity experts contacted by ProPublica were also surprised to learn about this program and highlighted the danger of allowing software engineers from America's most formidable strategic cyber-threat into the inner workings of Defense Department computer systems.
*Read More ( [link removed] 202507-24&utm_medium=email )*
*Former US Department of Education Secretary Joins Qatar Payroll*
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Former U.S. Education Secretary William Bennett registered as a foreign agent for Qatar, receiving $30,000 monthly ($210,000 total) to "publicize that Qatari higher education efforts do not support radical Islamicist movements or positions.”
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Qatar, a major donor to U.S. universities with nearly $6 billion donated since 1981, is a major funder of Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood ( [link removed] 202507-24&utm_medium=email ) and is accused of using its university donations to shape academic narratives, raising concerns about promoting Islamist ideologies. *Read More ( [link removed] 202507-24&utm_medium=email )*
*New Study on X’s Handling of Russian Disinformation*
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A study by WeMove Europe found 125 Russian disinformation posts on X, reported on July 8-9, but only one was removed, with most ignored despite EU sanctions.
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Posts included content from banned Russian state media like RT, with one Russian Foreign Ministry post linking to an RT documentary spreading false narratives.
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The report highlights Russia’s intensified disinformation campaign in Europe since the 2022 Ukraine invasion, involving state accounts and groups like the Social Design Agency. *Read More ( [link removed] 202507-24&utm_medium=email )*
QUOTABLE
“The particular phraseology of the constitution of the United States confirms and strengthens the principle, supposed to be essential to all written constitutions, that a law repugnant to the constitution is void; and that courts, as well as other departments, are bound by that instrument.”
-- John Marshall
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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