US State Dept. Includes Section on White Terrorism in Report for First Time - Blinken

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th December, 2021) The US State Department included for the first time in the 2020 Country Reports on Terrorism a section on white-identity terrorism (WIT) and racially or ethnically motivated violent extremism (REMVE) groups, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday.

"The rising threat from REMVE groups, including those promoting the superiority of the white race, is addressed in a new section of the report for the first time," Blinken said in a statement on the report.

Pursuant to the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, the State Department was directed to incorporate in its annual report all credible information about WIT attacks, perpetrators, victims, organizations and notable figures.

In 2021, the State Department's Counterterrorism Bureau instructed all diplomatic and consular posts to engage with their host governments regarding REMVE individuals and groups, with a particular focus on WIT advocates, the report said.

In response, European governments said that REMVE and WIT groups were a growing counterterrorism priority, the report added.

The US designated the Russian Imperial Movement (RIM) and members of its leadership as terrorists - the first time that a WIT group was designated. RIM has provided paramilitary-style training to white supremacists in Europe and actively works to unite these types of groups into a common front against their enemies, according to the report.